“Is there any reason you just didn’t bring Kai?”
“Yes!” I whisper-yelled. “He would never have let me come back here.”
I could’ve brought David and Lev, but they’d be shot on sight if they returned here.
And I wouldn’t dare bring Rika. I’d have all of them angry with me for risking putting her in any danger. Michael wouldn’t leave her alone anyway, not after what happened last night.
Besides, Will was…nice. He might bitch and moan, but he’d do anything to help someone out, I was pretty sure. I mean, he picked out my underwear. That must mean we’ve bonded enough to ask favors of each other, right?
Turning around, I led the way toward the house, creeping quickly through the wet leaves and zipping up my new leather jacket against the cold breeze. Halloween in Thunder Bay was just as much of a big deal as Devil’s Night, so the next several hours would be quite a handful for the town’s police force. I doubted my father would send them after me anyway, no matter how stretched their manpower was later on tonight.
He’d definitely know I was here, though.
Jogging around the first garage, I snuck up to the big shop
and pulled my keys out of my pocket. Gabriel knew I wasn’t stupid, but he also probably figured I wasn’t a threat. Not yet, anyway. I doubted he’d changed the locks in the two days since I’d been here.
Flipping up the key pad, I punched in the code, and when the alarm deactivated, I inserted my silver key into the door, twisting the lock.
“What are we doing?” Will asked quietly.
But I ignored him, slipping inside and pulling him after me. I immediately heard chains rattle and shuffling coming from several of the kennels. Glancing around, I saw that there was no one here yet and noticed a couple emergency lights on giving me enough to see my way.
Grabbing a handful of leashes off the wall, I tossed three to Will. “We need to hurry.”
“Wha—”
I opened the first kennel.
“They’re going to fucking bark!” he blurted out.
“They will if you don’t do exactly what I say.”
If they started going nuts, the night guard would be out here in seconds. We needed to be stealth.
I approached the dog—an older pit bull—that had been here since he was a pup. He stood without barking. He, at least, knew me and was well-trained by now, but the others might get skittish, so that’s why I needed to be the one to grab them. Will could load them into the cars.
I gave him a rub behind his ear as I hooked his leash and gently pulled, leading him out of the cage.
“And if he just gets more dogs?” Will asked as I handed Brutus to him.
“Then we’ll be back, I guess.”
Hurrying, I pulled open all the gates to the cages and walked in, leashing the dogs and walking them out. The two Great Pyrenees came easily, but one was gaunt, her ribs showing through her coat, while the rottweiler, the two shepherds, and the two huskies all shuffled away, resisting. Reaching into the baggie in my pocket, I pulled out chunks of meat I’d brought with me, quickly offering it to them.
Will had the pit bull, and I handed off the two Pyrenees.
“Go put them in the backseat of your truck.” I told him. “And hurry!”
Heading into the last cage, I saw the beagle laying down, just watching us. I moved for him, and noticed he was shaking. My throat felt like it had needles in it.
I didn’t have time to assess the damage, although I did see some scabs, so I didn’t even try to motivate him. Scooping him up into my arms, I repositioned my hold on the other leashes and left the building, walking briskly.
Will and I made short of loading all the dogs into the cars, and I debated tying them up but decided against it. They’d been trained to be aggressive, but I didn’t want to risk one falling or jumping out of the bed and strangling itself. If they fought, I’d deal with it then.
Will jumped in his car, yelling at me through his open door. “Let’s go!”
I dug out my keys, but then I stopped.