Page 109 of The Wild Charge

Bruce moved – swiftly for such a large man – through to the bathroom.

“Sir, step inside, please,” one of the others – John – urged, herding them into the room so the door could be closed.

Alan threw open the closet doors to search for anyone lurking.

Cassandra dropped to her knees and reached for her scattered belongings.

“No! Don’t touch anything!” Raven said. She got a hand on her shoulder and dragged her back.

John moved to inspect their things, drawing a pen from his pocket to sort through shirts, pajamas – even knickers. There was no room for embarrassment now, though.

Ian realized his heart was pounding, light-headed and off-balance. They’d been found – and in only a matter of hours.

Cassandra began to cry.

Raven held her, white-faced and trembling.

“Boss,” Bruce called. “You should come and see this.”

His first, panicked thought was that it was blood that had been used to write the note on the mirror – but then he spotted the tube of ruined red lipstick on the counter.

In all caps: RUNNING, LITTLE BITCH?

Alec pressed up against his shoulder and swore. “Call Ghost.”

Ian nearly dropped his phone in his haste to do so.

Twenty-Nine

“Are you okay?”

Ian’s next breath came out as a gasp, and he realized that he’d word-vomited his story the moment Ghost answered the phone, not even bothering with pleasantries or their usual banter.

“Ian,” Ghost prompted.

Ian wiped a hand down his face and sat down heavily on the end of the bed. Bruce, John, and Alan were still next door, ensuring that the girls’ belongings didn’t contain any strange powders, blades, or other threats, and tidying up at Raven’s direction. Ian had come into his and Alec’s room, Alec watching worriedly as he made the call. Their room looked untouched, nothing out of place, but Ian couldn’t imagine pulling back the covers and sleeping here, now.

“Are you okay?” Ghost repeated. The genuine worry in his voice was what finally dragged Ian a few steps back from panic.

He took another breath, swallowed, and said, “Physically, yes. We weren’t harmed. And we –I,” he stressed, focusing on his breathing, thinking of all the ways he – the indomitable Shaman who was the bane of so many lowlife fools’ existences – could not act like a swooning Victorian maiden right now. “I have it well in hand,” he said, finishing on a stronger note. “But I thought it best to inform you of the situation right away.”

“Yeah,” Ghost said. “You’ve got Walsh and Fox’s sisters up there.”

That put a lump right back in Ian’s gut. “I know. We’ll move hotels, obviously. And we’ll–”

“Hold on,” Ghost said. “Don’t do anything yet.” He sounded…firm, yes, but paternal, also. An underlying warmth to his tone that made his words less of a command and more of a grounding reassurance.

Call Ghost, Alec had said, and Ian’s thoughts had already jumped there, because, as unlikely as it was, Ghost had become something of a father figure; comforting in his sternness and unwavering willingness to tackle any thorny situation.

“First,” Ghost continued, “I want the name of the security company Raven hired.”

The phone was on speaker, and Alec nodded and moved to go and ask.

“I want Ratchet and maybe Eden to do some digging and see what sort of operation they are. But y’all can’t use them. Either they didn’t show ‘cause they’re shitheels, or they’re the ones who trashed the room.”

Ian swallowed with difficulty. “The thought did cross my mind.”

“How many of your people do you have with you?”

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