Tate tried to get a look at the wound to see how bad it really was, but the hybrid growled at him, revealing a mouthful of long teeth.
“Stop it, Bryce,” Malcolm murmured, firmly pulling his friend’s claw-tipped hands away. “He’s trying to help.”
Bryce relaxed enough for Tate to get a look at the two bullet holes perforating the hybrid’s stomach. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Tate could do for the injury. He wasn’t a frigging doctor. Hell, they didn’t even have a first-aid kit. Why the hell hadn’t he insisted Zarina come with him?
He glanced at Diaz and Malcolm, knowing his bedside manners sucked. “Do either of you know how long a hybrid can handle a gut shot like this without medical treatment?”
Both men shook their heads.
“I’m fine,” Bryce growled.
Tate ignored him. It was obvious he wasn’t fine.
“We need to get these people out of here and get Bryce to a hospital ASAP,” Tate said.
Malcolm immediately reached down to scoop up his friend, but Bryce stopped him. “We can’t leave. They took Spencer and Tanner. They’re upstairs.”
Tate frowned. “To the club? What the hell are they doing up there?”
“Not the club,” said the kid who’d told them where the keys were. “They’re one level up in the octagon. They just put Spencer in there with Tanner a few minutes ago. They’re making them fight each other. The crowd tonight is huge, and they’re screaming for blood.”
Tate knew he looked pretty stupid kneeling there with his mouth hanging open, but he couldn’t help it. He’d been ready for almost anything when they’d come in here, but finding out the big open space they’d seen on the map was being used as some kind of gladiatorial ring and Ryan was forcing two hybrids to fight each other while a crowd cheered them on wasn’t something he would have expected in a million years. His team looked just as shocked.
“Why would Tanner and Spencer fight each other?” Diaz asked in confusion. “They’re friends, right?”
“They have Lillie, and Spencer knows it,” the kid said softly. “He’s nearly insane with worry already. If they threatened to hurt Lillie, there’s nothing Spencer wouldn’t do to keep her safe. Even if that means fighting Tanner in front of a couple hundred people.”
Tate cursed, his head spinning as he tried to count how many ways this could go horribly wrong for them. Beyond the obvious fact that Danica and her team were likely about to step into a meat grinder—if they hadn’t already—there was also the serious issue of how a crowd of bloodthirsty fight fans were going to react when they finally realized the creatures up there with claws and fangs were real.
He was still imagining how that scene might turn out when a wall-shaking roar ripped through the air, paralyzing everyone in the room.
“Shit, that’s Tanner,” Diaz growled, his yellow-green eyes glowing brighter as he sprinted for the door.
Tate got to his feet. “Chad, you, Burt, and Malcolm get everyone out of here and away from the cave. I’m going upstairs with Chase and Diaz to find the others.”
Malcolm scooped up Bryce and headed for the door while Burt herded the other prisoners in that direction. Chad didn’t move.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said with an angry shake of his head. “They have my daughter up there.”
“Yes, they do,” Tate agreed. “That’s why I’m sending you out with the others. You run up those stairs thinking like a father, and both you and Lillie will end up dead. Let my team and me handle this. It’s what we do.”
Chad looked like he wanted to argue, but he finally nodded. “I’m trusting you, something I’ve never done before. Don’t make me sorry. Save my daughter.”
The older man turned without waiting for a reply, getting one arm around the female prisoner who was having a hard time moving and following Burt and Malcolm out the door.
Tate took off after Diaz, Chase at his side. They caught up with the shifter halfway up the steps at the end of the hall. That was when Tate heard the screams from above. Not shouting or cheering, but bloodcurdling screams, as if a whole lot of people had just seen something they wished they hadn’t. Then the shooting started.
Shit. They might be too late to save anybody.
* * *
“Spencer, you don’t have to do this,” Tanner said, trying to sound as calm and soothing as possible. “We can figure a way out of this and save Lillie at the same time.”
His words had no visible effect on the other hybrid. Spencer merely growled louder and dropped into a crouch, circling to the left, like he was trying to work himself into a better attack angle.
“There’s no way out of this,” Spencer murmured, the words so slurred from the mouthful of teeth that Tanner could barely understand them. “The only way Lillie will be safe is if we fight.”
Spencer threw a glance at the luxury boxes. Tanner followed his gaze. Lillie was still standing near the glass with Nguyen on one side, his gun still pressed to her head. Ryan was on the other side of her, one hand around the back of Lillie’s neck, making her watch.
“You know you can’t trust anything Ryan said.” Tanner backpedaled and moved to the right to keep his distance from the other man. “Even if we tear each other to bloody ribbons, he’s not going to let Lillie go. You have to believe me on this.”
But Spencer wasn’t even listening now. He was too far gone and had been from the second he’d learned Ryan had Lillie. His face twisted with
