CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“The FBI is on the way. They’re going to take the other women in hand, but you four are a special case,” Margo addressed the women sitting quietly around Gabe. “I was sent to ask your preferences. If you were living among humans, there are probably reports of your disappearances. Police were likely involved, and it might be easier if you returned now, with the help of our friends in the FBI. Or you can stay with us and return to your lives—if that’s what you want—in your own way. You’ve all been through a lot, so we’re okay with leaving the choice up to you.”
“If we stay with your people, where would we go?” the blonde of the bunch asked. There was a redhead, a blonde, and two brunettes—one with hair a darker shade of brown than the other.
“I believe the owner of this house would allow you to stay here for a while, if that’s what you want, or there’s an offer of sanctuary with the Redstone Clan in Las Vegas,” Margo told them.
“Redstones are cat shifters, right?” one of the brunettes asked.
“The leaders are cats,” Margo allowed, “but the Clan is enormous and made up of many different species of shifters.” She didn’t think that was secret knowledge, so she felt comfortable in sharing it.
“They have spiritual support too. A priestess and shaman,” Gabe supplied, surprising Margo with his inside knowledge.
“Thank you for the options, but I think I’m going to go with the FBI. I never had much magic, and I lived happily among regular people. I had a job and coworkers, and a boyfriend.” Tears started trickling down her face as she spoke. It was the brunette with the lighter brown hair, and the girls on either side reached out to take her hands in a show of support. “I want to go home,” she said. “I hope you understand.”
“We do understand,” Margo was quick to reassure the woman. “I think, in your shoes, I’d probably do the same.”
“And I’m going to put you in touch with my cousin, like we were discussing,” Gabe put in, his voice pitched to a comforting level. “I’m sure she can help you recover and retrain your magic. Maybe you could speak with her by phone before you leave us?” Gabe made the statement into a question, and the brunette nodded gratefully.
“I’d really like that. And I want to keep in touch with all of you…” she looked at her fellow former captives and smiled at them, “…and Theodora,”
They had bonded in that prison, Margo realized, and had forged friendships that would probably last the rest of their lives. Facing such dire conditions and the constant threat of death together had probably done that.
“I’ll call my cousin, right now, so you two can talk,” Gabe said, standing and moving off to the other side of the room, his phone already in his hand. The brunette got up and followed him.
One down, Margo thought. Now, for the rest.
“I think I’ll do the same as Mimi,” the blonde said suddenly. “I had a good job and a small coven. They’ve probably been searching for me all this time,” she said.
“Would you like to try calling someone?” Margo asked. “I could facilitate that. You know, sort of call them first and explain a bit about how you’ve been found then put you on the line. I’m really a private investigator, so I’ve had some experience with that sort of thing.”
“Would you?” The blonde looked so hopeful. Margo assured her she’d be pleased to help. And that was two down.
“I never had a coven or anything like Lucinda,” the darker-haired brunette said, “but I do have a small circle of friends who are all sort of New Age practitioners. None of them know that I have real magic, but they are my friends and have probably been looking for me. I could probably use a little help getting back to my old life, if you’re willing to make one of those calls for me.”
Three down, Margo amended her internal tally, even as she assured the woman that she’d be very pleased to help in that way. “The FBI will help, as well,” Margo assured them. “I’m pretty sure they have procedures they follow in cases like this. There will be a debriefing and lots of questions, so those of you who want to go the human route will have to decide what it is you want the FBI to know. It’s probably best to get your stories straight before you get involved with them,” she cautioned.
“When will they be here?” the woman identified as Lucinda asked.
“An hour or so, last I heard,” Margo told her.
“Then, we’ve got a bit of work to do,” Lucinda said decisively, standing and putting her hands on her hips. “Come on, Betty. You, me and Mimi have to get our stories straight.”
With that, she and the darker brunette went over to where the first woman was just finishing up her call to Gabe’s cousin. They sat at a table on the other side of the room and started talking. Margo would go talk with them as soon as they’d had a chance to iron out initial details. It was important that everyone know what they were going to tell the feds about the group that had been held by Bolivar.
“That leaves me and Kally,” the redhead said when Margo looked back at her. The calico cat had jumped up to sit in the woman’s lap and was contentedly purring as the woman stroked her fur. “And Thea. What’s going to happen with Thea? She was in such bad shape.”
“Theodora’s parents will be here shortly. They actually hired my firm to look for her, so the paperwork end on her case is all tidy. We can have her safely back with her people ASAP,” Margo assured her.
