Page 68 of Hunted

McIntyre froze the screen—no doubt to hide the mayhem erupting in the room—and prepared to start the auction.

Gunn raised his hand to ask a question, trying to buy her time. Michelangela began to run.

Since the girl’s room was near the center section of the house, a guard on her door would likely be watching in that direction for unauthorized visitors. Mikey slipped out of the servants’ corridor behind him, sneaking silently down the thickly carpeted hallway.

The bidding was starting.

Inside the room, she heard the high-pitched snarl of a wolf cub, and a man’s voice yelling, “What the fuck, you little bitch?”

Go wolf girl.

The guard at the door turned and knocked. “Corliss?” he said. “Everything okay?”

“Fucking animal bit me!”

The guard put his hand on the door and started to turn the knob. Mikey ran up behind him and stuck a needle in his neck. He crumpled.

Corliss was still cursing, and she heard the sounds of running paws and things falling. The girl was a fighter.

But she was still only seven, and she heard another crash and then Corliss said, “Got you. Night night, now.”

Michelangela grabbed the fallen guard’s firearm, pitched her voice low and said, “I’m coming in.”

She opened the door.

Corliss was standing over the wolf cub, who wasn’t moving. He turned around, and Michelangela was on him before he had a chance to attack.

She really, really wanted to shoot him, but she couldn’t afford the noise. Furious, she flung herself through the air and gave him a kick to the face—stiletto and all.

He gave a roar and launched himself at her. He was heavy and beefy, and she landed on the floor with him on top of her, knocking the wind out of her and making her drop her weapon.

She groped for his shoulder holster and managed to get his gun out, and smacked him over the head with it.

He latched his hands around her throat.

Chapter 30

Michelangela drove her hand up under his chin, then pried one of his pinkies off her neck and pulled it back, breaking it.

His hands loosened, and she hit him again with the gun, then kicked him in the crotch and shoved him off her.

She rolled with him and drove her elbow into his throat.

He stayed on the floor, gasping. She grabbed one more vial out of her purse and stuck him with it, then kicked him in the head just because she was pissed off.

Her skirt was ripped up to the waist, and the heel had broken off one of her shoes. She tossed the other one, and turned to the little girl.

She’d turned human again and was breathing evenly, but she was still asleep. Michelangela let out a sigh of relief. She was probably drugged so they could transport her, which would make everyone’s life easier until they got her to safety.

She’d barely begun to call DB when there was a ripping sound, and a vertical slit appeared in the air next to her, sparkling with magic at the edges. It widened into a doorway and DB stepped through, carrying a blanket-wrapped bundle.

He surveyed the destruction in the room. “You couldn’t wait for me, to start the fun?”

“On the clock, here. You snooze, you lose.” She checked her phone. “Auction looks like it’s winding up.”

“Here.” He handed her the bundle, and she almost dropped it. It was a humanoid doll, the same size as the little girl, with just her head peeking out. But it was warm and heavy, like a sleeping child, and… “Is this thing breathing?”

“I did a spell.”