Page 62 of Throne of Secrets

"Star!" he shouted, slamming the door open.

Silence.

A cold wave of adrenaline crashed over him.

Bolting down the short hallway, he hit the emergency exit bar, slamming the metal door into the brick wall with enough force to rattle his teeth. Two men standing near a van flinched. One of them was mid-action, tossing Star into the side door like she weighed nothing.

Not on my fucking watch.

Ethan charged. The bastard by the van barely had time to react before Ethan was tackling him. He drove his fist into the man's jaw with the full weight of his fury. The sickening crunch of breaking bone was satisfying but not enough. The van’s engine revved, and he grabbed at its door handle as it screeched forward. He held on with one hand.

Two hundred feet.

The van swerved violently, throwing him off. He hit the pavement hard, momentum rolling him into a tumbling slide across the asphalt. A split second later, the screech of tires burned his ears, and he tensed every muscle.

A bumper clipped him, sending him skidding to a stop.

"Holy shit, man! Are you okay?" a voice shouted nearby.

Ethan gritted his teeth, pushing himself up as a frantic person rushed over. "I didn't know what the hell was in the road! Jesus, I didn’t mean to hit you—sit down, I'm calling an ambulance!"

Ethan shoved him off and sprinted back toward the alley, barely feeling the impact anymore.

Bianca was kneeling beside Thor, who lay on the asphalt, panting heavily.

"They hurt him," she whispered, voice shaking.

Ethan dropped to his knees. "Where?"

Bianca lifted a dishtowel soaked in blood. A deep, ugly gash marred Thor’s side, and the sight made Ethan’s vision go red.

"What the hell happened? Why would anyone do this?" Bianca's voice cracked.

Ethan barely heard her. His earpiece was already in place. "Wolf here. I have a situation."

Max responded instantly. "What?"

"Star was abducted. Three men, minimum. Black van, New York plates. I didn’t get the full plate. Happened four minutes ago behind Bianca’s coffee shop in Ditmas Park." He sucked in a breath, steadying himself. "They fucking stabbed my dog, Max. I need a twenty-four-hour emergency vet. Now."

"Jesus," Max breathed. "I’m working your issue while fending off three different attacks—hold tight."

Bianca pressed down harder on Thor’s wound, her hands shaking. "Who are you talking to?"

"Work," Ethan clipped out, not in the mood to explain.

"I can stay with Thor at the vet. Let me shut the doors, and I’ll drive you in my car," Bianca said, already moving. She pointed her fob at her car, unlocking it. "You two get in the back. Call the police about Star. I’ll be right back."

Ethan barely registered her words. His hands tightened around Thor’s scruff as the dog whined, his normally fierce eyes dull with pain. "Stay with me, buddy," he murmured.

Thor weakly lifted his head, giving Ethan’s hand a slow, deliberate lick.

Ethan clenched his jaw, his rage boiling under his skin. "I’ll make them pay," he vowed. "I swear to God, they will pay for both Star and you."

Bianca ran back, slid behind the wheel, and started the car. "Which way?"

Max fed Ethan directions, and he relayed them to Bianca. She drove like a woman on a mission, cutting through traffic with aggressive efficiency.

Twenty-five minutes.

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