Read Online Witches of Three: Charlene by Temple Hogan - Free Book Online

conditioner, they heard Kermit Nolan’s shouted curses. He began pummeling the boy with his fists. The kid tried to get away, but Nolan’s pals grabbed him by the arms and held him as Kermit took a stance in front of him and began punching him in the face. The attack was so sudden and vicious that the teen sagged against those holding him in place. His face was a bloody mass and still Nolan continued the beating.
    “We have to stop this,” Charlie said, braking and digging in her bag for her gun, but she didn’t have it. She should call for backup, but by that time, the kid receiving the beating would be dead.
    “You’re not going to try to take them on by yourself?” asked Phil.
    Charlie looked at her sister and grinned. “No, I have you,” she said and blinked at Phil who turned back into the Golden Retriever. The dog barked, lolled its tongue and swished its tail.
    “Some help you’ll be,” Charlie groused. She’d better choose a breed a lot more ferocious. She blinked and found herself to be a trim, streamlined Doberman Pinscher then bounded out of the car and across the street.
    Kermit was too preoccupied by his new hobby of smashing faces to see her coming, but his companions did. They dropped the kid who fell to the pavement moaning, then seeing he was released, he crawled to his feet and took off down the street.
    Charlie sank her teeth into Kermit’s leg and hung on, tasting blood as the skin ripped beneath her bite. Kermit howled and fell then rained blows on Charlie’s canine head. The first one hurt more than she’d expected, but she hung on, growling and shaking her head so each movement brought pain to the lowlife. Kermit’s friends stood gawking until he yelled at them. Tentatively, they approached, not sure how to handle the ferocious dog with its teeth closed around their friend’s leg.
    Charlie wasn’t sure how she would handle all three, but suddenly, a flurry of golden hair appeared out of nowhere, landing full-square in the middle of one man’s back. He fell on the pavement with a shriek of terror. Phil barked loudly and went after the other man, who took one look at the slavering teeth and turned and ran. His high-pitched scream could still be heard long after he’d disappeared. Phil trotted back to her sister.
    “Shoot ‘em,” Kermit yelled to the first man who’d gotten up off the cement and stood staring after his departing friend. “Shoot the bastards,” Kermit screamed again, galvanizing the man to action.
    He dug into his jacket, but before he could bring out a weapon, Charlie was all over him, knocking him down and standing over him, growling and baring her teeth.
    “Help me,” the man yelled.
    His nose was running, and tears wet his thin cheeks. Charlie heard Kermit try to get to his feet then collapse on the broken cement. His dark curses filled the air as he dug into his own pocket.
    Charlie growled a warning before locking her teeth over his wrist. She heard a snap, and Kermit screamed again. His friend, seeing the immediate threat from this demon dog was momentarily over, leaped to his feet and ran, yelling for help.
    All along the street, people had rushed to see what the noise was about, but none of them came to rescue Kermit, although someone must have called the police because a siren sounded in the distance.
    “We’d better go, Charlie,” Phil said, and Charlie reluctantly released Kermit’s wrist.
    He wouldn’t be much of a danger now, for his wrist dangled at an odd angle as if broken. She joined her sister in flight down an alley until they found an overgrown bush and hid behind it.
    “That was fun,” Phil said, changing back.
    Charlie did the same. They looked up and down the alley before leaving.
    “I guess we showed Kermit a thing or two about not picking on kids,” Charlie said, thoroughly satisfied with the outcome. She could still taste Kermit’s blood and turned to Phil.
    “I don’t have any blood on me, do I?” Charlie asked.
    “No,