The Night Movers - Ep. 31 - Season Finale (Patreon)

Unbeta'd/Unedited.

This is it. The end of seaon 1. I hope you like it. I will start the process of putting it into book form in the next few days while I plan out season 2. Well, as much as I plan anything.

Ridley’s. heart had been firmly lodged in his throat for two hours, stuck there like a pill he couldn’t swallow. Rain’s hand sat sweaty in his, fingers threaded together as they walked flanked by six alphas. Ridley hadn’t expected they would go top-side. It had been so long since he’d walked above ground freely. Or maybe it had only been a few days? The passage of time was strange for him now. 

People gave them a wide berth, startled to see six masked alphas walking in broad daylight. It was a power move, for sure. Not even the New Guard patrolling the streets confronted them. But maybe that’s because they were their biggest buyers. 

If Ridley had seen something like that just a few months ago, he would have been scared to death. He would have gone home to Ren and complained about the audacity of alphas, about how he was grateful they were both unpresented. How he hoped they stayed that way forever. 

Ridley now understood that the masks weren’t to hide their identity from those who were part of the underground network, but from those that weren’t. Sometimes Ridley forgot that there were betas who existed outside all of the secondary gender politics. Sure, they had to deal with a world shredded by war, a government so corrupt they poisoned their own people, a sky so toxic it was a hazy brown more days than not. 

But they were safe. Not from acid rain or poverty, but from being bought and sold like chattel. Ridley had always envied them, had hoped against hope he’d be a dud, never developing a secondary gender. But the moment Ren had presented as an omega, he’d known he wasn’t far behind. 

And now she is gone. 

She was gone and Ridley had somehow tied himself to six alphas for life. He swallowed down the aching hollowness in his chest. He fought to keep his head up, eyes forward. He refused to shrink when his alphas were striding confidently through the streets like they owned them. Maybe they did. 

Just like before, other omegas watched, wreaking of envy, their faces pinched with anguish or frustration. They didn’t know Ridley or Rain’s circumstances, but they saw they weren’t leashed, weren’t muzzled, weren’t forced to wear white, weren’t paraded around like trophies. That made them enviable in their eyes. 

Ridley didn’t feel envious. He was terrified. What did this curator want with him? What was he supposed to say…to do. Titus had been unbearably tight-lipped all morning. He’d barely said a word to Ridley, stiffening slightly when he’d brushed his lips over his alpha’s cheek. 

They began to slow when they reached the eighth ward. If the slums had slums, it was the eighth ward. Ridley began to imagine meeting Vesper in the seedy backroom of a bar or brothel. This Vesper was supposed to be rich and powerful. Why was he slumming it in the eighth ward? What was the appeal? 

Ridley frowned when they stopped outside a large building with a flashing blue and pink neon sign that simply said Arcade. Ridley had seen the gambling arcades. The ones that housed machines where people who couldn’t afford to lose, gambled the last of their meager earnings on the off chance they might win. The odds were never in their favor. 

The house always wins. 

This wasn’t one of those arcades.

They entered the building through two heavy doors that spilled into a warehouse-sized space lit by purple lights that made everything of color glow. His alphas fit in well. Which was to say, they blended. They wore all black, the only color the neon glow of their terrifying masks. All around them, other alphas stopped and stared, but his alphas paid them no mind. 

Ridley and Rain struggled to stay in step, both of them trying to take in as much as possible. There was a skating rink to Ridley’s left and a bowling alley to his right, in the center a sea of vintage games, dinging and clanging like they were seeking attention. But they went ignored. All around, men in brightly colored gear glowed like exotic birds, yet they did nothing. They just lounged around like they waited for orders. What a waste. 

It wreaked in there. The thick musk of alphas and the pungent smell of sweat and body odor was making Ridley’s stomach churn. Rain lifted his hand to cover his nose. Clearly, Ridley wasn’t the only one affected. Were these Vesper’s people? Did he have people? He must. Rain said he was some kind of omega supplier. A liaison between the elite and rare omegas. That required a network. 

