Mallory's Bears(5)
Until then, he hadn’t paid much attention to her friend. Was he her man? If so, he didn’t want to tangle with him if he could help it. As a man he’d have to work hard at besting him. As a bear, he’d take him out with one strike of his paw.
“What are you getting at?” Maybe if he let her flap her yap a little longer, she’d spill enough information to make sense.
“Can’t you read?” She tilted her head to the calf Gunner was holding.
Damn, but she was irritating. And yet, even as irritating as she was, he couldn’t dismiss the growing need to have her. He wanted to tear off her clothes and wrap her legs around him. But at the same time, she filled him with a curiosity to know her better. When had any woman ever gotten to him that way? Especially so fast and hard?
“What’s that supposed to mean, anyway? Sentenced to death? Don’t you know that’s why ranchers raise cattle? To sell for public consumption? Or are you telling me that you’ve never eaten a hamburger?”
She opened her mouth, no doubt ready to give him a sassy answer, but he waved her off. “The real question is why you’d write that on one of my cows. Do you think cattle read?”
She hardened her face, then held out her hand for the camera she’d given to her big man as they’d ridden up to them. “Take a look for yourself.”
He had a bad feeling that he’d gotten tricked, but he still had to see. Taking the camera, he held it up and watched the video. Once he was finished, he had the urge to smash it to the ground.
“Don’t bother breaking it. I already sent the video to my e-mail.”
Aw, shit. “And what are you going to do with it? Watch it every night while you curl up on your couch with your thirteen cats?”
She was not the type of woman who’d end up alone with a bunch of cats. But he loved seeing her get even angrier. She’d be fun to razz.
“I’m going to upload it to YouVideo and let the world know what’s happening to these poor creatures.”
“Poor creatures? Are you serious, lady? These animals live better than some humans I know.” The word lady didn’t do her justice. Maybe princess or queen would. He was surprised that such a small person could command his respect in such a short time.
“Who’s this guy? Is he your husband or your bodyguard?”
The huge man stepped closer to her, then offered his hand. “I’m Mike Shorter, but people call me Kid. This is my friend, Mallory Quinn.”
“Kid, we’re not here to make friends.” She seared Rick with another glower. “Especially not with men who are cruel to animals.”
That did it.
His anger whipped around in a frenzy, rising to the surface with a boil. “Look, lady, I don’t know where you’re getting this shit, but we don’t treat our animals badly. If you don’t like raising cattle for food, then that’s your problem. Until they arrive at the production facility—”
“You mean the slaughterhouse.”
The growl slipped out before he knew it. Her eyes widened, but again, she showed her stuff by not running. Smaller growls had sent grown men scurrying away as fast as they could.
“Whatever. It’s the cycle of life. Everything needs to eat.” As a human, he enjoyed a good steak or burger. His bear, however, tended to eat more fish and vegetables, but he wouldn’t tell her that.
He was astounded and even angrier when she laughed.
“For your information, it’s the circle of life, not the cycle of life. And no. We don’t need to eat other living beings. We’re not savages any longer.” Her haughtiness grew. “At least, most of us aren’t.”
“Not that I owe you an explanation, but listen up. We send our cattle to a quality-run meat packing facility. Our animals are killed in a humane way with a facility that toes a hard line on following all the governmental regulations.” He gritted his teeth so hard he thought he’d crack one.
“You send them to Lawson Industries, right?”
“How’d you know that?” She wasn’t just some liberal, tree hugger. She’d done some research.
“Did you know that Lawson Industries doesn’t make sure that the cattle are unconscious after they drive that pole into their heads and send them along the production line?”
“It’s not a pole, it’s called a bolt gun and it instantaneously kills the brain. There isn’t a more humane way to die. No pain. Nothing, but sudden death, got it? Hell, I couldn’t ask for a quicker, easier way to die.”
“Then why don’t you go and take their place?”
He swallowed back another growl then wanted to pop his brother on the back of the head for chuckling. “Look, lady, I’ve seen their facility firsthand. They keep the cattle safe and calm up until that moment when they use the gun. Keeping the cattle calm and without injury leads to better, more tender meat. Why would Lawson do it any other way? Better meat means better sales.” Why was he bothering to argue with her? He knew the truth.