Chapter Fourteen
Mara
“Do you want me to hurt you?” Rome hisses, wrapping his arm around my waist.
“That would be fun, but no,” Gavin says.
“Is something wrong?” I ask, finally able to focus.
“Not exactly,” he grumbles.
“How about you tell us exactly?” Rome glares at him.
“Do you know the owner of the business?” Gavin asks, his expression becoming serious.
“Not personally,” Rome says. He’s being cautious. I know he has his information, but we haven’t discussed the next step.
“The women have relayed more information about him,” he says, crossing his arms. “It’s not good.”
“How not good?” Rome asks, and Gavin looks around. “You know we are alone.”
“Yes, but I smell a coyote in the back,” he says, wrinkling his nose. “I’m not a fan.” Rome rotates his neck and then looks at the door. He says words I can’t hear and turns back to Gavin.
“They can’t hear us,” he informs him, and Gavin's eyebrows shoot up.
“Nice trick.”
“That is the nicest trick I have, and if you don’t get to the point, I’ll show you.” Rome narrows his eyes. I stare at my soul bond, ready to jump him, preferably naked.
“He has another business across the city,” Gavin says, and I focus on him. “He is deep into making money off women who don’t want to be at his mercy.”
“No,” I whisper.
“Unfortunately, yes,” he says. “Once the women felt safe, and the drugs wore off, a couple of them talked.” Probably the ones who chose not to have their memories changed.
“I didn’t like anything they were saying.
I was informed that the sick fuck is pissed.
He arrived at his business later in the night and found no men and no women.
He doesn’t know what the hell happened, yet he’s determined to find out. ”
“How determined?” Rome asks.
“Very. He’s sending men out who work for him. Questioning the women he still has control over,” he says.
“Who the fuck is this guy? He has that much power?” I ask.
“Apparently, he has plenty of bad guys just like him in his employ. One of mine talked to someone on his side. He’s scared shitless of his boss.
He’s proven to be ruthless. He’s not happy when he loses money.
Those men are missing.” He lifts a brow.
“He’s lost their business and the women who serviced them. ”
“We have to do something,” I say. We can’t let it go on. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to the other woman and I didn’t act.
“Yeah,” Rome murmurs.
“I need to know if you are going to take care of him and if I need to prepare for more women.” Rome hesitates, and Gavin spreads his arms. “Listen, I know you don’t trust me.
” He drops his hands and presses one to his chest. “I don’t really trust your kind.
Lace is different. We’re friends, but it’s not natural for us to be.
I can tell you don’t like shifters. I’m fairly confident that you are a good man.
Mara is special to Lace, so that means she means something to me.
I wouldn't do anything to put them in danger.”
“Yet, doing this will,” Rome points out.
“Yeah, but if I’m right, I think you have the upper hand.” He looks at me. “I can feel the power in her. If it’s too dangerous for you, I can handle it. I have men working with me.”
“Shifters?” Rome asks.
“Mostly. They are good men who don’t like those who hurt women.” He sighs. “Another option is speaking to the right people, at the right time, and the authorities get involved. The problem with that is there is no guarantee that the women get the justice they deserve.”
“Or the men,” I say softly.
“Right,” he nods. “The women will get dragged through the mud, questioned, and will have to face their abusers for months, if not years.”
“He’s right.” I tip my head back. “You know it.”
“I do.” Rome cups my chin. “I don’t want you to get hurt. It will take a lot to wipe out his business. You don’t have to do this. We can hand it over to Gavin, and we can move on. It’s not your job to right all the wrongs.”
“I realize that. How could I sleep while those women are going through hell? I can’t ignore the information.” I circle his wrist. “Will it affect you? Doing that much…work?” I glance at Gavin and back at Rome.
“It will, and it depends on how many.” He brushes his thumb over my lip. “I’ll just need to alleviate the adrenaline.” My body heats, willing to help him do that.
“Are you done talking in code?” Gavin smirks.
“You won’t question our methods?” Rome asks, turning back to him.
“What methods?” He shrugs. “It’s a win-win. Bad men go away, and the women get to move on to a better life. I don’t need to know how you get the result, just that you do.”
“Fine. You don’t question me, and you don’t reveal us to those men who work with you. Once it’s done, don’t expect it to be a regular thing.” Rome scowls. “You’re right, I don’t trust you, and I don’t associate with shifters much.”
“Perfect.” Gavin claps his hands. “Do you need time to prepare?”
