The Runaway Cat (Book 2 Cloverleah Pack Series) (22 page)

“You beat your mate?  You intimidate your children?  You rule your house with fear?  What are you Reuben, a psychopath or someone with a king sized hate on for your own family?”

“She’s not my mate, she’s my wife - there’s a big difference…and what do you care oh great and mighty Alpha?  I saw what you did to Kane before he left.  You’re no better than I am.”  Griff’s father, Reuben, might be down but his attitude still needed a huge adjustment.  There was no respect in his tone as he addressed his Alpha brother.

As Arthur roared his disgust, the wolves in his pack all dipped their heads and tilted them in a sign of submission.  Diablo didn’t feel the need to do so, although he could feel the power in the room.  Looking up he saw that the members of his pack were similarly unaffected.  Filing his questions away for another time, Diablo went back to listening in on the on-going drama while enjoying the feel of Griff’s hand that w
as lightly scratching the fur on the back of his neck.  It was really hard to sit still like a staunch cat protector when all he wanted to do was nudge Griff to the ground, shift while on top of him and kiss the man senseless.

“How dare you speak to me in that tone?  Yes I did wrong by Kane and I have spent years regretting every blow and every word.  But I have never hit my mate.  I haven’t hit any of my other children and I don’t rule my home or my pack with fear.
You are nothing but a piece of disgusting garbage who has always believed that might is right…”

“You can’t talk to
me
like that.  You did beat your son because he was gay and that was the right thing to do.  They are an abomination and you are feeding them in your home like it was no big deal.  Why would you do that?”

“Because, my brother,” Arthur’s firm voice boomed through the house. “If the Fates have sent these men, my family and men like them true mates, like the bonds I see with the men who visited me today, then who the hell am I to care what they get up to in the privacy of their own rooms.  The Fates bought these guys together - are you better than the Fates now?”

“There is no such thing as mates,” the man on the floor said bitterly.  “I never found mine and look what I got saddled with instead.  A weak wife, stupid kids and a faggot for a son. You are just hiding your own gay tendencies behind the riddle of the Fates.”

Taking a deep breath Arthur looked around the room before turning his eyes onto Kane, Shawn, Griff and Diablo.  Looking at Shawn he spoke.

“I Arthur Matthews, Alpha of the Denver Colorado Pack, do hereby sentence you, Reuben Matthews to death for long term crimes against your family, against the Cloverleah Pack and for initiating an attack on guests in my own home on pack lands. The sentence to be carried out immediately.” 

Shawn looked at Arthur closely for a moment and then nodded. “As Shifter Guardian I consider this a fair and just punishment.  Under pack law you Arthur, or Kane, Griff, Diablo or Margaret all have the right to carry out the punishment. Otherwise the enforcers can take care of it.”
Shawn’s voice was quiet but firm and carried around the room.

Arthur shook his head.  He was clutching onto Cheryl’s hand like a lifeline, his other arm wrapped loosely around Margaret’s shoulders.  Kane looked at Shawn and then back at Griff and Diablo.  “I think Griff or Diablo should do it,” he said firmly.

Diablo could feel Griff’s hand tightening on his head as the big man struggled with his decision.  He nudged Griff with his nose and rubbed his head up and down the man’s thigh in support taking care not to knock the man over. 

Taking a deep breath Griff said, “I have never wished you harm Reuben, even after all you did to me.  But hearing how you have abused my mother and the rest of my family all these years I want you dead, believe me I want you dead.  But I am not like you and I feel no shame in letting your death be at the hand of another.”  He looked down at Diablo who was watching him with his big yellow eyes.  They flashed for a second and then Diablo stalked over and
grabbed Reuben, who was still lying on the floor, by his shoulder and stalked out of the door with the man dragging behind him.  As Reuben got an idea of what was about to happen he started screaming and cursing and trying to hit out at Diablo, but the big cat didn’t let go.  His huge fangs were firmly embedded in the thrashing man’s shoulder stopping him from shifting and Diablo just kept on padding out the door, down the porch stairs and out onto the concrete where he dropped him. 

