"Damn, look at the ass on this redhead," he said. "Milky white and just begging for a spank."
Edgar, apparently not feeling the mood to control himself, reached up and gave the redheaded girl on stage a swat right on her rear. The flesh jiggled, but the girl's face stayed calm and impassive. But she hadn't yet been broken in, and I could see the fear in her eyes as she stared straight ahead, desperate to not cry out.
Just give me a little time, I thought. We'll get you out of here.
"So," I said, looking around. "How does this work? I've only been to the more, ah, traditional auctions."
"You'll see," Edgar said. "Gets fucking wild. Just you wait."
Then his face went flat as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his buzzing phone. He answered and as he talked, I looked around the place for any sign of Salt. The girls were all here, and it looked like just about every guest had arrived. But I needed to have visual confirmation of Salt before I could make the call and have the Sapiens strike.
"Hey, my man," Edgar said, finishing his call and slipping his phone back into his pocket. "You feel like having a little VIP meeting before this all gets underway? Be worth your time, I promise." He flashed me a shark smile and waited for my response.
"What kind of VIP meeting?" I asked.
"The kind with the man of the hour. I'm tight with Salt, and he said I could bring a guest. You down?"
That name was all I needed to hear. "Let's do it," I said.
"That's the spirit," Edgar said. "Come on with me."
Edger took the lead as we weaved our way through the crowds. I took one last look at the girls on stage, thinking back to the time when I first saw Alice. It seemed like so long ago that I'd laid eyes on her for the first time. I was ready to get these girls out of here, lock the assholes up, and to close the book on this sordid bullshit. Just the idea of flesh-peddling happening under my watch, in my city, was enough to make my skin crawl.
"Come on," Edgar said. "No time to waste."
I could've sworn that the guards were giving me dirty looks as the two of us walked past them, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
Edgar led me through an ornate, hand-carved wooden door at the back of the room which led to a narrow stairwell. Our dress shoes echoed on the stairs as we headed up, and soon the two of us were walking down a red-carpeted hallway with walls lined with elegant paintings. It was quiet up here, a strange contrast to the din of conversation downstairs.
We approached a set of dark-wood double doors and Edgar gave a knock.
"Come in," came the voice from inside.
Edgar opened the doors, revealing large, well-appointed study. There was a large desk that dominated the room, and the curved-top windows looked out onto the long stretch of the backyard. At standing at the desk, his back to us, was Salt.
"Here we are!" Edgar said, strolling into the room and heading right for the bar.
I stepped in carefully, my eyes fixed on Salt. There was the man I'd been looking for. Now, all I needed was a chance to make my call and bring in the Sapiens.
"There you are," Salt said, his voice low, calm, and refined.
Anger boiled up in me by the second. I wanted to rush the desk, put my gun to his head, and pull the trigger. But I needed to play it cool, and that move would be the exact opposite of that.
"Have a seat," Salt said, turning to face us.
Edgar shoved a glass of something into my hands, and I took a slow sip. Then, he plopped down on the couch and put his feet on the coffee table.
"So," Salt said, his eyes locking onto Edgar's feet for just long enough for Edgar to get the hint and take them down, "you're here in Castille's seat."
"A pleasure to meet you," I said, walking over to Salt and giving him my hand.
Salt shook it, his eyes making a slow appraisal of me. Then, he gestured to the couch. "Please," he said.
"I like to take the time to get to know every face that walks through the doors of my home, even if it's merely a proxy. We can't have the intimate gathering that I'm looking to create if we're all strangers, no?" Salt took a seat on the edge of his desk.
"I suppose not," I said.
"Though, I have to admit that I'm a little…displeased."
I narrowed my eyebrows and glanced over to Edgar, who was now looking at me with hard eyes.
"Displeased?" I asked.
"That's right," he said. "You see, when I heard that Castille had sold us out and that the Sapiens were going to be crashing our little party, I had assumed that the effort would be a little more…strategic."