The hand not covering Rain’s nose, clamped down tighter on Ridley’s, but he didn’t mind. He held on tighter as well, shrinking inward as everyone turned and stared as they passed. They didn’t look at them with curiosity, but with an almost cartoonish hunger. Like a salivating dog might stare at a piece of meat. It pinged Ridley’s lizard brain, whispering that he was unsafe. 

No sooner had he thought it, then the sensation receded, an almost overwhelming calm hitting him like a warm blanket. His alphas were pushing out calming pheromones, counteracting whatever chemo-signals the strange alphas were emitting. Normally, it would irritate Ridley, but in this one instance, he was grateful. These men made his skin crawl. 

Ridley didn’t breathe again until they passed through two more sets of doors into a hallway that gave him a strange sense of vertigo, like they were walking down a steep slope and not horizontally down a long hall. The sensation made him temporarily miss the chaos of the arcade. He kept his eyes on the door at the other end, soothing himself as it grew closer. 

Only once they went through the door, they were met with a staircase. They were going back underground, though now in a completely different part of the city. When they reached the bottom, they arrived at yet another set of double doors. These doors weren’t like the others. They were fancy, red with gold filigree details, flanked on either side by two brutish-looking alphas. 

His six alphas gave a single nod in tandem, the other men returned it while sweeping open the doors to allow their entrance. They were expected. Sugar had said Vesper summoned them. How powerful was this alpha that he could order around the six most dangerous alphas of the underground. Ridley truly didn’t want to find out. 

The room they entered wasn’t a room at all, but a theater. Not one that used to show movies, but one of the really old ones where people used to act out plays on stage. The chairs had all been removed, replaced by black leather booths that curled around golden tables. Opulent chandeliers hung the ceilings, but the only current source of light came from the canned lights overhead and lining the stage, giving everything a sallow cast. 

Ridley was so busy looking around at the balcony and the mezzanine that he initially missed the man sitting in his golden throne at the front of the stage and the two alphas on the floor just before it. Were they guarding him or did the man wield so much power he kept other alphas as pets? He suspected the former, but couldn’t shake the thought of the latter. 

Beside him, Rain whined low in his throat, then melted into Ridley’s side. He understood now why the other omega had said to dress with flair. This had to be him. Vesper. The Curator. 

The man was beautiful. He was beautiful in the same way that sleek black panthers were beautiful. He looked exotic and dangerous. He was made to sit atop a throne. Ridley gawked as he took in inky black hair, thick brows and eyes so golden they appeared to glow even in the dimly lit room, an effect only deepened by black liner and a fringe of thick dark lashes. 

Vesper had high cheekbones and a chiseled jaw partially hidden by a five o’clock shadow and his skin glowed from the iridescent powder he’d dusted over his full face of makeup. He appeared otherworldly. Like some kind of fae creature from a fairy tale, come to life. 

He dressed like one too. Like some elven king who had somehow gotten stuck in their mortal world. He wore tight black leather pants, a silky black shirt and a black morning coat encrusted with shiny silver stones that glittered in the ambient lighting. It was flashy even for the elites. His hands were hidden by black gloves and his feet were encased in knee-high leather boots. 

Ridley fought the giggle bubbling in his throat. This was the man they were all afraid of? The man currently twirling a black cane with a golden flamingo head like the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland? The man who looked like the ringmaster of his own gothic circus? The man currently glaring at them like they were the ants coming to ruin his picnic? 

“That’s close enough, alphas,” he said, his voice warm and rich, almost hypnotic. To Titus, he said, “It took you long enough.” 

“We arrived as soon as we received your…request,” Titus said through gritted teeth, clearly agitated by the man’s arrogance. 

“I shouldn’t have had to summon you. You should have come to me voluntarily.” 

Why was that? Why did Titus answer to Vesper? Titus didn’t answer so Ridley filed the question away for later. 

“Get out of the way,” Vesper said, waving a hand at the alphas. “Let me see them.” Ridley sucked in a sharp breath as his alphas parted without a fight, leaving Ridley and Rain bare to the strange man’s gaze. 

Ridley felt his eyes roaming him like a touch, could feel the greedy way he drank them in. Vesper’s teeth caught his bottom lip as he looked his fill, a slow smile pulling it free again. 

He crooked his finger towards Ridley and Rain. “Come here, my pretties.” 

