HURRICANE (Beasts of Prey Book 2)

by LC Lehesaho

  "Don't kill him yet, god dammit!" he barks, trying to pull me back from Corey. I don't fucking budge. "Tiger! Don't you dare!"

  The fucker underneath me coughs blood, and I squeeze his throat harder. His eyes bulge, his fingers are digging into my arm as if it would fucking help him to breathe. It won't. I can guarantee that. Rage is coiling in my gut like a ball of lightning, finding a way out. This time I let it out, no holding back—even if I'd tried to keep it in, I'm not sure I could.

  The good thing is I don't fucking want to.

  "Tiger!" Puma shouts to me again, but I ignore him.

  This fucker is gonna die.

  Right now.

  Putting my weight on the hand on his throat, I feel his windpipe starting to crush underneath me. There's no white in his eyes anymore, only red when the veins begin to cut one by one, spreading like a spiderweb. The purple lines on his forehead and temple stand out from his red face, making him look like his head is going to explode.

  I can't but smile at the sight.

  "Tiger!" This time, the menacing voice cracks my bubble. It's not Puma.

  I lift my gaze from Corey's gaping face, straight into Leo's.

  "Let go of him right now."

  I didn't even notice they came already. Go figure.

  But I stay still. Corey is jerking my arm for his life. Puma, on the other arm, is trying to make me move. On Leo's side, Wolf steps forward, ready to rip me off the guy, but Leo raises a palm to his chest, stopping him.

  I keep my eyes on Leo's, and he knows I'm not letting go. I'm going to squeeze the life out of the bastard and enjoy every second. Then I'll find the rest of them and after feeding their own dicks to the assholes, I'll burn them to ashes.

  "Tiger, listen to me. I need to ask him questions. Be smart."

  Fuck.

  FUCK.

  Gritting my teeth, I release my hold. Corey's hands fly to his throat, and he coughs, wheezing for air like a fucking pig. His tight t-shirt reveals three little pebbles on the place where his nipple is, and without warning, I snatch hold of it, jerking with all my powers. With a snap, the piercing rips of his skin.

  He screams from the top of his lungs, slapping his hands on his now bleeding chest.

  I get up—Puma still clutched to my arm—but I'm not done. Lifting my leg over him, I step on his hands over his bleeding nipple and give it a good roll, which makes him scream again. Then I glance at Leo.

  "He's all yours now."

  "Thank you." He nods approvingly, and then Wolf moves. He picks the whimpering rat from the floor, placing him on his knees, and takes his place behind him, folding his arms.

  Corey keeps whining, pressing his chest, and looks at Leo now with fear in his eyes. Even though I was the one who was going to kill him just a second ago, he is still more scared of Leo. Go figure.

  The door of the storage room flies open, and Falcon rushes, or more like dances inside—her moving is always like ballerina's, airy and delicate. But the look on her face is everything but. She's fucking boiling.

  "What the fuck is this?" she snarls, her eyes going from bleeding Corey to Leo.

  "Boys found the mole," Leo explains, his tone calm, but the sight of him rolling his sleeves is making me smile. He is going to lose it.

  I've probably never been happier to see that happening.

  I want them all dead.

  Falcon's deep brown eyes narrow to slits as she steps closer to Corey, a little blade in her hand. "I'll fuck you with this knife, lover of mine."

  Leo plants his palm to his daughter's shoulder. "No. I'll ask questions. You can have your fun after it if he's still alive."

  Her piercing gaze slides slowly to Leo. "Make sure he is alive." Then she points Corey with the knife, winking at him. "Chop, chop, boy."

  Falcon spins on her heels, disappearing back where she came. Leo nods towards the door, "Puma and Tiger, ask her what she knows."

  "No, I want to stay here—" I retort, but Leo raises a hand, giving me a meaningful look—either I walk out myself, or he will throw me out.

  Muttering under my breath, I follow Puma to the hallway. Falcon is there, pacing around and flipping her knife in the air.

  "Sis," Puma calls her, adjusting his cap. "How long you've been fucking him?"

  She keeps throwing the knife, shrugging. "I dunno, maybe a year or so."

