“Call the police. And an ambulance, now!” Rex’s angry demand reignited Kari’s fury.
Uncaring that his cock and balls were hanging out, Kari swung around Kodi to stomp to Rex. Kodi laid a restraining hand on his arm.
“No, I’m the hothead, not you.” Kodi came in close and whispered next to his ear. “Bowie needs you.I heard him shout.Let him be your priority, we’ll deal with Rex.”
Kari took a deep breath, then released it as he turned his back on Rex and walked to Bowie. Kodi was right, but it didn’t remove the desire to rip apart the asshole who’d laid hands on Bowie. The moment he was within arm’s reach, Bowie launched himself at him, burying his head into Kari’s neck, releasing harrowing sobs.
Kari shuddered under the weight of his own emotions while wrapping his arms tightly around Bowie, not thinking about the mess he was when Bowie clung to him unashamedly. Burying his face in Bowie’s sweet scented hair, Kari murmured soothing words, working to reassure them both.
“Take another step and you’ll see what uncontrollable anger really looks like.”
The deadly threat from Kodi, delivered in an unemotional voice, sent a shiver through Kari. He moved so that his back was no longer to Rex, holding Bowie into his side. He met his brothers' interested gazes before they moved, flanking Kari and Bowie. He had no interest in hiding, not when Bowie needed him.
“Yeah, it’s not a pretty sight,” Jupiter said in a conversational tone that did not hide the anger. Jupiter rarely got angry, which made it more shocking to Kari. “Laken, call the cops.”
Laken had his phone out as the security guards appeared around the side of the building just as the alarms stopped ringing.
“What’s going on here?” A guard asked. Kari recognized Burt, his shrewd eyes assessing the group. There was surprise when he realized who everyone was. “Oh, sorry, Mr. Starling, I’ve contacted the police,” he aimed at Kodi, who was closest to Burt.
“Thank you. Can you get one of your men to access the outside security camera footage for the police, please? We’ll need it to show this fucktard attacking Bowie.”
“I did no such thing,” he stated haughtily. “He charged at me!”
Bowie whimpered into Kari’s neck. “It’s alright, Babycakes.”
Even as he said it, Kari knew it wasn’t true. Rex had once more been able to lay his violent fucking hands on Bowie, hurting him. “We need an ambulance too.”
“On it,” Burt muttered, turning to his men and issuing orders.
Laken stepped forward at the same time as Jupiter did.
“Are you a fucking dimwit? There are security cameras all around this building. There’ll be multiple angles to reveal whatyou did,” Laken stated causally, then Kari heard knuckles cracking. Something Laken did when he was furious and ready to fight.
The man clearly couldn’t read a precarious situation. “That animal needs to be chemically castrated.He attacked me,”Rex spluttered, raising the hand that was mostly a mangled mess and would scar if the shithead didn’t shift. “I’m the one bleeding and injured.”
Kari snarled at Rex, but it was Bowie clinging to him that held his wolf back. “You. Marked. Him.” Each word he enunciated hurt his throat, rubbed raw by the regret at not protecting Bowie like he promised. “I can scent his blood on you.” He pinned Rex with a flinty stare. “This time I’ll have you locked up, and the fucking key thrown away so you can never touch anyone like this again.”
Siren’s in the distance got Kari working on slowing down his breathing and containing his temper. It wouldn’t do to end up in a cell, too.
“This time?” Jupiter questioned, his gaze was moving between Kari and Rex.
“Not the time, bro.” Kodi pointedly looked at Bowie.
Jupiter’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded, his lips clamping together when his attention returned to Rex.
When the flashing lights of the patrol car lit the car lot, Kari murmured into Bowie’s ear. “I’ll need you to be a big boy for me and tell the officers everything that’s happened. Can you do that for me?”
Bowie moved to reveal red, tear-swollen eyes. “W-will you s-stay with m-me?” His teeth chattered together in shock.
“Yes. I won’t leave your side.”
Not until Rex is behind bars.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Bowie
Huddled in a pile of fleece blankets, a movie playing quietly on the TV, Boo-Boo clutched to his chest, Bowie eyed what Kari held.