Oh, fuck.
I shot to my feet and tossed the glass onto the floor. Reaching into my suit jacket pocket, I pulled out my gun.
"That would be a very, very, stupid move," Salt said, raising his hand toward me.
"And why's that?" I asked. "I put a round in you, and that's the end of it."
"Well, aside from not being legal, I have a guest who might suffer some undue consequences were you to do something so foolish."
My heart pounded as I lowered the gun. Salt pressed a button on the intercom on his desk and spoke.
"Bring her in."
Before I could react, a door opened on the side of the office. And through it stepped Alice, a look of terror on her face and a pair of menacing guards at her side.
CHAPTER 12
CARTER
"Now, drop the gun or she dies," Salt said. "Simple as that."
I knew I didn't have another option. Flicking the safety back on, I tossed the gun into the corner of the room where it landed with a hard clatter. I turned my eyes to Alice. Her face was in an expression of pure fear, and every part of me wanted to shift and tear every last one of these motherfuckers alive for putting her in harm's way.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"What do I want?" Salt responded. "I want the evening to go on as planned—that's all. Well, right now I also wouldn't mind seeing Castille strung up on a lamppost in the middle of Midtown, but I suppose that little fantasy will have to wait."
"Stupid fucking move," Edgar said, who was still seated on the couch. "You and the girl could've just let the thing drop. Could've put Castille away, gotten yourself a little promotion, and forgotten about the whole thing. Now, you're gonna have to die."
"And what's his deal?" I asked, pointing to Edgar. "Your little lapdog?"
A wry smile formed on Salt's face. "Much more than that. Isn't that right, Edgar?"
"So much more," Edgar said.
"Why don't you show the man what I mean?"
"More than happy to."
With that, Edgar finished his drink and stood up. Closing his eyes, he began to shift. I watched in horror as black scales sprouted from his skin and talons from his hands. His face elongated, and his eyes turned a luminous gold. Moments later, he'd finished his transformation into a fearsome dragon, his form nearly reaching the ceiling of the cavernous study.
Fuck, should've known that's why he seemed off—he's a goddamn dragon.
The eyes of everyone in the room was on Edgar and I took advantage of the distraction to reach into my pocket and fire off a text to Taggart. It wasn't the call I'd said I'd give, but I hope'd it do.
"You've got a dragon on your side," I said.
"It would appear so," Salt said. "Edgar and I go back decades, so he's more than happy to lend his abilities so that my little affairs have the security that they need. Not to mention that he's one of my most loyal customers."
"I can kill him quick," Edgar said, his voice now booming and resonant. "He'll be dead, and the girl will be all mine."
"Patience," Salt said, raising his hand once again. "I think I'd like to twist the knife for this one first." He turned to Alice. "How about we start by you burning this little one alive in front of him?"
"What?" Edgar demanded, turning his large face toward Salt. "You told me that the girl would become my property!"
"There are more than enough women for you to have," S
alt said. "This one needs to serve a special purpose, to send a message."
Alice let out a scream of horror before bursting into tears.
My heart thudded in my chest. If the Sapiens didn't move in fast, Alice would be done for. I just needed something, just a distraction so that I could make a move.
"Fine!" Edgar said. "But if you think a handful of your sluts are going to be an even trade, then you're mistaken."
"We can discuss the terms later," Salt said, waving his hand dismissively. "Just do what I ask of you. And try not to burn any of the books—some of them are antiques."
Edgar turned back toward Alice. He opened his maw and fire began to gather on his tongue.
But before he could breathe his flame, an explosion sounded from somewhere outside of the house.
"What the hell was that?" Salt asked, turning toward the direction of the noise.
"Just my backup," I said, a smirk on my face.
"Kill them!" Salt shour. "Now!"
Another explosion sounded, this one close enough to shatter windows and to send books tumbling from shelves. I knew that I wasn't going to get a better chance than this. Shifting into my bear form, I dashed across the room and lunged into the first guard, taking him down before he had a chance to shift into his gorilla form.
