Gerome had revealed his mating mark, and then he told Josh about the kidnapping. The man confirmed what they already suspected: Elder Adali, Josh’s uncle and one of the King’s advisors, was behind this shit, and Gerome promised to himself that the Elder would die for the pain he’d caused Sam, Alex, and him.
Now they had their answers, and the trackers exploded into a ball of activity. Gerome himself rushed out of the apartment into the inner court, where Anthony pressed a bulletproof vest into his hand. “Put it on, we’re heading out.”
Gerome didn’t even protest, he just strapped the thing on and then piled into one of the cars together with D and a couple of other guards. His Jaguar stayed at home. The trackers’ cars were much better equipped for the kind of things they were going to do. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and tried to breathe deep and keep his cool. This was it. If everything went well, they would have Alex and the baby back in a couple of hours. Or he could lose them. Both.
Gerome swallowed hard. He couldn’t think like that. It was too dangerous. He needed to be optimistic and not allow his mind to come up with a thousand outcomes of just how this rescue could go wrong. They’d be successful, and nobody would get hurt. He believed it. Had to believe it.
Staring out of the window, Gerome forced his heart to stop beating like mad. Nobody spoke as every single one of the trackers appeared lost in concentration, getting ready to attack.
The drive ended all too soon, and Gerome followed Anthony to the front of the mansion. The house was only used on weekends, so they didn’t think of it right away. Josh had given them the address. Ready to battle should someone turn up, they slipped through the darkness. But for now, nothing moved. The tracker ran so soundlessly he was nearly invisible. Gerome thought he could blend into the shadows, but Anthony beat him by leagues. He merged with the darkness, blending in so perfectly that Gerome had trouble following him.
Moving as silently as Anthony, the others made their way around the house. As soon as they were all in position, they’d go in.
“We’ve got it covered. Let’s move,” Anthony whispered into Gerome’s ear through the small communication device they wore. His heartbeat sped up, and he wanted to wipe his hands on his jeans, but he was holding his assault rifle. All of the trackers carried them, and while Gerome wasn’t a fan of the cold metal in his hands, this was nothing he should do unarmed.
The guards wouldn’t fight with their bare hands. Also, the trackers would have a fit if he as the prince went anywhere unprotected. At least, he’d done some shooting practice over the last years, so he knew how to handle his AK-47.
Gerome looked up to the dark mansion. It was a big house, two stories high, bathed in shadows from the trees surrounding it. Apparently, the Elder didn’t have security in mind when he bought or built the place. The overgrown trees and scrubs provided him and his men with a great cover. The nearly dark moon didn’t give off much light, which was all the better. He and the trackers had great night vision anyway.
He ran behind Anthony through yet another line of bushes, the branches slapping him in the face, and then, breathing heavily, he stopped behind a tree. Blood rushed in Gerome’s ears, and he needed to concentrate to hear him.
“Access,” Anthony whispered.
Everything else flew by in a blur. They moved in, catching the guards by surprise. They put up some fight but didn’t stand a chance against the assault. Bullets flew around them, and Gerome, returning the fire, took cover behind some kind of statue.
He wasn’t going to kill if he could avoid it, but he also wasn’t going to spare someone who stepped into his line of fire. He leaned forward, peeking around the cold stone and fired a couple of well-aimed shots in the direction of a guy following one of his men. The man faltered for a moment, then lay still. Gerome sniffed the air but couldn’t make out anything beyond the dominant, overwhelming smell of blood. A quick glance around the hallway confirmed that he was alone right now.
“We can pull back. They have him.” Anthony’s voice crackled over the earpiece.
Gerome slunk back behind the statue and closed his eyes as relief flooded him. Alex was safe. They had him. They’d found him. Thank the heavens.
A second later, he assumed his former position just in time to send another round of bullets into the room to take out another careless guard. Then he slowly pulled back, Anthony high on his heels.
By the time they were out and back at the cars, Alex was already on the way to the hospital. The baby was coming. Gerome didn’t have time to worry much about it. Between him and his men, they’d done a lot of damage, and the remaining mansion guards were now looking for them. They needed to get out of there.
D had taken a bullet, but he already shifted into his panther form, so he was on the mend. Apparently, he’d carried Alex out, then went back to save another man named Ash and had been hurt badly during the rescue. Gerome would have to talk to D about risking himself by going back. The tracker must have had good reasons for it, but he currently couldn’t explain them to anyone.
For Gerome, it didn’t matter much. His baby was coming, and he wouldn’t be able to be with Alex. Duty called first. He had to debrief with his father, arrest Elder Adali, and then he could, maybe, look after Alex.
He took his place in the car again, and they made their way back to the palace, a sleeping D in his shifted form in the backseat.
At least, Alex had Sam by his side, so he wouldn’t be alone when he woke up.
Gerome closed his eyes for a second. How beautiful would it be to have someone like Sam or Alex—a mate who was always there for him? He’d wished for it, but never found someone. And, if he were completely honest, in the coven hierarchy, it simply wasn’t possible. He needed a mate who belonged to him. Having an equal partner didn’t happen in their society. And mulling over it all was naught anyway. He was already mated now.
Gritty and tired, they arrived at the palace, where the king’s guards waited. Elder Adali was in custody already, as was Allen the butler.
All Gerome had to do was sit through the meeting with his father, then he could visit Alex and his baby. His daughter. His little daughter. The call had come in a few minutes ago. The baby was fine, and Alex was still in surgery but stable.
For the first time in the last several days, he could breathe again. Finally breathe again. Everything would be okay now.