Snooke(Demon Warriors 2)(21)

“Kane!” Hondo shouted as he and Rainerio caught up with him. “Let him go.”

Kane glared at the demon before opening his fist and letting the punk drop to the ground. Snooke had disappeared from his bed, and it had been two days since he’d seen him. Kane was going out of his mind with worry.

“I have to find my mate,” Kane shouted at the two warriors. “What if something happened to him?” He spun on his booted heel and started walking down Broadview. “Has Chris seen him?”

“I called. He said he hasn’t seen or heard from Snooke,” Hondo replied.

“Kane.” Rainerio grabbed Kane’s arm and spun him back around. “We have to talk to the owner at the video store.”

Kane knew they had a duty to find the damn crystal. It took precedence over finding Snooke. If the prisoners in the detention cells were set free, this realm would become hell. There were creatures down there that should never have been born. Some so evil that Snooke, or anyone else for that matter, would no longer be safe. The city would become a feeding ground for the damned.

Kane pulled his arm free and began walking toward the store. He was pissed as hell that Snooke wasn’t in his bed when he had awakened.

He’d had enough with the disappearing act.

Kane tore the door open, nearly unhinging it as he walked into the used-video store. Worry and anger filled him. Where could Snooke be?

“I think I should talk to him.” Hondo eyed Kane and then stepped ahead of him, heading over to Bernard, the owner.

Kane hung back. He racked his brain trying to figure out where Snooke had vanished to. He’d checked the demon’s apartment and Chris’s house. Kane even took Torky on his word and went to Malcor’s restaurant.

Snooke wasn’t anywhere to be found. Kane began to look through the movies on the shelf, trying his best to take his mind off of things. If he kept thinking about his mate walking away from him, this store would lay in rubbles around him.

“I understand you called Panahasi and told him you had information on the missing crystal?” Hondo asked the owner.

It was no longer a secret that the prized crystal, the only key to the underworld, was missing. The warriors could gain entrance, if three went together, but no other had a means down there. Not unless they held the crystal and knew how to use it.

They also had to figure out how the reporter kept getting his stories. Sexton had gone missing again, but his stories were still being published. The vampire seemed to know what was going on right after an event happened. This had the warriors and their leader, Panahasi, baffled.

The owner leaned over the counter, looking around before he whispered to the pair of warriors. Kane set the movie down and walked closer. “Meet me out back in five minutes.”

Bernard’s eyes darted around the store before smiling and waving at one of the customers.

Kane rolled his eyes at James Bond. He didn’t have time for secret meetings and handshakes. If the shifter had info, he needed to spill so Kane could get back to his search for Snooke.

Rainerio slapped Kane’s chest with his hand as he nodded. “Come on, man. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can find your mate.”

Kane followed the warriors out of the front door and around the side of the building. Kane snatched the phone from his jacket when the damn thing began to ring. “What?” he asked with a touch of attitude.

“It’s Panahasi. I need you to go down to the river.”

“We’re about to question the owner of the video store.”

“Leave that to Hondo and Rainerio. Go.” Panahasi disconnected the phone call.

“Can you guys handle this? The boss man sent me on another mission.” Kane asked as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

“Go on. We have this,” Hondo said.

Kane jogged to the back of the building, finding a dark area and walking into it, emerging at the river. He glanced around, taking in the beauty of the Black River. It flowed seamlessly, giving any admirer a sense of peace.

His breath caught when he spotted the troll sitting at the water’s edge, Snooke sitting next to the creature.

Kane walked across the grass until he stood inches from his mate. Snooke glanced up at him, sadness filling his eyes. “I had nowhere to go. They know where I live now.” Snooke wiped at the tears that began to slowly fall.

“You could have stayed with me, shorty.” Kane knelt down in front of his mate, amazed that he wasn’t angry. Maybe it was the tears that did him in, or the fact that he could see his mate was safe.

“I can’t. They’ll come after you, too. There’s nowhere for me to go.” Snooke pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs as he rested his chin on his knees. “I’m homeless.”