Free Rage & Killian by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright Page A

meant that he couldn’t draw his weapon cleanly. It was all the opening that Rage needed.
    With a low growl, he leaped forward, grabbing the man by the neck. His fingers sank into the thick muscles, lifting the heavy body off the ground. Reaching down, he grabbed the weapon and tossed it into the corner. He didn’t want to attract any more guards with the sound of gunfire.
    Distantly, he was aware of the older man rushing toward the stairs, but he wasn’t foolish enough to allow his attention to stray from the man who was struggling to get free of Rage’s iron grip. The goon might be human, but he’d been injected with Pantera blood, which meant he was faster, stronger, and possessed more endurance than a normal person.
    Squeezing even tighter, he grimly shoved the man against the wall, trying to avoid the kicks that were aimed at his knees. Was the bastard half mule? At the same time, he was forced to dodge the massive fists that were aimed at his face.
    His grip, however, never faltered.
    The man grunted, his face turning a strange shade of puce as his eyes slowly glazed over. Still, it was several minutes later before the large body at last went limp and Rage allowed him to drop to the floor. Then, just to make sure that the goon wasn’t faking, he stepped forward and kicked him in the face with enough force the make his head slam back against the wall.
    Okay, it wasn’t just to ensure he was truly unconscious.
    He wanted the bastard to pay for hurting Lucie.
    For now a busted nose, split lip, and concussion would have to do.
    Confident the man wasn’t going to be moving for several hours, Rage paused to suck in a deep breath. He could smell the other human guard two floors down, no doubt watching the entrance.
    Which meant he only had to worry about the man who had climbed the stairs and was currently pounding on the door of the loft, as if that would magically make it open.
    Climbing the steps in two long leaps, he watched in satisfaction as the human turned to stare at him in blatant horror. It was always nice when his prey had the opportunity to regret making an enemy of the Pantera.
    Licking his lips, the leader pressed his back against the door and lifted his hands in a pleading gesture.
    “Look, there’s no reason we can’t work together,” the man said, beads of sweat trickling down his thin face. “There’s going to be plenty of money to share.”
    Rage curled his upper lip in disgust. “You think I would betray my people for money?”
    “What do you want? Women? Power?”
    A growl rumbled in Rage’s chest. “Your head mounted on my wall.”
    The man shook his head. “There has to be something––”
    His words broke off as the door was suddenly wrenched open from inside to reveal Lucie. She flashed a smile as she caught sight of Rage and the trembling human.
    “It’s done,” she said with blatant satisfaction.
    “Done?” The man paled as he glanced over Lucie’s shoulders to his table of computer equipment.
    Rage didn’t bother asking technical questions. It wasn’t like he was going to understand Geek-speak. If Lucie said it was done…it was done.
    As simple as that.
    Which meant it was time for him to complete his job.
    Reaching out, he grabbed the man by the material of his designer shirt, roughly hauling him down the steps and out of the storage room.
    “No.” The human squirmed, futilely attempting to dig in his heels, and Rage hauled him across the floor to the long bank of windows that overlooked the river. “We can make a deal,” he rasped. “Just tell me your price.”
    “My price?” With a quick motion, Rage had the man lifted off his feet and with one brutal movement, he was shoving him through the nearest window. “This is my price.”
    There was the sound of glass shattering and a shrill scream as the man flew out the window and down to the parking lot below. He landed with a sickening thud.
    Moving forward, Rage studied the limp form that was spread eagle on the