“The shifter scents might be a disadvantage, so we should take care,” Liam said.“Let’s locate Suzie first, then strategize her retrieval.”
Scott flashed a smile.“That makes Suzie sound like a parcel.She won’t like that.”
Niall imagined his Suzie and grinned, his heart lightening at the thought.Scott was right.She would draw herself up and become indignant and stroppy.Her sexy green eyes would flash salvos of wrath.A chuckle emerged.
Scott slapped him over the back.“Braver man than me.”
“We’d better go,” Liam said.
“I’ll distract the investigator.”Niall climbed out of his vehicle and jogged to the driver’s side of the SUV.Suzie had to be all right.If his brothers had hurt her…
The investigator wound down his window, his white cotton shirt crisp despite the heat and his brown eyes bright with intelligence.“It’s the old white bungalow on the left—almost falling down.”
“Thanks,” Niall said.
“What do you intend to do?”the investigator asked.His shrewd brown eyes were the only exceptional thing about him, the rest of him ordinary and unassuming, which made him an excellent detective.He was a man who never panicked.
“I’ll check to see if they have my girlfriend, and if they do, they’ll regret it.”Niall might’ve been the runt during his early life, but the old man who’d taken him in had helped to build his confidence.He’d honed his strength and trained in different self-defense methods until it became second nature.He didn’t fear his brothers.Now, they plain irritated him, and especially their assumption that they still had the upper hand.He’d disabuse them of that soon enough.
“Who are those men with you?”the investigator inquired.
“They’re from New Zealand.Suzie’s friends,” Niall said, amused.Yep, the man missed nothing.
“Do you need help?”
“Thanks, but no.We’ll be fine.Also, my brothers need to take care of Suzie.She’s no wilting flower.”
The older man grinned.“They’re the best sort.My missus is the same.When you find one like that, it’s best to keep them.I’ll put my bill in the mail.”
“Thank you,” Niall said.
The SUV started, and the investigator pulled away with a wave.
Niall waited until the engine’s rumble faded before he strode toward the property.His original plan was to sneak around and peer through windows, but he decided against it.He lengthened his stride and bounded up the three steps leading to the front door.The wood had cracked and—from its looks—warped from water damage.Red paint peeled from the surface, sending a shower of flecks flying when he pounded his fist on the door.
Niall stopped and waited, cocking his head to better listen for sounds within.Nothing.His chest grew tight, and an ache sprang to life in his jaw.Niall forced himself to relax his mouth and take a breath.When he faced his brothers, he required calmness to help Suzie.Yep, time to quash his anger, his frustration.This was not the moment to revert to the bullied young child.
Niall hammered on the door again, and footsteps became audible when he paused.Except they were behind him.He whirled around, his eyes widening.“You!”He took half a step before a blow to the head felled him.
18
Don't Let Him Die
ThekerfuffledraggedSuzieto the keyhole.Had Niall found her, or was something else happening?Dang, they’d built these walls thick.Someone was shouting or cursing.It was difficult to hear the actual words.Stumped, she returned to the lone seat and sat.That lasted for three seconds because the restless energy pulsing through her veins forced her to jump to her feet.Edgy and conflicted, she paced the room, unable to fashion an escape plan.
Euan and Colin were immense and robust in their human forms.While she was fast, she doubted she’d dart past the two of them and make it outside without recapture.She knew nothing of the building’s layout—a considerable disadvantage when trying to flee.
Hearing a loud crash, she froze, then stared at the door, almost as if she could see through it.What was happening out there?
Suzie searched for a makeshift weapon.She could always hit her captors with one of the many moldy books.She was a decent bowler when they played backyard cricket at home.Suzie gathered and placed the discarded books on a rickety coffee table.And none too soon.The key rattled in the lock, and someone flung the door open.Suzie hurled the first book before she second-guessed herself.
Colin released a grunt.“Stop that.”
Suzie tossed the next book and gasped when it struck Niall in the face.A silent, unresponsive Niall.Pages fell from the binding, thumping onto the floor.
Colin bared his teeth as he dropped Niall, stepped back, and slammed the door.Seconds later, the key turned.
Suzie raced to Niall’s side.He hadn’t moved, hadn’t so much as twitched when he struck the floor.She fumbled to check his pulse, her fingers trembling as she placed them on the side of his neck.Relief hit her with a whoosh.He had a heartbeat, and now that her panic had receded, she could see the steady rise of his chest.But the blood.It trickled down his cheek.A book shouldn’t have caused that type of damage.With careful fingers, she turned his head.On the right side, blood matted his hair, and she gingerly touched the area.He didn’t flinch, but her fingers came away red.Someone else had struck him on the head.His brothers?
