Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(91)

“Aye.”

“It seems like you were really targeting Bear, considering your soldiers aimed for his head and barely shot at the rest of us until we ran.” Simone tried to free her wrists without success.

Phillipe nodded. “Yes. Bear has been reluctant to help us out in Seattle, and we thought if he was killed, we could then get the grizzlies to distribute Apollo for us.”

“You missed Bear, and you have to know, I’m not planning on helping you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You’ll give us all current intel from the Coven Nine. Passwords, land holdings, enemy files.” He shrugged. “That’s pretty much all we want.”

That didn’t make sense. “So I give you the information, and you kill me? I don’t think so.”

“No. You give the information, and then I trade you to the demon nation for a shitload of money and land holdings.” Phillipe smiled. “Win-win all around.”

“The demon nation won’t give anything up for me.” She kept his gaze. “Sorry.”

“Sure, they will. You went ahead and mated Nicholai Veis for us, and everybody knows Zane Kyllwood would lay down his very life for Veis. Giving up riches won’t mean anything to Kyllwood.” Phillipe grasped a knife from his back pocket and twirled it around. “I appreciate your ensuring this part of our plan with the mating.”

Simone kept an eye on the knife just in case he wanted to plunge it into her neck. While he seemed logical, an odd gleam showed in his eyes. “You expect me to believe you’ll just turn me over to the demon nation?” What was she missing?

“Well, after my mother and I strip you of all powers.” He smiled and moved closer, the knife glinting in the soft light. “Your cousin ripped my mother’s powers away, and I plan to do the same to you. Then you can go back to your demon as weak as any other human.” He leaned in, his breath brushing her ear. “Payback is a bitch.”

Simone shot her knee up, solidly connecting with his groin.

He gave a muffled oof and stumbled back, still bent at the waist. “You . . . bitch,” he breathed, his eyes bugging out, tears filling them. “You f*cking bitch.”

She smiled to mask the raw terror coursing through her. While she might be able to successfully fight Phillipe and Grace Sadler, if they had any other allies joining in, she’d lose her powers. A fight like that would certainly harm the baby if not kill him. His chances of survival would diminish even with one witch attack, much less several. “How did you find out about dragons, anyway?” she asked, already having suspicions.

He sighed. “Research and more research. My mother and yours were good friends at one point, and my mother knew your father wasn’t normal. It was matter of tugging threads from that point.”

“This is your last chance to let me go,” she said, infusing her voice with power.

He slowly straightened up, pain etched into his face. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy destroying you.”

An airplane droned outside.

Simone caught her breath and tried to remain calm.

Phillipe smiled. “Our ride has arrived.”





Chapter 35


Nick tucked the communicator in his ear before tugging down his bulletproof vest outside of the small airport. The intel from Moira had come in, and he’d immediately organized a rescue force. He and Zane faced the tarmac from the north, and the Enforcers from the south. He hadn’t been able to reach Bear or Flynn, so they’d have to work without air support. By tacit agreement, the Enforcers had adopted his plan, not that he’d given them much choice.

Simone and the babe were his, and he was the strategic planner for a nation, if not the world now.

He patted the tactic balaclava ski mask over his features. If there was a satellite observing through the clouds, he didn’t want anybody to be identified, so they were all masked.

Adam Dunne had made it back to Dublin in time to join the attack. Right now, he was the only Enforcer still working for the Coven Nine. While he’d probably be fired soon, for the moment, he still had an in, which Simone needed.

“Adam, you clearheaded?” Nick asked over the comm line. He hadn’t liked the witch’s grim expression and tired eyes.

“Aye,” Adam replied. “I’m good on go.”

Nick glanced over at Zane, who nodded. Even though Adam had been unable to find Victoria Monzelle, he’d hold up for the mission. The guy knew how to fight with brutal, logical precision. “Eyes.”

Moira came online first. “Seven men outside the plane with one more guarding what looks like a storage shack. Probably two pilots, but I can’t see inside. Confirmed sighting of Phillipe Sadler, and I recognize two soldiers as witches who washed out of Guard training.”

“You know any of the others?” Nick asked.

“Negative,” she said. “I study all field and training reports from the Guard, and I never forget a face.”

Impressive, that. Nick kept low behind a row of barrels. “Nobody move until we get a visual on Simone.”

A chorus of “affirmatives” came through the line.

He covered his mic and turned toward Zane. “You clear on our plan?”

“Yes.” Zane bellied up next to him, his gaze on the tarmac. Only the lights from the plane illuminated the area. “If I have the chance, I’ll grab Simone and teleport her to headquarters in Idaho.”