Page 50 of Dangerous Heat

A door on a lower floor opened and voices trickled up the stairwell, pushing me out. There was no need to have my employees asking questions. They were confused enough about why we were on high alert while normal jobs were paused. Most wouldn’t be opposed to killing my cousin, other than the potential blowback on us, but I couldn’t allow him to discover I was coming for him.

If he saw me coming, we’d never get him.

He was already too deep in hiding.

I took the stairs up to the top floor and keyed in my code to unlock the door. The penthouse level was the most vulnerable level of the building, which also meant it was the most well-secured. My small suite was up here, as were Clement’s and Amabella’s. Mabel was staying with Ama for the time being, since I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her with anyone else.

Knocking once on Ama’s suite door, I let myself in, deciding to check on her. Freya was always worried about her cousin, and it might earn me some points if I told her she was settling in well.

Fuck. I didn’t need points with her.

I’d stepped halfway into the small living room before I noticed neither Amabella nor Mabel were in a state where they wanted company. May was nude on the couch, eyes shut as she whimpered and cursed beneath Ama’s tongue. Her legs were wrapped around my second-in-command’s head, and Ama had her long fingers splayed on May’s thighs.

Was it best practice to walk out and pretend I’d never been here? No. Mabel may not realize, but Ama would scent me later and think I’d been spying. Better to deal with her wrath now, when I knew it was coming.

I cleared my throat.

May’s eyelids flew open and she squeaked, grabbing for a blanket draped over the back of the couch. When Amabella looked over her shoulder, the glare she pinned me with was almost cold enough to freeze my blood. “I see you ladies are getting along,” I commented, shoving my hands in my shorts pockets nonchalantly. “And here I was, coming to check on Mabel to make sure she wasn’t wallowing in despair over being stuck inside.”

“Obviously, she’s fine. Leave.”

“So rude to your boss.”

I was going to turn around and leave, letting them get back to it, but Mabel cleared her throat. Her skin, darker toned than Freya’s, was flushed darkly in her cheeks. She’d used her blanket and covered every inch of skin from her toes to her chin. “I wanted to talk to you. The timing obviously isn’t, um, great, but it will only take a moment.”

Taking that as an invitation, I stepped farther into the room and collapsed on an armchair across from them. Amabella sat up from where she’d been poised to continue her meal, pulling her shirt back down to cover her tits. She’d been fully clothed otherwise. “What do you need? You could just ask Ama. She’s second-in-command. Or is this about Ama? Is this some kind of non-consensual situation?”

I was mainly kidding, but my employee glared at me while Mabel’s eye’s widened to the size of saucers. “Oh gods no, she would never. I never felt pressured. Angels, I even asked her to.”

Smirking at her, I shrugged. “Had to double check.”

“This is about my mother and my aunt.”

I’d forgotten about Freya’s aunts. They hadn’t been at the top of my priority list in the midst of stealing Freya out from underneath Kylan, and ensuring Mabel didn’t die by Jude’s panicked hand.

“What about them?”

“Can you bring them here too?”

My eyebrow rose. “So this is Stockholm Syndrome. You realize I’m holding you captive, don’t you? Why would you want your mother and aunt to also be captives?”

Amabella rolled her eyes and pulled Mabel closer to her, careful to keep her covered. Freya’s cousin still looked worried. She hadn’t caught on to my sense of humour yet. “I’m being protected here. That’s what Freya told me, and Ama confirmed it. If I need protection, why don’t they? They must be worried sick, not knowing where either of us are.”

It had been so long since I’d had a family other than Ama and Clement, I’d forgotten they worried about each other. Most families, anyway. Mine had been stunted in the emotional aspects, but they’d still wanted to know where I was when I was younger. “We can’t protect everyone. There’s not enough space or resources.”

“I’d rather you protect them than me,” Mabel said resolutely.

They wouldn’t agree. From my research, Clara and Elodie Alverona were rather strong, well-trained witches who had taken care of themselves for a long damn time. On the other hand, May had weaker magic than was typical in their line, and wasn’t interested in improvement or mastery. She was too entrenched in the Null world.

“Not going to happen,” I said firmly.

Ama stroked Mabel’s arm soothingly. “They would rather have you safe here, and I think you know that,” she murmured.

“Can’t you at least send someone to make sure they’re safe? Tell them Freya and I are safe? I don’t want my mom to kill herself with worry, or overturn some rock she shouldn’t overturn while looking for me.”

I could send Ama to do it. In fact, Ishouldsend Ama to do it. Or Clement, but he could be abrasive and older women rarely liked him. Anyone except me should go on this small, insignificant, yet somewhat dangerous mission. It wouldn’t be completely out of character for Kylan to have sent people to stake out the diner where they worked, waiting to pounce on the first person who worked in my employ.

“Fine. I’ll go.”

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