Page 128 of Sight of Fate

She lifts a shoulder. “Is everything else ready?”

“I wish. Macklin and I are heading out to walk the team through the changes to the plan,” I inform her. “What are you going to do?”

“Check on the launch. See if there are any reviews or issues reported yet. Catch up on emails from yesterday. And of course, do the CEO’s job because he’s too busy running around and saving the world to do it himself,” she teases.

“You know you don’t have to work,” I tell her, wanting to make sure she knows how I feel. “I don’t give a fuck about the software or anything else. I already have everything I could ever want right here. If the company closed tomorrow, I’d happily spend the rest of my days making sure you’re happy.”

She smiles, then shakes her head. “If I don’t have something to occupy me, I’ll start thinking about Hank.”

Her tremulous voice breaks me, but I’m determined this will be the last time that bastard ever has a hold on her. I finish the coffee and put the mug in the sink. Then I stride over and bend down to kiss her, slipping my hand through the gap in her robe to tweak her nipple. “You’re a much better CEO than I am.”

She laughs and swats my hand away. “Later.”

“Count on it,” I tell her. “I’ve missed you. In my bed and in my arms. I’ll try not to be too late.”

Macklin grins down at her, then lifts her straight up from the couch to press a hard kiss on her lips.

I flip him off and snarl. “Showoff.”

Three hours later, we finish stashing the last cache of weapons and mark it on the shared map.

Charli: Can you take a break?

Teague: Sure, what’s up?

Charli: I received an email full of HRC information from someone calling himself “Ange’s Mate”

Teague: We’ll be right there.

I signal to Macklin and let the others know we’ll be back in an hour. When we get home, Charli and Andros are poring through printed sheets.

Andros passes me one of the pages. “Apparently, the HRC says it’s devoted to the elimination of all supernaturals, but there’s a faction that wants the powers supernaturals have, including their immortality.” His mouth twists. “Sounds familiar.” Shaking off the bad memories, he continues, “He lists a bunch of names. Three are circled with notations like ‘is one of the leaders,’ or ‘high up in the organization.’”

Charli’s hand covers her mouth as she stares down at the paper in her hand. “This is a list of those they killed.”

With a curse, I reach for the list and nod to Macklin, who’s standing behind her. He reaches down and wraps his arm around her until she calms.

Andros sifts through the mound of paper. “Ange’s husband is very good at digging up information. Probably a technowitch of some sort.”

He hands Macklin several sheets.

Macklin shuffles through them. “This is a list of everyone missing from each Vale and a note on which ones were captured and taken to a facility.”

Andros looks up. “The only facilities I’ve seen mentioned are the ones we’ve already hit. There must be more.”

Macklin studies the paper in his hand. “It lists known contacts in each Vale.” He turns it sideways. “But the note says it’s not complete.” His face twists with anger. “Including three from Greystone. Maureen, William—another witch—and Percy.”

“Percy, the warlock living with Max?” I ask, cursing when he nods. I send a quick text to Max, telling him Percy’s name is on a list of Greystone supes working with the HRC. Dots appear. Disappear. Reappear with a brief message. “He says he’ll take care of it.”

Andros hands a sheet to Charli. “It’s an email to you.”

She takes it and, after a brief scan, reads it out loud.

Charli,

You’re probably wondering who I am. I’m a technowitch from Oak Vale who can manipulate data and electricity in ways you can’t imagine. I went digging where I wasn’t supposed to and ended up involuntarily working for the HRC. I tried to refuse, but they used my mate, Evangeline, and my daughter, Felicity, as leverage.

Your stepfather Hank’s deep pockets fund quite a bit of the HRC’s activities, so when he heard what I could do, he asked to use my “talents” to locate you. They agreed.