Ronan

by Teresa Gabelman

  “Who and where who is?” Jill stuck her head out of Slade’s office, scaring the crap out of her.

  “Why aren’t you out?” Tessa frowned when Katrina also walked up beside Jill. “I thought it was all Warriors on deck.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Jill snorted, then flipped her arm out. “But here I am cleaning and restocking supplies. Katrina was assigned the same thing. Supposedly, Duncan made the shift sheets, and we’re on tomorrow.”

  Tessa closed her eyes, then opened them with a smirk. “They lied.” Her tone of voice clearly indicated it wasn’t a guess she was making, but a cold, hard fact.

  Both Jill and Katrina stared at Tessa for a long second. Katrina’s hand flew to her mouth in surprise, and Jill jumped up in the air and did a fist pump.

  “Yes!” Jill whooped loudly. “Oh my God! You have Adam’s power. Does Jared know?”

  Tessa slowly shook her head, a grin on her face. “Nope.”

  “Oh, this is good.” Jill rubbed her hands together. “So good!”

  “So where are you guys going?” Katrina was still grinning.

  Tessa held out her hand, and Kira placed the picture in it. “We’re looking for someone.” She held the picture up. “Care to join us?”

  Neither Katrina nor Jill hesitated as they turned out the lights and closed the door. “Lead the way.” Katrina’s voice was eager as she hurried out of the hallway. “I’m so tired of being cooped up.”

  “So, who is this chick?” Jill asked, as they walked out into the parking lot heading toward the garage.

  “Not sure, but they’re looking for her, and I have a feeling it has to do with Orjyll,” Kira replied as she glanced around noticing all the cameras. The wall was pretty much finished. The place was a fortress. With a twirl of her finger, all the red lights went off the camera.

  “Nice.” Jill nodded at her as they walked into the garage. She headed over and grabbed a set of keys. She held up the key fob and hit the button. The lights and car beeped on a red cherry mustang. “I’ll drive.”

  Kira climbed into the passenger seat wondering if she heard Tessa say, “Ah, shit.” Once the garage door was open, Jill floored it, backing out, then slammed on the brakes. Kira now knew she heard exactly what she thought she’d heard.

  “Just kidding.” Jill laughed, then backed all the way up, turned, and headed out of the parking lot. “Ah, dammit. Does anyone have the code? Sloan made it impossible to get in or out unless you have the damn code.”

  Kira stared at the massive gate that a tanker couldn’t break through. When no one in the car came up with the code, she twirled her finger and the gate opened. Kira knew she was using way too much magic, but honestly, she didn’t care anymore. Time was coming near for all of this to end, and the quicker this was over, the better, so let her magic be a beacon for the bastard. “Come and get me,” she whispered as she looked out the window and into the sky.

  “That finger comes in handy I bet,” Katrina said from the back seat.

  “It definitely has its advantages,” Kira agreed, then looked into the back seat at Tessa. “So where do you suggest we start first?”

  Tessa closed her eyes for a moment, then smiled. “Jill, you know that gas station on Fifth and Vine?” Tessa stuck her head practically in the front seat and looked at Kira. “Compliments of Ronan. He really digs you.”

  Tessa’s words struck a deep chord within her. She dug him also, but she would not be tamed like one of his horses. She refused to be that woman.

  “Fifth and Vine coming up.” Jill took a quick left, cutting off traffic. Kira squeezed her eyes shut waiting for impact. When it didn’t come, she peeked through one eye, then glanced at Jill.

  “Do you have your license?” Kira really tried to keep the fear out of her voice.

  “Barely,” Jill replied, then laughed. “Just make sure you got your seat belt on. You’ll be fine.”

  Just as Kira snapped her seat belt, Jill slammed on the brakes in time for a red light, sending everyone flying forward.

  “Brakes are a little touchy.” Jill turned up the music and tapped along with the tune.

  Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, Kira thought, then held on when the light turned green. At times like these, she really wished witches rode broomsticks.

  Chapter 21

  Ronan was ready to kill Steve. If he complained about his balls one more time, he was going to get violent, yank them off, then shove them down his damn throat. They had taken the van because there were four of them. By the time the night was over, there may be minus one.

