Free Motor City Witch by Cindy Spencer Pape Page A

request prior to the moment I was called—a couple of hours after the reception.”
    Aidan leaned both hands on the table and glared at Des. “And you couldn’t have mentioned that earlier?”
    Des shrugged. “It didn’t come up. But yeah, apparently the bastard has a contact among the Wyndewin . This purity thing may go deeper than you thought.”
    “I wonder…” Greg drummed his fingers on the table. “There’ve been some weird rumblings in the shifter world, too—loners who think we should stop keeping ourselves secret from the humans.”
    “But the whole point of the Wyndewin League is to keep paranormals from messing with humans,” Elise argued. “I can’t see anyone in the league working against humanity. And certainly not helping kidnap a Wyndewin child.”
    “I hope not,” Des countered. “But I got that call from the director in Toronto. As soon as we find Dina, I’m going to go up there, find out what the hell is going on and kick some ass.”
    “Fine. Right now we need to find out where the hell Oswald is keeping his prisoners.” Aidan smacked his hand down on the table. “It may or may not be Underhill. If he has a djinn working for him, there’s no way to tell. Ric, since you’re here, I’d like you to go see what you can find out at Court, liaise with Baldric and check in with Willow. Greg, you are Meagan’s shadow and personal bodyguard while Ric is gone, Desmond, you keep an eye on your sister.”
    ***
    Elise’s blood boiled. How dare he take command and relegate her to nothing more than sitting and waiting? That was not happening, not when it was her child, her baby, who was missing.
    “Ummm, not exactly helpless here.” Meagan laid a hand on Elise’s arm right before Elise leapt to her feet. “I mean, yeah, I’m not going to go looking for a fight right now, but I’m computer savvy enough to take the place of one of your security officers so he can be out in the field. Elise is even better than I am. And we sure as hell don’t need both Des and Greg out of the action to babysit us if we’re right here in the house.”
    “Of course. I should have thought of that. Wallis, meet your two new recruits.” Aidan rubbed his temples as if his head was throbbing and Elise’s anger softened a touch. Had he gotten any sleep? Elise checked the clock for the first time since she’d risen—she’d only managed a couple hours—he’d had even less.
    Wallis nodded. “Where do you want me to send the extra men?”
    “With Sir Alaric,” Aidan decided. “Lord Rose, rather.”
    “Just call me Ric. It’s easier.”
    Elise didn’t think the bard was quite used to being a lord yet.
    “As the mate of a council member, he may already have a target on his back as well.” Aidan’s hands fiddled with a pen he’d popped in from somewhere.
    Meagan bit her lower lip, as if that notion hadn’t occurred to her. When Ric absently laid his hand over hers on Meagan’s tummy, Elise’s eyes watered. She hoped Meagan appreciated how lucky she was to be going through her pregnancy with the man she loved beside her.
    “Desmond, if you don’t mind, why don’t you and Elise go back to her house? She can pick up anything she needs and you can see if there’s anything you recognize in the residual magic.”
    A light flashed on the phone in front of Wallis and he held up a hand for silence as he clicked on the speakerphone. “Greene residence.”
    “Lord Green Oak,” came a snarling voice. The accent wasn’t the near-British Elise had come to expect from the Fae. Instead it had an almost Middle Eastern cadence. Could this be the djinni everyone was talking about? “Now.”
    “One moment please.” Wallis clicked the hold button on, nodded to Aidan and switched it back.
    “Green Oak here.” Aidan’s voice was icy enough to remind Elise that he hadn’t made much of a leap from pirate to corporate raider. “Who’s this?”
    “You don’t need to know that. All you need to know is that we