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Vidar made Charlie wait just inside the door, while Caine and a group of his men secured the area. He then hurried her into the car. Caine took the front passenger seat again.
“You know I’m not in more danger now than before we had the meeting? It’s you two and the rest of the magical beings that are in danger,” Charlie pointed out.
“If we are vulnerable, then so are you. Anyone of us would protect you from harm, but if we are weakened, so is your protection,” Caine told her.
“That is why Caine will be staying with us until this is sorted,” Vidar told her. Charlie looked at him with surprise.
“He is?”
“Why are you surprised by that, baby? We discussed it before we left the bar,” Vidar said.
“That was what you were talking about? You need to give a girl a vowel or something to help. me understand,” she said and laughed.
“You don’t mind?” Caine asked.
“Not at all,” she reassured him. Charlie had a feeling that even if she were to object, Vidar wouldn’t back down from this. “This won’t affect me going back to work tomorrow, right?”
she asked.
“Charlie, maybe now isn’t the best time,” Vidar said.
“Oh no. I’m going back to the office tomorrow. I have been looking forward to it for days.”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but things have changed.”
“But your office is still just as secure as the apartment, probably even more so. Isn’t that right?” she insisted. There was a long, pregnant silence. “Right?”
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“In a sense.” Vidar finally folded. “But there are other things that will increase the dangers,” he added.
“Like?”
“The travelling to and from the office. That is when you will be most vulnerable.” It had been
Caine who answered her.
“Okay, so how can we make me safer when I travel?”
“Short of using an armoured truck, we have already every precaution in place,” Vidar told her.
“Well then,” she said.
“No, that is not what I mean. What I meant was that even with everything in place, it’s still dangerous,” Vidar explained.
“Okay. But if we have taken all the precautions we can, I’m fine with it. I trust the two of you,” Charlie said and thought the issue was done.
“I’m flattered you trust me. But I won’t allow it, I forbid you to go,” Vidar said. Charlie looked at him and she could sense more than see the two men up front exchanging glances.
“You forbid me?” she asked in a deceivingly calm manner.
“Yes,” he told her with a nod. He sounded satisfied, as if he had found the solution to a particularly annoying issue.
“Is there someone you should have asked before making the decision?” Charlie asked. Vidar
looked confused.
“Caine, do you think it’s a good idea?” he then asked. Charlie could hear Caine groan from
the front seat. He had understood what Vidar had missed.
“I’m not going to answer that,” Caine muttered.
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“He gets it,” Charlie told Vidar.
“Gets what?”
“Me, Vidar. You should have asked me! Not Caine, not Malcom, but me. I’m the one who’s life you are making decisions about. I get a say in it. Scratch that, I get all the say in it,” Charlie
told him.
“Are you upset with me?” he asked.
“Of course I am!”
“Why? I’m only trying to protect you,” he said, sounding confused and irritated.
“Do you remember what happened last time you tried
to ‘protect‘ me without telling me?”
she asked. Vidar looked uncomfortable and shifted in his seat.
“Yes,” he mumbled.
“You almost pushed me away because I thought you didn’t like me,” Charlie continued.
“But you know how I feel now,” he objected.
“I do, but I can still think you’re an asshole if you don’t let me be a part of decisions that directly affect me.”
“But it will keep you safe.”
“So will locking me in a bunker in the middle of nowhere. That doesn’t mean I think it’s a good idea. And don’t get any ideas about the bunker. If you even try, I will make sure you won’t have any biological children,” Charlie told him. Vidar flinched at the threat in her
voice.
“So what are you suggesting?” he asked.
“That we continue as planned.”
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“Charlie, baby, it’s too dangerous. I’m not going to risk you,” he objected. “Caine will soon have a lead on Millard, and all of this will be over.”
“Right, because we are at such a good point in the investigation. Do we know where Millard is? No. Do we know what he wants? No. Do we know why he is doing this? No. Do we know when he is planning on doing it? No.” Charlie was counting out just how little they knew.
“I’m good at what I do,” Caine insisted from the front seat, and Charlie felt a little guilty. She didn’t mean to make it sound as he was incompetent.
“I’m sure you are the best, honey,” she told him, and leaned forward to pat him on the shoulder. “Look, I don’t know a thing about witches except from what you have told me. But isn’t it possible he is using this witch to help him hide? And isn’t it then also possible that regardless of how good Caine is, we won’t find Millard until he wants us to, or until we find a more powerful witch to counteract his one?” Charlie asked. Vidar thought for a moment.
“You might be right,” he admitted.
even
“I didn’t consider Millard using the witch for that,” Caine admitted. Charlie felt proud of
herself.
“See, it’s better when we talk,” she told them as Malcom drove the car into the garage. Both men were silent as Caine checked in with the men that was working security on the building
to make sure it was safe.
“You are right,” Vidar agreed as the three of them were in the elevator on their way up.
“Teamwork is often the most effective way forward,” Caine admitted.
“Good.”
“I still don’t like the idea of you going to work tomorrow,” Vidar told her as they got to the apartment and settled in upstairs on the couches to discuss things through..
“I know, and I’m not saying there aren’t risks. But it’s worth the risk. I’m going to go bananas if I’m left to my own devices day after day,” she said.
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“We don’t want that.” Vidar kissed her cheek.
“No, we don’t,” she agreed. They continued to discuss how they would take her to and from work. Charlie was open for their input and only objected to the most outlandish ideas, like the one that demanded she leave three hours before she would start in the mornings. Just so they could confuse anyone that might tail them. Caine’s phone dinged, and he read the
message.
“Henry has found something out from one of his contacts in the human underworld,” he told
Charlie and Vidar.
“What?” Vidar asked.
“Apparently a Mr Bucanon has been bragging that he is working on something big with an unknown partner. Most recently, he has been saying he and his men have got their hands on so many weapons they will be unstoppable,” Caine said.
“Bucanon? As in Matt Bucanon?” Charlie asked.
“Yes,” Caine confirmed with a nod.
“Baby, why do you know the name of a small–time human gangster? Is there something you
haven’t told me?” Vidar asked.
“Matt Bucanon is Rose’s brother,” she explained.
“Your stepmother has a gangster as a brother? Why didn’t this show in the background information?” Vidar asked Caine.
“I don’t know, it should have,” Caine said, frowning.
“What do you know about him?” Vidar asked Charlie. She shrugged.
“Not much. I was never accepted by her family, so I never went with my family when they visited them. I met him a couple of times when he came to visit Rose and Sophie. He always seems sleazy. He’s the kind of man that gives hugs that lasts too long and who’s hands always. found themselves in places they shouldn’t be. I stayed cleared of him as much as I could,” she
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told him.
“He touched you against your will?” Vidar asked. Both he and Caine had tensed up and were focused on her. Charlie found herself squirming a little at the question.
“Yes. I’m not saying it was right, or that it should be like that. But it wasn’t that big of a
deal,” she said.
“Charlie, it is a big deal every time someone puts a hand on you and you don’t want them to,”
Vidar said.
“Yeah, I get what you are saying, and I agree. It’s just, I don’t know. You learn to brush it off. It’s just a slap on the ass or a squeeze. I saw him maybe once a year.” Vidar pulled her into
his arms.
“I need more information about him,” he told Caine. Caine nodded.
“We could always go straight to the source. Rose adores her brother, and she seemed impressed by you. We could accept their dinner invite,” Charlie suggested.
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