Diablo let out a huge roar, that resounded around the house and clearing and then with the words, “You are nothing but a fucking faggot,” ringing in his ears from the man below him, he
flicked out his claws and in one quick lethal swipe Reuben’s throat, hell his whole neck, was gone and the man was finally quiet. Not even bothering to look at his prey, Diablo turned and walked back up to the house.  He needed to find his clothes and then he wanted to hold his mate.

Griff was waiting for him on the porch.  The big man was crying and he dropped down on his knees beside the lethal panther and hugged him tight.  “Thank you, thank you, thank you, my lover.  Thank you so much.  I love you so much, my angel, so very much.”  Griff’s whispered words caused Diablo t
o purr a little and he stood still and let his lover cry himself out realizing perhaps that Griff couldn’t have done this if he had been in his human form.

Finally Griff pulled himself together and went to stand up.  “Let’s go find your clothes, my mate and get you shifted,
aye.”  Chuffing in agreement, Diablo went to follow his mate when he heard a little girl calling out, “Uncle Griff, Uncle Griff.”  They both turned to watch a cute little girl aged about four years old come running up the steps after them.  A tall dark haired woman was walking slowly behind her.  The little girl came right up to Griff and started tugging on his jeans.  Kneeling down Griff took her tiny hand in his and just looked at her before saying, “who are you little one?”

“I’m Casey,” the little girl said boldly, “and I’m four and that’s my Mommy, over there.” She pointed to the woman who was just coming up the porch steps.  Griff looked up at the woman, searching her face and then tentatively he said, “Crystal, is that you?”  The woman nodded shyly and then broke out a huge smile.  That and her deep green eyes told Diablo that this must be one of Griff’s sisters.

“Hello brother, it has been a long time, as you can see.  It is good to see you.”

“Crystal, I don’t believe it, you are all grown up and a mother now, wow.”  Griff was stunned and even more so when the woman laughed and came around to give Griff a huge hug.  He tried to stand up but Casey had his hand firmly and was tugging at him again.

“Uncle Griff, Uncle Griff.”

“What is it sweetie?”  Griff asked Casey gently.

“Please Uncle Griff; can I please pet your cat?  He is so pretty and so big, and I have never seen one before, can I please?”

“Well, I don’t know Casey, why don’t you ask him yourself?  This is your Uncle Diablo and he is a black panther and they might not like being petted,” Griff said softly as he looked at Diablo with a big grin on his face.

“Oh he’ll let me, won’t you Uncle Diablo, pretty please?”  The little girl turned her huge eyes and smiling face to the big cat, no fear on her features at all. She barely came up to Diablo’s shoulder.

Fate’s save me from little girls and grinning mates
, Diablo thought as he slowly sank down on his haunches until he was lying flat on the porch, his big head resting on his bigger paws.  He sniffed at Casey and she obligingly held out her hand, seeming to know that Diablo would have to smell her before she approached him proper. Then he bunted his head under her hand so she could stroke him on the top of his head.

As she reached his fur she let out a huge squeal which made everyone on the porch jump.  Diablo forced himself to remain still so he wouldn’t hurt the little girl given that she was so close to him.

“Oh he is so soft, Mommy, and so pretty.  His fur is so warm and did I say it was soft?  He is just so cuddly,” and with that Casey wrapped her arms around Diablo’s neck and gave him a surprisingly huge squeeze for someone so small.  He gave a little cough to warn her that her arms were a little bit tight and she loosened her grip a bit as she carried on chatting.

