Free Call Me Miz by Gem Sivad Page B

strode down the corridor toward the exit.
    “I’ll go first.” Thomas walked along, having the gall to try to manage her.
    “No,” she snapped.
    “Can you heal yourself if you get shot?” he asked.
    “No.”
    “Then I’ll go first.”
    She said fine and then stepped in front of him before he could get out the door. Sure enough, Milo faced the cliff when she emerged from the opening in the mountain. The gun in his hand tracked her moves but changed to target Thomas as soon as hefollowed.
    Before he decided to shoot someone, maybe her, Miz crossed to where Milo stood. “Why in the hell did you not tell me we were living among a bunch of beasts, Milo? I thought we were friends.”
    He looked relieved then apologetic. “Hell, I didn’t know which side you were on. You’re not really straight-up human yourself. That’s one of ’em over there, isn’t it?” He waved the gun at Thomas. “Wyatt’s bringing more in and it’s got to stop.”
    Miz stared at him in disgust. Nice to know nobody trusts me in these parts.
    Milo looked nervous when Thomas made the chuffing sound of a big cat. “ Don’t move, shifter. My bullets kill the same as my traps.”
    He looked at Miz and said slyly, “I wasn’t sure Shep’s man was werewolf. Hell, I caught more than I’d expected. When you healed the cat, I wasn’t sure I’d caught anything but a wild animal. Not surprising around here the way Wyatt drags everything in. But lo and behold, the cat went straight back to Shep’s place and damned if he didn’t change too. It gave me the idea for the rest.”
    Miz stepped closer. She pulsed with pheromones. Though it disgusted her when Milo licked his lips, she leaned toward him.
    “You beat Jenny with a silver club?” She made her tone mellow, soothing.
    Milo grimaced. “It had to be done. She changed when I started hitting her and I knew I was doing the right thing. I drove past Wyatt’s place and tossed her from the car. Then I followed him when he came here.”
    “You threw Jenny from a speeding car?” She’d thought she knew this man.
    “They’re abominations, Miz. I’m cleaning out this den of wolves so the rest of us can prosper.”
    She slapped her hand over Milo’s free one. “Who did you tell?”
    “No one,” he answered. Truth.
    “Why not?”
    “I didn’t know who else was animal besides those two. I only knew about Wyatt because one day I was in a tree stand, hunting on Mr. High and Mighty’s land. He was walking through the woods and I didn’t miss the chance to kill the sonovabitch. With Wyatt dead we’d get the lumber companies here and business would be good for everyone.
    “I shot him in the back with a thirty-aught-six. The bullet hit him dead-on and I saw blood fly when he went down. But dammit, he jumped up, shook his head, staggered some and then shifted into a wolf.” Milo’s eyes got wild for a minute as he looked at her. She patted his arm.
    “In front of my eyes, Miz. The bastard changed and ran off. I figured if there was one there were more. When he was finished with you, he shoved you at Jenny and Jenny made it clear she wanted me. I just took advantage of all the perks, though I’d sure as hell rather have fucked you. I didn’t know at first whether she was a wolf or just Wyatt’s spy, but when I followed her home one night, the bitch shifted.”
    Miz rolled her eyes. For a secret species, these clowns didn’t seem to have a clue about how to hide. And then she remembered that she’d known Hank all her life and never had a clue.
    “What do you plan to do about this? Why are you here?”
    Milo smiled, happy to share his surprise. “I was in the army. Demolition expert.”
    She knew that. She nodded, letting him talk.
    “While you were in there healing the bitch, I set enough explosives to bring down the mountains above their den. Wyatt’s inside. He and any other damned wolf with him will die. The rest will leave when their leader’s gone.”
    “Where did you set