Chapter 8 #2
I looked at two who weren’t the ones in trouble and rattled off in German that they were in trouble with me. That they hadn’t done as I’d said and I would beat their asses later. I cleared my throat and looked back at the confused cop.
“These four witnessed something involving two German citizens,” I hurried on when the police were all immediately ready to jump on it.
“Not on your soil. While traveling. It’s a mess.
I went to great lengths to track them down because they saw something that could get them killed by bad people.
Please, run the other names, but not theirs. I beg you.”
Skepticism but also worry was in the policeman’s eyes. “What did they see?”
I leaned in closer. “I cannot tell you officially, but I believe you are an educated man who probably heard of bad things in Spain that several governments—my government leading it—handled.” I gave him a knowing look.
“Involving children.” I nodded when recognition flashed in his eyes.
“These men were traveling and saw something.
“They were good men and reported it but then fled back to the safety of Italy. Unfortunately, the wrong people have learned their names and I came to find them for the information they have but also to protect them.” I pulled out a business card and handed it to him.
“Your… People in places have certain jobs to hide them as well.
“Please, next break you have, come visit us in Germany with your lovely girlfriend or wife and I will make sure you are well taken care of. We should always be on the same side against the bad people and always remember our friends who—” I realized my mistake too late.
“I don’t take bribes,” he snapped.
“Not a bribe,” I bit out, flipping the card back towards me.
“I will get my way without your help and I could plow you over to make it happen. I am appreciating you. I know your job is difficult.” I gestured to Ricco.
“As is his. He protects his people and was afraid you could know the bad men who want his people dead. None of us is the enemy.”
“But we get shit on too often for not being bad,” Ricco muttered, understanding how to help. He said more in Italian that seemed to soften the officers around us.
“I apologize,” the officer muttered, clearing his throat. “You are a strong woman of good character to risk your own standing to help four no ones that most would let be casualties in pissing matches.”
“Snitch,” I teased Ricco. I sighed like I didn’t want to have to say more, but worked with the idea the cheetah Alpha had put in front of me.
“It’s also guilt. Not enough people in high places—corrupt people weren’t being punished and I couldn’t stomach that when it involved children.
I acted a bit rashly and they retaliated. ”
“You are a mother,” he muttered, studying me closely. “Only a mother could risk so much for children she doesn’t even know.”
“No, I have none, but my mother risked everything and much pain to free me from the cycle of abuse my family loved,” I said sadly. “Those children were taken from their mothers. Many died and we couldn’t save them. If I lose some wealth and goodwill to have brought the others home—so be it.”
He gave a firm nod and took my hand, kissing it… While taking the card. “My sister struggles much after her own abuse. Next vacation, I will accept your kind offer and take her to Germany to enjoy your beauty there. Thank you for appreciating me and mine.”
“Thank you for not making me have another headache or guilt to keep me up at night,” I whispered, acting the right part to make this happen. I waved Ricco to stay back when I felt the human’s desires and walked off with the officer. “Off the record again…”
“Please.” He cleared his throat and looked past me before meeting my eyes. “I know I can be blind, but I care about Rome.”
“A shifter hurt you.” I bit back a sigh when I saw in his eyes too much anger. “Your sister.”
“Yes,” he seethed.
I nodded. “This pride is good. We checked into them and they are working with the company that is my cover to—”
“The whorehouse,” he hissed.
I shook my head. “Check it out while you are in Germany. You are misinformed. Their clubs are like a keystone species. There will be new safe life in that area. Shops and economy will pop up. Yes, some half-naked women but… So what? Safe fun for adults when we need more fun in the world. You think American movies of drama and sex.”
“I do,” he accepted. “I will take what you said to heart and tell others. We do need to educate ourselves because we want what is best for Rome and her people.”
“From what I heard, your local government is thrilled with the reports and numbers—the evidence of how areas turn around when that company moves in,” I hinted.
But I left it at that.
The officers removed the names of the other two and the four came with me officially. Ricco gave me a look not to even bother arguing when he fell in step with me.
Yeah, I expected nothing less.
What I didn’t expect was a strange array of people in the lobby of corporate who immediately locked on me when I arrived... Which was never good.
The head of ISLE (International Supernatural Law Enforcement), Director Phillip Stevens was there, but I was happy to see my former lover, Dylan, was not. He’d been inserting himself and causing trouble any chance he could and it was grating on more than just me.
There were a couple of other people with him who were clearly ISLE and over a dozen who weren’t. A few I recognized.
One in particular made me smile to see and I headed right for him. I was almost to the head of the tiger shifter council, Graham, when Ricco was suddenly there pushing me behind him.
