Dark Overlord’s Clan (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Series Book 40)

by I. T. Lucas

  She shook her head. “He lost a lot of blood and went into shock. I asked Phinas to get into his head and thrall him into a sleep mode to lower the stress.”

  “I assume that you stopped the bleeding?”

  “Of course. But I need to get the bullet out and stitch him up. And the same goes for the van’s driver. His injury is minor, so I bandaged it and left him in the room with the others.”

  “Let me know when Roberts is ready to talk.”

  “It’s not going to be anytime tonight. With the blood transfusion, he might be able to talk tomorrow, but I suggest a gentle approach. In his weakened state, added stress might kill him.”

  “Does he know that Simmons is dead?” Kian asked.

  “No, and I advise against telling him right away. That alone might be enough to cause him cardiac arrest.”

  “No problem.” Kalugal pushed his hair back, dreading the answer to his next question. “Is Jacki going to regain her hearing? And if not, can my blood help her recover it?”

  “The ringing might linger for a day or two, but she’s already doing better. Wonder texted me that Jacki and Jin can both hear, and they are talking too. I believe that they will be back to normal in no time.”

  Kalugal let out a breath. “So, nothing else needs to be done?”

  “Once this is all over, you may want to take Jacki to a specialist and check. Just in case.”

  “I will. Thank you, doctor.”

  Bridget smiled. “Just doing my job.” She pushed away from the wall. “I’d better go back to watching my patient.”

  Kalugal turned to Kian. “It seems like the only one we can interrogate at this time is the team’s leader.”

  22

  Kian

  Kalugal pulled out his phone. “Phinas, bring the team leader to my office.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Kian would have liked Turner to join the interrogation, but there was no chance the guy was going to leave his mate without protection. Now that the crisis was over, Brundar and Anandur, who’d been with Bridget up until now, resumed their duty as his bodyguards and followed him and Kalugal.

  Turning into another hallway, Kalugal opened the door, and the lights came on automatically. “Welcome to my command room.” He motioned for Kian and the brothers to go in.

  The office wasn’t nearly as opulent as Kian had expected it to be, but the computer equipment was state-of-the-art.

  Kalugal pulled a chair out for him. “I know this is underwhelming, but I do most of the work from the house, and my office there is much nicer.”

  “I was wondering about that.” Kian sat down. “You seem to enjoy the finer things in life.”

  “I can afford to.” Kalugal smirked. “Even after shelling out twenty-five thousand a day to your charity.”

  “Now that you and Jacki are mated, I assume your contributions will stop. You no longer need to bribe her to stay with you.”

  “True, but knowing that I was helping people get back on their feet felt good, so I decided to establish a charity in Jacki’s name. She’s going to be in charge of it, and it’s up to her where she wants to funnel the money. She might decide to keep sending it to you.”

  Kian doubted the decision had anything to do with Kalugal’s charitable inclinations. He was probably doing it to keep Jacki happy. But that was fine. The money would still go to good causes, and it didn’t matter what the impetus was.

  After a quick knock on the door, Phinas entered with the human. “Where do you want him?”

  “On the couch.”

  The team’s leader shuffled in like a zombie. His eyes were unfocused, and his jaw was slack.

  Whoever had thralled him had done a hatchet job.

  “What’s his name?” Kalugal asked.

  “Hector Ushman,” Phinas said.

  Kalugal swiveled his chair to face the guy. “I want to ask you some questions, Hector, and I need you to pay attention and answer truthfully.”

  As the guy’s eyes refocused and he nodded, Kian wondered whether Kalugal’s compulsion had overridden the thrall, or was it layered on top of it.

  “Who hired you?”

  “Doctor Simmons.”

  “Where does he know you from?”

  “A mutual friend recommended me to him.”

  “Why?”

  Hector shrugged. “I’m still new in the field, so I keep my rates low to attract clients. I think that was the deciding factor for the old coot.”

