Diego went after him, yanking out his cell phone as he went. “Xav, I have a situation.”
“Where are you?”
Diego knew Xavier would be moving out of the club even as they spoke. “Parking lot. I’m in pursuit of a guy, tall, black hair. He popped Cass with a tranq rifle. She’s in my car. Make sure she’s all right.”
“You got it.”
Xav’s voice vanished. Diego jammed the phone back into its holder and ran around the back of the club—to find nothing. He heard a scrape and looked up to see a foot leaving the ladder to the club’s roof.
Hell, why can’t anyone stay on the ground?
Diego stowed his gun and climbed the ladder. Halfway up, his heart pounded so hard he thought he’d puke, and his sweat-slick hands slipped on the rungs.
Don’t look down. Don’t look down.
Diego made himself keep climbing. One rung at a time.
I’m going back to the damn counselor. This has got to stop.
He was at the top. Diego had to consciously open his fingers to let go of the railing long enough to make the final step off the ladder.
The man was all the way on the other side of the roof, minus the rifle. Diego took cover behind the large cooling units and drew his pistol. Just because the man had dropped the rifle didn’t mean he didn’t have another weapon on him.
Diego worked his way rapidly across the roof, keeping to cover. When he was five yards from the tall, slender man, Cassidy’s assailant suddenly spread his arms and leapt into empty space.
“Ay!” Diego ran for the edge, stopping three feet from it, his stomach roiling. He inched forward and peered over. Nothing.
“Damn it.” Diego couldn’t jump down to pursue without risking breaking his legs—or neck. Back to the ladder.
He’d run a few feet when he nearly tripped over the tranquilizer gun. He touched it, his mouth going dry. The rifle had come from LVPD. He’d checked out one of this exact make and model two days ago, and besides, it had LVPD stamped on it.
Diego left it where it was, more interested in catching the guy first. He’d send Xav up for the rifle.
Now to get down. As Diego approached the ladder, his breathing came faster. And faster.
Idiota. It was just a ladder.
Diego stashed his Sig and gripped the bars, felt with his foot for the first rung. It wasn’t there. He panicked, his heart hammering off the scale.
Cass. I have to help Cass.
First he had to find the effing step. His foot kept feeling for it, missing. Had someone taken away the ladder?
It’s bolted to the f**king building. Get a grip.
He was gripping—way too hard. Xavier would have to take up the chase. Diego couldn’t even let go to call for help.
Somewhere in the dark parking lot, Cassidy screamed.
The sound spiked through Diego’s dry-mouthed panic. He slammed his feet to either side of the ladder and slid downward, hands moving rapidly to keep up.
He had little memory of how he made it to the ground, but as soon as he touched it, he was off and running. His car door was open, Cassidy gone.
“Xav!”
Xavier ran up to him, breathing hard, looking grim. “Gone before I could get here. Scream came from that way.” He pointed.
A wildcat—a big snow leopard—was already sprinting to the edge of the parking lot. Eric.
Diego grabbed a flashlight from his car and ran after him. Not far down the row of cars he found blood, black on the pavement. A few smears here and a few farther on. Diego’s heartbeat thundered in his ears, and he ran faster. He would kill whoever had done this.
The parking lot ended at a chain-link fence, which had been kicked down in one place. Beyond was a huge vacant lot, where builders dumped whatever they’d dug up on other sites. Diego and Xavier climbed over the flattened fence, Diego’s flashlight finding bloody spots on the ground.
Diego heard Cassidy cry out behind a mound of dirt mixed with stones, followed by Eric’s wildcat snarl. Diego sprinted around the mound, Xavier right behind him.
Cassidy lay on her stomach, her white dress torn and streaked with dirt and blood. Sparks lit the darkness, an arc of blue white electricity crackling around her neck. Eric stood over her, but when he saw Diego and Xavier, he turned away and took off into the darkness.
Diego fell to his knees beside Cassidy and gently turned her over. Cassidy’s eyes were open, the light green of her wildcat, and she breathed in shuddering gasps. As Diego cupped her cheek, the sparks on the Collar slowed and winked out.
Xavier moved past them, following Eric, his pistol out. Diego ran competent hands over Cassidy’s limbs, something tight in him loosening when he found her whole and uncut. “Did he hurt you, mi ja? I can call the paramedics.”
“No.” Cassidy’s hand closed on his, weaker than usual but still strong. “The blood’s his, not mine. I tried to take down the son of a bitch.”
Her eyes flashed to Shifter again, and her claws came out. Her Collar sparked, and she groaned.
“Easy.” Diego stroked her hair. “What happened, sweet-heart?”
“I woke up to find a Fae dragging me out of the parking lot. I clawed him, but the tranquilizer made me groggy. I’m only sorry my Collar went off before I could gut him.” She sounded furious, not afraid.
“I’ll find him, Cass, whoever and whatever he is. When I do, he’ll be sorry he ever touched you.”
Cassidy tried to sit up. “No, he’ll kill you. Fae are dangerous.”
“I’m dangerous, amorcita. And I told you, I don’t believe in fairies.”
“It doesn’t matter. He obviously believes in you.”
Diego helped her to stand. Cassidy swayed on her bare feet, and he put his arm around her waist. “How about if I drive you to a hospital?”
“No, don’t. I don’t want human doctors poking at me. I just need to rest.”
Xavier materialized out of the darkness. “Saw no one,” he said. “Footprints out the ass, but people use this field as a shortcut to everywhere.”
Cassidy’s laugh was weak. “You can’t track a Fae. Not without being able to scent him. But that was him, Diego. The one that shot at us out where Donovan got killed. Damn.”
She muttered the last word as her legs buckled. Diego swept her into his arms, having no intention of letting her walk across the glass- and rebar-strewn lot in her bare feet.
