Enticing Their Mate(24)

As much as he wanted this altercation to end quickly, he needed to show Russ that any further attempt on Sarah could end in death. Crouching low, Riley growled then sprang, aiming for the man’s neck. Russ avoided receiving the full force of the bite, but it was enough to make him stagger.

The passenger side door opened then closed, and a second later, Sarah’s engine started. Good. As much as Riley wanted to make sure she was okay, he had to deal with Russ first.

Snarling, Russ stalked toward Riley and swiped a paw the entire length of his flank. Fuck that hurt, but the sting wasn’t enough for him to stop. Believing he was the superior fighter, Riley lunged at his adversary and the two tumbled and rolled, nipping at each other’s bodies. The warehouse door banged open and they both disengaged at the arrival of another werewolf. They didn’t need a full on fight.

“Hey, you two.” Clay stood with his legs wide and his hands on his hips. “Get back inside.”

Riley almost laughed. Because he and Clay had supposedly been hired from the same company, he doubted Russ would attack if the odds were two against one. Riley shifted, and then Russ changed, too. From the looks of it, Russ better hope Statler wasn’t around to see how poorly one of his men had faired in a fight.

“This ain’t over, Bishop.”

Yes, it was.

* * *

Connolly wasn’t pleased. When Trax called and said they couldn’t watch Michelle and Darnell, he had to give a lame excuse to the men why he needed to leave the warehouse. Some computer expert and her fiancé who worked for the General would be arriving soon to take Michelle back to Florida and care for her. He was good with that—it was Jay showing up at the house that he didn’t need.

Connolly faced Jay. “How are the motel accommodations working out for you?” he asked, needing some time to figure out how he wanted to handle this. His initial plan had been to keep Jay and Riley in the dark about working for the General. By them believing he was one of Statler’s men, Riley would remain cautious and wouldn’t suggest some plan that involved the few of them taking Statler down.

Jay stared at him with his back so straight that Connolly feared he might break his spine. He should tell him they were on the same side, but he needed the tension release of yanking his chain for another minute.

“What are you doing here?” Jay asked.

“Taking care of business. You want to come in? You look like you could use a cup of coffee.”

Jay widened his stance. “I came for Michelle.”

“Then you’re out of luck. I’ve already promised her to someone else.” If he understood the General right, the woman who would be escorting Michelle and Darnell was Jay’s cousin.

Jay’s eyes turned a dark gold, and then he shifted right out in the open as if the world was aware of werewolves. Thankfully, the trees that rimmed the property were thick enough to block anyone’s view.

Oh, hell. He didn’t need to get in a scrap with Jay, so he held up his hands as the feral-looking animal bared his teeth and closed the gap between them. “Only kidding. I work for General Armand.”

Connolly expected Jay to shift back, but apparently he didn’t believe him. The wolf advanced, looking fiercely determined. It was time to stop this. “Your cousin, MacKenzie, and Sam are headed here now.”

Three beats later, Jay was back in human form. Connolly had to chuckle at the look of confusion and anger on his face. Perhaps joking with someone on a serious mission hadn’t been a good idea.

“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t a Statler hire?” Jay asked.

“I had my reasons. Come inside where we can talk.”

Jay scrubbed a hand down his jaw and followed him in. “The General didn’t tell me about you.” His voice sounded like grated glass.

“I asked him not to.” Connolly explained his reasoning.

“Riley and I are professionals. We wouldn’t have gone off half-cocked because we knew you were on our side.” He glanced to his right and his shoulders seemed to relax. Jay inhaled and then faced him. “May I see Michelle?”

“Sure.”

No sooner had they taken three steps than Jay’s cell chimed. He checked the message and his face paled.

“What is it?”

“It’s from Riley. Russ tried to sexually assault Sarah.” The hair on Jay’s face sprouted and his teeth extended.

Holy fuck. He’d pegged Russ as a troublemaker and someone who was ruled by his dick, but he hadn’t expected an assault. “How is she?”

Jay slowly returned to full human form. “She was able to fight him off. Look, as much as I want to see my cousin and her fiancé, I need to—”