Blake walked over, wiping grease from his hand, and glanced at the area I was pointing at. It looked like the exhaust manifold might bump the new suspension upgrade if the car went over a bumpy stretch of road. Blake sighed. “Shit. I think you're right. This isn’t a daily driver, but if this guy wants to take it on a road trip to a car show or something, he will dent the shit out of it if he goes over a speed bump.”
“Okay, let’s get Davy and Josh on this as soon as we can.”
Blake nodded. “You got it, boss.”
“Thanks.”
I stepped away and slid a hand into my pocket to grab my phone, but it wasn’t there. Checking my pockets, I found them empty. Where the hell was it? After glancing around the shop, I remembered I’d put it on my desk as soon as I got there. I wanted to check in on Maddy.
As soon as I stepped into my office and grabbed my phone, I knew something was wrong. I had a missed call and a text from Maddy. My heart was hammering in my chest as I opened the message.
My house is on fire.Going now. Meet you there???
Her house was on fire?How the hell did that happen? A glance at the time the message was sent showed it had come in about ten minutes after I got to the garage—fifteen minutes after I’d left home. I looked out my office window. Terrifying thoughts buzzed through my head, and I snatched up my truck keys and bolted. Without even glancing at the team, I sprinted through the shop and out the massive open garage doors to my truck. The tires squealed and left a strip of rubber on the ground as I headed toward Maddy’s old neighborhood.
I pushed the truck well past the speed limit, not even bothering to look for cops who might be out and about.
I just wanted to get to her. Something didn’t feel right, and my entire being was on edge. Even my wolf was freaked out. Whatever this was, it was not good. When a house fire was the best-case scenario, something was seriously wrong.
When I turned the corner onto her street, every fear I had was realized. The scene before me played across my vision and my mind in seconds. The house was unharmed, and Maddy’scar was flipped over on its roof. A giant black SUV was parked behind her wrecked car. Two men were at Maddy’s door, trying to pull it open and drag her out. I snarled as I slammed my truck into park and leaped out, sprinting toward the men.
Maddy was halfway out of the driver’s side window, kicking and screaming at them, then she saw me.
“Nico!”
I leaped into the air, shifting as I did. The first assailant spun on his heel in time to see my massive bulk and snapping teeth arching through the air. I slammed my paws into his chest, sending him stumbling backward, and his masked head bounced off the pavement, instantly dazing him. The second man released Maddy and tried to pull a pistol from a holster at his waist, but I lunged toward him, my teeth clamped around his wrist, yanking his hand away from the gun.
Maddy scrambled to her feet and rushed the kidnapper. She slammed her hands into his back, tipping him forward. His shins hit my side, and I released his hand and thrust my back into his legs, forcing him to fall forward. The man fell to the ground face first. Blood and teeth burst out of his mouth on impact.
The first man I’d attacked managed to get to his feet and ran over to start to pull his partner to his feet. He had his hand to his face to keep the blood and teeth from spilling from his mouth. The less-injured assailant glared at me, his hand drifting toward his own gun. I took two steps toward him and growled deep in my throat.
The man froze before moving his hand away from his weapon. “Fuck it,” he said with asnarl and quickly helped his friend into his SUV.
The vehicle had a heavy brush guard on the front, so it had almost no damage, unlike Maddy’s small car. Within seconds, they were driving away, tires squealing and the enginescreaming as they went. I stood there, making sure they were gone before I shifted back to human and turned to Maddy.
“What were you thinking?” I said, pulling her to me.
“I–I don’t know. The caller ID said it was the police. Like the actual cops. If it had been a weird number, there’s no way I would have come here.” She was shaking with fear and shock.
I thought about that for a moment. Had they cloned the local police telephone number? Or did the royals’ influence and reach go as deep as the Clearidge police department? Both were possibilities. If the royals had agents in the police department that were helping them, it was one more reason to stay off their radar.
“I’m gonna get the guys from the shop out here to tow your car,” I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket.
Maddy looked like she was going to protest, but the same thoughts I had must have run through her mind because she closed her mouth before she said a word. While I was on the phone, one of Maddy’s neighbors came out to see the accident.
“Maddy? What the heck happened?” a little old lady said as she tottered down her short driveway. “I heard a big bang, and by the time I got out of the bathroom, I saw that black car speeding away. Did you get hit? Oh my god, look at your car.” She put a hand to her cheek and gaped at the upside-down car.
I quickly told the guys the address and told them to haul ass. I wanted the car gone before anyone called the cops.
Maddy swept a hand toward her car and spoke to the old woman. “The guy came out of nowhere. Flipped my whole car.” She did a good job selling it. Maddy was tough and already seemed to be recovering from this new attack.
“Oh my god, sweetie, have you called the police?”
Maddy turned to me, a questioning look in her eyes. I waved at the neighbor and gave her a vague answer. “Tow truck’s on the way.”
Within five minutes, my guys showed up with the truck and started righting the car and getting it on the bed. Maddy thanked the neighbor for her concern and followed me to the truck. I continued to glance up and down the street, waiting for the cops to show up. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure the royals must have someone in the department who was helping them. “Anyone else on the street who might call nine-one-one?” I asked as we buckled up.
Maddy shook her head. “No. Everyone else works during the day. Mrs. Doogan is the only one who’s home most days. There’s a stay-at-home mom down the street, but her house is probably too far away to have heard anything.”
