Mafia Beasts: The Complete Series, page 71
“He’s fine.” Cade grunted.
“We should keep this between us,” Zane said. “No one else needs to know.”
“Don’t tell that SIB fuckhead either.” Lucas’s eyes heated with a golden light.
“Agreed.” I held out my hand. “I can’t have anyone else knowing that I’m Lorenzo Stella’s granddaughter. I need to swear you all to secrecy.”
“His granddaughter? Wow.” Beau released a low whistle. “I’d keep that a secret too, if I were you.”
Everyone gathered around and touched my arm. I murmured a simple yet powerfully bonding spell, and a flurry of colorful magic danced around us, sealing the deal and keeping my secret safe. Now I was the only person who could reveal my unsavory lineage to another living soul.
“Don’t hate me,” Beau said from his end of the dinner table, raising his hands in the air. “But seeing as we are all waiting around for that tracking spell and location on the prince, I thought we could make better use of our time than twiddling our collective thumbs.”
Uh-oh. What is Beau up to now?
“Tonight is the High Fae Ball. It would be the perfect opportunity for you, Cade, to re-enter society. And, if 5th Circle hears about you and shows up, all the better, right? We’ll capture them, then torture them until they squeal on where they are hiding the prince.”
Judging from Cade’s deep scowl, I guessed he wasn’t into this idea. But honestly, Beau couldn’t expect us to go to a High Fae Ball on such short notice.
“We don’t have anything to wear,” I pointed out.
A sly grin crossed Beau’s lips. “Oh, but you do. I might have had Henry sneak into your room and take your measurements. And I might have had a dress and tuxedos custom ordered, just in case. All you need to do is get dressed, then we poof away to the Ball. Because I might also have gotten a transportation spell made just for this occasion.”
Cade sighed and rubbed his temples. His cousin was going to drive him insane.
I found Beau’s resourcefulness and foresight impressive. Even if it was terrible timing.
Zane spoke up. “We have a lot going on right now, Beau. In case you haven’t noticed, no one is in a particularly good mood these days. We’d be terrible guests.”
Beau’s eyes glimmered. “Oh, I hope you’ll be the absolute worst guests.”
Huh? “What do you mean?” I asked, because he was definitely up to something.
He turned his bubbly focus on me. “Those snobs are bored, complacent, and need to be reminded why fucking with the Locharts is a very, very bad idea. Do your worst tonight, please.”
“And if the SIB find the prince while we’re gone?” I asked.
Beau snapped his fingers. “We’ll be back in a flash!” He looked to Cade. “Please? It’s the High Fae Ball. It only happens once a year and it’s the biggest Fae event. Everyone will be there.”
Cade muttered a curse. “We’ll only go if everyone agrees to go.”
“I’m in,” Lucas said, glancing at the rest of us. “Sounds fun.”
Zane and I nodded, and Cade grimaced. Poor guy.
17
CADE
The moment I laid eyes on Emma in that dress, I knew I was going to have to kill Beau. She looked stunning, sexy, and lethal. The emotions of the other three guys waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase quieted, and I knew we were all watching her, even Beau. I’d gouge his eyes out for it later.
The strapless dress had a silver leaf patterned bodice that hugged her every curve and left little to the imagination. It gave way to an airy, flowing skirt with a slit so high up one leg it practically revealed her hip bone. The dress was so very Fae. And I hated it.
Okay, that wasn’t fucking true. I hated that everyone at this ball was going to see my fiancée in that dress. I couldn’t do anything about their roaming gazes, but if anyone touched her they were dead.
A spike of lust shot me in the gut from two directions at once. I knew Beau sensed it too, because he turned to me with a shit eating smirk on his face. “She might not be Fae, but she is going to make a splash tonight,” he said.
The time I took to glare at him cost me a place at Emma’s side. Zane and Lucas fawned all over her as they walked through the foyer. I stalked after them with Beau on my heels. Once we were clear of the wards, my cousin arranged us in a circle, then tossed the bottled teleportation spell, which he must have paid a pretty penny for, at the ground hard enough to break the glass and we were ripped through space.
