One Down: Bayou Heat (Pantera Security League Book 1) Read Online Free

arms.
    “Wait,” she whispered.
    He frowned down at her. “What?”
    She pointed toward a narrow door that he’d assumed was a storage closet.
    “Go out the service door,” she said. “No one ever uses it.”
    Flashing her a grateful smile, Cerviel spun on his heel and headed straight for the opposite end of the basement. The female was as resourceful as she was courageous.
    And beautiful.
    Exquisitely beautiful.
    Not that he should even be looking. She was an asset, nothing more. Not to mention she’d been through hell on earth, and what she required now was peace and protection.
    Moving with a silence no human could match, he reached the door and gave it a sharp yank. It swung open, revealing a narrow pathway that led toward a side road.
    Outside, night had descended, but the monstrous ranch house that was constructed almost entirely of glass allowed light to spill out in a circle that encompassed the entire yard. Not good. That meant they were going to be exposed for at least a hundred feet.
    Tucking Hallie even closer to his body, he focused his gaze on the long, wooden stables. If he could get to the outbuilding without being spotted, they might have a chance of escaping unnoticed.
    Again he heard voices, footfall. Darting forward, he took off, using the most direct route to the stables.
    Unfortunately, one of the numerous guards patrolling the grounds rounded the corner of the house just as he stepped into a pool of light. There was a shout of warning, then the loud crack of a rifle being fired.
    Cerviel hunched his shoulders, using his body to protect the female tucked against his chest. He thought he heard her mumble something about leaving her behind so he could escape. But he ignored it. He recalled Raphael’s orders about lighting the place up if he couldn’t get to her, or something went down. Hours ago, he’d thought nothing of it. Would’ve followed through in a heartbeat—or the quick strike of a match. But now…this female… She’d changed things. In him, and in this situation. No matter what his direct orders had been, he was pretty motherfucking sure he couldn’t have possibly let her die with Donaldson.
    Not good.
    Ghosts weren’t supposed feel.
    Neither empathy, nor rage.
    Both of which he’d felt as he’d stood in the shadows at the top of the stairs, listening the onetime congressman talk about passing Hallie around to his guests like a party favor. It took everything he’d had to not rip the male apart right then. But Hallie was the mission, the priority.
    The next time Cerviel crossed paths with the human, however—he intended to gut him. A fact he wouldn’t be sharing with Raphael. Too bad he had no access to his puma outside the Wildlands. His cat would enjoy a good hunt to kill. He could feel the beast’s hunger vibrating beneath his skin even now.
    “Watch out,” the female called as a smattering of gunfire erupted around them.
    Running in a zigzag pattern, Cerviel hissed as one of the bullets sliced through the flesh of his upper arm. It wasn’t a serious injury, but it hurt like a bitch. And worse, the drops of blood that hit the dry, barren ground would allow the guards to follow their trail.
    At least they wouldn’t be able to scent him.
    Picking up speed, he hauled ass to the stables. Finally reaching them, he darted around the edge of the wooden structure and carefully lowered Hallie to the ground. She was exhausted, shivering, her hair still wet. Goddess knew how long it had been since she’d eaten anything. Any hope of a stealthy getaway was well and truly over. Now he needed a distraction so he wouldn’t have to deal with Donaldson’s considerable security staff.
    “Stay here,” he commanded, reaching into the pocket of his coat to pull out a small handgun. “Shoot anyone who isn’t me.”
    She bit her lower lip, her gaze moving to the tear in his leather duster. “You’re injured.”
    “Nothing that won’t heal.” He glared at his arm. “But the