Making the Rent the Hard Way - 37

I wondered how long we had. Probably not more than a few minutes, I figured, if Farnham had been able to trace the call—which I suspected was a given at this point or he'd have kept me talking longer.

"You two and Orchid are to stay in here," Rocky told us. "And keep the damned door closed. If he or any of his people get a visual—" He stopped, nodded, and said "We have company," before vanishing. Contrary to his orders, Orchid disappeared right after him.

"That was fast," I muttered.

"Them getting here? Rocky may have meant Farnham's spotter," Luca said.

"You know he didn't." I wanted to be out there, fighting with the rest of them. Not that I'd be any good against a gang of shifters, but, damn it all, I felt useless right now. I started toward the stairs, only to have Luca grab my arm.

"Don't," he ordered. "If, God help us, things go bad, I'll get us out of here. I can't do that if you're out there."

"You reading my mind?" I asked tightly.

"Nope. Your body language."

We both jumped when something, or someone, slammed against the door. I almost shouted, "It's unlocked," because I suddenly realized it was. "Lights," I whispered, dashing to turn off one of them. Luca got the other, and we were plunged into darkness as the door swung open. 

"I know you're in here, Luca," Farnham growled. "So is Mr. Warner. Show yourselves or the slaughter of your friends will continue." 

"I don't believe you," Luca replied angrily as he gripped my shoulder.

I knew he intended on getting us out of there. I jerked free, shouting to Farnham, "Coward. Afraid to face us on your own, you bastard? The big, bad alpha needs his gang of goons, Luca. How do you think that will play in the papers tomorrow?"

"What the fuck are you doing?" Luca whispered.

"Calling the bastard out for what he is—a coward who's afraid to fight his own battles. By the way, he's lying about our friends being slaughtered. If they were, you'd know it. Right?"

Thank God Luca played along. "Yeah, I would. From what I'm picking up, it's his goons that are going down. Sorry fucker can't even choose decent enforcers."

"You're lying," Farnham spat out.

I laughed. "You mean you didn't even bother to check how the battle was going when you finally got here? Figures. The only one you give a damn about is yourself. I wonder how your stooges will feel when they find that out." I held out my phone, to show him I was video recording all this. Not that he'd be recognizable, since he was silhouetted by the moonlight behind him, but, hopefully, he didn't realize that.

Suddenly, it wasn't Farnham the man standing there. In his place was a gray wolf, its lips pulled back in a fearsome snarl as it started down the stairs. Two things happened at the same time. A red wolf appeared in front of me, growling low in its throat, and a second gray wolf stood right behind Farnham.

Farnham attacked Luca, his jaws clamping on the red wolf's shoulder. He shook him hard, tearing flesh from bone. The red wolf, Luca, howled in pain as he bit and clawed at Farnham. The second gray wolf joined the fray. It was smaller than Farnham, but not by much. Farnham released his grip on Luca to fend off the second attacker.