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“I don’t think so, asshole.” Another gunshot wrenched the air, and the sound of something heavy falling down the stairs followed a second later.
Felix buried the uninjured side of his face in my neck as I heard Cal say, “Well, that was one way to do it.”
Quin, Felix, and I didn’t stay for the cleanup. We had agreed Cal and Jack would make everything look like an accident, and I trusted them to make that happen. Quin pulled out his little flashlight and turned it on even though we didn’t need it. Felix wasn’t wearing night-vision goggles like we were, and while I doubted he’d be able to see much through his swollen eye and with the other side of his face buried tight against my chest, thelow beam cast enough light that he’d be able to see where we were taking him. I followed Quin through the building, trying not to jostle Felix in my arms too much because he sucked in sharp, pained breaths I felt in my own body every time I moved too quickly.
At the car, Quin pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen until the doors opened with a click that ricocheted off the buildings around us.
“Let me hold Felix while you get into the car, then I’ll help him get settled.”
Felix’s head was heavy against my shoulder, so I pressed a kiss to his forehead. His good eye fluttered open, and I smiled down at him, hoping Cal and Jack had made whatever it was they’d done to the assholes that had done this to my mate, my heart, hurt. Badly.
“Is it okay if Quin holds you for a second? I don’t know that I can get into the car with you in my arms without hurting you.”
“’S okay.” He closed his eye again.
“Are you sure you can carry him?” I asked, taking in my brother’s frame.
“Trust me. I can do it.”
“All right.” I nodded, and as gently as possible, I placed the other half of my heart in Quin’s waiting arms. Felix still hissed in pain, but he settled quickly. I climbed into the back seat, and Quin settled Felix onto my lap.
“Thought I wouldn’t see you again,” Felix mumbled, and the cut on his swollen lip reopened, a small trickle of blood running down to his chin. I wiped it away with a gentle touch.
“Shh, baby. Just rest. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
I felt him nod against my shoulder, then relax. I hoped he slept through at least the first part of the ride home because there was no way the potholes on the street leading to the warehouse could be avoided.
A few minutes later, the front doors opened, and Cal and Jack got in.
“I still say we should set a convenient fire.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “We’ve done the job. No reason to draw attention to it.”
“You’re no fun.”
“Yeah, and you’re a pain in the ass.”
“We should at least put it to a vote.” Cal hit the ignition button, then turned around. He glanced at Felix in my arms, then met my eyes with a look as hard as steel. “Felix is your mate, Nero. You make the call. Should we torch the place or just leave things the way they are? For reference, it looks like the older guy murdered the two younger guys, then took a nasty tumble down the stairs.”
I looked at Felix’s face and thought of what his time with his kidnappers must have been like.
The decision was easy.
“Burn it to the ground.”
Cal rubbed his hands together with glee. “Excellent.” He hit the button to open the rear hatch, then bolted from the driver’s seat.
“Hold on there, sweetheart. I’m coming with you.” Jack opened his door and climbed out too.
“I thought you were against this plan.” Cal slammed the trunk closed, cutting off the sounds of their bickering as they carried the items they’d need to set the fire around the edge of the building, disappearing from view.
Ten minutes later, they returned with nothing but the orange-red glow of a blazing fire at their backs.
This time, when Cal got into the driver’s seat, he threw the car into reverse. “Let’s get Felix home.”
Julius had a doctor waiting when we walked in the door, and he examined Felix the second we had him settled in bed.
“Worst of his injuries are in his face. Fractured zygomatic bone right under the eye and severe bruising to the maxilla. His ribs are also badly bruised, but he’s breathing okay, and I don’t think anything is broken there. Best thing for him would be to shift and let his otter heal the injuries, but it’s going to be a couple days before he can do that.” Dr. Madison, an old friend of my grandmother’s, pulled the stethoscope from around his neck and stuffed it into his black bag.
