Chapter 12 #2
Cash launched up from the couch at her signal and attacked.
Sable ducked sideways to escape the violence, and while the man in the suit could hold his own, he wasn’t equipped to survive the magnificence of Cash.
Sable crouched out of reach as they fought, as Cash’s fist beat and beat and beat until the man could no longer fight back, and while it was an incredible display of sickening brutality, she couldn’t help but feel turned on by his skill.
This was a Fae male born and bred for battle.
A man trained to win. This was a father who would do anything for his son and a man worth loving.
“Where the hell is my son?” Cash growled as he finally pinned the stranger down.
“I don’t—” the man choked on his words as Cash tightened his grip.
“No, we aren’t doing that,” he said. “You know where my boy is, and you’re going to take us to him.”
“The Ombra will kill me,” the man said.
“And if you don’t, I’ll kill you, so either way you’re fucked,” Cash said.
“The only difference is The Ombra will probably put a bullet in your brain, but this father will make your death slow.” Sable sauntered closer now that the man wasn’t a threat.
“You took his son. He won’t let you die well, so if I were you, I would risk The Ombra’s wrath because you won’t like what this dad will do to you. ”
“I don’t know where the boy is,” he sputtered. “The Ombra isn’t here, though. They never show their face. They sent a representative to deliver the egg, and He has already authorized the prize money transfer.”
“Then take us to the representative,” Sable said.
“She doesn’t know anything. She’s just some woman.”
“Oh, you would be surprised,” Sable said. “So, what will it be? A quick end, or this father’s rage?”
“Fine, I’ll take you.” The man spit blood onto the carpet. “But if I help you find your kid, will you help me not get shot?”
“Maybe,” Cash said. “That’ll depend on what shape my son is in.”
“Okay, okay. Follow me.” The man led them further into the mansion, and the trio eventually arrived at an ornately carved door. With a quick knock, he let them in.
“What the hell happened?” a feminine voice asked, and a moment later, The Ombra stepped into view. Her concerned face turned livid when she saw Cash, and she recoiled from her ex, feigning fear.
“I’m sorry, Miss Archibald,” the man said. “They demanded to see you. They’re here for his son.”
“What makes you think I have him?” she said with false concern. “I am just The Ombra’s representative. I don’t even know what they look like.”
“I do.” Sable stepped forward. “I know what The Ombra looks like, and I’m here by invitation, which means I’m under His protection.
You can’t kill me without consequence, so I can walk out of this mansion without risk.
I have photo proof too, so answer him. Where is his kid? Or the world will see your face.”
“Careful, little girl,” she spat. “You’re playing in the big leagues now. I wouldn’t want such a sweet, na?ve human to get skinned alive.”
“I’m not as sweet as you think,” Sable said.
“Oh, dear. We have a badass.” The Ombra laughed deprecatingly. “Stay out of this fight. There’s no bounty, so you can leave. And if you’re here under the misguided assumption that you love this man, take it from someone who’s been there and done that. He’s a waste of time.”
“Where is his son?” Sable asked, refusing to stoop to her level. The woman was goading her, and she wouldn’t fall for it.
“This doesn’t concern you. Stay out of it.”
“Where is his son!” Sable shouted, her voice so loud that it reverberated throughout the room.
“Sable?” The small question escaped from a distant room, and every head snapped to attention. “Sable, is that you?”
“Clover?” Cash screamed as he charged for his son’s voice, but The Ombra grabbed her gun and aimed.
Cash skidded to a halt as she pulled the trigger, but before the bullet left the chamber, Sable jumped into the air and kicked the woman’s wrist. The bullet slammed into the wall feet from its intended target as The Ombra dropped the weapon, and a hint of fear filled the dangerous thief’s eyes.
“Go!” Sable shouted. “Get Clover.”
Cash hesitated, clearly terrified that the Fae woman would kill her.
“Go!” she screamed. “Get your son!”
“Dumb bitch,” The Ombra said, raising her fists for the fight. “I’m going to enjoy breaking you, little girl. No one threatens The Ombra and lives. Especially not some human.”
“You know,” Sable said. “Everyone always thinks I’m human. It’s probably the wig.” She reached up, gripped the brunette curls, and pulled the hair from her head. Her velvet-soft ears sprang to their full height, and she didn’t miss the shock that rippled through Cash’s features.
