Having powered up the fire that came out of him, he took a deep breath and spit the first stream of it over the compound. What didn't immediately burst caught on fire instead. Wood burning and glass breaking was immediate. Another few shots and the whole roof was collapsing. The sound of the screams was something that had echoed in his ears many times before. It was no better or worse this time.
The people that got away, walked right into a group that wanted to kill them. Their screams started to echo just as loud as all the rest. Tevin didn't want to hear any of it. His mind tried to block it out but knew that it wouldn't be able to. He was meant to hear every last scream and shout. He never wanted to be away from the chaos that he caused.
Tevin demolished the building, and as it collapsed underneath him, he flew higher up in the air. There were another fifty or so security guards that were supposed to be waiting on the other side of the woods. Even though he knew that they were there, he also knew that he could easily get rid of them. A quick flyby was all it took, and the last backup that Cole had was gone.
Making sure that it was all going to go down, he stayed up there for a while. Truthfully, he probably put that distance between them so he wouldn't have to hear all the incessant screaming. It was getting to him, especially when he thought about the fact that he knew them. These weren't strangers, not all of them. Some of them he had worked with side by side, training and even fighting with. Tevin knew it was going to take some time for him to be able to forgive himself. The sound of the screams and the horror below were only going to make that time longer.
When he finally did return to the ground, there were several people that were cheering him on. For some reason, that bothered him more than anything else. It wasn't a situation that he deemed something to celebrate. A lot of people lost their lives.
He walked back up to the woman he had talked to before, the one that said she knew Molly. He wanted to know where he could find her so he could see if Molly even wanted to talk to her. Tevin wasn't going to leave anything to chance.
Jamie walked up to him with a grim look. At least she wasn't playing around like the rest, smiling and cheering like what they had done was good. It didn't feel very good. Death was death, and it all felt unnecessary.
“Thank you. I wouldn't say that this was a good thing that happened here today, but I would say that it needed to happen. You cannot know how grateful I am. Getting Molly back and making sure that she is safe is all that I am looking to do. Is she all right?”
“She is. But I will have to discuss it with her first, make sure that she even wants to have anything to do with you. I know that the two of you have a complicated relationship.”
Jamie seemed to be surprised that he knew anything about it, and he didn't want to rub it in, however, it was obvious that she was not completely innocent. She had bought the woman that he planned to marry.
“I am not really sure what you are saying.”
“I think you do. Right now, though, we need to focus on finishing the job.”
She looked behind her to the compound that was now not only in pieces, but what was left was burning. It didn't look like there is much else to do from her perspective, but he knew that it wasn't the correct one to have. Tevin knew what lay beneath.
“I think the job is finished. I am not saying that it would have been a failure without you, but it very well could have been. You have certainly saved many lives on our side, and I appreciate that. I don't know what else you could do, though.”
“Well, for one thing, you need to go kill all the elders that are hiding in the bunker. They most likely have been untouched by the fire above. That's kind of the point of it.”
Jamie looked scared for a moment, like she couldn't even fathom such a thing. “How many of them are there?”
“Twenty-four that I know of. They shouldn't have much more security, but there will be a few that will put up a fight.”
“Why are you doing this? Why are you helping us? I know that you work for them.”
“Molly wanted me to make sure that nothing happened to you, and I made a promise to her.”
Jamie smiled.
“Do I sense something more going on?”
Tevin didn’t answer her, instead just waved her off. It was not the time for that discussion. “We don’t have time for all of that right now. We have to take care of this.”
She smiled at him like he said something funny. “No, I guess we don’t have time for this right now.” She emphasized the ‘right now’ part, because Jamie wanted to hear more later. That much he could see.
After a minute, she told Tevin that she would be back. She needed to discuss things with her husband. He would know what to do, although she had a feeling that the dragon had his own way.
“Just let me get Dylan. He knows a lot more about all of this than I do.”
“You are very brave to come here.”
Jamie shrugged and looked sad. “I don't know about brave. Probably guilt would be the more accurate way to describe it.”
She walked away, and he waited for her mate to get there. The quicker that all of it was said and done, the quicker he would be able to get back to Molly and carry on with the life she said they were supposed to have together.
The aftermath was probably the worst part of it all. The elders and leaders of the Syndicate were hiding in the underground bunker, just like Tevin had said. Jamie waited anxiously with everyone else while they tried to figure out how to get to them.
Chelsea helped with that in the end. She was determined to get to one of them in particular. It was far more personal than anyone knew. Everyone was watching with rapt attention as the witch started to walk to the hatch. She had a smile on her face, an eerie one that gave Jamie goosebumps all over her body.
The witch said a few words quietly, holding something in her hand, and the hatch sprang open. There was shouting coming from the ground. Jamie wasn’t sure if she was ready for what was going to happen next.
She already knew that Molly was safe and sound, believing the dragon that had her. That was all she was there for. Ending the Syndicate wasn’t something that she was looking forward to. Her need for revenge didn’t seem nearly as strong as other people’s. Jamie had always wanted there to be a better way to do things. To her, violence seemed like a cop-out and incredibly lazy. Now she saw that sometimes, it was necessary.
