Just then the last graduate returned to their seat and we all stood at attention.
“Congratulations, cadets. You are now all officers of the Supernatural Police Division!” the Director announced into the microphone and we all cheered. Some threw their hats into the air, but Sin and I needed to make our way to Mom and the gang for photos, then to Lord James for our celebratory ambush, er, I mean dinner.
Photos done, the family sent on their way, we headed to the director’s office to meet up with Grandpa Boudreau and find out where we were going to dinner. Sin stopped just outside the door and held up his finger to me to be quiet. The door was open a crack and we could hear Grandpa James speaking. For a moment, we weren’t sure if it was in person or on the phone, so we waited – and listened.
“No, they’re not here yet. I have a minute.” He paused and we realized it was a phone conversation. “Yes, they both graduated, top of their class. Figures. It makes it a lot more difficult to get people to believe they’re behind anything less than legal. No, it can’t be a stupid crime. Something intelligent, like wire fraud. It’ll happen, just give me a couple of weeks. I said, give it time. This is my game, after all. You’re just one of the lucky few to reap some of the benefits. Brian, I swear, if you weren’t my brother, I’d have ended you years ago. Just like that meddling father-in-law of mine and our other brother.”
It took every ounce of self-control to not smash through the door and end that man with a solid fist to the throat. I reached out and squeezed Sin’s arm, the muscles under his uniform gone rigid as steel with the fury running through him. He took a few slow breaths as did I, and I pasted a smile to my face before I rapped a quick beat on the door and pushed my way in. Sin followed behind me and we stood at ease before the Director’s desk.
“Yes, well, my grandchildren are here and we’re on our way to celebrate their graduation. I’ll speak to you later. Good-bye,” he said and hung up the phone. “Well, you two. We’re going to Sylvan Steak House for dinner. I’ve made our reservations, so we should get going.”
“Yes, sir,” we both replied and waited until he moved to the door before we followed. At least the food would be good. The steak house was on the shores of the lake near his cabin and was known for its fine dining.
He used the Hummer limo and we managed polite small talk until we got to the restaurant. I could still feel the anger simmering in Sin. If he didn’t calm down, this whole plan was going to go belly up before we even sat down at the table. I excused myself to the ladies’ room and texted Grampa Walsh with where we’d ended up for dinner, then came back out and joined Sin and Lord James at the table. As per the usual, appetizers and drinks were already ordered. I’d returned just in time to be able to order my preferred entree before my grandfather ordered me a salad and nothing else. I ordered a nice New York strip with a loaded baked potato and green beans with bacon. When my grandfather arched a brow at my order, I added on a small side salad and gave him a toothy smile. He didn’t even blink when Sin ordered the same steak, a cheddar bacon potato casserole, and minted peas.
The drinks were delivered, and James took a sip as his phone rang. He at least had the grace to look embarrassed as he excused himself to take the call. I watched as he walked into the bar lounge and Sin slid the vial out of his jacket pocket. He poured it into James’ drink and used the red plastic swizzle stick to mix it up.
We both leaned back with our drinks, waiting for the food to be delivered. It was only a matter of time now. Our meals were delivered before James came back to the table. Sin asked them to hold James’ until he returned to the table because he wouldn’t want a cold plate. I think we were twelve when we saw him slap a waitress with a full plate that had gone cold, knocking her to the floor.
Sin and I started our meals, enjoying the perfectly medium steaks, fluffy potatoes, and tender vegetables. We were nearly halfway done before James returned to the table. He looked annoyed.
I wiped my mouth with the linen napkin and smiled at him. “Everything okay, Grandfather?”
“Just a small administration issue. It’s being handled. I’m sorry it kept me away from our celebration,” he said as he waved the waitress over and asked for his plate to be delivered.
As the waitress went to get his food, he lifted his drink and drained it in two swallows. When she brought his food, he held up the glass and asked for another.
“How’s your steak, Grandfather?” I asked, watching him take the third bite of the meat.
