The Lion's Cat | Completed

41 ⚡ Panic

Chapter 41

XAVIER

a few hours after the abduction

My hand grabs Richard's fancy shirt, pushing him against the wall of our yacht. "How could you leave Red alone?" I say through gritted teeth.

The dumb tiger rubs his temple. "I tried helping her. Listen to me, you idiot. She refused to jump on me. I didn't think something would happen to her," he says, shoving me away from him with ease.

I turn around, grabbing the rails and watching my knuckles turn white as I take deep breaths. I should have stayed with her.

Yes, you should have, my lion speaks up in anger, she's fucking tiny, and the mission didn't end that well.

I growl, silencing him. As if I wasn't aware of that already.

I want to punch someone to release the rush of adrenaline overcoming my body. A hand touches my shoulder. The familiar scent of freshly washed clothes makes me know that it's Richard. "I know you're mad about the situation, but I need you to focus and think who would want her that badly to come here and how they even tracked her down," he says.

My brows knit together, my mind throwing me back to the past. Who would want Red? Dante is dead, Kali would have rubbed it in my face already, and I don't think it's her father's doing. A tied-up wolf flashes before me.

Of course. They were friends, and she stabbed him, literally. I would have chased her down as well if I were him.

"Michael," I grunt. "Michael Thorn, Beta of the Crimson Pack, he definitely has something to do with it.

"Alright, we're flying there now."

My eyes widen as I snap my head back to Richard. His phone is on his ear as he walks away from me. I quickly follow his pace, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Sir?" A guy's voice says from the phone.

"I need the plane ready in an hour," Richard orders, hanging up on the guy.

I squint my eyes at him. "Exactly how rich are you, man?" I curiously ask.

Richard chuckles, climbing off the boat after giving the order to Jason to take off. "That's a secret only my wife and I know about," he says.

I roll my eyes getting out of the boat as well. "I thought we were your family," I grumble, referring to the clowder.

"You are, but Gabby is special, of course," he says as we walk toward the trunk parked right in front of the lake.

"C'mon, I'm your right hand. Stop being so damn mysterious." I sigh, getting inside the car from the passenger seat.

When we're both inside, Richard turns toward me. "I invest," he says with a straight face.

I frown. "That's your secret? Isn't that shit risky as fuck?"

"I've been in that world since I was a kid, thanks to my parents. It's a part of me," he explains, turning on the engine.

"What happens if you lose everything?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "I own a trading company, we won't go broke, don't worry. Plus, I have a saving and emergency account just to be safer."

This guy surprises me more each passing day, Leao says, and I have to agree with him.

"Wait!" a high-pitched voice yells from outside.