Page 30 of Act of Passion

Still, he could have sworn the woman was marked by hisfriend.

She wiped her cheeks, dropping her boots in theprocess.

Striker retrieved them for her and stayed close to her, concern for her state of distress filling him. He didn’t want to think the worst happened, but he’d be remiss if he didn’t ask. “Lass, Malik dinnae hurt you, didhe?”

Shaking her head, she continued to cry. “Not physically. I was so stupid. I’d heard all about men like him. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but then he said he wanted more. He brought up moving in together and getting married. And then he freaked out and threw me out of the room. Why did I let him be myfirst?”

Striker pursed his lips, at a loss for what to say to smooth the situation over for his friend. “As far as firsts, it could have been worse. It could have been an English guy. I do nae think they’re verra guid lovers. Erm, not that I’d know or anything. I do nae bed them myself, but they do nae look as if they’d be worth much in bed. Never mind. Ignore me. So, about that rat-bastardEgyptian?”

The look she cast him said he wasn’t helping in anyway.

Striker shrugged. “Can I help you find Edee? She has nae threatened to unman me in hours. She’soverdue.”

Duke stepped out into the hall from his room, looking like hammered shit. He drank enough to cause one hell of a hangover. When he spotted Brooke in tears, he arched his brows in question. His gaze snapped to Striker. “What did youdo?”

Offended one of his best friends would think so low of him, he huffed. “Och, I dinnae cause this. Malikdid.”

Surprise coated Duke’s face. “Malik caused this? I’d have laid money on it beingyou.”

“The show of support is amazing. Do you nae have some ‘Eye of the Tiger’ you could be singing?” askedStriker.

Duke looked puzzled. “‘Eye of the Tiger’? Singing? What the hell are you going onabout?”

“I’ll show you the video later,” saidStriker.

Duke opened his mouth to say something else when a huge roar sounded from Malik’s hotel room. From the volume level, it could mean only one thing. Malik was fully shifted into alion.

“What was that?” asked Brooke, her eyeswide.

“Oh shit!” yelled Duke. “Get her out of here!Now!”

Nodding, Striker took one look at Brooke and did the only thing he could think to do in an emergency. He lifted her and tossed her over his shoulder, making her yelp and drop her boots again. If Malik broke loose and ran through the resort, it would be verybad.

Striker ran in the other direction with the woman over his shoulder, swatting at his back to be let down. The last thing he wanted was to have Malik eat the woman or maul her. He ran in the direction of the elevator and heard something large crashing from the other end of thehall.

Duke’s curses sounded next. “Fucking Egyptian! I fucking hatecats!”

“The stairs it is,” said Striker as he pivoted and headed to the stairs. He struck the door with so much force that he knocked it completely off. With the woman still over his shoulder, he hurried down the stairs, wanting to get her to safety and then get back to help Duke corralMalik.

In all the years he’d known Malik, the man had never lost control or had anything close to an issue with his shifter side. Often Striker was envious of Tut. Something had gone seriously wrong for the man to lose his shit to thatpoint.

When Striker got the woman to the lobby, he set her on her feet gently and tried to smooth down herdress.

“Striker!”

He blushed as he realized he’d run his hands over her backside, trying to be sure she was covered fully. “Sorry. I, um, have to go now. You should get as far away from here as you can. Do nae look back. Forget you ever met him.Run.”

More tears appeared and he knew then he’d said the wrong thing. But it was the truth. For her own safety, she needed to be far away. Malik would never forgive himself if he hurt aninnocent.

She turned and ran in the direction of the hotel exit. Striker started back for the stairs but realized he should probably make sure the woman got back to her own room safely. He spun around and went afterher.

She was nowhere to beseen.

Had she gotten out of the hotel thatfast?

He jogged to the exit and the doors slid open automatically. He stepped out but found no sign of her. Her scent lingered, mixed with something else, but she wasn’t anywhere he could see. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted several large black SUVs. The assholes were driving way too fast out of the parking lot. If they weren’t careful, they’d killsomeone.

“Humans,” he said, heading back into the resort quickly. “Here’s hoping the cat can get back in thebag.”

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