“It’s delicious. Even with them having to hold it for me, it is still one of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten.”
Sin and I stared at each other in shock. That was so very much not a typical comment from James Boudreau.
“The potion,” I mouthed to Sin and then turned back to Grandpa Boudreau.
“So, Grandfather,” I sipped my drink and smiled coyly at him. “What do you truly think of me, now that I’ve graduated from your Academy?”
Sin kicked my shin under the table, warning me to not toy with him too much – but this wasn’t toying. I really wanted to know.
“Honestly? I’m very proud of you, Sidonie. You’re intelligent, adept, capable, and beautiful. You have your grandmother’s chin and lips – and her spirit. I miss Brighid so much sometimes…” his voice trailed off as he stared into his drink, then lifted it to take another swallow.
Since Sin and I were already finished with our meal, James ate about half of his and asked for the rest to be boxed up to take home. The waitress came back with the bag, James had already taken care of the check before we arrived, and we all rose. The maitre’d arrived and asked us to please follow him. Sin just nodded at me, so we made sure James joined us as we entered one of the private dining rooms where a small chocolate cake with “congratulations” written on it was on the table along with a bottle of champagne and four glasses.
Sin locked the door behind us, and James took a seat.
“I must’ve arranged this and forgot,” James said.
“No, I arranged it,” said Grampa Walsh as he stepped out of the shadows.
I grabbed James’ chair as he bolted to his feet before it could hit the floor. “Liam! But, you’re dead!”
“Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” Grampa Walsh replied. “Sin, could you pour the champagne, please?”
“Yes, sir,” Sin replied and proceeded to do as asked.
“No. I got the reports. There were no survivors. I paid to make sure of that,” James said, then dropped back down into his chair. He looked pale and panicked, and it almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost.
Grampa Walsh pulled a chair over to sit right in front of James. “Who did you pay, James? Who was supposed to make sure we were all dead?”
“Juan Garcia. He was EOD in the Army and said he could make it happen.”
“Joey Garcia’s father?” Sin asked, then shut up when Grampa Walsh glared at him.
“Yes, Juan set the explosives and the timers. I had him shot and buried after we got the report you’d all died, so he could never tell anyone.”
I looked over to Sin and he tapped the air in front of his jacket pocket. He was recording the whole conversation.
“Were you behind the attack on your son and his wife?” Walsh asked, voice quiet.
“Which one?” James laughed. “I had Amelia beaten so badly, she’ll never be able to do magic at her fullest strength ever again. Andre will be dead by this time tomorrow. Yes, my son. Biologically, at least. He’s nothing of me, though. He chose a witch and created abominations that have permanently tainted our bloodline.”
The anger I felt at his words had me shaking. I leaned in and hissed into James’ face. “You fucking sick bastard. Your wife was a Mythic. Your kids are all so-called ‘tainted’ too, you son-of-a-bitch.”
Sin gripped my shoulder and squeezed before tugging me back, then whispered in my ear, “Let the Commander handle it.”
I let Sin pull me close to him, then I turned and
reached for a glass of champagne. I drained it in one go. After a minute, I put my back to the room and closed my eyes. I needed to breathe, and it felt like there was no air in here.
“That’s not possible,” James said. “My sons are pure shifter, as the Boudreaus have been for centuries. You’re just saying this to upset me.”
Grampa Walsh snorted laughter. “If I wanted to upset you, I’d tell you that you likely have Mythic blood in you too. In fact, the DNA test we did on the twins shows a strong Mythic line, which means it comes from more than just one ancestral lineage. Care to give us a sample, James?” Liam pulled a cheek swab out of his coat pocket and popped the plastic cap. He grabbed James’ face in one hand and squished his cheeks, shoved the swab in, scrubbed it against a cheek, then pulled it out, released James, capped the swab and put it away faster than I could believe. Even James was surprised.
“Sid, there’s a box on the chair over there. Why don’t you box up your cake and you and Sin head out? James and I have a few more things to discuss, of a more personal nature.”
