by Erin R Flynn
“It happens,” I accepted. “You were also a bit off, and that made it—I was at a loss as to what to do when you guys were screaming at each other and I’m lightheaded and ready to fall over.”
“No, I get it. I also made sure the right crew was called in so no one tried to take samples of your blood.”
“Glad you thought of that,” I grumbled. “I totally forgot.”
“Yes, that happens when you’re shot, Thomas,” he drawled. “We okay?”
“Yeah, sorry. It’s a rough full moon. Bringing in Sands will be a big help.”
He shook his head, smiling. “You are sharp. Yes, Sands worked New York before. He’s my first choice to take over as division chief here. I did offer it to Havers, but he turned me down.”
I blinked at him a moment, and Brian cursed under his breath from my right. “It’s not really a promotion from Chicago to New York, not like running the DC office where all the big bosses are.”
“No, but it’s closer to the big office and has more divisions since the UN and so many consulates are here,” Galvin explained.
I bobbed my head and looked at Brian. “And you said no?”
“Yes, and yes you are a factor, but you are not the only factor. I love Chicago just as much as you do. My family’s there, and I love what we’re doing there beyond the FBI. I never had aspirations to be in the DC office one day or a big shot. Maybe when I’m ready to stop going in the field or—who knows, but it’s not what I want right now.”
“Can we send Jenkins to DC?” I teased him, frowning when he flinched. “Bri, you went to HR about her, right? You said you were going to.”
“I did, and you were right, she’s a predator, and I wasn’t the only one she started shit with. She’s out of a job. That was the flinch.”
“Who else did she start shit with?”
“You,” Galvin drawled. “Monroe didn’t tell you? She filed several harassment and sexual harassment claims against you that you made her uncomfortable talking about your adult time with Havers.”
“I’m going to gut that stupid little bitch,” I seethed, my hands shifting. “After she ran her mouth and told everyone what I said, then she’s got the balls to—”
“Babe, claws and teeth,” Brian warned.
“Am I in trouble?” I asked, more of Galvin than Brian, but both confirmed I was in the clear. I nodded, breathing to get it together and change back. “Good riddance.”
“You weren’t the only one to say that either,” Brian drawled. Something in his tone made me raise an eyebrow. “You wondered how she made it through training. That was how. She started shit with a few instructors and backed them into a corner. She passed all the physical stuff, but she should have gotten bounced on—”
“Not passing the psych eval?” I grumbled, rolling my eyes. “Fine, she’s gone. Enough on the plate already.”
“Agreed,” they both said.
Agreed.
10
I ended up heading out with the raid on one of the locations, as it was a strip club and we knew the deal. They would have Russian women dancing, probably on drugs, that they’d promised to get out of Russia and give them the “American Dream.” That was why I told Simone it wasn’t just paranormals people abused. It was anyone they could get away with doing it to.
We shut the place down, kicking out some of the customers while others NYPD arrested for prostitution as we witnessed it. Some were there to buy drugs, so the narcotics division loved me and my warrant since they kept not being able to bust the place.
“No, we not go back to Russia,” one of the older girls rattled off. “They will just pick us up again from the deportation plane, and then we are in more trouble for getting caught. I went through that, and this life is better!”
“There might be another way,” I admitted, scrubbing the back of my neck. “For now, let us get you out of here and cleaned up. Some of you are high as can be. That is not a life. You deserve better than these lives!”
“You are the only one who thinks that,” she said sadly, and it broke my heart. Mostly because I knew she wasn’t really wrong.
An idea formed in the back of my mind, and after pacing a bit to cool my wolf, I went back to the girls huddled in a few booths. “Would you be willing to clean nice hotel rooms? What if I could get you work visas? Would you work hard to get clean, take this chance, and help us maybe bust more of these assholes on the other side?”
She shook her head. “You cannot touch these men in Russia. They are well connected. They have the money and power.”
I gave her an evil smirk. “They thought they had that here too, but they will not get out of trouble with fancy lawyers or whatever tricks and threats. They are going to the Shifter Council for selling rare shifters. They are done. If I can make this work, you would work for the fairies in Las Vegas. They would protect you. But no more drugs. No more sex for pay. They would get in too much trouble.”
They shared several looks and then nodded, the leader of the group speaking for them. “We will get them clean. They are young and new, and it is the only way to survive this when they were innocent. Yes, we will take this chance and do as they ask as long as they do not hurt us.”
I snorted. “Their queen would never allow that. Let me call her.” I went back to pacing after pulling out my phone.
“You have been busy, my friend,” Laila greeted.
“Yes, and more than you know, and I think I’m going to ask a big favor.”
“You are plotting much in New York to give safe haven to more of mine. Ask for whatever you need, Sera.”
So I did. I explained how I’d seen it all before and the girls who wanted nothing more than to get out of poverty or abuse were used and abused way worse and the cycle never ended for them. And yeah, it didn’t stop the problem, but at least these twenty-two women would be safe, would be off that crazy train. Obviously that didn’t get them to become citizens, but they had a chance if someone would just fucking stop and help them.
