Page 17 of Broken

Still, I agree. What other option is there?

Chapter 15

LEVIATHAN

The idea that a structure like this has existed the entire time I’ve lived in this city weirds me out. I spent most of my childhood trying to figure out what I was, spending time in densely wooded areas, and not once did I ever come upon this little bar. Sue me, I was a weird child and I’m an even stranger adult. The problem is that the shady aura surrounding this place makes me think it didn’t always exist.

That it was built for very specific purposes, all of which go against everything Vince supposedly stands for. I don’t want to find out that he’s behind these kidnappings or that he’s had a hand in the deaths of several Omega wolves.

I take a deep breath and push forward, keeping my head bowed as I enter the small establishment. From the outside, it merely looks like a large cabin. Inside, the ambiance is completely different—dark marble surfaces and glazed wood covering every inch of the bar. The dim lighting and general murmur make me uneasy as I slide into the first booth I can find, Amand and Rowan taking a seat on either side of me.

Their protective positioning isn’t needed but it’s only going to get worse as time passes, the curse of falling into the hands of two Basilisks rather than literally any other creature. “What are we looking for?” I whisper as a waitress bounds up to our table. In another life, I might have shot her a smile, tried to grab her number, and then found her after her shift.

As it is now, merely thinking about her in that way pains me. This fatal attraction bullshit won’t even let me play out my fantasies.

“What can I get you three today?”

“Round of shots. It’s little man’s birthday today.” I glare at Rowan for the dumb ass words that have just fallen from his lips but in their presence, I do look several years younger. I go to comment when Rowan reaches beneath the table and squeezes my knee. “His family doesn’t approve of us so we needed something a little more… private.”

All of that is bullshit and there’s no way this nice young woman is going to believe that. Unfortunately, a wide smile just spreads across her lips as she affords Rowan a wink. “You three look like whiskey men, yes? I’ll bring you a round of shots on me.”

When she disappears, Amand lightly taps my shoulder to pull my attention from the Basilisk I’m now pissed off at. “I can only imagine what this bar is used for. A lot of shady dealings if no one really knows that it exists. I’m sure that the employees here are paid good money not to talk about what goes on inside these four walls. While I agree that Rowan’s joke is as stupid as it sounded, he made it seem like we have business here. No one will bother us.”

“Sure, but if you were trying to get in my pants again, calling me little man is the wrong way to go about it.” Both of them raise their eyebrows, their magic lightly dancing along my arms. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m only edging myself to madness and death if the one article I found about Chameleons is true. With each touch and caress, I find myself more relaxed in their presence. However, it’s slowly drawing me to the inevitable. “Back to the case,” I growl. “What am I looking for? An Omega by himself?”

I tilt my head up, trying to catch the scent of an Omega wolf when I recognize the witch’s scent I’ve been following for weeks. My eyes widen, Rowan hissing at my side as if he’s going to jump the woman right here in the bar. “She’s here, isn’t she? Are they together?”

I don’t answer his question as I continue to diagnose what my magic is telling me. It isn’t until the waitress returns with six shots, wishing me a happy birthday that my gaze snags on a booth in the far corner. The Omega is seated at the end, his entire body shivering as he looks around, seemingly for help. Why no one has stepped up to do anything is beyond me. A woman sits across from him, the epitome of every dark witch in the history of entertainment.

She’s cloaked in a dark dress, dark makeup adorning her face. It’s the man who joins the booth that steals my attention, though.

“Anything else you need?” The waitress asks and I shake my head, still focused on that booth. She leaves, unperturbed by my lack of respect.

“I know that guy.” Something niggles at the back of my mind as I try to remember where I’ve seen him. He slides two drinks onto the table before sitting beside the witch, his face obscured by magic. While I can see him in his entirety, I couldn’t describe his face if I tried. Regardless, he feels familiar. When the man throws his head back and laughs, my heart drops into my stomach, Amand and Rowan stiffening beside me.

We all know that laugh. Vince has a very specific laugh, one that generally grates on my nerves. Hiding his face is a neat trick and the magic signature I’m smelling is all his. He is the latent magic user that I scented off the case papers. A human that can hide his magic completely so that no one around him knows he is anything more than a human.

Ignoring the shots, I keep my eyes peeled on that booth. I refuse to let that Omega go with the witch but I can’t just confront Vince. With his magic in place, I shouldn’t even know it’s him. When the Omega is led down the hall by the witch, I can’t sit still anymore. This might be our only chance to save him and my conscience won’t let him disappear when we’re this close.

“Lev, don’t-”

“Don’t you dare stop me. I need to see this through. If he disappears, I’ll never forgive myself.” Seeing the absolute relief on Gloria’s face when I rescued her isn’t something I’ll ever forget. Knowing that the others died terrified and alone keeps me going. I scurry along the back wall, trying to stay out of sight. No one is paying me any mind, reinforcing the idea that this place really was erected for shady dealings. By the time I reach the hallway that the two went down, I breathe a sigh of relief that there’s no exit.

Just bathrooms.

And that witch is standing just outside the men’s, waiting for the Omega to return.

My only saving grace is that Vince is still at the booth, biding his time. Is he bringing Omegas to her or just ensuring that they have safe passage to their doom? Either way, I slip past the witch, head bowed as I enter the bathroom. The Omega is staring into the mirror, trying hard not to cry, a near mirror image to Gloria when I found her.

“Hey,” I say lamely.

The Omega jumps and then twists toward me, his hands up in the air as he backs away. His dark green eyes are wide with terror. “Don’t hurt me. Please. I was just using the bathroom. I just…”

“We’re getting you out of here. I’ve seen too many of you disappear and I’m not letting it happen again.”

“The man…”

“Later. Right now, I need you to trust me.”

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