“Disney World too. If we’re going to the beach, let’s head to Florida and Disney World.”
I’d heard of Disney World and I’d watched Disney movies, though they weren’t really my thing. Princesses had two arms. A one-armed princess was more than my imagination could process. I shook away my sudden sadness at the thought and my mind began jumping with possibilities. Florida had always been cat territory before the war. Before I left my clan, the cats were migrating to Mexico to unite for the war. It bothered me that I wasn’t there to help fight, but not enough to go back. I knew from the geography lessons forced on me that the Florida cats stayed mostly in the swamplands. That area should be easy enough to avoid.
I smiled. “Florida sounds good, but it might take a while to talk me into Disney World. And money. It’s something we’ll need. You have any ideas?”
Rondy’s face lit up with an evil grin. “Yeah, but it’s dangerous.”
My smile grew larger. “I’m in.”
He threw me for a loop. “It’s my birthday on Saturday. We can plan now and celebrate my birthday in a fun, kinda dangerous way.”
He might be almost seventeen but only a kid his age would think dangerous was a nice birthday present. Maybe that’s why I liked him so much.
Rondy explained his idea. There were lines I wasn’t willing to cross. Bank robbery or targeting the helpless were two of those lines. This idea worked for me. If a Riot gang member was accidently killed, that worked for me too. Rondy’s enemies were my enemies.
We finished our chess match, which I barely won, and set about planning how we would steal the money from Teo and travel to Florida.
***
From his frequent forays through Teo’s territory, Rondy knew the drug money trail. That is—the path Teo’s lackeys took after they collected the money. They were careful by nature, but had little fear of someone causing trouble in Riot territory. They weren’t dumb, though, and transported money in pairs. Rondy thought it also kept the gang members honest.
“Sheck doesn’t do it. He’s had me carrying money plenty of times by myself. We respect and fear him. I don’t think the Riots have respect for Teo, but he does scare the shit out of them. The money pickups are largest after Saturday’s drug sales.”
“Sounds good to me.” With two days to wait, I decided to scope out the area and watch the men carrying the money. Rondy and I were both greedy, so Saturday night was when we would make our hit. I was being cautious by looking over the area early. It had saved my life before.
Rondy was nervous when I left for Riot territory without him, but I could see in the dark and stay in the shadows. My leg was completely healed and even in human form, I could run fast. Rondy couldn’t be seen or there would be trouble. He drew me a map of the money pickup locations and I followed the Riot’s trail with none of them any wiser.
When we’d walked to the park in Sheck’s territory, I noticed unpleasant odors, but nothing like what I smelled on Riot ground. It was like Teo made sure the dead cat or dog bodies weren’t removed. The stink was revolting.
For two nights I followed Teo’s men. I watched them walk with cocky confidence and bully anyone they came across, which wasn’t many. On the second night, one of them stopped and grabbed a hooker, pulling her into a side alley. I watched from the shadows across the street as he pushed her to her knees. I didn’t see any money change hands, but I did hear her cry out when he slapped her face before walking away. It brought back memories. When I was in the cat clan in South America, I learned at a very young age that the only thing I had to barter was my body. I convinced myself it didn’t matter. Staying alive mattered. The other women of the clan were so beaten down that they never interfered with what I was forced to do as a teenager. Hell, I think they were happy when it wasn’t them. Survival. That’s all any of us cared about. And because I willingly gave my body, I survived a little easier than the others. Having my alpha so close to the surface helped keep me alive too. It gave me strength.
After seeing what the gang member did to the woman in the alley, I vowed to kill him. Too many male cats had treated me the same way. I’d break this guy’s neck and leave no scratches or bites. I didn’t need the kill leading Dmitri and Nicolas to my location.
I slept until noon Saturday, but woke up in a bad mood.
“What’s up your ass?” Rondy asked after I snapped at him for the third time in an hour.
I gave him my fierce look, which did absolutely nothing. So I growled.
He put his hands up, palms toward me. “Whoa, if you don’t want to do this tonight, it’s okay.”
