“I did nothing—”
“Breaking into my office. Prying?” he snapped.
Nik stilled.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam muttered.
Enzo’s dark gaze became brown ice. “I’m gonna hurt you so badly, you’ll never lift a finger again for a long while. Let’s go.”
“You can’t threaten me.”
“I can do whatever I want. No one cares about you.” The human pulled out a gun with a silencer. “Move your fucking ass.”
He didn’t seem to care Nik was there. Clueless dick.
Liam suddenly slammed into Enzo and spun around.
Dammit! Nik shoved Liam aside, and a thwack sounded.
The boy stumbled back, a pained grunt escaping him. Shit.
Unable to use his powers, Nik leaped across and grabbed Enzo, slamming him head-first to the wall. The gun fell in a thud, and the human groaned. Nik twisted his hands to the back, summoned some twine, and secured Enzo to the drainpipe. The need to deal out retribution garroted Nik by the throat, and he hated that his fucking hands were tied by his Guardian’s oath.
He pivoted to the boy.
“Liam!” Shadow cried out, racing toward them as Nik knelt and scanned him. “Oh, god, oh, god!” She fell to her knees and lifted his blue t-shirt, revealing the seeping lesion on his side. “He’s been shot.”
“Let me go, you fucking piece of garbage!” Enzo snarled, a string of deadly promises flying free.
Nik ignored him and crouched near the lad, scanning his injury. “It’s a flesh wound,” he said, feeling his mate’s pain. “The bullet grazed him.”
His body blocking Enzo’s sight, Nik laid his palm over the seeping injury and let his power coalesce into the wound. The bleeding stopped, and the skin knitted together.
Liam groaned and sat up, his hand going to his side. He blinked, staring down at his unblemished but gore-smeared skin, then at his bloody shirt with the bullet rip, and back to Nik. “How…what did you do?”
Nik lifted a hand, stopping him. He pulled out his cell from his pocket and made a call. “Tagg, have one here for you. Attempted murder of a minor, and the death of one Olivia Montgomery.”
“Be there in a moment.” The call dropped.
“You have no idea who’re you’re dealing with,” Enzo barked, fighting his restraints.
With a cold stare at the scourge, Nik glanced back and met Shadow’s furious gaze.
Chapter 26
Rage stormed through Shadow at hearing Nik’s words. She picked up her brother’s fallen cap, knowing she would never forget the feeling of gut-deep terror sweeping through her and had her rushing outside to see her brother get shot.
“Are you all right?” she asked him.
Blue eyes looked her over, his brow creasing. He shoved back his overlong brown hair and nodded. “I guess I am.”
“Liam…it’s me,” she whispered, unable to hold the words back. “Shadow.”
His eyes widened, and she knew why, because no one but he had called her Shadow before she went missing.
“Gemma?”
Tears fell. “Y-yes.” She sniffed and pulled him into a hug, arms tightening around his surprisingly strong body.
“Gemma’s dead,” Enzo snarled. “The bitch’s an imposter!”
Hearing the cruel voice that haunted her dreams, Shadow handed Liam his cap and slowly pushed to her feet. “Is it true what you said to Tagg?” she asked Nik. “He’s responsible for Olivia’s death?”
Nik rose to his feet. Nodded. “Yeah. Last night I visited the penthouse. Seems he got a little scared of my spectral serpent form and spit it all out.” Shadow had no idea what Nik had done, didn’t care, rage flooding her, hot and deadly. “Release him.”
Nik strode over, snatched the gun from the ground, then touched the twine and snapped the thing with his mind. He remained close, just in case Shadow needed help.
The moment Enzo was free, he launched himself at Shadow. “I’m going to make you wish you’d stayed dead, bitch. Don’t think this beggar—” He sneered at Nik. “Who took me unaware will protect you—”
Shadow spun around and let free a flying kick, the icepick heel of her boot nailing him across the face, slicing open his cheek. He staggered back in shock. Blood gushed. He swiped his face and stared in disbelief at his gore-covered fingers.
“I wouldn’t talk big without your goons around to protect you, you murderer!”
“Puta!” Enzo lunged, a fist flying.
She ducked, but he caught her on the jaw. Stars exploded in her head, and she stumbled back. A meaty arm grasped her around the neck in a chokehold.
Nik moved. She flashed out a hand, stopping him. He’s mine!
Fuck this—
Nik, stay back!
“Let her go,” Nik snapped, eyes a burning white, ignoring her order. “Or I will kill you.”
Dammit. Shadow shook her head at her furious mate, and that tic on his jaw beat faster when he met her glare.
Footsteps thudded.
Enzo laughed, dragging her back with him toward the mouth of the alley. “Too bad you didn’t think this through. My men are here. I’m gonna enjoy making you pay!”
“Oh, shut up,” Shadow growled, despite the suffocating hold on her neck.
Nik’s rage bled through to her like an open faucet—he shot past her. Grunts sounded, then silence.
Enzo squeezed harder. Goddamn the fucktard!
Obsidian dagger summoned, and with every bit of strength she possessed, she twisted aside and plunged the blade deep into Enzo’s stomach.
A howl of pain erupted from the jerk.
Enzo’s stumbled back. Shadow lurched few feet away, inhaling massive gulps of air.
“That’s for my sister. For the months of pain and abuse she went through with you—” She smashed her fist into his mouth. His head snapped back. “And that’s for threatening and hurting my brother.” Damn, she shook her throbbing knuckles, then rubbed her sore throat.
Grunting and cussing at her in a flood of Spanish, his mouth and cheek dripping blood, Enzo yanked and tugged, trying to remove her mystical blade from his gut but to no avail. She glided closer to him, ignoring Nik’s warning growl, and spat, “Never, ever threaten my family—”
“I’ll take over if that’s okay with you,” a new voice cut in.
Shadow’s gaze snapped to the tall, brawny man standing a short distance away. Built like a linebacker, with close-cropped dark hair, and bronze skin, the huge man strolled over. A law badge clipped to the waist of his pants, glinted in the moonlight.
The cop, Tagg.
Lips pressed tight, Shadow stepped back.
Tagg grabbed Enzo by the arms, cuffed his hands to his spine, and reached for the dagger protruding from his belly. It didn’t budge.
Shadow, get your dagger, Nik telepathed her.
Mouth tight, she grasped the hilt and removed her weapon. At the blood gleaming on the black metal, she swiped it on Enzo’s designer suit. She didn’t want his shit marring her blade.
Enzo’s dark eyes gleamed with hatred. He panted, “You and this vagrant will regret—”
She kneed him in the nuts, and he grunted, folding to his knees on the pitted asphalt, finally shutting up.