Then she laughed, pulling the phone away from her face as the unstoppable, belly-shaking laughter hit her.
“Sawyer, you could have visited earlier. I’ve been telling the kids you need time to grieve and…” He turned serious on her, which killed her laughter effectively. She was glad he couldn’t see her fidget, growing uncomfortable.
“I need the distraction,” she said softly. “I…Charlie, my entire life for the last few weeks has been grief and trouble. Plus… you don’t know yet and we need to talk.”
“All right. You all can come down whenever you want. My gym is always open to you, Sawyer. Haven’t changed your room at all.”
She smiled. She was going to hurt him with her news. She hadn’t told him yet about Axel. Very few people knew. He deserved to know, though, in case she showed back up on his doorstep, broken and needing help. The possibility was real. Plus, he was publicly her friend. The world knew about Doctor Charles Malcolm and the girl named Sawyer Matthews, once known as Shadow. He could be a target.
She decided she would text Thompson next and have security put on him. Charlie would hate it, but she wasn’t going to let him be vulnerable once the action picked up. And it would. The quiet part of this game was going to end eventually and then everyone would be in danger. This was just another piece of prep for her final game with the older Castello brother.
“We’re planning on leaving in the morning. It’s why I’m calling, you know. I’m going to let you go, though. Stay safe, Charlie.”
“Get some sleep.” He hung up on her and she sighed.
Every time she turned around, it was another thing to do with Axel. She hadn’t even considered that this trip would remind her to keep Charlie safe. She should have thought of it earlier, she really should have. Feeling stupid, she dropped her phone on the bed next to her. Sombra jumped up onto the bed and curled into her side, a warm comfort.
“I didn’t put you at risk with the Triad,” she murmured to her jaguar, “because I was worried you would get hurt. I’m going to need you for this, though. Are you ready?”
Nothing but confidence in her hunting skills came through the bond. A pure, animalistic confidence, knowing that she once ruled the jungle, sitting at the top of her food chain.
Sombra was ready.
An hour later, there was a knock at her door. Without waiting for her to respond, Jasper walked in. “What did Charlie have to say?” he asked casually, walking towards her bed.
“He says we can visit whenever, so we’re still on for tomorrow.” She didn’t need to move to make space for him on the bed. He stretched out on her other side.
“I’ve been thinking more about it. I’m glad we’re so close. You’ve missed Charlie and those kids a lot since we took you away in July.”
“I have,” she agreed. “It’s going to be so good to see them. I should have visited them while we were in the condo, but…something about having a new home again makes it feel easier to relax and make those visits, ya know?”
He nodded. “I think you’ll be happier in the long run.”
“Me too.”
Happiness was something she needed, even just a little of it. There were so many good reasons for her to be unhappy.
She wasn’t going to let Axel take away the reasons she had to live and smile. Not this time.
9
Quinn
Quinn watched his wolves carefully approach the small children, who cautiously reached out to touch big wet noses. Sniffing was happening on both sides of the stand-off. Sombra was even more careful, belly-crawling to a tiny one that couldn’t have been much more than a few inches taller than her and weighed much less than her two hundred pounds.
“You didn’t say you were bringing wild animals!” Charlie complained, waving a hand at the scene as Sawyer laughed.
“They’re our animal bonds! We couldn’t leave them. They’ll be good with the kids, promise.”
Quinn just nodded. From the bond, he could pick up the curiosity and protectiveness of his wolves. These were Sawyer’s kids. Not her pups, but hers. Therefore, they were pack pups. Pack pups deserved to feel safe and have play time.
Quinn chuckled as Scout’s need to play began to escalate into some bouncing around like he always did as a pup himself.
“What’s he doing?” Charlie demanded, stepping closer. No one else was even concerned, but he knew Charlie was protective over the little non-Magi children, even though he knew animal bonds were safe. He’d met Scout, Shade, and Sombra before, but he never thought they would be around a bunch of four to seven year olds. He’d already made that very clear to them when he saw the jaguar and wolves jump out of their vehicles.
“He wants one to play tag. Or all of them. None of the children will be hurt,” Quinn answered, smiling back at the big male. “It’s okay.”
“Do they know they have to be soft?” Charlie asked, calming down as Shade was finally being hugged by one little girl. Sombra was on her back for a belly rub by her tiny new friend. Two kids began to chase Scout, giggling. Anyone watching the scene couldn’t resist a smile either.
“Yeah, they do. They helped raise pack pups and they know humans are more fragile.”
Quinn’s heart squeezed painfully. There was a time when his wolves were excited to play hunting games with the pup they knew Quinn was going to have someday. They had never had the chance.
They had the chance with Sawyer’s strays, so they were going to take it. They made it very clear to him that he would need to fight to get them to stop playing before they dropped from exhaustion.
“Okay…” Charlie backed off after that.
Sawyer was still laughing as the big man walked away. She leaned her shoulder against his. “Sombra loves this. All these unsuspecting people to steal from.” She was chuckling as she said every word, a wide smile on her face.
It was the first one like it he’d seen in a few weeks. She seemed at peace for a moment, even while he knew the idea of Axel being out there was eating her apart. She didn’t let it show. She lived in the moment and only for the moment.
