Page 71 of Bad Blood Panther

Chapter 28

Problem.

He wasn’t fighting them one at a time.

The rope barrier was lifted away at the other side of the arena, and all three panthers flowed into the ring at once.

Were they fucking kidding him? In what alternate universe was this in any way fair?

Of course, it was never supposed to be fair. It was supposed to be a bloodthirsty entertainment spectacle that led to his messy, horrific death.

So that the alpha could take his mate and his child and feel good about it.

He glanced at Jenny once more. After all he’d been through, she was supposed to be his shot at happiness. It was finally all going to be worthwhile.

Alton and his minions were trying to take it away. Not even over his dead body was that going to happen.

The three panthers paced the arena. Huge. Predatory. Deadly.

But not a damn one of them was as crazy, as stubborn, or as homicidal as Xander Fierro.

He let his cat take him.

A bell rang, and the three panthers leaped into action, teeth and claws and snarls.

Crazy first, Xander thought, going for the one with the bright green eyes. Take out the crazy; he’ll just get crazier as the fight goes on.

And then they were on him.

Xander ducked away from the yellow-eyed menace and leaped at the green-eyed monster.

Jenny watched as the warriors converged on Xander.

He was tough. She’d seen him take on the whole Bad Blood Crew. But the crew wasn’t trying to kill him.

It infuriated her that Alton was sending him into the arena against his will, to kill or be killed, all to boost his own ego.

The tracker Xander had given her felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket. Come on, Flynn, she thought. Come on.

But it was a slender thread of hope, and she knew it. She didn’t see how Flynn could have mobilized the crew, found a plane and followed them in time to stop this madness.

And there was no guarantee he could stop it. She knew what her new crew was capable of, but there were only seven of them, not including her and Xander. How could they stand against the whole Broken Hill Clan? And how many people would be killed?

It was time for her to be the brave, badass panther Xander believed she was. She didn’t know yet what she could possibly do to help, but the first step was to get herself out of the handcuffs they had her in.

Luckily, a number of the Bad Bloods had suspiciously shady pasts, and they’d taught her a lot in the last few weeks.

One of those things was how to create a makeshift handcuff key.

She’d done that, alone in the cabin they’d left her in—broken the tine off a fork and bent the end. She’d hidden it in her pocket, waiting for the right time to get free.

Now, while everyone’s attention was on the arena, seemed like a damn good time.

There was a roar from the crowd. Xander charged at the scarred, green-eyed panther, their bodies hitting with a thud and a furious yowl.

The fight was on.

Come on, babe, Jenny thought. Kick their furry asses. And don’t fucking die on me.