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“We simply ask they be strong enough to kick the punt to us,” Alexis took over.

“ASH has warlocks on staff 24-7 and permission to open a portal for these exact situations, hospital to hospital. So please do. Please let us take the heat and pressure because we can. Just do what’s right and save your patients suffering domestic violence. ”

“She’s good,” Gerald said as he sat down next to me while I was watching the interview at lunch. “She’s really impressive and I rarely say that about other attorneys.”

I was about to snap at him until he clarified he meant Alexis. “She really cares. You can feel it and the drive. It’s inspiring.”

He watched the rest over my shoulder while we ate, and Ellie actually admitted she finally thought it was time to come out as the head of Amanda’s Hope because she’d recently handled her own family situation. Finally. Completely.

“Really?” I hedged. “She’s been so busy—I knew she still had to handle a few things.”

“She said you could be looped in,” he said under his breath, making it clear he wasn’t gossiping.

He waited until I nodded. “Kenneth Reed is fairly spineless, and after he realized he could actually face jail time here, agreed to renounce any family relation to Ellie if he could leave. He’s not allowed back in the US or to contact her again or he goes away for—”

I snorted. “He contacts her again and he won’t ever be found. Fuck being arrested.”

He was quiet a moment as the interview ended and I tucked my phone away. “That’s darker than I thought you’d go, pup.”

I met his curious gaze. “You didn’t see the aftermath or hear her crying in her sleep. You didn’t hear her whimpering in fear in her sleep that she would have to admit to the world that her father was planning to breed her for a male heir. I want him dead. My wolf wants something worse.”

“Yeah, that’s… Vamps are just as fucked up as we are.”

That was for damn sure. Maybe even worse most days. “I’m asking a favor.”

“Don’t ask me. I won’t tell you and I won’t be involved,” he said, shutting me down hard which pissed me the fuck off.

Until he was done eating and left and I noticed a slip of paper under my tray.

It was the details of when and where Kenneth Reed was being sent back to Europe via portal.

Apparently, he didn’t know he was being handed over to some law enforcement who had beef with him there, but it gave me what I needed.

Fine, I maybe didn’t hate the lion as long as he stopped lusting after Ellie.

I personally called to reschedule my last two patients so I could sneak out early. I apologized but explained I had a short window to handle something I couldn’t normally because I was at the hospital. Both were understanding and could make it work which was lovely.

So I was there when the officers escorted Kenneth Reed out of the central police station of Atlanta to transfer him via portal.

I nodded to one of the officers I recognized and went for him because I thought he was the highest rank of the group.

“The lion said to expect you,” the officer said as we shook hands. “You’re lucky that was damn good pizza.”

“Appreciate it,” I sighed. “Really.”

“Just take care of Ms. Reed. She does a lot for all of us, and from what I heard, that last fucker should be skinned.”

I decided to give Fitz a solid since I’d heard the genuine worry for Ellie in his voice. “Apparently, his parents fucked him up so good that he didn’t understand what he was doing. Doesn’t make it okay or something to forgive but…”

“Yeah, as long as he gets help and doesn’t fuck someone else over.” The guy let out a harsh breath. “Fucking families do more damage than good most days.”

“Amen, mate.” I had a thought and pulled out my phone and unlocked it. “Are you a poker man? I’m thinking of getting a monthly game together with some of the non-douche attendings. Some officers would be fun—mix it up so there’s always a group or two. My condo has a nice party room we can use.”

“I know a few good guys who would love that,” he accepted and took my phone to put in his number. He snorted. “As long as you guys don’t have bets for doc salaries we can’t keep up with. Or could get us in trouble.”

“Naw, I tend to fifty in for the same chips and they land where they land. Not high stakes or too serious, just easier than beers at the pub. Plus, we can all hear each other.”

“Sounds good.” He handed me back my phone. “You got five minutes until the portal opens.”

“Don’t need even that, but warn your guys I’m gonna flex in power. I swear to you that I won’t touch him.”

He swallowed loudly. “It would be my job if you did. I need this job.”

Yeah, fair. I promised him again and tucked my phone away before he gave a nod to the officer holding Kenneth.