  "What?" We gasp in unison, and I don't know about Puma, but I'm fucking shocked I didn't know.

  "What what?" Falcon gives us an annoyed glare.

  "You've been fucking our guard for a year, and we didn't know? How the fuck is that possible?" I ask, leaning my back to the wall. Corey's begging comes from the other side of the closed door, but nothing more. My blood boils in my veins, making my skin tickle. All I want to do is get back there and finish what I started.

  "You lover boy, have been keeping secrets about Cobra and you for years," she replies, cocking an eyebrow. "I don't have to run around yelling who I fuck and who I don't."

  Puma sighs, dropping his head back. "Oh, Jesus. I really don't want to know, but I have to ask. Is there anyone else in this house you... you know?"

  "What kind of questioning is this? You think I have something to do with Crusador ‘cause I happened to accidentally fuck his snitch?" Falcon moves closer to Puma, and her posture predicts blood shedding. I push myself off the wall, forming a barrier between them.

  "No one is suggesting anything," I tell her, trying to calm things down even though I have a hurricane inside myself. "Take it easy. Just tell us what you've been telling him."

  "Nothing meaningful. Today he asked how's Cobra, but usually, he has better ways to use his mouth other than talking."

  Puma peeks over my shoulder. "Has he been in your loft?"

  She squints at him. "What do you think? Of course, he's been in there."

  I know her well enough I don't have to ask if there's more than sex between them. Falcon doesn't settle. A commitment is a curse word to her.

  The door opens beside us, and Leo roams his gaze on us while he wipes his hands on a towel. His steel grey button-up has darker drops all over it, and there's also a couple of them on his face. Otherwise, he looks calm and collected, like coming out of the business meeting, which had gone nicely. Only one strand of his blond hair tickles his temple—rest is strictly in place, and smoothed back.

  "He is all yours, Birdy." Leo wraps his arm around Falcon, pulling her into a hug. "Come to me after you're done. We need to talk."

  "This might take a while." She slides under his arm to the storage room, her sing-song voice echoing in the hallway. "Who's been a bad boy, Corey baby?"

  Wolf closes the door behind her, placing himself to the side. "I'll make sure nothing goes wrong," he says, simply and efficiently.

  "Walk with me, boys." Leo wipes his face before starting to make his way to his office. Puma and I do as he tells us, and I can't wait to hear what he got out. Luckily, Leo knows it and won't make me nag the information out of him.

  "He's been working this whole year, which he's been in our house, for Crusador. Taking pictures and updating him daily." He stops and turns to us at the staircase, which leads up to our lofts. "One problem less to solve. Puma, update Bear," at this, Puma lets out a disgusted sigh. Leo ignores it, as usual, and turns his yellowish eyes on me. "I'm sure you know what to do, right, son?"

  Sweet fuck, I don't, but I nod anyway.

  All I know is I need to feel Cobra against me, or I'll explode. My feelings are going haywire, from one end to another without me being able to catch a single one to stick with. We got the mole, I should be pleased, but the things the fucker said... What Levi did to her...

  I'd guessed, but hearing it is a fucking different thing.

  I want to know if it's true.

  But I really don't.

  How the fuck can I handle it? How can I help her? She never asked me. Until recently. But she didn't mention a word about my past for years, and I was fucking pleased. I still don't want t
o talk about it, so how the fuck could she talk about what happened to her now when it just happened.

  Leo tilts his head, eyes piercing into me. "Tiger, let's go for a run in the morning. It'll do good for you."

  "Sure." I clear my throat, starting to walk up the stairs. "At seven?"

  "Let's make it six, so she's still asleep."

  "Yeah, see you." I turn and jog up, Puma right behind me. He is like a bloodhound, sticking himself to my side.

  "What did Dad mean about you knowing what to do?"

  "None of your business."

  "Surprise," he huffs, keeping up with me annoyingly well. "We could share a couple of words, too. Smoke a joint and chat, you know?"

  "Chat with your TV. I'm busy." I jerk my door open, rushing in. "Baby?"

  "Keep it quiet," Bear's deep voice whispers from the living room, and I stop dead as I walk in there.

  Cobra is sleeping in his lap, blanket tucked tightly around her, and Bear's massive arms are pressing her against him, like shielding her from the world.