I found the box and slid it around the cake, then tucked the whole thing into a bag for just that purpose. Sin looked from James to Grampa Walsh and sighed. “You sure you don’t need us, sir?” he asked Grampa.
“No, Sin. I’ve got this. You get that sent where we arranged for it to go and get your sister back behind the wards. Let your grandmother know what was said. Best we don’t give Alicia Fortin any reason to want to skin us for keeping secrets.”
I laughed at that and kissed Grampa Walsh’s cheek before Sin and I left the dining room. We heard the lock click once more after we left.
“You think they’ll both walk out of there in one piece?” I asked Sin.
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Lord James had a convenient accident sometime over the next few days.”
“How are we getting home?” I asked as we stepped outside.
Sin pulled out his keys and hit the fob. The chirp of his car’s lock was nearby. “Grampa Walsh had one of his guys drive my car up here after we told him where the dinner would be.”
“That’s some advanced planning.”
“Well, would you want to rideshare from the lake all the way back to the farm? Yeah, me neither.”
“True.” I fell silent as we got into the car and pulled out of the lot. Once we were on the road, I turned to Sin. “He said Dad would be dead, this time tomorrow. I don’t want to wait for the Commander to get everything sorted. I want to find Dad and make sure he’s okay. I don’t trust Lord James as far as I can spit.”
“Mom did say she was in regular contact with Dad, right?” Sin asked.
“Yeah, she did. Let me call her and see if she can get him to come by.” I pulled out my phone and called Mom. She must’ve been sleeping already, so I left a voicemail and texted Grandma Fortin. Instead of a text back, my phone rang.
“Hello, Grandma,” I said.
“Hello, Siddie. Are you and your brother okay? I had a feeling something was wrong, earlier, and now I just feel unsettled.”
“Well, we’ve definitely got something to talk to you about when we get home, but I had tried calling Mom with no answer. We need to get ahold of Dad. It’s urgent.”
Sin’s hands tightened on the wheel, but he stayed silent while I spoke to Grandma.
“Your mother was worn out after the ceremony, so she’s sleeping. I can send a message to your father. What’s going on?”
“I don’t want to get into it on the phone, Grams, but Dad’s in danger and we need to get him somewhere safe before tomorrow night. Can you do that?”
“I can try. We send a message and then hope he gets it. It’s not like he’s got a cell phone on him when shifted.”
“Okay, do your best, Grams, please. We’ll be home soon and will fill you in on it all.”
“Alrighty. Be safe, you two. Oh, and pick up a case of that beer I like, would you? I think I’m gonna need a few.”
Grandma hung up before I could reply, and Sin just shook his head.
“I’ll swing by the store and get her beer. That woman is something else,” Sin said.
I just clutched my phone and stared out the window. Grams wasn’t the only one with a bad feeling.
Sin
We sat at Grandma Fortin’s kitchen table, full bottles of beer in hand and a couple of empties each cluttering up the space, along with a plate of her chocolate chunk cookies. Ever had beer and cookies? Don’t knock it, it’s pretty good.
I’d just played the recording of James Boudreau confessing his crimes for the fourth time. The first time, Grandma dropped to the chair and stared at us, mouth hanging open.
“How did you get him to…what on earth? What is he saying? He did what?”
We explained about the potion and Grampa Walsh’s plan and she blinked at us, then a smile I wasn’t sure I felt comfortable seeing on my grandmother’s face settled there.
“So, Liam Walsh is back in town and among the living? Do let him know I want to see him soonish?”
“Um, yeah,” I said and gave Sid a look of ‘wtf?’ before I reached for another cookie.
“Did you get ahold of Dad?” Sid asked as she stood to collect the empties for the recycling bin.
“No, but I left him a voicemail and left a message with Benny if he happened to go by there,” Grandma said.
“I’m worried about what Lord James might have planned,” I said. “I feel like I should be out there, trying to find Dad before whatever his father has planned comes into play.”
