Page 19 of Unruly Hearts

"Fine." I match his smile with my own predatory grin. "All in."

Serenity trembles next to me.

Ethan doesn't look at me anymore. His eyes stay on my mate. Bad eyes, like a snake's.

Glancing around the room, verifying no one else is in listening distance, he leans forward, "You know, your parents were stubborn too, Serenity. Wouldn't sell, wouldn't take my offers."

More chips slide into the pot. "Amazing how equipment can fail, even for experienced climbers."

Serenity asks, "What did you do?"

"Just a little acid on the rope. A frayed carabiner." His smile widens. "Shame they didn't sign the papers before their... accident. Had to get creative with the signatures."

I feel Serenity's fear through our bond. Makes my tusks ache. But I look at my cards. All my years playing poker help now. The cards feel good in my hands. Normal.

Then I get the perfect hand - straight flush. Like the cards want me to win. But when I show them, Ethan's face turns purple with anger.

"You cheated!" The words barely register before I see the gun.

Everything gets clear and slow. My orc body moves fast—I flip the big wood table with one hand, grab Serenity with the other. BANG! Pain hits my shoulder, but I don't care. Must protect mate.

"Get the papers," I say. Use my big body to hide her. Smell her fear and blood and gun smoke. Makes me want to kill.

She moves like a shadow beneath me while I keep Ethan distracted, hurling poker chips at him. Each shot that rings out makes my heart stop until I confirm it hasn't found her.

Air smells like blood and fear. Humans scream. Things crash.

Blue and red lights flash through windows. "Police! Don't move!"

Still keep Serenity behind me when police come in. My shoulder burns bad, blood on my shirt. Show my tusks at healers who come close. Only let them near when I feel through our bond that Serenity is safe.

Relief floods through me. We're alive. We won.

And Ethan will never threaten her again.

Serenity

Idrive us home, my fingers tight on the wheel. Two years of questions, of guilt, of wondering what went wrong - all answered in one horrible moment.

"I'll kill him," Agis growls softly.

"No." My voice sounds strange in my ears. "I want him to rot in prison, thinking about what he did. Death's too good for him."

“We won the money,” he says, the paper receipt clutched between his massive fingers. “And the recording will make sure Ethan is punished.”

I nod. Detective Morris said that between the recording and the receipt, the Red Top Wildlife Center is free and clear. The relief should make me feel better.

But the avalanche of news that I’ve received tonight keeps anger simmering in my gut. I hold it together until we reach the cabin. Then the walls I've built over two years crumble all at once.

Agis catches me as my legs give out, gathering me against his massive chest.

"I knew something was wrong," I choke out between sobs. "The equipment, the records... God, I should have seen it."

"Not your fault."

"They trusted him. We all did." My fingers dig into his chest, anchoring myself. "He killed them over land. Over money."

Like gambling debts. Like the addiction that nearly tore us apart. The parallel hits hard, and fresh tears come.

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