“Who was that man who wouldn’t let her go?” the redhead asked, a worried expression on her face.
“He’s one of her kind. You know what she is, right?” Margo asked, uncertain of how much the other woman had seen while they’d been held prisoner.
“She’s a bear,” the redhead whispered. “A bear shifter. Bolivar used to hurt her until he provoked the bear to come out, and then, he’d taunt her to break her spirit.” There were tears in the other woman’s eyes, and Margo could only imagine the horror all of those women had been through at the hands of Mathias Bolivar. She was glad he was dead. Really glad.
“The man is also a bear shifter. He didn’t want her to wake up scared. He figures if she shifts out of reflex, he can protect everyone else from her bear and also calm her with his own bear’s presence. He’s very Alpha, even for a bear shifter,” Margo told her.
“I’ve never been around shifters much,” the woman admitted. “You’re one too, right?” Margo nodded. “Thea made me feel safe, even though I knew we were all likely to die in that prison. Her bear form was comforting, not scary.” She paused, stroking the cat’s fur. “I don’t have anyone looking for me. I worked from home and owned my own business. I’m a writer,” she elaborated. “I doubt anyone even noticed I’d gone anywhere, except Kally.” She stroked the cat again, lovingly. “And she came for me. All this distance, and she came.” The woman bent down and nuzzled the cat in her lap, letting her tears slide into the fur of her companion.
“Where do you live?” Margo asked softly.
“Sacramento,” she replied, sitting up straight again. “I’m Angelina Barkette.”
“Margo Mahigan,” Margo replied automatically. “I bet I could get the Redstones to take you to your place and make sure everything is still in good order. Somebody must’ve missed you by now. The postman, at the very least,” she joked.
“Maybe,” Angelina allowed. “I confess, I haven’t been very social in recent years. Since my mother died, I barely go out of the house. And when the magic came… I didn’t really know how to handle it. I’ve become a bit of a hermit, but Thea made me think that maybe shifters wouldn’t mind that I was a witch. I mean, you’re magic too, right?”
Margo looked at Angelina with understanding. “Anybody who objects to your magic isn’t somebody you want to be around.”
“I’m not that strong, anyway. I just have a way with animals,” Angelina admitted, stroking the cat. “I’m nothing compared to your boyfriend.” She gestured toward Gabe who was still across the room with the others.
“My boyfriend?” Margo repeated the words in a questioning tone, looking over at Gabe.
Was that the way people perceived them? Huh. She didn’t hate that idea. In fact, she was thrilled that Angelina could see they belonged together. It was a good sign.
“Well, yeah,” Angelina went on when Margo didn’t say anything else. “It’s pretty obvious the way he looks at you and the way you worked together so well. I would’ve assumed he was your husband, but shifters don’t do big wedding ceremonies, right?”
“Some do,” Margo told Angelina, turning back to look at the redheaded woman. “In fact, Gabe and I met at his sister’s wedding just a few weeks ago.”
“It’s only been a few weeks? I would’ve thought you two had been together a long time. If ever I’ve seen a perfect match, you two are it,” Angelina replied candidly.
Margo felt warm all over and smiled at the other woman. “I’m glad you think so. I’m definitely considering keeping him.”
They both chuckled at Margo’s proprietary words.
In short order, everything was decided. The three women who wanted to go home and be reintroduced into the human world by the FBI and their local authorities got their stories straight and went to join the other two dozen women who’d been held at the three hotels. The shifters were making themselves scarce, moving into the magical wing—as Margo came to think of it—of the house, leaving the larger section to the former captives and those chosen to interface with the FBI personnel, who were to arrive at any moment.
The three women who’d been held by Bolivar had been asked not to identify neither Bolivar nor the house. The shifters didn’t want to have to explain why a man was missing and a house had exploded. Sure, Steve figured his FBI friend would put two and two together, but if they didn’t bring it up, he probably wouldn’t ask. Not when he considered what the women had been through.
Most of the regular human women had been raped, except for a few young virgins in the group, who were being preserved to be sold intact, as it were. Steve Redstone had assured Margo and Collin that all the men who had participated in holding the women hostage were in custody. One team member with military police training had been left at each hotel with the unconscious and bound prisoners. The FBI would pick them up once they spoke to the women.
Redstone didn’t seem concerned that he’d be in any hot water over this, and Margo found his confidence reassuring. There were all kinds of rumors in the shifter community about the Redstones and their connections—and also about the operations they had conducted on or near their home turf of Las Vegas. They were a law unto themselves, or so it was said, and Margo was coming to appreciate the truth behind the rumors.