“Where are you?”
Diego knew Xavier would be moving out of the club even as they spoke. “Parking lot. I’m in pursuit of a guy, tall, black hair. He popped Cass with a tranq rifle. She’s in my car. Make sure she’s all right.”
“You got it.”
Xav’s voice vanished. Diego jammed the phone back into its holder and ran around the back of the club—to find nothing. He heard a scrape and looked up to see a foot leaving the ladder to the club’s roof.
Hell, why can’t anyone stay on the ground?
Diego stowed his gun and climbed the ladder. Halfway up, his heart pounded so hard he thought he’d puke, and his sweat-slick hands slipped on the rungs.
Don’t look down. Don’t look down.
Diego made himself keep climbing. One rung at a time.
I’m going back to the damn counselor. This has got to stop.
He was at the top. Diego had to consciously open his fingers to let go of the railing long enough to make the final step off the ladder.
The man was all the way on the other side of the roof, minus the rifle. Diego took cover behind the large cooling units and drew his pistol. Just because the man had dropped the rifle didn’t mean he didn’t have another weapon on him.
Diego worked his way rapidly across the roof, keeping to cover. When he was five yards from the tall, slender man, Cassidy’s assailant suddenly spread his arms and leapt into empty space.
“Ay!” Diego ran for the edge, stopping three feet from it, his stomach roiling. He inched forward and peered over. Nothing.
“Damn it.” Diego couldn’t jump down to pursue without risking breaking his legs—or neck. Back to the ladder.
He’d run a few feet when he nearly tripped over the tranquilizer gun. He touched it, his mouth going dry. The rifle had come from LVPD. He’d checked out one of this exact make and model two days ago, and besides, it had LVPD stamped on it.
Diego left it where it was, more interested in catching the guy first. He’d send Xav up for the rifle.
Now to get down. As Diego approached the ladder, his breathing came faster. And faster.
Idiota. It was just a ladder.
Diego stashed his Sig and gripped the bars, felt with his foot for the first rung. It wasn’t there. He panicked, his heart hammering off the scale.
Cass. I have to help Cass.
First he had to find the effing step. His foot kept feeling for it, missing. Had someone taken away the ladder?
It’s bolted to the f**king building. Get a grip.
He was gripping—way too hard. Xavier would have to take up the chase. Diego couldn’t even let go to call for help.
Somewhere in the dark parking lot, Cassidy screamed.
The sound spiked through Diego’s dry-mouthed panic. He slammed his feet to either side of the ladder and slid downward, hands moving rapidly to keep up.
He had little memory of how he made it to the ground, but as soon as he touched it, he was off and running. His car door was open, Cassidy gone.
“Xav!”
Xavier ran up to him, breathing hard, looking grim. “Gone before I could get here. Scream came from that way.” He pointed.
A wildcat—a big snow leopard—was already sprinting to the edge of the parking lot. Eric.
Diego grabbed a flashlight from his car and ran after him. Not far down the row of cars he found blood, black on the pavement. A few smears here and a few farther on. Diego’s heartbeat thundered in his ears, and he ran faster. He would kill whoever had done this.
The parking lot ended at a chain-link fence, which had been kicked down in one place. Beyond was a huge vacant lot, where builders dumped whatever they’d dug up on other sites. Diego and Xavier climbed over the flattened fence, Diego’s flashlight finding bloody spots on the ground.
Diego heard Cassidy cry out behind a mound of dirt mixed with stones, followed by Eric’s wildcat snarl. Diego sprinted around the mound, Xavier right behind him.
Cassidy lay on her stomach, her white dress torn and streaked with dirt and blood. Sparks lit the darkness, an arc of blue white electricity crackling around her neck. Eric stood over her, but when he saw Diego and Xavier, he turned away and took off into the darkness.
Diego fell to his knees beside Cassidy and gently turned her over. Cassidy’s eyes were open, the light green of her wildcat, and she breathed in shuddering gasps. As Diego cupped her cheek, the sparks on the Collar slowed and winked out.
Xavier moved past them, following Eric, his pistol out. Diego ran competent hands over Cassidy’s limbs, something tight in him loosening when he found her whole and uncut. “Did he hurt you, mi ja? I can call the paramedics.”
“No.” Cassidy’s hand closed on his, weaker than usual but still strong. “The blood’s his, not mine. I tried to take down the son of a bitch.”
Her eyes flashed to Shifter again, and her claws came out. Her Collar sparked, and she groaned.
“Easy.” Diego stroked her hair. “What happened, sweet-heart?”
“I woke up to find a Fae dragging me out of the parking lot. I clawed him, but the tranquilizer made me groggy. I’m only sorry my Collar went off before I could gut him.” She sounded furious, not afraid.
“I’ll find him, Cass, whoever and whatever he is. When I do, he’ll be sorry he ever touched you.”
Cassidy tried to sit up. “No, he’ll kill you. Fae are dangerous.”
“I’m dangerous, amorcita. And I told you, I don’t believe in fairies.”
“It doesn’t matter. He obviously believes in you.”
Diego helped her to stand. Cassidy swayed on her bare feet, and he put his arm around her waist. “How about if I drive you to a hospital?”
“No, don’t. I don’t want human doctors poking at me. I just need to rest.”
Xavier materialized out of the darkness. “Saw no one,” he said. “Footprints out the ass, but people use this field as a shortcut to everywhere.”
Cassidy’s laugh was weak. “You can’t track a Fae. Not without being able to scent him. But that was him, Diego. The one that shot at us out where Donovan got killed. Damn.”
She muttered the last word as her legs buckled. Diego swept her into his arms, having no intention of letting her walk across the glass- and rebar-strewn lot in her bare feet.
