Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
CHARLI
Macklin is up before the sun, but instead of his usual workout, he’s on the phone calling all the Vales to explain what’s happening and to request a list of all their missing supernaturals.
Teague and team are supposed to hit the North Carolina facility this morning, but we haven’t heard anything yet, and he’s too far away to hear me.
Needing a distraction and knowing the launch of the new software is right around the corner, I decide to get up and go into work. I wince at the slight burn and lingering soreness between my legs.
I knew we should have stopped sooner.
Not a chance.
Turning on the steamer in the shower, I glide my hands over my body, noting the little marks, and smile, knowing they both deliberately branded me with their lips.
My fingers find my shoulders and upper back, wondering how they’re going to react to the patchwork left on my body.
Eventually, they’re going to see it, but the thought of baring myself to them makes my skin clammy and my heart race.
Killing me, love. Do you need me?
I’m good. Don’t mind me.
Rinsing off, I shove the thoughts to the back of my mind and get out. After finishing my almost non-existent makeup and styling my hair, I pad into the closet I share with Teague.
I chuckle when I realize my old clothes are still missing. They were here when I moved in that day, but I haven’t seen them since. And honestly, I love how the new clothes make me feel. Confident. Sexy.
A corduroy shirtdress with buttons from neck to hem catches my eye.
In a camel color, it’s stylish and yet understated in a way that makes me feel comfortable wearing it to the office.
I slip it on, button all but the last two, and tie the waist. Turning from side to side in the mirror, I admire the slight curves created with my nipped-in waist. I grab the tall boots that are quickly becoming my favorite and pull them on.
Macklin’s on the phone when I enter the living room, and his eyes light up when he sees me. “I need to call you back in five minutes.” He hangs up and intercepts me on the way to the kitchen for a long, drawn-out kiss that has me turned on in a second.
“You don’t have to go into work,” he says in a husky voice. “Teague would understand.”
“I want to go in,” I insist. “Sitting here all day, waiting to hear something, will drive me nuts.” My phone rings, and Teague’s name pops up. “Hey. Macklin’s here with me. I’m going to put you on speaker.”
The wind is blowing hard wherever he is, and the sound makes it hard to hear him.
“Found four. Mom and eight-year-old daughter, both witches. Neither knows how they got there. One minute, they were sipping tea in Oak Vale, and the next, they woke up in the facility. They were two of the supes Ronan was searching for but the husband, a technowitch, wasn’t with them.
Plus, we found two shifters from Vale Ridge, jumped coming out of a restaurant in Charlotte.
Fast-acting sedative. Sending all of them to Greystone with Andros.
We need to question them before they can go home. ”
Macklin growls. “The two witches were taken from inside Oak Vale? That changes things.”
“Someone’s helping the enemy from the inside,” Teague surmises. We hear shouts in the background, but with the wind, we can’t hear what they’re saying. “Ronan procured us another jet. We’re headed to the next facility.”
They decided before they left to limit the information given over the phone until they figure out who and what they’re up against. From what Andros found, the HRC is well-funded, which means they’ve probably got the latest technology.
Macklin runs a hand down his face. “I’m going to call an emergency meeting with all the heads right after this call. Stay in touch.”
“Teague, please be careful,” I plead.
“I’ll be home soon, sweetheart.” He hangs up.
“Should I go change?” I ask Macklin, wondering if someone would bring me my laptop from work.
He tilts my chin up. “Fix one of those coffees you love, and I’ll change.
It will be better for me to hold the video call at Granite Securities than here.
Teague built a top-notch firewall, and given the circumstances, we need to keep the circle as tight as possible.
” Pressing a hard kiss to my lips, he strides away.
Not in the mood for something fancy, I settle for a small espresso and a jolt of caffeine.
Macklin returns ten minutes later, dressed in a navy sport coat, a light blue button-down, and dark jeans.
I literally stop breathing. Every piece is tailored to immaculate perfection, wrapping his power and strength in a sophisticated package.
“While I love the sexy all-black outfits you favor, promise me you’ll take me on a date in this outfit,” I demand in a breathless voice.
Macklin winks. “Anything for you, love. Ready to go?”
Everyone stares when Macklin and I walk out of the elevator, but the women’s gazes linger an extraordinarily long time, making me want to hold up a sign and declare him off limits.
