Free The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1) by Michael Buckley

These men were about to tear her apart!
    "Lady, it's you who's going to have the regrets."
     

Chapter 4

    eave my grandmother alone!" Daphne commanded. Before Sabrina could stop her, the little girl rushed forward and kicked the dumpy man in the shin. He cried out in pain and rubbed his leg. Mrs. Grimm then hit him on top of his head with her heavy, book-filled handbag. He crumpled to the ground and groaned. Seeing how easily their leader had fallen to a little girl and an old lady, the two other thugs laughed.
    "What are you laughing at?" the leader snapped as he crawled to his feet.
    "Sorry, Tony, we didn't mean to laugh," one of the goons said.
    "What are you doing?" Tony bellowed.
    "What?" the tall one asked defensively.
     
    "You told her my name. We all agreed we were going to keep our identities secret."
    The tall one shrugged. "Sorry, Tony, I didn't think."
    "Steve, you just did it again," the other thug pointed out.
    "You did it, too!" Tony shouted. "You just told them Steve's name."
    "Who cares?" Steve said.
    "Because they can identify us to the cops," Tony complained as he turned his attention back to Mrs. Grimm. He raised his heavy crowbar above his head and snarled. "Now we have to kill them!"
    "Easier said than done," a voice said from behind them. Sabrina and Daphne turned to see Mr. Canis emerge from the shadows with Elvis close behind.
    "Look out, here comes her boyfriend." Steve laughed. "You want to handle him, Bobby?"
    "Shut up! Both of you!" Tony shouted. "Why don't you idiots just give them our addresses and phone numbers, too!"
    "If you run off now, no one will get hurt," Canis offered. His voice was powerful and hard but the thugs just chuckled. Even Sabrina could tell that frail old Mr. Canis wasn't going to be able to stop them. Sometimes he looked as if his own clothes were too heavy for him to wear.
    Sabrina realized now would be a great time to grab her sister and make their escape, but it didn't feel right. The old woman and her feeble friend needed their help. She would have to do something herself—find a weapon—a rock, a stick—anything she could use to fight the men off. But the pathway was as clean of debris as it was of people.
    "Girls, get behind Elvis, please," Mr. Canis said, taking their hands and pulling them back so that the Great Dane was between them and trouble.
    "Enough of this. Get him!" Tony ordered, and Bobby and Steve lunged at Mr. Canis. Sabrina was sure they had seen the last of the old man, but he caught both of the men by the throat, one in each hand, and lifted them off the ground, holding them aloft as their feet dangled and kicked. Even more shocking was the loud, guttural growl the old man released when he tossed the two thugs, sending them sprawling across the cold concrete ground. For ten yards they thumped and bounced, groaning with each painful smack against the pavement.
    "All right, if that's the way you want to play it," Tony threatened as he pushed Mrs. Grimm roughly to the ground. He swung his iron bar wildly at Mr. Canis and rushed forward, but the old man quickly stepped sideways and tripped him, sending the thug to the pavement with his friends. Tony leaped up and rushed at Mr. Canis again, only to feel the same painful results.
    "Hurry girls, we should get to safety," Mrs. Grimm said as she got up and led them away from the fight. Elvis trotted along beside them, barking warnings at the goons not to follow. When they got to the car, Daphne climbed in but anxiously peered out the windows. After several minutes, Mr. Canis had still not joined them.
    "We shouldn't have left him. There were three of them, Granny! He can't fight them all," the little girl said, with tears running down her cheeks. Before Mrs. Grimm could calm her down, the car door opened and Mr. Canis crawled in behind the wheel. He was completely unharmed, and oddly, he had a little grin on his face.
    "See, lieblings? He's just fine," the old woman said. She turned to Mr. Canis. "The