Clicking on the safety, Dominic tossed the gun aside. Barely holding himself upright, Joel looked as though he still might lunge at the bobcat, but Dominic shook his head and said, “No. He’s mine.”
Dominic slowly stalked toward Dean, his eyes flashing wolf as his animal reached for the surface. But Dominic suppressed the beast and remained in control.
Flat on his stomach, Dean weakly tried to drag himself toward the other gun.
“Planning to shoot me?” Dominic tutted at him. “That’s not very nice.” He stilled as a noise drifted to him over the sounds of music thumping.
Healing Joel, Ally frowned. “Was that—? I thought I heard screaming.”
Dominic narrowed his eyes. “So did I.” He reached out with his senses, and what he heard sent his heart racing. Screaming. Yelling. Gunshots. “What the fuck?”
Mila’s eyes widened as she glanced past him. “Dominic—”
He looked down just as Dean’s hand closed around the butt of the gun. Bending over, Dominic fisted the fucker’s hair and snatched back his head. “I told you I’d kill you.” In one merciless swipe, Dominic slit Dean’s throat with his claw.
“Outside,” said Derren, fisting his hands. “The gunshots are coming from outside. And they’re getting louder.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Leaving Dean’s dead body sprawled on the floor, they tore out of the greenroom and down the hall. The music, dancing, and laughter had stopped, and the patrons were all staring at the entrance where two Mercury Pack wolves—Eli and Zander—were pounding their fists on the closed door.
Dominic gripped Mila’s arm to keep her from following his Alphas, Dante, and the Mercury Betas through the crowds. Every instinct he had as an enforcer told him to follow his Alphas and find out what the fuck was going on. But he knew he’d never get Mila to wait behind, and he wouldn’t allow her to walk into danger.
Eli and Zander stumbled away from the door as a body that looked like one of the doormen came tumbling down the stairs, ablaze and screaming. Motherfucker.
Two objects were then tossed inside, both aimed toward the bar. With so many people in the way, Dominic didn’t see if the objects hit their target. But in a matter of moments, fire erupted.
His stomach dropped. Shit.
Before anyone had a chance to swarm the entrance and attack whoever was out there, the door was slammed shut. His wolf jerked as the fire alarm blared, loud and urgent. Water rained down from the sprinklers. People pounded on the door and threw all their weight against it. Again. And again. And again.
The door didn’t budge, let alone open.
Dominic figured that if the door was thick enough to prevent people from breaking into the club, it was also thick enough to prevent them from breaking out. Eli and Zander must have had that same thought, because they gave up on the door and hurried down the stairs to Derren.
The Mercury wolves there all snapped to attention. Orders were shouted. Hand signals were exchanged. But Dominic couldn’t understand them. Couldn’t do anything but watch as Harley and one of the waitresses rushed over with fire extinguishers.
Rooted to the spot by shock, Mila fisted the back of his tee. “Dominic—” Her eyes followed the flames that rippled across the walls and swept up to the ceiling. Her cat turned as frantic as her heartbeat.
Dominic yanked up the neckline of her tee so that it covered her nose and mouth before doing the same for himself. “It’s gonna be fine, baby.” Dammit, he had to get her the fuck out of there. Even with the fire extinguishers, it was going to be hard to put out a fire in a club filled with goddamn alcohol—especially when that fire sprang to life at the bar itself.
The DJ spoke over the mic, urging everyone to follow Harley and Jesse down the hall—Harley would lead some to the side exit, and Jesse would lead the rest to the emergency exit at the rear of the building. The patrons instantly rushed after the pair in a blind panic, unapologetically bashing into each other as they tried shoving their way to the front of the line.
As his pack mates reached Dominic’s side, Taryn growled, “Motherfucking extremists! It’s gotta be them out there!”
Derren slapped Trey’s back. “Call 911 and then get out of here!”
Dante frowned. “You need help—”
“Outside,” finished Derren. “There are God knows how many of them waiting outside, and they’ll be armed to the goddamn teeth, ready to shoot the shit out of anyone who escapes. The firefighters