When the haze cleared we stood in front of a brightly lit mansion. One I recognized. Classical music and conversation drifted through the air, as a long line of Fae entered through the ornate double front doors to be greeted by their hosts.
My stomach dropped to my toes with dread. I fucking hated parties. And people. Especially other Fae. And the Fae here tonight were the absolute worst.
Beau faced us. “Does this house look familiar to you, Cade?”
I nodded. “It does, but I’m not sure—”
“This is the Lochart townhome. Your parents rarely visited here, but my family spent quite a bit of time in this manse. Before we go in, you need to know that this is now Lord Glade’s home. He, the Wells, and the Rotroots, led the raid on Lochart Manor after your parents died. They stole everything of value that was not locked up in the vault. Then Glade took this house.”
I glanced at the mansion with new eyes. My anger tangled with Beau’s as it pumped through my veins and heated my skin. “Anything else I should know about?”
“Oh, I’ll introduce you to all of those who thought they could snatch a piece of the Lochart legacy and live to tell about it. Come on.” Beau started for the line.
“That’s awful,” Emma muttered. “They’re thieves.”
Lucas snarled, “I’ll punch those fuckers in the face.”
“Do let us know when you need our assistance, Cade,” Zane said with a mischievous flash of silver light in his onyx eyes. “We’re more than happy to oblige.”
With a grunt, I made to follow Beau, then on second thought, took Emma out from between Lucas and Zane and placed her on my arm. She smiled adoringly up at me, like she enjoyed my possessiveness, while the other two protested. This was my homecoming, and she was my fiancée. Tonight, everyone was going to see the man I had become.
No more hiding in the shadows.
With Emma at my side, and my chosen family at my back, I felt invincible. As a unit we joined Beau in line, slowly making our way to the entrance. I observed Lord and Lady Glade as we approached. They were the usual kind of smug-as-fuck, rich Fae I remembered while growing up. In the high walled Fae estate, away from human’s prying eyes, the hosts and most of the guests had their wings on full display.
Beau’s lips twisted with a sadistic grin as we reached the front of the line and he announced, “Lord and Lady Glade, please let me introduce you to my long lost cousin, Lord Cade Lochart, and his charming fiancée, Emma Graves. As well as his companions Zane Xavier,” the shithead flashed his fangs, “and Lucas Ives.”
The Lord and Lady’s faces paled to an ashen hue. Even so, they both bobbed their heads and murmured polite greetings. Attempting to ignore me, Lord Glade said, “So good to see you again, Beau Lochart. Please be welcome.” They ushered us through quickly and moved on to welcome their next guests.
Beau chuckled. “And now we’re inside. Let’s wreak havoc.”
I eyed him. “I thought you were supposed to be the good Lochart.”
“There’s no such thing.” He stopped a waiter and handed us all glasses of bubbly champagne. “Now, let’s see… That one over there is Lord Wells. And there is Lord Rotroot. Shall we be sociable?”
I downed my glass of fizzy wine and dropped the empty vessel on a passing tray. The interior struck more of a familiar chord than the outside. I remembered sliding down that wide banister when I was very young. Honestly, I’d forgotten this place existed. But slowly, the more time I spent in my place of birth, the more the memories were resurfacing.
“What’s the plan?” Emma asked, sipping at her beverage.
“Just saying hello to those assholes.” We glided across the massive ballroom toward Wells and Rotroot. I made a noise in the back of my throat and they turned toward us.
Beau seemed to enjoy doing the introductions. “My Lords, I’m sure you must remember young Lord Cade Lochart. Though now he’s all grown up and returned to reclaim the Lochart legacy. I’m sure whatever Lochart trinkets you have in your possession will promptly find their way back to their rightful owner.”
The entire room stilled, even the orchestra faltered. Lords Wells and Rotroot wore matching expressions of something akin to horror, or shocked disbelief.
Then the whispers started to flow.