Angelina, it had been decided, was going to get an escort home to Sacramento but would be welcome in Las Vegas if she decided to continue on with her escort after she made sure her home was secure. Margo thought privately that Angelina was already planning to just pack a bag in Sacramento and head farther south for a bit of sanctuary among the Redstones. She’d already asked Steve’s mate, Trisha, about the priestess in Las Vegas, and Margo even thought she’d been on the phone to the holy woman. It seemed a sure bet that Angelina would go…and the cat already seemed half in love with Steve, much to his chagrin. Little calico Kally followed him around when she wasn’t in Angelina’s lap.
Margo stayed on the magic side of the house while the FBI was dealt with. For one thing, she was a Canadian citizen. While she’d worked ops in the U.S. before under the auspices and supervision of Collin’s company, Collin was keeping a lower profile this time, dealing with the bear family. So, the Redstones were taking the lead in dealing with the human law enforcement, and Margo didn’t really have a viable connection she could claim with them.
Neither did Gabe, but he was doing his part, out in the main hall that separated the two halves of the great house. If anybody became too nosey about what was in the other wing, he gently redirected them with a smile and subtle magic that made them lose interest.
The FBI had stationed a two-man team inside the human wing of the house to continue taking statements while the rest of their go-team had quickly taken off to apprehend the prisoners—the former captors—at the three hotels. It had been decided to leave the women in the house for the night, since they’d already settled in somewhat. The bonus there was that the government would be reimbursing Ezra’s employers for the use of the house and whatever incidentals, like food and clothing, were used.
Ezra was still with Theodora, but he hadn’t objected when Steve related all this information. Frankly, he didn’t seem to care either way. His sole focus remained on the bear woman who was now lying in bed, having been checked over by the medical staff. Ezra sat in a chair at her side, and a nurse checked on her every few minutes.
While the bulk of the FBI agents were off with some of Steve’s men, taking care of the prisoners, Collin managed to sneak Theodora’s parents in through a side door. Margo watched from the hallway as the distraught couple went into their daughter’s room and heard the happy cries and joyful sobbing that ensued. It was only then that Ezra came out of the room. Margo went to him in the hallway.
“She woke up, huh?” Margo asked gently, sensing Ezra was almost as raw emotionally as the women had been.
“A while ago. I was right to stay with her. She almost shifted before I could explain what had happened, but she remembered seeing me in the basement, freeing them all, so she listened. She wept when she realized she was free.” Ezra’s voice sounded choked with emotion, and Margo put a hand on his shoulder, to show support.
“We did a really good thing today, Ezra,” she told him. “You were a big part of that. If you hadn’t blocked Bolivar, he might’ve gotten away before we could stop him. Thank you. My Pack has been after that bastard for a long time, and I can now go home and report that he’s dead. There will be a great deal of satisfaction in the Stony Ridge Pack over that. I think I can safely say my entire Pack owes you a debt of gratitude.”
“It’s the least I could do,” Ezra replied seriously. “I’m only sorry it took us so long to finally track him down. But I guess we would’ve had a hard time facing Bolivar without Gabe. That man is a power. I had no idea. He seems pretty normal for a guy with that kind of magic inside him.”
Margo heard the deep respect tinged with awe in Ezra’s voice. Come to think of it, all the shifters had been tiptoeing around Gabe since the story got around about the way he’d disintegrated Bolivar and blew up a house with the mere flick of his finger. Margo had to hide a smile. Her man was Bad Ass.
Gabe was sort of enjoying door duty. He’d taken it upon himself to stand sentry in the hall and keep the FBI guys away from the magical folk. He probably could’ve set up a ward to do the same thing, but he was giving Margo time to miss him a little and maybe figure out what kind of mage he really was. She’d seen him in action now. Sooner or later, it would click in her mind that he wasn’t just the everyday garden variety magic user. He was a power. That had to count for something, even among shifters, and he hoped it would make Margo realize that they were meant for each other.
Yeah, right. If she hadn’t figured it out by now… Gabe tried to keep a positive attitude, but the letdown after the excitement of finally facing Bolivar was getting to him a little.
“Mind if I join you?” Trisha asked, surprising Gabe a bit. He hadn’t put any wards up in the hallway, despite his usual habits, so he hadn’t known she was coming.
“Your mate’s stealth is rubbing off on you,” he said with a friendly grin for the water elemental. “Have a seat.”
