Striping Hot

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

REX

Rage surged through his body like hot poison. He often felt that way after he shifted to human form, but whatever he was feeling in that moment with Gianna was beyond anything he’d felt before.

Gianna lay on a blanket in the back of his sedan with ruby red blood staining the fabric. She had a towel pressed to her neck where she’d been slashed, and Rex was driving like a madman.

“You don’t have to go so fast!” Gianna said.

Rex thought he detected a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked, a growl seeping into his tone.

He watched her smile in the rearview mirror as he flew through the streets. Normally, the sight of her dashing grin would send that special glow through her chest, but at that moment, it merely irked him.

“Have you ever been attacked by a shifter?” he roared.

Gianna’s smile melted away.

“What?” she asked.

Rex was blasting through the city, narrowly missing a red light. He didn’t care if he broke every traffic law that ever existed.

“I said,” he repeated, “have you ever been attacked by a shifter?”

Gianna merely shook her head. Her expression had faded into a look of concern, but not fear. It made Rex feel slightly guilty.

“Exactly,” he said in a low tone. “There’s more to it than a simple blow from a human.”

Gianna remained silent the rest of the way back to his mansion. When they arrived, he insisted on carrying her out of her car despite her protest. She rolled her eyes as he scooped her up easily like a giant lifting a doll.

“Are you sure you just didn’t want an excuse to pick me up?” she quipped.

Her scent was staggering, making him feel slightly dizzy, even though her sarcasm was irritating. He ignored her as he opened the door with one hand, then multiple attendants came to his aid and took her from him.

Gianna went to her feet and nearly tumbled to the ground. Rex felt his heart lurch as he grabbed her by the waist and stood her up.

“Whoa,” she said.

Her eyes were looking foggy despite her humorous attempt at deflection. Rex wrapped his massive hand around her face, and her glazed eyes hovered over to his.

“Gianna,” he said, “look at me.”

She eventually fixated on him with that hint of a smile curving her lips. Christ, she made him crazy.

“You have to let me take care of you. I’ve called a special shifter doctor to look at your injuries. You need to rest,” Rex said firmly.

Gianna’s eyes produced a thin film of water once again, and she re-directed her focus. She gazed around the room, looking at the high ceilings and the majestic decorum of his luxurious home.

“This place looks expensive,” she whispered.

Rex sighed, then motioned at the attendants to take her away. They gently took her by the arm and led her upstairs to his guest room. He made sure they were aware he was adamant about her comfort, putting her in silk pajamas and the largest, comfiest bed he’d owned.

Once she’d disappeared from his sight, Rex was able to calm down. He breathed in deeply, telling himself the doctor would arrive soon. He tried not to contemplate about the rare cases where a human could become infected by a shifter's claws and bites, rapidly breaking through to the bloodstream and killing the patient.

He told himself that Gianna was in shock but seemed to be functioning well. He decided that he was going to make a call to Voren because a simple dinner wasn’t going to be enough for him.

It was personal for Rex. No one was going to ever lay another finger on his fated mate.

He felt calm enough to make the call while he waited for the doctor to arrive. He stared out his front window with his arms crossed as the dark sky pulsed purple and blue like a bruise reaching its peak shade.

Voren picked up after the second ring.

“Why, Rex! My good man,” he said cheerily. “What did I do to deserve such a greeting?”

Rex felt his nails begin to dig into his arms. His anger was rising again, but he was thankful that Voren wasn’t right in front of him. He would have ripped his throat out like party streamers.

“Voren,” Rex said evenly. “I’ve been thinking about our collaboration.”

“Uh-huh,” Voren replied.

“I’ve been anxious to take a look at the dam project, so perhaps we could schedule our meeting at Costa DeLuca?” Rex said.

Rex wasn’t sure how Voren was going to reply but hearing a childlike squeal through the phone wasn’t something he anticipated.

“That is wonderful news, Rex!” Voren exclaimed. “I can host you there tomorrow night if that serves you well.”

Rex thought about placing Voren’s head into an oven, then slamming the door hard enough to remove it from his torso. He then imagined the head, eyes bulging out of their sockets, being served up on a golden platter.

That would serve him well.

“Indeed, it does,” he replied.

Voren sounded ecstatic, and Rex interpreted it as a belief that he had Rex’s money within his grasp.

"I will be sure to host you in style, my friend.”

Rex agreed, then hung up the phone before he had the chance to split it in half.

He placed it on the coffee table and then rubbed his eyes. He heard the doorbell and immediately sped toward it to greet the shifter doctor.