Who talked like that? Vesper was the pied piper calling forth the town’s enthralled children. They stumbled forward almost as if he’d compelled them to do so, stopping just far enough from the stage that they wouldn’t have to crane their necks to look up at him. 

Vesper snapped his head up to glower at Ridley’s alphas. “Take those masks off. I find them distracting. Sit down.” 

To Ridley’s surprise, the alphas did so without question, finding seats in the golden chairs that surrounded small circular black tables that lined the stage. Ridley hadn’t even noticed them at first. 

Who was this man? This…elite omega supplier? Ridley inhaled deeply, attempting to calm his nerves. Instead, he caught the scent of ripe pears, honey and…His gaze snapped to Vesper who was grinning at him like a marionette. No fucking way. 

“You’re…an omega!?” Ridley managed, words strangled. 

Vesper wiggled the fingers on both hands, held high beside his face.. “Surprise!” he cried, clearly delighted by Ridley’s flummoxed reaction. “Bet you did not see that coming.” 

Ridley swallowed the sudden lump of sand in his throat, his lungs seizing like he’d had the breath punched from him. 

“Why?” Ridley whispered. “How can you…buy and sell your own kind?” 

“It gets easier with time,” Vesper said airily. “Especially once you remember three key truths. Business is business. Money is money. Power is power. And I have all three.” 

Ridley just stood there, reeling. What kind of monster would do this to his own kind? Auctioning off omegas to private collectors? That is what Rain had said. Right? Vesper did what Titus did, but he catered to the elites. 

“Oh, I can practically taste your disdain,” Vesper said, the last word dripping from his tongue like he was savoring it. “As if you have any room to talk.” 

Ridley flinched. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Did you not demand that your alpha kill another alpha just so you could keep the omega beside you as a pet?” Vesper asked innocently. 

How did he know that?

“Oh, I have spies everywhere, darling,” he said as if reading Ridley’s mind. “I heard all about you the day Titus brought you to the night market. Linus is quite enamored with you. But I decided to give it a minute. I wanted to see just how much power these alphas had given you.” 

“I don’t have any power,” Ridley muttered. 

“You collared your mate,” Vesper chided. “If that’s not a show of force, I don’t know what is.” 

“That…wasn’t my idea,” Ridley fumbled. 

“No?” Vesper asked, sitting forward. “Do tell?” 

Ridley’s gaze dropped to the ground. He didn’t know how to answer. 

“Riddle me this, Ridley Christianson—” Ridley gasped loudly. “—Where’s. Your. Chip?” 

“My what?” Ridley asked stupidly. “How do you know my full name?” 

Once more, a slow grin spread across his face. “Oh, good catch.” He crossed his legs with a flourish. “How do I know you? Let me think? You tell me.” 

Ridley’s heart was beating hummingbird fast and no amount of alpha pheromones would slow it down now. “I don’t know,” he said softly, shaking his head. 

“Tell me, did you use your little magic trick—” He wiggled his fingers. “—to convince a whole alpha pack to claim you?” he asked. 

Ridley blinked at him stupidly. “My what?” 

Vesper rolled his eyes. “I get that you’re scared, darling, but I do so hate repeating myself.” 

“I…don’t…understand,” Ridley said, bewildered. 

Had his alphas betrayed him? One look at Titus told him that wasn’t the case. He was pale beneath his tan; his confusion etched on his face. Had Linus said something? But how would he have known? Ridley hadn’t told him what he could do. He never told anyone outside of his pack. 

The others looked spooked. 

“Do you know what I do?” Vesper asked Ridley in a sing-song voice that sent a chill up his spine. 

“You-You’re a b-broker?” he managed faintly. 

“Ew, that’s such a cheap, trashy word,” he said, lip curling in disgust. “I’m a curator. Do you know what curating means?” 

Ridley’s stomach churned at his condescension. “You collect art?” 

“I seek out only the finest pieces, the most sought after treasures. I help discerning buyers add to their collections.” 

Ridley might actually throw up. “Pieces? You mean omegas?” 

Once more Vesper rolled his eyes like Ridley’s indignation annoyed him. “That is my primary resource, yes.” 

