33. Kandi

thirty-three

"Sven, just wait damnit!"

"No, we have to stop this guy. We can't leave him out there-"

I grab him by the arm and pull him up short. "What's going on?"

"I don't fucking know, but everything is coming back. I just don"t know. And then you all finding out about my past. It just doesn't feel right."

I reach up and cup his cheek. "We don't care about your past. We care about you."

"There"s just…"

"Talk it out with me."

I smirk at the look he gives me before he says,. "That's my line."

"Mine today, soldier."

"It's…this guy, this Trevor. I keep looking at his photo, and there's just something familiar about him."

We walk towards the apartments, ignoring the trash on the sidewalk and the broken couch, springs sticking out. I can't tell what's wrong exactly, but I'm alarmed now. If Sven thinks something's off, well, I trust his instincts.

"Do you know him?"

"No, that's the thing, I don't."

Sven presses on the doorbell. We hear movement inside, and I step to the side, hiding beside the wall of the apartment building we're in. We're on the first floor, but there are apartments left and right of us.

The door opens.

"Oh, hello dear, can I help you?" The woman is older, but her hair is dyed a deep brown. She has a cardigan wrapped around her and maybe in spite of this place, she has kindness and intelligence in her eyes, which give me hope.

"I'm sorry, ma am, I'm looking for Trevor?"

"Oh. No Trevor. Just me and Benson."

"Benson?"

"The cat." She points to an obese tabby cat that lets out a rumbling meow. "Quick, close the door over or Nanna will get in."

"Nanna?"

She points between our legs with a gusty sigh. I look down and find a thrilled black staffy smiling up at us.

"Uh, hello, Nanna." I cast Sven a bemused look, but he's not paying attention.

Nanna woofs back at me and charges into the apartment.

"Oh, darn, now I'm going to have to share my dinner with her."

I look at the way she's living and pull out some cash. I put it in her hands, ignoring her protests.

"Nope, it's our fault. Order some take-away! Make sure you eat."

"One more question," Sven adds. "Have you heard of any Trevors here?"

"Not Trevor, but Trathers moved out six months ago. I heard he won some payout or something and moved to the upper side. But someone else saw him and said the drugs have got their claws in him."

"The drugs?"

"Oh, I don't know what he likes, but they get most of the people living here. You're cold, or hungry, or without hope, or sick, so you think it won't hurt just once. Next thing, you're overdosing on a street corner."

"You don't look like a user-"

"You can tell, can you? It ain't that black and white. Lots of people do it, and no one knows. But you're right. I don't. No, I was a counselor. For years, I saved as many as I could. Got off the streets, cleaned up, some money, some kindness. Some took the chance and flew as high as they could…some ended back here. I just fell on hard times, that's all."

"What's your name?" I ask gently.

"Sue. Sue Gunner."

"Do you need work, Sue?"

"Always looking for work."

"Our friend is a doctor. He's working at the Refuge. I know he's looking for some help."

Sven glares holes into the side of my head, but this is exactly the type of person Adrian is looking for.

"Oh, yes! That would be fabulous! Thank you so much. Thank you."

She's crying. And now I feel awful. Hell, if Adrian doesn't hire her, I'll make Darion do it.

"Kandi, we need to leave!"

I excuse myself and step backwards, turning to jog after Sven, who's already left me behind.

"This was a ruse," Sven growls.

"Looks that way." I sigh and scratch my head. "But where is he? I mean, if he hasn't lived here for months, he's got to be somewhere else. Why lead us here?"

"To draw us away," Sven says, and I swear his jaw cracks as he watches his screen.

I lean over his shoulders and stare at the man jimmying Adrian's glass doors open. He gets into the house and immediately comes face-to-face with Adrian.

The man lashes out before Adrian can lift his arm. He goes down hard and fast.

Sven's growls are loud. We watch, and five minutes later, he carries an unconscious Jade out of the house.

"He's dead," I seethe.

"Where would he take her?" Sven snaps out and dials Darion. We march back to the car and climb in.

"There is a man taking my omega out of my house. I want eyes on him at all times. Don't lose him, and send someone to check on Addy," Sven barks. "This mother fucker. I don't care if I quit! You do this for me!" Sven roars. He grips the steering wheel and counts to three.

"You said there's something about him. Think Sven, what is it about him?" I ask calmly.

"He looks like he's desperate. He looks like the money only goes skin deep. When I saw him, he recognised me. But I didn't know him."

"Wait!" Darion cuts in. "Where did you see him?"

"Outside the office. The day Addy said he was leaving town. He was staring at me from the carpark, it was weird."

"Find me that footage," Darion barks out.

"Good, keep going."

