Forbidden Hunger by R.L. Kenderson
Nineteen
Ram heardcommotion in the main room, so he closed his computer and left his room.
He immediately sought out Siya to make sure she was okay. Even though she was his responsibility to protect, he sensed that she needed some time without him in her space. He used his blood connection with her to make sure she wasn’t in any danger and left her alone.
Once he confirmed that Siya was safe and okay, his eyes turned to Reid.
“Reid,” Saxon yelled, and the redheaded shifter came out of his room.
“What’s the news?” Vance asked Reid as Ram went over to Siya and stood behind her.
“Monica called and quit the after-school program. She didn’t use her own phone, but I got the number, and I was able to track the location of where she is.” Reid grinned at the announcement of his news and handed a piece of paper to Vance. “It’s an apartment building, so I can’t pinpoint which apartment, but it’s a start.”
“We need to get over there—now,” Saxon said.
“Reid, I need you to call everyone who isn’t here and send them to this address.”
“I can go,” Saxon said.
“I need you to stay here with Ram,” Vance said. “No point in having someone else come home and you leaving.”
“Understood.” Saxon looked disappointed, but he didn’t argue.
“I need to take care of some things in my office,” Vance said. “Keep me updated on any changes.”
“Will do,” Reid said, and then Vance said good-bye.
Once the alpha was gone, Demi walked over to Saxon and wrapped her hand around his arm. “Are you bored, being here?”
He looked at her and smiled. “When you’re around, never. But I would like to find that bitch and her brother.”
“Same. At least you’ll have a chance if they don’t find her today,” Demi said.
“Brother?” Siya asked. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
“What do you know about Monica?” Ram asked.
“Just what was told to me at the hospital.”
“Basically,” Reid chimed in, “Monica Dahl was recruiting girls from an after-school program to be sex workers for her. A wolf-shifter teen went missing, and that’s how Damien and the wolf-shifter sentinels were brought in. Around the same time, it was also discovered that there was an illegal fighting ring going on. What we all didn’t know was that the two males who ran the fighting ring were Monica’s brothers. We found out when one of them died.”
Siya gasped.
“Wayne Dahl was killed the night before Raven, a wolf-shifter sentinel, rescued two teens from the after-school program. We’re pretty sure it’s all connected because Wayne died at the site of a fight. There haven’t been any fights since that night, and Monica disappeared. No one has seen her or Frank, the other brother, since then.”
“How do you know all this?” Ram asked. He didn’t even have all these details.
“It’s my job,” Reid said.
That made sense.
“Anyway, Monica had taken time off from the after-school program, but as of today, she quit.”
“My guess is, it’s because she was sighted at the hospital. She knows we’re onto her for sure now,” Ram said.
Siya shivered. “I hope they find her.”
Ram frowned. He understood where Siya was coming from, but if that happened, she would just leave and return home. He didn’t want that.
“I don’t want to sit around here and wait all day to hear something,” Saxon said.
“You could take Siya and me somewhere,” Demi said. “We haven’t gone shopping in ages.”
“Absolutely not,” Ram said a little too firmly.
All eyes turned to him.
“I can’t go outside.”
“You went outside yesterday,” Demi pointed out.
“Which is why I shouldn’t do it again.”
“What if we went to a movie?” Demi said. “It’s dark in there. We could pick you up and drop you off at the doors.” She put her head on Saxon’s shoulder. “Please tell Ram he needs to go to the movies.”
“I’m not his boss,” Saxon said at the same time Ram said, “He’s not my boss.”
Siya put her hands up. “It’s fine. We’ll stay here. No need to take an unnecessary risk.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she sighed. “But is there somewhere I can go and be alone?”
Not only did she appear distressed, but he could also sense it in her blood, so before Ram could think about it, he opened his mouth and said, “Fine. We can go to a movie.”
Saxon narrowed his eyes at Ram. “Speak for yourself.”
Demi pumped her fist in the air and yelled, “Yes.”
Ram looked at Saxon. “Too late. If I’m going, you’re going.”
* * *
The movie ended up being not that bad. The females had taken pity on Ram and Saxon and picked a comedy they all could enjoy. It had helped pass the time because when they got home, there still wasn’t any news about the Monica search.
But unfortunately for Ram, being outside two days in a row meant he needed to feed. Siya’s blood had been like a little treat to him last night, but he needed something stronger. He needed vampire blood.
Once they were back, he excused himself, went to his room, and closed the door. He pulled out his cell and called a friend.
“Hello?”
“Bianca? It’s Ram.”
“Hey you.”
“Hey.”
“You need me to come over?”
“Yeah.”
“Tonight?”
He didn’t want to be demanding, but he feared that if Siya’s life was in danger, he wouldn’t be much use to her or her safety until after he fed. “If that works for you?”
If she said no, he had other friends he could call, but Bianca was usually his go-to person. They’d known each other since they were little, and he trusted her.
“I can be there right after dark. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”
“See you then.”
Feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Ram left his room and joined the others.