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Boo-yah!

When Nick had refused to jeopardize what little future he had to go along with Alan’s "brilliant" scheme, they’d turned on him with relish and had al at the very last second, they would have And they’d have done it with a gleaet His childhood "friends" who had claimed to be his brothers froround

Now as he stared at thesta habitat, he wondered how he’d ever seen the other than the selfish animals they were How had he ever called them friends and not seen the cruelty they were capable of? Yet back then that cruelty had never been directed at hi of their hatred

At the end of the day, Nick hadn’t wanted to judge thes they couldn’t help, the way the rest of the world had wrongly judged himents arranted and necessary survival skills And instead of sued by circumstances beyond their control, Nick should have looked closer at them and seen what part of their situation was exactly their fault and no one else’s

Right or wrong, everyone made their own decisions and should be held accountable for the not to be obvious, Nick scanned the shadows for themember of their merry criminal band But for once, he was nowhere to be seen

"Where’s Mike?" Nick asked, putting Casey behind him as he calhten him at all They just pissed hi in a gator’s belly down in the bayou ’cause he caught a clue and told you where to stick it?"

Alan gaped as he recognized Nick’s voice "Go-chay? Nah, dog, that ain’t you That can’t be you"

Tyree curled his lip as he ran his covetous gaze over Nick’s new clothes "Nah It don’t look like Go-chay at all He’s not wearing thely shirts"

"Go-shay," Nick said fro theirthey knew he couldn’t stand

Alan sneered at hiet them threads, boy? I know you can’t afford the off her clothes for pocket change, and that old lady you work for sure ain’t paying that kind of hed "If she is, I think we ought to pay her a visit one night after she closes her shop"

Casey started crying hysterically "What’s going on, Nick? Who are these people?"

He spoke to her over his shoulder "It’s all right Stay calm"

Alan let out a lohistle "That your woman? Day-am" He tilted his head to see her better "Nah, can’t be She too fine for a piece of ignorant Cajun gutter trash like you Now be a good boy and pass her purse and your wallet over to us, and we ht"

A slow smile spread across Nick’s face as he broke into a thick Cajun accent So that should have warned theht to be running away as fast as they could The rave; présent, cher What say we pass a bon temps instead, n’est pas?"

Alan cocked the 38 he held sideways and aiot to shoot till you learn better than to mess with me, boy?"

Payback’s a b--

And she was about to come over with friends to collect rent with interest

Nick held his hands up and splayed his fingers to lure theht Nick Gautier passive …

They really were too stupid to live

"Ça c’est bon, capon Ain’t no need in getting hos-tile Bon rien" Nick moved slohile Casey’s wails picked up tempo He held one hand out to her "Let me have your purse, bebelle"

Tears strea herKody would have never done Heck, Kody would have already yanked out a sword and cut one of their heads off

But Casey was not Kody She was meek and helpless

Nick wrapped his hand in the strap of her purse while he fished his wallet out of his back pocket Then he whispered to Casey, "When I round, okay? And stay there until I tell you to get up" Louder, for the benefit of their ers, he said, "Just do what they say, Boo It’ll all be all right"

Her hands visibly shaking, she nodded

Tyree licked his lips as he skiht to keep his girl and have soo What do you think, Alan?"

Alan grinned "Yeah I think we ht do that"

Like heck you will…

Nick held the purse out to Alan,sure to keep it just a hair past his reach "I think that would be a very unhealthy thing for you to do, tchu," Nick said, his voice dropping an octave as his hands began to heat up "Kind of like s two packs a day, only much more lethal and quicker to kill you"

"You don’t scare , and you damn sure don’t tellNick would loosen his grip and let hi Alan into his range Before Alan could catch his balance, Nick ripped the gun out of his hand and ai, Tyree ran for the parking lot

Nick would have pursued hiun back In that instant, Nick felt his powers surge forith an audible rush that filled his ears with a fierce, dru beat

The s

Kirast kiroza kirent Conceived in violence to do violence and to die violently That was the proe that wrapped around Nick’s Malachai symbol It was the Code of his breed