Unless.
“Syphon.” My lip curled up in disgust. They were a disgusting type, siphoning magic. She absorbed magic used against her and then turned it around on the other person. I was literally going up against my own magic, twisted by her to not recognize me.
She held her hand up and tossed my magic toward me. I tried to dodge out of the way but movement distracted me.
My heart stuttered as I watched Elliot come out of nowhere. Before I could do anything, he was in front of me. Before I could yell out, he was being shoved into me. Before I could even understand what had happened, he was off of me, on the other side of the room, not moving.
A whooshing sound funneled through me as I zeroed in on his prone form, on the fact that Elliot was in here and he had gotten in the way of magic.
The woman laughed and came toward me.
Something in me flared to life. I shoved back the fear and grasped the only other emotion I had access to.
Fury.
She’d pissed me off.
If she thought she could take my magic and use it to hurt others, then I needed to prove her wrong. She didn’t know who she’d just pissed off. I charged after her, aware of the war cry echoing around the room, and tackled her, taking her by surprise. Pain spread through my body and someone else roared, causing the room to shake, but I didn’t care. All I could see was this woman who thought she had the right to take away from me something I’d worked hard to perfect. Images of Elliot’s unmoving form spurred me on. The memory of his gray eyes inspired. I wanted to see those eyes now, to see that he was alive.
But this bitch had to be dealt with. A fucking syphon. No one liked their kind.
When I was a little girl, they had put me in a foster home with a syphon. They had hoped the woman would be able to stop my magic when it got out of control. She was a leech and nearly killed me. Or tried to. I was too much for her, even as a child. She tried to take away any control I did have.
After that, I promised to never put myself in a position like that, where others used me as that woman did. And this baddie before me was trying to do just that. No wonder the others couldn’t break through the ward she’d so easily erected. They were trying to break through my magic and not many could do that.
After tackling her, we went to ground, and I pinned her down with my body. Our height and weight was about the same, but I knew a couple of moves, just a couple, and one of them was a way to pin someone.
I leaned forward, and her eyes widened with shock and a little fear as she realized she’d gone too far with me. I was not someone she could push around.
“If you want my magic so badly, then take it,” I said and grabbed her head with both my hands. She tried to pull away but I yanked her head up and then smashed it down hard, dazing her.
I closed my eyes, opened myself up, and pushed. All the magic in me, I shoved into her. She screamed, her senses going into overload. The magic felt hot against my skin as I forced it out of my body.
“Stop!” someone yelled, but I ignored them as I pushed harder, giving her more than she could handle. I opened my eyes to watch as I used Elliot as motivation to keep going. I knew the moment she reached her limit. Her skin practically boiled with all the magic inside her. She withered underneath me, her blue eyes wide, sightless, as she fought an internal battle. Just a little bit more and I would push her over the limit.
Destroy her.
It would be so easy.
“Enough!”
Hands yanked me away from her. The moment I lost contact with her, she stopped moving, her chest barely rising as she lost consciousness.
“Shit, I’m never going to piss you off. Your fury is on an epic level,” Davies said.
I gathered my thoughts, shaking away the ones that nearly consumed me. I looked up into Davies’s hazel eyes, allowing them to remind me of where I was and who I was.
Being a murderer wasn’t one of them.
“Are you just now realizing that?” I asked, my words coming out like a croak.
“Take her to the clinic,” Lombardi said, his voice growly. His own fury danced in his eyes as he turned to face the woman still on the ground.
I pushed away, turning to find Elliot. He was already being lifted onto a gurney. I ran over to him.
“Is he...” I trailed off, trying to keep my emotions contained.
“He’s fine for now,” Dr. Ferald said and the truth in her green eyes relaxed me just a little.
I stayed with Elliot the entire time, Davies and Venni at my back.
This shouldn’t have happened. He shouldn’t have been in the room. Why was he even in there? How did I not notice until it was too late?
I should have prevented this.
Despite telling Davies and Venni I was fine, they didn’t believe me and dragged me away from Elliot and into a different room to be checked over. From their nervousness, they thought something was wrong with me. Especially after the little show I put on. I wasn’t sure what had them spooked, but whatever it was kept them by my side until Dr. Shaffer told me I was good to go, that my levels of magic were normal. Instead of making the boys relax, it only put them on edge even more.
I went right back to Elliot.
“Why isn’t he waking?” I asked Dr. Ferald.
“I had to put him in a coma to rest and heal. The damage done to his body was too much for him.”
“He’ll live?” I asked, my voice small, chest tight, eyes burning with unshed tears. I’d put him in this situation.
“He’ll live. He just needs to rest. Go debrief,” she said, focused on Elliot.
Focusing on him was good. He needed that focus.
I didn’t budge until Davies grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the room with Venni right behind us. They led me back down to our makeshift headquarters, where Henzie reported nothing else exciting happening.
I went back to work, despite the protests coming from the two annoying men tailing me. I need to get my mind off of Elliot, but every time I glanced at the screen, his face was on it. I needed to work harder, to get him off my mind. We still had work to do, even if the guilt gnawed at me.
