by Brenda Trim
She just didn't know how she was going to get what she needed. A slimeball like Von would never be honest with her, especially when he was relying on her to finish Santiago once and for all. Von had likely called this little meeting because he had even more of a hard-on for the shifter’s demise. Despite the fact that he’d been declared the winner of the fight the other night, he had taken a serious beating, and that would not look good for him in his line of business.
She'd bet her next paycheck that Von had become something of a laughingstock in the criminal underworld. It couldn't have pleased his boss, either. Whoever was making this drug wanted to know that their top people inspired fear in others, or they wouldn’t be able to maintain control.
Approaching the glass doors of the entrance, she noticed the males Santiago had referred to exiting the building. One of them commented about her being Von's girl. She was tempted to turn around and tell them she wasn't Von's anything, but decided against it.
Turning the corner, she paused and watched as they went to the parked van, and, like Santiago had described, carried large jugs of water into the building. Not wanting to get caught spying on their activities, she proceeded to Von's office.
Knocking on the door, she waited for permission to enter. She overheard Von snarling something about A, but didn't hear another voice. She recalled hearing a comment about someone named A when the spotted rays were being fed the last time she had been there. She made a mental note to share that with Santiago later, and then entered the office when Von called out to her.
He sat behind the large desk like he was king of his castle. More like king of the dipshits. He set down his cell phone as she approached. So, he'd been talking to someone on the telephone.
"So, she does live," Von snarled as he stood and walked around to the front of the desk. The male was wearing too-tight jeans and a silk button-down, as well as pointy-ass shoes. Didn't he know skinny jeans on fatasses were out? So were sweat stains, for that matter. Did he really think he looked good? "What the fuck have you been doing? Why isn't Santiago dead?"
Schooling her expression to hide her reaction to his words, which hit her gut like a stream of bullets, she was surprised that her protective instinct toward Santiago was alive and kicking. Now that she knew he was her Fated Mate, all of the compulsions rose to the surface and right now she was on the defensive. "Who the fuck do you think you are? You don't dictate what I do or when I do it," she barked in her perfected haughty tone. She'd be damned if she allowed a shithead like Von to think he could control her.
Von was in her face in the next instant. "I have a wire transfer with your name on it that says I do."
She took a step forward, practically touching noses. The stench of his breath turned her stomach, but she stood her ground. "That check guarantees you only one thing. That I will do the job I said, nothing more. You aren't my only client, you know."
"I'm paying you enough to be your top priority. I want him dead, now," he gritted out.
She chuckled. "Why? Didn’t like having your ass handed to you by his wolf?"
"You have no idea who you are messing with, Valkyrie," he warned. She stepped away, walking around his desk nonchalantly, searching for any information that may provide insight into her brother or Santiago. There was nothing obvious on the cursory glance, but she wondered what was in the filing cabinet behind his desk.
"You better make this case your priority unless you want to be the one with the target on your back," he snapped. The only danger Tori faced was from Lana. If the male had said he was going to Lana, she may actually be quaking in her boots.
In the next second, she beelined to face him, allowing the stalvajer to uncoil from her around her wrist. Snapping the blessed metal rope, she enjoyed the way Von’s eyes widened as sparks flew. “Don’t ever threaten me! Mark my word, I will slice your fucking skull from your shoulders," she hissed. She didn’t like this asshole and her hand itched to lash out.
The vampire swallowed, eyes bulging in horror. Sweat beaded his brow and stained his armpits, and she could see the pulse rapidly beating at the base of his neck. "O-okay, p-point taken,” he stammered, hands up in a surrendering plea. “I'm just asking that you complete our agreement. I can't afford for him to cause more problems."
"And what business is that again? Angel's Kiss?" Wrapping her free hand around the end of her stalvajer, she leaned into his body and blood trickled from his neck where the metal pressed into his flesh.
Sweat poured from the male’s pores, and he slowly reached to the desk and grabbed a striped handkerchief, dabbing his neck nervously. He was sadly mistaken if he thought the small piece of fabric was up to the task of mopping up his drenched flesh.
"Ms. Castillo, I assure you the only thing you need to concern yourself with is taking care of Santiago."
Backing up a step, a mental command had her weapon winding back around her wrist. As much as she’d like to take out this male, she knew there was someone else calling the shots, and until she figured out their identity, she needed to keep her cool.
“I had better not find out that you’re hiding any secrets. If I do, our agreement is off.” She couldn’t help but wonder why her brother had gotten involved with the likes of this bottom-feeder. Had Von had ammunition against him? It seemed so out of character for her brother, and she wished for the billionth time since Miguel had died that she hadn't allowed life to create distance between them. She could’ve helped him if he was in trouble. Then maybe he would be alive today.
Giving her a curious look, he kept his eyes on her as he returned to his desk and took a seat. "I need you to finish the job, Valkyrie."
Oh, she'd finish it, all right, but not in the way this idiot was expecting.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Orlando typed in Jaidis's description and hit the search button. He had already looked through the realm police records for any hint of information regarding her or her mate Kenny, but came up empty.