  The gas station gave them no more information than they already had, and the woman hadn’t been back. Now they were combing the streets looking for the car.

  “Pull in there.” Bishop pointed toward a bar parking lot.

  “You see something?” Viktor asked as he quickly turned in.

  “No, but I could use a beer,” Bishop replied, his eyes searching the parking lot.

  “Dammit, man.” Viktor swerved away from the parking spot he was ready to pull into. “We don’t have time for that shit.”

  “There’s always time for a beer, brother.” Bishop pointed toward another parking spot. “Plus we can show the picture around while we’re sipping a cold one and stretching our legs.”

  Ronan was ready to get out the van too. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

  “Is the kid old enough?” Viktor looked in the rearview mirror at Steve.

  “Ah, yeah… kinda.” Steve grabbed his wallet then flashed an ID. “Duncan is the shit at making fake IDs. He’d make a killing if he wanted to.”

  Viktor finally parked, and they all got out of the van. Steve walked next to Ronan, still looking like he had a stick up his ass.

  “Steve, walk fucking normal, would ya?” Ronan hissed as he tried to speed up.

  “Hey, Mr. Rodeo, this is your fault.” He pointed toward his dick.

  Ronan moved so fast Steve didn’t see it coming. “Never point to your dick when with me.” He squeezed the back of Steve’s neck hard. “Now suck it up and walk right or I’m going to give you something to walk funny about with my boot up your ass.”

  “Okay, chill. I got it.” Steve swatted his hand away, but Steve never knew when to shut up. “I hope to hell I see your nuts get busted, buddy.”

  Viktor, Bishop, and Ronan all stopped and looked at him.

  “Wait, okay, that sounded weird.” Steve frowned. “What I meant to say is I—”

  “Shut up!” all three of them growled, shutting Steve up instantly.

  “You all need a chill fucking pill with your beer,” Steve mumbled, then was stopped when Viktor, Bishop, and Ronan walked right past the bouncer checking IDs. “Hey, what about them?”

  Ronan kept walking after he paid his door fee. Steve would either get in or he wouldn’t. Not his problem. The music was loud; some rock band was playing on a stage making Ronan cringe. It wasn’t packed, but there were enough people that the group wouldn’t look too suspicious. He had taken off his cowboy hat in the van, knowing this definitely was no honky-tonk bar.

  A pretty bartender hurried toward them, her eyes on Ronan. “What can I get you, boys?”

  “Three beers,” Bishop ordered, laying down some cash on the bar.

  “Make that four,” Steve said as he leaned against the bar next to Ronan. “Thanks for waiting, guys.”

  “You want us to walk you to the bathroom too?” Bishop chuckled with a shake of his head.

  The bartender came back with four beers, took the cash and brought back change. “Keep it,” Bishop said, taking his beer.

  “You see anything?” Viktor asked Ronan, who was scanning the crowd.

  “No.” Nothing out of the ordinary. “What about you? You’re the expert witch hunter.”

  “Even I have my limitations,” Viktor admitted. “We usually have a witch with us, but most of them fear Orjyll and don’t want to get involved. They know it’s only a short amount of time before he succeed
s and then he’ll have his full powers back.”

  “Over my dead body,” Ronan growled, then finished off his beer.

  “That just may be the case, my friend,” Viktor replied, with a sideways glance at Ronan. “Watch your ass.”

  Ronan pulled the picture out of his back pocket then waved the bartender over. She looked excited to be summoned by him, but he was not interested in what she was offering when she leaned against the bar, pushing her already exposed breasts up to the top of her shirt. Her nipples were barely covered. “What can I get you?” Her voice was low and sultry. He decided to play it to his advantage.

  “Well, darlin’.” Ronan made sure his drawl was thicker than usual. “I’m looking for someone and was hoping you may be able to help me. They say bartenders are the eyes of the area.”

  “True,” she said proudly. She looked down at the picture he held out. Ronan didn’t miss the recognition that flashed across her face before she could hide it. “Sorry, never seen her before.”

