Page 44 of Mated to Team Shadow

"See, Jeanine. He doesn't speak English."

"He understood, 'Hands up, get on the ground' well enough."

"That he did," said Ryker. He glanced at me.

"Kane, you can apply your persuasion skills now."

I stalked toward him, and he tried to crab walk backward, but Ryker stopped him. Eye to eye with our captive, I growled.

"Diablo!” he yelled and then jabbered a long string of Spanish words. Ryker spit at him in the same language to make sense, and that made the captive more frantic. He tried to twist away from Ryker and then sighted my fangs not two feet from his face. He screamed again when I laid my paw on his shoulder.

The other guy pleaded with the first man to talk as Gunner pressed his paws on the man's chest. He panted with his large jaguar tongue hanging out of his jaw. The sight of Gunner's fangs terrified the man enough to make him pray to the Blessed Virgin.

They say there are no atheists in foxholes. Apparently, there aren't in a Caribbean rainforest either when a jaguar stares you in the face. Ryker's interrogatee babbled a steady stream of Spanish words. I sniffed the man's neck, and the man shrieked and passed out.

"Good job, Kane," said Ryker sarcastically. "We were just getting useful intel from him."

Damon returned and tossed our backpacks to us. They landed with thuds on the ground. Damon pulled a length of rope from his and flipped the unconscious man over and lashed his wrists and ankles.

"Please, señor, do not leave me with the Diablo," said the man I guarded. Por favor," he pleaded.

Jeanine stood and walked to him, and I followed her.

"Why should we?" she said fiercely. "You tried to hurt us, and your employer kidnapped my friend. You better talk now. Otherwise, I'll leave you to my kitties here."

It should offend me she called me a kitty, but she said it with such affection that it warmed my heart. I butted my head into her hip, and absently she scratched behind my ear.

Okay, now I know why cats go nuts for that. It was the best sensation aside from sex because her hand sent waves of pleasure down my spine. What have I've been missing all these years? I got the urge to flop to the ground and show her my cat stomach, but nope, I had to keep on the mission. Still, I head-butted her again after she pulled her hand her away to let her know I wanted to get closer.

She was my mate.

"Kane," snapped Ryker.

Right. I can't act the part of fierce jungle cat when I'm acting like a house cat. I whipped my head back to the man whose eyes widened in fear once again.

"Madre de Dios," he swore.

"Nope," said Ryker. "She's the jaguar goddess coming to call. You've heard of her right? Rules the underworld with her mate? Do you want to see hell? She'll send you there."

The man muttered, and I lunged at him, but Jeanine put her hand on my shoulder, and I stopped. But I growled.

"Tell us what we want to know," she said. "Or I don't think I can hold my kitties back. They're hungry."

"I swear that I don't know nothing," he babbled.

She sighed. "Oh, well. Nice knowing you."

"Wait, wait, Morgan has a base at the marina. He came in last night in a bad, bad mood. Brought a girl with him like you described. She didn't look good."

"Fuck," said Jeanine.

"Where's this marina?" said Ryker.

"Over the ridge, in the harbor, north, ten kilometers."

"On your stomach," ordered Ryker.

"Don't let the cats—" gasped the man.

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