It took him only a second before his eyes went wide. Too wide like he could have been pushed over with a feather.
“I’m coming with,” he declared.
“You weren’t requested,” I hedged, holding up my hand to him when he went to argue. “I’m fully capable of calling for backup and I will. Sometimes a smaller footprint is the better one.” I hurried to kiss his cheek before apologizing to Gavin and heading for the portal.
“Now I’m beyond curious,” Gavin grumbled as I activated the portal.
Oh, I just bet he was.
Too bad.
I came out a block away from where I needed to be and jogged over after checking my GPS. I sensed the desires I needed when there were too many people around and then locked ontoRicco, the ancient cheetah who was Alpha of his pride in Rome. We’d made a deal with him and others of the ancient shifters in Rome before buying land and developing it.
An officer went to block me and spoke in Italian. Given his desires, my best guess was that he didn’t want me to get involved… Or the gross animals to have anyone help them.
“I don’t speak Italian, but I’m needed here,” I told him as I pulled out my German credentials, glad I’d actually had them on me. There were too many people around and too much scrutiny on this one to risk glamouring something like that.
Ricco saw me and relief filled his eyes, rattling off in Italian to someone while gesturing to me.
“I need to verify this,” the officer who had my ID said in a thick accent… Before trying to walk away with it.
I snatched it back and gave him a withering look. “You’re no one and we both know it. I speak with bosses and their bosses, not beat cops with bad attitudes.” I snorted when he opened his mouth and looked like he was reaching for his cuffs. “I have diplomatic immunity, Officer. Make sure you play this right or it will cost you.”
Everyonearound us froze, even some of the people with Ricco who clearly didn’t know that.
I smirked at the officer and slid through the others to make my way to Ricco. I showed my ID to the man he’d been arguing with. “My name is Jasmine Stewart. I’m a German national with diplomatic immunity.”
“Yes, your name was thrown around, Ms. Stewart,” the man bit out. “It didn’t seem plausible.”
I gave him a genuine smile. “Good on you for checking and not being an idiot who falls for any line. Truly. You should check and well done.” I shrugged when those with Ricco bristled. “It doesn’t help anyone when the cops are idiots. I also like smart men.”
I gave Ricco a subtle wink while using my influence on the officer who seemed to have some real rank.
“Two of these men won’t show their papers, and I’m not an idiot who knows they’re not at home where they won’t even tell us where that is nor let us escort them to fetch them,” the man explained. I honestly didn’t blame him for some of his upset and what he was saying.
Except it was all rooted in his disdain for supes. He knew enough about shifters and supes to have immediately locked in on Ricco and his people to know they were shifters, and this guy hated them. So after some bullshit that a few fit the description of some criminals, they demanded papers.
And two couldn’t provide them because they were expired. Beyond expired since ancients hid below the radar as much as possible. Also, something had happened to Ricco’s contact in the Italian government who used to get their papers updated. Life had gotten in the way and he hadn’t found someone else yet to make it happen.
Plus, it wasn’t something easy to handle or everyone would have fake papers.
Duh.
I nodded as the cop rambled on but then interrupted by moving my hand to his arm, my influence stronger with touch. “Did you run the names of all of them? Please tell me you didn’t?”
“Not yet,” he hedged, glancing at someone and confirming it.
“Good, good,” I whispered.
I looked at two who weren’t the ones in trouble and rattled off in German that they were in trouble with me. That they hadn’t done as I’d said and I would beat their asses later. I cleared my throat and looked back at the confused cop.
“These four witnessed something involving two German citizens,” I hurried on when the police were all immediatelyready to jump on it. “Not on your soil. While traveling. It’s amess. I went to great lengths to track them down because they saw something that could get them killed by bad people. Please, run the other names, but not theirs. I beg you.”
Skepticism but also worry was in the policeman’s eyes. “What did they see?”
I leaned in closer. “I cannot tell you officially, but I believe you are an educated man who probably heard of bad things in Spain that several governments—my government leading it—handled.” I gave him a knowing look. “Involvingchildren.” I nodded when recognition flashed in his eyes. “These men were traveling and saw something.
“They were good men and reported it but then fled back to the safety of Italy. Unfortunately, the wrong people have learned their names and I came to find them for the information they have but also to protect them.” I pulled out a business card and handed it to him. “Your… People in places have certain jobs to hide them as well.
