7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Zeke
Ididn’t need the phone to hear the laughter from Mal when I told him about Rory. He’d barely been able to contain himself, and every so often, he chuckled.
Jason, at least, had been sympathetic and would no doubt scold Mal later.
“So, what do I do?” I asked, exasperated and annoyed at the absurdity of the situation.
“It’s up to you. You can either carry on doing the job you’re being paid for and risk the wrath of your demon by not interacting with Rory.
Or you come home and ignore the mating completely.
Or you could go along with it. If you go with either of the first two options, prepare for months of displeasure from your demon. He won’t be happy.”
“It’s not his choice, Mal.” I hated being at the beck and call of my demon. I was in charge. He lived within me, not the other way around.
“You may think it’s not his choice, but ultimately, he can make your life hell. Do you want to live like that?”
“Do I want a mate? That’s the question. I’m not sure I do. I’m not sure I’m ready for that kind of commitment.” My voice rose, and I considered the implications of having a mate.
Mal and Jason had formed a bond, a strong one at that. One that meant their minds were also connected. I wouldn’t be able to have a thought without Rory knowing about it.
This bothered me more than I cared to admit.
“What does being a mate involve?”
“I’m sure I don’t have to explain everything to you, Zeke. You have an imagination. Let’s just say that the sex….”
“He doesn’t need to know all that, do you, Zeke?” Jason interrupted. No, I didn’t need to know what they got up to. I’d heard them enough times to know. They said the quietest ones were always the worst, and I’d have to agree with that.
“What about the mind thing? Do you guys eavesdrop?”
“Your mind is still your own. They don’t have access to it twenty-four hours a day. Jason and I are respectful of each other’s wishes.”
God, these two made me nauseous. Mal had turned into a right softie since meeting Jason.
I didn’t want to lose my identity as he’d done.
But then Jason had needed someone to protect and look after him.
Not that he was a pushover, but the death of his husband had been difficult for him to deal with.
Mal had turned up at the right time, and now they had the perfect relationship.
And that was the problem. I wasn’t a guy to give hearts and flowers. I wasn’t sentimental, wasn’t loving and gentle.
I’d never had that in my life. I lived hard, and I fucked whoever I wanted hard. All that would stop with a mate.
Plus, Rory had a daughter. Who thought I was good parental material? The universe was having a laugh at my expense.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was Dante. He seemed to have it out for me, but fated mates were written way before I knew him.
Fuck, this was difficult.
“So basically, what you’re saying is I can ignore the calling, so to speak, and put up with a grumpy demon for a few months, or accept it and become…” I didn’t even want to think of the alternative.
“Your demon will be more than grumpy. I don’t think you realise how difficult it is to give up a mating. It won’t kill you, but it’ll be tough.”
“Fuck my life,” I said to no one in particular.
“Is there anything else you need to know? Dad would have more information. Luckily for me, despite hating humans, the mating was the right thing for us. I know you think it’s this terrible thing, Zeke, but it can also be wonderful.”
I couldn’t think of anything worse. I ended the call with a false promise to let them know what happened and went to bed. The pain from earlier had subsided, but sleep was difficult to come by.
Feeling like I’d barely closed my eyes, I woke up from the sunlight streaming through the bedroom window.
My eyes felt gritty and sore. There was no way I was putting in contact lenses to hide my yellow eyes, but then I had no plans to go anywhere.
Let’s see how my fucker of a demon liked that.
Except sitting in my apartment with nothing to do was as boring as watching paint dry.
I wasn’t used to sitting idle, and after a few hours of mindless daytime TV, I grabbed the bike keys. I’d drive by Rory’s place, knowing he’d be at work and Carlotta at school.
I slowed down as I approached. All looked quiet, nothing out of place, the usual cars parked in their usual spaces. I drove by Carlotta’s school, aware she was safely locked up inside.
Dare I chance a ride to Rory’s place of work? Would the proximity to him provoke a response from my demon? There was only one way to find out.
I navigated through the city to the tall office block where he worked. At first, I felt nothing, no reaction from my demon.