“So you’re a trafficker. No better than them,” Ridley spit, pointing at his own alphas. “No. You’re worse. They can blame biology. They can try to cling to some ridiculous ideology about an omegas place being ordained by some higher power. But you…you’re selling out your own fucking kind. For what? Money?” 

“Careful, careful,” Vesper said, gold eyes flashing with anger. “I consider myself to be a…tolerant soul, but don’t push it.” 

“Or what?” Ridley shot back. “You’ll sell me?”

“Ridley!” 

The sound of his given name on Titus’s tongue had him snapping his head around to glower at him. His anger died the minute he saw the pleading look in Titus’s gaze and the barely there shake of his head. 

Fuck that. These alphas might be afraid of this fucking asshole but he wasn’t going to cower to someone like this. He refused. He returned his attention to a now smirking Vesper. “What is it about you that has my alphas so worried?” 

“What is it about you that you can openly defy them and they reward you with a pet?” Vesper countered, glancing at Rain. “He is pretty, though. Come here.” 

Rain stumbled forward before Ridley could stop him. Vesper dropped to one knee at the edge of the stage, cupping Rain’s cheek like one might a puppy. Rain immediately leaned into it, so painfully touch-starved he’d accepted his new life as a pet eagerly. 

“So obedient,” Vesper mused, gazing at Rain fondly as he stroked his thumb over his cheek. “How have you escaped my notice? Hmm? Your last owners must have kept you well hidden. Sometimes, the alphas underground forget their place and think they can keep things from me. Hide the best prizes away for themselves. They get greedy and need to be reminded about the hierarchy.” 

“And you rank higher on the scale than my alphas?” Ridley asked. 

“Much higher,” Vesper countered. “Why do you think they look so frightened right now? Go on, look at them. Better yet, have a sniff. They reek of it.” 

Ridley was loath to take his eyes off of Rain for even a moment, but he did as Vesper asked. He was right. The sour stench of their fear was sharp at the back of his throat like smoke. They looked miserable, worried. Impotent with rage. 

Ridley hated seeing them like that, but he couldn’t worry about them right now. He needed to figure out what Vesper’s end game was. He turned back to the other omega, his rage overtaking his fear. “What do you want with me? Are you planning on snatching me up for one of your collectors? I’m bonded. Mated. Claimed. Any collector you find would have to be okay watching me wither and die without my alpha, without my pack. Seems like a waste of their money.” 

Vesper giggled, high and maniacal. “The irony of that statement is so delicious. It’s a shame you’ll never appreciate it. While there’s a market for everything, dearie, I’m not here to collect you.” 

“So why am I here?” 

Vesper looked at Titus, even as he spoke to Ridley. “If I was the spiteful type, I’d take you as punishment, shove you in a cage and force your pack to pay me to watch you suffer.” He flicked his gaze at the others. “Then I’d make an example out of these…alphas.” He said the last word like it disgusted him. “But that’s not why I brought you here.” 

“No?” Ridley asked, some of the tension slipping from his shoulders but not by much. 

“No,” Vesper said, returning to his chair, this time flopping back into it and kicking a leg over the side like some bored royal. “Honestly, I just wanted to confirm if my suspicions were true.” 

“What suspicions,” Ridley asked. 

“That you really were her brother.” 

The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. “What did you say?” 

Vesper laughed again. “Oh, look at you. Your hackles are up.” 

“Where’s my sister,” Ridley asked, bile creeping up his throat. 

Vesper leaned in close. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he asked in that same creepy sing-song voice. 

Ridley snarled, surging forward only for Titus and Sugar to converge on him, dragging him back before Vesper’s guards could intercede. “Where is she? What did you do with her?” he screamed. 

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Vesper simpered, his smile cruel. “She was…delicious. A rare find.” He grimaced. “Even with her foul mouth.” 

“Where is she,” he shouted again, fighting against the alphas keeping him restrained. “Where’s my sister?” 

“Oh, knock it off,” Vesper said. “Your shouting is giving me a migraine. I’ll make you a deal. You answer my questions and I’ll answer yours. It’s just that easy.” To Rain, he said, “Go sit down, pet. The grown ups are talking.” 

