Sid (The Protectors Series) Book #4 (11 page)

“I need to call my parents
,” he said, looking terrified.

“How old are you?”
Lana turned as she spoke from the passenger’s seat.

“Seventeen.”

“Is he who you saw?” Sid asked.

“No
,” Lana replied and looked back to the kid. “What’s your name?”

“Chris Feldman
,” he answered without hesitation.

“Do you know Megan Cooper or Amanda Turner?”

“Megan’s my girlfriend.” Chris frowned, looking between Sid and Lana. “Please don’t tell Megan what I said about wanting to…you know?”

Lana ignored his plea.
“Do you know a Ben Foster?”

“Yeah, he’s Amanda’s boyfriend.” Chris look
ed nervous again. When Sid and Lana looked at each other, he paled slightly. “What’s going on?”

Before they could ask any more questions
, Jared pulled into the compound and was out the door at a run.

“They’re dead
, aren’t they?” Chris started to shake uncontrollably now. “I told them it wouldn’t work. I told them.” His eyes searched around frantically as he tried to pull away from Sid, who was leading him inside.

Chapter 11

Slade stood over Tessa as she lay on the table. The only light in the office was a small desk lamp. The overhead light
was off because of Tessa’s sensitivity to light. Jill had found a pillow for her and was also standing on the side of the table. Their eyes had only met briefly, and there was an uncomfortable tension in the air.

Hearing boot heels pounding the floor
, Slade slipped out the door, stopping Jared before he could bust inside.

“She’s going to be fine.” Slade stood before the door like a brick wall. “You need to take a deep breath and calm down before you go inside.”

“Get the fuck out of my way, Doc.” Jared’s eyes were black with rage and worry.

“She’s already upset
, and if she sees you like this, it’s not going to help her.” Slade understood Jared’s rage, but his concern was for Tessa. “She needs to stay calm. She has a concussion and is very sensitive to noise and light.”

“What the hell happened?” Jared kept his voice as low as he could.

“I got a text from Adam.” Slade pulled out of his phone, bringing up the text, and then handed it to Jared.

Please get to my room. Tessa is hurt. I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry.
Make sure she is okay.

Jared cursed
, handing the phone back to Slade. “Okay, I’m calm,” Jared sighed, but his eyes were still black as night. “Now get the fuck out of my way.”

“Don’t upset her
,” Slade warned before stepping to the side, following Jared.

Tessa had her head turned toward Jill. When the door opened
, she turned, spotting Jared. She tried to raise her head, but groaned.

“Stay still
, babe.” Jared was at her side, brushing her hair from her forehead. “I’m here.”

“He didn’t mean to hurt me
, Jared,” Tessa whispered, a tear escaping the corner of her eye. “You know how he doesn’t know his own strength. Please don’t hurt him.”

Jared glanced up at Slade
, who was giving him a look of warning. Looking back down at Tessa, he kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry about anything, Tessa.” Jared rubbed her cheek with his thumb and wiped away a stray tear.

Slade glanced at Jill
, nodding toward the door. “I want her to stay here for a while longer before we move her. I’ll be back.”

Jill followed Slade out the door, but kept on going. “Wait.” Slade grabbed her arm. “We have some unfinished business.”

“No, we really don’t.” Jill tried to pull her arm away, but he wouldn’t let go. “I heard Sloan loud and clear. I am going to feed off one of the blood donors and everyone will be happy.”

“But you won’t.” Slade frowned.

“I’m not disobeying Sloan’s orders,” Jill snorted, looking at him like he was crazy.

“No, I meant you won’t be happy
,” Slade corrected her, watching her closely.

“Oh
,” Jill replied, a little shocked, before shrugging her shoulder. “I’ll live.”

“Come on.” Slade held out his hand.

Jill looked at his hand like it was a disfigured alien ready to take a bite out of her. “What?”

“You’re going to feed.” Slade kept his hand out
, waiting for her to take it. “It’s been a while and I know you’re ready.”

Her eyes shot from his hand to his face in disbelief. “From who? You?” Jill shook her head. “
No thanks.”

“Why the hell not
?” He dropped his hand, taking a step toward her.

