That’s why Toni loved Madra. Expensive it might be, but when she had to make sure the entire Jean-Louis Parker clan could get from one place to another in a timely manner and without embarrassment-inducing risks, she spent the extra cash to book them on Madra Airlines.
“Antonella?”
Toni spun around and immediately grinned. “Scotty!” She charged into the open arms of her fellow jackal. “I was so hoping you were working today.”
“Is it Kyle?” he asked with a smile when Toni stepped back.
“For once . . . no. I do need your help, though.” She took his hand and dragged him to the front doors of the airport and out to the limo.
“Holy shit.” The jackal laughed when he saw the bear.
“He’s afraid of flying,” Toni told him. “Can you help?”
“With bears? You bet. Just tell me what needs to happen.”
Ricky waited until the jackal had gone back inside the airport before he asked, “So who’s that?”
“That’s Scotty.”
“Just telling me the man’s name doesn’t really help me understand.”
“He runs the airport.”
“Thought wild dogs run this place.”
“Wild dogs own this company. But they hire other canines. They’re a really great company if you’re looking for work.”
“I’m not. Do you think I am?”
“I have no idea, with you free to follow me around all day.” She suddenly frowned. “You’re not a criminal, are you?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Well . . . you are in the Smith Pack.”
“And?”
That’s when the mountain lion started to laugh. “Oh, come on! Are you really going to be insulted that she asked you that?”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Everybody knows that the Smith Pack is either criminals or assholes. Usually both at the same time.”
Annoyed and always protective of his Pack, Ricky Lee stepped closer to the cat. Instantly, the cat stood straight, fangs easing out of his gums.
“Gentlemen,” Toni sighed. “Do we really have time for this?”
Ricky would make time.
“What are you gonna do, Snoopy? Without your Pack? It’s just you and me.”
Toni leaned in between the snarling pair. “Not really,” she said, motioning toward the front doors. Ricky and the cat looked over and saw about ten males in their wolf forms standing a few feet away. Ricky didn’t know any of them, but he knew wolves would always back stranger wolves against cats, because cats just really irritated them all.
That Scotty guy—was he the ex-boyfriend?—came out of the airport. He pointed at the limo. “He’s in there, Craig.”
The wolves trotted over to the limo.
“What are they doing to my car?”
“Tearing it apart?”
“Stop instigating,” Toni told Ricky.
The wolves stood outside the limo for several seconds. Then, suddenly, one of them jumped forward, barked, and nipped at Bert’s legs.
“Hey!” Bert yelled. “Cut it out!”
Another wolf jumped forward, barked, nipped.
Then they all did it, surrounding the limo and attacking Bert from both ends.
“Get off me!” he yelled from inside. “I’m not kidding! Cut it out!”
“Good Lord,” Ricky muttered, his annoyance at the cat forgotten as the two stood there with Toni between them and watched. “They’re baitin’ that damn bear.”
“That is so wrong,” the cat said.
Wrong it might be, but effective. Bert suddenly exploded out of that limo, roaring, claws slashing at the wolves. He hit a few, sending them flying several feet.
“Hey, bear,” Scotty said. And when Bert turned, ready to attack yet another canine, Scotty pulled the trigger on the tranquilizer gun he held. The dart slammed into Bert’s neck. The black bear roared and tried to run off, but the wolves kept charging him, pushing him back, blocking him off, until he began to stumble forward . . . back . . . and then down he went like a diseased oak.
Scotty handed off the rifle to some fox standing with him and motioned to the wolves. “All right, gentlemen. Let’s get the bear up and on the plane.”
The wolves shifted back to human and lifted poor Bert up and carried him into the airport. One of them grabbed Bert’s baggage out of the trunk and followed after them.
Scotty stood in front of Toni, his smile wide. “Told you. Easy-peasy.”
“Scotty, you’re the best.”
“I know.” He took Toni’s hand and rested it on his forearm.
“The best part . . . for a little extra, we’ll make sure he gets back the same way. He’ll wake up in New York and not even remember checking out of his hotel.”
“Excellent.”
“Now let’s get this paperwork out of the way.” He led her inside. “Would you like some champagne while we do this? You look like you need it.”
The cat looked at Ricky. “He is so gonna nail her.”
Ricky Lee took off his hat, scratched his head. “You know, cat, you are partly right.”
“About what?”
Ricky rammed his head forward into the cat’s, knocking the feline out completely.
Staring down at him, he said, “The Smith Pack can be a bunch of assholes.”
Ricky put his hat back on and went into the airport in search of Toni.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The limo pulled up in front of the town house and Toni got out. The wolf followed. It was almost seven. She’d gone back to the office and filled Ulrich and Cella Malone in on what had happened. They didn’t seem surprised, but Ric didn’t seem too happy about the fact he’d bought a limo he didn’t need.
After that, Toni left the office and found the wolf and the cat waiting for her. Where the driver had managed to get that nasty lump on his forehead, Toni didn’t know and she didn’t ask. She was just glad that he was willing to drive her home. Why Ricky went with her, she didn’t know, either. If she didn’t have the fever now, she wouldn’t get it. Her shoulder did still hurt but nothing she couldn’t manage. By tomorrow, the pain would be a faint memory.
Toni thanked the cat for his help, reminded him that he now had in writing Ulrich’s commitment to replace his vehicle with one that didn’t have a torn roof from bear claws, and said good-bye. Then she walked up the stairs to the town house, unlocked the door, and went inside.
She’d barely stepped into the hallway before Coop suddenly came at her. “Run.”
“What?”
“Run,” he whispered. “Make a run for it while you can!”
Ricky only had a moment to wonder what the holy hell was going on when they were there, trapping Toni against his chest, which pinned Ricky against the closed door. This was all of them, he guessed. Toni’s parents, the siblings. And they were all yelling. At Toni. At each other.
“Where have you been?” her mother was demanding, one of the twins in her arms.
“Hey!” her father called out, trying to calm his brood while he held the other twin. “Why don’t we let Toni have a few minutes to—”
But his attempt was drowned out by Kyle, Oriana, and another young boy as they threatened each other with all manner of things that anyone under the age of twenty-five should not be saying.
Cooper stood behind them all with another young female, both of them giving their sister what Ricky could only call a “we’re so sorry” look. He knew they meant it, but unfortunately it didn’t really help.