Chapter Twenty
Nash held his breath when he saw Abi. The smartass shifted into a squirrel.
Nash watched from the side of the hotel, staying in the shadows out of sight. Abi ran up a tree at the back of the lot, near to their little spy. Abi’s abilities gave him the element of surprise. They were handy in a way Nash could never pull off.
The only problem was that Nash worried. He’d always worry. It didn’t matter how good he was at this part of his job.
I’ll have him contained in less than five minutes. Do you want to question him before I kill him?
Keep him alive.
Nash watched as Abi disappeared. He must have made himself tiny. So small, Nash couldn’t see from a distance away.
Before he knew it, Abi had materialized in the passenger seat of the car.
The guy screamed.
Nash crossed the parking lot.
The spy had his hands on the wheel. He had sweat on his face. His eyes were big on his face, and he might have been shaking.
Abi smiled at Nash when their gazes met.
Nash sat in the back, right behind their spy.
Abi turned in his seat. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Hi, baby. How did you get in here?”
Abi pointed to where their spy had opened the window a crack. “I flew in.”
The guy had labored breathing. “I need my EpiPen, or I’m going to die, man.”
Abi chuckled. “You think I care if you die? That’s cute.”
It was a sad day when Nash was the voice of reason. He could rein Abi in, but curiosity won out. Watching Abi work could be fun.
The EpiPen sat on the dash out of reach of the guy. Abi probably saw it from the tree and took a chance that the guy needed it for a bee allergy.
Abi grabbed the EpiPen and stuck the guy in the leg with it. “You really are very allergic. It’s astonishing how quickly you went downhill.”
The guy’s breathing changed. The color came back into his face, and his lips turned a normal color when he sucked in several breaths.
He attacked Abi in the next moment, but he didn’t get very far because Nash and Abi both expected it.
Nash wrapped an arm around the guy’s neck from behind before their allergic little friend even remembered he was there, and Abi shifted his fingers into tiger claws and scraped them across the man’s stomach.
Blood bloomed across his shirt.
Nash growled in the guy’s ear. “I’ll let him gut you if you try that again.”
Abi’s expression changed when he met Nash’s gaze. “You let me do all the fun things, Daddy.”
Nash smiled, remembering the last fun thing Nash let Abi do. It was the hottest and best moment of Nash’s life.
The guy struggled against Nash’s hold, so Nash tightened it to where he restricted his airway.
Abi was inches from the guy’s face. His expression hardened. “Do you want to know something else my Daddy lets me do?”
Nash loosened his hold so that the man could speak.
Abi’s tongue flicked out, thin and forked.
“Jesus fucking Christ! What the hell are you?” The guy pressed against the seat, recoiling away from Abi.
“I’m anything I want to be. But we’re not here to talk about me. We’re here to talk about you.” Abi put his claws to the man’s gut again but didn’t draw blood a second time. He waited until the guy was ready to piss himself before continuing. “Do you work for Mallor?”
The question was something they already knew the answer to, but he knew what Abi was doing. He was baiting the guy, getting him warmed up to answer much harder questions. He’d blurt out everything.
“Y-yes. Oh, god. Don’t kill me!”
Abi just smiled in that excitable way he had since the moment Nash entered the car. It was all fake, acting, but it was effective. That’s right, baby. Keep him scared.
“Did you leave the note under our door?”
“Y-yes.”
“Why are you still here?”
“I’m s-supposed to take you t-to Mr. Mallor.”
“He wants you to kidnap us. Am I getting that right?”
The guy shook his head. “Not him. Just you.”
“Why just me?”
The guy started panicking then. “I don’t know. I swear it.”
Abi must have dug his claws in a bit more because the guy just started crying. “Mr. Mallor knows your boyfriend. Says they go way back. That’s all I know. I swear, man!”
Abi met Nash’s gaze. For the first time since his little torturous escapade started, worry creased his brow.
Nash had a plan. “Where does he keep his slaves?”
The man didn’t answer.
Nash tightened his grip. “Answer me, or I’ll let my boy gut you.”
The man cried out.
“The club.” He shut his eyes. His breathing grew a bit labored. “I swear to god.”
“Which one do you swear on?” Abi rolled his eyes. Finally, an expression Nash knew well. “We want to know specifics.”
“Basement.”
Abi withdrew his claws and wiped his fingers on the guy’s pants. “I’d get to the emergency room right away if I were you.”
The guy turned to Abi as though he was seeing him for the first time. “You’re letting me go?”
Abi shrugged. “I need you to give Mallor a message.”
The guy nodded.
“Since Mallor seems to know my Daddy, I’m willing to share a little fun fact.” Abi grabbed the man’s face. His eyes turned reptilian. They mirrored Nash’s own. “Tell him we’re coming for him. And we’re bringing our family. Mention that Nash is a Sylvain.”
The guy sucked in a breath. His eyes widened, and he paled.
Abi let him go but patted the man’s cheek. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll never see me again.”
The guy nodded and started the car.
Nash got out at the same time Abi did. When Abi drew close enough, Nash grabbed his hand. “I’m a Sylvain, huh?”
Abi shrugged. “You don’t have to change your last name or anything. I just knew it would scare him.”
“That it did meant he’s smarter than he looks.” Nash kissed Abi’s hand.
Abi leaned into Nash, so he wrapped an arm around his waist as they headed back into the hotel. “We have to move quickly before Mallor moves the slaves.”
Nash agreed. “I need to call my people. We’ll need backup.”
“The more, the merrier.”
Nash kissed Abi’s temple and addressed the anxiety Nash knew Abi felt. The fear was practically a scream through their link. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Abi didn’t contradict him.
“Not after we take out Mallor and his sicko shithead cronies.” Nash turned to face him, making Abi meet his gaze. “Not now. Not ever.”
Abi drew his eyebrows together and bit his lip. “It’s just…it’s hard to believe. No one sticks. But I’m trying. I promise.”
“I’m glue, remember. Like Gorilla Glue, but better because I’m a possessive, protective dragon. That means I’m not going anywhere until death do us part.”
Abi smirked. “Dragon glue.”
Nash winked. “That’s right.”
“Not now. Not ever.” Abi smiled.
They made their way inside, which made Nash feel better.
Crossing the parking lot left them exposed.
They would need to be more careful from now on.
Who knew how Mallor would react? He’d be stupid to even go to the club, but Nash would bet he’d end up there.
It wouldn’t matter if Abi dropped Sylvain’s name.
Mallor thought his money had bought loyalty.
He had a lot of friends and associates who were exactly like him.
They were all slaves to their sick depravities.
So Mallor would show up. He’d ask all his associates to come to his rescue, and they would if he didn’t tell them who the enemy was.
And that was exactly what they were counting on.