Page 20 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
Roman leaned back. "I also need authorization to interview the head of MI6. He’s neck deep in this."
Thomas’s brow furrowed as he glanced at the file and back up. "You can’t do those things if I don’t give you permission to do it?"
"Wecando them, but it’s better if we have direct clarification that neither one of them is protected by the Crown. It was murky before."
Thomas inhaled deeply and exhaled out through his mouth. He made direct eye contact with Roman and gave a curt nod. "Do it. They’re not protected. Do you need to kill all the…the other creatures that have been brainwashed? I feel weird calling them monsters. They’re beings who got captured against their will, right? Most of them probably had no interest in making waves in the world, I suspect since I’d never heard of you guys existing until a few days ago."
"You’re one of the few good ones, Tom." Roman leaned back in his chair.
"Don’t call me that."
A defiant smile twisted Roman’s mouth upward. "You ask the right questions and don’t consider all of us bad simply because we’re not human. We can try to reset the brainwashed ones. Once the ones in charge of these facilities realize we’re coming after them, they’re going to target you and the monarch. We’ll do everything we can to keep you safe."
"Will you do that? Keep me safe?" Thomas asked.
Roman leaned forward and took the folder on the lycan detention facilities out of Thomas’s hand. "You’re going to have to trust that we’ll do our best. This is a dangerous business. We can’t be with you all the time. We’re not bodyguards."
"I don’t trust any of you. But I believe you." He darted an insecure glance Ky’s way. Ky made most humans nervous. He looked like a tattooed, muscled ex-con who didn’t take anyone’s shit. He was scary in a fight, but a complete mush when it came to Vivi, the lycan who’d stolen his heart. "What do you need me to do?"
"Monitor the airways for noise about new detention facilities. You can email us new intel. We don’t carry traceable phones. We’ll call you. Just remember one thing." Roman leaned toward him and said low, "The minute you think you own us, that you can fuck with us, or you decide to dabble in international paranormal terrorism like your predecessor, you become the enemy. Don’t force us to hunt you down."
Thomas snapped his bag closed. "Still think I’m not right for this job. I going to have nightmares based off that necromancer’s file alone."
"That’s tame compared to other stuff," Flynn said.
Thomas carved a wide path around them in his haste to leave.
"Hey, Tom," Roman called out.
Thomas paused and glanced over his shoulder. "I said don’t call me that."
"Start carrying a weapon again, and wear this at all times." Roman threw a protective amulet at him. "It’ll protect you from spells. Don’t take it off."
Shane felt his cell phone vibrate against his side with an incoming message. He didn’t move to check it until Thomas left.
Unknown: I need you, Shane.
Shane: Who’s this?
As he waited for a reply, his heart thrashed against his ribs. It was her. He knew it. Eight months of pure torture wanting her, desiring her, and dreaming of her. Nothing he tried assuaged what he assumed was a desire spell.
Unknown:Madeline. Come to Madrid. Lift the boomerang spell you or your brothers put on me.
What?Out loud, he asked, "Did one of you cast whatever the hell a boomerang spell might be on Madeline?"
Oops.
All three brothers had weapons pointed in his direction. No use hiding now. He stood, hands in the air. "Did you?"
Roman worked his lower jaw back and forth.
Shane felt the compulsive need to defend himself. Being the littlest brother, when Roman cast this particular condescending and judgmental scrutiny it triggered him into an immediate defensive mode. "I was called in for the meeting, too, but figured I’d serve as protection."
"Get down here." Roman crossed his arms. His tone indicated he was a millisecond shy of marching up the stairs and pounding him.
Shane jogged down the stairs. "I’m on your team. I swear it. I’ve spent the last two years monitoring you guys in the shadows to make sure you’re okay. I’m not going to stop doing it now."
"No more being in the shadows. We work together. That means you will communicate what the fuck you’re up to. Is that freaky vampire around here somewhere, too?" He glanced around.