I tamped down my anger. “We’re doing it. I have a score to settle.”
“Fuck.” He looked at me for a long time before continuing. “You wanna talk about it?”
Now it was my turn to stare at Rondy. I hadn’t told him much about my past. It was hard to without giving the secrets away. Something inside me wanted him to know what I’d done, though. I didn’t sugarcoat it. “I sold myself to a male cat when I was twelve. When the leader of our pride found out, he cut off my arm. He was angry because he wanted me first. The man wasn’t punished, just me.”
Horror washed over Rondy’s face.
“After I healed, I sought out the leader and slept with him too. That’s how I stayed alive. The men threw scraps of food my way and didn’t treat me as badly as some of the other women. Women died all the time from beatings. I learned to survive.”
It surprised me when tears streamed down Rondy’s face. He didn’t wipe them away, “I’m sorry, Talya. That should never happen to any girl, especially not you.”
“You’re crying for me?” I gave a short laugh trying to lighten the mood.
I could see it in his eyes before he spoke. “I love you.”
The air left my chest. “I’m not lovable, so don’t even say it.” I looked away from him because my insides were raw.
He stepped closer making me turn back and he gave a crooked smile. “I’m not going to kiss you, but friends hug.”
He didn’t give me a chance to pull away. He wrapped his skinny but strong arms around my shoulders and pulled me in tight. I breathed in his scent and wished he was the man for me. It felt good to be held like this.
His hand soothed across my back in small circles. “So why does Teo’s man need to die?”
I stood there, his arms comforting me, and told him about the prostitute.
Rondy pulled back slightly. “You won’t need to kill him. I’ll do it.”
“Don’t say that. You’ve never killed anyone.”
His stubborn, hate-filled determination took over. “I need the practice before I kill Teo.”
I willed my beast to accept this boy/man as my mate. Rondy understood me. My beast wasn’t interested, though. There wasn’t even an inkling of desire.
“Thank you.” It was all I could say. If it was possible, I’d let Rondy have this kill.
Chapter Nine
Talya
For some reason the smells were worse tonight. It was cooler than it had been and several homeless men had fires burning in large cans. My cat didn’t like it. The dead dog I’d come across the previous evening was still in the gutter. Two large rats chowed down, causing the carcass to move. Rondy walked past the dinner-eating rats without comment. This was the world he lived in.
I’d spent time teaching him to move silently. He was a little better, but couldn’t entirely get rid of his human tread. We kept to the shadows and avoided anyone we saw. We needed to be in place before the money guys came through. I’d scouted the small alley between buildings and knew it was perfect for our ambush.
I heard them coming from several blocks away. The guy I had plans for was talking.
“That fucking bitch better straighten up or her ass will be on the street. I’m not taken’ no more shit.”
Their feet made a loud clatter in my ears as they walked, but I knew Rondy couldn’t hear them yet. I touched his arm and held my finger to my lips. A mome
nt later his head cocked and I knew he became aware of them too. Two minutes later, it was time to play. I removed my sweatshirt, or actually Rondy’s mother’s sweatshirt, and revealed my sexily torn t-shirt that I knotted under my breasts. I also wore a pair of short shorts that Rondy said his mother used when she was on the prowl. The outfit was perfect for our plans.
I moved into place, standing with my back to the building along the sidewalk.
“Hike your leg up,” Rondy whispered from the dark alley.
I brought my right leg up, placing my foot against the concrete wall. My hair was frizzed out more than normal and I wore a glob of makeup that Rondy helped me apply. We had a good time giving me the slutty look, but the real fun was just beginning.
The men stopped talking and Asshole walked up next to me and grabbed my arm. “Hey, bitch, you’re not from around here and don’t have permission to be on this street. Who’s your daddy?”
He was close enough to get a good look now. He didn’t let go and pulled me away from the wall. “Hey, Mix, it’s a one-armed skank. That’s fucking priceless.”
Mix, as his friend called him, held the money under his shirt. We planned to leave him alive.
