Heads or Tails (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Werelion Romance) (Quick & Furry Book 4) (2 page)

That earned him a hiss from Colton.

What the fuck ever.

With a shake of his head, he focused on his task of ferreting out Davis’ hideaways and gathering up his men for questioning… and more depending on their offenses. He let his own beast edge forward, just enough to give him help in listening and scenting but not enough to force him to all fours. They already had one man wearing fur. They needed Oscar able to speak to anyone they came across. He swung his attention up and down the street, looking for telltale signs that a particular rundown piece of shit was occupied by their prey.

Addy wasn’t just Zane’s mate, she’d also lived with Tony Davis for a while before kidnapping the man’s cub and running. The male was the head of the werelion half of the Colletti family and generally a fucked up lion, so Oscar was in full support of what the woman had done. Now, they were taking advantage of her knowledge of the man’s operation.

Normally he hated the idea of using a woman, but Tony and Marcus—the pride’s alpha—had come to an agreement. Addy and Zane got to adopt Tony’s son and would never be bothered by the family again, and Tony would no longer be pressured into turning on anyone or providing any other information about his own operation. He’d serve his time and be done. He wasn’t a snitch.

What the fuck ever. Again.

Which meant they were now using Addy’s limited knowledge. That included locations of some of Tony’s homes and hideouts as well as information about the companies the man had his hands in. It was a winding and twisting web of secrets and hidden pockets.

Two other enforcers, Austin and Grant, had spent days plucking apart and untangling each rope. The amount of information was nearly overwhelming, but they were slowly working through each new snippet and exploring each new avenue. Which was what brought them to this hell.

“Quit your bitching. The address is around the corner. Duck down the alley behind those trees, and come at the house from behind.” Oscar met Colton’s answering glare but didn’t back down. Yeah, it was dirty and nasty, but he wasn’t the one who had to knock on the damned door and risk getting shot. That was Oscar’s job.

He turned at the next corner and continued down the street. His skin vibrated, fur pulsing just beneath the thin layer of his tanned flesh. The cat wanted out. It sensed something Oscar’s human half did not. It drifted over him in a ghostly blanket, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on what he was feeling. Anticipation. Excitement. Unease.

But no fear. No hint of adrenaline that signaled he was about to step into a dangerous situation.

In fact, his animal was urging him to pick up the pace. He had to struggle against the cat, push it back and not allow it to shove him onward.

Fucker, we gotta look casual.

He was pretty sure the beast told him to fuck off.

Then it didn’t matter because Oscar was paused at the edge of the property line of his destination and found himself staring at a saggy-roofed, dilapidated house. He figured it’d crumble at any instant and he was wary of going inside. The lion wasn’t hearing any of that and instead shoved his golden fur through Oscar’s pores. His human nails slowly transformed into sharpened and thickened claws and he shuddered as he fought the beast’s attempt to take control.

Asshole, I will lock your ass down for six months if you don’t back off.

The lion wavered, seeming to weigh Oscar’s conviction before he finally retreated. With the cat’s step back, he breathed deeply and sought a calm that refused to materialize. Now he realized it wasn’t just his animal that wanted to race into that house. His human half did as well.

Oscar scented the air, his animal more than happy and willing to lend its assistance. They sifted past the garbage and grime that surrounded them, hunting up the identity of those inside the building. As he grew closer to the structure, flavors drifted to him on the wind. He identified three—no, four—different males that had been in the area recently. Even within the last hour. Beneath those, hidden under the musk of the men, lingered one aroma that had him nearly roaring with joy. It was salty sweet, feminine musk and delicate strawberries—he fucking loved strawberries—and was made just for him.

In the middle of God’s asshole he’d found his mate.

Screw subterfuge and knocking on the door like a regular guy. Because something else was mixed in with her delicious flavors—her fear. Bone deep soul shaking fear assaulted his nose.

