Stealing Jia (Coletti Warlords #12) - Gail Koger Page 0,9

CeeCee and her Coletti friends knew what I was capable of, they’d lock me up. I stabbed at the half-naked freak with my sword. “Shoo. Shoo.”

The monster gave me a grotesque parody of a smile. “First, I’ll eat your pussy, then your heart, little girl.”

“You won’t be eating anything but metal. Die, alligator man!” I swung my sword and missed the monster by a good foot.

Giving a hissing laugh, the monstrosity whacked me with his tail and sent me flying across the chamber. I landed in a graceless sprawl. Oof!

CeeCee hurled a lightning bolt at the misshapen monster.

With a startling quick movement, the creature leaped high into the air. The bolt passed under him and cremated the pile of rotting bodies.

“Well, hell. There went the evidence,” CeeCee groused.

A ferocious roar echoed around the chamber and a small black beastie exploded out of the shadows. It was an odd mixture of chihuahua and wolverine. My jaw dropped as the little guy did a great job of mauling the monster’s legs.

“Mean little shit.” Jesse helped CeeCee up. His fur was covered with mustard colored blood.

“Isn’t he,” CeeCee agreed.

I climbed to my feet and shook my head, trying to get rid of the funny black spots dancing in my vision.

The beastie let out a yelp as the monster’s claws raked across its back.

“Enough!” A black rage overwhelmed my survival instincts. I scooped up my sword and with a full-throated banshee scream, beheaded the monster.

“I’ll be damned,” Jesse rumbled.

CeeCee stared at me in amazement. “Yeah, I didn’t think she had it in her.”

“My little hero.” I carefully picked up the beastie. I had just blown it big time, but I was driven to protect innocents of all shapes, sizes and species.

CeeCee walked over to me. “You okay?”

“I’ll live. You said your uncle is a healer. Can he help him?”

The little beastie whimpered.

A golden light spun around Uncle Jesse. When it cleared, he was human again.

“You’re naked,” I exclaimed and squeezed my eyes shut. When you lived with a nun, naked men were frowned on and dating even more so.

“Yes, I am.”

I cracked one eye open and watched Jesse hold his hands over the beastie. “Hozhq sitsiji shivaagi.” The gashes on the beastie’s back vanished. The little guy gratefully licked Jesse’s fingers. “Dii hastoi, small one.”

CeeCee rubbed the beastie’s ears and announced, “Your critter is as good as new.”

Putting on my brainless bimbo act, I gave a yip of relief. “Oh! Wow! He doesn’t have a mark on him.”

“It’s what I do,” Uncle Jesse said modestly.

I went up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. I’m sorry I called you an old pervert.”

“I accept your apology.”

I petted the beastie. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

“Ah, yeah. Cute as a button,” CeeCee lied.

“Momma,” the beastie said, snuggling against me.

CeeCee’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Whoa, he can talk. Giovanni has outdone himself.” She switched to mind talk, “What’s your name?”

“Mean little shit,” the beastie answered.

I hugged him. “No. You need a real name. I’m going to call you Pepe after my, ah, grandfather.”

Pepe’s black fur puffed up with pride. “Me Pepe.”

“Your grandfather must have been a great guy,” CeeCee said politely.

I smothered a grin. Pepe had been Matteo’s head enforcer and nasty didn’t even begin to describe him. “No. My grandfather was a malicious old bastard.”

“Oh, good choice then.”

Storm clouds rolled down the passageway and explosions rocked the catacombs.

“Samuel has gotten stronger,” Jesse said.

“Not a big surprise. Zarek’s blood changed Father on the cellular level and gave him one hell of a power boost. He’ll soon be a Coletti warlord. Like we need more of them,” CeeCee groused.

“Even if I had been there, Samuel’s injuries were beyond my ability to heal. Without that transfusion, Samuel would have died,” Jesse admonished.

“And I’m grateful for Zarek’s help, but Father’s not the same.”

“Aren’t you being a bit of a hypocrite?”

CeeCee winced. “I am. I knew the consequences of drinking Jake’s blood, but it was the only way to stop that murdering Chupacabra. Even now I can feel it changing me. I’m becoming something not quite human.”

And I thought my life was complicated. I butted in, “I’m not drinking anyone’s blood and who’s Samuel?”

“My father.”

“And Jake is?”

“My mate,” CeeCee replied.

“He’s a warlord?”

“He is.”

I grimaced. “Let me guess. He works for Zarek too?”

“And Central Command. General Saul Jones is Jake’s uncle.”

“Merde!” I backed away from them in horror. “Central Command hunts Dragos women.”

CeeCee arched a brow. “Are you Dragos? Is Stanka an alias?”

“I will never be a Coletti breeder,” I snapped.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” I eyed