  Just like I held Amelia.

  My stomach turns to knots. I should be holding her—keeping her safe. I close my eyes, hearing Puma and Bear whispering to each other, but I try to focus on breathing.

  I can't breathe.

  I should've protected her back then.

  I should've never let this happen to her.

  I press the gun against his forehead, curling my fingers around his throat, and the only last strings of self-control keep me from shooting the fucker's brain to the wall.

  "Better start talking before I pull the fucking trigger, you son-of-a-bitch."

  "Oi, Jesus Christ," Aussie gasps, stuttering. "I-I don't know w-what you want me t-to say..."

  "The fucking truth. Who the fuck sent you here and who you are working for?"

  I feel his Adam's apple trying to bounce under my palm, so I press harder. I should kill him right here, right now.

  "Tiger…" Cobra whispers, stepping closer, her eyes wide as plates. I don't care how fucking shocked she is. I'm gonna kill this piece-of-shit. Like sensing it, she rushes to us, taking hold of my arm. "Let him go, Tiger."

  She can fucking dream.

  I lean my weight on the hand on Aussie's throat, and only now his hands fly to my arm, gripping me. His eyes waters and he gapes like fish on dry land. I've always had a bad feeling about him, and now I know it wasn't just about him fucking my girl. Though, that's enough reason for me to end him.

  And I will.

  "STOP IT!" Cobra yells at me, her entire being almost panicking. The fear in her voice is like a knife to my heart. Fuck.

  "Explain, or you're dead in about twenty seconds," I snarl at him, not loosening my hold.

  "Tiger, please, let him go. I beg you, don't kill him."

  I let him live. I fucking let him live.

  I let him live, and he hurt her.

  He fucking raped her.

  Scrubbing a hand over my face, I open my eyes and point towards the bedroom. "Carry her to the bed and leave."

  Bear and Puma stare at me like I spoke a fucking different language.

  "You heard me. Carry Cobra to my bed and get the fuck out of my loft."

  "Dude, what's—"

  "If I have to repeat myself even once more, I promise this won't end well," I tell Bear, and Puma waves his hand at him, suggesting to get up.

  He does, with a murderous scowl on his face. I don't give a fuck about his opinions. I walk behind them to the bedroom, but I stay at the door, hand on the doorknob. Gently, Bear places Cobra into the middle of my king-size bed, and she cuddles herself into a new position, pulling her knees to her chest. Puma ping-pongs his eyes between Bear, Cobra, and me, not saying a word. Smart.

  When they're making their way past me, Bear stops, stepping face to face with me. "I don't know what the fuck is up with you, and I don't give a shit, but if you ever hurt her, I will hurt you."

  "If I were you, I'd be more concerned about the well-being of your child's mother. I'd die for Cobra, but what would you do for Rose? Not a fucking thing." I step closer, my nose nearly touching his. "While you're fucking bitches at the clubs, she's out there just waiting for Silas to pick her up and fuck up with your child. Think about it, bro."

  "Am I the only one who has no secrets in this house?" Puma whispers by our side, in a very pissed off tone.

  I nod towards the front door, "Both of you, get the fuck out."

  Gritting his teeth, Bear follows his brother out, and when I hear the door's lock click behind them, I tug my shirt off and crawl into bed next to Cobra. I wrap my arms around her, settling her against my aching chest.

  "I'm so fucking sorry I let that happen to you. I'm so sorry, baby. I love you so, so much."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  A sudden bounce on the bed jerks me awake, movement hitting into my alarm system with a bang. My mind goes a hundred miles per hour, trying to catch what the fuck is happening. In a nanosecond, I realize there's no one in my arms, I'm petting a fucking empty bed.

  Faster than ever in my life, I find the night lamp switch and tap it on.

  When I spin around to take a look around the room, my movements stop dead. Even my fucking heart stops beating as I take in what I see.

  "Baby girl..." I stare at the barrel of a gun, pointed straight at me from the other side of the bed. Slowly, I lift my eyes above it to meet hers.

  Oh, holy fuck.

