know about, yeah. I’m sure.”
The only thing I’m not sure about is what’ll happen to him once I deliver him to the mayor and police commissioner. Then he thought of Gaia. If only he could get her to zap this guy to an island the size of a postage stamp!
***
The following day, Nick kept his cell phone on, anxiously waiting for the driver’s signal. At last the text arrived, alerting Nick to the limo’s route and status. He drove his rented van to the rendezvous point and blocked the road with large crates. As a werewolf, he had the strength to toss them out of his way as if they were empty shoe boxes.
The limo approached the barrier and slowed to a stop. The driver honked his horn. He probably wants his annoyance to look good for his boss. Suddenly the driver stepped out of the vehicle.
Wait. This isn’t the scenario we agreed upon.
The driver had probably forgotten or become confused. He didn’t seem very bright. Nick approached, figuring he’d pretend to knock him out first. Oh well. Either way, it’ll work. He took a swing, but instead of going down, the driver ducked. The back door swung open and two bodyguards rushed out.
Fuck. I’ve been double-crossed.
After a long struggle, the three of them managed to get Nick to the ground and pinned. They zip-tied his hands behind his back. Fortunately, Nick managed to ball his fists before the ties were secure. That would leave a bit of wiggle room when he relaxed his hands.
The driver laughed. “You thought I’d turn over my boss for a measly thousand bucks? He paid me twice that much to turn the tables on you.”
With a lot of grunting, the goons managed to drag Nick to the limo and force him inside. The boss wasn’t even with them.
The driver took off in reverse, turned the car around as if he’d had stunt driving experience since birth, and roared off.
Shit. “Where are you taking me?” Nick asked.
“Shut up,” was the only answer he received from one of the bodyguards.
Nick’s next thought was about Brandee. What if he never made it back home? Would she think he’d abandoned her? She couldn’t, right? Even with her abandonment issues, he’d made it abundantly clear he’d never leave her. Hadn’t he?
The thought that he might hurt her, regardless of how unintentionally, gave him a sudden surge of strength and he kicked out, hitting one of the bodyguards square in the jaw.
“Ow! That hurt, dickwad.”
The other one pulled a weapon while the first guy rubbed the back of his neck. “We was supposed to bring you to da boss alive, but accidents happen. Don’t try that again, or this gun might accidentally go off.”
Shit. Shit. Double shit.
***
Nick was refusing to walk to his doom. If they insisted on taking him into the mansion, they’d have to drag his deadweight up the stairs. Deadweight. That’s what I’ll be anyway, if I can’t get away.
Tired of trying to lug him across the manicured lawn, one of them said, “Hey, why don’t we just stuff him in the gardener’s shed for now. We can tell the boss we’ve got him stashed and ask for further instructions.”
“Dat’s a good idea,” the driver said. “I’ll get da key. Can you two hang on to him while I’m gone?”
The only thing his cohort said was, “Hurry.”
Nick had an opportunity, but was it the right one? The men had at least one gun, maybe more. How far would he get? He couldn’t shift in front of humans—no matter what. But it sure would be fun to see their faces as they came face to face with a vicious werewolf.
He’d let them lock him in the shed. That way he’d have the privacy he needed to shift. Whenever they opened the door again, he could leap over their heads and run. He’d been clocked at speeds of up to forty miles per hour. He’d be long gone before they got into a car, and he could avoid roads.
Nick felt a little better having a plan that involved his superior senses. He’d be able to hear them coming and he’d be all ready to spring. They wouldn’t be expecting anything of the kind and would be flustered for a few precious seconds. Enough for him to get away.
And now that a crime had been committed, he could enlist the help of the local police. Were werewolves on the force in the Hamptons? It was a remote possibility. They tended