Page 31 of Wed Or Dead

Lyle laughed. “No, of course not. I’m gonna torture you until you break.” His gaze met Gage’s through the bars. “Or until he does.”

“I’m not the breaking type!” Kayla snapped.

“Everyone is, after a while.” Lyle punched in a key code on the cage’s lock, then scanned his left thumb. A soft click and whir sounded. Lyle stepped back and aimed his gun at Kayla’s head once more. “Now push open the door and come on out. Then I’ll uncuff you.”

So the torturing fun could begin.

Kayla glanced back at Gage. “I’m not afraid of pain.”

“That’s what they all say,” Lyle assured her, “at first.”

Gage’s claws were out. He wanted to rip into that bastard. Hewould.As soon as that gun wasn’t pointed at Kayla’s head.

Kayla walked from the cage. Because of the chain that bound them, Gage had to step forward, too. Slowly, carefully.

“Stop right there, Gage, that’s far enough,” Lyle commanded and Gage caught the scent of the bastard’s sweat. Good. Lyle was afraid. He should be.

As Gage stared at him, Lyle’s left hand lowered and came back up with a set of keys. But his right hand—the bastard lifted his right hand and pressed the barrel of the gun between Kayla’s eyes. “Now be a good girl,” he directed, “and unlock your handcuff. Then drop the chain.”

Kayla’s fingers were rock steady as she reached for the keys. Gage couldn’t see her face, just the perfectly straight line of her back. He hated the sight of that gun barrel pressed against her head. Hated?—

Lyle pulled the trigger.

Chapter Six

The shift hit Gage instantly.A wild burst of fiery pain ignited within him as the wolf inside erupted in fury. He fell to the ground, landing on all fours, and his hands began to twist into claws. The man couldn’t control the beast this time.

Gun. Kayla. Shot.

There was too much fury. Too much pain and rage.

Lyle’s laughter echoed in his ears. “Don’t worry, the first chamber was empty.”

Gage managed to lift his head. The man he’d been was slipping away. Too much hate burned inside of him.

Lyle could have killed her.

“The second one, though, it’s not empty,” Lyle promised. “So stay in the cage, wolf, or you really will watch me blow her brains out.”

The silver chain burned against his flesh. Burned even hotter now that the wolf was coming out, but the shift was exactly what he needed to lose the cuff that circled his wrist. Because he didn’t have a human wrist anymore. The bones snapped. Elongated. Became narrow enough to slide from that silver cuff, and, sure enough, the cuff fell from his paw a few seconds later. The lockon Kayla’s cuffs clicked open. She caught the chain, not letting it fall to the stone floor.

Lyle looked back at him. “I knew the beast wanted her.”

More than he wanted breath.

“So I figured I’d see just how much control the man had over—Ah!”Lyle’s words ended in a scream. Kayla had jerked the chain back toward her. Since it wasn’t anchored to Gage anymore, it flew easily into her grip. Then she slammed that silver right at Lyle. Right into the bastard’s face. The gun fell from Lyle’s hands. A bullet fired out and slammed into the side of the cage’s bars.

The scent of smoking flesh filled Gage’s nostrils.

And since the cage door was conveniently open, the wolf just leapt right out of the prison.

Kayla kicked out with her foot and sent Lyle stumbling to the floor. Then she jumped on top of him and wrapped the silver chain around his neck. Once. Twice. “You’re gonna play Russian roulette with me?” Kayla snarled. “I don’t think so, you bastard!”

Lyle tossed her away. She flew back, and her body crashed into the side of the cage.

Lyle grabbed at the chain, and the silver burned his fingers.Your turn to enjoy the pain, asshole.Before the guy could get free, Gage was on him. His claws dug into Lyle’s chest as he penned the bastard to the floor.

Then Gage lowered his head for the kill.

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