Page 3 of Feline Good

Unfortunately, however, the stairs leading to her apartment, and by default her cell phone, were behind him.

As he stalked forward, Maya considered her options. She didn’t know what the hell these guys wanted, but it obviously wasn’t the cash in the safe. Besides, what kind of robbers carried fucking swords? They came prepared though, equipped with weapons, no matter how weird said weapons seemed, and a small crew. Maya still didn’t know if there was a fourth, or hell maybe even a fifth or sixth intruder that she didn’t know about.

Fuck.

This whole situation was shit. Like she needed another reason to hate Valentine’s Day? Maya would be the one to end it on a bang. And not the good kind.

Motion and a curse caught her attention, and she jerked her gaze to the man she’d cut. She found him in the process of ruining one of her dish towels by wrapping it around his wound. She narrowed her eyes at the disrespect. Really? They break into her bar, and then have the audacity to ruin her favorite, handmade towel?

Assholes.

At least he was occupied though, which meant she just had this burly bastard to get past.

The guy was huge, which she hoped meant he was slow. A big assumption, she knew, but she didn’t have a lot of choices. Even if she chose to run for the front door, she didn’t think there would be enough time to unlock all three deadbolts on the door. At that point, her back would be turned and Maya feared what would happen if the thick fucker got his arms around her. He’d probably squeeze until she passed out, and that was the last thing she wanted.

That left only one option. Eyeing the size of the big bastard, Maya knew it would be impossible to best him head on. With her tiny stature, only the element of surprise would work in her favor, and she could think of only one way to accomplish that.

A curse slipped from her lips, and she allowed her shoulders to slump. Purposefully, Maya let her lips quiver, as if overtaken by an emotion— fear, maybe, or sadness, even helplessness.

Big and Burly glared at her but seemed to relax a bit as he motioned her forward with the crook of a finger, completely falling for her ruse. “Come now, I only have questions. But put the khopesh aside.”

The what?

Maya dropped eye contact, focusing on his cheekbones and shoulders instead, showing weakness with her body language. Holding the hilt of the blade down with her right hand, she drew closer before laying it on a nearby table. Only about five feet separated them now.

He nodded in approval of her actions and stepped forward, intending to detain her. Instead, just when he got within arm’s reach, she acted on an old tip from Uncle Malak. Fight dirty. Maya did just that, grabbing the back of the nearest chair and swinging sideways. The legs and seat of the chair broke apart as it crashed against his body, basically disintegrating in her hands.

As he stumbled from the hit, she quickly grabbed the hilt of the blade she’d surrendered, and charged him with it held at the ready. Lashing out first with a kick to his gut, Maya then swiped across his chest with the blade. A slice of red split the front of his dark gray shirt, and she winced at the ease with which it opened his skin. He hissed, cursing under his breath as he gripped the wound and stumbled back. While he fell, she rushed for the stairs, knowing her phone was still her best bet for survival. Maya didn’t glance back as she took off, darting around the last few tables before her feet hit the first steps. Hope bloomed, her pounding footsteps echoing around the bar as she ran for her life.

It only took a split second for her hope to wither; midway up the stairs, rough fingers curled around her ankle, and yanked her away from her chance at freedom. Wood rushed up into her line of vision as the sword tumbled from her grip, teetering on the edge of the stairs before falling out of sight to land on the bar floor below. Maya didn’t catch herself in time, her hands scrambling for purchase of the old wood as her chin banged on the edge of a stair. Her teeth clenched painfully on her tongue, blood welling and dripping from her mouth when she yelled out.

Suddenly desperate, as if the twisted situation was just now registering, a sick pit opened in her stomach, and she kicked and fought with everything she had. The heel of her black boot made contact with the grabby man’s nose, and she silently gloated at the sickening crunch. It was the guy whose arm she’d sliced open behind the bar.

“You stupid bitch!” When he spoke in his harsh tone, hissing at the pain, blood splattered the leg of her pants. She tried to scramble out of reach, gripping the stairs to haul herself up, but he simply jerked her ankle back. As he pulled her down the stairs, the other intruders joined him in taming her flailing legs and swinging fists. They each grabbed a limb, and Maya knew defeat when she saw it, felt it. She was outnumbered, outmuscled… and losing steam, fast.

Fuck!

Maya tried to beat back the panic, the hopelessness that threatened to overwhelm her, but dread covered her like a dense fog as they deposited and held her down on one of her own damned bar chairs. Her chest rose and fell with her frantic breaths, belying the calm exterior she tried to portray.

Frustration getting the best of her, she blurted out a furious, “What the fuck do you want?” Judging from her last glimpse of the guy’s furious face and bloody, broken nose… whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

One of the goons produced rope, and she realized this entire thing was premeditated. They remained silent as they wrapped her up tight in the restraint, securing her arms to her sides. Refusing to answer her question, they studied her as she struggled in the taut confinement.

Sporting his new nose job, the main man met her gaze, and the fury she saw there sent a shiver down her spine. The next words he spoke chased away her fear in favor of confusion.

“Where is it?” The calm tone he used at odds with the emotion sparking in his brown eyes. Big-n-Burly jerked his hand haphazardly around on her bar top while keeping a wary eye on her, producing a rag and handed it to the leader to clean his face with.

Maya glared, before a truly terrifying thought crossed her mind. She hoped, prayed, pleaded with anyone listening that these men wouldn’t stumble across her cats. Surely they weren’t sick enough bastards to hurt her animals, right? She spoke hurriedly, hoping to distract them from her apartment. “If you’re looking for the safe, it’s in my office. I did the bank run this morning though, so there’s not a lot of cash.” Don’t go upstairs.

Big-n-Burly disappeared down the hallway. At the leader’s dry look, she rubbed her face against her shoulder to wipe away the drop of sweat itching its way down her cheek. Annoyance broke through in her tone. “I don’t fucking know what else you could want.”

He must have had the last of her attitude. Yes, Maya knew she could annoy the fuck out of someone, but this was her bar, by god. Hardly her fault she couldn’t hold her tongue when these fuckers were looting it, if the sounds of rummaging that trailed from her office were any indication.

As the leader’s meaty fist reeled back, she still glared, refusing to show him the terror that sliced through her like a knife. One hit from this big motherfucker, and Maya feared she’d be lights out… if not fucking dead. Even through the panic, she could still recognize how cliche this whole situation was.

I cannot believe I’m such a fucking damsel-in-distress right now. All I need is a damned prince to swoop in and save me and it’d be a total fairy tale. Although, I wouldn’t complain if someone showed up to save my damselly ass right about now.

Before he even had a chance to bring his fist down, the scampering of tiny paws sounded to their right, and she jerked her head towards the stairs to see her cats jetting her way. Their appearance caught her assailant’s attention, and she couldn’t be more grateful for the respite from impending pain, no matter how brief it may be. Maya cringed at the thought of her beloved cats getting hurt, but it was too late, and Fluffy hurled his tiny, black furry body into the leader. Fluffy’s claws slashed at him, and the leader tumbled to the ground as he cried out.