Cat's Lair
Page 31
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Swearing under his breath, he made his way unerringly through the warehouse to the bedroom. He had the eyes of a cat and could see easily in the dark. He moved quickly to the open side of the room.
His first glance took in the bed. The sheets and blankets had been ripped to pieces, shredded the way he’d shredded Catarina’s heart. He swung around, carefully scanning the warehouse. She hadn’t had time to rip those sheets and blankets, to tear the mattress to shreds. He’d been one step behind her and had heard her anguished screams and then the sobbing. She hadn’t touched those blankets. That could only mean one thing. Rafe Cordeau had already found Catarina, and the problem that was Rafe Cordeau was much worse than any of them ever suspected.
He didn’t spot her at first in the corner. She was hidden partially by the old dresser. She was so small pressed against the wall, in a little protective ball, it broke his heart. He’d done that to her. He knew he had. He swore again.
“Cat.”
Her body jerked as if he’d struck her. He winced and crossed the distance separating them to crouch down in front of her.
“Cat. Baby. It isn’t safe here. He’s been here.”
She didn’t look up or acknowledge that she heard him. She stayed exactly where she was. He knew her now, knew she could maintain silence for long periods of time, and they didn’t have a long time.
“He’s a leopard. A shifter. Isn’t he?” He wanted to shock her. Get some response from her – any kind of response.
Catarina lifted her head, and his heart stuttered. Her eyes were absolutely blank. Dead. Devoid of all warmth or feeling. “Go away, whoever you are.”
“Eli, my name is Eli Perez,” he said, giving her the truth. “You know I can’t let you stay here,” he added gently. “Look at your bed. He’s been here. He’s leopard, and that means he can follow your scent – but you already know that, don’t you?”
“I knew he’d been here the moment I walked in,” she admitted.
Her voice was strained and she kept clearing her throat. She’d done some damage screaming out her anguish. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but she had shrunk away from him, not moved toward him. He kept himself locked down, under control. He needed to handle the situation without emotion if he was going to get her the hell to safety. Clearly she was waiting for Rafe to find her. She wasn’t going to run after all.
“I’ll wait for him here. He’ll come back for me. He always comes for me.” She confirmed his suspicions, rubbing her chin on top of her knees. “He’s probably out looking for you.”
That much, Eli was certain, was the truth. If he’d been in Rafe’s place, he would have been out looking for the man who slept in his woman’s bed.
“You have to come with me now, Cat,” he reiterated.
“Go to hell.”
She wasn’t going to hear reason and honestly, he couldn’t blame her, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to leave her there. Sweet didn’t work. Gentle didn’t work. He reached out and snagged her hand, jerking her body toward his.
She exploded into action, driving toward him with her head. She planted the top of her skull hard in his gut, using the strength in her legs to knock the wind out of him as she took him down. Straddling him, she punched and she punched hard. Three wicked blows to his face. One to his jaw. She rolled off when he went to snag her wrists, and she kicked him as she rolled away, a hard heel to his thigh.
He caught her ankle and twisted, rolling her over to her stomach. He didn’t want to hurt her, but she was wild, trying to lunge up. He pinned her down with his weight, caught one of her wrists and snapped cuffs around it.
“Settle down, Cat. I’m not leaving you here for him to find. You’re coming with me.”
“You have nothing on me. You can’t arrest me.”
“I’m not arresting you, I’m taking you out of here. Stop struggling or I’m going to have to knock your ass out.”
That only served to make her struggle harder. He clipped the other bracelet to his own wrist, caught her free arm and dragged it behind her back, locking it high.
“You keep this up and you’ll break your own fucking arm. Be smart,” he snapped, using his toughest no-nonsense voice. He was deliberately rough with her. She expected gentle from him and he wasn’t going to give that to her. It was imperative he got her moving fast and the only way to do that was to be himself.
He’d never been kind and gentle in his life until Catarina. It wasn’t in his nature. He was rough around the edges, used to getting his way, and when he said move, people moved. She wasn’t doing any of that, and she still looked at him with blank eyes as if she were totally dead inside.
He yanked her to her feet, dragged her to the other side of the bed, where he scooped up her clothes and stuffed them into her travel bag. “Anything else important to you?” he snapped.
She didn’t answer. He left the cash behind and dragged her through the dark warehouse toward the door. She tried kicking him twice so he lifted her, one-armed, and tossed her over his shoulder. She sank her teeth into him. It hurt like hell, but he kept walking straight out to his truck.
He dumped her in the cab, unlocked his bracelet, hooked her seat belt and locked her free hand with the other cuff. He then locked the handcuffs to the small bolt he’d installed in his dash. She was forced to lean forward, her head down so she couldn’t be seen. He scanned the rooftops and high places as he hurried around to the driver’s seat.