“This cub has too much death focused at you,” he told me. “And you will swallow it down if you want to live longer than these next moments, cub.”
“This one too?” Graham growled. “How many has she—”
“Finish that and I will turn a blind eye when he rips your head off,” Director Stevens bit out. “I’m already beyond done with you.”
“She has not been in my bed,” Ricco snapped, understanding what Graham thought.
“She is the superhero her people say of her and not just for demons. She dropped everything to come help two of mine all because we were honorable in our deals with demons. Something you know nothing about, but you know I will kill any who risks my people.”
I moved next to him and patted his arm, glad when Ricco nodded that I had this and he wouldn’t speak for me.
“You hate everyone,” Graham whispered, focused on Ricco and unable to hide his shock. Then he looked at me. “And you are—”
“Don’t confuse my personality with my attitude, kitten,” I cut in with a dark chuckle.
“My personality is who I am, and my attitude depends on who you are.” I took a step towards him to make it clear to everyone there that I wasn’t afraid of him.
“And we met with you throwing a knife at my back. Whether I caught it or not—you did that not caring if I did.”
“Disgusting. All the feline councils are disgusting and line their pockets on the backs of their people,” Ricco sneered. “Why is he—my nose is filled with your death.”
“His son is vile but also sloppy, and we made sure ISLE found out about it,” I said happily. I raised an eyebrow when one of Ricco’s guys said something in Italian, several other people in the lobby looking amused.
“He said you have the biggest cock and balls of anyone he’s ever known and yet you have none on your body,” Ricco explained.
I met the guy’s gaze. “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that, but it sounds much prettier in Italian with your lovely voice.” I was absolutely sure the cheetah blushed, but I wouldn’t call him on that.
Graham didn’t like people siding with or appreciating me, the steam coming out of his ears as his desires turned extra vile. Which made every demon around us go on high alert.
And that was before the idiot opened his mouth thinking he was still at the top instead of understanding he’d walked into the lion’s den.
“You are still a mongrel that needs training like all good attack dogs do and that is all demons are and their—”
Demons weren’t actually faster than other supes. We were stronger. But with age and power came more strength—pretty limitless for demons which was why we were so terrifying to other supes. But I wasn’t the average demon and now we understood that better.
And I was done playing games with this monster who would absolutely come for my people any chance he had. He hadn’t learned his lesson, only developed a thirst for revenge.
So I didn’t hold back, feeding on what I should and from the angels doing amazing things for my growth. Faster than some there could even keep up with, I grabbed a marker off the front desk and had it uncapped before dancing between Graham and the five in his party.
Before they could even react.
“Holy fucking shit,” one of the ISLE guys whispered when he saw what I’d done.
I chuckled darkly as I held up the marker and gestured to Graham’s throat.
“That’s how fast I can take six of you out, kitten.
So you might think me a dog, which most don’t, but I am well-trained.
Beyond trained and evolved. I just won’t allow someone so beneath me like you to ever be my master.
It’s actually insulting you think you should be and it’s not the other way around. ”
I capped the marker and tossed it to the amused demon behind the desk, flinching when Ricco and the other cheetahs burst out laughing.
I winked at them and turned to one of the security I knew well.
“There was a situation in Italy. I have to get back to undercover. Call in Kyle and he will handle it with the appropriate people.” I turned to Ricco.
“I’m sorry for the cloak and dagger, but the demons who used to freelance getting papers are now all being threatened and—”
“And fools are trying to scoop them up before you can,” Ricco nodded. “But knowing you, you already knew who they were and had some of your own.”
“Not all of them and—you know the perils of leading,” Elijah said, sounding tired even as he extended his hand to Ricco. “Glad we could help you out of whatever jam yours were in.”
“There was an emergency, and people do not listen to stay hidden when their papers lapse because the police in Rome are getting more aggressive with us,” Ricco mumbled, shooting his two guys nasty looks.
“There aren’t public packs, covens, and such like your New York and LA, but the humans are getting clued in. ”
“Yeah, I have an idea for that, but it will cost you,” I told him with a wink. And I did, but it also tickled me that everyone simply ignored Graham’s ranting that I needed to be leashed.
For what? Getting marker on his neck?
He was seriously lucky it wasn’t a knife I’d used after all him and his son had done.
Oh, and ISLE wasn’t dropping the charges against Graham’s son. There was so much more that was found that it was a laundry list of crimes. If the world was remotely fair and corruption didn’t rule every fucking governing body, Graham would have been out too.
A goal for next year maybe.