Both men ran down the open hall, Rian with his head up as he continued to search for Lexi. It wasn’t until they came to the middle of the hall that he stopped, turning toward the middle door. Charlie walked over to it, and at the purr Rian gave him, opened the door slowly. Rian walked into the room hesitantly, eyes lifting to see Lexi turn toward him with a spin.
“Rian.” She spoke with a soft, joyful, tone. Moving towards him quickly, she lowered down to her knees as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Rian’s loud purr echoed as he rubbed his head against hers. Tears filled her eyes, a smile across her lips as she glanced up to Charlie as he slowly entered the room behind them. She was shocked that Rian had transformed in front of someone else, but returned the smile her friend gave her.
“Thank you,” she whispered to Charlie.
“You’re welcome.” He replied, tone just as quiet.
Rian had found her, with Charlie’s help, now he had to get her out of there. Should be easy, right? Every guard they had met had been taken out. Surely a brewery didn't need much more security at night. That was what he hoped, what he wanted. Get in, get out quickly. It seemed easy enough, until Lexi brought her hand up from his side, blood coating her palm as she let out a gasp.
“Baby, are you hurt?”
Charlie lowered down to a squat beside Rian, running his hand along his side slowly to figure out where it was coming from. As Rian’s fur parted, Charlie saw the small bullet wound along his side, just under his lungs.
“Rian…” As Lexi started to talk again, the sound of running in the distance caught his attention, making him turn from her. Looking down the hall, he counted three, no, four men charging in their direction.
Rian knew he had to get Lexi out of there, no matter what. That was the main mission. He glanced at her for a long moment before he made eye contact with Charlie. The deputy nodded his head as though he had become in sync with the cat. It didn't matter what happened to Rian. Lexi came first.
Rian glanced back to Lexi once more before he left the room rapidly. Lexi ran toward the door, stepping out into the hall just in time to see Rian disappear around the corner as Charlie restrained her. Nothing mattered to Rian but Lexi at that point, not even finding something that would clear his name. He needed her safe and he would die if he needed to, to ensure that happened.
Rian was fast, he was skilled, and he was a good fighter, but could he do it all while in cat form? He stopped just shy of the end of the hall, which led to another floor. He had the same abilities as a human that he did as a cat, not as powerful when in full transformation but they were still there.
He lowered down to his stomach, his ears pressed back as the men ran onto the landing from the floor above. They all stopped, gasping with surprise seeing what appeared to be a wild cheetah in the middle of the hallway. Rian hissed, bringing his paws up, lunging as he slammed them hard against the ground with a spit. Spitting... a defense, a warning, that the cheetah species were known to do.
“How did you get in here?” One of the men asked, as though he would get an answer. He stepped around the men who stood nervous, pointing the gun toward Rian.
Rian hissed and slammed his paws down onto the cold tile once more as a warning before he charged forward. The men screamed as Charlie knocked the lead one down. As soon as he hit the floor, Rian's mouth locked around the man’s with a tight squeeze and snapped it.
At this point, he knew it was killed or be killed. He had his woman to protect, his club. He was already injured, he couldn't afford to have a drawn-out fight. Fast and lethal was the way it had to be, unfortunately. Rian lifted his amber gaze to the men who remained, letting out a loud growl before he jumped. As he attacked, the hallways filled with the screams of the men, and the roar of a cat too far gone to care about anything but protecting those he loved.
Chapter Three Hundred Thirty-Five
Floor by floor, Rian was greeted with men that worked for Billingsworth. However, none were Keppel, the man Rian knew was behind taking Lexi. He wanted him, wanted to settle this and take him out not just for Lexi, but for his club. The man thought he owned the town, that he was invincible because he worked for Billingsworth. That he could do anything he wanted without worry for his reputation since the
Mayor and Sheriff were in their pockets.
There would be no real justice, Rian knew that, unless it was justice he gave. He worked his way through the building, back down to the entryway when he met another armed man. Rian remained still with a growl, hoping the man would just turn and run. The wound inflicted earlier in the night began to slow him down slightly.
He had fought through the pain so far, yet as he continued to be ambushed, the focus of the fight seemed to shift. He remained still, lowered to his stomach as the man neared. Rian backed up a single step before he leaped from the ground and landed on the man, his claws pressed into his skin as he pushed him back into the floor.