“Fuck me, one arm. Cap her ass. We don’t need a one-armed hoe in our territory.”
Or maybe not.
Rondy stepped out of the darkened alcove. “She’s mine. Let her go.”
I reached my arm over Asshole’s shoulder, circling his throat when both men turned to Rondy. The guy was much taller than I was, so I couldn’t lift him off his feet and make this easier. I held on while tightening my arm. I watched as Rondy lowered his head and rammed into Mix. It all happened in a matter of seconds. Asshole did exactly what I expected and shoved me backward into the building. Even knowing it was coming, I couldn’t stop my head from hitting the wall. I barely felt it and couldn’t stop a huge grin. My knee came up as I jerked his body down with my arm. I had him high under the chin and continued the momentum after his neck connected with my thigh. The snap was loud and the thud of his body was louder when I tossed him several feet away. Rondy could have the other asshole.
Mix took the surprise hit from Rondy, falling back a foot, but now he had the kid in a head lock. I saw the flash of a knife in Mix’s hand and intervened. My knee came up between Mix’s spread legs and connected. The knife clattered to the sidewalk. Mix released Rondy, bent double, and fell to the cement.
It was Rondy’s white teeth that flashed now. He gave Mix a kick to the head as I rolled him to his back. His eyes were open, though he struggled to breathe with the hit to his groin. I held him by the throat as Rondy unzipped Mix’s jacket and pulled the money pouch out.
I wasn’t holding Mix hard enough to impede his air and he managed to gasp out, “Teo will fucking kill you.”
I looked at Rondy. “Does he know who you are?”
Rondy had the pouch tucked under his own shirt now. “I don’t think so, but he can give a description.”
I nodded to the knife and Rondy picked it up. I watched the play of emotions on his face as Mix started struggling harder. Rondy looked at the knife in his hand and then at Mix. I saw his hand shake as he tightened his grip. He hesitated and I knew he couldn’t do it. Rondy grew up in a hard life and in order to stay alive he would fight back and kill someone if he had to. But in cold blood, Rondy was drawing his line. I added pressure to Mix’s throat and his eyes rolled back into his head. I let him go.
“If we leave him alive will Teo find you?”
Rondy was looking back and forth between Mix and me. “It’ll take him a few days and we’ll be gone by then,” he said in a shaky voice.
I think he was lying to me, but I wasn’t killing Mix if Rondy couldn’t handle it. “Then let’s get out of here.”
We didn’t run because we didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves. We stayed to the shadows and passed a few people mostly undetected. I was still wearing my prostitute getup so it wouldn’t look strange for Rondy to be with me. We didn’t speak until we were back in his apartment.
He placed the pouch on the small table beside the couch without looking at me. I watched him as he walked into the bathroom and closed the door keeping me out. A few minutes later, I heard retching. My heart flip-flopped. I sat down and stared at the pouch.
This is what I was. When it came down to it, I was an animal. Killing Asshole meant nothing to me. No, I didn’t go out on killing rampages for no reason, but I would do what I had to. For all of Rondy’s tough exterior, he managed to hold onto his humanity. He came out of the bathroom ten minutes later, but didn’t meet my eyes.
“I’m sorry.” And I was.
His gaze finally landed on mine. “You killed the one and I should have killed the other.”
He was so wrong. “No one should kill anyone if it bothers them. Not if you can help it. Killing’s what I grew up with. It was kill or be killed most of the time.”
He turned away and when he spoke his voice was so low it was only because of my sensitive hearing that I caught what he said. “Do you think I can kill Teo when the time comes?”
So that’s what this was about. “Yeah, I don’t think you’ll have a problem killing Teo. He needs to die.”
Rondy swung back around and just the corner of his mouth turned up. “You’re such a badass.”
I laughed and tossed him the pouch. “Let’s see what a couple of badasses got for their time.”
Rondy opened the pouch and pulled out green. We both went to the floor as he laid the bills in hundred dollar stacks on the coffee table. Most of it was twenties, but there was a thousand in one-hundred dollar bills. We stole close to five thousand dollars of Teo’s money. It was much more than we expected and we knew he would be out for blood.
