Cynful
Page 16
But he still couldn’t stop himself from sniffing his shirt right where her head had rested through the night, nor the smile that followed.
Chapter Seven
Cyn pulled into the parking lot at the back of LA Tattoos and picked up the bag of donuts and coffee. She was starving, despite her cookie raid that morning. She ran her fingers over Julian’s steering wheel, smiling for no reason she could figure out, and climbed out of the car.
A shadow out of the corner of her eye was her only warning. Cyn twisted, the sound of shattering glass shocking her into freezing for a second too long. A painful blow to the side of her face left her sprawled on the gravel, piping hot coffee burning her hand.
She sat up, ready to fight for her life, when a low growl sounded from behind her. Something gray and silver with an odd blob of green at the top of its head landed in front of her. Tabby had sailed over Julian’s sedan in Wolf form and hit the gravel in front of Cyn, snapping at the shadows. Her fur practically stood on end as she lunged at something Cyn couldn’t even see.
That was when Cyn realized it wasn’t a simple mugging. So she did what any sensible, modern woman would do. She grabbed her keys. “Adiós, asshole.” She pressed the button on her keychain, setting off a high-pitched alarm that had Tabby whining and burying her head in her paws. Cyn felt her own eyes cross, but if it affected her assailant the way it was affecting Tabby she was glad to sacrifice a little hearing for a day or two.
She dragged herself to her feet and grabbed hold of her other self-defense item on her key chain, a baton with a slight point at the end. She waved it toward the shadows, her finger still on the button of the alarm. “C’mon! Bring it, you fucking coward!”
Something indistinct dashed from the shadows and out into the street, too fast for Cyn to follow with her eyes.
“For the love of all that is holy, please stop.”
Cyn stared down at her naked, weeping friend. Tabby was human, covering her ears with shaking hands. “Get dressed. I think we’re about to have company.” She stood by the car door and tried not to tremble like a little girl while Tabby obeyed her orders.
“Cyn?”
Cyn grabbed the third thing on her key chain that wasn’t a key, a tiny flashlight, and aimed it at the street. “Mrs. H?” Crap, it hurt her jaw to talk. Son of a bitch had clocked her but good, and now that the danger had passed the pain was starting to make itself known.
Evelyn Hagen, one of LA’s older clients, put her hand to her chest and started toward her. “I heard the alarm and practically ran to get here. Are you all right? What happened to your car?”
Cyn turned and stared at Julian’s driver’s side window. Shit. He was going to be pissed about that. “I got mugged.”
“I got here just in time.” Tabby stepped out from behind the car and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked pale, fragile, like she was the one who’d gotten attacked.
“Are you two all right?”
Cyn nodded, doing her best to ignore the throbbing pain growing in her skull. “As right as we can be.”
Mrs. H. relaxed a little, the keychain baton in her own hand sliding into her back pocket. “Cool. I never really wanted to test out my karate skills.” She winked and followed them to the back door of LA. “You want me to call the cops?”
Cyn and Tabby exchanged a look. “Could you get them to send out Gabe Anderson?”
“The sheriff? Why?”
“Just tell him Tabby and I were attacked again. He’ll understand.”
Mrs. H. nodded, but her expression was anything but reassured. “I’ll do it. You need to put in security cameras back there.”
“We tried, but the landlord wouldn’t let us. Said it would damage the brick façade of the building.” Tabby shrugged.
Mrs. H. grunted. “Who’s your landlord?”
Tabby rattled off the name while Cyn fisted her hands at her sides. She didn’t give a crap about that fat asshole. Her jaw was getting worse, and she thought one of her teeth might be loose. “Tabs? Call Bunny.”
Tabby waved off Mrs. H. after reassuring her they were both fine, then pulled out her cell phone. “Alex? Cyn and I were just attacked again.”
The roar forced Tabby to pull the phone from her ear. “I’m fine. Cyn was the one who got beat up.” Tabby’s brows rose and she glanced at Cyn. “Yeah, I’ll tell her. No, Glory’s not here; she’s got afternoon to evening tonight.”
Cyn unlocked LA’s back door and let them into the shop. Fuck. Her head was pounding, she was nauseated and her jaw was feeling even worse. Was she going to have to go to the hospital? She didn’t think her jaw was broken, but she wasn’t a doctor. It was entirely possible the son of a bitch had broken something in her face. She headed for the front of the store and sat gingerly on one of the chairs. She tilted her head back, listening to Tabby’s soft voice as she tried to calm her frantic mate.
A few moments later Tabby was unlocking the front door. Alex burst through, his eyes wild. If he had any hair on his head it would have been standing on end. He scooped Tabby up as soon as he saw her, cradling her in his arms like she was a child, setting himself down on one of the guest chairs and checking every inch of her with his hands and eyes.
Cyn didn’t really care if they stripped naked and danced the hula. She just wished the pain in her head would fucking stop. She closed her eyes and ignored the pair, focusing instead on disregarding the pain.
A warm, gentle hand caressed her cheek. “You get into more trouble, I swear.”
She opened her eyes to find Julian hovering over her, his eyes silver, his hair pure white. The pain in her jaw immediately eased away to nothing and her nausea receded. She was still woozy and shaking, but at least she no longer wanted to chop her own face off. The fierce frown on his face worried her. “I broke your car.”
“Shh.” He stroked his finger along her jawline and she felt, actually felt the loose tooth firm up in its socket.
“Is she all right?” Alex’s voice was rumbly, a sure sign his Bear was close to the surface.
“Her jaw was broken, some teeth loose. I fixed it.”
She worked her jaw back and forth, never more grateful for the lack of pain. “Thanks.”
His brow quirked. “You’re welcome.” Then he crossed his arms over his chest and ruined it. “Why didn’t you call me immediately?” His gaze focused on her burned hand and immediately it felt better, the burn fading away as she watched.