Macklin chuckles and looks down at me, but I return his gaze with a narrowed one of my own. He wraps a big arm around me and dips his head in a long, coaxing kiss that smashes my irritation in an instant. When he lifts his head, his full lips curve in that slow smile I love so much.
“Take this.” He hands me the insulated bag with our lunch. “I’ll meet you in Teague’s office at noon.” He strides off toward the small conference room.
I swivel around and find several of the women staring at me with a friendly but slightly envious expression on their faces. With a grin, I walk off to stash the food in the fridge and jump into my busy day.
After dealing with a million emails, rearranging Teague’s schedule, and creating a list of urgent items, I slowly head down the stairwell to the software launch prep meeting. When I walk in, Sam’s bringing up the schematics on the big screen.
“Hey,” I say softly, not wanting to startle her. “How are you? Heard anything from Covey?”
She looks up, dark circles under her eyes, and shakes her head. “Only been four days. Neighbor said Shane told her they’d be gone for two weeks. Maybe I can get this software launched before they return. When she calls, I’ll take some vacation.”
“I’m sorry, Sam,” I say, wanting to squeeze her shoulder but afraid of getting another vision that will only make things worse. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help you get this off the ground.”
She gives me a determined nod. Everyone files in and takes a seat. “Okay, let’s go over where we’re at and compile a list of outstanding items. All the schematics are final. Designs too. Where are we on the list of bugs?”
Georgina, the QA manager, walks through the short list of bugs they’re working to resolve, then hands it off to the back-end developer who’s setting up the production environment.
With the software in its final stages, I make a note to meet with the marketing and sales departments this afternoon to get a status from them.
I walk upstairs and find Macklin setting steaming hot rice bowls on the little table in Teague’s and my office.
I can’t help but feel a pang that Teague isn’t here.
Lunch has become an important moment for us, when we can connect in the middle of our hectic schedules.
Putting my stuff down, I grab my water bottle and sit. “Smells delicious.” I take a bite, savoring the sweet and spicy chicken. “How did your meeting go?”
There’s a dark expression on Macklin’s face I’m not used to seeing. “Meeting went well. News isn’t good. Roughly two hundred plus supernaturals are missing. At least five from each of the twenty-eight Vales. Some, like Oak Vale, were hit harder and have eight to ten missing.”
I pause, food halfway to my mouth, and shake my head at the number. “Did any of the Vales know what was going on?”
“A few of them were investigating the disappearances and discovered the HRC, but they didn’t realize the extent of their organization or what they’ve been doing to the missing supes,” Macklin states with a heavy sigh.
“Regarding the mole, Vales don’t regulate or track travelers, which means we have to manually figure out who visited more than one.
We’re compiling footage from the last year and dumping it into facial recognition software.
Hopefully, it will spit out some suspects. ”
Getting up, I slide onto his lap and wrap my arms around him, knowing he’s probably blaming himself for not noticing what was going on earlier. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Macklin expels his breath and wraps his arms tightly around me. “Stay safe. Don’t go anywhere without me, Andros, or Teague. Nobody else. Promise me.”
“Promise,” I murmur.
“Eat. I’ll be fine,” he orders me, lifting me off his lap.
Moving back to my chair, I pick up my fork. “What are you doing this afternoon?”
Andros walks in, wearing a thick black turtleneck, black camouflage pants, and combat boots.
And, of course, black leather gloves. I glance back and forth between him and Macklin, wondering if I somehow slipped into an alternate universe.
Pressing my lips together, I stare at the muscles revealed by his attire and wonder how I could have missed them.
He’s lean but like Teague and Macklin, he must work out.
Macklin raises a knowing eyebrow when I squirm, then turns to Andros. “Did you get everyone settled?”
“Ames took the mother and daughter to his house. Very few will venture out there, especially not with a pissed-off dragon. The other two are wolf shifters. With Lawson hunting the rogue wolf who attacked Charli, I called Leif and asked him to find a place for them to stay until we figure things out,” Andros informs him. “Teague call yet?”
I shake my head.
Macklin updates him on the numbers. “I’d like to check the perimeter alarms and make sure they’re working, but I don’t want to leave Charli alone. What are your plans this afternoon?”