“He’s coming for us isn’t he, Rondy?”
“Yes.”
Chapter Ten
Ivan
Alba ran through the trees, her gray fur shiny in the moonlight. “Catch me, old man.”
I watched her disappear into the denser forest. I wanted her a little ahead to make the chase more fun. We both knew how it would end, but it didn’t take away the thrill. She rarely showed her playful side. Alba was all business and her number one priority was keeping the clan safe. Tonight was special, though. It was our anniversary and I made her come to one of the property’s outlying cabins. I left strict instructions with the pack that no one should bother us.
I finally gave chase while her laughter floated through my head. I ran and ran, but she always stayed a little ahead. Until her laughter stopped.
I rounded a group of trees and froze. Victoria, the enemy’s vampire, stood over my dead mate with a group of cats surrounding them. Blood covered Victoria’s hands and she started laughing as the cats joined in.
I shot out of bed, my body drenched in sweat, and my heart pounding. I swear I could still hear Victoria’s laughter. The insane bitch was long dead, but it didn’t stop her from haunting my dreams. No matter what they were about, Alba was in all of them. And they all ended the same.
My mate was dead.
Chapter Eleven
Talya
Things were different the following day. Rondy avoided me, which wasn’t easy in the small apartment. We only had a little food and we needed to leave. I knew Rondy was dwelling on the need for Teo to die.
With our small stash of food, I was surprised when he used it all and made a hodgepodge dinner. His mood seemed to improve by the time we sat on the couch with our plates on our laps.
“We need to leave early in the morning,” he said. “Someday, I’ll come back and take care of Teo, but not now.”
I was relieved. “Okay, we’ll get a few hours’ sleep and head out.” I took a long breath and decided to say what was on my mind. “You need to get out of here because it’s not safe.” I hesitated, afraid of how he would respond to my next sentence. “You don’t need to stay with me once we’re away, Rondy. I understand.”
Irritation flashed in his e
yes. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not leaving you. We’re friends and friends have each other’s backs. You also owe me a trip to Disney World.”
I was able to relax again. “You’re on, but I don’t do all that princess crap. I would like a pair of mouse ears, though.”
“You’ll probably eat the mouse ears.”
I threw a roll at him and we laughed, relieving more of our tension. It felt good. An hour later we fell asleep on his mom’s bed. It couldn’t have been very long after that when there was a loud thump at the front door. Rondy sprang out of bed, but I was ahead of him. We stood to either side of the door without moving; I didn’t hear another sound. I knew what was on the other side of the door though. I could smell it.
Death.
And it was fresh.
I motioned Rondy to step away and then I not so gently pushed him behind me. He grabbed my arm, stopping me from opening the door and whispered, “We can crawl out the window.”
I shook my head. “There’s something dead out there. Human. I’m not leaving without knowing who it is.”
“Fuck,” he whispered.
For a few seconds my mind snapped to the alley where I found Rondy. They’d have killed him if I hadn’t intervened. Would he be better off? I didn’t believe that. Maybe the question was… would he be better off without me now?
I touched the cool metal of the door handle. There were multiple locks and I quietly unlatched each one. I couldn’t hear any noise on the other side of the door, but I was ready for whatever happened. I slowly turned the handle and instantly felt weight pushing against the door. I gave Rondy another shove backward and threw the door open. The body fell in toward us.
The smell of blood was overpowering. It was a woman. I didn’t know what color her shirt was originally because it was saturated in blood. My stomach twisted. I didn’t need Rondy’s low cry to know who the woman was. This was his mother. I looked at him. His eyes appeared twice their normal size and remained glued in horror to the body. I quickly stepped over her and went to the stairwell. No sound, nothing. Whoever did this was gone. I turned. Rondy was down on his knees. He gently wiped the blood-matted hair from his mother’s face. She wasn’t pretty. I didn’t think it was death that made her face look almost hollow. It was the drugs.
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