BK 3 - Chapter 22 - Raul's Plan
Saxon looked at Venice below them as they prepared to land. They couldn't be too far behind Melanie and Cat, but it felt like it had been days since they saw them. When they walked out of the airport, there were several black SUV's waiting for them that Wesley had sent to take them straight to a hotel where they could devise a plan. It wouldn't bode well for them to run all over Venice trying to find the women's scent. They needed something more to go on.
"I'm glad you made it," Wesley said as the group entered the hotel lobby. "I have enough rooms for everyone, so go freshen up and meet me in the conference room. I have more to share, but I need everyone to have a clear head."
Wesley was looking at Trey and Saxon. He sighed in relief when they nodded before taking key cards and heading toward the elevators.
Alberto looked down at Emily, unsure of what to do. He wanted to share a room with her, but they'd only known each other for a day and barely had time to speak. However, he didn't realize she was headstrong, just like her mom and younger sister. Emily grabbed his hand and pulled him to the elevator.
"Come on, we're sharing a room. I don't care what anyone says. You're my mate, and that's all that matters. Unless, of course, you didn't want to share with me?" She raised her eyebrows at him with a smirk.
Emily was a couple years older than Melanie, and she'd been waiting anxiously for her mate. She had no plans of rejecting him. She liked that they were complete opposites. While she was small and petite, like her mother, he was enormous. Even bigger and more muscular than her father. Emily was blonde and blue-eyed, whereas Alberto was tanned with black hair and almost black eyes.
"Are you kidding me? I've never wanted anything more. I've been all over this world hoping to find my mate, and then you walk in when I least expected it at a time I thought I may die. I owe you and your family everything, and I'll follow you to the ends of the earth to rescue your mom and sister. Now let's get changed so we can get to work." They walked hand in hand toward the elevators.
Everyone went to their rooms, but Vilma, the she-wolf elder from the auction, stopped Trey, Saxon, and the cubs in the hallway. She lightly ran her hand over Trey's arm, and they noticed her eyes turned solid white. No one said a word as she spoke in a language they didn't understand. Her eyes returned to normal when she was done, and she smiled.
"Your mates are still unharmed. We will find them. I have absorbed some of their energy from you, so I'll know if anything happens to them." She spoke with a slightly quivering voice.
"Are you more than a werewolf?" Saxon asked her and saw a glint in her eyes.
"I'm not a werewolf at all. I'm a witch, but I was living with The Oasis Pack for about the last century. When those men came to our pack, they took many people. I let myself be taken so I could try and free the others. I wasn't expecting them to lock me in a cage underground. They thought I was a werewolf because I was with the pack. No one picked up on I was a witch." Vilma winked at them as she walked down the hallway.
"Well, we have more help than we thought. Never underestimate the power of a witch." Trey said quietly as Vilma went into her room. "Get the cubs something to eat and change, then we'll meet Wesley downstairs."
Saxon, Lisa, and Alex went into their room. The cubs had slept on the plane, so they were wide awake even though it was the middle of the night. He quickly bathed them and changed their clothes. They ate some of the snacks that were in the room before leaving. Wesley had made sure all of their belongings were picked up from the house in Rio and brought to them. Saxon had to remember to thank him for thinking of everything they didn't.
When they got to the conference room, almost everyone else was there. They all looked tired but refreshed. Once the whole group had arrived, Wesley and several other men joined them.
"I know you're tired, but I also know you don't want to wait to find Melanie and Cat. I want to share what we've found, and I need you to let me get through everything before we make a move." Once again, he looked at Trey and Saxon, who both nodded.
"As I told you, Raul Sartini is the cousin of Luca Giordano. He's actually Raul Sartini the second. He was named after his father, and he had a son named after him. Some of you may remember him. He worked with Ricky Giordano." Wesley looked at Kitty, Aiden, and Trey, who all nodded. Wesley was there, when they killed Ricky and his men. However, Kitty and Cat had kept him and his sister Gracie outside, so they didn't learn about what happened in the hotel room until later.
"So not only did his cousin get declared insane, but his son was also murdered. He blames you lions for everything. When he learned about Cat and Melanie being part caladrius, he decided to use that knowledge to have people look for them. Raul made the people he hired believe he wanted the women because of their special abilities, but I don't think he cares about that. It seems he wants to punish you for everything that happened to his family. I believe he plans to make an example out of Melanie for what happened to his son." Wesley saw the fury on everyone's faces, but he could tell Saxon was ready to blow.
"How do we get them before he hurts either of them?" Trey asked, also keeping his eye on Saxon. He wanted to run out of the hotel to search for his mate and daughter just as much as the vampire. However, he understood they needed to know where to go so they weren't running around aimlessly.
"I have Raul's home address, but I doubt that's where he's keeping them. This is where all of you will come in handy. I'm going to need you to separate into eight groups. Each group will be given an address of a property owned by Raul. All I want you to do is observe. See if you notice anything suspicious but don't try to rescue them on your own. You need to wait for backup. They may not be shifters or vampires, but they do have tricks up their sleeves. Please don't put yourself in danger." Wesley looked around at everyone. Some were nodding in agreement, and others just returned his stare. In truth, he didn't think they would stay back and watch if one of the groups found Cat and Melanie, but he needed to say it in front of his men.
There were four to five people in each group. Trey and Saxon were in separate groups, and both silently agreed if they found the women, they weren't waiting for backup. Vilma decided to stay back with the little ones. The cubs were crushed that they couldn't go, but Janel had a way to make them feel better.
"Lisa, Alex, I have something extremely important I need you to do while we're gone." They looked up at her eagerly. They were close to the size they should be now, so they weren't quite as tiny.
"What do you need us to do?" Lisa asked with wide eyes.
"I need you to watch Jade. Vilma will be with you, but Jade's part of our family now, and she needs you. Can you do that?" The cubs sat in a chair together, and she placed the little girl across their laps. Lisa kissed Jade's little forehead.
"We'll keep her safe," Lisa answered her. Vilma sat next to them with a smile. She'd always loved the little ones. That's why she preferred to be in a pack rather than a coven. Shifters had more children running around than witches did.
As everyone left, Vilma cast a spell over them to keep them safe from detection. She owed them for saving her. Once this was over, she hoped to return to the States with the lions. When she heard them talking about the group homes on the plane, she thought maybe she'd found her place in this world. Helping others wasn't a typical witch trait, but it was one she'd always had. Vilma didn't care if they were humans, shifters, or vampires; she just wanted to share her love.
"Be safe, my new family. Your women will prevail, and you shall return to your home together." She spoke out into the darkness and waved her hands in front of the windows. It never hurt to add a bit of magic into the mix.
