Free Kept by Shawntelle Madison Page B

used on me?
    “Do you do this to all of your potential customers?” I grated.
    “No-no.” His voice quivered from under Thorn’s glare. “Scabbard was warned to look out for werewolves tonight.”
    I paused. “Did another werewolf come tonight before us? A larger man?”
    “You’re the first. That’s why Scabbard was prepared for you.”
    My fists clenched and unclenched. Damn it, Dad, where are you?
    Then another thought came to mind. “Who warned you?”
    “Who do you think?” the goblin sneered.
    Thorn growled and then snapped at Scabbard.
    The goblin cried out like a startled cat. “Scabbard was just stating the obvious—Roscoe told him.”
    “We’re not Roscoe’s hired thugs,” I said. “We’re looking for someone. Thorn, get off him.”
    Thorn didn’t move. Matter of fact, he tilted his head enough for me to see how much he disagreed with my idea.
    “He’ll play nice,” I said to Thorn. “Because if he doesn’t we might have to use his own knife on him.”
    I retrieved it. The knife had to be no bigger than an envelope opener. A simple butter knife. While I examined it, Thorn jumped off the goblin.
    “What the hell is this thing?” I asked.
    The goblin laughed in his hoarse voice. “You like it, Wolf? It’s one of Scabbard’s expensive toys he has for sale. Its magic’s built to alter its form to the prey. Rather useful, regardless of the enemy.”
    “It’s vile.” I turned to Thorn, who circled a few feet away. “Any sign of my father while you were out partying in the woods?”
    Thorn shook his large head and continued to pace.
    “We should go back to Roscoe to see if my father’s there.” My fingertips brushed against my neck again. Not only did it hurt, but it itched as well.
    “So you’re just gonna leave Scabbard here bleeding, without giving him anything for his pain and suffering?” the goblin asked.
    And I thought my goblin boss took things too far attimes. But I’d only met Scabbard a few minutes ago, and I was already sick and tired of him referring to himself in third person. “I’m not the one who attacks people without provocation. Between the two of us, the one on the ground bleeding could’ve answered the door when I planned to knock on it.”
    “Scabbard’s protecting his territory. This place is rampant with you werewolves . The leprechauns aren’t any better either.”
    I rolled my eyes. “As much as I’d like to argue this little matter with you, we need to get going. We’re heading back to Roscoe. If my dad shows up—and he’s a lot bigger than Thorn, by the way—I suggest you answer the door when he knocks. If he knocks.”
    The goblin swallowed visibly. “Bigger, you say?”
    I flipped open my phone and showed a picture of my dad with my uncles. “He’s the one in the back who looks like he could crush you with his bare hands.”
    “Fair enough,” the goblin whispered.
    Thorn took a step toward the front of the building. I followed.
    “W-wait,” the goblin stammered. “If Scabbard gave you the compact, could you keep that bigger fellow from coming here? The rest of your family, too?”
    I shrugged and feigned a sour face. “When someone attacks a member of my family, we usually have no choice but to retaliate—in great numbers. And you attacked me.” I matched Thorn’s pace and gestured wildly with my hands. “I have several uncles, a few mean aunts,” I called to the goblin. “And good God, I’ve got cousins all over the place. Big, burly men, like my dad.”
    “Now, you don’t need to keep threatening Scabbard. All he did was protect what’s his from people like you.” Even after grumbling a few times, the goblin got up and hobbled over to the building. His hand shook when hereached for the doorknob. It served him right for stabbing me with his magical butter knife.
    After changing back into human form, Thorn followed us.
    The inside of the garage was nothing I hadn’t seen before. The office was against the far wall,