“Send them to Vegas,” she said when I was done. “I will send some to help get the new greenhouses started and fast with the aid of your new pack, and these women can take the housekeeping jobs. Yes, I will have our lawyers handle their visas and whatever they need. We will help them get clean.”
“You’re as big of a softie as I am most days,” I teased her, knowing this upset her as much as it did Simone and me.
She snorted. “We could use the personnel, and cleaning rooms is not glamorous work. However, we do have too many humans who take the jobs for exposes or to try and uncover all our dirty secrets. These women would be much more loyal. Let me speak to their group leader. I will make my stance clear, and then we can go from there.”
“Thanks, Laila,” I sighed, walking over to them.
“Thank you for all you do, my friend.”
I handed the girl my phone, nodding it was okay.
Ten minutes later we had a plan and the fairies that had come to help were going to stay with the women at a hotel before the plane arrived in the morning.
“But they’re nobodies,” one of the cops argued. “Why would the fairies give a shit about some Russian strippers?”
I swallowed down my anger and met his eyes, a growl slipping out. “Because we understand what it means to get shit on all the fucking time. Those are people. They are the victims, officer. They were forced to strip, and I don’t give a flying fuck if they wanted to strip. Why does that matter? Why don’t they deserve a chance? You got one by being born to the parents you had. They didn’t have that.”
He held up his hands in surrender, but I felt better when a few of the female FBI and NYPD gave him shit looks too. The only difference between strippers and most men was you didn’t have to pay them to take off their clothes. Looking down at women who did that as a profession was just shitty.
By the time we headed back to the office, I was very ready for the day to be over no matter how much good we’d done or baddies were on their w
ay to the council prisons. I know it was super negative of me, but there shouldn’t have been this much shit to clean up in the first place. Any of this being allowed was just… What was the point of fighting?
Several people stopped me and made me feed, realizing I needed the power and help. I didn’t fight them, glad at least someone was paying attention as I spiraled into darkness a bit. The promise of cake and nummies helped.
“You look like you could use some fun, little sister,” Melicent greeted loudly when she saw me. She was up to something, as there were a lot of people around and now listening. “Over two dozen male agents interviewed so far have admitted to sleeping with people for information for the FBI. However, the one female that was found, the office relentlessly shames her for.
“Do you not find it odd? Mother said you were asked many times to use sex to find information, and you were chastised when you refused. So if they push their agents to do it, why would they then shame her? The men can, but the women are judged? How very James Bond of your organization, as he is famous for bedding women for information, revered for it even, yes? A whole bunch of James Bonds here and one woman they shame.”
“Welcome to life outside of Greece,” I chuckled, setting down my stuff on the table by her harder than needed. “It’s indefensible, but it’s not only the FBI. It’s everywhere. You’re from Greece where the female wolves are respected, the women treated like treasures. The rest of the world is not like that. It’s fun. It’s lots of fucking fun.”
She frowned, but I shook my head. We had too many ears for me to get pissy and tell her. We had done a lot of good for the day, and I just needed a moment.
So we ate cake. We at a lot of cake as we quickly cleared New York agents. Some would have to be questioned later and in detail, but they could be held until then. Right then, we needed to finish this because people had to go home to their loved ones, and we needed to know at least who wasn’t dirty.
I grunted at someone and moved the lemon raspberry cake closer when I saw a fork come near it.
“You’re not sharing?” Eugene asked quietly, his tone worried.
I cut a bite and held it out to him. I wouldn’t not share with the guy who’d brought the cakes into my life. “Sorry. Grumpy.”
“Understandable. We saw a lot of darkness today.”
“Yeah, and not just on the bad side,” I muttered, admitting what was wrong with me. “We were horrified and jumping to help those gulls. Did you see any of the humans bat an eyelash at what would happen to those humans? It’s not even the dirt, but too many are just so numb. And I get it. I’m exhausted. It’s exhausting in a way people don’t understand, and there’s no real help for us. I get why police punch people out and snap.
“I do. You get so shit on, and then it’s just the wrong place and the wrong person and even if that guy was dirt, he was restrained and surrendered and all I wanted was to smash his face in. Hell, I wanted to smash the face in of the cop who looked at me like I was the problem there. I’m mad at how numb people are, and there’s no help for those of us who care and are pushed to snap. It shouldn’t be like that.”
“No, it shouldn’t,” he agreed, taking a bite with his own fork, letting us eat in peace a few minutes. “I think I was getting numb before I saw you that day. I think a lot of us were. No one cared about us. What was one more wolf or who cared if someone was infected? They were the problem now, and throw them in a safe house with bars and let them figure it out. No one just said ‘stop, this isn’t right and we can fix it.’”
“I’m running out of steam though,” I confessed, sounding a bit pouty and upset even to myself. “It’s Milwaukee. It’s Memphis. It’s Grand Rapids. It’s Vegas. It’s here. It was Chicago. Is this truly what we’ll find everywhere we’ll go? That is one fucking uphill fight.”
