“If I said yes, would it make a difference?” Ben held his breath, because anyway they looked at it, it was. The money to pay them would come from the council.
“When do you need them? And how many?” Ajani asked instead.
“As soon as they are free. Beaumont, I’m sure, will cool his heels if he has to wait. He’ll need to return to the States for the official declaration of the new council leader. That’s in a week. And two men so as not to draw suspicion, I think will work. If they determine they need more, then Beaumont can figure it out with your men at the time.”
“You aren’t going to be a part of it?” Ajani asked in a tone that hid what was going on in his head.
“No, I’ve other business to sort, then I’m done with the council for good.” Teilo smiled and leaned into Nico whose gaze was full of approval.
The tapping in the background stopped as Ajani said, “I’ll reach out to Duron and Wyatt and see if they want to help.”
“Thank you, Ajani.”
“Okay, I’ve got what you need,” Todd muttered, sounding a little distracted.
Ben’s heart thudded against his ribs at the thought of getting closure for his mates. “That was quick. What do you have for me?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nico
Three weeks later…
The house looked like any other in the area. Large, two story, wooden construction with sash windows. Set on a large block of land, and more importantly for Nico and his mates’ purposes, surrounded by trees and shrubs, offering space and privacy from the neighbors. From his spot under a bush, Nico’s keen cat’s eyes caught the sign of movement behind one of the sheer curtains.
It was the middle of the afternoon. The cars in the driveway and a spot of surveillance from Todd’s end indicated that all six men they were looking for were inside. Todd, masquerading as a council operative, already had one of the scientists on the phone, pretending he needed to get more information about the project they wanted funding for.
Todd’s reasoning was he could act as if he was an overworked pencil pusher, just trying to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. After all, the project hadn’t seen any council funding in more than ten years. But the nature of the call would ensure all of the interested parties would be in the one room.
Teilo’s sleek fur nudged against his as his cage brother ran his cheek alongside Nico’s. The fact Teilo felt comfortable enough to do something like that was a huge positive. Ben’s cat was a powerful and comforting presence on his other side.
It was finally time. All the planning and the researching—the mates going over their plans time after time. Ben wasn’t used to working with Nico and Teilo, and Nico needed to be absolutely sure that his mates would be safe. They had so much to look forward to—the island purchase was already done, and Ben had bought them their own plane so that they could visit Mom and the brothers in Paraguay, and every other corner of the world to hear Teilo talk of it, once the job was done. There was also talk of visiting the Thalassas, as Marvin, whoever he was, was so intent on wanting to meet the lost boys he hadn’t even known about.
You deserve a good life.Ben’s words came through his mind, and Teilo purred in agreement. So he’d clearly heard it, too.There’s so much we have to look forward to, and we’re going to have it together.
That was the whole point of being outside of the house. Nico had spent his whole life wanting the freedom to live his life free of pain and fear with Teilo. Now they had Ben, too. Concepts he didn’t even know he could dream of, about love, and learning, laughter, and travel, fun and family—they were all within his grasp.
One last job. Nico’s ears pricked forward as someone opened a window, the sash making a harsh sound of wood moving against wood. “And I’m telling you, you’d better let me speak to someone who can actually sign our check or…” The voice trailed off as the man moved away from the window.
You make this too easy,Nico thought with a snarl. Padding forward, the three cats silently crossed the distance to the house, and within seconds they were inside. The screams barely started before they were cut off. The whole thing took less than five minutes.
Inside the house, Nico shifted, ignoring the blood splatter and splayed limbs covering the floor. Plucking the phone still clasped in the hand of one scientist, he raised it to his ear. “I apologize for the interruption. It appears the scientists are withdrawing their application for funding. Have a nice day.” He disconnected the call, cutting off Todd’s laughter.
Shifting back, Nico and his mates left the house as silently as they’d arrived. They had a plane to catch. A plane to freedom.
~/~/~/~
“Look at the size of this freezer.” Teilo’s voice pierced Nico’s thoughts. It was early evening, and they were on their new island. Teilo and Ben were exploring the house. It wasn’t as big as the one on the Thalassa island, but it was more than enough for the three of them. Ben had worked overtime to ensure the house was furnished and stocked with enough food for at least a month. What they did from there, who knew. Ben insisted they had all the time in the world to decide but that, for the next month at least, they were going to be ‘working on their bond.’
Needing a moment, Nico wandered down to the water’s edge and stared out at where the white capped sea met the sky on the horizon. The sun was setting. The air was still, and all around him, Nico could hear birds settling into the trees for the night.
It was difficult to accept the threat to his and Teilo’s life was over, and he could finally relax. The Fates knew Nico was so tired, and he desperately wanted to believe that no one would take his freedom or his mates away. But his body was wired, waiting for the next attack, and probably would be for some time to come. After so many years of being conditioned with fear and pain, to know the instigators, once the monsters in his mind, were now dead. It was a surreal feeling.It will just take time.
He knew he should focus on the beauty of his surroundings, despite that, Nico’s mind flicked back to his life in the cage—the stench of death and fear, the ever-present pain, and the constant bars between him and Teilo. He’d never dreamed in the way Teilo had done, of a life like the one promised with Teilo and Ben. All he’d done was survive day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. A life like that would take its toll on the strongest of people, or so Ben had said on the plane when they’d talked about it.
“You got me through my darkest days.” Teilo came to stand with him, shoulder to shoulder, watching as the sun slowly dropped in the sky. “If it hadn’t been for your strength, I wouldn’t have made it.”
“If it hadn’t been for your presence, I’d have gone feral, and they’d have killed me. And yet, now we’re here, watching the sunset.”