  “What did he ask you to do?”

  “First, he wanted me to check out this address and report what I’d seen. When I did, he said that I got the address wrong and sent me to snoop around another place. When I told him about the party and the sixty chairs I’d seen being delivered, he asked that I gather as many able-bodied men as I could and rent several vans.”

  “Did he tell you why?”

  “He said that it was a suspected terrorist cell and that they were kidnapping key personnel from his facility.”

  Kalugal leaned back and crossed his legs. “If this was the case, he would have gotten a SWAT team or a commando unit to do the extraction, not a group of middle-aged retired soldiers.”

  “I didn’t ask questions. I was hired to do a job, and no one was supposed to get hurt. All I cared about was getting paid.”

  “Weren’t you concerned? Eight men armed with handguns is not a large enough force to tackle a terrorist cell.”

  “Simmons told me that he was going to stun everyone in the party using the LRAD. My team’s job was to carry the people out into the vans and then drive them to a facility in West Virginia.” Hector shook his head. “I should have known that the man was nuts and that there were no terrorists. I told him that the party was canceled and that there was no one in the house.” Frowning, he looked around the office. “Where am I?”

  “You are dreaming, Hector. Go back to sleep.”

  The guy’s eyes closed and he slumped sideways on the couch.

  Kalugal turned his chair around and looked at Phinas. “You can take him back to the classroom. Get some blankets to cover the floor and put him and his men to sleep.”

  “Yes, boss.” Phinas lifted Hector and slung him over his shoulder.

  Once he was gone, Kalugal turned to Kian. “Since they were supposed to drive the vans to West Virginia, no one is expecting them back tonight. Tomorrow morning, we will do as you suggested and drop them off near their homes.”

  “We can do that tonight.”

  “I’d rather not. I don’t want to deal with it while I’m tired, and I want to go back to Jacki.”

  Smart guy.

  Kalugal was calculated and cautious. Rushing to get rid of the problem might lead to mistakes, and those mistakes might bite them in the ass later.

  The urgent stuff had been taken care of, and the rest could wait for the morning when they all could think more clearly.

  “You are right. Let’s get back to our mates. But first, I want to check whether Bridget has everything she needs and Roberts is going to survive.”

  Kalugal tilted his head. “Are you going to donate him your blood?”

  “I don’t value his life that much. One of your men will do.”

  23

  Kalugal

  When Kian and Kalugal got back to the cell, Bridget had already gotten her equipment and was busy pulling the bullet out of Roberts' ribcage. “He is lucky that it missed his heart and his lungs.” She waved them off. “Go, I’ll come up to the house when I’m done.”

  “Stay with her,” Kian told his bodyguards.

  Anandur nodded.

  “She is perfectly safe here.” Kalugal motioned for Kian to follow him. “And she has her immune mate with her.”

  He wondered why Kian had allowed the guy to stay with the doctor. Turner was his defense against compulsion and the one holding the remote to Kalugal’s cuff. Had Kian finally realized that he had nothing to fear from him?

  “I know. But I want Turner to come with us.” Kian waved
the guy over.

  Apparently, his cousin was still suspicious.

  Turner didn’t look happy to leave Bridget, but he did as his boss commanded.

  “I can have a room prepared for them down here,” Kalugal offered.

  “I hope Bridget can leave Roberts for tonight. I want to take everyone back to the hotel.”

  “I understand. But if you wish, your party can stay here. I will have to move some of my men into the bunker to vacate rooms in the house, though.”

  Kian glanced back at the corridor they’d just left. “This is not the same way that we got here.”

  “We are going back to the house through the tunnel.”

  Kian raised a brow. “Aren’t you afraid that we will see all of your booby traps?”

  “On the contrary. I wish to boast.”

  As they reached the door and Kalugal activated the mechanism that opened it, Kian looked impressed. “That’s one hell of a door.”