“Why the hell would I?”
she countered. “The time I did feed from you, you acted like you’d rather have your head decapitated by Damon than have my lips anywhere near you. I’d rather take my chances with the blood bimbos.”

Slade didn’t say a word, just stared at her.

“Listen, Doc, you’re off the hook,” Jill assured him. “I’ve got this. You can go on and take care of whatever it is you take care of. I don’t want different treatment. I shouldn’t have even brought the blood stuff up in the first place.”

“I said I didn’t hate you.” Slade’s voice held a hint of frustration.

“Good to know.” Jill’s phone buzzed, and she looked too happy to grab it out of her pocket to read her text. “Gotta go. See ya, Doc.”

Slade watch
ed her walk away, his eyes sliding down her tight body. She was thin and firm, but rounded in all the right spots. Her words said one thing, but he could tell by the slump of her shoulders he had hurt her deeper than she was willing to admit, and dammit, he didn’t know what to do about it.

“Fuck!” He went to punch the wall, but stopped. Jared was right
; he needed to get his temper under control. He turned, stomped down the hall and out the door for some fresh air, slamming the door behind him. If she knew his real feelings for her, she’d probably run screaming. She was too young for his appetites, and what he wanted to do to her. “Fuck!” he roared his frustration, sending a stray cat running for its life.

******

“Okay, Chris, we need to ask you some questions,” Lana said after finally calming the kid down. “When was the last time you saw Megan?”

Chris sat at the table in the interrogation room
, staring at her with wide-scared eyes. “Last night.”

“At the motel room?” Lana sat down
; her feet were officially killing her. She was going to burn her shoes as soon as she got home.

“No, my house
,” Chris frowned. “We had a big fight.”

“About what?”

“We had been trying to get money together to go to Florida for spring break. Ben said he knew how we could make enough money to go.” Chris fidgeted in his chair. “It was a bad idea, and I told them so. I didn’t want any part of it. I just started dating Megan, even though we’ve been friends for a long time.”

“How was Ben going to get the money?” Lana pressed. She had a bad feeling she knew.

“He said some guy approached him during a football game. Said if he could bring him a couple of girls, he would give him five hundred apiece for them.” Chris shook his head. “Am I in trouble?”

Lana glanced at Sid
, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “No, Chris, but we need to know where Ben is.”

“He wasn’t really going to do it. He was going to take Megan and Amanda, but then once the money exchanged hands
, they were going to take off.”

“You haven’t heard from them since then?”
When the kid shook his head, Lana sighed. “Have you tried to contact any of them?”

“They aren’t texting me back. At first
, I thought they were just mad because I didn’t go along with them, but now, I don’t know.” Chris put his hand to his head, looking like he was about to freak out again.

Sid grabbed a pad of paper and
a pen from a small table and put it front of Chris. “Give us their cell phone numbers.”

Chris took the paper and scribbled their numbers down.

“Why did you come to the motel tonight?” Sid took the numbers looking at them.

“I was hoping they were there.” Chris took a drink of water Lana had gotten him. “That’s where they met up before they were to meet that guy.”

“Did Ben tell you this guy’s name or where they were to meet him?” Sid frowned down at the kid, knowing they weren’t going to get that lucky.

“No
, and I don’t even think Ben knew his name. I know they were going to Metropolis because Megan was mad I wasn’t going with her, but I’m not sure that is where they were meeting the guy.” Chris looked at his phone that lay on the table. “She’s dead, isn’t she?”

Lana knew she couldn’t give that information out until the family was notified and was glad when Damon opened the door.

“His parents are here,” Damon informed them before leaving quickly.

“Thanks.” Sid headed toward the door. “I’ll go talk to them. Bring him out in a few minutes.”

“Are you four in high school still?” Lana made a few notes.

“Yeah, except for Ben. He graduated last year.”

“Campbell County High School?” Lana asked, trying to get as much information before the kid left.

“Yeah.”

“Do you have Ben’s address?”

“He lives on Washington in Alexandria. I don’t know the number or anything, but it was right by the church in the small white house.” Chris rubbed his eyes as tears formed. “You don’t want Megan or Amanda’s?”