“Fuck,” he cursed, throwing his pen on the table.
There was scant information in the system and what information there was seemed incomplete. It was frustrating, but not surprising. Killian had developed a software database for all previous reports, but unfortunately, not all cases had been tracked over the years. And battered women rarely reported when they were being beaten, especially in the Tehrex Realm.
Supernaturals weren’t that different than humans in that respect. In 85 percent of the cases, victims were females who were terrified of the reprisal for calling police. It was better to suffer the abuse and survive than enrage their batterer and possibly be killed. Not to mention the shame that went along with being in an abusive relationship. Most victims in his experience as a cop were consumed by hopelessness and couldn’t see any other option.
“Hey, O’Haire. Do you have paper records I can search?” he asked the realm officer sitting outside the office.
Lifting his head from the laptop as his fingers stopped tapping at the keys, O’Haire met his gaze. “Nah, we got rid of the paper system years ago. We weren’t using it, and it took no time for Nancy to update the files. What are you looking for?”
Running his hands down his face, Orlando was suddenly exhausted. “Cases involving cambions and domestic violence. Female has blonde hair and the male is an electrician and one mean motherfucker with a bad attitude. Have you had any cases that fit the description that you can recall?”
Cocking his head to the side, O’Haire considered the question. “We don’t get many domestic cases in the realm. It’s not like with the humans, you know? We treat our females better than humans. In any case, I can’t think of anything that may fit the bill.”
Ignorance, Orlando thought. The main difference between the humans and supernaturals on this subject was acknowledgement, followed by a lack of resources dedicated to the cause. There were no shelters or counseling programs for domestic violence in the Tehrex Realm. And he was just as guilty of the oversight as O’Haire and the rest of th
em.
Why had he never considered this deficit in the realm? He encountered these issues practically daily working with SPD, but had never once stopped to consider the lack of infrastructure within the realm. If there’d been a place for her to go, would Jaidis have stayed with her abusive mate? Orlando understood the compulsions of Fated Mates, but he had to believe that a mother’s drive to protect her unborn young would trump anything else.
“We’ve been ignorant in the realm, assuming family violence doesn’t touch us like the humans. It’s a bigger problem than we realize,” Orlando muttered in response. He cut O’Haire off when he would have asked questions, and waved him away. “Thanks. I need to get this done before my next shift.”
Refocusing on the matter at hand, he glanced around the office in realm PD. At one time in his life, Orlando would have snapped up the opportunity to work for the realm police, with their smaller caseloads. Zander had another idea, because he needed an insider to intercept information, keeping the humans unaware of skirm and demons, as well as protecting the realm from exposure.
The realm PD, it seemed, was still so far behind the humans in spotting chronic criminals and patterns of aberrant behavior that he was shocked they managed to catch any criminals. They didn’t keep track of much and hardly documented details. Orlando understood that criminals were dealt with swiftly in the realm, but there was still a need to produce evidence. It made it extremely frustrating when he was searching for information on one unforgettable female in particular.
Running his fingers through his white-blond hair as he sat back in the torture device called a chair, Orlando glared at his laptop. He didn't even have a last name for her and was flying blind, yet his leopard was howling its impatience.
Why in the name of the Goddess was this female consuming his every thought? Why couldn't he forget her and move on? It had to be his concern for her child's safety, not the female. Females and striplings were meant to be cherished and protected, not controlled and abused. And Orlando would bet his right nut that her mate controlled every move she made, and it was slowly killing her. He wished he could ignore it, but he couldn’t. He had to try and help her.
Drumming his fingers on the scarred arms of the wood chair, he watched the dreadful circle spin as the computer continued its search. After what seemed like forever, the screen finally showed thirteen results. His heart jumped in anticipation and he had to remind himself that this was a long shot. There could be countless cambion females with blonde hair and gray eyes. Gray eyes flecked with bits of gold that made them glow.
Damn, Jaidis shone with an inner fire that threatened to immolate him on the spot. Apparently he was doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again, because he was once again inexcusably drawn to another male's mate.
What was his fucking problem anyway? Orlando should kick his own ass for lusting after Jaidis and Elsie. They would never, and could never, belong to him. Yet his desire was escalating where Jaidis was concerned.
With Elsie, he had been attracted and, in his mind, had fallen in love with the Vampire Queen, but he was questioning everything because of Jaidis. He was not only drawn to her, but felt this bone-deep need for her. In fact, he was certain he would risk everything for one night of making love to her.
He sent a silent prayer to the Goddess asking for peace from this pounding drive to seek Jaidis out. Sighing at the futility of his request, Orlando opened the first file and quickly scanned the contents.
He couldn’t see Jaidis involved in an embezzlement scheme and doubted Kenny allowed her to leave the house for any reason. Especially not to work for Braeden's brother. From what Orlando could recall, Braeden's brother had a way with the ladies, and, according to Elsie and the other females, was yummylicious.