Rain blinked at him, as if attempting to process the order, then turned, eyes seeking Jensen, giving the alpha questioning look. When he gave him a single nod, the omega went to him, then sank to the floor, cheek landing on his thigh. Jensen’s fingers threaded through his hair, petting him soothingly. 

Ridley thrashed between Titus and Sugar, growling, “Let me go!” 

“Are you going to behave?” Vesper chided, talking to Ridley like an errant toddler. 

“Are you going to tell me where my sister is?” Ridley fired back. 

“Not with that attitude, I’m not,” Vesper said, wagging a finger at him. 

Ridley stopped fighting, letting his alpha’s pheromones soothe him enough to continue playing this game with the other omega. 

“I’m fine. Let me go,” Ridley snapped, shaking off their touch as soon as they loosened their hold. Ridley turned to glower at Vesper. “What do you want to know?” 

“How about this?” Vesper said. “For every question of mine you answer, I’ll answer one of yours in return. The only caveat is, you can’t ask me where your sister is until the end. Deal?” 

Ridley snorted. “How do I know you won’t just lie?” 

“You’re clairvoyant, right?” Vesper asked. 

How did he know so much? 

“Are we playing already,” Ridley countered, gritting his teeth. 

“If you want to know if I’m telling the truth, come touch me. You can control your gifts, yes?” Vesper asked, holding out a hand. 

No. Ridley had no control over what he saw or when. He also had no idea how Vesper knew any of this. But all he could do was bluff. “I’m allowed to touch you?” 

“Oh, I encourage it,” he said, holding out his hand and wiggling his fingers. “Come, come.” 

Ridley startled as one of Vesper’s guards gripped him by the waist, then hauled him up, setting him on the stage. Before he could stand, Vesper sank to the floor beside him, crossing his legs and holding out his hands like he expected Ridley to clasp them. Ridley mirrored his posture, their knees touching. 

Comfy? 

Ridley gasped, his gaze snapping to Vesper’s. He hadn’t spoken allowed, but in Ridley’s head. What’s happening right now? What are you doing?

Vesper raised a brow at him, the barest hint of a smile on his face. Oh, good. It’s working. I thought she was lying. Or crazy. 

My sister? 

Mm, she was exquisite. I’m sure you know what a rare find she was. Red hair, blue eyes, those freckles.

Was? Past tense? Ridley tried not to squirm. He could feel the others staring at them in confusion. Is that how you know about me? You…what? Read her mind? 

You see pictures in your head, no?

Yes. Can you? 

No, I get…thoughts. Imagine everyone in the world’s thoughts floating in the air above us, I can just sort of pluck them out of the sky when I’m close enough. And if I’m touching someone, like now, I can hear them with crystal clarity. 

But how can I hear you?

Vesper tilted his head. That’s an excellent question. My guess is your gift and mine are…kindred. I suspected as much. Though it's clear you still have no idea the power you hold. But that’s okay. You’re young. 

Is this what you wanted to show me? Is this what you wanted to ask? If I’m clairvoyant? Yes, I am. Did I use that gift to get those alphas to claim me? Yes, I did. Where’s my sister? Is she okay? Is she alive? 

Vesper tore his hands from Ridley’s, pouting. “You’re not playing by the rules.” 

“I don’t understand what you want from me?” Ridley cried. 

“You would if you’d respect the rules of the game,” Vesper countered, holding his hands out delicately once more. 

“Fine,” Ridley muttered, teeth clenched once more. 

Ridley took Vesper’s hands. What do you want to know?

What happened to your chip?

What was Ridley supposed to say to that? I stole a pen knife from one of the New Guard and asked a little girl to cut it out for me. It hurt like a bitch but she was the only one of us they hadn’t bothered tying up.

If you’re going to lie, at least be convincing. I know your alphas removed your chip. I just don’t know why. Tell me the truth. 

I don’t know.

Last chance, then I end the game for good and you can spend the rest of your life wondering if your sister’s still alive. 

Fuck. I…they…they… He turned to look at Titus and the others, then back at Vesper. They remove all of the chips of the omegas they buy. That way nobody can track where they’re sent. They don’t want other alphas poaching their buyers. 

Vesper studied him for a moment. Ridley tried not to think of anything but the lie. 