Chapter Seven
Cyn pulled into the parking lot at the back of LA Tattoos and picked up the bag of donuts and coffee. She was starving, despite her cookie raid that morning. She ran her fingers over Julian’s steering wheel, smiling for no reason she could figure out, and climbed out of the car.
A shadow out of the corner of her eye was her only warning. Cyn twisted, the sound of shattering glass shocking her into freezing for a second too long. A painful blow to the side of her face left her sprawled on the gravel, piping hot coffee burning her hand.
She sat up, ready to fight for her life, when a low growl sounded from behind her. Something gray and silver with an odd blob of green at the top of its head landed in front of her. Tabby had sailed over Julian’s sedan in Wolf form and hit the gravel in front of Cyn, snapping at the shadows. Her fur practically stood on end as she lunged at something Cyn couldn’t even see.
That was when Cyn realized it wasn’t a simple mugging. So she did what any sensible, modern woman would do. She grabbed her keys. “Adiós, asshole.” She pressed the button on her keychain, setting off a high-pitched alarm that had Tabby whining and burying her head in her paws. Cyn felt her own eyes cross, but if it affected her assailant the way it was affecting Tabby she was glad to sacrifice a little hearing for a day or two.
She dragged herself to her feet and grabbed hold of her other self-defense item on her key chain, a baton with a slight point at the end. She waved it toward the shadows, her finger still on the button of the alarm. “C’mon! Bring it, you fucking coward!”
Something indistinct dashed from the shadows and out into the street, too fast for Cyn to follow with her eyes.
“For the love of all that is holy, please stop.”
Cyn stared down at her naked, weeping friend. Tabby was human, covering her ears with shaking hands. “Get dressed. I think we’re about to have company.” She stood by the car door and tried not to tremble like a little girl while Tabby obeyed her orders.
“Cyn?”
Cyn grabbed the third thing on her key chain that wasn’t a key, a tiny flashlight, and aimed it at the street. “Mrs. H?” Crap, it hurt her jaw to talk. Son of a bitch had clocked her but good, and now that the danger had passed the pain was starting to make itself known.
Evelyn Hagen, one of LA’s older clients, put her hand to her chest and started toward her. “I heard the alarm and practically ran to get here. Are you all right? What happened to your car?”
Cyn turned and stared at Julian’s driver’s side window. Shit. He was going to be pissed about that. “I got mugged.”
“I got here just in time.” Tabby stepped out from behind the car and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked pale, fragile, like she was the one who’d gotten attacked.
“Are you two all right?”
Cyn nodded, doing her best to ignore the throbbing pain growing in her skull. “As right as we can be.”
Mrs. H. relaxed a little, the keychain baton in her own hand sliding into her back pocket. “Cool. I never really wanted to test out my karate skills.” She winked and followed them to the back door of LA. “You want me to call the cops?”
Cyn and Tabby exchanged a look. “Could you get them to send out Gabe Anderson?”
“The sheriff? Why?”
“Just tell him Tabby and I were attacked again. He’ll understand.”
Mrs. H. nodded, but her expression was anything but reassured. “I’ll do it. You need to put in security cameras back there.”
“We tried, but the landlord wouldn’t let us. Said it would damage the brick façade of the building.” Tabby shrugged.
Mrs. H. grunted. “Who’s your landlord?”
Tabby rattled off the name while Cyn fisted her hands at her sides. She didn’t give a crap about that fat asshole. Her jaw was getting worse, and she thought one of her teeth might be loose. “Tabs? Call Bunny.”
Tabby waved off Mrs. H. after reassuring her they were both fine, then pulled out her cell phone. “Alex? Cyn and I were just attacked again.”
The roar forced Tabby to pull the phone from her ear. “I’m fine. Cyn was the one who got beat up.” Tabby’s brows rose and she glanced at Cyn. “Yeah, I’ll tell her. No, Glory’s not here; she’s got afternoon to evening tonight.”
Cyn unlocked LA’s back door and let them into the shop. Fuck. Her head was pounding, she was nauseated and her jaw was feeling even worse. Was she going to have to go to the hospital? She didn’t think her jaw was broken, but she wasn’t a doctor. It was entirely possible the son of a bitch had broken something in her face. She headed for the front of the store and sat gingerly on one of the chairs. She tilted her head back, listening to Tabby’s soft voice as she tried to calm her frantic mate.
A few moments later Tabby was unlocking the front door. Alex burst through, his eyes wild. If he had any hair on his head it would have been standing on end. He scooped Tabby up as soon as he saw her, cradling her in his arms like she was a child, setting himself down on one of the guest chairs and checking every inch of her with his hands and eyes.
Cyn didn’t really care if they stripped naked and danced the hula. She just wished the pain in her head would fucking stop. She closed her eyes and ignored the pair, focusing instead on disregarding the pain.
A warm, gentle hand caressed her cheek. “You get into more trouble, I swear.”
She opened her eyes to find Julian hovering over her, his eyes silver, his hair pure white. The pain in her jaw immediately eased away to nothing and her nausea receded. She was still woozy and shaking, but at least she no longer wanted to chop her own face off. The fierce frown on his face worried her. “I broke your car.”
“Shh.” He stroked his finger along her jawline and she felt, actually felt the loose tooth firm up in its socket.
“Is she all right?” Alex’s voice was rumbly, a sure sign his Bear was close to the surface.
“Her jaw was broken, some teeth loose. I fixed it.”
She worked her jaw back and forth, never more grateful for the lack of pain. “Thanks.”
His brow quirked. “You’re welcome.” Then he crossed his arms over his chest and ruined it. “Why didn’t you call me immediately?” His gaze focused on her burned hand and immediately it felt better, the burn fading away as she watched.
