Marie Harte - Outfoxed

In the dark of what he presumed to be the trunk of a car, he rode over bumps and gravel. Still dizzy yet finally free of the ropes holding his wrists tight, he ignored the pain and freed his ankles as well. The scent of blood filled the trunk, and he realized he’d been shot in the upper thigh too.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. They’d taken an innocent woman. Gabby Easton. Miles wasn’t happy, but Grady would gut any male that stood between him and his mate. Miles smiled, for once glad of Grady’s tenacity.

Now he just had to escape to help Grady hunt down and kill the pricks responsible. But Ronnie was his. All his…

He found the release for one of the back seats and pushed, not surprised by the laziness of the mountain lion driving the car. His partner had fallen asleep, not keeping an eye on the back as he should have. Miles gritted his teeth and shifted to cat. Oh fuck. The bullet lodged deeper into the bone.

The driver cursed seconds before Miles tore his throat out. Then Miles managed to disarm the now-awake partner before the car crashed into a tree.

He forced himself to stay conscious long enough to restrain their only source of information, but it was touch and go.

He blinked his eyes open to see Grady’s furious face as the great cat loomed over him.

Grady quickly turned back into a man. “Miles?”

“They have her, Grady. Have to…find her. Use him.” Miles lolled his head in the direction of the swearing lion he’d duct-taped to a tree.

“Hold on, damn it.”

Spots danced before Miles’s eyes.

Grady disappeared and reappeared on the other side of him. “Don’t move.”

“C-can’t.” Miles felt cold. Oh crap. He was going into shock. He had to warn Grady. “Ronnie…will hurt her. Find her. Go. No…time. Loves you.”

Grady’s features softened. “I know. The only reason I’m not kicking your ass for helping her is I deserved it. Well, and you look like shit. No challenge in it for me.”

Miles managed a laugh that turned into a weak cough.

“At least you’re not coughing blood.”

Pressure on his leg hurt almost as bad as the throbbing in his shoulder.

“Hell. You shifted with the bullet in you. Bad move, Miles. That’s gonna hurt like a bitch to come out.” Another pause. “Okay. They’re here. You hold on, you arrogant bastard. No way am I standing in as big brother for your troublemaking sisters. You’re not going anywhere yet.”

He heard more voices, then nothing. But he didn’t worry about Gabby anymore, not now that Grady had come to save his mate.

Gabby wanted to spit she was so mad. She’d been through shit with Hunters a few months ago. From them she expected callous treatment. But from her own kind? And cats at that?

“This one’s a natural redhead, I’ll bet. Nice rack. And did you see that ass?” one of them said—the one with grabby hands.

Others laughed. Four males, from what she heard and sensed.

“She’ll do,” the leader, Ronnie, commented as if she were of no import. Just something to tide him over until something better came along. “But she’s not the one he wants. Stacey Bermin. You make sure everyone knows not to touch her. Lex is saving her for something special.”

“Sure thing, Ronnie.”

“Radio the others.” He paused. “But make sure they don’t dump Miles. Lex needs to teach the cat a lesson in front of the pride. Rebellion won’t be tolerated.”

“Right, boss.”

Please. If Ronnie was anyone’s boss, she was sleeping with Miles. The asshole had the weakest voice and scent she’d ever experienced. So…mousy.

The fox within twitched with amusement.

She stretched, intentionally arching her back to emphasize her breasts. For once, she thanked the Maker for being generous.

A few whistles told her she’d been noticed.

She couldn’t see much light beyond the blindfold. Considering she and Miles had spent an hour at the Fox’s Henhouse, she knew the sun must have set. Which would have been advantageous if she hadn’t been with Shifters who could scent her and hunted best at twilight.

If she waited much longer to escape, she’d be too far out from Cougar Falls to get any help. Not that she didn’t know the others would come for her, but she’d rather be found sooner than later, especially with these yahoos drooling over her.

Remembering what had once worked for her with Hunters, she used the same distraction now. Namely, her body.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not a part of it.”

“You are now.” She recognized Ronnie’s voice.

“But I don’t want to be. Let me show you how uninteresting I really am. Once you see me, the real me, you’ll know you’re making a huge mistake. Let me convince you.” She awkwardly unfastened the top buttons of her blouse, her bound hands making it difficult to function.

“Fuck, yeah.” A few of them were loud in their agreement, but Ronnie remained mute.

Then he said, “Fine. But don’t try anything, sweetheart. Blow the boys and we’ll see if we can’t manage to lose you for a while. My brother doesn’t have to know.”

Like she really believed he’d let her go. But she smiled. “I knew you were smart.” She sat, docile, while every bone in her body demanded she tear into the creeps touching her all over.

The blindfold lifted, and she made note of two men behind her in the far back seat. One sat next to her, while Ronnie and the driver were in the front. Five cats, not four. Shit.

“Take it off, sweet thing.”

The dickhead next to her would be the first to feel her wrath. She held out her hands and let him cut the rope from her wrists. Then she removed her clothing, forcing herself not to flinch at the heavy weight of so many gazes on her body, of the rough hands stroking her shoulders, her breasts, her thighs.

Had she not been so angry, she might have feared the worst. But Gabby had too much fight in her not to go down swinging. She sidled closer to the Shifter next to her and crawled into his lap, getting closer to the door.

The driver had slowed, and when she bent lower to nuzzle the idiot’s cheek, she noted her whereabouts. Perfect.

With one hand, she braced against the door near the lock, while with the other she dug between her body and his, reaching for the iron bar beneath his pants.

“She feels good,” he narrated in a thick voice. “Lean back and let me suck your tits.”

“How about you lean back so I can let that monster out of your pants? I think he needs some attention, don’t you?”

The others hooted, and she swore to herself she’d never look at another online porn site as long as she lived if she made it out of here alive. Because this was as close as she ever wanted to get to group sex, real or virtual.

“Good idea.”

Yeah, I’m full of them.

He let go of her and fumbled with the snap of his jeans. The SUV slowed even more as the driver continued to look more in the rearview than at the road. Even Ronnie had turned around in his seat.

Anticipation filled her. The car door remained unlocked. Her hand had reached the handle.

“Suck it, bitch.”

Oh that was it. The B word.

“You bet.”

She started her shift and raked claws over his erection at the same time she yanked open the door and flew out. She fell onto a furry body, a nimble fox that could take a beating and run like lightning. “Suck this, bitch,” she yapped back at the SUV, aware she didn’t have time to dawdle.

The vehicle jerked to a stop, and the door flew open to show four furious Shifters in various states of undress while the fifth howled like a damn dog, crying in pain as he fell out onto the ground. Not too far behind, another vehicle came barreling down after them. Hell, more Miami cats?