15. LEVIATHAN

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."

I scramble around the perimeter of the bathroom, smiling when I see the AC unit stuck in the window. For as much money was spent on the main area in the bar, very few dollars were afforded to the washrooms. It's just my luck, however, because that's all the space I need to get this poor kid to safety. I send a quick text to Amand, glad that he put his number in my phone earlier. Working quickly and as quietly as I can, I wedge the window upwards to slide the AC unit forward.

Fuck, this thing is a heavy bitch.

The Omega stands there, watching me manhandle a piece of equipment until I have it on the floor. "Alright, let's get you outside. Get to the parking lot and my… mates will get you."

"Your mates? What are you-"

"Later. Later. That witch will go get her companion and we'll have a much different conversation if he comes in here." I nearly slip up and say Vince but that will give the Omega the wrong idea.

The Omega stops asking questions as I bend down and lace my fingers together to give him a small boost. The window isn't all that high but the Omega can't be more than 5'2" or 5"3". He braces himself on my shoulder before launching himself onto the windowsill. He's halfway out the window before he speaks again. "You're going to come get me, right? You won't just leave me? My Alpha-"

"I'll be right out there. Go!" I whisper, glad when the Omega disappears out of sight. Hurriedly, I wash my hands to at least pretend I used the bathroom and exit, the witch narrowing her gaze at the door. They'll know what happened the moment someone else goes in there and sees the AC unit sitting on the floor but we'll be gone by then.

We have to be on the same fucking wavelength as I speed to the entrance, throwing a brief thanks to our waitress before fleeing to the parking lot. My car is already running, the Omega wildly looking around until his eyes fall on me. I grab him and drag him to the rear passenger side of my beat up truck. "Come on. They'll figure it out soon enough and I want to be back in the city before they can follow."

Amand reaches over the back seat and pushes the door open from the inside, the Omega freezing once again. "The… I…"

"They're my mates. They're harmless. Mostly." I shove the Omega inside and climb in after them, Rowan reversing the car so fast that I nearly ram my head into the front seat. "Hey, it'll be okay now. We've got you." That had to be the luckiest break I've had in my entire career but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I lean back against the cushions, breathing out a sigh of relief before remembering that we just rescued an Omega from a very dire situation. No one speaks as I turn to look at the boy, finally cataloging his features. He can't be older than 20 or 21 but the ring on his finger tells me that someone has definitely been looking for him.

"Thank you," he whispers, a tear running down his cheek. "I didn't think I was going to get out of there but that man told me… I don't remember what he told me. He was nice, though, until he brought me here."

Rowan frowns, glaring at us through the rearview mirror. He's taking no care to soften the ride as he speeds down the dirt road but it's for the best. "That man brought you to the bar?"

"Yes and then he said he had someone for me to meet. I wasn't going to go but then it felt like I had to. Like an Alpha's command but stronger. He... his face was weird and I only know that he has brown hair." The Omega's face scrunches up as he stuffs himself into the corner of my truck. "He told me that Briar—that's the witch—was going to take good care of me. I wanted to leave," A hiccup cuts through his words as tears continue to pour down his cheeks. He wraps his arms around his chest as he bows his head. "I couldn't get up. I just… you saved me."

I throw him a small smile, glad that I was able to. He didn't experience the same level of terror that Gloria did but I can't imagine how horrible this situation is for him. "Do you want us to call someone?"

"My Alpha. I was supposed to meet him that day. We're getting married soon. I… he's going to be so angry."

My brows furrow. I'm not calling someone who's going to be angry at this poor kid for being kidnapped.

"Not at me! I promise. He's a good Alpha. He takes care of me." The kid takes a few minutes before he accepts my phone and then dials a number. His face scrunches up as he places the phone against his ear, relief flooding his features when a voice filters through the phone.

"Did you find him?"

"Alpha?"

"Cole? Babe, where are you?"

"Safe. I think. We're going…"

I rattle off the address to my office as it's the one place safe from Vince's prying eyes. He's never once stepped into my sacred space and I don't expect him to now.

Cole whispers for several minutes into the phone, growing more and more relaxed as he hears his Alpha's voice. I used to think that kind of connection was stupid but seeing it play out in person makes me crave more than what I've had. I'm not sure the two Basilisks in the front will ever be able to give me that, however, because every moment with them is a touch closer to death.

The Omega hands me back the phone, a small smile playing on his lips beneath the tears. I stare down at the number just dialed, realizing that all of this shit is connected. "Wait, you called your Alpha?" Cole nods. The number is the same one that belongs to my mysterious customer. Which means that this is a lot less of a coincidence and that there's more to Vince's involvement, the disappearances, and Cole's Alpha.

I guess we'll find out when he steps into my office, won't we?

***

Cole jumps into his Alpha's arms the moment the beast steps into my office. I'm currently pressed against the counter in my small kitchen, Rowan against my side with an arm wrapped around my shoulder. Amand is perched on my other side, his arms folded across his chest as we watch the small reunion. Their inability to leave my side is going to be a problem but I'm enjoying the warmth from their beasts and the way their magic caresses my body.

The Alpha moves farther inside, letting the door shut behind him. He doesn't release his Omega but does set him on his feet, content to keep the kid wrapped up against his body. "Thank you for bringing him back to me."

A man of that size, I couldn't imagine him letting his Omega get out of his sight. "Of course. I'm happy to help."

Rowan chuckles as he tightens his grip around my shoulder. "What Lev meant to say is that he risked himself to get your Omega out of a bar that we didn't even know existed. Seems that there are a lot more shady dealings in this city than anyone is aware of. Without Lev's quick thinking, I'm not sure Cole would be standing here."

The Alpha raises an eyebrow before leaning down to kiss the top of Cole's head. "The money in your account should be enough to shut this down but I'm padding it for bringing my Omega back to me. It wasn't part of the agreement but I had hoped you would." I manage a smile while silently telling the Basilisks to ask that question later. The wolf steps forward, unearthing a business card. "If you're ever looking for a bit of work, I could use a few good men with heads on their shoulders."

I stare at the offending piece of paper, reading it several times in disbelief. Essence PI. "Wait, what? Why would you hire me when you have a whole business?"

"Because we know that sometimes there is someone else better for the job. We have a lot of brute force on our team but brains? Severely lacking. Besides, when it comes to our Omegas, we will do anything. Let me get Cole home. I'll be awaiting your call."

Cole tears himself away from his Alpha and throws himself at my chest, thanking me profusely before they both leave.

I'm still in shock that the Alpha offered me a job—Mr. Gerald Winston—if the card is correct.

"He was your client?" Amand asks.

"Apparently? I didn't know until I realized the number Cole called was the same one."

I pull away from Rowan and place the card on the counter before beginning a search for food and remembering that there isn't any. Rowan steps closer, breaking my concentration. "So, they're currently down an Omega but I don't know how long that will last. Additionally, we have another problem. Vince."

Amand lets out a deep breath. "Let him come to us. Until then, we're going back to our place where there is food. Lev, I even promise to give you enough blankets to stay warm."

It's a fair trade and I would love warm food and a nap. Anything to distract me from the fact that the one person I decided to trust is the worst of them all.