“Yes, I bet she does,” he replied. “Where did the guys wander off to?” He hadn’t been paying attention, because while he trusted their animals, he did want to keep an eye on them. Sombra was still new to being around so many people, and Scout could get too excited if he wasn’t careful. He knew that was why he still had Sawyer next to him as well.
“Zander is teaching a class for the teenagers. Elijah is with Jasper, and they want to talk to Charlie about how they could change up their respective physical therapies. Neither of them really need it anymore. Elijah’s back up to speed, but better safe than sorry.”
“And Vincent?” he asked, glancing at her. A heavy sigh was his reply and she pulled away, nodding towards the front door.
His eyes followed the direction of hers. Vincent hadn’t come in yet. He was smoking outside, staring away from the building. It was almost like he was scared, glancing towards them, looking inside every so often then turning away again.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I have a guess, but I don’t want to push it.” She crossed her arms. “I was hoping this would be some healing for him. A few weeks ago, I considered asking him if he’d want to make a trip with me, but never got the chance. I think it has to do with…”
A nephew. A boy with dark curly hair and olive-green eyes like the rest of the men in his family.
Quinn could understand Vincent’s pain. He’d never even had the chance to meet Henry, and now they were on the case to catch the man who killed him. A brother. A father.
He eyed Sawyer again as she watched Vincent. An old lover.
An enemy.
Axel held many places in the lives of those around him. Quinn only really knew of the man. Sure, they had hunted him. He’d only been in the same space with the evil Magi once, when they fought in that hangar bay and arrested him. Other than that, Quinn was on the outside.
“I can go talk t
o him,” he offered. He had yet to tell his brothers about his own boy. Maybe then Vincent would find the strength to come inside.
“No-”
“I can do it,” he repeated. Vincent deserved to know his pain and what healing he received from this visit, so that maybe he would be strong enough to confront his own. He left Sawyer there and headed for the door. He saw Vincent’s eyes go wide as he approached.
Once outside, he saw Vincent light another cigarette.
“I’m not in the mood for the kids right now,” he said quickly, looking away from Quinn.
“You’re thinking about Henry, and it’s okay to admit that.”
Vincent flinched at the statement but didn’t say anything.
“You should come in. These kids and people are important to Sawyer. She wants us to do gifts with them later.” He tried to soften it, change it to the present.
“Of course she does,” he said softly. “I thought I could, but I can’t, Quinn.”
“If I can, so can you.” He wasn’t going to let his pack leader hide from his pain any longer. Weeks of this. Lashing out and back-tracking, like there was a festering wound somewhere that couldn’t be treated or healed. He needed Vincent to lance it and let the infection out or the festering was going to destroy everything that meant something to him. He just couldn’t let Vincent do that to himself.
“What do you have to do-”
“My son was killed,” he answered, not letting Vincent finish the question. “And if I can go in there and let my wolves play with young ones, so can you. If I can constantly meet children and enjoy their company, knowing my son should be their age… then so can you.”
Vincent dropped his cigarette and cursed as he picked it back up. “Why didn’t you ever tell me you had a son, Quinn?”
“I only told Sawyer while we were in the Amazon. I’ve never even truly told Elijah. Hinted a little, but never said the words. I understand, Vincent. If there’s one thing I get, it’s that.”
“I never even got to know him.” The Italian sighed, flicking his cigarette. “I never got to know him…”
“But you know Sawyer, and she’s told you a lot about him. And she loves these strays like she loved him.”
He saw Vincent’s Adam’s apple bob from a thick swallow. Then he nodded. “Thank you for saying that,” he whispered.
“You won’t feel comfortable the first time, or the second, but one day you’ll look at this as a chance to have the friendships and experiences you should have had with him.” That’s how Quinn and his wolves were going about it. This was another chance, and Sawyer was giving it to them. That made it special.
These children were her second chance, and she was sharing them. With people like him and Vincent.
He wondered what Vincent thought about that as the male looked into the window. Quinn looked as well. Sawyer was watching them and smiled, then a teenager ran up to her, throwing some play punches. She responded in kind, landing a soft blow on the boy’s stomach. Both were laughing as she hugged him close and it was returned.
“Come inside,” Quinn ordered. “Enjoy it, heal, or don’t, but don’t darken this for her. She’s been working hard for you and all of us so we could take the time to get a new home and James settled.”
“That makes it worse,” Vincent said. “I thought I was okay for so long now. Axel was behind bars. I grieved Henry and the missed chance. And now…”
Ah. Quinn could see. Axel being free didn’t just tear open one wound. He tore open all of Vincent’s wounds. He reopened scars and flayed Vincent by just breathing.
And for that, Quinn felt the rage he knew was building in Sawyer, deep in her heart. He’d caught glimpses of it. Now he truly understood. How dare this Magi do this to his pack’s leader, his friend, his brother. Vincent belonged to him, not this other Castello. Vincent belonged to her.
No. He wasn’t okay with all the pain Vincent felt just because his littermate walked free. Being born of the same bitch didn’t mean he should be allowed to have so much power.
And Quinn was tired of having to tell Vincent that Axel didn’t matter. He had brothers. He didn’t need Axel.