I began to move to take down the other, but he shifted and bore down on me. Rolling my heavy body out of the way, I barely managed to escape his fists as they smashed down on the parquet floor.
"Mr. Salt!" came a voice from the intercom. "We have multiple breaches all over the property! The Sapiens are moving in!"
"Fuck!" Salt shouted, smashing his hand down on his desk.
Edgar still loomed over me, but as I tussled with the gorilla I saw Salt get his attention out of the corner of my eye.
"Get the Sapiens!" Salt growled. "I'll take care of these two!"
Edgar flew through the massive windows, the glass smashing all around him as he disappeared into the night.
I turned back toward the gorilla just in time to watch his fist smash into the side of my head, causing me to stagger where I stood. Alice let out a scream as she scurried back away from the fight. The gorilla took another swing, this one slamming hard into my side and causing the air to rush out of my lungs. I stumbled onto my side as the pain rushed through my body.
"Now, kill him!" Salt shouted, venom in his voice.
The gorilla loomed over me, a puff of air shooting from his nostrils. My vision was blurred, and I could barely focus on what was happening, let alone how to get out of my predicament. The beast raised his hands and prepared to bring them down for the kill strike.
But before he could, a crack sounded out from the side. The gorilla's arms dropped down to his sides and he stood with a dumbfounded look on his face. Then, a small spurt of blood trickled down his head just before he crashed to the floor. My vision coming back to normal, I turned to see Alice standing with a smoking gun, a shocked expression on her face.
"Nice shot," I said after shifting back to my human form.
"Thanks," she said.
The victory was short-lived, however. Before I could make another move, Salt shifted into his sleek tiger form, grabbed Alice by the shirt with his jaws, and dashed out of the window.
"Alice!" I shouted, running to the broken window.
Down on the lawn I watched as Salt rushed across the lawn, now back in his human form as he dragged Alice along. To the left and right the Sapiens were engaged in a pitched battle with Salt's guards, Edgar swooping through the sky and shooting out plumes of flame. I knew that the Sapiens, despite the fact that there were dozens of them in the fight, wouldn't stand a chance against that dragon. Salt had to get taken down, and taken down fast.
I shifted into my bear form and leaped out of the window and onto the lawn, landing with a thud. Salt was fast, but once I got my momentum going, I quickly cut the distance. Soon, I was close enough to reach forward and swat his back leg, causing him to drop Alice and revert to his human form.
Salt, a wild expression on his face, pulled Alice up by the wrist and took the gun that had been locked in her hand. He yanked her close and pressed the barrel to her head.
"Now," he said. "I'm going to leave. And if you make a single move, then I'm going to kill this bitch. Got it?"
I stared at him hard as I shifted back to my human form. Alice's face was gripped with panic, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"It's over, Salt," I said. "Let her go now and I won't kill you."
"You see that dragon over there?" he yelled. "As long as I have that on my side, I haven't even come close to losing. You were a fool to come here, Black, and now—"
Before he could get out another word, however, Alice pulled her arm back and slammed her elbow into Salt's stomach. The air blasted out of his lungs and Alice managed to scramble from of his grasp.
I had my chance. Shifting into my bear form, I ran to Salt and swatted him hard across the face with my paw. An expression of shock formed on his face and he fell backward right on his ass, red scratches carved into his face. I stepped over him and placed my paw on his chest before shifting back into my human form.
"You okay?" I shouted to Alice.
She nodded, too shocked to say a word.
Salt subdued, I shouted to Edgar in the skies. "It's over!"
That got his attention. Edgar turned his attention away from the Sapien agents, their gunfire pinging off his hard scales. He set down next to us, his wings causing a rush of wind to flow over me.
"Edgar!" Salt shouted. "Help me!"
