Page 30 of Cruel Revenge (Jacky Leon #12)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I got into my car with Hasan, Zuri, and Subira an hour later.

Someone had gotten my subcompact SUV home after everything, and it was ready for me now.

Another truck was already running beside ours.

It was decided that the two witches of the family wanted to see the restaurant.

They would be able to investigate the magic that might have been used.

While the witches were still able to hide the scent of it from a werecat or werewolf, Subira and Zuri could feel it.

I was in the truck because I needed to point out the direct things I could remember and my positioning. Hasan was there as pure muscle.

In the second truck were Heath and Landon, there to listen to what Subira and Zuri had to say.

Davor and Dirk were working overtime on their computers, now working together.

Dirk was reviewing footage, trying to get good images to identify any of the witches.

Davor was continuing what he had been doing for months now—trying to crack the code of the witches, which kept changing, kept the locations secret and hid their identities. Niko was now helping him as well.

“Have we heard anything from the humans?” I asked as I turned on my car and started for the restaurant. I was feeling steadier now, but I knew it was a time thing. I would have good moments, and I was going to have bad moments.

“I’ve discussed this with Heath already,” Zuri said from the passenger seat.

Our parents were in the backseat for security reasons.

“There’s going to be press on location. You’ll need to park behind the building.

As it stands, the BSA is currently more focused on cleaning up the mess and bringing down the temperature, with or without any statements from us.

Some have already tried to reach out to Heath, and he’s directed them to speak to Callahan.

Before I left the Tribunal, I talked to Callahan.

He’s gotten a couple of calls looking for you. ”

I growled softly.

“Obviously, they know they can’t get you through Callahan.”

“They think I murdered someone in a parking lot,” I muttered.

“Humans. The news anchors, pundits, podcasters, and streamers. They think you murdered someone in a parking lot.” Zuri groaned.

“They think you were wholly out of control. I don’t believe the BSA does.

They know you. They’ve worked with werewolves for a long time.

They know there’s more to this. Beyond that, it happened late; it’s now the middle of the night.

We’ve luckily reached a point where people are expecting news in the morning, not right now. ”

“Politicians?” I asked. “Any big statements from anyone in government?”

“There have been a few comments. Werewolf packs are already using their political connections, those they donate to under the table and the like, to keep those to a minimum. Politicians can be bought. They’ll all bend under the pressure of the money.

I’ve already talked to Callahan about bringing in more funds for that if some start thinking this is a problem.

I believe once they get the full story of a witch group kidnapping a human girl from her legal guardian and adoptive mother, we should see a swing in public perception.

People relate to a mother who’s trying to save her child.

” Zuri sighed. “They can’t know she might not be human anymore or for much longer. ”

“There have always been humans who hated the supernatural after the werewolves revealed themselves. Small, fringe groups that are generally watched by the werewolves and managed. Callahan pulled Tribunal resources for it regularly,” Hasan added.

“They’ll have a bump after this, a boost in their numbers, but we’ll manage them and the general populace. ”

“You make it sound easy,” I said, shaking my head.

“Here are the important details. We need to prove the witch you killed is both supernatural themself and was a criminal. That means you killed a bad guy. Humans are easy. Give them a real bad guy. They like those.” Zuri held up one finger.

“Next, we remind the world that you have helped raise Carey for the last five plus years and are about to be her stepmother, and you’ve been her legal guardian for many of those years.

She’s someone you love and care for in the absence of her biological mother, who abandoned her as an infant.

Heath is giving me permission to drag that bitch through the mud.

” Zuri smiled viciously as a second finger came up.

I tightened my grip as I drove.

Good. That bitch deserves it.

“Then we start paying settlements to whoever was injured during your chase. The police officers, the locals. Everyone. We set up a fund, probably several million dollars. Everyone in the family will have to chip in, or it will bankrupt you. It’s fine.

This happened to save Carey; we’re not going to leave you with the cost. We’re going to pay medical bills, replace vehicles, and fix property damage.