“We need time to plan. I want to know about the location and how many will be there. I refuse to take Mara into a situation without as much information as possible,” Rome says.
“Of course. Do you have a phone?” Gavin asks.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you do a spell when you want to talk to somebody,” Gavin says.
“Careful, Gavin,” I say, his attitude towards Rome starting to annoy me.
“Shit, sorry. Warlocks are so touchy.” He pulls out his phone.
“Shifters don’t know enough about us to insult us so freely,” Rome says lightly, taking his phone.
“True,” Gavin mumbles. Rome enters his phone number and hands it back. “I’ll send you everything I have.”
“After we look it over, I’ll call.” Rome removes the silence spell and looks at the front door. “Off you go.” I press my lips together, and Gavin glares.
“Asshole,” he says.
“This is going to be fun.” Rome grins.
“I would use another word,” Gavin says and leaves.
“I don’t think we are going to be the best of friends.” He tugs on my hair.
“Probably not,” I laugh. He smiles briefly before clearing his expression.
“Mara, are you sure you want to do this? It’s going to be messy. We stay out of everyone's business for a reason. There is always a chance someone escapes and talks.” He rubs my arms. “He’s going to be on guard.”
“I want to do this for the women. When I was in the cage, I felt powerless,” I whisper, touching his chest. “I could have done something, but I let my doubts and fears stop me. I have the power to do something good. Our risk is limited, and I know you will be there with me.”
“Do you think you have to do this to make up for the Games?”
“No. It happened, and I’m trying to make my peace with it. This is now, and this guy shouldn’t be able to get away with it. Although the women are human, they don’t deserve to be punished just because they aren’t like us.”
“Most humans wouldn't hesitate to punish us,” he says.
“I know, but we can’t think that way. Our magic is a gift.
I want to use it for good. Meeting you has opened my mind to the possibilities of my spells that I’ve been afraid to explore.
I’m tired of being afraid of myself. I feel it.
” I press my palm to my stomach. “It’s inside me, urging me to use it.
I’m able to listen now and learn. I ignored it for so long that it stopped talking to me. I’m supposed to do this.”
“I will do whatever you want.”
“But you have doubts,” I say.
“My concern is for you. It will always be for you. I’m worried about your reaction once we do this. I can take all of the men's souls and not feel bad. Can you? Will you feel guilty, even though they are horrible people?” He uses the back of his hand to brush my hair behind my shoulder.
“Is it bad if I enjoy it?” I ask, tilting my head.
“I felt the emotions of the women involved with the other two men. Their fear is out of my body, but I’ll always remember.
The hopelessness they felt is probably matches that of the women we haven’t met.
They deserve to live without pain. I’m going to do it. ”
“I’ll need to call Archer,” he says, pulling out his phone. “He needs to be with us. His ability will help.” His phone rings before he can call him, and he rolls his eyes. “Aunt Adeline,” he sighs, answering.
“Don’t take that tone with me,” she chides.
“Sorry, Aunt. What is it? You’re on speakerphone.” He leans against the counter, crossing his arms, his hand holding the phone flat.
“Mara, thank goodness you are alright. We were worried, but I knew Rome would take care of you.”
“I’m fine, Adeline.” I smile.
“Good. The next time might not work out as well.” Rome jerks straight.
“What are you talking about?” he demands.
“I just had a premonition. I saw both of you in a big, old house. Several men were there, and then it cut to another image. Beware of the man in the white shirt. He wants to hurt Mara,” she says.
“Who?” I ask, cupping my neck. A shiver works up my spine, her words similar to those I said to another shifter I helped. I don’t question her knowledge.
“I don’t know. His face was obscured.”
“Any details you can tell us?” Rome asks.
“He had on a white shirt. The only things I could see was Mara’s face and his arm. Did something else happen since you left us?”
“Mara made a decision,” Rome grumbles.
“There are more bad guys out there. We are going to rescue some women,” I inform her.
“That might have been the reason it came to me. You need to be careful. We hold the magic, but it doesn’t always do what we want. Rome, you can’t leave her alone when you are punishing them,” she instructs firmly.
“I don’t plan on it,” Rome grits out. “Could you tell where Mara was when it happened?”
“No, sorry, my boy. It wasn’t clear, but I’m assuming in the scary house.”
“What if we don’t do this? Will that change the future?” Rome asks.
“Yes, but you have to do it,” Adeline says.
“You just said Mara’s life is in danger,” he says.