Sid came back after dumping the bottles and leaned against the table. “Maybe we should ask Stumpy if he’s heard from Dad?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” I said.
“Can you still trust Stumpy?” Grandma asked.
“I think so,” Sid said, as I nodded.
“He’s been Dad’s friend for decades now. I can’t see him suddenly turning into an enemy,” I said.
“We never expected our grandfather to be the one that was trying to kill our parents. Or the one who burned down our home,” Sid pointed out.
“Point,” I said.
Grandma finished her beer and burped loudly. “I’ve known James Boudreau was up to no good for a while now, but I wasn’t aware he had gone this dark. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how much of my distrust was racial bias and how much was actual readings. The residue and echoes of behavior cause disturbances that some witches can read. I’m not very good at that, but your mother used to be incredible at it. Not so much now, after the attack.”
I opened another beer and handed it to Grandma. Hey, gotta keep the old battleax lubricated. Best way to keep her talking. No, I’d never say those words out loud. I’d like to be able to father children someday.
“What do you mean, Mom was good at that? Good at what?” Sid asked.
“Reading the energies in the environment around us. It’s not an aura thing, but a ley lines thing.”
“Yeah, Grandma, I think you’re going to need to wait until you sober up to explain that a little clearer,” I said with a laugh.
“Do not mock me, boy. I will make you bald as a cue ball,” Grandma said.
“Naw, you like my hair too much. I’m not mocking you anyway, just saying that five beers make you less than coherent. Particularly on topics with which we’re unfamiliar.”
Grandma leaned on the table, toying with the bottle in her hands. “You two do know what ley lines are, right? The global linear lines of power that wrap the planet?”
“Yes, Grandma, we know what ley lines are,” Sid said.
“There are a pair of crossing lines right here on the farm. It’s why our wards are so strong.”
“Huh. I didn’t know that,” I said.
“Here, in fact, let’s do it this way. You’re both witches. Close your eyes and send your senses out to the fountain in the front yard. That’s where the lines cross.”
I looked over at Sid and shrugged, then held out my hands to her. She lay her
hands on top of mine and we both let out a slow breath, then closed our eyes. I stretched out my senses and found the fountain and the shimmer of energy that must be the ley lines. “Can you feel it, Sid?”
“Yeah, it vibrates with energy.”
“Looks shimmery to me,” I said.
“Okay, now run your senses along the lines, like sliding your fingers on a thread. Do you feel any vibrations?” Grandma said.
I could feel Sid sliding along the line in one direction, so I took a ninety-degree angle to her and slid along the other. There were little shimmers along the line. Like the vibrations you’d feel if you were to rest your fingers on a plucked guitar string.
“You two feel the little tremors? Those are emotions. Events. The bright feelings are positives and the dark, heavy feelings are negatives,” Grandma said.
“I can feel something like a plucked string,” I said.
“Yes, that’s a positive,” Grandma informed me.
“This is so cool,” Sid whispered.
We opened our eyes and let go of our hands. “Guess we need to get Grandma drunk more often. She teaches us cool shit,” I said – and earned a swat up the back of my head from Grandma.
“Watch your mouth, boy. Irreverent little fucker.”
We all laughed at that.
“I know, Grandma, but you love me anyway,” I said.
“Sin, you’ve always been a mouthy little shit, but it’s also one of the things I love most about you. You don’t let anyone tell you differently.”
“At least you don’t call him a warlock anymore,” Sid said.
“I was an angry, hurt, old woman and I took that out on you two. I’m sorry about that,” Grandma said.
“At least, unlike some of our other grandparents, you…” I stopped talking.
“I pulled my head out of my ass and figured out I was only hurting myself? Yes, precisely that,” Grandma said.
Sid snorted into her beer and shook her head. “Alright, I need some sleep. It’s been a long day and the beer is finally making me sleepy. Come on, Sin, I don’t want to walk in the dark by myself.”
Shifters Gone Wild: A Shifter Romance Collection Page 156