Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

RENIKK

S econds after Noah exits his house, Raven screams. I charge up the steps, kick in the door, and race inside. A male is shoving a cloth in Raven’s mouth to silence her.

My rage barely contained, I rip him away from Raven and slam him to the floor. Despite my instincts, I do not separate his head from his shoulders as I will spare my female the trauma of warm sticky blood spraying her face.

“Move and I will kill you,” I warn the male as I stomp my foot on his chest, pinning him to the floor.

The slightest squeak of a floorboard alerts me to another’s presence. Noah has returned, and he’s aiming a gun at me.

“If you think I can’t kill you before you fire, then try it. Do you see my tattoos? They are not decorative. Each mark tells of a kill, against males much more deadly than you.”

His hand shakes, which makes him unpredictable. He points the gun away from me… and directly at Raven.

I lift my leg from the male beneath me. As expected, he runs for the front door, drawing Noah’s attention away from Raven and giving me the opening I need.

I charge at Noah, envisioning his death for threating the life of my sholani. He’s no match for my strength or skill as I grab his arm and catapult him against the wall. The gun fires, striking a ceiling light that explodes.

“Ren!” Raven yells, terror in her voice as glass rains down on us.

With one punch, I knock Noah unconscious and tuck his gun into the back of my trou.

“Stay here, Raven. I will return,” I shout to her as I race out the door to track the other male. I cannot allow him to go free, to remain a threat to her.

Once outside, the laughter of children nearby nearly masks the sound of feet pounding the cement, but I know this type of rodent. He will seek dark, isolated areas.

I stalk down the street, toward an abandoned building. Heavy breathing leads me to an alley, one that’s blocked by a chain-link fence.

The male proves nimble, scaling the fence with ease, but he’s not fast enough. With one hand I grab his leg, pull him down and step back as he crashes to the ground. He reaches for a knife in his pants but I don’t give him a chance to draw it.

One kick to his jaw leaves him unconscious. Eager to return to Raven, I bind his hands with wires I find in the nearby rubble and remove his weapons. Three knives. I haul him over my shoulder and carry him back to Noah’s house.

“I’m here, Raven,” I announce as I enter the house.

Silence greets me. Noah is gone… as is Raven.