Those crazy bitches put me in a zoo.
Angie looked at her phone, but realized she’d heard a knock at the door. Her frustration mounted as the day moved on. She couldn’t find any of Nik’s kin. None of his siblings answered at the numbers Nik programmed into her phone in case of emergency.
She didn’t want to panic. Because with her, panic would lead to anger. And the last thing she wanted to do right now was stab her friend in the face.
“Yeah?”
Zach stuck his head in. “You okay, Ang?”
She nodded and motioned him in with a wave of her hand. “The question is, are you?”
He shrugged as he leaned against the wall. Angie could see how much Sara’s anger hurt him. True, the pair seemed to argue all the time, but always with a smile or a grope. But Sara had no teasing smile now. No soft caresses on the back of his neck. Nope. Sara was really and truly pissed off.
“I’m okay,” he lied.
“She’ll get over this, Zach.”
He winced. “You sure?”
“I know the crazy bitch. Whatever she’s got going on, she’s gotten it out of her system. We both have.”
“And who knew Miki could be all adult?”
For the first time in hours, Angie smiled. “She has her moments. They’re rare. But they happen. Especially when she realizes Sara and I won’t be.”
“Look, Ang, just so you know. She and Miki were really broken up when we got the call from Marrec. And Marrec was fucking devastated.”
Her birth parents may have forgotten her birthday completely but that didn’t mean she didn’t have family. Even if she did want to kill both her “sisters” at the moment.
“Yeah, we talked. He’s okay now.” Angie glanced at the man who loved her friend. His shoulders slumped in defeat, his eyes staring at a rather boring carpet. Poor guy. Could he be more depressed? “And thanks, Zach.”
“For what?”
“For taking your sweet-ass time coming for me. I know it cost you.”
He gave a little smile, probably his first in several days. “Oh, noticed that did ya?”
“Yeah. And I really appreciate it.”
“So, tell me…was my sister right? Did you fall for him?”
Angie sighed and looked out the window.
Zach opened the door, muttering under his breath, “Great. Now we’re gonna have a cat in the family.”
Finally, after two hours, the drugs wore off and Nik was back to his old self. He could shift back to human at any time. His only problem now?
They’d put his ass on display.
I hate those women.
He didn’t even know them, and he hated them.
A small establishment near the Canadian border, the Northport Zoo was a place where Angie’s friends apparently had lots of clout. From what he could overhear, the zoo officials would never release him among the other tigers for several months. But, it seemed, their “benefactor” had insisted. Against the department head’s recommendations, they went ahead and placed Nik in a display behind unbreakable glass.
The full tigers watched him silently. All females. Thankfully. He would be less than happy if he had to take on some territorial male.
Well, this little adventure was only going to last through today. As soon as night came, he would get his furry ass out of here. Even if he had to scare some poor security guard to death. Then he would be heading to California. He had some dog butt to kick.
Sighing, Nik looked up to find a small child staring at him. A small child busy picking his nose.
Could this get any worse?
The females stirred restlessly near him and he caught the scent they had.
Oh no. Please. Not that.
They stood in front of him, completely unaware of his presence and arguing like two ten-year-olds.
Nik didn’t bother searching for a way out. There was no way out. Those two evil witches trapped him. Trapped him in hell.
Throwing up his hands in anger, Alek turned away from Ban, facing the tiger display. Alek’s gold eyes stared at Nik for a moment, a frown of confusion pulling his brows down. Then he smiled. And then he just became plain hysterical.
Bastard! This wasn’t and never would be funny!
Ban stared at Alek for several confused moments before catching sight of Nik.
As his brothers literally rolled on the ground laughing hysterically—and freaking out all the zoo visitors—Nik seethed. At this point, he needed to know only one thing, and one thing only.
When Angie sent him off the night before, did she know her friends were waiting for him?
Angie found Sara outside petting that ugly freakin’ dog.
“I can’t believe Zach hasn’t found a way to get rid of him.”
Sara didn’t look up, just kept petting the ugly beast. Long strokes from the top of his head all the way down to his tail. He let her, too, sensing her need.
“I don’t understand how anyone can hate Roscoe T,” she murmured.
Angie reached over and stroked Roscoe’s head. “True. He’s ugly, but he’s loveable.”
With a half-smile, “You mean, kind of like me?”
Angie rolled her eyes. “Don’t even try it, Morrighan.”
Finally, Sara laughed. “Oh, come on. That was a perfect pity-me moment.”
“I don’t pity you for one goddamn second.”
“Well, I tried.” Sara pulled the dog over until he was on his back. She rubbed his belly with one hand while petting his head with the other. “And before you ask, I’m not going to tell you where he is.”
“I know. I wasn’t going to ask. You’re such a stubborn bitch, why bother?”
“Good point.” Sara tickled the ugly beast under the chin. “Isn’t there something else you want to talk to me about, Santiago?”
Angie took in a deep breath. “Zach told you.”
“He didn’t have much choice. Besides, it was the perfect opportunity. I’m not speaking to him so I was forced to listen.”
“Smart man.” Angie scratched her head. “So, are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I found out my mother was kind of a power-hungry scumbag like her mother, which means I will be, too. So why wouldn’t I be fine?”
Angie frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Sara let out a soul-deep sigh and Roscoe licked her arm. “I thought if my mom was sane, then I’d be sane. But she was just like her. She was just like that bitch. And I’m going to be just like her, too. I’m going to destroy everything I love and care about ’cause I got the Redwolf crazy gene.”
“That’s a load of shit, Sara. And you know it. We all know it.”
Fifty feet away, Miki suddenly stumbled out of some bushes, pulling her short skirt down. She walked toward her friends on shaky legs.
Angie raised one eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
Angie leaned back, her palms flat on the grass, her long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. “Then why do you look guilty?”
“Fuck you, I do not.”
Sara shook her head. “I smell Conall all over you.”
“I really need you to stop saying stuff like that to me,” Miki growled. “It’s freakin’ me the fuck out.”
Miki sat down across from her friends, rubbing her hands across Roscoe’s flank. “So what are we talking about?”
“My mother.”
“Oh, you mean the Don Corleone of the Magnus Pack?”
Angie sat up straight, as Sara, her face stricken, looked at Miki in horror. The Sara Angie remembered when Sara’s grandmother still breathed suddenly re-surfaced with only a few words. It really didn’t take much for close friends or family to put you back in that place you hoped you’d sprung out of.