“…enormous for a Fae…”
“…thought he was dead…”
“…killed his parents…”
Emma pressed in close at my side. I felt Lucas and Zane flanking us, lending me their support as well. This wasn’t the first time we’d confronted an enemy.
“Well, Lord Lochart, I hope you don’t want your family’s vacation home back,” said a tall slender Fae with an angular face. “I’m quite enjoying living there.”
Beau’s grin widened. “Lord Summerfield, what a pleasure to see you tonight.” His tone dripped with sarcasm.
Summerfield kept his gaze on me, the question held in his eyes. “I’m sure you’re also fine parting with that diamond mine Lord Greenly snatched up from your estate.”
Did this guy have a death wish? Or did he really think I wouldn’t destroy him and those he was outing.
Rage coursed through me and I let it flow into the room so that every Fae here could have a taste of it. How did these fuckers get their hands on pieces of my inheritance?
“Who did this?” I growled.
Beau bent his head toward mine. “Judge Heathwood is the one responsible for authorizing the division of the Lochart estate where he saw fit.”
“He’s a dead man.” I clenched my fists at my sides.
Summerfield sniggered. “You’ve been away from Fae society for a long, long time. We use politics, find loopholes, and make deals to get what we want. Not violence.”
“Maybe you don’t, but I do,” I snarled, lips curled back from my teeth. I grabbed Summerfield’s champagne glass in one hand and crushed it. Pale liquid, glass shards, and blood seeped between my fingers and fell to the marble floor. That wiped the smug look right off of his fucking face.
“That’s enough!” Our host, Lord Glade approached. “You will not ruin this year’s High Fae Ball.” Summerfield, Wells, and Rotroot stepped forward to show Lord Glade their allegiance as we faced off.
Fools.
Beau stepped between us. “My lords, please you must understand.” He leveled a menacing gaze on the Fae around us. “No one steals from a Lochart and goes unpunished. No. One.”
“He’s been gone for years,” Summerfield said. “He’s forfeited his right to any inheritance. Judge Heathwood declared him dead. It’s not theft.”
“How many years, exactly, was Lord Lochart gone before you all seized a piece of his property? One? Two? Not even that long?” Beau had them emotionally squirming. “If I were you, I’d run. Not that it will do you much good.”
A dark crimson rose up Lord Glade’s neck. “This is my home. I don’t care who it used to belong to. It’s mine.”
“No, it’s not,” I snarled. “It’s mine.”
The four Fae lords lifted their hands and tried to take us down with magic. Emma predicted their move, generating a shield around us. Their Fae magic crashed against her spell, and everyone in the room collectively gasped.
“Let’s tear this place apart.” I strode forward and slammed my fist into Lord Glade’s arrogant, thieving face. He crumpled to the floor.
Then all hell broke loose. Beau and Emma used their magic to cause chaos and destruction. People shrieked and ran as the chandelier crashed to the marble floor and the windows blew out. Lucas joined me in pummeling these fuckers who’d taken advantage of my tragic childhood and stolen my inheritance. Zane sped around the room, putting a stop to anyone who thought they might take us unawares. We made a good team.
I realized, while I was punching Summerfield to a bloody pulp, that not long ago I’d wanted nothing to do with the Lochart legacy. But coming home, and confronting my past, had changed my mind. I didn’t have to give up everything because of my shitty parents. I was born a Lochart, and I belonged here. It had just taken a long, winding road to rediscover my roots.
And along the way, I’d found my true family, and love, and myself.
My phone buzzed with an incoming text and I fished it from my pocket, letting Summerfield’s head thunk against the hard floor.
SIB Fucker: We have the location. Return to base now!
I stuck my forefinger and thumb in my mouth and whistled. The sound split the air. “They have it. We’re leaving. Now.”
18
LUCAS
“This plan, if anyone can call it that, better work,” I muttered under my breath as I rounded a corner and shot the two guards by the warehouse side entrance. 5th Circle knew we were coming, they had to, this reeked of a trap. There was barely any security around this place and we were making enough noise to alert the dead of our arrival. Yet… no witches were stopping us from entering.
