Eight minutes later, Damien skidded to a halt behind Eli’s car. “Don’t forget your phone, hopefully it still works. Call me if you have any issues, otherwise, I’ll meet you in thirty minutes at the warehouse.”
Eli scooped up the phone, hitting a button to make sure it came on and flashed it at Damien. “Good luck.”
As soon as the door shut, Damien floored his car, racing for home. Ten minutes later, he stopped in the driveaway and glanced around. Down the street was a car he had never seen before. It could be a coincidence, or it could mean he needed to be on alert. Damien tuned into this panther’s senses and walked into his home.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, he smelled the cologne from before, the one at the crime scene and in Sky’s hallway. He grinned, now the games would begin. Damien undressed and shifted into his jag. Letting the cat have his freedom had a few perks and only one downfall. Hopefully the bastard wasn’t behind a closed door. Either way, the intruder wasn’t leaving this house alive. He trespassed and kidnapped his woman, both punishable by death.
The panther let out a noise that sounded like a scream and slowly stalked through the house. His hearing was better than most, and he turned to the kitchen without making a sound. His prey was close, and he was ready to pounce.
He entered the kitchen and made a hissing sound, the man standing across from him quickly turned and sneered. “So it comes down to which animal is better. Fine, are you going to be fair and let me shift?”
Sure, Damien thought, go ahead. Did the man not understand that panthers were bigger and stronger than cheetahs? The skinny cats were made for running away, not fighting. Dumbass cat. Deadass cat.
Damien paced the distance between the island and cabinets on his side of the kitchen. The panther didn’t take his eyes off the man, but he didn’t pounce. The man slowly undressed and dropped to all fours, shifting into a cheetah.
The panther smelled the fear coming off the other cat, but it didn’t back down. Damien gave him that much. Time to get this over with. His mate was in danger. He didn’t have to wait long.
The cheetah dove forward, along the back of the island, and leaped at the panther, jaws open, claws extended. The bigger cat sat back on his hind haunches, stretching up a paw to block the airborne attacker. They crashed into each other, smashing cabinet doors in the path of their skid. Their claws ripped at each other’s skin and soft underbellies before tearing apart.
The panther tried to set its claws into the scrawny cat, but it slipped away. Angry at losing its prey, the panther pounced, rolling them both into the adjoining living area, toppling a bookcase. Precious antiques from other countries smashed on the tile, along with cheap artwork.
Blood splattered the cream colored, upholstered furniture, making the room resemble a grisly murder scene. Damien wondered who the vital liquid belonged to.
Both cats gained their feet, each panting with a stare down. The panther slapped a paw out, taunting the cheetah. He repeated the action, getting a jerk from the other cat. On the third time, his hind legs launched him forward, teeth aiming for the narrow neck.
Catching the lightly spotted feline on its heels, they somersaulted, crushing the glass coffee table and rolled, mouths grasping for the other’s flesh. Damien came up with a sharp pain in his side. He smelled his own blood. A piece of glass had embedded itself in his side.
The asshole asshat laughed in his cat form. The chit could hack up a hairball for all he cared. Salazar was going to hurt for this. After Damien finished off this pain in the ass.
The cheetah went on the offensive, throwing itself at the panther. Damien feigned a slight move to the right, then dodged the other way, clawing the cheetah’s ribs, downing it with a slide into the stools lined against the kitchen island.
Batting the metal seat out of the way, the panther placed its paw on the prone cat’s chest, holding it there on its back. Both tails whipped side to side. The asshole took a swipe at his face, catching the tip of his chin.
With the quick swipe, the cheetah left its side open to attack, Damien took the opportunity and darted his head toward the other animal’s neck and wrapped his jaw around the cheetah’s throat.
The panther waited, making sure his grip was solid, and then tore out its throat, relishing the kill. Their mate would be safe, and that’s all that mattered.
Damien shifted and stared down at the dead man on his floor. The cleanup would be a bitch, but it was one down. One step closer to his mate being safe. Damien quickly went to the sink, removed the embedded glass, rinsed his face and chest off, then found his clothes and dressed. The glass wound sealed quickly thanks to his shifter genes. Had he been human, he would have needed a visit to the ER.
He glanced at the clock and swore. He didn’t have a choice; he had to have Lennon back him up, he pulled out his cell and called.
“Lennon, I need you to empty the safe in my house and put the stuff somewhere safe. Maybe your law office. Make sure you watch your steps and make sure you aren’t followed. You should be good, but be careful. I’ll call you later. Oh, and ignore the dead body in the kitchen.”
He hung up and sprinted for his car, he was almost out of time. He hoped Eli had better luck than he had.
Damien raced to the warehouse, thankful he hadn’t seen any of the Sheriff’s Deputies, not that he wouldn’t appreciate the backup. He didn’t want to waste time explaining the situation.
He pulled up in front of the last warehouse in the row, the one Mayor Jomen was killed behind. Eli’s car was not there.
Damien waited a moment and then got out of his car. He would stall, but he wasn’t letting Salazar think he wasn’t coming in time. He walked to the door, but kept listening for the sounds of another car. When none came, he slipped inside.
“That’s far enough, Damien.”
He growled when he spotted Salazar holding Sky with a gun to her head.
“You’re not carrying anything. Where’s my stuff? Did you think I was bluffing?” Salazar licked his lips and pushed the gun against Sky’s head.
“No, but your lackey was waiting at my house. I assume Eli would have the same issue at the office. So forgive us if we are a bit late arriving with your items. Now let go of my mate.” Damien let his panther out even more, he could feel his teeth growing and knew it couldn’t be a pretty sight.
“Hold on a minute there, Mr. Grimes, no reason to shift yet. This is a friendly little talk. Your friend, or my associate, should be here any minute.” Salazar’s voice trailed off, “Speaking of associates, where is Kenny?”
Damien grinned, and Salazar flinched. Sky never took her eyes off him, and he was grateful she wasn’t scared of him. “You mean the dead man on my kitchen floor? He kidnapped my mate and entered my home without permission. He was a dead man walking.”
Salazar made a tsking sound. “That’s unfortunate. He was helpful to me.”
Damien cocked his head to the side and smirked. He took a few steps to the right and angled his body so he could see who was coming in the door and still keep an eye on Sky. “I guess, it’s time to see which associate makes it back here.”
Salazar took a step forward and watched the door.
After a moment, the door swung open, and Eli stepped inside. He was a bloody mess, but he was grinning. “Never send a beta wolf to an alpha’s fight.”