Very good. Thank you for your honesty. Now that I know you’re planning on telling the truth, ask your first question. 

What was he supposed to do? He only had one question and he wasn’t allowed to ask it until the end. How long ago did my sister arrive?

Vesper shrugged. Three weeks, give or take. My turn, how did you get your alpha to agree to a collar?

That was Vesper’s question? The truth? They all do what I tell them. They have since I let them take my virginity during my first heat. 

But why? Vesper persisted. 

Nope. My turn. How did my sister end up with you? 

I have scouts. Little birds that fly around and look for the newly presented. The diamonds amongst the weeds. Your sister was giving the New Guard such a hard time that they practically begged me to take her off their hands. 

That sounded like Ren. What happened once you got her? 

Uh-uh. My turn. Is the little one really your pet? Or a rescue? Do you have a savior complex, Ridley Christianson?

Depends.

Vesper arched his brow. On what?

On whether you plan on telling my alphas or not. 

Vesper laughed, delighted, startling the others in the room. Your secrets are safe with me, darling. 

The alpha who won Rain in a match a few weeks ago—Rurik. He kicked me in the face for talking to him, another omega, even though I hadn’t violated any rules. So I made an example out of him. 

And your alphas just…let you?

Ridley ignored his question. It was his turn. What happened to my sister once she arrived here?

Are you asking me to explain my intake process? 

Yes. Is it a secret?

No. Just lengthy, but I’ll try to sum it up. When someone is brought to me they’re stripped, their clothes burned. That’s to prevent any scent tracking. They then undergo a physical examination in a sterile environment. Their blood is taken for typing, fertility levels, DNA anomalies, and so on. Their old chips are removed and I give them a new one. Then I have them classed. 

Ridley frowned. Classed?

Technically, Vesper could have chosen not to answer but he seemed to like talking about this. 

Mm, just because some lackey thinks an omega is a jewel, it doesn’t make it so. But once they’re in my care, I still need to make a profit after all that testing. 

The lowest class omegas are farm stock. They go to the breeders or the labs, whoever makes the highest offer. 

The Performers—the ones with some key wow factor—we fix them up, make them worthy, then send them to the brothels. 

The Collectors are where I make the bulk of my money—those are my omegas with rare features, behaviors or even genetics—they go on the auction block for the elites to haggle over. 

But the ones I’m always looking for, the true money makers are those like you and I. The Mystics—clairvoyants, mediums, multiples, bonded omegas—those are the ones that are bought and sold to private collectors, the ones never seen by the public. 

This sick fuck. Which one was my sister? 

Vesper tilted his head, a challenge in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. You really want to know? 

Don’t play games with me.

Vesper tsked. But games are so much fun. 

Ridley was going to kill this man someday. What did you do with her? 

Vesper sighed. She was classed as a collector, of course. Her red hair and blue eyes made her a true asset on the auction block. I knew she’d sell quickly. But then we put her in the observation room. That’s how we ascertain their temperment. Our buyers like to know what they’re getting into. Some alphas truly enjoy playing with the broken toys. You know? 

What the fuck does that mean?

You’re not following the rules-

Fuck your rules. What happened to my sister? 

Vesper rolled his eyes. Fine. She was a liability almost from the beginning. When the New Guard said she was uncooperative, we had no idea they meant feral. She was fine during the initial intake process but once she was in the observation room, she…devolved psychologically. If she wasn’t sedated, she was lashing out, attempting to mutilate herself and anyone else in her path, including my other little jewels. 

Ridley could feel tears pricking the back of his eyes. What did you do with her?

Vesper didn’t answer. I was too hasty. It was only later, as I was reviewing her footage, trying to ascertain when she’d broken, that I understood her true value. She babbled, sometimes for hours. Most of it was nonsense, but not all of it. That’s how I learned about you. Her twin. Her bonded omega. That’s why she was unraveling. She severed your tie. She didn’t want me to find you. She knew what I’d do if I did. But, by then, it was too late. 

What does that mean? Too late? Did you…did you kill her?

What? Of course not. Like I said, she was still valuable. Most of my clients would never take someone as feral and damaged as her, but there’s one. He doesn’t care about that. In fact, he gets off on watching them struggle. She was a perfect match. 

