The Epilogues: Part I: Badge of Honor (The Potentate of Atlanta Book 6), Hailey Edwards [year 2 reading books TXT] 📗

Honestly, I had hoped to run into Midas. I could use a hug right about now. But Lizzy was a nice surprise.

“Well shoot.” I snapped my fingers. “I’ll have to be faster next time.”

Her laughter was cut and dry, as she tended to be. It suited her.

Curious how she ended up posted out in the rain, I glanced around in search of friendlies. “Does someone suspect pack involvement?”

“I was having dinner across the street.” She pointed out a pizza place. “That’s the only reason I’m here.”

“Ah.” I could sympathize. At least pizza reheated well. “Show us where the kidnapping took place?”

She escorted us to the curb in front of the entrance where the line formed at the dinner rush. I turned a slow circle, getting a feel for the area. The restaurant sat on a corner lot, which gave the kidnappers two streets to play with when they made their exit. There was no hint on the sidewalk that a man had gotten beaten for attempting to protect his husband, and there was no evidence on the busy roads either.

Our best hope was the video the blogger had taken, plus whatever Reece cobbled together from the various security feeds in the area. Still, I sent Ambrose out to search the area for any residual magics.

“Has the kidnapper made contact?” Lizzy stood beside me. “Typically, they want ransom in these cases.”

With Neely’s ties to the Woolworth and Lawson families, he was worth a small fortune in the wrong hands, but the kidnappers had bigger ambitions.

A sentinel called Lizzy over, and she went with a grunt that spared me from stretching the truth.

The revelation Neely had been taken because of me, because of the gauntlet, hadn’t sunken in yet.

And yeah, I had no doubt the kidnappers’ stellar timing stemmed from my impending promotion.

“There’s nothing to see here.” I sensed when Bishop moved behind me. “I knew there wouldn’t be.”

Midas had already come and gone and given his report. This had been a waste of time we didn’t have.

The strike to my temple as Ambrose confirmed vampire involvement but nothing else reaffirmed it.

“You wanted to see it for yourself.” He stepped up to my side. “Get a feel for it.”

“I guess.” I surveyed the area one last time then checked my phone. “Reece has the video ready.”

“You want to head back to HQ or to the Faraday?”

“HQ.” I booked yet another Swyft. “The team needs to put its heads together.”

Unless the kidnappers knew I was Amelie Pritchard in another life, doubtful, I couldn’t see them choosing Neely based on any connection to me. Our acquaintance was too new under Hadley.

To zero in on a high-value target with deep ties to my current boss and his potentate fiancée took guts. I wasn’t the potentate yet. To snatch Neely on Atlanta’s soil promised the perpetrators disembowelment via scythe.

Not enough. Not enough. Not enough.

For Neely’s sake, I would have to be.

Three

Midas sat on the bench seat of Ford’s pickup, drumming his fingers on his thigh while Ford ordered them lunch from a fast-food chain heavy on the burgers and grease.

“Cruz was right.” He’d scented it for himself at Marx’s. “Vampires took Neely.”

“Hired or sent to do their master’s bidding?” Ford accepted four bags of food with a flirty smile from the woman at the window he pretended not to notice. “I heard Grier’s had vampire trouble in the past.”

“That trouble is dead and ash,” Midas promised. “She made certain of it.”

“Good for her.” Ford passed him two bags and kept the rest. “Taking a page out of Hadley’s book.”

That Ford held Hadley up as the standard for empowered women reminded Midas why Ford was his best friend.

“How did the fitting go?” Ford shoveled fries in his mouth. “Hadley banned me from attendance.”

Midas bit into a burger, grease dripping over his chin. He wiped it off with an already soggy napkin. “Thank God.”

“Hey, now.” Ford acted hurt. “I wanted to be there for moral support. That’s what friends do.”

“You wanted to sneak a picture to post in the pack’s group chat.”

Ford choked, part laughter and part agreement, and his eyes ran with tears. “Spock.”

Midas let him laugh. Ford was his best man. With Hadley as Captain James T. Kirk, that meant Ford drew Bones, aka Leonard McCoy.

Hadley had been saving up “I’m not a doctor, I’m a…” one-liners to pelt him with during his fitting.

Midas couldn’t wait for Ford’s turn in the hot seat. Too bad he didn’t get itchy ears too.

“How will you feel when pictures of Lisbeth in her Uhura uniform go viral?”

That shut Ford up quick, and a growl slipped free. “Those dresses are indecent.”

The hemline made Midas glad his mate would be in a full-length gown for the ceremony. He doubted Hadley would appreciate it if he mauled the first person to notice her legs, and those communications officer dresses bared a lot of thigh.

Lettuce stuck to Ford’s lip when he asked, “What’s next on the agenda?”

The obstacle course had to be cleaned up, but plenty of packmates had already volunteered to help with that. But, if Hadley didn’t need him, he and Ford would probably go handle it themselves.

Per his mother’s unofficial orders, Midas was at Hadley’s disposal until Neely was found.

“Good question.” Midas polished off his food. “Let me check with Hadley first.”

“Whitaker,” she answered in a distracted voice. “How can I help you?”

“That’s exactly what I was wondering.”

“Oh.” She grunted with impressive range. “Midas.” Her exhale blasted the receiver. “Hey.”

Raised voices around her fell silent while she caught her breath.

“I didn’t check the caller ID,” she explained. “My phone’s been ringing off the hook for hours.”

“Are you okay?” He strained to hear more of the background conversation. “Are you lifting something?”

“A new monitor.” She huffed, still winded. “Goddess, that weighed a frakking ton.”

“Did Bishop need a new monitor?” Midas had his doubts. “Or was he sleep shopping again?”

“Believe it or not,” Bishop answered without shame over his eavesdropping, “equipment does burn out over