“You know Uncle Diablo, my friends want to come and pet you too, is that okay?  I just know you will say yes, cos you are such a lovely cat
and they haven’t seen one either, is that okay with you?”  Diablo looked up to see another three children all standing about three foot away staring around the legs of the adults.  He nodded slowly and then winced a bit as Casey squealed again, calling out to
all
her friends to come and pat her Uncle Diablo. Within minutes there were seven or more kids all standing around him running their little hands through his fur and playing with his ears and pulling up his lips so they could see his teeth. Diablo just stayed as still as he could although he did start swishing his tail when one little tyke decided it would make a good chew toy. He had limits after all.

Finally Griff came over and said, “Come on kids that’s enough. Time to let Uncle Diablo go and get dressed, okay.  He probably needs a cup of coffee after all that petting.”  He started pulling off the youngsters, one at a time, which didn’t work because as fast as he went to get another one the first one would grab hold again. 

Laughing, Kane and Shawn came to help, handing the kids to their respective parents as they got them free.  After about five minutes Diablo was free to stand up and he shook himself to get his fur back where it was supposed to be.  He looked up at the kids, still in their parents’ arms and was surprised when they all said in their clear little voices, “Thank you Uncle Diablo.”

Chuffing to himself Diablo finally went inside looking for his clothes.  Griff had them and he led Diablo down to the office so Diablo could shift. 
Hmm, it is okay to let me be a wolf pup chew toy, but not okay to shift and be naked in front of the family.  Weird mate,
he thought with a grin.

As soon as Griff closed the office doors Diablo shifted into his human form, reaching for his clothes.  But Griff dropped them on the big leather chair that Diablo had been posing in just an hour or so before.  Stalking back to his mate Griff wrapped Diablo up in his loving arms and started kissing him, softly at first and then with increasing passion. When they finally broke for air Griff leaned his forehead against Diablo’s and whispered, “I love you so much, my mate, so very much.”

“As I love you, always,” Diablo replied softly. He held Griff a moment longer and then stroked the man’s face.  “Are you okay?”

“Yes lover.”  Griff looked at him with his bright green eyes.  “Thanks to you I am more than okay.”

“Great,” said Diablo with a grin. “So where’s that coffee you promised me?  Being a wolf pup’s chew toy takes it out of a man you know.”

Laughing Griff went and got Diablo’s clothes and threw them back at him.  Swiftly pulling up and fastening his jeans, Diablo threw his t-shirt over his head and pulled his long blond hair out from the neck of it, shaking it around his shoulders.  Slipping his feet into his boots, he zipped them up and then stood looking at Griff who had
sat down in the leather chair and had been watching him dress.  Diablo was pleased to see that the man still had a half smile on his face and a definite bulge in his jeans.  His mate couldn’t be too upset by the events of the day if he was thinking dirty thoughts.

“Come here,” Griff said his voice low and promising wicked things.

“Na, uh, my lover.  I am not starting anything with you in your Uncle’s house. Now come and get me the coffee you promised me.”  Diablo sauntered over to where Griff was sitting and smirked at him as Griff pulled him down onto his lap and started kissing him again. 
Boy Griff’s mouth should be registered as a lethal weapon
, Diablo thought as his head started to swim with pleasure.  Things probably would have gotten a lot more heated except they both heard a little knock at the door.

“Uncle Diablo, it’s Casey.  Grandma said to tell you that coffee is ready so you have to come out now.”
  Grandma, fuck.  That would be Margaret.  Diablo flashed a worried look at Griff who grinned at him.

“It’s fine Diablo, she loves you already as a cat for what you did for her.  So come let her meet the man behind the cat okay?  Come and meet my Mom,” Griff said proudly.
  Then he grabbed Diablo’s neck one last time to pull him in for another long and passionate kiss.  Man, thought Diablo, I can’t wait to get home.  But first a cup of coffee, meet the mother-in-law and then hopefully a willing mate in a warm bed.  The day could only get better from here. 

Chapter Twenty Two

Diablo woke up with Griff’s voice pounding in his head. 
What the fuck, Griff?

Diablo, thank the Fates you have woken up.  Where are you?