  She slowly pushed off the counter as if not interested in playing the “you want to go in the back room for sex play” game. She grabbed a rag and started wiping the counter, moving further away from him.

  “Did you catch that?” Ronan asked, knowing that Viktor had been watching.

  “If you’re talking about the, ‘oh, shit, what do I do now’ look on her face,” Bishop answered for Viktor, “yeah, we saw it. Looks like a positive hit to me.”

  It wasn’t long before guys started coming out of the woodwork, their eyes on the four of them. One that looked like the leader of the group closed in.

  “Think you guys are in the wrong bar,” he said, as if he were the toughest motherfucker in the place, but he looked like a nerd who they’d call to fix their computers.

  “Damn, dude.” Steve stepped up, looking at the guy. “Has anyone ever told you that you look just like Harry fucking Potter? Not as cool, but the resemblance is uncanny.”

  Ronan had no clue who in the hell that was, but it seemed to piss the guy off. He glanced and counted ten guys had joined this one. They weren’t vampires, that he knew.

  “We don’t want any problems.” The guy ignored Steve, even though he was giving him a death glare. “But you have to leave.”

  “Does this have anything to do with me showing this picture?” Ronan held it out, then moved it around so all the assholes could see it. “Because if it is, then I think we’re definitely in the right bar.”

  “Careful, they look like full-bloods,” one man said. Ronan didn’t know which and didn’t care.

  “That’s not a problem.” Harry pulled something out of his back pocket while they just stood and stared at him.

  “Holy shit!” Steve laughed and pointed. “You even have a wand.”

  Harry pointed the wand at Steve who began to convulse, then hit the ground hard. The guy looked up and pointed it at Ronan. “As I said, wrong bar.”

  “Stop!” Tessa cried out, then turned in her seat. “Go back.”

  Jill hurried and did as she was told. “Where am I going?” Jill flipped off someone who was blaring their horn.

  “There.” Tessa pointed toward a building. “They’re in there and in trouble. I was trying to get a read on the guys, so we didn’t run into any of them, and Steve’s in trouble.”

  A sudden unease hit Kira like a brick. “Someone is using magic.”

  Jill flew into a parking spot and they all jumped out. The bouncer tried to stop them for IDs, but Kira twirled her fingers, and they walked right in past everyone. They stopped just inside the door, and that’s when Kira spotted Steve on the floor, with Bishop, Viktor, and Ronan facing down a man holding a fucking wand on Ronan. Oh, hell no.

  There was a lot of magic here. It made her own magic jumpy. Her eyes searched around and noticed more than one man holding a wand directed at Ronan. Suddenly a thought came to her. If these were Orjyll’s men and the woman in the picture was part of them, there would be one way to find out.

  She pulled the picture out of her bag and studied it, shoved it back into her back, then used both hands from the top of her head down her body. She completely changed into the woman in the picture.

  “Holy shit!” Jill stepped back, then took the bag Kira shoved at her.

  “Stay back,” Kira warned them.

  “Kira, your voice.” Katrina frowned. “It hasn’t changed.”

  “I know,” Kira said, then turned and headed toward that asshole warlock holding a wand toward Ronan.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” Kira disguised her voice best she could, but she had no idea how the woman sounded. She had no idea if the woman was even a witch or part of this group, but she had a strong feeling she was.

  “Bonnie, shut up and get out of here,” the guy said, his eyes only glancing at her.

  “If I leave, then I’m going straight to Orjyll, dumbass.” God, she hoped she was channeling this woman correctly.

  “What in the hell is wrong with your voice?” His eyes narrowed at her again. Ronan made a move, but Kira was quicker. She knew if anyone touched the wand other than the master of it, they would hit the ground painfully. Her hand flew up, and the wand floated out of reach.

  “Allergies,” she answered his question, then dropped the wand back into that asshole’s hand. She needed to play the part and sending the wand up this guy’s ass probably wasn’t such a good idea.

  Her eyes met Ronan’s briefly and her magic faltered, wanting to reveal who she really was. Her heart-shaped mark throbbed painfully.

