Chapter 25
Vega twisted her damp hair into a knot at the nape of her neck as she stepped out of the bathroom. Freshly showered, she felt a thousand times better. When Gabriel had said they were taking a shower, she’d assumed he’d meant together. Instead he’d been quiet and withdrawn when they’d returned to his room. He’d been insistent that they not be separated but he hadn’t seemed to want to touch her at all.
Which…hurt.
Her eyes widened as she spotted the tray of food on the bed. “Meatball subs—you are my hero.”
Gabriel laughed under his breath. “I knew you’d like this. Eat up. I’m going to grab a quick shower and then we’ll meet my cousin down in the holding cell.”
She nodded and picked up the sub. “I just tossed what was left of my clothes on the floor. I’m planning on burning the rags later.” She’d only picked them up from the forest floor because she hadn’t wanted to leave that mess in Judoc’s forest.
He made a sort of grunting sound of agreement and stepped into the bathroom.
Seriously, what the hell? It wasn’t as if she expected… Hell, she wasn’t sure what she expected from Gabriel, but not this awkwardness. Sure, he was talking to her and carrying on civil conversations. But it was as if they’d never been mated, as if they’d never been linked in the most incredible way possible.
She felt as if she was missing something and he barely seemed affected. He might as well have shoved a silver dagger through her heart.
Part of her wanted to storm into the bathroom and demand that he talk to her, but her stomach rumbled and she decided sustenance was the way to go. Then they could get the whole Carson thing out of the way. After that shit was behind them, they would talk. And she was going to get some answers from him.
But first…food.
Her mouth watered as she took that first savory bite. Truth be told, anything would have tasted good right about now as long as it was warm and edible.
Gabriel’s cousin had said that he was going to let August interrogate him first. Apparently August had some type of interrogation method that he swore would work. Something she’d never even heard about during her training, so she was intrigued.
Shaking her head, she allowed herself to just be and not think of anything as she devoured the entire plate of food.
* * *
Gabriel stood next to Vega, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched through the cell door as August interrogated Carson. He couldn’t find an ounce of sympathy for the other male.
Chained to a chair with silver cuffs at his wrists and ankles, the top half of his face was covered by a thick, black mask. Only his nose and mouth were visible. And August had hooked him up to an IV.
Supernaturals didn’t react to human drugs the way humans did, so Gabriel wasn’t certain what August was doing, but the male looked confident in his method.
Relaxed in a chair only a couple feet in front of Carson, August said, “You know why you’re here. The harder you fight this, the worse it will be for you in the end. Tell me what I want to know and your death will be quick. I won’t drag it out.”
Though a cell door separated Gabriel and the others from Carson and August, he could scent everything and he didn’t scent a lie from August. August said he wouldn’t drag Carson’s death out—ah, not a lie because he wouldn’t be killing Carson. No doubt Judoc would take care of that.
In addition to Vega, Gabriel’s cousin was next to him as well as Eli, Neema, and Judoc’s second-in-command, Kalisa. But other than that, there weren’t any other of his packmates.
At first it had surprised Gabriel, but Judoc had told him that he’d made the decision to keep everyone out so gossip wouldn’t spread through the pack. Especially since he was pretty certain that Carson had targeted females of his own pack. This needed to be handled the right way.
“Fuck you,” Carson said, slightly slurring his words.
Okay, then. So whatever was in that IV drip was affecting him. Good. Gabriel hoped it burned the shit out of him, that he suffered even more than he was now. Because those silver cuffs were burning into his skin as it was.
“No, thank you.” August’s tone was mild. “Vega tells me that the information is only in your head. And I’m inclined to believe her since she’s clearly a stronger psychic than you. Did you pass off the information you stole to anyone else?” It was faint, but Gabriel heard a bite to August’s words.
Carson tried to respond, his jaw working wildly. It was as if the male was finding it hard to breathe.
“Yes or no. A simple answer will suffice.” August looked calm as he sat there, his hands folded neatly in his lap.
Gabriel knew the shifter was a bear, but he was also mixed with something else. A hybrid like Vega, though Gabriel wasn’t certain what his other half was. And August certainly hadn’t offered the information up to anyone.
“I sold it,” Carson rasped out.
Gabriel could scent the lie from where he stood.
So could Vega if her small smile indicated anything.
He forced himself not to look directly at her again. Just being near her was distracting. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder like a caveman and head up to his room so they could talk. He wanted to do more than talk, of course. But he also wanted…
“Not… Telling you… Anything,” Carson rasped out.
“Yes, you will. And you know it too. You’re just hurting yourself. Maybe you like that, however. I know you’re into kink.” August’s voice was matter-of-fact.
No response.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll put you to sleep and let Vega rip your mind apart while you’re dreaming. Would you like that? To be violated by a female? A young one at that. Someone who shouldn’t be as powerful as you—but is. More so, even.” August scooted his chair back, as if to get up. “I like that idea even better. It’s what you deserve.”
“Fine,” Carson hissed. “I’ll talk! Keep that bitch out of my head.”
August eased back into his chair. “So you did not sell the information.”
“No.”
“Is anyone else aware of the information?”
“Yes… I started an auction, which you know.”
“Is the information available in hard copy for someone to eventually find?”
“No,” Carson spat.
“You destroyed it?”
“Yes… I memorized it. Then destroyed it.”
“Why?”
The answer was obvious, but it was also obvious that August was covering all his bases.
“To make sure I wasn’t targeted for the information. Killing or torturing me for it would be stupid. Especially when someone could simply buy it.”
And Carson was telling the truth. Which meant that August might have a couple more questions, but the mission, for Vega, was complete, as far as Gabriel understood the parameters of this operation.
Next to him, Vega, Eli and Neema all seemed to sigh in relief at the same time.
August continued questioning Carson about a few other things related to former operations then paused, cleared his throat and said, “How many of your packmates did you convince to sleep with you using your psychic gift?”
AKA, how many did that bastard rape? It took all of Gabriel’s restraint not to stalk inside that cell and beat the shit out of Carson. And…he belatedly realized that must have been why Judoc had left them in a closed cell. For that very reason. Because his cousin looked like he very much wanted to do the same thing right now.
“They all wanted it,” Carson slurred.
“Even the taken ones?” Though August’s tone was neutral now, his lips curled up in disgust.
Carson gritted his teeth and August pressed a button that Gabriel hadn’t seen before. It was connected to the IV bag. The male started convulsing but after a minute, stopped, sawing in breaths. “A dozen or so,” he finally snapped.
“Or so? I want a number. Exact number.”
“Seventeen.”
Truth.
“Names. Now.” There was no give from August.
As Carson started listing the names, August looked at the Alpha and stood.
It was time for Judoc to take over. And Gabriel definitely didn’t need to be around for that. He turned to Vega. “You want to stay here for this?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head.
Good. He didn’t think he could stomach any more. And he wanted to be alone with Vega right now. Needed to hold her close, to convince himself that she was truly okay. After years of worrying about her death, he needed to simply hold her. Because everything had changed and he knew that he couldn’t go back to his gray existence anymore. Not after all this.
“Let’s meet in the library,” August said as they headed out, no room for argument in his voice.
Hell. Gabriel didn’t want to, but this was Vega’s job and he wasn’t going to leave her side for even a second. Whatever the future held, he was tired of hiding, tired of trying to deny what he felt for her. He just hoped she wanted a future with him.