What do you mean where am I?  Griff??

Hon, you’ve been abducted.  Where are you?

Abducted?  Diablo carefully opened his eyes but he could see nothing but blackness all around. Crap. Even with his shifter eyesight he could make out nothing except…except…it looked like he was in some sort of a box.  Deciding to try and get up Diablo went to move his arms and legs only to find they were shackled together with some thick chains from the feel of things. Double crap.

Rocking his body from side to side Diablo could tell that the box itself was no bigger than a coffin.  No room to shift and while he could risk breaking the box open, without knowing what would be awaiting him when he did it, he quickly made the decision to scrap that idea.

Er Griff honey, I don’t actually know where I am. I’m in some kind of box, about the size of a coffin.  Feet and hands shackled together.  Can’t see a bloody thing and no room to shift. Please tell me this is your idea of some kind of sick joke.

No joke my lover, not of my doing.  Sweetheart…
Griff broke off he sounded heartbroken.  Diablo struggled to clear his head so he could remember what had happened.

He remembered being at the Matthews house.  Killing Griff’s father.  Playing with Griff’s nieces and nephews.  Getting coffee.  Talking to Arthur, Cheryl and Margaret.  Heading off for home
with the others and really looking forward to getting there.

Riding the bike.  The others going ahead as they overtook a large vehicle.  Diablo coming up behind them ready to overtake.  Then…then a grey van pulled up beside him.  Diablo was struggling to remember more.  He got shot with something.  Came off his bike…screaming for Griff in his head as he…as he…as he passed out. 

Fuck Griff the bastards shot me with something.  Guys in a grey van.  I passed out and woke up here…wherever here is.

Did they hurt you
sweetheart?  Are you okay?

Hmm I think so.  Can’t move much but nothing seems to be broken.  Head is real fuzzy and all I can hear is this bloody droning noise.

Back in Cloverleah, Griff looked at Kane and Shawn.  “He can hear a droning noise but that’s all,” he said quietly. “No sight, no touch, he’s shackled in a box like a coffin, been drugged but he reckons otherwise unhurt.”

“Well that explains why I’m not getting much.”  Shawn had been focusing on Diablo’s scent and trying to bring up a picture of where the man was.  But all he could see was the dark shape of the box that Diablo was obviously being held in.

Could you be in a plane hon?  Is the noise you hearing similar to an airplane or vehicle noise of some sort?

Diablo con
centrated on what he could hear and smell - the only two senses he had left that might help him.  As he listened intently he could hear the droning noise change tone, and then there was a loud clunk coming from somewhere underneath him.  Landing gear.  He sniffed the air cautiously but all he could smell was his own sweat and traces of pine - the box he was in.

Yes Griff.  A plane.  It will be landing soon.  I just heard the landing gear engage.  How long have I been out?

Just under five hours, sweetheart.  I’ve been frantic.

Yes Diablo could imagine the state that Griff was in but he had more immediate problems.  Five hours.  When he was taken they were about half way back to Cloverleah.  Diablo struggled to remember what airports might be handy to where they had been.  But that was no use.  The plane could have used a private airstrip and if they were carrying illegal cargo, like an increasingly irate cat
shifter, then his abductors was not likely to be using a regular airport.

Baton Rouge. 
Diablo messaged to his mate.  It was the only answer that made sense.  Somehow Georgio had found out where he had gone and had made plans to abduct him and take him back for whatever master plan was going down Friday - the day Angel was supposed to return him. What a cluster fuck. He could tell that Griff had been following his thought patterns, something his next message confirmed.

Yeah, hon.  Could only be Georgio.  No worries my honey, Angel will just have to come back in and pull you out again.

NO! 
Diablo was adamant.  He did not want Griff pulled into this mess more than he was already.  His life wouldn’t be worth living if something happened to the man he loved.  Diablo tried to convey these thoughts and feelings to his mate.