  “Let’s go,” she said, then glanced down at Steve. “He’ll be fine in about five minutes or so.”

  The group did as she said, which shocked the hell out of her, but this was it. Her chance to walk straight up to Orjyll was a dream come true. She just knew it was going to have to be soon because her magic would wear off shortly. Hopefully, if Viktor was right and Emilia gifted her powers to her, then it may last longer.

  She waited and followed the last person out the door. Jill, Katrina, and Tessa were in the hallway, eyes wide and looking at her as if she was crazy. She just shook her head and continued. She flicked her head backward and mouthed the word, “Hide!”

  Chapter 22

  Ronan watched them disappear as he kneeled to check on Steve, who was finally coming around.

  “Did I just get my ass kicked by Harry Potter?” He groaned, trying to stand up.

  “More or less.” Bishop helped him stand.

  “Was that strange to you?” Viktor frowned, still looking toward the area where they disappeared.

  “Yeah.” Ronan couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew the woman. She was way too familiar to him as was her voice. “But I think we need to follow them.”

  “As soon as Sleeping Beauty gets his shit together,” Bishop said, though Steve was already wide awake and pissed off.

  “Fucking Harry and his wand. I’m going to shove that motherfucker so far up his ass he’s going to need to have it surgically removed.” Steve stomped that way, then stopped. “Jill?”

  Ronan saw Jill try to hide, but then stepped out with Katrina and Tessa looking as guilty as her. “Oh, hey!” Jill waved. “Crazy seeing you here, but we got to go.”

  Ronan followed them out with Viktor, Bishop, and Steve right on his heels. “Stop!”

  All three women stopped on a dime at his command. He noticed Jill kept looking out toward the parking lot. Actually, all of them were doing it. “Do your mates know you’re here?”

  “Ah, yeah.” Jill rolled her eyes, but her eyes stopped back on the parking lot. She whispered something to Tessa who took a step backward.

  “I’ll catch you,” Ronan warned Tessa, then pulled out his phone.

  “Dammit!” Jill started to backpedal. “We got to go. That wasn’t the woman. That was Kira, and we’ve lost her.”

  Ronan had never felt real true panic before in his life. “What did you say?” He prayed to whoever had the higher power that he didn’t hear her corr
ectly.

  “That was Kira!” Tessa turned and started searching. “And she left with them to find Orjyll.”

  Right at that moment, three cars came from the back and quickly pulled through the parking lot, turning left on the main road. Ronan didn’t even hesitate as he took off running. He didn’t know which car she was in, but he’d tear every fucking one of them apart until he found her.

  He heard pounding footsteps behind him as they all surrounded him. “I’ve got the first one.” He leaped in the air onto the last car and jumped from moving car to car until he landed on the first one. He knelt down and punched a hole in the roof, tearing the metal away so he could see inside. She wasn’t in there.

  “Fuck!” He turned and jumped to the next where Steve and Bishop were pulling fuckers out left and right.

  “She’s not here,” Bishop yelled, as they all glanced toward the last car where Viktor, Jill, Katrina, and Tessa were searching.

  Viktor looked at Ronan and shook his head. The growl that escaped Ronan’s throat surprised him, but scared the fuck out of the nearest asshole he grabbed.

  “Where is she?” His hand on the man’s throat tightened as he gave him a hard shake.

  “Bonnie?” the man managed to ask even while being choked to death. Ronan loosened his grip slightly. “I don’t know. Bonnie does her own thing, man. She didn’t leave with us. Someone met up with her and she stayed.”

  “Go!” Viktor yelled at Ronan. “We got this. I’ve already called in reinforcements.”

  Ronan tossed the man to the ground like he was nothing. He passed Steve, who was repeatedly punching the guy who’d zapped his ass with the wand. He glanced at Ronan, then gave the guy one last punch and followed.

  “Search inside the bar,” Ronan shouted as he headed around to where he saw the cars pull out. He cut the corner so fast he had to jump on the hood of a car and slide across. His eyes searching, stopping on two women who looked exactly the same. “Kira!” he shouted, anger in his voice echoing through the parking lot.