People started to scramble out of the hole in the ground, but no one made it but a few feet out before they were taken down by Chelsea. She had glee in her eyes, and Jamie felt sickened in the stomach. The idea that she was getting pleasure from the mayhem and death was hard to stomach. Jamie held Dylan’s hand, and he pressed back on hers assuredly. It had to be done.
But did she have to take so much joy in it? Jaime’s stomach rolled uneasily.
What if Chelsea decided to do the same to all of them gathered around? Her eyes went to the crowd. What if all of them were about to share the same fate? Should they run? Jamie suddenly didn’t know what to think of the witch and what was going on.
She was getting bright, glowing enough that Jamie had to squint her eyes. Every death made her stronger, and the magic buzzed in the air around them. Jamie’s nerves were wound up.
“Should we get out of here?”
The bodies were piling up because of the sickening display in front of them. It felt wrong to stay, yet no one else was budging, all watching in horror and fascination.
“No, Jamie. I don’t want her mistaking us for an enemy and wiping us out too.”
He chuckled like he was joking, but the tone was off, and she knew that she wasn’t the only one that wanted things to calm down. Their minds were connected, both worried about the same thing. They took a few steps back, but there were so many people, and no one was going anywhere.
When the people stopped coming out of the hole, all three witches went down into the darkness. Dylan wanted to press forward and see what was going on. He told his mate that he would be back
, and Jamie wanted to hold onto him, but she let him go. She wasn’t willing to get much closer herself.
There were loud booms and smoke billowing up into the sky. Jamie had that cold feeling in here heart seizing her, not sure what to do next. Everyone was stepping back now. Jamie waited for it, whatever “it” was, just like the rest of the crowd.
Then there was a loud explosion that rocked the ground underneath them. Jamie was knocked off of her feet, as were many others. The smoke was now paired with dust and rubble. There was no longer a small hole in the ground to get to the bunker, but a crater. There were some remnants of the bunker left, but Jamie wasn’t looking at that. Her eyes were scanning the crowd, looking for Dylan.
Jamie ran towards the damage, pushing people to get to Dylan. She had to find him, and her eyes searched the bodies on the ground just as much as the ones that were still upright. She couldn’t find him anywhere, and even calling out his name wasn’t going to help. She wasn’t the only one making noise, yelling for someone else. Chaos was the name of the game.
She finally heard her name as a pair of strong arms pulled her in for a bear hug. Tears sprang to her eyes just because she was so relieved that he was okay. She didn’t even say anything, just holding onto him, clinging to him, making sure that she never let go again.
Chelsea rose out of the crater, and she had a cackle that was synonymous with witches. Jamie watched her peer over them, and again, she wondered what was going through the witch’s mind.
About that time, her eyes locked with Chelsea’s, and she watched her make her way towards them. Jamie didn’t want to worry, but she couldn’t help herself. Her mind was coming up with all kinds of scenarios, and none of them were any good.
By the time the witch got to her, she was practically shaking inside. Watching her destroy everything and kill all those people was a lot to take on. She didn't know what to say, and when the witch lowered herself right in front of Jamie, she knew that Chelsea wanted something from her. She didn't have anything, though. That was the worry.
“Are you happy? I have kept my word.”
Jamie was quiet for a moment. She nodded her head that she was happy, but at the same time, she was freaked out as well. She never thought that she would see such a thing in person.
“I don't know if I would say I'm happy, Chelsea, but I thank you wholeheartedly for what you have done here. The Syndicate has been harassing us for months now. I have a feeling they've been harassing you for even longer, though.”
The old witch smiled. “Was my displeasure that obvious?”
She twirled her finger in her hair like she had some secret on her lips. She didn't say anything else about it, though. Jamie could see that the woman had really enjoyed herself.
“It was. I don't know what they did to you to deserve that, but I hope that you found some satisfaction here as well.”
Chelsea agreed that she did, and the two women looked at each other for a moment. “You know, I don't usually help your kind, and believe it or not, I don't like to get involved, but I'm glad I did this time. It was something that I needed to do, and without you, I never would have done it. So thank you.”
Jamie wasn’t sure what exactly she had done to make Chelsea change her mind, but she was thankful for it. Never would they have been able to do it alone.
“What about that dragon? Why did he help us?”
Jamie smiled. “He fell in love with Molly and picked her over the Syndicate.”
The witch smiled. “I always knew that I liked Tevin.”
Dylan was walking up, and he put his arms around Jamie. He looked a little shaken up.
“It was good doing business with you. Maybe we will see each other again.”
Both Jamie and Dylan immediately said that it wouldn't be necessary. Jamie was thankful that Chelsea did not take it personally. She just laughed. When she was walking away, Dylan wanted to know what she said to her. When she told him, he just kind of shook his head in confusion. “I don't understand anything with her.”