“You have a pack. Put that male out of your head before I start getting pissed off. I’m tired of him hurting you, Vincent.” The words were growled out and angry. “I told you. He isn’t your brother. I am. Jasper, Zander, and Elijah. We’re your family. Sawyer is your mate. Forget that male. He’s just the enemy.”
And he’s a dead one. If Sawyer didn’t get the chance, Quinn decided he would. No male deserved the right to live if he could continuously inflict this sort of pain on those he was supposed to be in a pack with. No male deserved to have a brother or a son if this was what he did to them.
“One day, I’ll get annoyed with you for giving me that speech,” Vincent responded softly. “But I’m always grateful for it.”
“I just don’t understand why you hold on to him and you let him cause you so much pain,” Quinn said with exasperation. “I don’t understand, Vincent.”
“I know.”
Quinn frowned at Vincent’s simple answer, something about it annoying him. He reached out, took his cigarette and threw it. There was nothing it could set on fire. Then he took a handful of Vincent’s shirt and pulled, forcing the man to follow him inside, ignoring how the Italian demanded that he stop. He noticed that Vincent didn’t sublimate and get away, though.
He dragged Vincent inside and straight to Sawyer.
“This is yours,” he said. “You can deal with it.” Then he left Vincent with her and went to find Elijah, or anyone else. He heard her clear laugh as he walked away. His wolves wondered where he was going. He didn’t have an answer.
He didn’t stop until he was in the back classroom. There was no Elijah, but Zander was there, grinning as he taught youths only a decade younger than the team.
“And everyone, meet Quinn. He’s the one who brought the wolves.” Zander pointed him out. “What are you doing back here? Figured you’d play with the little ones all day since they want to play with the puppers.”
Quinn managed an uncomfortable smile as everyone turned to him. “I got annoyed with Vincent so I left him with Sawyer. I was hoping to find Elijah, actually, so I’ll-”
“Stay! You can help me.” Zander jogged to him at the door from the front of the classroom. He threw an easy arm over his shoulder. “They’ve been asking me about things, like what sort of shit we do with the IMPO.”
“Oh. We catch murderers, and bust…white-collar crime, like fraud and things like that.” Five years before, he wouldn’t have even known what white-collar crime was. “Well, most of the IMPO does that. We’re Special Agents. We deal with serial killers and larger crime organizations. Sometimes a legend.”
“See, Zander said the same thing, but you guys work with Sawyer!” one young female said, her eyes bright with curiosity. “She’s always been, like, a major badass but she never told us that she, like…killed people. That’s fucking wild.”
He looked at his redheaded friend and raised an eyebrow. He only received a sigh in response. He focused back on the young adults. At their age, he was a father, or about to be. A few were his age when he’d walked away from his old life. They were so different from him. It was why he preferred the much younger children. He could relate to them, in a way. There was an innocence in the children that wasn’t in these older ones.
“She’s a predator,” he started, hoping he could relate how it was working with Sawyer. “She’s focused on the hunt, whether it comes with a kill at the end or not. She’s intelligent and knows how to use every available resource for the task, including those around her. She’s dangerous, but she’s not. She knows when it’s called for. You all know she’s capable of violence. I’ve heard stories about what she’s done to protect you. So has Zander. Working with her is like watching it in action.” He saw the oldest look away, like he was remembering something. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”
“
She dealt with some problems for me. More than once,” the young man answered.
“She’s dealt with some problems for me too. More than once.” There was no shame in it.
Zander nodded next to him, agreeing, but not jumping in.
“She killed my father the night we met. He was beating me, I thought I was going to die, and she was suddenly there. In a matter of moments, I wasn’t being kicked into the ground and my father was…screaming for help. I didn’t get up for him. It all happened so fast. There’s no describing it, so I never tried.”
Everyone turned to look at the oldest boy in the group now.
“Liam, are you serious?” the young woman asked, her mouth gaping.
“How do you think I ended up living with her and Charlie until I went to college?” he asked back. “I have a brother, but he’s not stupid enough to come back and bother me. She saved my life that night. I’ll never forget it.”
Quinn smiled as the kids started talking about how they each met Sawyer. That was better. He didn’t think she wanted them to be talking about the darker spots of her life. She might have hurt a lot of people bringing this pack together, but in the end, this was her bright. This was her good half. The passionate, the fearsome, the protective.
“Thanks,” Zander whispered to him. “They’ve been bothering the shit out of me, but I haven’t found a way to get them diverted off of knowing more about how she was Shadow.”
“I wasn’t planning on diverting them. I was going to tell them until they were scared as shit of her, and make them regret it. And Sawyer would probably have been upset with me, but a healthy dose of fear is sometimes good.” He shrugged. “This was luck.”
Zander began to chuckle, leaning into him to hide it from the teenagers.
“Are you okay?” He didn’t like how Zander’s shoulders were shaking as hard as they were.
“Oh, man, if only they knew what case we were on right now,” he finally said, gasping for air. “I shouldn’t be laughing, but it’s the only proper response to how fucked up it is.”
A Night of Redemption (The Redemption Saga Book 5) Page 9