Lana sighed, knowing they would get that information soon enough. “No, that’s it for now. Just make sure if you remember anything at all to call Sid or me. And definitely let us know if you hear from Ben. You have both our numbers.”

Chris just nodded as tears fell. “I shouldn’t have let her go.”

“This isn’t your fault, Chris.” Lana patted his arm. “And you were smart to stay out of it.”

Sid came in with Chris’s parents who went straight to him.

“Is he free to go?” His mother looked at Lana, her eyes red from crying.

“Yes, we have all the information we need for now.
But we may need to talk to him again, so please stay in town.” Lana gave the woman a sad, understanding smile as she watched Chris and his parents walk out.

“Thank you.” Chris’s father shook Sid’s hand.

Once they were gone, Sid closed the door, turning to Lana. “So what do you think?”

“I think you owe me dinner
,” Lana replied with a groan, leaning down to rub her feet.

“What makes you think that?” Sid
’s sexy grin appeared.

“I think that because you rudely interrupted my date before I could take a bite of food.” Lana sat straight again then stood. “I haven’t eaten since this morning,
and I’m starved. I want to eat, go home, take this dress off and then sit by the fire I’m going to start by burning these damn shoes.”

“
Even though I love the thought of you getting out of that dress, we still have work to do. Though, if you’d like to do it out of the dress, I won’t complain. I believe in employee rights.” Sid’s teasing remark was said lightly, but the searing heat in his eyes warmed the room. “Jill has to do another profile pic and…”

Being in the police force
, Lana was used to these kinds of remarks, but none ever gave her that fluttery feeling she experienced with his words. Usually, she just had a comeback that shut the men up real quick. But this Warrior was different. The way he looked at her, as if he was seeing the real person behind the mask she tried so hard to hide behind, was throwing her way off. “I believe I will do my job fully dressed, Mr. Boss Man. I do have rights, which I believe so strongly in, and I will fight for them. I am officially off. Now feed me before I turn into a moody bitch who even I can’t stand,” she replied, hoping her voice didn’t betray that she would love to be standing in front of him completely naked. Jesus, she was doomed.

Sid
simply stared at her for a few silent seconds before laughing, “You are something else, Lana Fitzpatrick.” Sid went to open the door, looking at his watch. “Not much is open this time of night.”

“That’s what’s great about White Castle
,” Lana ignored his first comment as she tried to pass him to walk out the door without making contact, but he was big, which didn’t leave her much room. As their bodies touched, she tried to hide her reaction to his closeness. “They never close and have the best damn coffee.”

“I’m not going to White Castle
,” Sid shook his head, his inner cook cringing at the idea.

“You owe me.” Lana didn’t let up.

“For what?” Sid opened another door for her, but stood in her path, blocking the exit.

She looked up at him and frowned. “For messing up my date.” Then she tapped him on the chest. “Moody bitch is breaching the surface.”

Sid’s head fell back as he laughed. “Yeah, well you should thank me.” He moved out of the way. “Denny wouldn’t know what to do with a woman like you.”

“His name is Doug.” Lana rolled her eyes as a small smile slipped across her lips
when she looked over her shoulder. “And he’s a nice man.”

“Who you’d eat alive and spit out
,” Sid snorted. “You’d be too much of a challenge for lawyer boy. You need a man who isn’t afraid of a challenge.”

“Oh, really.”
Lana frowned, stopping at the car they rode in. “And who would that be? You?” she laughed. She immediately wished she could pull the words back in her big mouth at the look he gave her.

Sid’s smile grew as he reached for the door handle, but pushed his body against hers
, pinning her to the car. His head leaned so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. “I’m always up…” he cocked his head, his eyes intense, “for a challenge.”

As Lana
instinctively leaned in toward him, he moved, opening the door for her, his cocky grin plastered on his face. Acting like she hadn’t been leaning toward him, she quickly leaned toward the door and plopped in. When the door slammed, Lana let out a string of curses knowing that, in truth, this Warrior wouldn’t have a challenge at all since she was ready to do him right there in the parking lot of their headquarters.