Page 12 of Wind with a Chance of Wolfsbane

Red Wings caught her and lifted her off her feet. “Whoa. Take it easy. We’ll handle them.”

Mina snarled.

I shot forward, brushing by White-Shirt Guy in the process. “Stop.”

Mina calmed, but I had a feeling she was far from done.

Red Wings released her.

She went toward her suitcase and veered to the left, kicking one of the van men in the side. “That’s for getting blood on my suitcase and for breaking my sister’s glasses.”

Red Wings cursed and grabbed her again. “This one is a hellcat.”

Mina chuckled. “Thanks. It feels good to be seen.”

He groaned.

I made another attempt to put my glasses on but had to hold them like a monocle. It wasn’t perfect, and with the crackled lenses, things were “off,” but it was better than nothing.

I glanced around at the men who were on the ground. One of them was slightly familiar. Since Mina and possibly one of the helpful SUV men had rearranged the man’s face somewhat, and my broken glasses weren’t doing much to help my crappy vision, I couldn’t place him. It wasn’t until I got a better look at one of the other attackers that it clicked. I’d seen them with Lester before. I was sure of it. They were part of the crew of humans he used who knew about supernaturals but who weren’t slayers themselves.

They did odd jobs for Lester and even joined in the fight against supernaturals on occasion.

White-Shirt Guy’s hand skimmed my arm. “What’s wrong? Are you injured?”

“I think I know them,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

White-Shirt Guy glared down at the dirtbag nearest to us. “What the bloody hell did you think you were doing?”

The dirtbag stared up at him, and whatever the guy saw scared him. “H-he paid us.”

“Shut your mouth, Jer,” said one of the other men.

White-Shirt Guy grabbed hold of Jer’s shirt and lifted him partially off the ground as he snarled down at the man. “I’d highly adviseagainstkeeping your mouth shut. Start talking. Now.”

Jer fainted.

If I wouldn’t have seen it happen before my very eyes, I’m not sure I’d have believed it. I’d assumed kidnappers had stronger dispositions. Clearly, I’d assumed wrong.

“Calm down,” Red Wings said, yanking my sister off one of the other men—again.

Mina let him know what she thought of his suggestion.

I went for her, going out and into the street to go around bad guys who were on the ground.

“Look out!” shouted Mina.

I turned partially and saw the white van speeding toward me. With hundreds of years of slayer blood running through my veins, all I managed to do was freeze.

White-Shirt Guy wrapped his arms around me and twisted me out of the way, seconds before I’d have been run down. My glasses, or what was left of them, went flying off my face again.

Dwayne leaped into the open side door of the moving van like it was no big deal. I wasn’t sure what happened inside the van after that, but the van moved back onto the street and was put into park. The driver’s-side door opened, and Dwayne stepped out casually. He glanced into the van and looked toward us. “He’s not an issue anymore.”

White-Shirt Guy still had his arms around me tightly. “Good.”

Mina came for me. “Ohmygod, are you okay?”

I nodded, clinging to the man who had saved me.

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