Chapter 16 – BODHI
BODHI
Iclose Emma’s door behind me and lean against the wall, my head falling back with a muffled thud as my chest heaves.
Fuck.
I can still taste her on my tongue, still feel her trembling beneath me, fingers clawing at my back as she came apart, my name spilling from her mouth like a prayer.
Which is exactly why I had to leave, why I abandoned our mate alone in that bed when she was soft and pliant and begging for more.
I know she’s not ready for any of the things he’s demanding.
Every instinct I have is screaming to turn around and claim her, and every ounce of discipline I’ve learned says that if I do, I’ll destroy the one thing I’m trying to protect.
My jaw locks, teeth grinding so hard it aches as I force myself to stay where I am. For months, I’ve let him do as he pleases, but now, when it matters, I’m keeping him from the thing he wants most.
But she’s never been with a man, let alone an untamed shifter bear who wants to sink his teeth into her delicate neck and mark her as his forever.
My eyes flutter shut, and a groan rumbles up from somewhere deep in my chest. I need to get my shit together. Fast.
Footsteps echo from the end of the corridor, and I force myself upright, schooling my features into something resembling calm.
Kozlov rounds the corner with two guards flanking him, not taking any chances with his security now. His suit has been changed; the rumpled one from earlier replaced with fresh charcoal wool, but there’s a frantic energy to him that betrays his composure.
The attack rattled him more than he wants to admit.
“Lennox.” He stops in front of me, his gaze flicking to Emma’s closed door. “Is she secure?”
Thank God humans have such a poor sense of smell. Her arousal still hangs heavy in the air. Any shifter would know what just happened behind this door.
“Locked in and resting.” I keep my voice professional, even as my animal snarls at his proximity to our mate. “She’s shaken, but physically unharmed.”
He doesn’t care about her emotional state. Just that she’s still unmarked and untouched, as far as he knows, for his precious auction.
“Good. Good.” He nods, distracted, then focuses on me with renewed intensity. “You did well tonight. Better than well. My men are trained professionals, but they froze. You didn’t.”
They’re not trained professionals; they’re thugs. The men who broke in were much more skilled, which gives me some thoughts as to who they might have been.
I shrug. “I’ve been in worse situations.”
Usually, shifter arguments are settled with claws and teeth, less clean and clinical, but every bit as dangerous.
“I don’t doubt it.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “The Lennox family has quite the reputation. I’m beginning to see it’s well-deserved.”
I say nothing. Let him think whatever he wants about my family name and who taught me how to fight. It wasn’t my father, that’s for damn sure. Once he realised how strong I was going to be, he cast me out. It was my older brothers who made sure I stayed on a good path.
Kozlov gestures behind him, and when Piotr steps forward, every muscle in my body goes rigid. “Piotr will take over watch duty while you’re needed elsewhere.”
Piotr practically bounces on his heels, and I know exactly what he’s hungry for. He made that clear enough in the kitchen. And now Kozlov wants to leave him outside her door while she sleeps?
“She stays in that room,” I tell him, letting a hint of growl creep into my voice.
“Door stays locked. Nobody goes in. That includes you.” I step closer, using every inch of my height.
“If I come back and find out you’ve fucked this up, you’ll answer to me before Kozlov. And trust me, you’d prefer Kozlov.”
He swallows hard and nods, positioning himself beside the door with notably less enthusiasm. Something ugly flickers in his expression, resentment maybe, but he’s not stupid enough to push back. Not with Kozlov watching.
Kozlov watches the exchange with amusement, and I wonder if this is another test. “Come. We have much to discuss.”
I fall into step beside him, forcing myself not to look back at Emma’s door. Every step away from her feels wrong, like a physical ache in my chest, but right now, I need information more than I need to stand guard. And Kozlov is clearly in a sharing mood.
We walk through the mansion, past the destruction from earlier that’s already being cleaned by a small army of staff. Bullet holes are being patched, broken furniture removed, and bloodstains scrubbed from the marble. By morning, there will be no evidence that anything even happened here.
“Tonight was a setback,” Kozlov says, his jaw tight. “But not a disaster. The Ashworths have confirmed their deposit stands. They’re even more eager now, the excitement adding to the appeal. Igor said it was an interesting drive back to their car.”
He gives me a wink, and I feel like vomiting. But Emma wasn’t the only problem tonight. If they’re getting off on the idea of people being hurt and injured because of this barbaric auction already, I can’t bear to think what else gets them off.
Sick fucks.
“And the woman they originally wanted?” I keep my tone neutral, curious but not too curious.
“A complication, but a lucrative one.” His lips thin. “She’s very valuable, and quite frankly, irreplaceable at such short notice. We need to make sure nothing else goes wrong...” He glances at me sideways, but I don’t ask any more questions. If I appear too nosy, he’ll clam up.
“Dimitri will handle her personally, which is why I need you to focus on Emma’s security, both here and at the auction. Exclusively.”
I nod. “I thought I already was.”
“Here, yes. I’d arranged a team to look after the event itself, but now… I’m not sure who I can trust.” He stops walking, then turns to face me. “The auction is in a few days. It’s the most important event of my year, and I have supporters who are counting on this going smoothly.”
Kozlov doesn’t look at me when he says it.
I wait, letting him fill the silence.
“These people have invested significant resources into this operation, and I cannot afford to disappoint them.”
My attention sharpens.
Kozlov has a boss. Or bosses. Someone above him pulling strings, funding his plans and expecting returns on their investment.
This operation is bigger than one Russian mobster running a side hustle in human trafficking.
“What do you need from me?” I ask, pretending I’m just here to serve.
