Waking the Beast(66)

They would die to save her.

* * * *

Abby screamed as she dragged Tah off of Harlan. Blood. So much blood and she couldn’t tell what was from Harlan and what was from Tah. Harlan struggled to lift the gun again, but Reno was on him in an instant, catching him around the neck and twisting. She heard the crack and pop as his neck broke and felt nothing but regret that it wasn’t her knife wound that had killed him. It would have been a much more painful death, more befitting of what he deserved. What he’d told her about how he’d killed her parents would haunt her for the rest of her life.

“Abby, snap out of it,” Reno ordered as he moved to Logan. “Find where that bullet hit Tah.”

“I can’t see anything,” she screamed. “There’s too much blood in his fur.”

The lion growled in pain and slowly shifted back into Tah. She jerked the dart out of his left shoulder and then gasped as she saw the wound on his right side. She ripped her T-shirt over her head and wadded it before shoving it against the wound.

“Let’s get them in the house,” Derrick ordered, as four naked males moved in to help carry Tah and Logan.

Abby didn’t care that she stood there in her bra and jeans. She only felt numb. Here she was again, praying not to lose Tah. It was too much. She wrapped her arms around her middle, comforting herself and their baby as she watched them carry Tah away from her.#p#分页标题#e#

“Here,” Reno’s voice reached her as he stripped off his shirt and handed it to her, slipping it over her head when she just stood there and looked at him. “He’s going to be fine, Abby. He shifted. Did you see that? You were right.”

She nodded. “He’s beautiful.”

“I’m going to tell him you said that.” Reno eased an arm around her waist as he began walking her toward the house. “Did you hear Logan? ‘I laugh in the face of danger.’ I’m going to kick his foolish ass when he’s all healed up. Said something about a lion king?”

Abby giggled a little hysterically as tears rushed down her face. “The movie. It’s a line from the movie.”

“Whatever,” Reno grunted. “I’m still going to kick his ass for being stupid.”

“He loves you guys,” she whispered.

“He’s family,” Reno said with a shrug as if that explained everything. And maybe it did.

“I wanted to be the one to kill him,” Abby said.

He didn’t even pretend not to know what she meant. “You’ll be a great mate for Tah. I think you might be more bloodthirsty than he is.”

She grinned. “You think so?”

Reno shook his head. “It concerns me that you take pride in that observation.”

“I think I love you, Reno.”

“Of course you do,” he said. “What’s not to love?”

“I need to go to Tah,” she said as soon as they stepped into the house.

“Why don’t you get cleaned up real quick first,” Reno offered as he led her toward the bedroom she shared with Tah.

“I don’t want to get cleaned up, Reno. I want Tah.”

Reno sighed. “Abby, you’re covered in blood. Your face is starting to bruise. Tah was shot by a tranq dart. Even without the bullet, he’ll be out for a while. I’m sure Diane is working on him. I’m more worried about Logan.”

Abby glanced down at herself and realized the truth of his words. She was covered in blood. Even the shirt Reno had given her had blood all over it.

“Tah will go ballistic if he sees you like this. Take a shower. Clean up and put fresh clothes on. I’m sure Diane will want to check you out as well, make sure the baby’s okay.”

Abby’s hands went to her stomach. “He’s fine.”

“He, huh?” Reno asked with a grin.

Abby shrugged. “I want a little boy who looks just like his daddy.”

“God forbid he’s as hard-headed as his dad.”

Abby smiled. “You’re a good friend, Reno.”

“I know, and you love me. We’ll keep that our secret for now.”

Abby giggled again, as she let Reno lead her once more down the hall toward her room.

He paused at the door. “I’m going to clean up outside. I’ll be right out there if you need anything. Anything, Abby. Just holler for me.”

“He asked you to look after me, didn’t he?”

Reno smiled. “He wouldn’t have to ask,” he said as he turned away and headed back down the hall.

She knew what he was cleaning up, and she didn’t envy him that task. She was shaking by the time she entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her. It took two tries to get the water on and adjusted to the right temperature. Her teeth were chattering as she stepped under the spray, and she knew her body was finally reacting to what had just happened. She needed a minute, just a minute to deal with her emotions before she went to Tah. He needed her strong, and right now she was weak, so very weak.#p#分页标题#e#