What Harper didn’t know was that the only thing Christian and I needed to spice up our sex life was a battle. While toys sounded kinky, nothing titillated me more than the smoldering look in Christian’s eyes after he watched me fight. He winked and twirled me away as if we were dancing. While the two remaining bears circled the SUV to see what was going on, I kicked the naked man in the head until he fell unconscious.
“I’m gonna have a talk with Viktor about this ‘no weapons’ rule.”
Christian pushed up his sleeves as he faced the bears. “Where’s your creativity?”
I flashed around the parking lot, peering into cars until I found what I was looking for. After smashing the back window, I pulled out a sheath. “Hello, darling.”
Christian punched one of the bears before looking back at me.
I sliced the air with the katana. “How’s this for creative, Mr. Poe?”
He nonchalantly struck the bear again when it lunged at him a second time. “You should have torn the bumper off a car.”
“Are you serious? They don’t put real bumpers on cars anymore. Besides, what would I do with a bumper? Thump his twelve-inch-thick skull with it?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of impaling him in the arse.” He kicked the second bear when it grabbed a mouthful of his pant leg and ripped it off at the thigh. Christian stared down at his bare leg. “You insipid excuse for a fur coat. I’ll give you a good thrashing.”
“What is it with you sticking things up people’s asses tonight?” I swiped my sword at one of the bears, lopping off his ear. “Thinking about what you want me to do to you later?”
“Over my rotting corpse,” he growled, tearing the roof rail off an SUV and stalking toward the bear.
Yeah, this night was about to get interesting. But not half as interesting as the hot sex we’d be having once we got home.
If we even made it that far.
Chapter 12
Earlier that same day.
Blue parked her Mustang in front of a jaw-dropping white mansion that looked like something out of Beverly Hills. The iron gates by the road should have tipped her off, but this was beyond anything she’d ever seen. Most Shifters who lived in the country liked the rustic look—it blended in with the woods around them. But some families were loaded, and they liked to flaunt their wealth by constructing modern homes that rivaled anything out of an architectural magazine for billionaires.
“Keep your guard up, amigo. I don’t like the looks of this.”
Niko unbuckled his seat belt. “Is that not what you said about our last stop?”
“I didn’t like the looks of that either. I still don’t. Where the hell were all the women? I only saw three in that whole pack. But I sure saw a lot of kids. Mostly girls.”
“Yes,” Niko murmured. “I noticed deception in their light, but that could have been for any reason, including having strangers in their home.”
Blue scoffed. “A run-down warehouse is hardly a home.”
“What is it aboutthishouse you don’t trust?”
“This isn’t a house—it’s a compound.” She flung open the door and got out.
This assignment hadn’t opened her eyes to the crap going on with some Shifters—it just reminded her of it. The vast majority of animal groups were decent, but there were far too many who weren’t. Wolves weren’t any worse than lions or horses or cougars. She’d seen her fair share of immoral behavior even in a herd of deer.
The sun glinted off the electric-blue paint on her Mustang. Wyatt said she should have purchased a classic, but Blue liked the power in her newer engine. She didn’t drive it much—a falcon has little need for a car. But if she was going to own a vehicle, why not drive something with a little kick?
Her attention wandered around. Instead of gravel, a paved driveway led up to the house. Concrete covered the entire front except for a circular patch of grass and topiary in the center. Most people would have put a fountain there, but she liked their design better. The driveway branched to the left and disappeared, likely to an underground garage. She cast her gaze to the three-story mansion. The levels weren’t stacked neatly on top of each other but were set backward, creating ample patio space. She thought she heard splashing water—probably one of those fancy infinity pools.
Niko rounded the car and joined her side. “Everyone’s inside. That’s unusual.”
“Not really. They’ve probably got a bowling alley and movie theater inside this place. You should see how many windows there are.”
He clasped his hands behind his back. “Perhaps you shouldn’t judge a man until you’ve been inside his home. Forgive my bluntness, but your opinions of people are highly subjective.”
Blue couldn’t deny it. It wasn’t easy for her to trust people, especially those with power.
