Chapter Twenty-Four
Frank glanced at the women then tore out of the house, heading downtown, where the explosion seemed to have come from. Taking a few steps then shifting into his cougar form, he sprinted down the sidewalk.
Acrid smoke met his nose, leaving a tang in his mouth he could do without. What in the hell was going on? Was there a gas explosion in one of the buildings? What could account for shaking his mom’s house at that distance?
He slowed to a fast trot after passing the park. Flames hurdled high into the air from the vacant building on the far end of town down by the corner.
In the middle of the street sat three black Hummers. The same he’d seen at the Prada store in Vegas. Fuck. How could they have possibly have found his mate here?
A back window of one of the Hummers rolled down and an RPG launched into the beauty salon, blowing it to shambles. He had to stop this now. He shifted and walked down the middle of the street toward the unwelcome visitors. At the moment, he didn’t give a shit if they saw him shift. Maybe it would freak them out enough to get the hell out of his town.
“What do you want, Ragusa? You should turn around, the way you came, and leave before the opportunity to escape is gone.”
Laughing came from loudspeakers mounted on the hood of the front vehicle. “And who might you be, little naked man? You speak for everyone here?”
His cat became pissed at that. It was ready to tear into the asshole hiding in the truck.
“I do speak for everyone here. And this little man, as you call me, would love to see you face-to-face. Or are you too afraid to come out?” The front truck rocked on its axle, the speaker making a loud squelch. Then a different voice came over the megaphone.
“We are here to collect Amerella Capone. Send her out here and we will leave.”
Frank noticed wolves slinking along the shadows. A couple black panthers crossed the street behind the vehicles. Butch’s fluffy gold mane filled his door window. The town was getting riled. They were backing Amie, not giving her up. A pride he had never felt for his home bubbled inside him.
She may not have been one of them several days ago. But she was now, and they’d fight for her. Butch shifted back to his human form and joined Frank on the street. Solidarity.
“Who says this Capone woman is here?” Butch asked, standing proudly as his junk dangled.
A sigh sounded over the speaker. “We have it on good authority that she’s here. Apparently, not everyone wants her around. Now, hand her over or we’ll blow up another building of your precious town.”
Butch turned to Frank. “You gotta get back to the house and get Amie out of here now.”
“How do I do that without looking suspicious?” Frank asked.
“Easy.” Butch grabbed Frank around the neck and punched him in the face. At the last second, he pulled it. But it was still enough to snap Frank’s head back. Then the meat man grabbed him around the waist with his hands and launched him toward Dorothy’s restaurant.
“And stay gone, you flea-bitten piece-of-shit pussy!”
Dorothy, standing at her restaurant’s door, helped Frank inside. “What the hell is wrong with Butch? Has he gone crazy?”
Frank stumbled through the kitchen toward the back door. He laughed. “Believe it or not, the man is a genius when it comes to being sneaky.” He opened the door and stepped out. “Dorothy, come outside. Don’t go back in. Those RPGs are too close for comfort. Don’t need you going anywhere. You need to feed us still.” He smiled as he shifted and ran down the alley toward the park and his mom’s house.
* * *
Amie and Mom cringed at the third explosion. With her shifter abilities, Mom was able to relay what she heard to Amie as they stood in the park, out of sight. Amie was horrified. All this destruction and possible death because of her. No, it had to stop.
She turned to face Frank’s mother. “Mom Dubois, I have to go—”
“No! You can’t go with those people. They want you, don’t they?”
“They do. And I’m going.” She quieted Mom with a hug.
Amie hurried across the park toward the street just in time to run into a gorgeous cougar. Oh, shit. How did she explain this to Frank? The cat shifted into human form and she was captivated and freaked at the same time. That was her first time seeing the full change. It didn’t look like a comfortable process. But she didn’t have time to think about that right now.
“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” Frank wasn’t happy with her.
“Frank, listen to me—”
“You are not going with them. It is my responsibility to keep you safe—”
“Hold on there one second,” Amie fired back. “Your responsibility is not to keep me safe. That’s mine. I’ve done a damn good job of protecting my”—she almost said “son”—“self my entire life and I will continue to do so—”
“No, Amie. I love you and won’t let you go again.”
He loved her? She loved him so much. Her heart broke a little.
“Frank, there’s something I’ve been trying to tell you, but—” She gulped and shoved her hands in her pockets. “I’ve been too scared of what you might say. Too scared of how you’d react.”
He frowned, holding her by her arms and looking deep into her eyes. “You can tell me anything, love.”
“It’s probably easier if you just go back to the house and upstairs to my suitcase. There’s a letter there, addressed to you.” She bit her bottom lip to keep it from shaking. “Will you read it?”
“Of course. Anything you want, sweetheart. But, Amie, nothing you say in that letter will change how much I love you.”
She wanted to believe him so bad, but she knew keeping their child a secret had been a mistake. She’d had a reason that felt valid at the time, but now it felt wrong. “I hope that’s true.”
She threw her arms around him and pulled back quickly. No sense in dragging this out. It was so much easier to sacrifice when there wasn’t anyone else getting hurt in the process. But she had to suck it up. The town was being destroyed because of her.
“Frank, this is how this is going down. I’m getting in the truck and they will take me to Uncle Giuseppe’s in Vegas. He lives a few houses down from mine. Detective Freeman knows the address. You get with him and pull together a force to get me out of there.
“My uncle won’t hurt me. If the rest of the family discovered he killed me, they would riot and overthrow him from power. He isn’t risking that. He has around fifteen guards and security people, and cameras all around the exterior and interior of the house. Freeman probably knows all about those, too. Get with him. He’s made it his life’s mission to take down my uncle. Help him.” She looked over her shoulder. The Hummers waited for her.
“I have to go.”
Frank grasped her in a hard hug. “Don’t leave me again.”
Her heart broke all the way. She hadn’t wanted to leave him the first time, but like now, she had no choice. Someone else’s life was on the line.
“I love you, Frank. I never stopped loving you.” She pulled away from him. “Now, come get me from my uncle’s house. And if you have to kill him in the process, you’ll get extra sausage licks.” She backed away, then turn and ran.
She made a vow right then. No matter what it took or what sacrifice she’d have to make, she would bring her uncle down.