Page 42 (1/2)

"I could They watch me pretty carefully, but they also consider me only a servant"

"They’ll punish you if the cubs you’re looking after go "

"They will" Maria drew a breath and took on a resigned expression "But they won’t kill o after the second drop"

"And you want--what? Maybe ten grand a cub?"

Ten grand If Bradley illing to pay her that much to lure cubs away, howto receive them? She felt sick

"I think that ork" Now to have him let her and Pablo out of the house so Ellison could continue with his plan She rose "Adios, Mr Bradley I’d better have Pablo driveaway too long It’s o, certainly" Bradley’s mouth turned up at the corners "But I’ll have Mr Marquez stay a while as ive o hoave hiht I’ll do it I can"

Shouts cut off her words The bodyguards came alert and hurried out the door, and Bradley’s half s to the iceberg he became All humanity left his eyes, and he came off the desk, walked back to the wet bar, and calmly took out a pistol

Maria’s heart stopped, certain he was about to shoot her dead

"Get under the desk," he said in clipped tones, then walked past her out of the room

Maria heard the unmistakable snarl of a wolf, then the roar of a bear and the uncanny, breathy growl of a tiger Then shots firing, the chug, chug, chug of a semiautomatic

Her heart pounded in fear But the aniuards cried out Maria raced out of the rooun out of one bodyguard’s hands Ronan rose to his full Kodiak bear height, bringing his pan on a second bodyguard He didn’t even have to use his claws

The man collapsed, and then a puddle of blood spread out from under him Ronan blinked his bear eyes at hi roo up the stairs One of the bodyguards at the top, face paling, shot hier caer was on hiun around to shoot Tiger again, but Maria sprang into hih to take the man down, but he at least , bits of plaster and dust raining down on theantic, spittle running down theht in his yellow eyes wasn’t sane

"Tiger!" Maria yelled "No!"