Abe held a finger to his lips.
I nodded then watched as the man rolled to the side of the bed and reached for his clothes. Seeing as he was getting dressed, I decided to do the same. I pulled on my shirt and my pants, then glanced around for my shoes, but I couldn't see them.
Screw it, I'd go barefoot.
Abe walked around to my side of the bed and pulled me close. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. He spoke so low, I doubted I would have heard him if I hadn't been a shifter.
"Someone is in the house. I want you to shift and hide while I go take care of this."
"No," I protested instantly.
"Baby, this is what I do. You need to let me do it."
"But…" I raised tear-filled eyes to look at him.
"You are the brains of this outfit, Danny. I'm the muscle."
While that was true, I still didn't want Abe walking into danger. "Please, we can escape together."
"How, Danny? We're on the top floor of your brownstone. Not only is there no way down, but they'd hear us if we tried."
"I don't want you hurt."
I was surprised by the shaky breath Abe inhaled.
"You don't?" he asked. His tone sounded almost hopeful.
"No." I plucked at the collar of Abe's shirt. "I kind of like you."
It might have been a little more than like, but I wasn't ready to admit that yet.
Abe smiled as he pressed a kiss to my lips. "I kind of like you, too. Now stay here and hide. I'll be right back."
Abe was gone before I could argue with him again.
Damn it.
I hurried over to my nightstand and grabbed my cell phone. I groaned when I realized I had never engaged the security system before I fell asleep. That would explain how someone had gotten into the house so easily.
I hit the button to engage the security program that I'd designed then swiped my finger across the screen to bring up my contacts page. I quickly typed out a message to Ian letting him know I had intruders in my house—again—then switched to the camera view.
I wanted to know just exactly who was inside my house.
The screen was pitch black. Before I could figure out why, I was grabbed and slammed into the wall. I cried out and I dropped my phone as pain exploded in my face and chest. I felt my lip split as I was pulled back then slammed into the wall again.
Hot breath blasted out across the back of my neck as someone leaned close to me. "You got me in trouble with my boss. If I don't make this right, he's going to have my balls."
Seemed reasonable to me.
"While my coworkers have a little fun with your friend downstairs, you and I are going to have a little fun up here." When the man pushed his hard erection against the seat of my pants, there was no doubt in my mind what kind of fun he was talking about, except I only did that with Abe.
Abe!
I couldn't let anything happen to Abe.
I flicked out my claws. When the man grabbed me and turned me, I raked them across his face. He screamed and let me go, grabbing his bleeding cheeks. I swiped at him again and again until he was nothing but a bleeding, blubbering mess.
"Stop!" he cried out. "Please stop."