His first glance took in the bed. The sheets and blankets had been ripped to pieces, shredded the way he’d shredded Catarina’s heart. He swung around, carefully scanning the warehouse. She hadn’t had time to rip those sheets and blankets, to tear the mattress to shreds. He’d been one step behind her and had heard her anguished screams and then the sobbing. She hadn’t touched those blankets. That could only mean one thing. Rafe Cordeau had already found Catarina, and the problem that was Rafe Cordeau was much worse than any of them ever suspected.
He didn’t spot her at first in the corner. She was hidden partially by the old dresser. She was so small pressed against the wall, in a little protective ball, it broke his heart. He’d done that to her. He knew he had. He swore again.
“Cat.”
Her body jerked as if he’d struck her. He winced and crossed the distance separating them to crouch down in front of her.
“Cat. Baby. It isn’t safe here. He’s been here.”
She didn’t look up or acknowledge that she heard him. She stayed exactly where she was. He knew her now, knew she could maintain silence for long periods of time, and they didn’t have a long time.
“He’s a leopard. A shifter. Isn’t he?” He wanted to shock her. Get some response from her – any kind of response.
Catarina lifted her head, and his heart stuttered. Her eyes were absolutely blank. Dead. Devoid of all warmth or feeling. “Go away, whoever you are.”
“Eli, my name is Eli Perez,” he said, giving her the truth. “You know I can’t let you stay here,” he added gently. “Look at your bed. He’s been here. He’s leopard, and that means he can follow your scent – but you already know that, don’t you?”
“I knew he’d been here the moment I walked in,” she admitted.
Her voice was strained and she kept clearing her throat. She’d done some damage screaming out her anguish. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but she had shrunk away from him, not moved toward him. He kept himself locked down, under control. He needed to handle the situation without emotion if he was going to get her the hell to safety. Clearly she was waiting for Rafe to find her. She wasn’t going to run after all.
“I’ll wait for him here. He’ll come back for me. He always comes for me.” She confirmed his suspicions, rubbing her chin on top of her knees. “He’s probably out looking for you.”
That much, Eli was certain, was the truth. If he’d been in Rafe’s place, he would have been out looking for the man who slept in his woman’s bed.
“You have to come with me now, Cat,” he reiterated.
“Go to hell.”
She wasn’t going to hear reason and honestly, he couldn’t blame her, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to leave her there. Sweet didn’t work. Gentle didn’t work. He reached out and snagged her hand, jerking her body toward his.
She exploded into action, driving toward him with her head. She planted the top of her skull hard in his gut, using the strength in her legs to knock the wind out of him as she took him down. Straddling him, she punched and she punched hard. Three wicked blows to his face. One to his jaw. She rolled off when he went to snag her wrists, and she kicked him as she rolled away, a hard heel to his thigh.
He caught her ankle and twisted, rolling her over to her stomach. He didn’t want to hurt her, but she was wild, trying to lunge up. He pinned her down with his weight, caught one of her wrists and snapped cuffs around it.
“Settle down, Cat. I’m not leaving you here for him to find. You’re coming with me.”
“You have nothing on me. You can’t arrest me.”
“I’m not arresting you, I’m taking you out of here. Stop struggling or I’m going to have to knock your ass out.”
That only served to make her struggle harder. He clipped the other bracelet to his own wrist, caught her free arm and dragged it behind her back, locking it high.
“You keep this up and you’ll break your own fucking arm. Be smart,” he snapped, using his toughest no-nonsense voice. He was deliberately rough with her. She expected gentle from him and he wasn’t going to give that to her. It was imperative he got her moving fast and the only way to do that was to be himself.
He’d never been kind and gentle in his life until Catarina. It wasn’t in his nature. He was rough around the edges, used to getting his way, and when he said move, people moved. She wasn’t doing any of that, and she still looked at him with blank eyes as if she were totally dead inside.
He yanked her to her feet, dragged her to the other side of the bed, where he scooped up her clothes and stuffed them into her travel bag. “Anything else important to you?” he snapped.
She didn’t answer. He left the cash behind and dragged her through the dark warehouse toward the door. She tried kicking him twice so he lifted her, one-armed, and tossed her over his shoulder. She sank her teeth into him. It hurt like hell, but he kept walking straight out to his truck.
He dumped her in the cab, unlocked his bracelet, hooked her seat belt and locked her free hand with the other cuff. He then locked the handcuffs to the small bolt he’d installed in his dash. She was forced to lean forward, her head down so she couldn’t be seen. He scanned the rooftops and high places as he hurried around to the driver’s seat.