“But I’m not human. I’m an Easter bunny who grew up with huge older brothers.
They taught me how to fight, and Easter is right around the corner.
It’s my holiday, bitch, which means my kind are at their strongest.” She lifted her fists and settled into a fighting stance.
“Cash, go find your son. I’ve got this.”
“Cash, go find your son.” Sable bent her knees, her muscles coiling for the attack. “I’ve got this.” And with that, she launched herself at The Ombra.
For a moment, Cash stood rooted to the ground with his jaw hanging open.
The incredible agility. The sheer power in her thighs when she jumped.
The tall velvet ears that beautifully matched her hair.
Sable wasn’t human. She was an Easter bunny.
She was a supernatural being just like him, and suddenly the soulmate bond taking root in his chest made sense.
He’d loved Clover’s mother at first, but he’d never felt the tug of destiny with her.
But as he watched Sable fight for them, the love that had withered when he saw her in the exhibit resurrected.
The Ombra threw Sable across the room, but she twisted mid-air and slammed into the wall with her boots. The building shook with thunder as she launched herself at The Shadow, and the resounding echo jerked Cash out of his trance. He’d deal with the shock of Sable’s truth after his son was safe.
“Clover?” He bolted for the backroom where his boy’s voice had come from. “Clover, where are you?”
“No, Dad!” Clover shouted. “It’s a trap.”
Cash heard the word ‘trap’ just as he barged through the door.
It was barely a warning, but it was enough, and Cash’s trained instincts kicked into gear.
He registered the object flying for his face a second before it made impact and threw his head backward, contorting so that the blow sailed over him, and the man wielding the broken chair leg stumbled from the momentum.
Cash seized the opening, stepped beyond the man’s reach, and then slammed his elbow into the back of his skull. His attacker lost his balance and smashed face-first into the wall, his nose breaking upon impact.
A second man aimed his gun, but he was too slow to pull the trigger. Cash sidestepped his aim and broke his wrist, stealing the weapon as the man’s arms went limp.
“Clover, shut your eyes,” he shouted as he tucked the gun into his belt. “It’ll be okay.”
Clover clapped his hands over his face, and when his son was blind, Cash put his training to use.
He didn’t use the weapon. He didn’t need to.
These monsters had taken his child. So he unleashed his rage from its carefully monitored box, and when he was done, his knuckles were coated in blood. His and theirs.
“Keep your eyes shut,” Cash ordered as he scooped Clover off the couch. “Don’t look at them. Dad’s got you.”
“Daddy.” Clover flung his little arms around his father’s neck, and Cash’s heart broke.
It had been a long time since Clover last called him Daddy.
He couldn’t imagine the fear his son had endured at his ex’s hand, and he was suddenly glad Sable was dealing with The Ombra.
If he had to face her after seeing his son’s terror, he would’ve acted without mercy.
Becoming a father ten years ago had altered him to his core, and he would both die and kill for his child.
There was nothing he wouldn’t do for this boy.
“Oh, wow.” Clover’s shock echoed in his ear. “Sable’s an Easter Bunny?”
“Keep your eyes closed.” Cash cupped the back of his son’s head, trying to pull the boy closer, but Clover fought him so he could watch.
“She’s really cool,” he said as Sable’s kick landed hard on The Ombra’s chest, and Cash had to agree.
Watching his ex battle his girlfriend—if that was what Sable was—settled conflicting emotions in his heart, but his son was right.
Sable was more than cool. She was fucking brilliant, and for a moment, both father and son forgot where they were as they watched her defend them.
“Did you know she was an Easter Bunny?” Clover asked.
“No… No, I didn’t.”
“She’s really pretty.”
“Yes, she is.”
“That woman she’s fighting. Is that really my mom?” Clover asked and everything inside Cash froze. This was not the time nor the place to have that conversation. They needed to escape, and as if to confirm his thoughts, police sirens shattered the night’s silence.
“Yes, she is, and I promise to answer all your questions, but we need to go.” He tightened his hold on his son as he took off running. “Sable! We need to leave!”
She glanced over her shoulder at them, and The Ombra seized her distraction and aimed for a fatal blow.
