Wicked Edge (Realm Enforcers, #2)(74)

She coughed out smoke and tried to focus, but the smoke stung her eyes. Tears streamed down her face. She stumbled into the other room to find black smoke. Kellach and Sam were sprawled unconscious next to another yawning hole in the outside wall. Rain and wind pushed their way in. If either of the men tried to get up and tripped, they’d drop ten stories to the concrete street.

Simone lay in the kitchen, only her legs visible.

Zane crashed through the inner wall, fighting furiously with two men in gas masks.

Oh. Gas. Her mind spun, and her stomach heaved. Trying not to breathe, she slid over to Sam and grabbed his pants legs. Grunting with the effort, she dragged him away from the hole. Her shoulders protested, and her back ached, but she left him and grabbed Kellach under the arms. He weighed as much as Sam, and she was sweating by the time she got him to safety. A quick check of their necks confirmed they were out but alive.

She searched for a weapon in the demolished room. Nothing. With a shriek, she flew across the room and landed on the back of one of the guys fighting with Zane.

Her vision blurred, and her lungs burned.

Whatever was in the grenade slid into her central nervous system. She had to fight to remain conscious. Even as she watched, Zane’s movements slowed.

The guy in the mask punched him hard in the face.

The man she’d jumped on reached back and yanked on her hair. Pain exploded in her head. She jabbed her elbow into her attacker’s neck, right in the sweet spot. His neck cracked. He dropped to one knee, and she jumped off him, spinning a side kick into his temple. He toppled to the floor.

She swayed. Three more men in masks ran through the door.

One of them reached her just in time to grab her before she fell. Her last thought was that she hoped Zane didn’t fall out the window while fighting.





Chapter 27


Daire signaled for Garrett to break off and fall behind the motorcycles roaring toward Bear’s headquarters to wage war. The kid nodded and began to make his move. He couldn’t afford to get taken down to the police station, and Daire couldn’t afford for the king of the Realm, Garrett’s uncle, to be pissed off right now. Hopefully Bear would diffuse the situation once they arrived.

If Bear stayed true to form, he wouldn’t diffuse shit.

Trees sped by, and a fine Seattle mist covered their bikes as they rode hell-bent for trouble. The Fire members reached the Grizzly courtyard, and two rows of Grizzly members were waiting. Wearing their cuts and pissed-off expressions, they looked as dangerous as the mountains rising high above them. Apparently Kellach had decided to warn them, which may have been a good idea. Or maybe not.

How could humans not see something immortal within these guys? It was so obvious they were bear shifters.

Daire growled low and cut his engine. He needed to get back to his mate and not f*ck around with a bunch of humans and bears. Why the hell had he agreed to this mission in Seattle in the first place? Of course, if he hadn’t agreed, he never would’ve met Felicity.

The Fire members silenced their bikes. It looked like the numbers were about even, but the humans had no clue they might face bared teeth and three-inch claws.

Bear stepped forward, irritation sizzling in his deep eyes. “What the f*ck?”

Pyro disembarked. “Where is our prospect?”

“No clue, man.” Bear lowered his chin and actually looked like a bear. Tension vibrated from him with an animal ferocity, and several of the Fire members shifted their feet uneasily. They might not know Bear was a bear, but their instincts seemed to be kicking in. “Why the hell are you here?” he all but growled.

Pyro motioned Daire forward. “We have a picture of one of your skanks with our prospect leaving a bar the other night. Where is he?”

Daire handed the phone to Bear.

Bear studied it, and his eyebrows rose. A growl rumbled from his chest. “That’s Tasha.”

“One of your skanks?” Pyro asked, triumph in his voice.

“No.” Bear returned the phone, his jaw tightening. “She’s a nice girl and not a skank. This was the other night?”

“Aye,” Daire said. There were many female members of Bear’s club, but in order to stay under the radar and appear like other clubs, nobody knew it. Women were either old ladies, skanks, or visitors to the outside world. To the inside? There were some badass female warriors in Bear’s group, but Tasha looked fairly young and probably wasn’t a full club member. “Any word from her?”

Bear lifted his head and surveyed his men. “Has anybody heard from Tasha?”

Nobody stepped forward.

Well, shit. “We think the prospect disappeared with her the other night.” Daire tried to communicate more.

“Leads?” Bear asked, fury flowing from him.

“Not yet. Working on it.” Daire glanced at Pyro.

Bear stepped toward him. “Does the prospect’s family know he’s missing?”

“Aye.” Daire bit back a snarl. “They’re here, in fact.”

Bear winced. “Sorry.”

It was nice to have a buddy who understood. Dealing with demons wasn’t easy in the best of circumstances. Daire stepped closer to Pyro. “Bear doesn’t know anything, and we need to get out and find our prospect. Let’s go.”

Pyro waved him off, the stench of smoke and booze pouring off him. He swayed in his battered boots, but determination hardened his jaw. “I promised the boys a good fight, and I figure we’re due. For Duck!” He rushed toward Bear and was instantly taken down by Lucas Clarke, Bear’s top lieutenant.