We take on the expenses ourselves. I’ll manage that, and when it’s time for me to go, Niko and Teagan will step in.

The pack. Carey is their Alpha’s daughter. If we fund it, they can manage it.”

“Heath… agreed to this?”

“Of course,” Zuri said, tilting her head to the side. “Why wouldn’t he?”

“I just…” He won’t talk to me.

“He still loves you,” Zuri promised me softly. “He’s going to help in every way he can. He’s just as scared for Carey as you are.”

I nodded. I knew all that. I remembered what Hasan said.

He was right. Heath now needed to be as stable as possible for all the werewolves under his control.

It wasn’t just his son or the small pack he had.

If he truly lost it, he could go to the NAWC and mobilize every werewolf in the country.

It would be chaos. Blood would run in major cities all over America, and possibly beyond if he reached out and bent those Alphas to his will as well.

It was better that my fragile hold on my own control wasn’t weakening his own.

The restaurant came into view, and I had momentary déjà vu. Carey wasn’t in the passenger’s seat this time, though.

I parked in the back, ignoring the small group of journalists camping across the street in a parking lot. I recognized Beth’s car and a few BSA vehicles after a moment.

“How are you two going to manage?” I asked the ancients in my backseat.

“They won’t remember our faces,” Subira said with a smile.

“And all the cameras?”

“Jacky, we’re not the people to worry about,” she said, showing teeth in her smile.

I nodded and started to get out of the SUV, Zuri moving a little faster than me. Immediately, three nearby BSA agents started talking into their mics, saying my name. Beth came storming out of the restaurant’s back door as Zuri and I approached.

“Jacky! What the fuck is all this?” she demanded, fiery.

“Someone attacked Carey and me and kidnapped her,” I answered.

“You killed someone! You know we have to take you into questioning, right?”

“No, you don’t,” Heath snapped from across the parking lot, standing beside his truck. “Don’t play games tonight. No one is going anywhere tonight. We’re here to finish our investigation of this place now that we have everyone we need. You and yours can get out of the way.”

“Heath, you know we need to tell the public that the potential danger is off the street. You’re lucky the press doesn’t know either of you is here.”

“They will if you keep yelling,” Zuri said in a hiss. “I’m taking on all public relations tonight. We need to manage this.”

“We’re beyond being managed, ma’am,” another agent retorted, standing right behind Beth. “We’re in charge now.”

“No one, and I do mean no one, takes control of the werecat ruling family,” Zuri said, her words thunderous like Subira’s could be.

Her words shook my bones. “I am going to give you our official statement. Put me in front of a camera if you must, but you will not take my sister anywhere. We will do what we have to, then we will go.”

“Better listen to her,” Heath warned, his cool tone sending shivers down my spine.

Zuri started walking past them, and I stepped to follow her.

“Jacky, talk some sense into them. You know this is beyond?—”

Beth grabbed my arm as I tried to pass her. I snarled, my control snapping at the contact. I yanked my arm away hard enough to knock her off balance as I turned my full attention to her.

“Carey has been kidnapped ,” I said, seeing my gold eyes reflected in Beth’s.

“I don’t have the time or patience to play the game of making the humans feel better tonight.

” Every word was punctuated by the growl underneath.

“Why won’t any of you get that? They took her!

None of you fucking matters!” I roared at the end.

Beth shrank back from me, bumping into another agent as she was still unsteady on her feet. Her pale face showed every bit of the fear I could smell in the air. The other agents were just as afraid.

Distantly, I heard the press starting to wonder what was happening.

“The werecat ruling family is not in the position to play nicely tonight,” Hasan’s voice rolled over us. “Do not make the mistake of thinking you dictate anything.”

Beth turned slowly to see Hasan slowly walking toward us.

“And the werewolves stand by their moon cursed cousins,” Heath said as he came with Landon.

Subira walked by the men and came to me.