“Sable! Look out!” Clover screamed, and Sable turned at the last second and kicked the Ombra so hard that she flew across the room and crashed into the wall. The force drove her right through the wood, and while it wouldn’t kill her, she wouldn’t be getting up any time soon.
“Sable, run!” Cash shouted as he bolted through the door. Sable chased after him, and together, they raced down the grand staircases as the sirens grew closer.
“I dialed 911,” she said. “I figured…” she trailed off, and confused by her sudden silence, Cash turned around and saw it.
The golden egg. Security guards were escorting it through the hallways, desperately trying to remove it from the mansion before the authorities arrived, but it was Sable’s expression that ripped his heart from his chest. She was staring at the egg with hunger in her eyes.
He could practically see the wheels in her head turning, the dollar signs in her pupils spinning.
The egg wasn’t in His control yet. She could still win the heist, and Cash recognized the moment she chose the gold over them.
“Sable, no!” he shouted as she raced through the halls. “Please don’t do this.”
But it was too late. She was gone. She had made her choice. A thief to the core; she couldn’t ignore the prize, and once again, she betrayed them.
“Get on the ground!” a police officer shouted as Cash burst through the mansion’s front door.
“My son!” He fell to his knees in the gravel drive, cradling Clover against his chest. “Please be careful of my son. I’m the head of security at The Merveille De L’art, and my son was kidnapped from the museum during the gala earlier. The badge on my belt will prove that, and we need your help.”
“Stay down!” the officer yelled as a second cop approached.
“Daddy, I’m scared,” Clover sobbed.
“I know, sweetheart.” Cash hugged him tighter. “Please, lower your guns. I’ll stay down, but you’re scaring my son. Please.”
“Check his badge,” the officer said to his partner as he lowered the weapon slightly.
Cash remained frozen as the cop fished the badge from his belt, but he didn’t miss the swarm of police raiding the mansion.
They aggressively arrested thieves and hired thugs, and he hoped his identification was enough to clear his name.
“He’s telling the truth,” the cop said. “But we got a call earlier from the museum. Precieux’s Egg went missing, and security claimed this man drove off with a woman. His son wasn’t with him, though.”
“That’s because my son had been taken,” Cash said, desperate for them to believe him. “I did not steal the egg. I’m here for my boy.”
“Daddy…” Clover trailed off.
“It’s okay,” He brushed his boy’s hair back. “It’s going to be okay.” He silently pleaded with the officers to help him keep his word.
“Cash?” a familiar police officer jogged over, and Cash recognized him as one of the officers who had arrested the thief outside his house.
“Let him up. I know him.” The man grabbed Cash’s biceps and helped him to his feet. “These thieves have targeted him before.” He guided father and son away from the chaos and sat them in the front seat of his squad car.
“Are either of you hurt?” He glanced pointedly at Cash’s bloody knuckles.
“No,” Cash said. “He’s just scared.”
“It’s okay, buddy.” The officer ruffled Clover’s hair. “You’re safe now. We’ll take good care of you. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course. I have to keep you here so we can get your statement, but I wouldn’t worry. You’ll be home soon.”
“Thanks.”
“If you need anything, find me.” The officer left to receive his orders, and for the first time since they’d exited the mansion, Cash scanned the arrested criminals, searching for one brunette in particular.
“Dad, where’s Sable?” Clover asked in a tiny voice.
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
“Why did she run after the egg? Why didn’t she come outside with us?”
“I don’t know,” Cash repeated. “I guess she really wanted the gold.”
“Is she a thief like my mom?”
“Yes.” He couldn’t lie to his son. Not after he’d witnessed the woman abandon them for the prize.
“Will she be okay?” Clover asked, surprising his father with his concern. He had expected his boy to be angry, but instead, he was worried about Sable’s safety.
“I hope so,” Cash said. As betrayed as he felt, he wanted her to be safe. He hoped she was far away from these arrests.
“Are we ever going to see her again?”
“I don’t think so,” Cash said, the words bitter on his tongue. “I think she’s gone.”
“Well, maybe she’ll come back.” Clover settled on his dad’s lap so he could watch the mansion for signs of her. The police arrested The Ombra and her associates. They arrested dozens of thugs and thieves, but no one ever found Sable or the golden egg. She was gone, and the prize along with her.