Page 113 of Lion & Lamb

But there were, of course.

Tiny metallic sounds that Cooper wasn’t meant to hear but heard anyway. Like…scraping. Was it some kind of animal? he wondered, still half asleep. He rolled over and saw that Veena was awake too.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yeah. I think it’s an animal in the backyard. Probably a squirrel.”

“I think the sound is coming from your front door. Also, I thought we settled this. That is not a backyard, it’s a glorified al—”

“Shhh.” Cooper realized the clicking sound was indeed coming from the vicinity of his foyer. There was also a low growl—Lupe had sensed something too.

“What is it?” Veena asked.

“I’m beginning to think you were right about moving to a hotel.”Watch your backs,everyone had said.You don’t know who you’re messing with.

Without warning, the entire bedroom lit up. Cooper had a sudden realization and lunged for his phone on the nightstand.

Chapter125

TEXT MESSAGE FROM VICTOR SUAREZ

TO COOPER LAMB

They’re coming for you. Two of them!

Chapter126

COOPER SHOUTED,“Get down!” and he and Veena hurled themselves from the bed in opposite directions. Both were very naked. Neither of them cared at that moment.

Cooper landed awkwardly and hard but was able to grab the shotgun under his bed. Veena landed lightly on her hands and feet, almost like a cat. Cooper racked the shotgun, partly to pump two shells into the chamber but also warn anyone who was thinking about entering this room.

Veena felt along the ground for her bag, only to realize that she’d dropped it somewhere in the hall.Damn it!

Cooper aimed his shotgun at the windows behind his bed just as the glass shattered. Lupe started barking like crazy. Cooper crouched down farther and tried to make sense of the shadowy form that was stepping through the broken glass.

Lupe’s barking intensified as he ran down the hall—Veena could hear his claws scrabbling on the hardwood floor. The pup was headed to the front door to deal with the intruder.No, Lupe!Veena screamed in her mind and took off after him.

“Don’t move!” Cooper shouted.

Veena cleared the doorway just as gunfire filled the room, blasting apart Cooper’s computer monitor and dresser mirror and, based on the sound of it, every other glass object he owned.

Screw this,Veena thought.

Cooper stood up and pulled the trigger of his shotgun. Whatever glass had remained in the window frame was obliterated, and it took the shadowy form along with it, the force blasting him back into the alley. The shooter collapsed on top of a folding chair with a loud, messy clatter.

Meanwhile, out in the hall, Veena did two incredibly complex things without really thinking about them. She managed to tackle Lupe midstride, sliding with him along the floor a few inches, which ripped some of the skin from her knees. She also located and scooped up her bag in the darkness.

The front door was nearly ripped from its hinges as a heavy boot forced it open. This was a second attacker; he must have heard the gunfire and decided the time for subtlety had passed.

That man rushed in with a revolver and looked down at Veena’s naked body as she cradled a growling Lupe under one arm and clutched her bag with her other hand.

“What the…Veena Lion? What are you doing here?”

The second attacker was Mickey Bernstein.

Veena didn’t reply. She dropped her arms, giving him a free show. Bernstein couldn’t help himself—he gawked. Lupe took off like a supersonic jet, eyes focused on the intruder. Bernstein yelled and pointed his revolver down at the running dog. Veena lifted the derringer out of her bag and didn’t even think twice about emptying it.

Bang-bang-bang-bang.Four shots, expertly grouped around the chest.

---