Battle Bond: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #2) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,21

least some pit that had been dug out after the mobile home had been installed. But how did one get down there? I hadn’t seen stairs on my way in.

“She’s interested in our guns.” Kurt smirked again.

“Oh yeah? Mine’s always loaded.” Otto rubbed his cock through his jeans.

Negotiating was going to be futile. I could tell. I was starting to wish I’d driven by, tossed a Molotov cocktail on the roof, and gone to buy lotions and potpourri at the farmers market.

“Where’s the showroom?” I pointed at the faded gray rug. “Basement?”

“The showroom is right here,” Otto purred, shifting to his feet, his hand still on his junk.

“There’s nothing in this room that can slay dragons.”

“Don’t be too sure about that.” Kurt smirked and reached for me, his hand moving more quickly than a normal human’s would.

But I was used to dealing with that kind of speed. I caught his wrist before he could touch me, and glared into his eyes. “Oh, I’m sure.”

Not surprisingly, he wasn’t daunted. He smirked wider, as if pleased with the development.

“The Ruin Bringer doesn’t want to have some fun before making a purchase?” Otto asked. “That’s disappointing. Maybe we could give her a discount if she spends the day with us.”

“You ever do two guys at once, pretty girl?” Kurt asked. “Or maybe a man and a panther?”

He shifted, his wrist melting out of my grip as he transformed into a large black panther. My feline guess had been right.

As he shifted, I took the opportunity to touch my cat figurine and summon Sindari. I would fight two on one if I had to, but if these guys were as strong as their auras suggested, I wouldn’t walk away unscathed. Evening the odds made sense, and Sindari always enjoyed a fight.

“I can’t say that I have,” I said as Sindari materialized in the hallway behind me. “Do you actually have urges and find humans attractive in that form? I’ve heard that shifters are only attracted to what they’ve shifted into.”

“Not necessarily true.” Otto strolled closer, coming up to rest a hand on Kurt’s feline back. “We’ve hosted some killer parties here and experimented a lot.”

Kurt’s long black tail swished in the air and then demonstrated some possibilities for those who drifted toward bestiality. Otto laughed uproariously.

What were the odds that I could get any decent information out of them? Or think of a way to convince them to leave Nin alone?

“Put away your tail, furball.” I took a last stab. “I want to see one of these dragon-slaying guns. I’ve had run-ins with a dragon lately. I’m a serious buyer.”

“Later,” Otto purred, loosening his belt and stepping forward.

“If you sell something good to me, maybe I’ll put the word out to others. Then you won’t need to threaten other people in your industry.”

Kurt’s tail stopped swishing, and he stared at me, speaking telepathically. Other people in the industry can either join us and work under us, or they can get the hell out of the city. Did she send you here?

“Stay away from her.” The protective part of me regretted bringing up Nin, but I had come to convince them to leave her alone. With as much ice in my tone as I could manage, I added, “Or you’ll deal with me.”

“We’ll deal with you now. Pleasure before business.” Otto’s gaze flicked past my arm toward the hallway. They must have sensed and smelled Sindari’s appearance right away, but neither seemed concerned. “Your cat can play too. I don’t suppose that’s a female?”

Kurt’s tail went back to swishing suggestively.

We’re going to have a fight, Sindari.

I assumed so from the lewd tail gestures.

Do you want to handle the panther while I tangle with the human?

That seems right. Excuse me while I inform them that I am not female and that even if I were, I would rather hump a tree than some second-rate feline.

That must have been a brief conversation, because both brothers snarled, their voices surprisingly similar given their different vocal cord construction at the moment.

“Pin her down,” Otto snarled. “I’ll take care of the pussycat.”

The panther sprang for me.

8

The panther was so close that I wouldn’t normally have had time to react, but since Otto’s big mouth had issued a warning, I was ready. When Kurt’s paws left the ground, I dropped into a crouch and dove under him and into the room, rolling and yanking out Chopper as he sailed above me.

Sindari roared and leaped, meeting Kurt in the doorway. As I