Page 25 of Siren in Love
But no way in fucking hell is this eye-candy boss person going to stand between me and Mike.“Move,” Corvin said, calling on all the attitude of librarians of ages past to aid him.
Peter’s eyebrow rose again.“I’d rather not.”
Corvin took a deep breath before he spoke.“You are not keeping me here against my will, and you are not keeping me away from Mike, sofucking move.”
The words didn’t have the desired effect.Peter simply regarded Corvin calmly as if he were evaluating him, assessing everything that made Corvin himself.No.Wait.Is this how a Venus fly trap looks at flies?If plants had eyes, that is.
“Very well,” Peter said after what felt like an eternity.“It would indeed seem Michael made a wise choice.Or maybe you chose him.Like any other human of this age, he likes to think that you choose love, but those old ocean dwellers are ruled by the tides as much as anyone else.”Peter let his hand fall away from the door.
Corvin pulled it open and ran outside, not really worried about the cat, but really, really worried about Mike.What the fuck was he on about?Do lawyers do recreational drugs?Maybe some weed on their day off?
The October air cold on his face, Corvin ran back to the parked van, but Mike wasn’t in there.
“Mike!”Corvin ran down the street.He noticed that several of the other motorists looked pale, frightened even.One lady with curly hair and glasses pointed left, and Corvin turned that way.
He wove his way through cars, some with their motors running, their occupants wide-eyed and confused.Up ahead, Corvin could hear honking.His pulse was loud in his ears, even though the air was freezing cold.In a rush, he rounded a van.
Mike stood several cars down, partially hidden behind a car’s hood.
“Mike!”
But Mike didn’t turn to look at Corvin.His focus seemed to be elsewhere.Corvin hissed and dashed past the van, rounded another car, and…stopped.
It wasn’t just Mike behind the car.It was also the cat on the loose, a large beast with black fur, very noticeable claws that clicked sharply against the concrete, and huge fangs in a mouth that gaped open to let a menacing growl escape.
Mike, in the face of all that, was fuckinghumming.
“That should not be here,” Peter said from right behind Corvin, making Corvin jump all over again.
“How’d you get here?”
Peter shrugged.“I followed you, obviously.”
“Where are the cops?”Corvin looked around for them.“The cops have guns.”
“Guns?Adorable.Perhaps that yule cat nicked the kindly police officers.Their claws leave rather painful marks.”
Peter didn’t sound like he was worried about either the cops or the large, hungry-looking cat.What even is that thing?The love child of a panther and a saber-toothed tiger?
Corvin chose to ignore Peter and help Mike instead.I can do this.
“Hey!Hey, cat!You!”He dashed forward, waving his arms at the large cat.The closer Corvin came, the bigger the cat looked, its body massive, muscles coiling underneath midwinter-black fur.The beast seemed ready to take down prey several times its own size.Guess some weirdo kept a panther in his basement and fed it a high-protein diet or something,Corvin thought.
The cat, once Corvin was much too close for comfort but still not as close as Mike, turned its massive head.Some big cats had sleek heads for speed, but this one’s was wide, offering enough space for that gaping maw, which was studded with sharp teeth.
Something told Corvin that those teeth could snap a neck in one go, and that the cat would enjoy hearing the bones crunch.
“Seriously, why couldn’t I move any other day, maybe in summer?”Corvin mumbled.Then, because he knew predators liked to chase, he turned and ran.
He heard the cat roar and almost felt it hit the sidewalk behind him as he dashed back toward the moving van and it leaped after him.
“Corvin!”Mike’s voice, finally.
If he can talk, he’s okay.That’s something.Not that I like doing the heroic sacrifice thing, but I’m glad.Fuck, being in love sucks so bad!
With the magic of adrenaline bright in his blood, Corvin made it to the moving van, all he had in the world except for the most important part: Pineapple Mike.
He pulled the back hatch open, the rush of his hurried breathing loud in his ears.The first thing he saw was the last book box Mike had carried down.