But then Rory stepped out of the glass doors, strolling with an older, grey-haired lady. She stopped, threw her head back, and laughed at something he said.
To say demon boy was unhappy at this turn of events was an understatement. His animosity towards the woman was uncalled for. During my research, I’d identified her as his secretary. She wasn’t a love interest; I was sure of that.
But I needed to get out of here before my demon did something I’d regret. I closed the visor on my helmet and raced away.
It was time to claim my money and go back home.
The moment I got back to the apartment, I called Isadora.
“Was there any time limit to this job?”
“Why’d you ask? Ernesto expects his money’s worth, and he is paying you a million euros. I think he’d like you to be there more than the week you have.”
“Look, I can tell you now. This guy has nothing going on in his life other than his daughter and his job. He has no social life, and honestly, he’s boring. He does nothing.”
“Hmm, Ernesto won’t be happy with that.” I could almost hear her brain working from here.
“Do you want me to make something up? I don’t see the point of wasting any more of my time sitting around watching a man who has no life other than the daughter he clearly loves and adores.”
“Give it another week. I’ll see what I can do on this end to keep him happy. Consider the money a gift for doing the least amount of work ever.” She hung up.
I could do that. Tomorrow. I’d grab a takeaway and drink later. No point in doing anything else. Not after last night anyway. I was still suffering the aftereffects of my demon’s last tantrum.
But for some reason, I couldn’t settle, and neither could my demon. I couldn’t fly in broad daylight, but call it intuition, call it second sense. Whatever it was, I had a powerful urge to go to Rory’s place.
Not one to ignore my instincts, I grabbed my jacket and keys and hurried to my bike.
He’d be done with work now, possibly at home having dinner with his daughter. It couldn’t hurt to check, right?
The moment I turned into the street, I knew that something was wrong.
Rory’s shouts could be heard above the roar of the motorbike. I pulled in behind a black car and hopped off my bike, leaving it running. Both doors were open, and a screaming Carlotta was being pushed into the rear, her eyes wide with terror.
“Papa. Help. Help me.” Her shouts spurred me into action, and I sprinted towards her, ready to fight. Who the hell were these men?
“Leave her alone. Let her go!” Rory shouted. He was a few steps away, fighting to free himself from two men.
My demon growled, threatening to burst free, and it took all I had to contain him. How would I explain that?
I was torn, my eyes darting from one to the other. Who did I save first?
The decision was made for me. Tyres screeched, and the car, with Carlotta in the back, sped off down the street.
“Save her. Please…” The two men released Rory and dived into a waiting car. Who were they?
It didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out Ernesto had sent them. In our last conversation, he’d threatened to send men to watch them. I’d ignored his words, wrongly assuming it was an idle threat. But why had they kidnapped Carlotta now?
That man was more dangerous than I’d thought. I’d been a fool for dismissing him. All the red flags had been there, and I’d chosen to ignore every one of them.
I should have known the man was obsessed with both his son-in-law and his granddaughter, offering that amount of money, just to observe them.
“Go inside. I’ll get her back. I promise.” I picked up my bike, threw my leg over it, and restarted the engine.
“I’m coming with you.” Rory stepped towards me.
“No. I can ride quicker on my own. We’re wasting valuable time.”
I gunned the engine and drove away. I glanced in my side mirror. Rory ran his hands through his already messy hair and climbed the steps to his apartment.
I’d do what I could to retrieve his daughter.
I weaved in and out of the cars, my target a few vehicles ahead. Traffic in London was a bitch at the best of times: cars, buses, vans. Several times I lost sight of them, but my demon intuition helped me keep up.
We meandered through the side streets. I had no idea where they were leading me, but I kept up, refusing to lose Carlotta.
Whether I liked the idea of Rory being my mate or not, kidnapping a twelve-year-old girl wasn’t right in any fucking world.
The road ahead cleared, and the vehicle sped away from me. I opened the throttle and followed. These fuckers wouldn’t get away.
I raced towards them, getting closer to the point I was almost touching their bumper. The traffic lights changed to red. I had them now. They had to stop.
Except they didn’t. The car jumped the lights, and I waited for the inevitable crash as another car approached them.
