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Astheyfiledoutof the basement, no one said anything. Marek observed Olivia like a scientist would a particularly interesting specimen, frustrated again with her mental barrier. Yet, he’d learned how to read her these past few days. Her furrowed brow, chewed lips, and hunched forward shoulder said she was re-playing the conversation in her head and stressed about its implications.
It hadn’t taken him long to discover stressing was his mate’s favorite hobby, and he’d promised himself to eliminate the worry lines on her forehead.
“Is there a chance he got the wrong person?” she asked once they were in the elevator.
Julian slid her an assessing look. “No. Bryan has protected the barrier between realms for thousands of years. He’s not mistaken. You are the one he’s looking for.”
Olivia bit her lip while her eyes flashed, a telltale sign she was holding back further arguments. Marek drew her closer to him, her exhaustion eating at him. He could lift her into his arms, but then she would argue and wear herself out even more.
“Will you keep him imprisoned?” Olivia asked.
“For now, yes.” Julian shot Marek a death glare. “This is a fucking mess. I’ll have to find someone to replace Bryan.”
Marek stopped himself from punching the other male. Bryan played an integral part in Vegas’ security, and Julian was already shorthanded with Marek moving on from his role as Head of Vampire Security, as seen by the Hunters slipping through again and snatching Olivia off the street. They were lucky the Hunters hadn’t blown up another building.
“What? He can’t do his job while rotting away in prison?” To Andrea, he asked, “The magic doesn’t stop him from using a computer, does it?”
“Modern technology should work fine,” Andrea replied.
Julian raised a brow. “You think he’ll work for us after we lock him up?”
“What else is he going to do? Watch TV?” Marek snarled. Fury blazed into an inferno inside him, his vision flashing between normal and red. “He’s lucky he’s still alive.”
A menacing cold aura from Julian. “Do I need to post guards around him?”
Olivia stiffened, and Marek recalled their last conversation before he left for Denver. He crossed his arms and huffed. “Let him rot in prison. For now.”
“I’ll see what he says. He might be bored enough to do it.” Julian glanced at Andrea, who’d remained quiet this entire time. “Is what you said about the fae and portal true?”
Surprise from the witch. Clearly her mind had been elsewhere. “Yes. You have to use portals to travel between realms, and those exist few and far between. The portals, depending on their size, can only handle at most a dozen travelers at once and need to be recharged between uses, so your fae friend was overexaggerating quite a bit. Will some hungry fae escape and drain several humans? Probably. Will Earth be overrun by hordes of fae like a zombie movie? Definitely not.”
“Good.” Julian’s outer demeanor hadn’t changed, but Marek had known him long enough to sense his relief. Feelings that mirrored his own. After decades of tentative peace, they were suddenly surrounded by enemies everywhere. Or was it because they had both found their mates that their previous boring life seemed much more dangerous? Because they finally had something to lose.
The elevator arrived and its doors opened. As Julian stepped inside, Olivia asked, “Wait. What about Leah? Can I see her?”
Julian’s stance softened for the first time. “She’s fine and resting. I’ll let her know you wish to visit. She said not to blame yourself. It’s not your fault. Now, I need to attend other business. We’ll speak later.”
“But—” The elevator doors closed before Olivia could finish her sentence.
Marek turned her to face him, his voice gentle. “Listen to him. You’re not to blame for what happened to Leah.”
“I know,” Olivia said quietly. “Did you find out who they were?”
Marek’s jaw clenched, the inferno within him growing. “It was the Hunters.”
“The Hunters? From the Organization? Why do they want me?”
“I don’t know.” He’d checked with Rowan and Darren earlier, but they hadn’t captured anyone alive. “My guess is they must have found out you’re my mate somehow. They kidnapped Leah when they learned she was Julian’s mate and used her to lure Julian into a trap. Maybe they were trying to do the same thing here, using you to get to me.”
Sadness. Guilt. Fear. Marek couldn’t stand it. He pressed a light kiss to her lips. “There’s no need to fear. I’m never leaving your side again.”
A pained laugh from her. “That’s extreme. We can’t be attached at the hip forever.”
He lifted her chin so their gazes met, so she could see his utmost sincerity. “Try me.”
“I hate to interrupt such a loving reunion,” Andrea said with an amused smile. “But what’s next? How do you want to deal with Bryan? Do you want me to take care of him for you?”
Marek raised a brow as Olivia shook her head. “No. The prison will hold him, right?”