"He's driving a good car, but there are no license plates. Stolen, perhaps? His clothes are expensive but don't fit him right. Why does he want her? What's the point, and where is his pack? He's living here in a drug-infested apartment block."

I stare at Sven. "He doesn't have a pack…"

"He doesn't want her. He wants to trade for…" Sven looks around at where we are. "This is about drugs? He's using drugs? What, his cash cow ran out, so he's using my omega to buy more?" Sven is incensed.

Darion makes a sound on the phone, drawing our attention.

"Yes. I've found him. You got me enough information, Sven. Hold on, wait, no, this isn't good," Darion growls into the phone.

"What is it?"

"George O'Reilly."

"I know who he is. What does he have to do with this?" Sven growls.

"He was injured, and he ended up in hospital where his parents paid for extensive plastic surgeries. George came out, and despite being given an extremely generous grant, he dropped out of college, kept using pain meds, then harder drugs. He's been picked up a few times for possession. Trespass. Battery."

"How did we not know this?" Sven hisses, his fingers flexing on the steering wheel.

"Because when he changed his name, he just stopped existing. Everything about who he was was gone. George O'Reilly disappeared, but for one small connection."

"What is it?"

Darion pauses. "You. Now that I've unsealed your information, he shows up on your file. The victim's photos of before and after. If I hadn't run our facial recognition on him in the car park. I never would have found this information. He is Trevor Lockier for all intents and purposes. His family bought him a new identity, but this guy. Sven, this guy is the same one you almost killed."

I snatch the phone before they can get into it. "Tell me where my omega is, Darion."

"Uh-"

"He's got a couple of places he might go," Missy says, no nonsense. "But my money is on this address."

"What address?"

"637 Broadhaven Road, Millicent. It's a tall apartment block that's been abandoned for renovations, but it's a well-used den for drugs and other things you might want."

"Are you sure about this, Missy?" I ask hesitantly. I'm asking more than just that, though. Are you with me? Are we okay? Can I trust you?

"If it was Lukas, I would go to the address I just gave you. But I'm sending my people to the other addresses, anyway. The entire company is in flight and on its way to you, Kandi."

I close my eyes, feeling such a rush of emotion. "I love you, Missy."

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Darion said I was an idiot, and he's right. I just didn't think anyone was going to be good enough for either of you. I was wrong. Go save her. Bring her over to meet the family."

I sniffle and nod my head.

Sven snatches the phone out of my hand. "Kandi can't talk now. Get your asses moving!"

Missy makes a sound of annoyance, but it's too late. Sven hangs up on her.

"Ready for this?" Sven asks.

"Yes," I growl.

We drive in silence, while I pull out my weapons and slide them onto my person. Thank god for the hidden compartment. I'm going to kiss Lukas next time I see him.

"Do you think he'll hurt her?" I ask.

Sven looks at me, and his face softens. "No, babe, he needs to keep her pretty to trade for whatever it is he's after. He can't hurt her too badly. Are you thinking about your hospital stay?"

I shrug. "I don't want to see her hurt like I was."

"We won't let that happen. And I won't let that happen to you again, either."

I reach across and put my hand on his thigh. "Hey, Alpha, did I tell you I loved you today?"

He grins, but it fades. "You're my best friend, Kandi, the one I can rely on. You get me. I should have told you."

"So, you love me, too?" I ask softly.

"More than I can express in words."

I swallow the lump in my throat and clear it hard twice. "Let's get our girl."

We pull up, and a moment later, another car screeches to a halt. Adrian gets out, all long limbs and more pissed off than I"ve ever seen him. I'm actually impressed. The doctor is freaky.

"How did you get here so fast?" Sven snaps.

"I don't have a license anymore, I think I ran every red light from our place to here," Adrian says and shoulders past us to the door. "This prick is dead. You hear me, dead. Comes into my home, takes my omega."

I finally notice Adrian's doctor bag in his hand. My smile is pure evil when I hug the huge alpha.

"You two try to cut off access from the windows. I'll go up the stairs." Sven barks out and his tone, though it used to drive me mad, now leaves me relieved. Sven is in his working mode.

"It will be faster and safer if Sven is the distraction and we sneak in." I say to Adrian.

"Darion, take care of those cameras of Adrian flying across the city," Sven barks into his phone.

Sven disappears into the building. I point and start climbing the stairs. There are questionable wobbles in places, but otherwise, they are in better shape than they look.

I peer in on each level, but it's on the ninth that I see them. Jade's got a beam of sunlight shining on her. She looks like a fairy again. My beautiful omega fairy.

"How are we doing this?" I ask Adrian.

"You take him down and get me access to his arm. I'll make him gone."

I grin at the man beside me. "You got it. Sneaking in. We need surprise. Follow me, Alpha."

Adrian follows my lead.