Chapter 3 #4
“When did you climb in bed with Horatio? I thought we agreed as a family that he wasn’t a man to associate with,” Annika hissed.
“Baby? Honey?” He gave them a cajoling smile.
“I’m undercover,” he sputtered the words out.
“Yeah.” He nodded decisively, as if convincing himself of the lie, feeling like it was the right tale to stand on his hill with.
“You see, I found out what Horatio was doing, and I knew it was my duty to put a stop to it. I knew you both would worry about me, so I couldn’t tell you. ”
Sylvie let out a strangled sob and took a few steps toward him. I blinked in surprise when I realized she was lapping up his lies. Annika, on the other hand, didn’t seem willing to buy them, not even for a dollar. Her eyes narrowed on him.
“He’s not only in bed with him. Sometimes he’s the one changing the sheets,” I couldn’t help but blurt out.
“Nah, he’s too disgusting to change his own sheets. He’s more apt to throw a blanket over the previous stains,” Jaxson huffed.
“Forget the fact that he was groping an unwilling minor,” Troy continued, discrediting his lies. “Last I checked, no one becomes a pedophile while doing an undercover sting.”
Sylvie took a few stumbling steps back, clearly confused about who to believe. In the meantime, Annika seemed to shore herself up. She pulled Sylvie into her arms as if to protect her from herself and Casey.
“Who the fuck?" Casey’s words trailed off as his gaze landed on me.
I gave him a sarcastic smile and a finger wave. “Hi, Casey, I see you recognize me. I’m Blake.” I looked over at his wives. At Sylvie’s gasp, I realized she knew me as well.
I knew it wasn’t wise to corner a wounded animal. I should have been ready for any physical attack, and I was. Kind of. Sort of.
He launched himself at me and grasped my arms. Seconds later, he produced a gun from goodness knows where and pressed it against my forehead. My guys called my name, and I silently stopped them. “Not yet. He can’t hurt me.”
Oddly enough, I felt detached. I felt calm. Not an ounce of me was fearful or panicking. As I processed my feelings, a theory began to form in my head. I didn’t plan on causing him any harm, but I had to see if my hypothesis was correct.
His eyes widened greedily when he felt the power emanating from me.
I felt tiny tendrils skating across my skin.
It was like ice-cold pinpricks trying to pierce me.
I knew immediately he was attempting to siphon from me.
The narcissist didn’t even realize he wasn’t siphoning anything.
It was as if he had planted several hooks against my nerve endings, but I was kinking them off—like a hose—one by one.
I smiled coldly to myself and imagined slowly, surely wrapping each strand, waiting for the right moment to enact my revenge.
“Tell your wives the truth,” I compelled him. “Let them know how you’ve been kidnapping women and children for Horatio for years. Inform them how you depleted your victims of their gifts to give Horatio and Alison more power.”
“While you’re at it, he should tell them the real reason why Vance has been weak for years.
Their mom and dad may have believed their firstborn was the perfect child, but you are both intelligent women, and I’m sure there have been times you’ve seen through some of his stories.
I’m sure you caught him in little fabrications.
If he’s willing to deceive you about the small, insignificant things, why couldn’t or wouldn’t he lie about the big ones too? ” Ethan stepped forward.
“Ethan?” Annika whispered, her voice choked. “I thought you were one of Horatio’s proteges.”
I could see that Annika and Sylvie knew Ethan well. Their circles were tighter. They attended the same social events, even if they weren’t exactly “friends.” If Horatio rubbed elbows with their parents and Horatio was grooming Ethan, they would recognize him.
“It took me a little longer to realize there was a curtain I needed to look behind,” Ethan said ruefully.
“You’re all lying.” Casey struggled to keep his cool, yet I could see the panic in his eyes, mixed with the look of triumph he tried to hide from me.
Silly, silly man. He thought he was draining me, but little did he know I could feel his intrusive gift, and I was only giving him “small sips” of my power.
Don’t get me wrong, he was strong. In fact, I believed the whole level-ten scale was off.
People like him were beyond that scale. People like Gavin were beyond that scale.
People like me and my guys were beyond that scale.
Unfortunately for him, since he had never encountered people like me, he wouldn’t be prepared for me in the least.
“Okay, guys, come touch me, please,” I silently commanded my men.
Casey was beginning to sweat, and the gun aimed at my forehead wobbled. “Tell them I’m working undercover. I saw the plans Horatio had against his own flesh and blood, and I knew he was evil. Tell my wives this was all an act.” Spittle flew from his lips.
The hand not holding the gun gripped my arm tighter.
I had to bite back a cry. The terrified cries of my men sent a split-second of dread through me, but it quickly dispersed when a cocoon-like feeling enveloped me.
I knew instinctively it was my gift. It was here to protect me, and there was nothing Casey could do to protect himself now.
“I can’t,” I whimpered as his hold tightened and the barrel of his gun dug further into my forehead.
“Stop it, Casey!” Vance raged, stepping forward.
Suddenly, a new idea began to hatch. While Vance tried to distract Casey by explaining the situation to his sisters-in-law, it hit me, this man had been abused by his brother for years, and he deserved his own form of justice.
“Gavin,” I silently called out.
“Here,” he quickly responded.
“In a second, I need you to siphon off Casey and give it back to his brother,” I directed.
“As you wish,” he replied.
I had to bite back a laugh at his Jaxson-ism and finally tuned back to the conversations around me. I didn’t even bother silently communicating my next words as I compelled Casey. I was done playing games. I was hungry, horny, and in need of a nap.
“You can’t see, feel, or hear Gavin,” I raised my voice over everyone’s. “You won’t notice him giving back what you stole from your brother for years. I’m done playing with my food. Tell your wives the truth, lower the gun, and throw it on the ground.”
Casey did as I asked, and Lincoln immediately retrieved it, put the safety on, and tucked it away in his rear pocket. My guys all moved in and placed a hand on me as I silently told them my plan.
I smiled in satisfaction as Casey began to spill all of his dirty little secrets.
I still hated hurting his innocent wives, but they were better off without him.
I watched as Gavin and Vance approached.
Vance seemed hesitant with my suggestion, but I gave him props for being brave enough to follow a theory of mine.
Casey was nearly done with his confession when I decided to let him see his demise.
He spun toward Gavin but was unable to move, since I had silently commanded him not to.
“Do you know what the problem is with not knowing your opponents or the full extent of your gifts?” I inquired.
“Sometimes our gifts can surprise us. Do you know what happens when too much power goes to a single outlet?” I slowly began to trickle out more and more of my gifts. “The fuse blows.”
I saw the moment he recognized his mistake.
I witnessed the second he realized he was in over his head.
His screams were almost like music to my ears as I fed my gift more and more, letting him feel my guys’ gifts as well.
I only stopped when I heard Vance let out a startled cry.
One moment he was standing and the next he collapsed on the ground.
He was gripping his chest and rolling in pain.
I prayed I hadn’t caused him irreparable damage.