35. Chapter Thirty-Three

Their kidnappers didn’t know what the dome was. They were fearful of it and approached it as if it were a sleeping bear. But they still approached.

Todd saw them as if the barrier didn’t exist. To him it was something that rippled whenever someone touched it and since there were eight people inside the dome and the space was limited, someone was always brushing against it.

They huddled together. Todd and Ulises didn’t want to wait for Izzy to save them. They’d already heard three shots. They could have all been for Izzy. Not that Todd wanted to think about Izzy being injured or worse.

A couple of the kidnappers ran out of the room after each shot. Three stayed behind.

Todd leaned into Ulises, whose dark eyes were round like saucers and his whole body shook as he pressed into Todd’s side. Todd kept an arm around him, making sure he knew he wasn’t alone, and that Todd was there with him.

Todd pressed his mouth to Ulises’ ear. He didn’t want anyone else to hear him, especially the guards but he also didn’t want Izzy to worry so he didn’t want to converse through their bond link. “Can you make a hole big enough for my hand and maybe not noticeable? I want to see if I can grab one of their guns.”

Ulises shook his head.

“That’s okay, Ully. Can I get out then?”

Ulises shook his head even more then sighed. He closed his eyes and a small hole appeared near the center of the dome.

“Can they see me if I move?”

Ulises spoke into his ear. “They see a black cover. Like a perfectly round blanket.”

Except the guards had taken notice of the hole. Their curiosity made them bold and they crouched a bit to peer inside as they grew closer. One man kept his gun pointed at the dome as if ready to shoot if something happened.

It wasn’t how Todd envisioned them getting the upper hand. He had thought he’d have to wait for one of them to grow impatient, but their curiosity worked so much better.

Todd got to his feet, stepping over one of the other victims. Ulises gripped his arm until he was out of reach and then he put his hand to his mouth as if keeping the emotion bottled. It might spill out if he wasn’t careful.

Todd put a finger to his mouth and met everyone’s gaze. He settled on Ulises and winked, trying to let him know it would be okay.

Todd turned to the kidnapper again. He positioned himself so they wouldn’t see him through the hole, but he could grab the gun when the timing was right.

Two steps closer, asshole.

It didn’t take but a few seconds before his opportunity arose. His heart as he grabbed the barrel of the gun. He twisted the gun so far the barrel pointed toward the ceiling. The kidnapper cried out and had to let go or Todd would have broken his wrist.

Todd fumbled with the gun as he pulled it into the dome.

The other two bad guys fired at the dome, but nothing penetrated it.

“You are dead men walking. Every last one of you.”

When the bad guys started shooting, so did Todd.

One thing he learned was how bad a shot he was. Not that he’d had a lot of practice, but the room wasn’t that big. He thought he’d be able to hit what he was aiming it, which was the heart. Ulises’ dome worked wonders. Every one of their bullets ricocheted off it. Lesson number two was the more bullets he put in someone the faster they died, so by the time they figured out to shoot into the hole two out of the three were dead.

Todd didn’t know he was yelling until he stopped making noise.

The final guy was wounded. He fell to the deck but managed to get a bullet through the hole. He nearly shot Todd’s hand off.

“Shit.” Todd didn’t have time to see if any of the victims were hit. He had to keep firing. Ulises. Tell me you’re okay.

I’m fine. No one was injured.

Todd ran out of bullets but by then Izzy entered the room. “Take down the dome, Ully.”

Ulises started crying as soon as he saw Izzy. Todd wanted to but one of them couldn’t be an emotional basket case. It wasn’t going to be Ulises or Izzy. That was for sure.

One of Izzy’s hands was shifted. He held a gun with the other. But that wasn’t the thing that made him appear demented. No, it was his reptilian eyes, and how he flashed his fangs like a rabid wolf, his expression cold.

He shot all three guards even though two of them were already dead.

The dome came down.

Izzy met Todd’s gaze. “Come here.”

He didn’t have to tell Ulises to come to him. Ulises was up and stepping on the other victims just to get to Izzy.

Izzy lifted him in his arms, holding him as though he were a child.

Todd stepped toward Izzy, wrapping him in a hug, which included Ulises.

Ulises put an arm around Todd. Izzy didn’t have an arm left.

“Are you okay?”

They spoke at the same time. “We’re safe.”

Ulises sniffed the air. “I smell blood.”