Jamie agreed. “I don't think we're supposed to understand.”
Dylan smiled. “Good, because I don't.”
The rest had many things to say. There was excitement in the air, and it wasn't because of the deaths or what had had to be done. It was because everyone started to feel free again. There would be no more sneak attacks during weddings, and everything could finally get back to normal. That was all that mattered to Jamie. She was ready for normal again.
She looked around at the clients, some of them recently married, and now all of them were free. Jamie couldn’t think of a better ending than that.
Chapter Twenty-One
Tevin got back to Molly as soon as he could. It was almost morning by the time he got there, though. There had been clean-up that took quite a while. Chelsea had done a lot of the hard work, but she certainly wasn’t too interested in doing anything to help clean up the mess she had made.
That left them all to burn bodies and fill in the crater. They didn’t need humans sniffing around and asking questions. Tevin was beat. All he could think of was getting to Molly and getting her back in his arms. Maybe they could have one of those showers that they did so well together.
The idea put more pep in his step. He just had to see her. He had to get his arms around her and make sure that she was safe. He’d seen enough chaos to last him a lifetime, all contained in just one short night.
When he got inside, she wasn’t where he’d left her, and the worry was immediate. Frantically, he called to her, and only when he heard the shower running was, he able to breathe again.
He went from fear to need. It was so fast and suffocating that his pants were off before he even opened the bathroom door.
The door was unlocked and he pushed it open. She was singing to herself, and he enjoyed the melody for a moment before he made a sound and then she gasped.
She jumped when he pulled the curtain back and observed her. Molly was in the midst of washing her hair when she saw him.
“Tevin! You scared me to death.”
“I was not trying to.”
“I am glad to see you back, though. I have been worried about you.”
He told Molly that there was nothing to worry about. They would talk more about it later. What he was most interested in was getting his hands back on her. Then Tevin reminded himself that she was still his, and he could relax for once. The Syndicate was gone. No one was coming for them.
Getting in next to her, Molly smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You stink.”
He growled and kissed her. “It’s man scent. You don’t like it?”
“It’s you, so I do, but we can get you all soaped up, let me run my hands down your body…”
Tevin liked the sound of that. He was dying for her and his body was shaking. All it took was a smile and a touch from Molly, and nothing else mattered. His lips found hers again, and she melted against his body. They were both exactly where they were supposed to be.
“Was this how you saw us, Molly?”
She agreed. “Yes, but soon, it will be the three of us.”
His eyes widened, and she smiled his way, loving his reaction. It was fear, plain and simple.
“Three of us?”
Before he could say anything more and start a real conversation, she rubbed herself against him like a cat, making him forget it all. It worked better than any potion.
Jamie and Dylan were among the last to leave. They were about to head out when Chelsea came upon them. She was floating in the air, and Jamie had to wonder what she had done, giving the woman more power than ever before. She worried that they would have to deal with her one day. She certainly hoped not.
“I see that everyone is going home.”
Jamie agreed. “Because of you, Chelsea.”
Chelsea landed on her feet and smiled. “You don’t know how badly I have missed this.”
“Was this how you were before?”
&nbs
p; Chelsea smiled. “I might have picked up a few more goodies at some of the other black sites. I don’t think I’ve ever been this strong before. So I guess I need to thank you for that too. I hear you have crystals.”
Jamie was surprised she knew about them but shouldn’t have been. The power coming off of Chelsea was crazy high.
“Yeah, a few. I thought we might need them for negotiations.”
Chelsea grinned. “Smart girl. You know, I could always use a smart girl working for me. If you’re interested.”
Jamie shook her head quickly. “No disrespect, but I don’t think I am going to be in business of any kind anymore.”
“No?”
“No, after all of this…” She waved her hands around the destruction they’d caused. “I don’t think I am going to do much more than raise my babies.”
“And have many more. That husband of yours…why, if I were a few centuries younger…”
She cackled, and Jamie laughed too.
“Well, another time, Jamie. I will come see you about those crystals.”
Jamie didn’t have time to say no. Chelsea was gone, and the only thing left was the lingering smell of smoke and magic.
Want to read more hot sizzling shifter reads? CLICK HERE to get book 5 of this series “Dragon Fever: Limited Edition Holiday Romance Boxset”!
Also By Serena Meadows
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I used to be a wolf shifter. Turning into a werewolf made me a stone-cold demon. I lost my faith in love and the dating agency shouldn’t have matched me with Melanie. Her beautiful eyes make me forget about the past. But she’s forbidden, tempting, and my son’s teacher. She’s also the only one who could free me. I need to make her mine against all odds… for the rest of eternity.
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Hero Bear’s MateDate (Book 2: Shifters MateDate Agency)
The love of my life won’t accept me as a bear shifter and an assassin. I’m everything she’s afraid of. We’ve both had tough childhoods and she’s after the one thing that will bring her peace; her father’s research that got him killed. It’s my job to keep her safe when her past catches up. I’m her future and no one else touches her as long as I’m alive.
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