Shadow Mated(35)
“I’m here.”
“It’s time to pay up. I want Aaron Redman, and I want him now. Felix is on a tear over what I did. Furious at me for letting you go. He’s threatened my dogs, threatened my family. My business. Now, I made a deal with you, spare your life for Redman’s, and I’m not waiting any longer.”
“It’s only been two days,” Gash argued. “I don’t have a clue where he is.”
“Don’t give a flying fuck,” Rigor roared. “I don’t have time to hold your goddamn hand. Find him. Or my dogs are coming for you.”
Gash ground his teeth at the threat. But the truth was, he’d never hand over Redman. Not now, when he had Bailey. She saw good in him and he wanted to live up to it. The beef with the human responsible for killing Rigor’s female wasn’t Gash’s business. It was Rigor’s battle to fight.
The sound of heavy machinery could be heard in the background. Rigor loved his Junkyard. Loved his dogs. Gash knew it was true, even if the man had done awful things. Rigor was more like him than Felix. And that meant… there was a chance for redemption. Maybe he only needed an opportunity to start over fresh and right his mistakes.
“I won’t give you Aaron Redman,” Gash said. “I won’t hand you a human to hurt. You’ll have to find your revenge on your own if you need it that badly. But I will do something else for you. And I think after it’s all said and done, you’ll find we’re even.”
Heavy, furious breaths registered through the phone line. “You’re backing out of our deal?” Rigor barked.
“I’m offering you a new one. And trust me, you’ll want to take it.”
“What I want to do is reach through this phone and rip your throat out.”
Gash leaned back in his chair, staring at the monitors. In the kitchen, one of the witches, Mirena, was talking to Bailey. His mate smiled at the female, chatting about something while she assembled a pan of lasagna. Using her hands, Mirena created some form of magic that had Bailey’s eyes peeling wide. Seconds later he saw that all the utensils from the counter were standing on end, dancing like a scene right out of a Disney movie—not that he’d ever seen one until last year when he’d learned Bailey’s favorite movie was Beauty and the Beast. He’d borrowed it from the collection Layna had on hand for guests, and watched it in his room with the sound turned almost all the way down so no one would know.
On the monitor, spoons twirled, knives weaved, and tongs did jumping jacks, all with a flick of Mirena’s hands. Bailey’s jaw dropped, but then she tossed her head back in a laugh before wagging her finger at the witch. So gorgeous when she was happy.
The witches were the answer to the Alley Cat problem. A problem for Ouachita as much as it was a problem for the Junkyard Dogs.
“I can get Felix and the cats out of your hair,” Gash offered. “For good.”
Rigor scoffed. “Even if you could kill your brother, you couldn’t take them all out. This is a losing battle, and not beneficial to me in the least.”
“I’m not talking about killing them.”
Rigor went quiet, thinking.
“You want to get out from under the human mob’s control? You want to run a towing business, and move on from all this shady shit? For your family? Because if you do, I have an answer.”
“And if I don’t?”
Rigor wasn’t Ouachita. Gash would have to speak his language. “If you don’t, I can still get the cats out of your way. You could peddle your muscle without any competition. Imagine the kind of money you could bring in without having to cut it two ways.”
The line was quiet for too many breaths.
“You think you can take down the Alley Cats.”
“I know I can.”
More heavy silence.
“Fine,” Rigor snapped. “But when you fail, I’m killing you and Redman.”
Gash wouldn’t fail. He had witches in his corner, two badass bears who could definitely hold their own against any Alley Cat, and a crew of werecats he loved enough to fight hard for.
***
Right now, Felix is the cat and Ouachita is the mouse. What you’re going to do, is change that. Instead of waiting for him to show up and hurt your people, you call the shots. Bring him here, and we’ll take care of the rest. Tell him you’re surrendering in exchange for him leaving your clan be. He’ll come. And when he does… his darkness won’t stand up to our light.
Adira’s words rolled through his head as he fingered the screen of his cell phone.
Gash knew it would work. Felix thought so little of him, thought he was weak, always had. He’d be expecting Gash to trade his life for Bailey’s safety. And he’d promise to leave Ouachita alone in return, but the reality would be horrific. Felix would bring every cat under his rule, and annihilate them while Gash watched.