I know you love me honey and I feel the same way.  But you can’t expect me to sit back and do nothing.

Griff my lover, please don’t come here. It won’t be safe for you or Angel. Tony said the FBI would be swooping in on Friday to serve the warrants for Georgio and his gang.  That’s in less than 48 hours.  I can hold out till then.

Not gonna happen Diablo.  That scuzzball took my mate and our pack member.  This is our problem now.

Even as Griff’s quietly confident voice came through their mind link Diablo could sense the man was making arrangements to do just that.  Head down to Baton Rouge and save him. And Diablo knew there was nothing he could do to stop his stubborn mate.  With his head pounding Diablo gave up the fight to stay awake.

At least give Tony a heads up first. I love you Griff. 
And then Diablo faded into the silky embrace of a drug induced sleep.  Griff’s words of love echoing in his mind as he did.

/~/~/~/

Back in Cloverleah Griff grabbed his head, pacing the floor and trying to come up with a sensible plan of attack to get his mate back.
He couldn’t bear the thought of the man he loved tied up in a dark box.  The day had gone so well even though Diablo had to kill Griff’s father.  Griff had expected to feel some remnants of resentment against his mate for that, but instead all he felt as he saw Diablo take care of the situation in a calm and controlled manner was an overwhelming sense of relief.  The bastard would never hurt him or his family again and Griff had planned on showing Diablo just how thankful he was when they got home.  Then on the ride home.  Pleasure one minute enjoying the sensation of the bike throbbing between his thighs and the wind in his hair and the next minute a yell from Diablo who had dropped back waiting to overtake a large truck.  Griff was stuck with no way to turn back thanks to on-coming traffic and so he pulled over waiting for his chance and texting Kane as he fumed.  He figured that Diablo had come off his bike somehow and the thought of his mate lying injured on the road spurred him to be more reckless with his turn than he should have been.  

Finally he got back to where the accident had occurred. Some men had stopped and pulled Diablo’s bike from the middle of the road where it had landed but of Diablo there was no sign.  Hasty conversations with the humans who had saved the bike revealed that Diablo had been slung into a grey van which had taken off in the opposite direction.  Griff pushed and pushed at their mind link, trying to get his mate to respond as he grew more panicked with every second that passed.  It was only Kane’s firm presence and a healing touch from Shawn that allowed Griff to get his
act together and head back to Cloverleah.  With no scent to follow and no leads from Diablo the pack needed to regroup and come up with a plan to save Diablo.  And leaving him in Georgio’s hands for the next 48 hours waiting for the FBI to act was not an option.

Griff looked up at the men around him.  Kane, Scott, Troy and Dean were all sitting watching the blue orb that flickered between Shawn’s hands as he tried to keep the tenuous connection with Diablo.  Shawn was getting tired, Griff could tell and although it broke his heart to say Griff heard himself tell Shawn to let the link break.  Shawn would need his strength if he was going to transport all of them to Baton Rouge and as far as Griff was concerned that was something that had to happen.

“I am going to ring Tony and give him a heads up and find out if he has learned any more about the plans Georgio has for Diablo.”  Kane looked surprised at Griff’s words because Griff was adamant that Diablo’s abduction was a pack matter and not one for the FBI.  Griff caught his questioning look.

“Oh don’t worry.  I am not leaving Diablo with that fucker for a minute longer than necessary and yes anyone in the pack who wants to help is welcome.  I know he is being held by humans but he is my mate and I am going to get him back as soon as they have stopped moving him.  Shawn can I count on your help to get me there?”

“Of course my friend, you don’t have to ask.  And of course we,” Shawn pointed to himself and Kane, “will be coming with you.”

“So will we,” Scott spoke up while Troy and Dean nodded.  “No one takes a pack member from us.  We are all here for you Griff.”