Oscar jolted into a run, cat giving him extra speed and strength as he approached the front door. He didn’t pause in his stride as he broke down the panel with a fierce kick to the lock. The wood bowed and shattered with the hit, tumbling to the ground in a pile of kindling, and still he moved on. The lion was intent on finding her, on discovering her location, and then they’d kill whoever had frightened her.

A quick scan of the great room revealed it was empty, worn couches and discarded pizza boxes filling the space. He moved on, stomping along the first hallway he reached, which brought him to the kitchen. More empty boxes littered the counters and more than a dozen empty beer bottles filled the sink. A growl drew his attention and he glanced at the back door to see Colton waiting for him. He strode to the door and using his lion strength, wrenched the knob and lock from the wood.

“Stay the fuck out of my way.” Oscar spun toward the kitchen’s other exit and down another cramped hallway. The walls were cracked and broken in several places and the scent of anger struck him. Male anger, male fear.

But no woman. No mate.

But she was here…

The first two doors he reached were open, revealing two deserted bedrooms as disgusting as the rest of the house. But at the end… stood a single closed door. A half dozen locks were embed into the wood, each requiring a key, and a long crack marred the center. He bolted toward the room, knowing it held what he sought. His lion roared in approval and padded and paced in the back of his mind. It knew about locks, knew that the man was needed at the moment so it stayed back. But later… later was another story.

He stopped at the door and brought his nose to that single crack, breathing deeply for any hint of what lay on the other side.

She
was on the other side.
She
was there.

“Can you hear me?” Oscar raised his voice, hoping to reach her.

“You seriously need to leave.”

Not exactly the words a man wanted to hear from his mate.

“Can you move away from the door?”

“Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. You need to
go
.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Oscar drawled. “But how about you step back? Because I’m about to kick this shit down.” When she didn’t immediately respond, he began a verbal countdown. “I’m kicking in one, two—”

“They’re going to come back and—”

Oscar swallowed the growl that leapt to his lips. “Do you
want
them to come back? Do you
want
to be locked up like this?”

His mate snorted. “As much as I want a hole in the head, but I also don’t want them killing you either.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Now—”

“Don’t get your fur in a bunch. I don’t know you from Adam. You could be weak and not able to fight them. I mean, Johnny is really big and… I mean, how strong can an omega’s mate be? I mean, really?”

Omega… Sweetness and light… Soothing and calming… And everything his mate was not. At least, he didn’t note those features in her based on their quick exchange.

“At least you recognize I’m your mate, kitty. Now, step back because I’m coming in.” Without hesitation, he retreated one pace, raised his leg, and kicked the locks that held his mate captive. He thought he heard her mutter something about asshole lions who deserved a kick in the head, but he was too focused on freeing her to bother asking her to repeat herself. Aided by his lion, it took one violent strike and the panel was torn off its hinges. It exploded inward, raining bits of wood, and Oscar scanned the room for his mate.

It didn’t take him long to find her. Not because the room was small or there were no places to hide. No, it was because the moment the dust cleared he found her standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed, and a furious glare in place.

“I should just gut you now and save them the trouble.”

Oscar grinned. “Aww, it’s good to know you care.”

She narrowed her eyes further. “Crazed asshole.”

“
Your
crazed asshole and as long as you acknowledge that, we’ll be just fine.”

Fine in more ways than one because his mate was… Damned fine.

She was five and a half feet of spitfire and seduction and even if she was glaring daggers at him, he was hard as a rock. Her midnight hair was peppered with white dust and there were a few smudges of dirt marring her pale face, but neither detracted from her beauty. And those eyes… They alternated from a brown so dark it was almost black to the pure amber of her lioness. And her curves… Don’t get him started on her curves, on the abundance of her breasts to the dip of her waist and wide flare of her hips.

He wondered if asking her to spin around and let him stare at her ass was going too far. A quick glance at her features, the glare that remained told him it probably was. Hmmm… Maybe when they got back to his place. He could strip her down, touch her, taste her, mate her… Yup, sounded like a plan.