“Yes, but you saved those six places, Sera, and rallied hundreds of us to fight, demand what we should have. You sent help to Minneapolis, and it wasn’t all messed up, right? Just some bad to cut away. You get called in when it’s DEFCON whatever and blaze the trail. But it’s not all on you. Calling Laila today was exactly what you should do. Ask for help.”
“Most of us do not know how to help,” Axel muttered as he sat down. “We didn’t know of another way to help besides cutting out the bad we could through the council. Yes, they are helping this process, but it is your process you’ve pushed for through the laws of your government no one was enforcing.” He gave me a hard look when I glanced at him. “And it will bring more good because of all you’ve done, so we are here to help.”
I stared at him as I ate more cake, my tired brain trying to decipher what he was trying to tell me. Then it hit me. Simone had made a comment before that all the baddies I’d sent might make the council build a second prison. But they had a second one for humans. Axel was telling me they were going to expand to fit more, either non-human or human baddies.
I almost asked how they would pay for it, but then I remembered how they’d taken everything from that cartel bust in Mexico. They’d gotten all the monies and probably all the accounts. That was a nice influx of money for a private and very secretive organization.
“In your opinion, is that why they’re happy I’m taking over more packs? Pushing me to make this move in New York?” I checked.
“Yes,” they said together.
“Well, that’s good,” I admitted, setting down my fork and rubbing my tired neck. “Alena and I have been worried it’s all a setup to then squash me later. Or they’re pushing me to set up the foundation to do the same and be dictators over shifters.”
“No, neither are their agenda,” Axel promised, Eugene nodding. “Maybe someone might have such thoughts, but they are of the very firm opinion that you are bringing the right progress, and that is what they would like to push to other areas. That the good leaders can do more, be more than one pack leader and stuck or whatever. A lot feel stuck, burnt out and have snapped like your police. They can’t help like their wolves want, and it burns them.”
“I’m glad that’s their opinion.” I glanced over and saw Melicent listening intently. She nodded she would make sure Alena was updated, as that was good news.
She and I talked a bit more before we finished going through the office. We agreed that even with all the Russian mob and Triad picked up that could have been a threat to the wolves, it was smart for them to stay one more night at the crap motels, and we’d figure out what came next in the morning. She had enough people—and the pack had enough muscle—to protect them.
However, people knew she was in town, and she couldn’t stay with them, as that would draw attention. So I left her to figure that out and headed back to the coven estate to play the next round of games. I had honestly been excited for the hot sex and fun… Until I arrived.
Three female vampires greeted me at the door, informing me they were instructed to pamper me and get me ready for the festivities. I nodded, swallowing a sigh as I went with them, feeling the range of emotions from several in my party but just sucking it up and going with it. That was the job of Alpha sometimes.
I showered and shaved—that being part of the instructions even—and then they gave me a manicure and pedicure while drying and then doing my hair. I didn’t say anything until she tried to put colored extensions in my hair. I’d wanted to do that, even talking with the boys about doing something fun in the summer with our hair, and I didn’t want this to take the fun out of that.
Because enough fun was being sucked out of the night for me already.
Apollo had a deep blue and black lingerie set ready for me, with a skirt and no panties that clipped onto the garters with black hose. The look was complete with ridiculously high platform heels that were a joke when I had to walk down a huge flight of stairs and for the show. I sighed and put them on, thanking the women, as none of this was their fault.
Then I followed Apollo’s guys who were waiting at the door to escort me to the ballroom because of course there would be ano
ther show and party where I was the entertainment. I honestly had a moment to wonder if he took my quips about having worked undercover as a call girl as something exciting for him.
“Delicious as always,” he greeted, eyeing me over. He took my hand and kissed it but noted my hair.
“I promised the boys I would play with coloring my hair rainbow this summer since they want to try it too,” I explained, keeping my tone even. “So we’re seeing who can finish faster?”
“No, I hoped we could see who gave the better sex and how many times.”
Of course he did.
I leaned in and kissed him, putting on my best face. “We’ll have to keep it to one tonight. I still have to shift. It is the full moon.”
“Maybe again after?” he pushed, not seeming happy I wasn’t as excited.
“Maybe. It was a long day and another one tomorrow.” I reminded him. I moved my fingers to his mouth when he went to argue. “I’m not leaving tomorrow. This is going to be a lengthy trip. And you do not get to pout when I’m exactly how you want me.”
“Of course not,” he agreed, wrapping his arms around me. “I was thinking with my little head. You do look delicious.”
“Then why are you still dressed?” I teased, pulling away and moving over to the bed, my wolf at least happy for the games and my siren ready to knock him on his ass with how good we could be. “I want hot, carnal, full moon sex, Apollo. Are you up for that?”
“Always,” he growled as he started yanking off clothes.
Oh, was he ever. He was naked a second later and moving over me, mashing his mouth to mine before quickly kissing down my body. He buried his face between my legs, fingering me to stretch me out, but not caring about anything other than getting inside me as fast as possible.
A fact not lost on the several men frowning and upset. I glanced over to see matching expressions on Brian, Axel, Eugene, Jonik, and Carter’s faces, even a few other of my ancients as well. They all understood what was going on and didn’t like it.