And that, was a very bad sign.
I pulled open the door. Agent Martin, Kevin, Vincent, and several more of my Penumbra crew stormed the place. Someone flicked the lights on. They flickered, then buzzed as they cast an eerie blue glow over the enormous space, and I stopped short.
Against the walls and in several long rows down the center were cages—with children inside. They were alive, stirring and shielding their eyes against the sudden bright light. It was the early hours of the morning and they’d most likely been sleeping.
Our priority was to find and rescue Prince Ryder. But I wasn’t permanently leaving this place until I’d freed each and every one of these hybrid kids. What kind of monsters locked children in cages?
Agent Martin signaled for us to split up and look for the prince. I ducked down one row, searching each small prison as I went along. The more I looked, the angrier I became. The cages were filthy, the kids malnourished, and who the fuck knew what those sick fucks were doing to them. My stomach twisted with disgust and my wolf paced back and forth, eager for a fight.
“Found him!” Agent Martin bellowed.
I sprinted in his direction. He was already working on opening the lock, which didn’t budge under his strength.
“We need magic to break through this,” he called to our crew.
I peered into the cage at the confused prince. Ryder Sorrentino was no child. He had to be about fourteen and already growing into a man. He grabbed hold of the bars. “If you think you’re here to rescue me, you should know this is a trap. You need to get out of here.”
“We know it’s a trap.” I smiled at him, and his expression turned from concerned to bewildered.
The one witch with us, Vincent, rushed forward and hit the padlock with a powerful enough spell to shatter it. Emma and Claire had taught him well. Agent Martin opened the door and released the prince. Then we all sprinted toward the exit.
“No! You need to either go without me or help free the other captives,” Prince Ryder struggled out of Agent Martin’s grip.
The SIB agent growled, “We don’t have time for that. You’re coming with us. Right now.” He made a grab for the prince who dodged away from the irritated older wolf.
We would have to come back for the other kids. For now, we’d get out of here with just the prince if we could, but if our enemy sprang a trap for us then it was on to Plan B.
A rumbling shook the walls all around us, followed by massive iron bars sliding into place on the floor, ceiling, and all sides like a giant cage. We were trapped. Plan B it was.
The prince rounded on us. “I told you it was a trap.”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness,” Agent Martin said in a cool tone as he eyed our surroundings. We spun in a slow circle, waiting for our enemies to show themselves. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long.
At the far side of the warehouse a double door swung open, and Bryon Vexx strode up to the thick bars. The victorious light in his eyes dimmed a bit as he evaluated us and didn’t find what he was looking for.
“This isn’t all of you,” he muttered, waving his red diamond wand in the air.
“Of course not,” I scoffed, stepping forward. “Are you really stupid enough to think we’d all come in here together so you could trap us?”
Vexx bared his teeth at me in an expression more suited to a wolf than a witch. “It’s simply a small setback. Don’t worry, I have a surprise for your friends who are waiting outside too.” With determined steps, he retreated, leaving us to our own devices.
Vincent motioned for us to stand back as he raised his wand. His spell blast hit the bars, but didn’t even leave a mark. Shit. We really were stuck in here.
Agent Martin grunted. “I guess we’re not getting out of here by—”
A stream of magic shot from the bars and hit Vincent in the chest. He collapsed to the floor.
“No one touch those bars!” I commanded as Kevin and I checked on Vincent. He was dead. To Agent Martin, I said, “Let’s get the rest of these kids out. We have nothing better to do until they rescue our asses.”
“How? Our only magic worker is dead. We needed him to get through those locks.”
“There’s another way.” I approached one cage, then shifted to my half form. Grabbing hold of the entire door, I grunted as I tore it clean off its hinges. The small, curly dark-haired girl inside stared up at me with wide eyes. Kevin swept in and picked her up. She couldn’t be older than four or five years.
“That will do it,” the SIB agent said in a flat tone, as if he wasn’t impressed by my show of strength.