Izzy didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, he addressed the others. “Stay close.”

And with that he headed out of the room, not caring if the others followed.

Todd kept an arm around him. He needed the physical reminder that Izzy was there. Otherwise, he might think he was still unconscious on the floor of that locked room.

They made it topside without an issue. But as soon as they were outside, he saw Cain and the other guy. Cain held a gun on them.

His gaze went to Izzy’s cock, and he smirked in a lustful way that made Todd want to rip his eyeballs out.

“The big one would make a good fighter.” The rich guy said. He didn’t have an accent the way Todd half expected. He sounded as if he were from the mid-west. Probably Duchester since that was the direction the boat was headed.

“Or sex slave.” Cain sneered.

It wasn’t until Izzy chuckled that Cain paled.

“You think you’re getting off this boat alive, don’t you?” Izzy’s smile died and he set Ulises on his feet. Ulises went to Todd and held onto his waist.

I can protect us with a dome.

“No, baby. I’ve got this.”

Cain and his mob boss stared at Izzy with confusion. “Talking to yourself. That’s a sign you’ve lost your mind.”

In the distance a flock of what appeared to be birds flew toward them.

Izzy growled. He still had the gun but had hidden it behind Todd. He slowly handed it to Todd. Todd had to be careful not to alert their enemies as he reached behind himself to take it.

As soon as Todd had it in his hand he aimed toward Cain and fired, hitting his shoulder. Cain’s gun clattered to the deck.

The guy in the suit panicked and went after it. Like a cat eager for the hunt Izzy pounced.

He kicked the gun out of reach. It skidded across the deck and disappeared out of sight underneath a lounge chair. The man reached into his inner pocket, but couldn’t quite get to whatever was inside fast enough. Izzy pushed him so hard he landed on his ass and skidded several feet away.

Izzy stalked him across the deck, getting into the man’s head, driving him mad with fear.

What Todd mistook for birds were dragons. Several landed on the deck of the boat. Seryn and Mitchell were on the backs of a couple. But when they landed Seryn closed the distance.

“Are you okay?” Seryn asked. That fake smile was in place.

Todd nodded.

“You?” Seryn met Ulises’ gaze.

“I used magic to help save us.”

Seryn’s smile turned genuine but only for a moment.

He held out his hand for the gun. Todd handed it over, knowing what Seryn would do next.

Todd pulled Ulises to him. “You shouldn’t look.”

“You shouldn’t either.”

“I’ve seen death before.” Todd didn’t like it. Violence wasn’t his favorite thing. The memories of his time with Seryn had left him with nightmares, not that he would tell Seryn that. But still he’d grown a thick skin from his last experience.

“So have I.” Ulises lay his head on Todd’s shoulder.

They ended up watching as Cain begged for his life.

“In your next life, become a better person.” Seryn shot him through the head. It was a quick death. It might have been more of a humane way to die than Cain deserved.

“What do you want to do, Izzy?” Daruss asked from across the deck.

“Burn him alive.”

Daruss didn’t question Izzy. He just started giving orders. “Get all the victims off the boat. Including Izzy’s boys. Landry, stay behind and light the thing on fire when the time is right.

The mob boss begged. It was too much for Todd.

Todd took the gun from Seryn and closed the distance to the mob boss. He pointed at the guy’s forehead and hit where he’d aimed for a change.

Izzy growled, meeting his gaze.

Todd dropped the gun. “Can we go home? Please.”

Izzy sighed and gathered Todd into his arms. “You stole my thunder.”

Todd shrugged. The calm he’d been faking up to that point, disappeared. His chin wobbled and he buried his face in Izzy’s chest.

Something soft pressed against him from behind. Ulises’ arms came around them. “We’re together. That’s home.”

Izzy kissed each of them and held them tight. “I need to shift, babies. Gotta heal the bullet wound.”

“What bullet wound?” Todd was the one who asked but Ulises ran his hand over Izzy’s body, making him turn. There was a healed scar on his shoulder with dried blood around it but nothing else.

Todd touched it, which made Izzy take notice.

“Huh. Must have been all the partial shifting that healed it.” Izzy shrugged and pulled them into his arms again. “We made it.”

“We did.” Ulises smiled.

Izzy cupped his cheek and then Todd’s. “You’re my home too. Just as much as I am yours. Remember that and how much I love you.”

Todd wouldn’t forget it anytime soon. That was for sure.

****