Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Finally in possession of her order, Roni made her way to the parking lot across the road. It was as she approached her car that it happened: the unmistakable feeling that someone was behind her crawled up her spine. She waited until she knew they were up close before acting. In a swift, fluid movement, Roni swerved on the spot, grabbed a hand holding a syringe, and forced the strange female to stab herself in the neck. Within seconds, the dumb bitch was out cold. Huh. A sedative.
Roni locked her gaze on another female, who was staring at her wide-eyed and looking terribly amused. Even, strangely, a little excited.
“Oh, you are good.” She’d said it like Roni had come recommended or something. “You will be lots of fun for us.”
Roni didn’t recognize either of the females, but she’d smelled scents similar to theirs before, so she knew one thing: these were jackals. That made both Roni and her wolf growl. “I’m tired, I’m pissed, and I’m seriously unhappy that the donuts I waited half an hour for are now splattered on the ground. So make this really, really quick, and really, really sweet.”
“We’re going to need you to come with us.” The jackal gestured to a waiting car that contained two other females, both of who were watching in morbid fascination. They were trying to drug and kidnap Roni in a public area in broad daylight? Really? Quinn was right: the sick freaks just didn’t care.
“And why would I do that?”
“Let’s see . . . there’s four of us, and one of you.”
“Three of you, actually.” She toed the unconscious body at her feet. “This one’s not going to be much use to you for a while.”
“Those still aren’t good odds for you. So be a smart little girl and get in the car.”
Roni pursed her lips. “Nah, I don’t think I’m going to do that.”
The jackal’s face hardened. “It wouldn’t be wise to try to fight us off, wolf.”
“You’re right: willingly getting into a vehicle with a bunch of shifters who intend to kill me makes a lot more sense.”
“Last chance. Get. In. The. Fucking. Car.”
“You can call that ‘Plan B,’ okay?” Roni didn’t wait for the jackal to make the first move—she needed to get this over with quickly and quietly. This wasn’t the time for fancy moves or toying with the bitches’ spleens. So Roni did what she always did when having a good, long fight wasn’t an option. She dealt her opponent a hard blow to the temple. And, yep, down the bitch went.
Cursing, a dark-haired jackal jumped out of the passenger seat. At the same time, a guy came running over, shouting. It was clear by the way he moved that he was no shifter. Shit. Roni turned wide eyes on the human male. “Help! They’re trying to rob us, and they’ve hurt my friend!” Roni squatted down and put a protective hand on the stomach of the drugged jackal. This bitch was going nowhere.
Thinking on her feet, the dark-haired jackal dragged the other unconscious female into the car, and then the three shifters hightailed it out of there without even a second look at their drugged friend. No loyalty among . . . sick freaks.
“Hey, are you girls okay?” asked the human, panting. “Do you need me to call the cops?”
Now how to get rid of this guy.
“I’ll file a report later. Right now, I have to get my friend to a doctor. My other friend’s in the bakery. Could you please go over there and tell her I need her right away? Her name’s . . . Sheridan.”
Like the good citizen he was, the human sprinted over to the bakery. By the time he came back, Roni would be long gone.
“Um, Roni, could you please tell me why there’s an unconscious female in the trunk of your car?” Rubbing at his nape, Eli frowned down at the blonde. “When you said, ‘Come see what I’ve got,’ I thought you meant new sneakers or something.”
He’d made his way to Roni the second she pulled up on their territory to warn her that Kathy was looking for her. Although it was fair to say they took sibling rivalry to a whole new level, they always stood united against a common foe—particularly their mother.
Roni removed the lollipop from her mouth to answer. “She’s not just any unconscious female. She’s an unconscious female jackal.”
“Jackal?” he growled. “I wondered what that smell was.”
“Blondie here and three of her friends tried to jump me in the parking lot when I went to pick up some donuts for Shaya. They wanted to whisk me away in their car.”
He spat out a stream of curses. “You all right?”
“Fine. But we need to tie her up and put her somewhere to question her. The drug should wear off soon.”