Cella saw a rope flip up in the air, tossed over something. Smith jogged into view again and grabbed the end of it, hoisting the male up and into the air. She tied the end of the rope off, and proceeded to beat the poor bastard like a birthday piñata.
Once she was done hitting him, Smith started to walk off, stopped, came back, hit the one on the ground a few times for good measure, then was gone.
“Okay then!” Cella said, standing. “Time to go.”
Confused, MacDermot stared up at her. “What?”
“I’ve got that exhibition game with the Carnivores tonight, remember?”
“No.”
“We have to go.”
“But I’m not done.”
Perhaps not, but when Cella saw Smith spring by that window again, a gang of vicious, baby-fanged hyena cubs chasing after her, she knew they had to leave. She grabbed the full-human under the arm and yanked her off the couch, heading toward the door. “Thank you for your assistance in this matter. We’ll let you know if we have more questions.”
They were outside on the stoop when Smith hurtled around the side of the house toward their SUV. MacDermot stopped short. “What in—”
“Let’s go.” Cella yanked the full-human off the property and to the car. Smith was already inside with the engine revving. Cella and MacDermot scrambled inside, but before they got their seatbelts on, Smith hit the gas.
As they headed back to the City, Cella asked herself again, How did I get here?
CHAPTER 7
“Tell me you didn’t take him back,” Lock said while they sat on the bench, waiting for the second string to get through the next few seconds of the game.
“I had to. He’s my cousin.”
“He’s your thieving cousin with a gambling problem. And have you forgotten your father’s edict?”
“Hardly.”
Lock blew out a breath. “He’s going to blow an artery.”
“Are you two focusing on the game?” Novikov demanded.
The pair gazed at the hybrid for a moment until Ric turned back to Lock and said, “You didn’t see him, though, Lock. They’d already beaten the hell out of him. He hasn’t been eating. I couldn’t just leave him like that.”
“But he’s out of the Pack, Ric, which means he’s out of the restaurant.”
“I can hire who I like, and someone has to wash those dishes.”
“What did Adelle say?”
“We haven’t discussed it yet, but I’m sure she won’t be pleased.”
“Don’t you have enough problems with your old man, now you’re going to piss off Adelle too?”
“Stein needs help.”
“Why? Who does he owe money to this time?”
Ric grimaced; he’d hoped Lock wouldn’t ask that question. “Polars. Dave Smolinski and his brothers out of Atlantic City.”
“Jesus Christ, Ric.”
“I know. I know.”
“Do you think you two girls could table this discussion until after our game?” Novikov snarled. “Maybe when you have a sleepover and you’re braiding each other’s hair.”
Ric stared at his least favorite human being and replied, “I think you’d look pretty with ponytails.”
“A single ponytail,” Lock insisted. “With front bangs.”
“Awwww. Now that would be lovely.”
Novikov stood. “I hate both of you.”
They followed him out onto the ice, Ric taking his position in front of the goal. Cella skated behind the net and around it, passing Ric with a smile.
“Everything go okay today?” he asked.
When she only laughed, he didn’t know how to take it.
Dee was sitting in the stands, watching the game. She didn’t want to, but she was too tired to get up and leave.
“Dee-Ann?”
She sighed, recognizing the wolfdog’s voice and praying the woman wouldn’t hug her. She couldn’t fight her off at the moment. “Yeah?”
Blayne leaned in closer. “Hon, you’re leaking.”
“Pardon?”
Teacup pointed at Dee’s arm. “You’re leaking.”
“Shit.” She’d thought she’d stopped the bleeding.
“Come on.”
Blayne grabbed her arm and helped her out of her seat.
“You’ll miss the game,” Dee told her.
“These days I live hockey. I can miss a game or two.”
Unable to fight, Dee let the wolfdog lead her to the hockey team’s locker room and into the medical unit that was always on standby during their games.
“Blayne!” the four technicians and three sports doctors called out.
“Hi, guys. You don’t mind if we use your facilities for a bit, do you?”
“Be our guest.”
Blayne helped Dee up onto one of the tables and went off to get supplies. She returned a few minutes later and helped Dee take her jacket off. She pulled off the towels Dee had wrapped around her wounded arm and, after some tsking, went about cleaning off all the blood.
“How did this happen?”
“Hyena cut me.”
“Oh, Dee . . .” Blayne said sadly. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”
She almost smiled. “Not this time.”
“Good. All this killing can’t be healthy for you.”
Blayne leaned in and studied the wound. “This is going to need stitches.”
Dee pointed at one of the doctors. “He can do it.”
“You’re not on the team. He won’t touch you.”
“Fine. I’ll go to the hospital then.”
“I can do it.” Blayne reached for a small plastic package.
“You must be joking.”
“Nope. But you have nothing to worry about. I’ve been sewing up O’Neills since I was fourteen. You know, when they couldn’t go to the hospital because it would have to be reported to the cops or something.”
“Watch me not even respond to that, but my answer is still no.”
“Dee-Ann, I’m trying to be nice here. But you’re testing my patience.”
“Sorry if I don’t trust you to start sticking needles into me considering our past.”
“Are you still harping on that?” Blayne demanded. “So I broke your nose and shot you that day in Ursus County . . . I can’t believe you’re still holding that against me.”
“I know. So irrational.” Especially when Dee had to let her hair grow out just to cover the damage to her dang ear from that gunshot.
“It is. Especially when I’m trying so hard to be nice. The least you can do is appreciate the gesture for what it is and let me stick this curved needle into your flesh over and over again. Understand?”
“Well—”
“Good! Now, hold on!” Gripping the pre-packaged needle with surgical thread in one hand and Dee’s wounded arm in the other, Blayne cheerfully chirped, “This is gonna hurt!”
“I know this was an exhibition game,” Novikov told them while the team tried to shower, change, and get out for the evening. “And I know that we won . . . but there are some things that you guys suck at. I have a list.”
He pulled a list out of his hockey pants and Ric jumped in front of Lock before he could get his hands around Novikov’s throat. “Why don’t we discuss this at the next team practice?” Ric suggested to Novikov, barely able to hold the grizzly back.
Novikov held up his sheet of paper. “But I have a list.”
Lock snarled, trying to push Ric out of the way, but somehow Ric managed to hold him back. “I know. But I think that list will be much more effective when we’re all rested and relaxed before a practice.”