Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“I take exception to you calling this house a falling-down old mansion.”
“It’s deplorable. It should have been condemned. Go get Molly. I don’t have patience to deal with women of little intelligence, which, clearly, you are.”
“And if I don’t?”
He stood up and walked toward her. “Then you are going to be very, very sorry.”
“Not just sorry. Very, very sorry? What’s the difference?”
He swung at her face with his fist. He was fast, but Gatita was faster. Sonia managed to block the first blow, but the second connected with her face. It felt as if her cheek exploded. White-hot pain flashed through her body, making her feel nauseous. Gatita roared her anger, leaping toward the surface so fast and so ferociously that Sonia could barely contain her. It was nearly impossible to fight two battles on two different fronts, one external and the other internal.
She managed to block the next two punches. Blake was swinging fast at her, a flurry of punches low then high then low again. The second punch to get her clipped her chin, but just barely. Blake’s eyes widened, and he was flung backward away from her. He hit the floor hard and roared, furious to find himself facing a blond giant of man.
Joshua was shirtless and barefoot. He wore only a pair of jeans, and she knew his leopard had come fast through the swamp. She didn’t want to see the carnage outside, especially since Bastien would be arriving soon.
Joshua ignored Blake and tipped Sonia’s face up. The sight of her red, swelling cheek sent a rage snaking through him. He slid the pad of his thumb gently over her cheek and then turned to face the man who had hit her. Was this the same man who had tried to kill her? He wasn’t leopard, that was for certain. He wasn’t Russian. Then who was he?
Blake was on his feet, stepping back to give himself room. He smoothed down the jacket of his expensive suit, his gaze jumping to the door as if he expected his men to come through it any minute.
“They’re dead,” Joshua said softly.
“Excuse me?”
“All of them. They’re dead. The ones left behind at Molly’s house were killed in a shootout between my men, a sheriff and your men. The ones you brought to my woman’s house were caught trying to break in. Sadly, there are all kinds of animals in the swamp and your men ran right into them. They’re dead.”
Blake held up his hand when Joshua took a step toward him. “Wait a minute. You’ve got this all wrong. I’m just here for Molly. We thought she was held prisoner…”
“I can hear lies. I’ve been able to hear lies since I was a child.” Joshua stepped in and hit the man, using the strength of his leopard. Bones crunched with a satisfying sound. He hit him three more times, just as hard. Cheek had been first. Chin second. Ribs on the right. Ribs on the left. He let the poor excuse for a human step back and pull a gun.
Blake’s breath was coming in short, labored pants of distress. His eyes were wild as he fired off a round at Joshua. Joshua was already in motion, springing off the balls of his feet, using his leopard’s ability to leap with blurring speed and force. The burn of the bullet caught him along his bicep, but didn’t slow him down. He crashed into Blake, knocking the other man back several feet and to the floor. The gun went off again as Blake dropped it. Even as he was on the intruder, Joshua heard Sonia’s breath hitch and his heart nearly stopped. He caught Blake’s head in his hands and, staring down into his eyes, wrenched. He waited a heartbeat to be certain the man was dead, and then he slowly turned his head to look at Sonia.
She was sitting on the floor, back to the wall. Her eyes were wide with shock as her gaze met his. “That son of a bitch shot me.”
Evan burst into the room just ahead of Bastien. Joshua ignored them and crouched beside Sonia. “Show me.”
“It isn’t bad.” She lifted her hand and showed him the blood seeping across the denim along her thigh. “This is my favorite pair of jeans.”
“Where’s Molly?” Bastien demanded.
She pointed upstairs. “Thanks for coming, Joshua.”
“You gave me a heart attack. Why didn’t you annihilate him?”
“I was afraid if I used Gatita then Bastien or Molly would see or, even if they didn’t, I couldn’t explain the kill marks of a leopard. I don’t want hunters coming here looking for cats.”
She closed her eyes as Joshua ripped the material off her thigh to see that the bullet had skimmed along her skin. “I told you I was lucky.” She touched his shoulder. “Evidently you were too.” Blood ran down his arm.