“Enough,” I snapped, tired of their grumbling. “The night isn’t over yet and Shanton is still in the building. This isn’t over until he’s on his plane and heading back home.”
That shut them up, though they shared glances with each other.
I didn’t care. I just didn’t want to think. I wanted to be numb.
Chapter 28
The rest of the night was quiet, the only real action coming from Lombardi when he made me get at least two hours of rest before finishing everything. I didn’t rest. I spent the entire time on the cot, tossing and turning, sending texts to the guys in hopes of good news on Elliot.
I kept replaying the scene in my head, how he got between us, how he shouldn’t have even been there. I would have been fine against her attack. He was just a human. He could have been killed. As it was now, his body was fighting to stay alive in a medically induced coma.
In the morning Shanton was ready to go, I had a total of seven caught because of my traps and security measures, and no one on my side had died. Yet. I couldn’t say anything about those who were caught and questioned. I didn’t want to know, even though I had a good idea of what happened to them.
We waited outside by the gates as Shanton’s men came out first to check the vehicle that would take them to the private airport and back to his home. He lived somewhere down south, that was all I knew about his home. I think he was on the border, one of the cities further inland, going west, but not crossing the Mississippi border.
When Shanton came out with Lombardi next to him, they paused and shook hands, the two of them grinning widely. I guessed torturing people together really bonded predators. They talked and whatever Shanton had to say had Lombardi frowning and Alijah holding back a growl. Venni frowned but didn’t comment or show any signs of aggression.
Lombardi glanced at me before s
hrugging and replying. Shanton laughed before heading toward me with a steady and strong stride, the way his jeans fit his body was dream-worthy. He was giving me content to keep me happy for a good while.
“Laila,” Shanton said, my name rolling off his tongue.
“Mr. Shanton, it was a pleasure working with you this weekend.”
By the flash of heat in his eyes, I’d said something right. He grinned and reached for my hand. Instead of shaking it, he lifted it up and kissed the back, his eyes focused on me the entire time.
“I hope to work with you more closely soon,” he said. He leaned in and kissed my cheek, ignoring the spike of tension in the air. He really didn’t care what those around him thought.
“Sir, we need to go,” his attendant said. Shanton rolled his eyes, and I laughed at the childish gesture. I never expected him to do that.
His grin widened as he let my hand go and headed through the gates with one of our guards, who collected each of their tokens. They wouldn’t be able to come back through. Well, Shanton might be able to just through pure strength. I imagined if he wanted, he could shatter the ward around the building.
He turned and waved at us before getting into the lead SUV. A shimmer in the air told me magic users were putting up a ward around the vehicles as they drove off, probably a deflection so if someone tried throwing a bomb, it would just bounce back.
Lombardi came to stand at my side as we watched them turn and disappear from sight.
“We have a traitor to hunt,” he said.
I looked up at him, sharing a little moment of agreement.
We did have a traitor to find. And he needed to pay for what happened to Elliot. My stomach boiled with the rage I’d been barely containing. The ground tried to rumble, but I reigned myself in just before the rumbling turned into full out shaking.
“Gather your guards, put them all in the same room,” I said. “I’m going to grab some items from my lab.” I’d been thinking about how to find the traitor and had an idea or two.
He nodded and stalked away. Whoever gave that woman details about the company was going to be lucky if they lived through the rest of the day.
I did as I said and headed to my lab, checking to make sure everything was in its place before grabbing some supplies, carefully packing them in a small duffel bag. I headed up to the first floor, where Lombardi had all his main guards, the ones who helped me the most. Even Venni, Davies, Alijah, and Ami were here. If the traitor ended up being one of them, I would destroy them myself. They’d quickly become important to me and the idea that they would sell out for a piece of ass infuriated me. They should be better than that.
Once I stepped through the door, Lombardi shut it, and I popped a little device on the wall, sealing us into the room.
“What the hell is going on?” one of the guards asked, noticing that this wasn’t about celebrating our success.
I stared at each face, separating them into categories. Half of them easily weren’t the traitors. I could feel the sincerity in their magic. The ones I couldn’t read as well, those without magic were still a suspect.
“We have a traitor,” I said simply, drawing strength knowing Lombardi was at my back, ready to defend me if needed. “We’re are going to figure this out. I suggest the traitor step forward now to make this easier on everyone.”
People grumbled, but not everyone. Others didn’t say anything, observing. They had come to the same conclusion, and while they didn’t like it, they were realistic. People betrayed. They did it on a daily basis. Lombardi passed me a tablet, and I began separating people into groups. The ones I knew were innocent waited off to the side, though I didn’t tell them they were safe.
I then separated them by whether they used magic, energy, or none. The ones with magic, I did a simple little trick, asking their magic directly. It took focus and about half an hour, but going right to the source ensured they didn’t lie to me. They were safe.
Those using energy or none would be trickier. I could use energy, but not in the same way I could magic. I wasn’t that good. But one of our labbies specialized in drugs and had given me a bottle of something special. The only person to have access was supposed to be Lombardi, but I had helped with the testing phase since powerful magic had been involved.