Kozlov’s got a big ego. Appealing to his need to be the top dog, with all his minions running around after him, is my best chance of gaining his confidence.
“The auction location is kept secret, even from me, until the day before. Security protocol, but a logistical nightmare for us. However, given tonight’s events, perhaps it is a good thing. At least we know that has not been compromised.”
He doesn’t even fucking know where it’s going to be? How am I supposed to tip Chase off in enough time for him to prepare?
“We hold it at the same time as one of our entertainment events. A bare-knuckle, no-holds-barred fighting competition. It provides cover and draws attention away from the main attraction. Plus, anyone who even looks like a cop will be spotted a mile away.” His smile turns predatory.
“I need someone I can trust to oversee Emma’s transport and protection.
Someone who’s proven they can handle themselves when things go sideways. Just in case.”
My mind races, even as I nod calmly.
Street fighting. Secret location. Revealed only a day before.
Caleb.
My brother has been working the underground fighting circuit for months. If the auction is held at the same venue at the same time, there’s a chance he’ll be there. Especially if the purse is a big one.
This might be our chance to finally get Kozlov.
But can I count on Caleb? If needed, would he help me or cause trouble? I honestly don’t know, not when my mate’s life might depend on it, and that’s a sorry state of affairs.
I can’t count on him. I can only count on myself.
“I’ll do whatever you need. And I won’t let her out of my sight,” I tell Kozlov. “Just tell me when and where.”
He claps me on the shoulder, apparently satisfied.
“Good man. Now, there’s one more thing I need from you tonight.
The intruders we captured. So far, they’re not giving us any intel, but I need to know who sent them, how they knew our layout, and who is feeding them information.
” Pursing his lips, he takes a deep breath to calm himself before continuing.
“Traditional interrogation methods are not working.”
“You want me to do it.”
Intimidate. Bully. Torture. Use whatever means are necessary to extract the information he wants.
“Exactly.” His smile widens. “I have a feeling you’ll be very effective.”
I need to get a message to Chase. The auction is our best chance, maybe our only chance, and he needs to know it’s happening offsite. Maybe they can shortlist possible locations nearby. I have a feeling they won’t risk transporting these women too far.
“We’re just taking a break and letting them have a moment to reconsider their position. Take five, get a coffee, and then join us in the basement.”
“Meet you down there,” I say, veering off as though I’m going to pay the kitchen a visit.
Kozlov waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t be long. Dimitri is eager to begin, and I’d hate for you to miss the opening act.”
When he rounds the corner, I veer off, heading for my quarters instead, forcing myself to walk at a normal pace despite the urgency clawing at my insides. The corridor is empty. The other guards are either dealing with the aftermath of the attack or preparing for the interrogation.
My room is small and sparse, with nothing personal on display. I close the door and immediately reach for my belt, sliding my fingers along the hidden seam until I find the compartment. The backup SIM card is exactly where I left it, thin as a fingernail, and untraceable.
I swap it into my phone, then compose a message to Chase. Short, cryptic, and nothing that would raise flags if intercepted.
Nest was hit. The package will be delivered off-site. Address revealed the day before. Will update.
I send it and wait, counting the seconds until I see the delivered confirmation. Then I delete the message, swap the SIMs back, and tuck the backup into my belt.
The whole process takes less than a minute, but when I open my door, Dimitri is standing in the corridor, waiting for me. Listening.
“Ready?” he asks, his tone carefully neutral. Dimitri’s gaze travels over me slowly, assessing. Whatever he’s looking for, he doesn’t seem to find it, but the doubt doesn’t leave his eyes.
“Kozlov wants you to take the lead on the interrogation,” he says as we walk.
“Does he?” I ask conversationally. “Well, I’ll give it a go.”
Dimitri’s smile is thin, knowing. I didn’t kill any of the intruders, just knocked them unconscious. But I could have, and I suspect Dimitri noticed my reluctance to shed blood unnecessarily.
“I think perhaps he wants to see what you’re made of. Whether you have the stomach for the unpleasant parts of this work.”
It’s a test. Of course it is. Kozlov wants to know if I’m willing to get my hands dirty. If I’m committed enough to hurt people who haven’t done anything to me, just because he says so.
We descend a narrow staircase into the bowels of the mansion. The temperature drops as we go deeper, the air growing damp and stale. By the time we reach the bottom, I can hear it: the sound of laboured breathing, the clink of chains, and the muffled groan of someone in pain.
Dimitri opens a heavy steel door, and the smell hits me first. Blood and sweat, sharp and metallic.
Two men hang from chains in the centre of the room, their tactical gear stripped away while their bodies already bear the marks of preliminary questioning. One is conscious, his head hanging low with blood dripping from his split lip. The other is slumped, either unconscious or dead.
Kozlov stands to the side, his sleeves rolled up and expression eager. Several of his men line the walls, watching, waiting.
“Ah, Lennox.” Kozlov gestures to the conscious prisoner. “Perfect timing. We were just about to begin in earnest.”
He holds out a pair of pliers, the metal gleaming in the harsh fluorescent light.
“Would you like to do the honours?”
Every eye in the room turns to me.
Dimitri watches with barely concealed disdain, waiting for me to refuse, to reveal myself as something other than what I’ve claimed to be, and less loyal than Kozlov deems me.
I think about Emma, asleep upstairs, trusting me to protect her. I think about what these men might have done if they’d gotten to her. And I remember the promise I made, to get her and the others out of here alive, no matter the cost.
Without a second thought, I take the pliers from Kozlov’s hand.
“Where do you want me to start?”