For who? 

The dollmaker. 

Ridley really was going to vomit. 

Who’s the dollmaker? 

Vesper gave him a smile that made Ridley’s insides grow cold. I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. But I can tell you what he does with them. But I don’t think you want to know. 

Tell me.

It's exactly as it sounds. He takes the prettiest omegas and turns them into living, breathing, toys. Completely helpless. Totally dependent. Fully aware, but unable to move. Pretty little dolls for him and his friends to use however they like. 

Ridley was shaking now, trying to fight the breakfast clawing its way up his throat. Tell me where she is!

I’m afraid I can’t do that. 

Ridley dropped Vesper’s hands, jerking away from him as he shouted, “You fucking asshole. You said you’d tell me where she is.”

Vesper rolled his eyes, getting to his feet in one graceful motion. “No, I simply said you couldn’t ask until the end.” 

“Where is she?” Ridley snarled. 

Vesper flopped back into his chair. “Save your ire, darling, lest you suffer a similar fate.” He looked at Titus. “I’m finished with him. Get him out of here.” Ridley tried to fight Titus’s hold as he pulled him from the stage, wrapping himself around him tightly, keeping his arms at his sides.

Vesper looked down his nose at them. “I’m not, however, finished with you lot. I have questions that need answering. But we’ll put a pin in it for now. It seems your poor omega is…overwrought.” 

Ridley was still fighting Titus’s hold, tears were streaming down his face. “Where is she? Tell me who you sold her to. You promised.” 

Vesper shook his head, looking disgusted by Ridley’s display of grief. “My God, you’re as tedious as she was. Your sister is beyond saving. She’s been with him for days. That severed bond was likely her last gift to you. Don’t squander it. The kindest thing you could do for yourself, is forget she ever existed.” 

“Who is he?” Ridley shouted again. “You have to know.” 

Vesper waved his hand. “The dollmaker works through a broker, darling. Nobody knows who he is. He’s too elusive. All I know is he’s very powerful and will kill to keep his privacy. Give up on Ren, Ridley. It’s what she’d want. You’ll never find her and even if you did, there won’t be much left worth saving.” 

Ridley shook his head. No. No way. He wasn’t letting it end like that. 

“You have to have something? Some records?” Ridley begged. “Something? You said she was chipped. Can’t you track it? Please?” 

Vesper gave another long suffering sigh. “Your sister never completed the intake. He bought her…unfinished. Her chip is intact, but inactive.” 

“So activate it!” 

Vesper’s laugh echoed through the space, making Ridley shake with rage and Rain whine in fear.

“I won’t be doing that.” To Jensen, he said, “And don’t get any ideas about hacking my system either, mutt. You won’t find what you’re looking for.” 

“Please, I’ll-I’ll do anything,” Ridley sobbed, becoming dead weight in Titus’s arms. 

Vesper’s golden eyes lit up. He tilted his head. “Anything, you say? That’s…bold.” 

“Ridley, don’t,” Titus growled in his ear. 

Ridley ignored him. “Just give me something. Anything.” 

Vesper just shook his head like Ridley was a lost cause. “Fine. Let's just say this. You owe me a favor. One day, I’ll ask for something and you’ll do it. No questions asked.” 

“Done.” 

“Ridley!” Titus snapped. 

“Shut up. I don’t care. I’ll do it. Tell me who he is,” Ridley pleaded. 

“I told you, I don’t know. What I do know is that the broker he uses goes by Rook on the darknet. But he’s equally dangerous. Maybe even more so. He holds the lives of many powerful men in his hands.” 

“The rook…” Ridley said, his lips curling around the vowels. He looked at Vesper. “Thank you.” 

Vesper scoffed. “Thanking me for signing your death warrant. Cute.” 

 Ridley had stopped listening. He had a clue. A path to follow. Something. He wasn’t about to let his sister live as some living breathing sex toy for some rich alpha. Not after she severed their connection to protect him. Fuck that. He’d just needed a place to start. And now he had one. Even if he’d just sold his soul to the devil.

The Rook. One of the most powerful pieces on the chessboard. But there was one piece more powerful. One piece with the combined power of the rook and the bishop. 

The Queen.