I handed out the tablet.
“Take this,” I said.
They eyed the pill. I took notice of those who were hesitant and those who didn’t bat an eyelash.
“What’s it do?” a stocky guard asked after taking it.
I grinned wide after everyone took it. “You guys use energy, this will turn that energy on you if you lie to me.”
A shocked stillness took over the room until Davies let out a chuckle at their surprise. Some were enraged. I couldn’t blame them. I would be too if I were in their shoes. But I wouldn’t have taken it in the first place, at least not without a clear picture of what was going on.
“I’m going to be blunt, I’m too tired to spend hours on this. Again, the traitor has another chance to step forward before we begin. I’m warning you now, if you do not step forward and are determined to be the one who betrayed not only the trust of Mr. Lombardi, but of your comrades, then it’s only going to be all the more harder for you. Remember, Elliot Baker is currently fighting to stay alive because of your actions.”
No one moved.
I nodded. “So be it.”
The questioning began. I got to the halfway mark when I noticed a man shifting from side to side. I wasn’t playing games with them. At the beginning I tricked someone into lying just so they could see the results. I challenged him to bullshit me. He tried. He failed. He was now being looked over by a magic user with basic medical training. He’d live.
But now the group knew what could happen and a particular man was fidgeting. I zeroed in on him, done with the games. His eyes widened when I approached him.
“What’s your name?” I asked him.
He swallowed. “Gardyn,” he replied.
I nodded. “Did you give away the secrets of the company?” I asked.
He didn’t respond.
“Did you meet with Marsyl and tell her how to get in and get to Shanton?”
Again no answer but he did pale.
I leaned forward to glare at him. “You better answer. A man is in critical condition because of her.”
He grunted, and I could see the pain he was in. Lying by omission was still lying and the magic of the pill reacted to that.
“Yes!” He finally snapped, spittle flying into my face. He shoved at me, and I stumbled back. Venni’s hand stilled me before he went to help Alijah detain the crazed man. Gardyn growled, his eyes turning into slits as he tried to get to me. Alijah and Venni’s muscles bulged as they held onto him.
Lombardi pulled me back gently, but I wasn’t fooled. He was anything but a gentleman right now. His energy was thick around him as he approached the detained man. He loomed over the guard, and the man finally shut up, his face paling as he realized what betrayal really meant here.
“Take him to the cells. I’ll deal with him later,” Lombardi said. His lip curled into a snarl as he fought to keep control of Black Dog. He wanted to hunt, to take down, to destroy the man willing to throw away his career so easily.
I released the seal I placed on the room and watched as they dragged the man out. I expected I wouldn’t see him again.
Lombardi turned to the others. No one else dared to leave the room without permission. “Tonight, we celebrate the success of this weekend,” he said. “Meet at Fates, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
With that news, the room broke out into cheers. There would be free drinks, dancing, and booze. The perfect ingredients for a fun night.
I glanced toward the door, wanting to go up to see Elliot. When my eyes met with Lombardi, I knew that wasn’t happening. He expected me to be at Fates. I knew what he was trying to do, but it wasn’t going to work.
My guilt was eating me up inside. I neede
d Elliot to be okay. My chest tightened at the thought of a world without him. It just felt wrong. Too wrong for a man I didn’t know that well. But still. He’d found a little spot inside of me and made me care for him. Maybe it was the way he mourned his broken relationship, or how dedicated he needed to be to work here. I didn’t know.
But that man was in a hospital room because of me, and I cared.
I looked away from Lombardi, knowing I’d lost the battle.
I was going to Fates tonight, even if I didn’t want to.
Chapter 29
Fates was a dance club in the middle of West Springer, surrounded by restaurants and high-end boutique stores. The club fit right in, where the drinks didn’t drop below twenty dollars—and that was the cheap stuff. The two floors of the dark and cozy space created an environment of mystery and sexual desires. The first floor was reserved for dancing, with a stage set up for the DJ at one end, a long bar along the entire wall on another side, booths and tables took up a corner, and then the rest of the space filled with people dancing. The second floor had a balcony view of the dance floor, and from past visits, I knew there were tables for people to sit and talk, even order some restaurant worthy food.
Tonight, we took over the club, coming in as a massive group. I smiled at the surprised look on the lead bartender’s face. He went for the phone to call in more backup. Lombardi went over and said something to the other bartender, who shuffled off to a backroom.
I claimed a table, with Ami next to me and Davies across from me. They chatted away as I watched an attractive woman come out. A flash of jealousy came over me as she smiled at Lombardi and he returned it. But when they shook hands in a professional manner, it disappeared just as quickly as it came.
I tried not to dwell on my emotions. Yes, I was crushing on Big Boss, but it didn’t mean I would do anything about it. He was my boss after all, and while the company didn’t have any policies against dating others within it, it didn’t mean it wasn’t a big no-no. I’d heard the drama between some of the employees. I didn’t want to add to it. The last thing I needed was for people to believe I was some kind of social climber.
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