Chapter 788 Chapter 788
When Calla got upstairs, she saw Zuri on his knees with his hands behind his head. Deacon stood there with a gun aimed at him.
Eaton came around the corner. She assessed Calla slowly and then came over to her. “Point out the ones you mentioned.”
Calla nodded. She motioned to Zuri. “This is Zuri. Leopard Clan.”
Zuri’s gaze connected with hers. She could see the relief in his eyes.
She turned to go into the kitchen. There was a deep growl, and suddenly, Kumar shoved by Zuri and lunged for her.
“You little…”
Zuri jumped to his feet, wrapped an arm around his neck, and then kicked the back of his knee, knocking him off balance.
Deacon aimed the gun at them.
Luka came from behind Zuri and grabbed Kumar’s arm. He yanked it up behind his back. Zuri released him and held his hands up, eyeing Deacon as he got back down on his knees.
“Nice save, my man.” Luka nodded to Zuri and then shoved Kumar face down on the floor.
“Traitors,” Kumar growled.
Eaton smiled at him. “I think you need to look up the definition of that word.” She nodded to Luka. “Wire for him.”
Luka smiled and reached into a side pocket of his cargo pants.
Eaton turned to Zuri and then made a hand gesture to Deacon, telling him to back up.
Deacon did and then pointed to a spot on the floor. “Have a seat, Zuri, and you can put your hands down.”
Zuri looked at him, and then his gaze flicked to Calla. She nodded, letting him know it was okay.
Eaton pointed to Kumar, who was now face down on the floor with his hands behind his back. They were held with wire. Calla was a little surprised by it, but who was she to question the professionals? “This is?”
Calla looked back to Eaton. “Kumar. He put me in that room.” She glanced at the basement doorway. “You need to check it out.”
Eaton nodded. “We’ll get down there.” She sidestepped so the kitchen and dining room were visible. “Who sent that text to me?”
Calla went around the table and tried not to make eye contact with the three women sitting there. She failed and saw confusion in Edda’s eyes. She stopped across from her. “We’re with the Alliance, Edda. It’s going to be okay.”
Edda looked at Quinn, who stood there with a gun in her hand, and then lowered her lashes and put her head down on the table, resting it on her hands.
Eaton came over and touched Calla’s shoulder.
Calla sucked in a breath and moved over to the opening of the room the men were in. Beck, Kaid, and Dane stood in the room, guns held firmly in their hands. Calla pointed to Ellery. “That’s Ellery, he sent it.”
Eaton nodded to Dane.
He went over and leaned down and looked Ellery in the eye. “Are you in charge of the computer?”
Ellery looked briefly at Calla and then nodded. “I know where the locations are, too.”
Dane grinned and waved the handgun. “Let’s go take a look, shall we?”
Leon growled.
Ellery got up slowly and gave the man a wide berth. “I’ve waited six years for this.” Ellery hissed. He held his hand up, and Calla saw they weren’t shaking for the first time.
She nodded to him as he went by her. There was relief in his eyes.
After they left, Eaton turned and studied the men in the room. “Any other helpful ones here?”
Calla tilted her head and looked at Leon for a second. Then she shook her head and stepped out of the room.
Eaton motioned to Beck. “Wire.”
Deacon stepped over Kumar and stood in the doorway, his gun aimed at Leon.
Eaton turned and studied the women. She gave them a brief smile and then moved to stand at the end. She leaned on the back of the chair. “Ladies. Calla has told me all about you.”
Edda lifted her head and looked at Calla. “Calla. That’s your name?”
Calla nodded. “It is.” She pulled out a chair and sat down. Her legs were a little unsteady. Nothing had phased her until she’d seen inside that room downstairs.
“Edda,” Eaton said it softly. “Is that for Meddia or Eden?”
Edda gave her a surprised look. “Meddia. Eden is—was my cousin.” A sad look was in her eyes.
Eaton nodded slowly. “You had a son with Alberto Tomas.” It wasn’t a question, but Edda nodded still. Eaton held her look for a moment. “Griffin is going to be happy to meet you.”
Edda’s eyes widened. “You know my Griffin?” Her head snapped, and she looked at Calla.
Calla smiled. “We do. He’s just the way you hoped he would be.”
Edda exhaled, and a tear ran down her face. “And my daughter? She was with some rogue people.”
Calla shook her head. “We haven’t found her yet.”
Eaton watched Kelii come in and then she looked back to Edda. “Most of the rouge groups work with the Alliance now, so we might be able to find out more about her.”
Edda wiped the tears off her face. She nodded and looked back at Calla. “Thank you.” She whispered.
“Are we really free?” Bianca whispered. “It’s over?”
Eaton holstered her gun and nodded. “It is. We’ll take you somewhere safe where you’ll be assessed by a medical team…”
“You can’t move us,” Liora said abruptly. “The chip in our neck will make it so they can always find us.” She spat the last words.
Eaton looked at her for a second and then touched her ear. “Dane, locate tracking software on their system. The women have tracking chips like Griffin’s.” She nodded and then looked over at Kelii. “Call Shaelan and tell her we’re going to need a medical team to remove them.”
Kelii nodded and walked out into the kitchen.
“You can remove the chip?” Liora asked her and then turned to Calla. “They say is too dangerous to take out.”
Calla glanced at Eaton and then saw Bianca giving her an intense look. “They said that to control you. They can be taken out.”
Bianca exhaled and closed her eyes.
Liora nodded. “Then I can find my brother.” She turned back to Eaton. “He was with the rogue ones, so you know if he is still there? He maybe shift to look same as me, but his papa was not from my clan.”
Eaton looked in the direction Deacon was standing. “What clan are you?”
“In English, it is Maned Wolf,” Liora said.
Calla could see Deacon where he stood in the doorway. His gun was still aimed at Leon, but he was looking at the back of Liora’s head.
“What is your mother’s name?” Eaton asked in a level tone.
“She was Daria. A strong and beautiful woman. I stayed with my uncle until she found safe place for us, but she never returned.”
Gia went about the corner and touched Deacon’s arm. He looked down at her. She smiled at him and then nodded.
Jamming the gun into the holster, Deacon stepped over Kumar and walked up behind Liora. He stepped to the side of the chair and looked down at her. “If your mother never returned for you, how do you know you have a brother?”
Liora looked up at him. “He was a baby the last time she talked to my uncle.” She looked away from him for a moment. “Auntie and Uncle have died. I could leave. There are no more family to look after, so I come here.”
Gia came around the corner and stopped beside Deacon. She studied Liora for a moment and then touched Deacon’s arm. “You have the same eyes.”
Liora jerked her head and looked at Gia. “Same eyes? As my mother? Yes.”
Gia smiled. “As your brother.”
Deacon pulled off the balaclava and looked down at her. “As me.”
Liora’s eyes rounded. She jumped up so quickly that the chair fell backward. She only came up to his shoulder, but she stretched up closer to his face. “It is you. I see our mother in you.” She smiled and leaned back. “You are not so little.”
“Gia, you and Deacon go to the house the women stay in. Take his sister with you.” Eaton said.
“Liora. My name is Liora.” She turned back to her brother. “Deacon.” She nodded. “Is a good name.”
Deacon stepped back and then looked at Gia. “This is Gia, my mate.”
Gia smiled at her. “Come on. Where’s your jacket?”
Liora looked at Calla and then back to Gia. “I will go get it.”