Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
“I’ll start ordering the men to assemble in my conference room.”
“It will have to be a room with a bank of windows,” Gedeon said. “My backup must be able to take out a traitor in a roomful of shifters. If there’s more than one, things can get dicey. It takes concentration to go through the memory of a leopard.”
Marzio’s sons just stared at Gedeon. They were learning at an alarming rate. Gorya had to give them respect that they didn’t waste time arguing or protesting. They’d read the report and had already had their suspicions about the Anwar family and trouble on the docks. Their father had agreed to an alliance, and that bound them. They were willing to get on board, and all four seemed capable of absorbing information quickly. Gorya found himself respecting the family even more, and he respected few others.
“One more thing before we do this,” Marzio said. “Gorya, after it is all over and we have taken down the entire ring, I would very much like you and Maya to come to dinner and meet my Ann. My leopard thinks her leopard is very soothing. He thinks Ann would find her quite enjoyable and Ann has precious little to look forward to these days. I would consider it an honor.”
My understanding is that no one sees his wife anymore, Maya. He is being very sincere. You’ve made quite an impression on him.
It’s Wraith, not me.
It’s both, Gorya corrected.
“It would be our pleasure, sir.”
Marzio gave an old-fashioned bow toward Maya and then began texting his private security to meet them in the designated room. His sons did the same. The real work of the night was about to begin.
* * *
• • •
The Anwar family had become wealthy enough that they had built their own private gated community, where they could invite people to move into the homes they provided on the prestigious grounds. It didn’t appear much different from other exclusive gated communities, with golf clubs and swimming pools and lavish estates dotting the landscape. But if one looked closely, they would see that the number of security guards was tripled, if not quadrupled, and the weapons they carried had serious firepower. The family was free to throw their extravagant parties, providing their sex slaves to their friends and entrapping officials and other members of the various lairs they invited. Compromising anyone who came wouldn’t be a problem given what Maya had told them went on during the parties.
It was safe to say that anyone residing in that community was a member of the Anwar’s inner circle and aided in their trafficking ring. They were the higher echelon, profiting the most from it and drawing others into it. Most of them pretended to be Marzio’s friends. Some were shifters, some weren’t. All were guilty, humans and shifters alike.
The roving patrols had to be removed first. Those on the grounds and those in cars. The phones had been dealt with, the towers taken down, affecting not only Anwar’s area but a large grid, so it wouldn’t seem as if he was specifically targeted. Next, they jammed all radio and internet access as the Amurov soldiers proceeded through the large community, silently killing the guards and removing the bodies from sight.
Enrico Anwar lived in a long, sprawling U-shaped house with an inner courtyard. Gorya had the interior of the house mapped out in his head, the long hallways and various rooms. Which room was Enrico’s bedroom. His playroom. He had every luxury a man could want and then some. He believed in indulging himself. Gorya found it strange that there was very little to accommodate the man’s leopard. No high perches. No plants to lounge under. Didn’t Enrico allow his leopard freedom?
Gorya reached out to the leopard first, allowing his mind to travel through the house, energy low and nonthreatening. There could be no prior warning, not that it would matter. He had no doubt that he would kill Enrico, but he wanted this night over with as quickly as possible. This was a large group of men and women involved in the trafficking, a big cog in Jaoa Escabar Velentez’s wheel. It was imperative that they take it down swiftly and silently.
The leopard was lazy. Indolent. Enrico indulged in drugs, by turns sedating his leopard or hyping him up. His memories were of indulgence, but also work. Bartolo expected his sons to run the docks on the days and times they had to bring in their cargo, and they did. They were hard workers and didn’t shirk, running the crews and keeping track of shipments, but when they played with the merchandise, they played just as hard. Enrico preferred to keep his leopard tuned to his moods and needs by enhancing him with drugs.
Gorya moved through the house unerringly, following the directions in his mind. It wasn’t difficult with the wide hallways. The archways were open, leading from one entry to the next. The rooms were spacious, with comfortable furniture. Abruptly, Rogue snarled, warning him Enrico wasn’t alone.