Enemy Mine

Chapter 76

I had done a miserable job of reading Adamo. The skeevy look in his eyes told me he was not my ally, and with Stan the Barbarian restraining me, I realized that wings and claws would be damned helpful to a fragile hybrid.

"The situation with Vincent, while tragic, also seems fortuitous," Adamo said as he stretched the fishing net between his claws, holding it taut. "Everyone will be searching for him. He is a big deal, as you pointed out. But a hybrid? Who would notice one of them go?"

Shit.

I knew he was a stickler for rules, but murder? These gollums behaved as badly as humans, and that gleam of infatuation in Stan's eyes had been replaced by a malicious smirk. Boris seemed to be the only one left out of the loop, watching curiously but dispassionately as the scene played out.

With my options dwindling like water through a drainpipe, I needed to act fast, and since I had Stan's face right in front of me, I lifted onto my toes and kissed him. Not just any kiss. The kiss of submission. I heard a gasp of shock, which sounded like Adamo, but Stan made no effort to pull away. In fact, he kissed me back and lunged his pelvis forward to share his arousal with me. I assumed he hadn't figured out I was imagining him on his knees, between my legs, desperate to satisfy his lust.

Behind Stan, the river tumbled violently, just one well-placed shove away, and I leaned into him, forcing his legs to carry him backwards over the rocky shore. While Stan focused on pushing his tongue into my mouth, I focused on pushing him into the river, and when I felt his stranglehold weaken, I quickly ducked under his arms and shoved him with all my strength.

"Hybrid bitch!"

Stan cursed as his hands flailed out to grab me, but I was long gone before any of the stunned gollums could react, sprinting for the forest as fast as my snow boots would carry me. All I needed was forty-five seconds to make the change, and I'd have something to fight these lunatics with. I just hoped the trees would slow the winged ones down.

They shouted for Stan to get the hell out of the river, and I calculated my lead time to be fifteen seconds by the time I heard them tracking me. Was I foolish to think I could make the change before I got pummeled? I'd never sprouted wings inside a vest before. With my luck, I'd end up tangled. I was way out of my league with these guys.

Amid the pounding of footfalls, I heard Boris question Adamo behind me. "Think of your reputation, Adamo. You don't want this hybrid's blood on your hands."

"Good point. You take her down. We will say she fell in the river and drowned during our search."

"I thought Stan was your henchman. You two seem to be of the same mind."

"I thought you were, too. Pushed the girl off the balcony of a skyscraper."

"I knew she would never hit the ground. Not with Vincent and her demon boyfriend protecting her."

"What are you saying? That you sympathize with her? She has been copulating with your grandson. She could be holding the seed to another just like her. This needs to be stopped."

"Bloody half breed!" Stan shouted as he joined the chase, banking to the left to head me off. He had assumed his gollum form, giving him all the advantage. No way could I make the change before they got to me. My best hope was to reach the town on the other side of the river... somehow.

I banked away from Stan, making for the snowy shore again, and just in case someone was listening, I whistled to draw attention to my deteriorating situation. If Adamo didn't want his little secret to get out, maybe he would think twice about chasing me into the open.

Seconds after I left the protection of the trees, wings were upon me, and I dove for the shore as Stan landed on top of me, forcing my padded body over the bed of stones. My cheek met with a boulder, and a cringe-worthy crack echoed inside my skull, forcing out a pitiful cry.