Wild Cat

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’s Eric?” Diego asked Xav as he strode back to the parking lot.

“Still searching.”

Diego hoped Eric took care, but right now he was more worried about Cassidy.

He strode through the parking lot, Xavier right behind him. At the car, he settled Cassidy inside while Xavier stayed alert.

“Xav,” Diego said. “He dropped his tranq rifle on the roof. Get it, will you? And then make sure all the Shifters in the club are all right and accounted for. This guy seems to be after Cassidy in particular, but he might go for any Shifter, who knows? I’ll get Cassidy home.”

“Sure thing,” Xavier said. However much Diego and Xavier had fought as kids—especially when Xavier started messing around in gangs—they’d grown into a team, each instinctively knowing what the other needed. Xavier would save questions and explanations for later.

Xavier patted Cassidy on her shoulder, told her to take care of herself, and strode back to the club. Diego wasted no more time getting in and starting the car. He wanted Cassidy out of there.

Cassidy didn’t speak much as they drove up Boulder Highway toward the freeway.

“You sure you’re all right?” Diego asked her.

“I didn’t give him the chance to hurt me.” Cassidy moved over in the seat until her head rested on Diego’s shoulder. “My Collar going off always makes me woozy.”

She snaked her hand across his abdomen, sinking into him. Diego put his arm around her, cuddling her close as he drove.

Her snuggling against him made him more determined than ever to find the hunter trying to kill her. Fae or no, the guy would be damn sorry he ever messed with Cassidy Warden.

“You’re sure it’s him?” Cassidy sat in the front seat of Diego’s car again the next day, looking fully recovered from her ordeal but still mad as hell. Diego had asked her to come with him tonight—she’d be able to recognize her attacker, if not by sight, then by scent.

“The tranq gun was checked out to one Lieutenant Reid,” Diego said. “I didn’t connect him with you saying I smelled like I’d been near a Fae, because I haven’t talked to Reid in a couple of days. But I’ve been carrying his files around with me, and when I took them back down to Shifter Division yesterday, Reid was there. He doesn’t look anything like how you describe the Fae, though. Not to mention the fact that he uses steel handcuffs and a Glock.”

“If he isn’t Fae himself, maybe he’s working for one,” Cassidy said. “Or he’s half Fae, no matter what Eric says. They can use iron.”

“Well, we’ll ask him when he comes home,” Diego said.

He looked across the busy street at an apartment complex that looked no different than the two- and three-story complexes that dotted Las Vegas. He’d driven here after he’d picked up Cassidy, wanting the confrontation with Reid to occur far from the LVPD building.

Cassidy waited beside him, restless. Her cropped white top showed off the stud in her navel, and her jeans rode low on her hips. She’d pulled her pale hair into a ponytail, which made the Collar around her neck more visible.

Diego had taken her home last night and left her in the capable hands of Nell, who’d come over in worry when she’d seen them arrive. Diego had wanted to stay, but Nell shooed him away, and Diego conceded that Cassidy needed to rest.