My head spins as I watch, as the beast of a man grabs a second poker and pierces the back of the bastard’s skull, the loud crack and squish enough to have me swaying in place.
I’m going to pass out.
I don’t know if it’s from watching this man and his dogs obliterate a small army, or from the pain that’s starting to creep in now that my adrenaline has begun to crash.
Either way, I know I’m about to go down, and I have to be grateful that both Niko and I are too out of it to find out if we die from our injuries, a dog attack, or a brute of a man who wears chaos and destruction like a fucking mask and cape.
CHAPTER 14
LIV
SUPERBEAST - ROB ZOMBIE
My nose scrunches as something cold and wet bumps my cheek a couple of times, a whining sound accompanying it as it presses against my face then stops moving.
I force my eyes to open, my lids fluttering for a second before they do, my lashes carefully unsticking themselves from my eyelids. My vision is blurry and my head is fuzzy, like I took a nap and slept longer than I planned. I blink the sleep away and slowly lift my hand to my head as it begins to throb, rubbing my temple then the center of my forehead, wincing in pain the entire time.
Another whine comes from my left, along with another bump to my cheek and when I turn to investigate, I come face to face with a doberman pinscher.
“Hi,” I say softly with a frown, my voice hoarse and throat raw. “Where did you come from?”
The dog’s ears perk up for a second then flatten out, the action happening again as I get a boop on the nose this time.
I reach across my chest, the movement slow and sluggish, and like it should hurt but instead I feel a little numb. I hold my hand in front of the pup’s nose for a moment then roll my eyes.It already knows how I smell, the pooch has had its nose up in my business for probably longer than I realize so this is silly. Lifting a little higher, I hesitantly brush my hand over its head, the glossy fur just as smooth as it looks, and when I go to scratch behind its ear, I hear the unmistakable thumping of a tail.
I slide my fingers down to the big studded collar, giving it pets until I take hold of the tag and flip it over.
Bee.
That’s all it says on the front and on the back is a phone number. Nothing else.
“Hello, Bee.” Her ears perk up and stay that way as soon as I say her name, her tail working a little harder against whatever I’m laying on.
Is it weird that I’m not absolutely terrified of this dog?
Not that I have any reason to be. It’s all about how you raise them, how you train a pup and how you treat them. That’s what determines their temperament most of the time, genetics be damned.
But this sweet girl is exactly that. Sweet and definitely concerned about me. I just wish I knew where the hell she came from or where we are right now.
I slowly scan the wall behind her as I scratch under Bee’s collar, my surroundings only familiar for a few seconds before I realize I’m in my bed, in my RV.
I wonder if Niko brought the dog in here. I could see him doing that. He’s grumpy but such a big softie. If he found Bee outside wandering the campground, then… I…
Pain lances through my head as my eyes slam shut, an onslaught of images racing through my mind on fast forward before they force me upright in one painful move.
“Niko,” I say, my voice full of panic even to my own ears. “Niko, honey, where?—”
Movement by my feet has my eyes darting in that direction and when they land on my beautiful mate curled up at the other end of our bed, relief floods my veins.
Momentarily, anyway.
“Oh, honey.” I gingerly move toward him, my hands and knees pulsing with pain, my back on fire with each shift of my muscles, but I need to get to him. I need to hold him.
My eyes burn as I look down at his handsome face, lifting a few strands of golden blond hair to reveal stitches in his forehead and by his temple. His face is bruised and a little puffy, a permanent grimace painting his features but he’s no less perfect, no less beautiful for it. I lift the blanket he’s under so I can take a peek at his body, a few tears escaping down my cheeks as I take in all the burns and cuts littering his smooth skin.
I sniffle as I cover him up, desperate to hold him but absolutely terrified of hurting him, but when I go to give him some space, Niko’s brow furrows and he reaches for me.
“Okay,” I whisper as I grab a pillow and put it in my lap, smiling through my tears as he takes a deep breath and wraps an arm around my waist to rest his head on it. “Okay, honey. I’m not going anywhere.”
