Page 19 of Beautiful Sight
“Good morning,” the woman’s greeting was almost snippy. “Alpha Jefferson, the others are waiting for you in the conference room. If you’d like, I can show your mate around the building while you’re busy.”
She tensed, her fingertips digging into the muscle of Jefferson’s arm at the thought of being dependent on this woman who hated her without even knowing her.
Jefferson’s hand came up and covered her hand as he said, “Thanks, Marla, but I need her in this meeting. Would you have security send up four guards for our shopping trip once we’re finished here?”
“Of course, sir.” Marla’s almost obsequious tone set the hair on the back of Tessa’s neck to standing on end.
“Thank you,” Jefferson said before turning her and escorting her down the hall. They walked a dozen steps before turning right and entering a room where a handful of men were speaking quietly.
Jefferson stopped long enough to close the door before guiding her to a chair near the doorway. “Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet my mate, Tessa Dubois.”
Tessa smiled as the men around the room greeted her. After Jefferson sat down to her right, he took her hand in his and laced their fingers together.
“Tessa, from right to left we have Jacobi Wilson, whom you met yesterday, Dickinson Seaton, the lead attorney for the supernaturals, Kingsley James, the city’s most power mage, and Livingston Daniels, the leader of the city’s vampire coven.”
“Hello,” Tessa said softly, the power that emanated from each man roaring over her. “I hope we didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
“We completely understand why you’ve been incommunicado of late,” a beautiful Jamaican accented voice responded. “Some of us have been in the same place. We’re honored you were able to join us.”
Tessa smiled at the compliment at the same time her cheeks grew warm with embarrassment. Squeezing Jefferson’s hand, she sat back with the hope of becoming invisible.
“All right, gentlemen, let’s get started,” Jefferson said.
The conversations ranged from dealing with a band of ghosts that were plaguing one neighborhood on the edge of town to a peace treaty being negotiated with the city’s gnome population. Tessa sat back, and though she had thoughts on the various topics discussed, she remained silent. Finally, the topic of conversation turned to the traffickers and how to keep the women safe, both bland and supernatural.
“What’s a bland?” she asked, finally breaking her silence.
“A bland is what the supernatural population calls humans. They have no special talents or magic, and are therefore…”
“Bland,” she finished for him.
“My question for Tessa is, how did the traffickers keep the supernaturals from rebelling?” Jacobi asked.
“The women I talked to told me the room had steel imbedded in the concrete walls so they couldn’t break through.”
“Yes, that’s what I heard,” Tessa said. “They also did not feed us for the three days I was held. We only had water and a toilet, but even that was pretty foul. I think they also threatened to hurt the so-called blands if the stronger women tried anything.”
“That all lines up with what the other women told me,” Jacobi said. “We’ve identified all the traffickers, but there was no one named Sonny. And we still haven’t found your son, Tessa. I’m sorry.”
Tessa took a deep breath. “You wouldn’t have. He would not have been at the sale, he would have left that up to his associates and underlings. He probably took a trip somewhere during the auction. Has anyone contacted the police for their help? If he’s been around, local, state, or federal law enforcement might have him on their radar.”
“We don’t normally involve the blands in our investigations, but I’ll make some discreet inquiries,” Jacobi said, sounding impressed at her suggestion.
Tessa nodded and then swallowed hard. “You might also want to check with the morgues and hospitals to see if Theo has shown up there. Sonny wouldn’t have been happy at losing the money he would have made at the auction and no doubt needs someone to blame.”
“Does Theo have any scars or tattoos we should be looking for?”
Tessa thought back to the last time she had actually seen her son and quickly described the variety of tattoos he’d had. “He’s also had all his wisdom teeth removed, but otherwise his teeth were in excellent condition,” she added as an afterthought.
“Thank you, Ms. Dubois. I’ll get on this right now.” With that, Jacobi strode from the conference room.
Jefferson squeezed her hand. “If that’s everything, my mate and I have some serious shopping to get to.”
****
The guards he had requested were waiting just outside the conference room and followed when they escorted the others to the public elevators.
Then he led her back to his private elevator. Once the six of them were inside, Jefferson pulled Tessa into his arms and hugged her. “Thank you, tigress.”