But Edgar only looked at the scene impassively. Then, he shook his head, rose into the air, and flew off into the night sky.
"Problem with dragons," I said. "Not all the big on loyalty."
By now the guards were down. I gestured to the Sapiens nearby and they ran in to take Salt into custody. Once he was in cuffs and led off, I ran over to Alice and took her into my arms. Her heart was beating hard.
"We did it," I said. "It's over."
Moments later, she and I were walking through the now broken-up party, the Sapiens cuffing as many of the guests as they could and standing them against the wall. The girls were let free, and one of them latched onto Alice with her eyes and ran over.
"Emily!" Alice shouted.
The two girls embraced.
"Oh, my God!" Emily said, confusion on her face. "How did you—why are you—um, oh my God!" The girl turned her attention to me and looked me up and down. "And who is this?"
Alice winked at me. "It's a long story."
EPILOGUE
ALICE
Three months later…
It was a beautiful day in New York. The sun was shining, the sky was a clear blue, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The wind was even calm and pleasant on the balcony of Carter's apartment. I sipped my coffee slowly, taking in the sights and sounds of the city, the day ahead looming on my mind.
A pair of arms slipping around my body jolted me from my spacing out.
"A little early in the day for daydreaming, isn't it?" Carter asked.
"Just thinking about how happy I am," I said, setting down my coffee and turning around to face him.
I put my arms around his shoulders and looked into those gorgeous eyes of his. A smile formed on his lips and I couldn't help but stand up on my tip-toes and kiss him deeply.
"You're in a good mood, considering today's the day of the trial."
"Hard to worry about all that when I've got all this."
"Not even worried a little?"
It had been months since the night of we took down Salt. Once he was taken into custody, the hard work of bringing the dozens upon dozens of shifters in the city involved in the trafficking to justice began. It was difficult to believe just how many human women had been taken prisoner, forced to live as slaves for the rich and powerful shifters of the city.
But slowly, we found the men behind it and the girls they'd kidnapped. It took weeks, but we
freed them all. Not a single girl was held captive, and sentences were being handed out left and right to the shifters involved.
And today was the last of the trials—this one for Mr. Salt. Carter'd dinged him up quite a bit the night of the attack, and he needed more than a little recovery time to be in good enough shape to stand trial. Not to mention, the Sapiens wanted to build up the strongest case that they could. With all the men on trial who eager to do anything they could to ease their sentences, it wasn't hard to find plenty of witnesses ready to turn on Salt. It was looking like he was going to go away for a very long time.
"You know," Carter said, "you've been more than a little bit of help with all of this."
"That's very nice to hear," I said. "It's been hard, but over the last few months, I feel like I've been actually doing something worthwhile with my life. Nothing like the way my life was before."
"You feel like you've been doing good, because you have been doing good," he said. "We've freed dozens of women, put away even more of these assholes, and the city's a safer place because of you."
"All in a day's work, I suppose," I said with a smile.
"Exactly," Carter said. "And that's why I wanted to see if you'd be interested in working with the Sapiens in a more, well, permanent capacity."
I looked at him skeptically. "What does that mean, exactly?"
"We like to keep some humans on the payroll, working as our eyes and ears in the city. Keeping tabs on the human world and making sure shifters don't get involved in it, like in the way Salt had been. You'd be something like a…human guardian."
"Now, that's an important-sounding title."
"And the title's just the start. The best part is that you'd be working side-by-side with me, your loving boyfriend, as we take care of the evil-doers in the city."
"Wait a minute," I said. "You'd be working with a partner?"
"Not a partner, exactly. More like an ‘advisor.'"
"I like partner better."
He smirked. "Let's take it one step at a time," he said.
He leaned in again and kissed me hard on the lips. Our tongues searched out one another's instantly, and soon we were embroiled in a deep, passionate make-out. I reached down and grabbed onto his cock, already hard through his pants. "Easy now," he said.
Shifter Wars Complete Series Page 59
