She recalled her fright when Lenny attacked her. The horror, the pain. And Nina would endure so much more than that. Claire couldn’t put Nina through that. Not if she could help it. Claire had to offer her whatever relief she could—even if that relief was a swift, merciful death.

With slow, measured steps, she approached the girl, the heavy pipe clutched tightly in her hands.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Dogs possess exceedingly long memories; they never forget a kindness or a wrong.

—Man’s Best Friend: An Essential Guide to Dogs

Gideon stripped off his shirt and wrapped it around his hand. With one plunge he sent his fist through the window, the cotton fabric of his shirt muffling the sound of shattering glass. He dropped back down on top of the air-conditioning unit, shaking shards of glass from his shirt before shrugging back into it. Pressing his back against the house, he waited, breath suspended.

Below him, Darius crouched in the dirt. Satisfied they hadn’t been discovered, Gideon went first, rising up on the faded green unit to peer through the window. A narrow, empty hallway stared back. As quietly as possible, he cleared the remnants of glass from the window and slipped inside. His booted feet thudded quietly on the carpet. Darius followed, dropping down silently beside him. They stood side by side, tense and vigilant as two jungle cats.

Shadows crept along the long length of hall. Dusk hovered in its final farewell, fading from the window behind them, casting a red pall over the shadowed interior of the house.

Muscles tense, Gideon stepped forward. Then he stopped, freezing as a pair of rottweilers rounded the corner. They stood together, legs braced wide apart, glossy black hair standing on end as they bared their teeth and growled.

“Uh, Darius?” Gideon spoke between unmoving lips, eyes never wavering from the dogs.

“Did I mention packs frequently use dogs as protectors of the den?” Darius asked in an offhanded air.

“You left that bit out.”

“Sorry. Don’t let them get their teeth around your neck,” Darius advised just before the vicious dogs charged, nails clattering against the hardwood floor.

The dog on the left flew through the air toward Gideon with dripping fangs bared and ready. Bracing himself, he focused on the snarling one hundred forty pounds coming his way.

The beast slammed into him with the force of a tank. Stumbling back several steps, Gideon grabbed the dog by the head just before his steel-trap jaws could clamp down and tear his nose from his face. He twisted the animal’s ears and felt a stab of satisfaction when a sharp whimper pierced the air.

Gideon glanced over his arm to see Darius snap the other dog’s neck. “Mind helping me?” he grunted.