Dayum. Da-
yum
. Hillary’s mate was over six feet of lickable, kissable male. Not that she was familiar with the whole practice of licking and kissing a man—she’d been under lock and key forever—but a girl could dream. Right now, she was dreaming while wide awake and in color. Fully tanned, brown haired, milk chocolate eye color. And he was within touching distance.

As they raced down the street in a large black SUV, Oscar—
Oscar
she purred his name in her mind—was behind the wheel while she occupied the passenger seat. She kept stealing glances at him, noting the strength of his jaw, the thickness of his muscles, and the confidence he radiated. He was a male in control, focused entirely on driving.

Or mostly, as his next words revealed.

“Kitty, if you keep staring at me like that I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”

Hillary grinned and then fought to dispel the smile. At least he liked what he saw. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I mean it.”

“Right. I—”

Colton broke into their conversation. “If you two lovebirds are done, the light is green,” he drawled.

Oscar curled his lip and glanced over his shoulder, a deadly expression covering his features. “I will leave your ass here.” Hillary turned to look at the man, earning a low growl from her mate. “Don’t look at him, he’s not fully dressed.”

She focused on her mate once again. “And? You think I’ve never seen a naked man before?”

She wasn’t going to admit that the only time she’d seen one was when she was forced to help patch him up.

The low growl gained in volume and his eyes glowed a bright amber. While she should probably cower and wince beneath his anger—she was technically an omega after all—she found herself smiling. “That’s kinda sexy.”

Oscar pressed his lips together and they formed a white slash across his face. A horn honked, reminding them they weren’t the only ones on the road and that they were still sitting in place at an intersection while the light was green. “For his own safety, quit looking at him.”

Hillary released a long-suffering sigh and straightened in her seat. “Fine,” she grumbled. “Ruin the first few hours of my freedom, why don’t you?” She sighed again, decided sitting up straight was overrated, and wiggled deeper. “I’ve only been held captive for twenty years. It’s not like riding in a car with men carrying guns is a novel concept for me or anything. No, this is just another ride—”

Her mate whipped the SUV off the street, pulling a shout from Colton and a small shriek from her.

“What the fuck are you doing?” That was Colton, but Hillary had the same question in mind.

The truck skidded to a stop on the highway shoulder, and Oscar threw it into park before turning to face her. “Let’s back that up a second. What did you say?”

She groaned. “I told you I’d been locked up for a while and that it would be a good idea to leave.”

Really good idea.

Oscar curled his lip. “Yes, but I think there was a little something changed when you said ‘for a while.’”

This time she shrugged. “We needed to get gone. Now, we have. And when we get to wherever the hell we’re going, we can chat about it more. But being exposed on the street like this,” she gestured around her, noting the highway was fairly empty this time of day. “This is so not a good idea. Let’s get our happy asses on the way.”

“I do want to point out that I agree with her.” Colton’s movement caught her eye and she realized he’d raised his hand.

“See? He agrees.”

At least now Oscar’s glare was directed at both of them and not just her. “Fine.” He swung his attention to her. “Two questions and then we’ll move.”

She so wasn’t going to enjoy answering them, she just knew it. “Fine. Fire away.”

“How long did they have you? And who was it?”

Yep, this was very much anti-enjoyment. “Twenty years and Tony Davis. Or Niccolo Colletti. It varied.”

Fur slid through Oscar’s pores, the golden hue coating his skin while his hands and nails slowly transformed into lion paws. “Twenty years?” His voice was way too quiet. Dangerously quiet. “But why were you still there? Tony and Niccolo have been behind bars for—”

“Yes, well, they have lawyers willing to go inside and telephones. Business doesn’t stop just because the boss is on a vacation for three to five.” She left the “duh” off her statement. Because, really, Hillary knew the North American pride took down Tony Davis and the human Niccolo. But how did they not get this?

“No, they—”

An all too familiar limo sped past on the other side of the highway. Further proof that prison didn’t deter “company” operations. Ugh. Now really wasn’t the time to hash this out. “You know what? I promise to tell you anything and everything if we can just get moving again.”