  Kalugal opened the way. “That’s nothing. There is another one ten feet ahead, and you don’t want to know the hell that would rain on anyone who makes it through the first one.”

  “I can imagine.” Kian waited for him to open the second one as well.

  From there, it was up the stairs and a regular door.

  “What’s in here?” Kian asked as they passed the library, which was currently occupied by some of his men. “Is this your office?”

  “No, it’s the library. But since the living room is probably taken by your party, my men found refuge in there.” He chuckled. “Usually, I’m the only one who uses it, and since Jacki arrived, she's been spending time with me in there as well. But it’s not my men’s favorite hangout place.”

  As he’d expected, Kian’s party was indeed in the living room, and so was Jacki.

  “Kalugal!” She tried to get up and swayed on her feet. “We need to move!”

  He rushed to her and wrapped his arm around her. “Take it easy, love. We are safe for now.”

  “But they found us!”

  He helped Jacki back down and sat next to her. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about at this time. After all, Simmons is dead and Roberts is injured.”

  The little color she had on her face drained away. “What did you say?”

  Kalugal looked at Arwel. “No one told Jacki?”

  Arwel shook his head. “She didn’t look like she could handle it.”

  Apparently, they didn’t know his mate as well as he did. Right now, she had trouble hearing, but she was not fragile.

  Speaking loudly, he enunciated every word. “Simmons and Roberts arrived with a device that made that ear-splitting noise, and they brought along several men to carry us out once we were incapacitated. Luckily, the guy who operated the drones shot down that hellish device, destroying it. But since Simmons was holding it, he got hit and died. Roberts was standing right next to him, and he got hit as well, but he is likely to survive.”

  Jacki let out a breath. “So, it’s over.” She lifted her arm. “I can take this freaking cuff off.”

  “Not yet, my love. Someone might replace Simmons, and I’m sure the information about your last known location is stored in the program’s computers, as well as the fact that you and your friends have transmitters in you.”

  “Not for long,” Jin said from the other couch. “As soon as we transition, our bodies will reject foreign objects.”

  He smiled. “I’m glad to see that you are doing better as well.”

  “What? You need to speak up.” She put her hands over her ears. “The damn ringing is almost gone, but there is a hum that is almost as annoying.”

  Atzil walked in with a big tray of tea and coffee cups and started distributing them. “Is anyone hungry? There is plenty of food left over from dinner.”

  In response, he got a lot of head shaking.

  “Thank you, Atzil.” Kalugal took a cup of coffee. “I’m sure that you are exhausted. Go to sleep. If anyone needs anything, I’ll show them where the kitchen is.”

  The indignant look that Atzil cast him was the most disrespectful the cook had ever dared to act toward Kalugal. “I’m not too tired to take care of our guests.”

  “As you wish.”

  “Thank you, boss. I also need to finish cleaning up the buffet tables, and my helpers are clearing the backyard.” He scurried away.

  “Poor Atzil,” Jacki said. “He worked so hard to make this night special for us, and it was ruined.”

  Kalugal patted her knee. “Look on the bright side. At least our wedding party will never be forgotten.”

  24

  Jacki

  When Bridget entered the living room together with Brundar and Anandur, all eyes turned to her.

  “How is Roberts doing?” Kian asked.

  Jacki still heard everything as if the sounds were traveling through water, but she understood most of it as long as it was spoken loudly and clearly.

  “All patched up and sleeping.” Bridget joined Turner on an armchair, the two of them squeezing in side by side. “I left one of Kalugal’s men to watch over him for a little while, so I could take a break.“

  “Did you give him the transfusion?” Kalugal asked.

  “I did.” She shook her head. “It has been a long time since I used such crude methods. I felt like I’d gone back in time.”

  “Whose blood did you use?”

  “Ruvon graciously volunteered.”

  Anandur snorted. “Grudgingly agreed was more like it, but he did it, and that’s what's important.”