The vampire gave me a bored look, but my wolf sensed more than most. The man was curious— too curious why I was there.

I let out all my power, everything extra over other Alphas and whatever made me different being an actual combination of two types of wolves. People shivered or stepped away.

Yeah, it was a lot, but it was focused on one fucker.

“What do you see in my eyes, Kenneth Reed?” I asked him.

He swallowed loudly. “My death.”

“You think you could take me?” I asked with a smirk, not making him say it. He ground his jaw which was enough. “You know my family?”

“I’ve been made aware,” he sneered.

“Think you could take them on because no matter the discord with my siblings, my parents do love me.”

“Your mother made that clear when she threatened my internal organs and eternal soul if I came near either of you again,” he snapped.

I didn’t hide my shock. Well, Mum really did like Ellie as much as I sensed because that was a threat she normally saved only for family and she knew Kenneth Reed wasn’t a threat for me.

“So you understand that it’s more than the local police or federal government you’d have to deal with if you go near her again. ”

He bared his teeth at me. “I have no daughter. I didn’t need the threats. That bitch would put her own family in jail and she’s dead to me.”

It was really hard not to deck this git.

He seemed to understand that his words were affecting me, smirking. “My only regret was not drugging her so she was forced to mate that abusive one. I hadn’t counted on her growing a spine and—”

“You’re disgusting,” I growled.

“Actually, I regret not smothering both my worthless daughters,” he continued. “I should have killed them when I’d had the chance and forced that traitorous bitch I mated to give me real children who are obedient.”

I had to take a step back when my wolf lurched to take a swing at him.

He snorted. “This last one was so much better than she deserved and instead she’s fucking a dog. None of you are worth shit.” He winked at me. “Good luck having anything real with her when she’s so fucked up after all she’s—”

“You know nothing about your daughter,” I chuckled darkly, my wolf chilling. “You haven’t even spoken to her in fifty years.”

He rolled his eyes. “She’s the whore of ASH’s founder and got what she has just like any other bitch does by—”

I burst out laughing. So he was clueless that his daughter was the founder.

Oh, this git was pathetic. “I get why you lost your coven. Seriously, you’re so fucking stupid it’s hard not to pity you, but you’re too big a git.

You’re dripping with jealousy that your daughter is better and just spewing shit. We both know it.”

I might have said more, but a portal opened at the designated spot and that meant we were out of time. The officer came back to reclaim Kenneth to hand over.

He frowned at that. “Take the blasted cuffs off me already. The portal’s open, you dense child.”

The officer completely ignored it and was focused on the people who came through the portal… And then smirked.

Kenneth caught it and followed his gaze, frowning when he saw official uniforms and more people than either of us expected. “What is this shit? You were sending me back to Europe. That was the deal.”

“Yes, we are, Mr. Reed,” the officer whose number I got said with a chuckle.

He winked at the vampire still in handcuffs.

“We also did our jobs and alerted the people we should.” He gestured to the people still coming out of the portal.

“Apparently, there are several parties in Europe who have wanted to have a chat with you as well. We’re handing you over to them. ”

“That wasn’t the deal!” Kenneth blasted.

“Actually, it was, Mr. Reed,” the man who came through the portal first and was probably in charge said.

He held up some papers. “You signed it. It says right here in black and white that you will be handed over through proper channels. We are the proper channels. And when everything was filed and your name hit the system, others were alerted.”

A woman behind him snorted. “So many colorful warnings it was like a rainbow of agencies and areas coming together for rare fun.” She looked at the officer holding him.

“Thank you for your service and well done to your department. I understand his punishment here is just not to come back, and I can promise you that he won’t. ”

A man further back sounded like he coughed to cover a laugh. “Not for at least a hundred years by my calculations of all the charges.”

Oh shittttt! This was getting better and better. I hurried to interject while I had the chance. “Is there a contact or a way the victim with the restraining order he did this all to could follow up and confirm when and where he’s in prison?”

“Are you her attorney?” she asked me, eyeing me over.

“No, but I’m here on her behalf to make sure this git didn’t pull a fast one and was really shipped off,” I answered.

“Funny, because I came to see to that for myself,” Ellie said from behind me.

Fuck me. I was in deep shit now.