  Cobra is focused, hands steady on the trigger, just like on a job, but her eyes... there's no one home. She stares straight at me, but she isn't looking at me.

  "Cobra, baby, it's me." I try to keep my breathing steady, voice even. My heart has gone into overdrive, pounding in my fucking throat. I'm not actually scared of dying—I've been dreaming of dying way too many times—but now when it's Cobra who's pointing a gun at me without even knowing she is doing it...

  She can fucking shoot me if she wants anytime, but not when she doesn't even know she is doing it. Cobra would kill herself if she finds me, half of my head missing and realizes she did it while hallucinating.

  Staying perfectly still, one hand on top of the nightstand and in a weird twisted half-sitting position, I stare at her, hoping to Satan she snaps out of it.

  "Baby, you're home," I whisper with an as smooth voice I can possibly muster from my raspy throat. "It's me—Tiger. C'mon, baby, look at me. It's just a nightmare. I'm right here."

  Nothing changes. Cobra keeps her glassy eyes on me, the gun unwavering towards my head. Taking a deep breath, I turn towards her moving like a fucking sloth over the road and keep my eye connection.

  "Cobra, listen to me," I calm my nerves and go through my memories. "All children, except one, grew up—"

  I don't have to go further on J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan when she snaps into consciousness from her haze. Her other hand flies to her mouth, eyes wide, as she tosses the gun to the end of the bed.

  "Oh, my God," she whimpers, shaking from head to toe.

  Without wasting a second, I make my way over the bed, pulling her into me. "Everything is okay, baby. Nothing happened, you're okay." I repeat the mantra to her, pressing her body against mine as I sit on the bed, her small body trembling in my arms.

  "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—" Cobra sobs to my chest, and I feel her tears flowing down my skin.

  "Nothing happened. It's okay," I convince her, heart still jumping out of my chest. "You had a bad dream. It happens."

  Her hands are tightly around herself as she rocks back and forth in shock. I hold her tighter, whispering soothing words to her hair, and keep myself from breaking. My hands tremble even as I try my fucking best to steady them, not letting her see how close to falling I am.

  Cobra almost shot me.

  She's so deep I don't fucking know how to lift her up. I should know. I fucking love her so much, so how can I not know how to help her?

  How can I not know?

  Why am I failing again?

  "Tiger
, I'm sorry," Cobra tells me between sobbing, her palm coming to my shoulder, and her fingers pump my muscle like a stress ball—still shaking. "I saw them, not you—I'd never..." her voice falters off when she sneezes, and the sobs take over again.

  "I know, baby girl, I know." I thread my fingers to her hair, massaging her scalp in a way that has soothed her before. Inhaling the dark scent—my shampoo—from her hair, I try to calm down. Gather my shit up, for her.

  "We'll be okay. We will... survive from this, okay, baby? Together?" It comes out as a plea, even though I tried to convince her we can get through this.

  But I'm not sure.

  I'm not sure I'm strong enough.

  Smart enough.

  Brave enough.

  I never was any of those things with Amelia, so why the fuck would something have changed?

  Cobra's other hand slides to my side, and she clings to me, her warm body flush to mine. "Speak to me," she whispers, her breathing still ragged, but her voice is calming down.

  The hairs on my neck stands to an end from her words. "What do you want me to say?"

  "Anything. Just speak to me, so I know it's you." Cobra nuzzles her face into my neck, and somehow—like always—she manages to spread the warmth inside me, making me feel like someday we could be something else other than so fucking broken. "Tell me a story, Tiger."

  ~

  Splashing the cold water to my face doesn't do shit. Still, I do it, over and over again, hoping it would do something. Fresh my fucking brain to work and form some kind of plan on helping Cobra.

  Not only her—me too.

  I feel how the barricades I built a long time ago start to crack, and it's terrifying.

  What happened last night...

  It scared the shit out of me and crushed my heart into a million pieces. She finally fell asleep against me after I'd told her the story I started earlier, but I didn't sleep. Not for a fucking second.

  It's not I was scared she'd wake up like that again—thought a little bit that too—but the main reason was I felt helpless. I still do.

  I hear the steps from the living room and open the bathroom door, giving a hint to the one who's coming so he knows not to go to the bedroom.