Griff nodded his head.  His heart was full of gratitude and thanks for the men by his side.  Diablo had only been in their lives a few short days and yet the fact that now he was so readily accepted to the point where this small group of shifters were prepared to risk their lives was truly amazing.

“Okay, well I will ring Tony and see what I can find out.  Maybe you guys should rest and get something to eat because I want to head out as soon as we get a fixed position for Diablo.”

Wandering away from the group he heard Kane explain to the others about Diablo’s last case and how Griff himself sometimes did a bit of work for the FBI.  He didn’t begrudge the other men in his pack his secrets.  Not now when they were all so willing to help. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the others in the pack to know exactly it was just up until today he had never had a reason to involve any of them.

But this time Griff knew it was different.  This wasn’t just a case with a faceless agent and human marks.  This time a mark had gone too far and Georgio would pay for what he had done.   Trying not to dwell on the image of Diablo shackled in a box he quickly pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Tony’s number.   Requests for a secure line had Tony ringing him back in a matter of seconds.

“Griff, what’s wrong?  Has something happened to Diablo?”  Tony’s normally calm voice was tinged with worry and concern.

“Yes as a matter of fact, how did you know?”  Griff was too on edge to be nice to his friend and boss.

“Oh fuck.”  The fact that the older man swore was huge.  Tony never lost his cool over anything.

“What do you know, Tony?  What haven’t you told me?”

Griff listened in stunned silence for a few moments before swearing under his breath.

“Well it’s not going to happen Tony.  I don’t care what your plans are or what you have put in place.  I am getting Diablo out of there tonight. You sort out your own bloody paperwork and shit and let me do what I do best.”

“Griff come on. Don’t you realize how big this could be?  To capture five of the biggest international criminals there are?  Interpol is all over this and it has to be coordinated properly.  Hold off until Friday, please.”

“NO!”  Griff was roaring now.  “My mate, my reason for living is shackled in a bloody coffin, drugged and possibly hurt.  I am not leaving him there and if you don’t like it then you can bloody stuff yourself and your job up your
ass.”

“Griff be reasonable my friend.  You can’t go up against Georgio on your own.”

“Well that’s something you don’t know about me Tony.”  Griff looked up to see the others had come in after hearing Griff yelling.  “I’m not on my own and this isn’t an FBI matter anymore.  I have pack members with me and believe me we will get Diablo out.  Make sure you have plenty of body bags handy when you finally get your men in place because you will bloody need them.”  Griff was snarling as he ended the call.

“What is it Griff?  What’s happening with Diablo?”  Dean had crept forward and laid a hand on Griff’s arm.  Griff just stared at it for a moment before shaking his head.

“Georgio plans to sell him as a sex slave.  He has five international crime bosses coming in for an auction on Friday.  It seems once Georgio realized that I would probably take his boy’s virginity, because that is what I or rather Angel Bandures would do he decided that Diablo being sold as a sex slave was a fitting end for an FBI agent. Once Diablo’s new owner took Diablo out of the country Georgio knew the chances of anyone finding him would be next to zero.”

The men all stood silently for a minute as they absorbed what Griff had said. 
The fact that someone would do that to another person just because the guy wouldn’t put out was a bit extreme to say the least.

“But Griff, didn’t you say that Georgio had these plans in place before you, as Angel took him for the week?”  Troy couldn’t work out why this didn’t sound right.

“Yeah,” Griff sighed. “According to the information Tony got from the guy Corbin, Diablo’s FBI handler for this case, Georgio had planned to take Diablo’s virginity himself the Saturday night I took him.  By force if necessary from what Tony could work out.  Then figuring Diablo would then be used goods and a potential threat to his own criminal enterprise he figured by getting him out of the country any evidence that Diablo might have collected would be useless without Diablo’s testimony to back it up.” 

The fact that the whole plan had been in place for almost a month and that the scumbag Corbin had known about it all along was enough to make Griff sick.  It was only the fact that Corbin was already in custody that stopped Griff from hunting the man down and killing him.