“Let’s work,” she said, sniffing the air. “I’m already getting an idea of the magic they were using. You didn’t stand a chance, Jacky.” She looked back at Beth, smiling. “You’re going to have the BSA step back and out of the way.”

“And… you are?” Beth asked, clearly still afraid.

“Jacky and Zuri’s mother,” Subira answered, smiling.

“The matriarch of the werecat ruling family and my wife,” Hasan continued, growling softly in warning.

Everyone looked between Hasan and Subira, their eyes going wide.

“You won’t remember our faces,” Subira said with that knowing smile she had given me earlier when she said the exact same thing. “We need to get this done. My future granddaughter is missing. When we’re done, Zuri will leave you with a statement.”

“If you’ve identified the dead one in the parking lot, that would be useful for the statement,” Zuri added.

“We’ll… We’ll get that information,” Beth promised.

“We’re just going to let them?—”

Beth turned on the agent.

“We’re not going to push two very ancient werecats we’ve never met right now,” she said quickly, then walked off, leaving the agent going after her.

I looked at my fiancé, his ice-blue eyes emotionless. He nodded at Hasan and led the ancient cat inside, Landon with them.

“This is the third trip tonight. The first was when everything first happened and we were in a rush,” Subira explained.

“The second was to get your car and the remainder of our things, but that was done by the few werewolves free to do so. This is the first time your father and I have been able to come.”

“Mother…” Zuri lifted her hands, as if she was feeling something. “You can feel these spells, right?”

“Yes. I believe they are still active, as well,” Subira said.

I could only smell Subira’s magic. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I followed them as they walked.

“They blocked all external sound, soundproofing the building both ways,” Zuri finally said to me. “I can feel it. If we stand here and scream, the men inside won’t hear us.” She stepped about five feet from the building. “I wonder if the BSA has been having problems, thanks to the spell.”

“Probably, but unwilling to admit it right now,” I answered, shaking my head. “They know of magic; they don’t really like running into it because they aren’t prepared to deal with it.”

“Fair enough. They probably write it off as building interference,” Zuri said with a snort. “But yeah, even if the werewolves howled or shots were fired, you wouldn’t have heard anything past this threshold,” Zuri said, pointing to an invisible line she could see, but I obviously couldn’t.

“Oh,” I said, letting that sink in. There was no way to help the teens out of the building.

“Then they spelled the werewolves to sleep,” Subira said, waving a hand.

“The smell will have faded, but I don’t think the ones who did that protected the scent.

The sound spell had to surround the building long before you arrived, so it had to be invisible to you.

” Subira crossed her arms. “I won’t go in the building.

From your description, they didn’t cover that magic either, since things were going in their favor. ”

“Why didn’t they sedate Carey like the werewolves?” Zuri asked softly.

“She was putting up an amazing fight,” I said softly. “Everything her dad and brother taught her was in action.”

“Without focus or a chance, casting a spell is difficult,” Subira confirmed. “Good girl. She did good.”

“She did,” I agreed, fighting the tears again. “She really did.”

“Hey,” Zuri said, reaching out. “It’s going to be okay.”

“And those kids,” I said, wiping my eyes. “Stacy… I need to know what happened. I need to know why they shot her…”

“Dirk has been reviewing the security footage. He’s piecing it all together,” Subira reminded me.

“I should bring all the werewolves into the story as well. Carey and you, guarded by younger werewolves, who stepped up for their pack. One only the same age as Carey. The eldest, an older sister, was killed trying to help the others…” Zuri nodded and started walking away, her phone coming out as she started typing.

“Let your sister weave her own types of spells over the people,” Subira said softly, taking my arm and wrapping her fingers with mine, properly holding my hand.

“It’s good for the werewolves, too. It’s good that they’ll know Stacy’s name.

That they know of Kody, Arlo, and Benjamin.

Four young people were taken, and one was killed.

You will be a hero to every mother and father in the world. ”

“But I’m not one,” I whispered.

“Oh, daughter, if only you could see the woman I do,” Subira said gently.