“He went after the waiter.” Kane rounded the table, heading straight for Hondo and Takeo.
“I need your help. Snooke took off, and I think he went after the waiter who attacked Chris.”
Hondo and Takeo followed Kane into the house, away from the children as they found a shadow to enter.
Hondo, Kane, and Takeo walked into the Pancake House, looking around for Snooke or the waiter. They didn’t see either.
“Where could they be?” Kane asked in frustration. He’d liked Snooke from the first moment he saw him at Chris’s. He could tell Snooke was fascinated with him, and it was flattering to Kane. He liked the slim guy and didn’t want to see harm come to him.
Hondo walked over to the counter. “Excuse me. I’m looking for one of the waiters who works here. He’s about six one, heavily built, brown curly hair.”
“You’re talking about John. He clocked out already.”
“Thanks. Do you know where I can find him?” Hondo looked frustrated. Kane glanced around, wondering where they should look next. If Hondo’s description was anything to go by, the large shifter was going to do serious damage to Snooke.
“I may be the owner here, but when they clock out, they have their own lives.”
Hondo motioned his head for the warriors to follow him. They walked around the building, trying to figure out where Snooke could be when the three came to the back of the building to see two bodies lying on the concrete, unmoving.
Kane cursed as he ran forward, dropping to his knees next to Snooke's unmoving body. Rage consumed him as he saw the bruises all over Snooke’s face and arms.
“He’s dead,” Takeo announced.
Kane’s head snapped up at Takeo’s statement. He looked back down to see Snooke’s chest rising and falling. Takeo must be talking about the shifter that was lying close to Snooke.
“How’s Snooke?” Hondo asked.
“Breathing,” Kane said, and then very gently picked Snooke up and carried him into the shadow.
Kane walked to his couch and laid Snooke down, grabbing the throw blanket from the back and draping it over the slim body. He sat on the edge of the couch, staring down at Snooke as he studied him.
What was it about this guy that brought out all of Kane’s protective instincts? This was the second time Snooke had been assaulted. This pattern had to stop. Kane was going to have a long talk with Snooke when he awakened. The guy needed a protector.
Kane walked into the bathroom and wet a washcloth, taking it back to Snooke to clean the dried blood around his nostrils. The more bruises he uncovered, the more pissed Kane became. How could anyone beat up on a defenseless man?
Snooke moaned softly but then stilled. Kane waited to see if Snooke would wake up, but the man made no move after that. Kane took a moment to run his hand over locks so blond, they appeared white. The man was truly stunning. Kane wished he would open his eyes so he could see those gorgeous indigo-blues. Snooke looked so fragile laying there unconscious.
His body was so slim that Kane wondered how the young demon kept taking bodily injuries without it killing him. He clenched his jaw at the thought of any form of harm coming to Snooke.
He saw Hondo from the corner of his eye as he began to wipe Snooke’s face again. Kane wiped gently, careful of the bruises.
“It was all a setup,” Hondo said quietly as he took a seat in one of the chairs.
“How? Why would anyone set Snooke up?” Kane ran his fingertip over the bruises on Snooke’s face. He needed answers. How could he protect such a precious creature if he didn’t know who he was protecting him from?
“I don’t know. But the shifter had a large amount of blood loss. It wasn’t a vampire. We checked. Did you notice blood on the ground?”
Kane shook his head at the truth. “I wasn’t paying attention.” How could he when his vision narrowed to the white-haired man lying unconscious on the concrete? His whole world had taken on just one small man looking so helpless.
“I also forgot to tell you that I found that reporter. He was hiding at Cheveyo’s. He’s running from someone called Marino Malone. Does that name ring a bell?”
Kane shook his head, finally looking up from Snooke. “That name isn’t familiar. Didn’t the reporter, Sexton, tell you what was going on?”
Hondo slouched down. “No. He got tight-lipped when I asked him.”
“So what do we know so far?”
Hondo thought about it for a moment. “One.” He ticked off on his fingers. “The crystal is missing. We need to make that our top priority of finding out who stole it. Two. Why were Falcon and Leam arguing outside of the bank? Three.” Hondo nodded toward Snooke. “Who was the guy chasing Chris and Snooke, and why? Four. Why is the reporter in hiding? Five, who killed the shifter and set the scene up? And lastly, who the hell is that elf, and why does he keep popping up to warn Chris about something he says he can’t tell us about?”