Gabe had positioned himself on the couch in a conversational grouping in the enormous front hall. The place was built on a grand scale with three-story ceilings and white marble and furnishings. He wasn’t sure if anyone had ever sat on this couch before, it looked so pristine.
Trisha smiled gently as she took a chair across from his couch. There was a small marble-topped coffee table between them and a plush white area rug beneath their feet, making the little nook cozy.
“I heard what you did. More than that, I felt it. That’s some talent you’ve got, Gabe,” she opened the conversation with a boom.
“Yeah, it runs in the family,” he replied, trying not to say anything that would incriminate him if a human overheard.
Flicking a finger at the archway that led to the human wing, he zapped a ward up that would warn him if anyone came from that direction. Trisha followed his motions with her eyes, and they widened as he set the ward in place.
“Neat trick,” she said, sounding a little breathless when he turned back to her. “That’s all the effort it takes, huh? A little flick?” She imitated his motion, but of course, nothing happened when she did it. If she’d been directing water, things might’ve been a little different, but she hadn’t put any power behind the motion.
“Yeah,” he agreed with a sigh. “I’ve had to learn to scale my motions carefully. Any bigger gestures, and…well…you know what happened earlier.” To Bolivar, he meant.
“You took him right down to atoms, they said.” Trisha sounded truly impressed.
Gabe frowned. “It’s not something I enjoyed, but his soul was cleansed of the evil of this life. That part made it a little more palatable,” he admitted.
“Your mother is a priestess,” she said, stating fact. “That must be why you’re so well grounded.” Was she thinking aloud? He wasn’t sure, so he didn’t respond. “To have such a power is a burden, but you carry it better than anyone I’ve ever known,” she told him after a moment. “I’m very glad to have met you and that Steve and I could help you free those women and bring the mage who helped imprison them to justice. If you ever need us again, just call us. We’ll be there.” Trisha stood and offered her hand. Gabe rose and took it, shaking on her words.
“Same goes,” Gabe replied, humbled by the offer.
She looked into his eyes for a long moment then nodded, letting go of his hand. “And now, I think you’ve got someone else you need to settle things with.” She looked over his shoulder, and he turned as Trisha walked away.
“Margo.” Gabe’s heart did a little flip as his lover walked toward him. She was moving like she was on the hunt, and he’d never seen anything sexier.
“Gabriel Llewellyn,” she said formally, walking to a stop right in front of him. She looked into his eyes and held his gaze, her expression serious. “You were totally holding out on me!” She grinned and slapped his shoulder as he laughed with her.
“I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you. It’s just become a habit. I don’t go around broadcasting what I am, any more than you do,” he told her quietly, capturing her in his arms and whispering his words near her ear.
She stilled, staying in his embrace. “Fair enough. I’ll give you that. But, here, I was worrying about you going up against a guy who throws lightning bolts when you’re like a nuclear warhead all on your own. You could have at least warned me.”
“I could’ve tried,” he admitted. “But it would have sounded like bragging. It’s something better experienced than talked about. In fact, I don’t really talk about it. Except with my dad. He understands.”
“Because he’s like you,” Margo whispered with dawning understanding. “That’s the Llewellyn legacy, right? You’re all overly endowed on the magical scale.”
“Not all of us. Not to this extent. But yeah. It’s something passed down through the family, and it’s what has made us one of the more successful lineages on the side of Light. Even the Venifucus have trouble standing against us.”
“That’s amazing,” she breathed, reaching up to cup his cheeks in her palms. “You’re amazing, Gabe.” She kissed him, long and sweet, and when they finally came up for air, he had a suggestion to make.
“Shall we adjourn to our room for the night?” he asked.
“You mean go back to the hotel?” She looked adorably confused.
“No. I took the liberty of having our stuff brought up to the house by one of Steve’s runners. I’ll go back to the hotel room tomorrow and take down the wards and officially check out, but we’ve got a suite in the magical wing, close to this entry hall. I’m the door guard for the night, but I’ll just fling a few wards up, and we should be good.”
“Your wards can repel people?” she asked, looking impressed.
“Honey, they’ll do whatever I want them to do. Simply report back to me. Repel. Hold. Stun. Kill. Whatever. A simple repulsion charm will keep any curious humans away without them even realizing.” He reached over his shoulder and flicked the tip of his finger at each entry point into the magical wing. “There. It’s done. Let’s go to our suite.”
Margo surprised him by tugging on his hand and breaking into a jog. They were both laughing as he directed them through the ward he’d just put up and toward the suite they’d been assigned.