Moving on to the next case, Orlando dismissed it, as well. It was a case involving a car accident that had resulted in a fight. He recalled hearing it over the SPD scanner and was immediately tipped off that it was a skirm attack when eyewitnesses reported eyes turning black as night. Jaidis definitely wasn’t a part of that.
Five cases later, a frustrated Orlando nearly threw his phone at the computer screen. So far this was leading him nowhere. After reviewing all thirteen cases, he surmised he wasn't going to find anything through official channels.
On a positive note, he did find three anonymous reports of a cambion female going to the realm clinic for treatment of severe injuries involving broken bones and deep lacerations. There was no proof it was Jaidis, but he suspected it was given the male described fit Kenny's description.
The only other lead left was the clinic where he had met her. Maybe the doctor on call that night would talk to him. If his suspicions were accurate, the doctor would have recognized signs of abuse. It was Orlando’s only shot at finding out what he needed to know about the female, and hopefully to put his concerns, and desires, to rest.
*****
Santi hopped in his H3, feeling good about the information he’d found through the realm police station. He hoped it would help gain some of Tori’s trust. She still had reservations where her brother was concerned, and he needed her to believe he was telling her the truth.
Glancing at his cell phone again, he wished she would call or text to let him know everything went okay in her meeting with Von, but there was nothing. Not a patient male in general, he found this constant worry about his mate unsettling. It didn’t help matters that she didn’t seem to give a fuck and he didn’t have a chance in hell of getting her to do what he asked. And you never will, his intuition whispered.
Refusing to wait any longer, he made a quick turn, heading back toward the parking lot where he’d left her. Something in his gut told him her plan had gone awry and she needed backup, but was too stubborn to ask for it.
If that motherfucker touched one hair on her head, it would be the last thing he ever did. His Hummer’s engine roared as he pressed the accelerator to the floorboard, speeding through light traffic. Luckily, it was way past midnight and the streets weren’t too crowded.
Ten minutes later, he spotted her car in a lot down the street and wondered why she’d moved it. Had she left then returned for some reason?
He scanned the area. There wasn’t a soul in sight. Slamming the door, he headed for Von’z building, wondering if she would see his car if they missed each other. He would tan her hide if she left without him. His wolf was on edge with worry and ready to break free. We’ll find her, he promised his beast.
Flaring his nostrils in the crisp night air, he immediately picked up her tantalizing thunderstorm scent. She was definitely here, which settled his wolf at the same time it incited his protective mating instincts. Drawn by the compulsion, his feet were moving before he made the decision and grabbed the metal handle to the glass door, surprised to find it unlocked.
His mind chewed on the questions like a dog with a new bone. Had Von scheduled another meeting with her? Why was she still here? Surely she wasn’t interested in that fat fuck. On silent feet, he headed down a long, dark hallway toward the light escaping through a cracked door at the very end of the hall.
Suddenly, he heard a male’s voice and quickened his pace as he pulled his revolver from the holster strapped to his side. It took considerable effort to bite back his desire to charge into the room. Only the thought that doing so could cost his mate her life kept him in place.
Peering through the small opening, he saw two males hovering over Tori. She was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Her face was bruised and blood trickled from her nose. Rage had Santi ready to blow their heads to smithereens. He took two steps and suddenly came to a halt when light glistened off a large blade pressed to Tori’s throat. The wheels in his head spun out of control while he considered the right time to charge in.
His current predicament gave him an understanding of the reactions his fellow warriors had had when their mates were in danger. Traveling through time like Gerrick, or destroying half of Zeum like Zander made complete sense
to Santi. All he wanted to do right now was raze the building to the ground and eliminate the males threatening his mate.
One of the males waved an envelope in Tori’s face. “What the fuck were you planning on doing with this? This belongs to Von. He’s not going to like the idea of you stealing from him,” the male snarled.
Santi’s sensitive nose picked up that both males were vampires. One of them was a regular at the fight club, but he’d never seen the other male before.
“I’m not stealing anything. You could say I’m borrowing it,” she sassed, giving the male a shit-eating grin. Goddesss, he loved her cocky attitude. Here she was, outnumbered with a knife pressed to her neck, and she still remained fearless.
“Oh, a comedian, too. We’ll see how funny Von thinks you are when he gets here. Pretty sure I’ll be laughing when he gives the order to take your head,” he countered. “In the meantime, I’d like to sample this rockin’ bod you’re showing off in those tight clothes. Think I’ll shove my dick in that sweet mouth of yours too,” he taunted, leaning down toward Tori.
Fury exploded at hearing the threat to his mate, and Santi barged into the room. The two males turned, eyes wide at the sight of him. Tori took that moment to head-butt the male in her face, causing him to fall to the floor, and Santi put a silver bullet through the skull of the male holding the knife. A second bullet found purpose between the eyes of the male trying to scramble toward the blade on the floor.
Rushing to Tori’s side, he wrapped his arms around her, untying her bound wrists. Throwing her arms around his neck, she held on to him for dear life. The badass attitude she threw around crumbled, and she let him see how truly frightened she’d been. He squeezed her tighter, thinking they were making progress if she could show him her vulnerability.