“I wish I could.” He couldn’t. He needed to find the missing Guardians and then find his brother. “Catty, there are things I’ve been sent here to find out. I think you might know something about what I’m looking for.”
She stopped and stepped into his space. There it was again. The hot tingling sensation that arced between them even though they were not touching. It was hot enough without having her standing so close, but good god, she seemed to make their space explode like a volcano.
She cocked her head and stared up at him, a hardness to her eyes.
“Honey, I’m sure there are a lot of females who would do anything you want. But I really don’t know what you're talking about. Maybe that’s why I’m still alive. I try to stay invisible.” She shook her head and stepped back. “Sorry, I’m not your girl.”
“I think you are.” He dug out his wallet and pulled out some money.
“If you want me to tell you a lie so you can pay me some money, then go right ahead.” She pressed her full lips into a line of thinly veiled rage.
“How much?”
“For what? Look, I told you I don’t have any information.” Her eyes narrowed.
“How much for a night?”
Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped. Clamping down her mouth, she curled her hands into fists at her side. “Look asshole, I’m not a whore.”
“I didn’t say you were.” He looked around as a couple of guys passing by eyed Catty with interest. “And you need to keep your voice down,” he hissed.
A guy stopped in front of them and nodded at Catty. “If you ain’t gonna take her, I will.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “How much for a blow job, sweetheart?”
Liquid anger filled Lucien’s vision as the guy grabbed Catty’s arm. He swung at the guy, landing a hard blow to his face and knocking him on the ground.
“Don’t you fucking touch her.” He snatched the guy off the ground by the collar of his stained T-shirt. The man’s eyes rolled back in his head and his head lolled to the side. Lucien punched him in the face again for good measure.
“Lucien, behind you!” Catty screamed.
He let go of the guy, who crumpled to the ground. Pain ripped through his shoulder. He spun around. A guy held up a knife covered in his blood. The guy had cut Lucien’s arm.
Adrenaline pumped through his cells and spilled over. Rage replaced pain. Revenge replaced control.
He looked up from the wound in his arm and met the guy’s gaze and smiled.
“Jesus, man. What kind of shit are you on not to feel that?” The guy backed up and stumbled over his own feet as he tried to get away.
“Lucien, we need to go.” Catty tugged on his arm.
He dragged his gaze from the asshole who’d stabbed him to the one lying on the ground. They were quickly drawing a crowd as thugs came out of the houses like cockroaches.
“We need to go,” Catty stated.
He glanced around. He might be a werewolf, but there were thirty humans who were either drunk or high and they were all carrying guns. Even if he could take them, there was a high chance of Catty getting hurt. He couldn’t chance it. He needed to get her out of here.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and hurried down the nearest alley.
Chapter Eleven
“Lucien.” Catty snatched her hand out of his and stopped.
“What?” He turned and glared.
“Your T-shirt and jacket are soaked with blood.” She reached out and touched his back. She held up her bloodstained fingers. “You can’t tell it’s blood on your jacket, but you are leaving a blood trail with every step you take.”
He sucked in a hissing breath as the burning pain begin to register in his cells.
“Someone will call the cops when they see all this blood. We need to get this bandaged up. Now.” She met his gaze.
He looked up the street toward his hotel. “My hotel is five blocks from here.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s too far. My place is closer.” Sighing, she grabbed his hand. “Come on, this way.” She made a left and kept to the inside of the sidewalk. People were beginning to stir and he did notice some stares from some people they passed, but they didn’t say a word.
By the time they made it to her apartment, his shoulder was pounding like a bitch. He couldn’t tell if the wetness on his shirt was blood or sweat, but he guessed it was a little of both.
She hurried through the front door of the building. The outside didn’t seem like much, old brick with vines growing along the side. Once he stepped inside the darkened foyer, the décor didn’t get much better.