Page 234 of Secret Shifters Next Door

“All good, boss. No sign of anyone. I’m ready. Seat belt off, door cracked, pistol cocked, locked, and ready to rock. Give the word, and I’m out.”

“Okay, stay ready.”

“What game are you talking about?” Celina asked.

“Do you believe unnatural creatures should be allowed to exist?”

“Unnatural? What do you mean? Murderers? Child molesters?”

Felicity laughed. It was more of a humorless bark than a true laugh—bitter and irritated. “Can we stop this? You know. And I know that you know. Stop playing this stupid little game. I know your mongrel boyfriend is listening in right now.”

“Fuck,” Tate shouted and looked at me.

The panic in my voice was almost as great as what I felt inside. I clicked over. “Terry? Get in there. Get in now.”

Silence. All four of us looked at each other, and an empty, sinking feeling started to swell in my stomach.

Steff got on the radio. “Terry, goddamn it, respond. We need you in there.”

Silence again. Then a burst of audio from the radio headset. “Who is that?” Celina’s voice said, quivering with fear.

“A friend of mine. He’s here to help,” Felicity said.

The headset was off my head, and I was out of the truck less than a second later. My feet slammed the ground as I ran. Things had gone bad. As wrong as they possibly could have been. I didn’t even try to hide my supernatural speed. I raced down the alley faster than any Olympic sprinter who had ever lived. I took the corner and angled to the restaurant. I saw Terry slumped in the parking lot next to his car. A knot of fear jerked tight in mychest, but I had no time to check on him. I could only hope he was knocked out and not dead.

I could see through the front door and glass window of the restaurant. Celina and Felicity were at a table right by the window. A big, younger man stood at the table, towering over Celina. My shifter eyes, better than any human’s, spotted the gun in his waistband. I amped up speed and burst through the restaurant door right as the guy grabbed Celina’s arm and tried to lift her out of the seat.

In two quick steps, I was on him. I chopped a hand down on the wrist of the hand that was grabbing Celina. I slammed my hand into his throat, hitting him below his Adam’s apple with the webbing between my thumb and forefinger. He gagged, and his eyes bulged, croaking as he tried to scream while the muscle in his throat convulsed. I yanked his arm around his back and twisted. To prevent his arm from breaking, he had to bend over fast. The movement caused him to slam his own head into the table. I held him there and grabbed his other hand, so he couldn’t reach for the gun. I sniffed the air. There was a weird scent in the air that I couldn’t quite place.

Before I could trace the source, there was an explosion of sound from the patrons and workers of the restaurant—shouting and calling for help. I tuned them all out and looked at Celina. “You okay?”

She nodded, looking shaken.

“What the hell are you doing?” Felicity screamed, jumping up from her chair.

“He was putting his hands on me.” Celina pointed out. “Why was he assaulting me?”

“He’s my bodyguard, that’s all. He was here to…uh…escort us home.”

I sneered at her, but before I could say anything, Celina beat me to it. “And why the hell do you need a bodyguard?”

Felicity’s face went pale as she realized all her lies had piled up so high she couldn’t keep balancing them, and the whole thing was starting to fall over.

Celina stood and glared at Felicity. “Are we still playing some game?” Celina said, mocking Felicity with her own words from earlier.

I reached into the guy’s waistband and slipped his gun out, sliding it into Celina’s purse, being careful that no one in the restaurant saw it. What the hell was that scent? I glanced around, trying to find the source. It smelled faintly of a shifter, but how could that be possible? Tate? Was he here already? I let the guy go, and he stumbled onto his knees, still fighting to get his breath back as he clutched at his throat. He’d be fine, but he was no longer a threat.

I nodded to him and looked at Felicity. “Handle your men better next time.” I pointed at the guy. “Because if it looks like anyone tries to harm Celina again, that will be the least of what I do to them.”

Felicity glowered at me. “Fucking mutts. Always somewhere they aren’t wanted.”

She turned to look at Celina, a smile spreading easily across her face. My body went cold, seeing how quickly she was able to put the mask on. The smile was warm, sweet, and looked real. The way she was able to switch it on was terrifying.

“Celina, I’m so sorry about all this. I’ll get in touch when your little dog isn’t around to sniff on the floor and hump your leg.”

Celina shook her head. “What is wrong with you?”

Felicity grabbed her purse, and walked over to the guy. She put an arm under his armpit and helped him stand. He held his throat and glared at me as he walked out with her. I stared right back at him, and then stared daggers at Felicity’s back as she left.

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