  “Ruvon is a good man,” Kalugal said. “They all are.” He glanced at Rufsur and nodded, silently congratulating his lieutenant for a job well done.

  Resting her head on Turner’s shoulder, Bridget looked at Jin. “How is your hearing?”

  “Much better, thank you. I hope this freaking ringing will be gone by tomorrow.”

  The doctor lifted her head and frowned. “On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it now?”

  “Compared to how it was in the beginning, it’s a four.”

  “That’s not bad.” Bridget turned to Jacki. “What about you?”

  “The ringing is gone. What’s left is a hum, and I hear everything as if the sound is traveling through water. ”

  “That’s good, but if both of you don't feel markedly better by tomorrow, you should see a specialist.”

  Atzil must have been listening in because he walked in with another tray of coffees and desserts. “Would you like some?” He stopped in front of Bridget.

  “Yes, thank you.” She cast him a grateful smile. “It was a long day, and it’s going to be a long night.”

  “What do you mean by long night?” Kian asked. “Are you planning on staying here?”

  “I have to. Kalugal doesn’t have anyone with even basic medical training, and Roberts is still not out of the woods, so to speak.”

  “I’ll stay with Bridget.” Turner tightened his arm around her.

  Kian didn’t look happy. “I will have to bring in some of the other Guardians here. I can’t leave you two unprotected.”

  Next to Jacki, Kalugal stiffened. She knew that Kian’s words had hurt him because she felt offended on his behalf.

  After all that had happened, and after the way they had all worked together against a common enemy, Kian should be more trusting of Kalugal.

  Turner lifted the remote to Kalugal’s cuff. “I still have this.” He cast him an apologetic glance. “It’s just a precaution. It’s not personal.”

  “Right.” Kalugal snorted. “It has nothing to do with me or my ability to compel. But I guess I’m lucky that during the attack you didn’t fall on the remote and activate it accidentally.”

  “Believe it or not, I was mindful of it as I went down.”

  Kian seemed uncomfortable, but he didn’t offer an apology. Come to think of it, he really couldn’t leave Bridget and Turner unprotected. The doctor might not know much, but Turner was Kian’s right-hand man, and he knew eve
rything that was going on. Kalugal couldn’t compel him, but he could make him talk by threatening to harm Bridget.

  Jacki knew that Kalugal wasn’t going to do any of that, but Kian couldn’t take the risk.

  “I can stay to watch over Bridget and Turner.” Dalhu spoke up for the first time since they’d gathered in the living room. “Arwel and Yamanu can stay as well.”

  “Thank you,” Kian said. “But let’s have the bachelors do that. I’m sure that your mates don’t want to leave without you.” He smiled at Amanda, who was glaring daggers at her guy.

  Dalhu glanced at her. “Yeah, you’re right. My first duty is and always will be to Amanda.”

  That earned him a bright smile and a passionate kiss.

  A little too passionate, in Jacki’s opinion.

  “Get a room, you two.” Anandur threw a cookie at the couple.

  Clearing his throat to stifle a chuckle, Kalugal turned to look at Kian. “You can bring a few men inside the bunker if you wish. But my offer to vacate some rooms for you still stands. We have a lot to discuss, and we are all too tired to do it now. I suggest that we work on a plan over breakfast tomorrow morning.”

  “We can get back here early.” Kian wrapped his arm around Syssi’s shoulders. “The hotel is not far away, and all of our things are back there. I bet the ladies want out of these beautiful saris. They don’t look comfortable.”

  Syssi nodded. “I can’t wait to take a hot shower, get into my pajamas, and dive under the blanket.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Jacki sighed. “And tomorrow, I hope to wake up without the damn humming sound in my ears.”

  25

  Syssi

  Syssi had slept like the dead, and if not for the delicious smell of coffee, she would have kept on sleeping until noon.

  But it was too late for that. The smell had woken her enough for her to become aware of how full her bladder was, and she had no choice but to get up.