I toss the phone in my father’s lap, struggling to contain my anger. Donnie presses beneath my skin, and the closer we get to our destination, the more my anger increases.
He is going to pay; he is going to pay for taking him, for hurting him, and he is going to pay with his life, no matter the consequences afterward. I will deal with Dominic afterward.
The city is alive. Neon lights are seen as we come over the hill, heading toward the city limits. I don’t dare to slow. I need to make sure he is okay. I need him where I know he is safe and loved – back in our arms, in Sage’s, where she will nurture and love him. He is ours even if not by blood. I love him just as much as if he were.
“Next left,” my father says, and I see the Safari Casino come into view. The streets are crawling with people, clubs are pumping and packed full, all the shop lights are on, and people are moving about. The place never sleeps.
“Should be on the corner on your right.” He mutters.
“He crossed a road by himself.” I growl, looking at the traffic. I stop double parking, and cars honk their horns.
“Malik, find a parking spot and meet us inside,” I tell him, climbing out of the car.
Malik jumps over the seats and into the driver’s seat, and my father climbs out and walks over to the curb. Malik pulls the car away looking for a parking spot. Walking over, I look at the restaurant windows. Red lanterns hang from the inside, and I can’t read the Chinese writing scrawled in gold along the black walls as we step inside the dimly lit restaurant.
A woman greets us as we step in. My father talks to her, giving the woman the owner’s name who we are looking for.
Andrei
“Right this way,” she says as we walk past all the round tables, and towards the kitchen.
“Tom, two men are here to see you,” the woman tells the owner and disappears somewhere.
A man in his early twenties comes over with his hand out. “Tom. Which one of you is Andrei?” The man asks.
“I am,” I tell him, shaking his hand.
“No, offense my friend, but I need to see some ID. I will not hand a kid over if I am not sure you are the person the boy asked me to call.” He announces and I barely hold back from grinning. This is the type of attitude everyone should have.
I grab my wallet and hand him my ID. Tom looks at it and reaches over to grab his phone off the bench. He pulls a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, the same piece of paper I wrote my number on and gave to Jonah before he was taken.
“Just a precaution,” he says, and I nod. I don’t care that he is wasting time, making sure I am the same person he seeks. In fact, I am glad he is being so careful.
I’m just glad he wouldn’t have handed Jonah over to anyone else. He calls my number, and my phone rings in my father’s hand. He shows the man, and he nods as he reads the number.
“Do you mind if I take your picture to show Jonah, so I can verify you are the man he asked for?” Tim asks, and I shake my head.
“Go for it,” I tell him, and he quickly snaps a photo and rushes off somewhere.
My father looks around at the chefs, most of them stare at us, and we must look out of place. We put on the first things we grabbed, and I am in a wrinkled shirt and jeans. My father is dressed in a tank top and jeans.
“He came, he came for me!” I hear a squeal and look toward the door Tom had walked through earlier.
Jonah comes running toward us, and I rush over, scooping him up and hugging him tight while burying my face in his neck. “You came for me,” he says, his arms tight around my neck.
“Of course I did. I will always come for you, Jonah. You are mine. I should never have let you go,” I tell him.
“You promise?” Jonah asks.
“I promise, I will even pinkie promise,” I tell him, and he pulls back smiling. He holds his pinky up, and I grab it with mine, kissing his cheek. “I missed you so much,” I tell him, squeezing him.
“I missed you too. I can come home now, right? Will you take me home?” He asks right as I notice the handprint on his cheek, his ear red, and I turn his face. A growl emanates out of me, and my father coughs loudly, making me remember that humans surround me.
“I am taking you home, and you are never leaving again.” I tell him. Jonah nods and rests his head on my shoulder. I turn to the owner and nod, “thank you.”
“It is fine. I am just glad he didn’t get hit by a car. He nearly caused an accident when I grabbed him off the road,” Tom says, and my stomach drops. “He said his uncle was supposed to be watching him, but he didn’t want to go back.” Tom adds.
“Custody dispute. He won’t be going back there,” I assure him.
“I am glad. He has a few bruises on his arms and legs. I was nearly tempted to call the police until I spoke to Dominic Octavian. I called him an hour ago. He said to let you take him.” The moment he brings up the name, I struggle to hide my shock and disgust that the very name brings to me.
“You know Dominic Octavian?” I ask him.
“Yes, Dominic owns half the city. Everyone knows who he is. I rent this place from him. Good man, but not someone I would want to cross. Anyway, I know what you are, so it is probably best I didn’t call the police, he needs to be with his species,” Tom adds in a rather careless tone.
“Bye, Jonah,” Tom waves to him.
“Wait!” My father says as he tries to give Tom an envelope full of cash.
“No, I want nothing. He is a good kid. I am just glad he is okay,” Tom says and walks off back to his station in the kitchen.
“Come on, let’s get you home,” I tell Jonah, and he nods against my shoulder. We walk out to see Malik talking to the woman at the service counter. “Ah, that’s them,” he says, rushing over.
“Hey, kiddo,” Malik says, brushing Jonah’s hair from his face.
“You look tired. You can sleep on the way home,” Malik tells him.