Fierce Protector (Sierra Pride Book 3) by Liza Street Read Free Book Online Page B

against his legs, and it made his chest ache. He’d thought he’d tasted happiness, but it had been a lie.
    Miranda was up close to him.
    “He’s still asleep, yes?” Gutierrez asked.
    Miranda lifted one of his eyelids, and Gabriel did his best to keep his eye unfocused and staring past her. “He’s completely out.”
    “Good. Loosen the rest of the bindings.”
    As soon as his arms were free, Gabriel jumped to his feet. Miranda screamed, but it was too late. He was already pounding across the clearing and into the nearby woods.
    “You idiot,” Gutierrez shouted. “You said he was asleep!”
    Gabriel yanked the ropes from his wrists and ankles and transformed into his lion form. He’d be faster and quieter this way, and his vision was better.
    He hunkered down behind some brush and watched them. As soon as they started their pursuit, he’d be off in another direction.
    Gutierrez and Miranda stood at the spot he’d disappeared, staring out into the darkened forest. They were arguing loudly, and Gutierrez shouted, “Which way? Which way did he go?”
    Miranda lifted her arm and pointed in the opposite direction from where Gabriel had actually gone. Was she lying to protect him?
    That was when Gabriel saw it. A tiny spot of blood on the inside of Miranda’s arm. She hadn’t taken a sample from Gabriel; she’d taken it from herself.
    Much, much worse than what he’d thought of as her betrayal, was the fact that she was in danger.

Chapter Twelve
    It was fine, Miranda told herself. This would work. Yes, she’d hated letting Gabriel believe that she’d betrayed him. She’d hated putting the decoy needle anywhere close to his skin while she pressed the real sample needle against her own.
    She was sure this would work, but it wouldn’t work once Dr. Gutierrez figured out that the sample was from a human female.
    “Shouldn’t we go after him?” Miranda asked. Somehow, she had to destroy that sample, and if the two of them were stomping through the forest, Miranda would be able to double back and get rid of the blood. She hadn’t wanted to get Gabriel’s blood anywhere near Dr. Gutierrez, but she also couldn’t be discovered to have falsified the sample. She still had her career to think of, and Dr. Gutierrez held the key to Miranda’s future in her slender, latex-gloved hand.
    “We’ll be able to track him better in the morning,” Dr. Gutierrez said.
    It was difficult enough to find a real cougar; Miranda doubted that Dr. Gutierrez believed they’d find Gabriel. Something was off.
    “Besides,” Dr. Gutierrez continued, “he’ll come soon enough when he learns you’re in danger.”
    “When I’m in—what?” Miranda turned with a gasp.
    Dr. Gutierrez was holding a gun. A fucking gun .
    “Go ahead and scream for him,” Dr. Gutierrez said. “I’m in favor of it.”
    No, Miranda wouldn’t scream and draw him here. When Dr. Gutierrez said she had a weapon, Miranda had assumed she meant the tranquilizer darts. Shit. This was not right.
    “Dr. Gutierrez? I’m all for giving everything to research, but we’re here to help living organisms, to learn about them and how we can coexist better. What you’re doing right now…isn’t that.”
    “I saw you take a sample of your own blood, Ms. Hsin. You thought I couldn’t see, but I know you betrayed me. You were lying the entire time.”
    “Please,” Miranda said. “Please. We don’t have to do this, any of this.”
    “Scream,” Dr. Gutierrez said. “Bring him back here. I’ll take all the samples I need, and you can go free. I promise.”
    Dr. Gutierrez’s tone made the hairs on Miranda’s neck stand up, and she felt sick to her stomach. Miranda didn’t know how that promise would work. Dr. Gutierrez would let Miranda and Gabriel go after stealing blood samples and threatening their lives? Unlikely. They’d always exist as a threat to her and her research.
    If there was one thing Miranda knew about Evelia Gutierrez, especially now, it