There was an almighty bang, and a hush settled. Only the occasional blare from a distant car horn disrupted the silence.
For the second time, I threw my bike to the floor and raced towards the car. Smoke poured from the engine, and slowly people came to their senses.
Noise erupted around me. Car doors slammed, feet ran, except I had to get there first.
I yanked open the rear door. Carlotta lay across the back seat, her wrist in an unnatural position. Shit. That was likely broken, but she was awake. That was the main thing.
“Carlotta. Your papa sent me. Come. Come with me.”
“No, she should wait for an ambulance,” a man from behind me said.
“I know that, dickhead, but she can wait with me. This car could blow at any time. We need to get them all away from here.”
I looked in the vehicle’s front. The airbags had deployed. One man slumped over, another with his head against the headrest. Both were bleeding from superficial cuts, but they appeared not to have sustained real damage.
Carlotta hesitated for a moment but then slipped her arms around my neck. I carried her back to my bike, careful not to jostle her arm. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to have any other injuries. Well, none I could see anyway.
There was no way I could take her to the hospital on the bike. We’d need to wait.
“Can you sit here? I’m going to call your papa.”
Her bottom lip quivered, but she nodded, her tears at bay for the moment. I draped my jacket around her shoulders. Shock was a complication we didn’t need, and I didn’t like the look of the arm she cradled to her chest.
Rory’s number had been in the notes Isadora had given me, and I’d put it in my phone. For what reason, I didn’t know.
He answered immediately. “Where is she?”
“Calm down, Rory. I have your daughter and she’s safe.”
“And who are you?”
“I’m the guy who’s been watching you. I’m not going to harm Carlotta, but you need to know she’s been in a car accident…”
“Jesus, fuck. Is she okay? Where are you?” Panic laced his voice. I should calm him down before he had a heart attack.
I looked around, unsure of my location. “She has a broken arm. Paramedics have just arrived. I’ll let you know which hospital we’re going to, and you can meet us there.”
“Why are you doing this? Why do you want to hurt us?”
“I’m helping, Rory. I’m not here to hurt you or your daughter. I have to go, but I’ll be in touch.”
“Wait…”
I hung up as a paramedic approached. “What happened?” He knelt next to Carlotta and opened his bag.
“The driver of the car she was in jumped the fucking lights. That’s what happened.” Anger bubbled beneath the surface. How could he put her life at risk like that?
I knew for sure who was behind this kidnap attempt, and I’d let him know how his men had endangered the life of his precious granddaughter.
But first, she needed to be reunited with her father.
“Well, your wrist is definitely broken, and a nasty break at that. How did you do it?”
“I braced my hand on the seat in front of me when I saw the car coming towards us.” She inhaled sharply as he touched it. I sat next to her and took her other hand. She flinched for the briefest of seconds.
What was I thinking? But instead of pulling away, she gripped it tightly.
“What did Papa say? Is he coming here?” Her tear-filled eyes pulled at my heartstrings. Something that rarely happened.
“He’ll meet us at the hospital. I promise I’ll let him know.”
“Don’t leave me alone, please.”
“I’ll stay with you until he arrives.” I smiled, trying to reassure her. “Which hospital will you be going to?” I asked the paramedic.
“Are you her father?”
“A concerned friend is all. I can let her father know, though.”
“Royal London. We’ll be leaving soon. Just need to load these other guys in the other ambulance, and we can go. Hang tight, sweetheart. We’ll have you treated real soon.”
“What will you do with your motorbike?” Carlotta shifted next to me. The ground wasn’t the most comfortable place to sit.
“It’ll be fine.” I could lock it up and come back for it later. I had no spells, but a protection amulet would work just as well.
“Let me call your father, and he can meet us at the hospital. Can you stand?”
I helped her to her feet and called her father. Before he could say anything, I reeled off where we were going. “Royal London Hospital. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
I didn’t think I’d ever been in the back of an ambulance before, not in all the centuries I’d been alive. We demons dealt with injury and death differently, and I’d never cared enough about anyone to accompany them.
But Carlotta was all alone, and her father was miles in the other direction. Someone had to take care of her.