“I would imagine a great many people, but we’re here to make sure you don’t escape. We were told that if you do, none of us would have a job come morning. Christ, you’ve shit in someone’s oatmeal, haven’t you?” She told him to shut up. “I see. Right there is what they were talking about. I guess I can understand why you’re on the shit list now.”
After being put into a cell with several other people, she was given a pillow, a sheet, and a blanket. They told her if she wanted, she could have a jumpsuit too. Not even bothering to answer the woman, she tossed the things on the little bed and sat on the floor. They’d get the message that she wasn’t happy soon enough, Sandra figured. But when the officer laughed all the way back down the hall, Sandra wondered if everyone in this town had gone completely bonkers. Then it hit her.
“Where is that smell coming from?” Turning to look, she glared at the people standing or sitting behind her in the small space. “One of you has to have a bath. You’re stinking up everyone’s air. Christ. Was it you?”
Pointing to the nastiest woman in the cell, Sandra asked her again if it had been her. As soon as she stood up, Sandra knew she was going to teach a lesson or two here. The woman had to have been seven feet tall and weighed at least three hundred pounds. Not caring what happened to the other woman, Sandra stood up too. This was going to end badly. It was really too bad that it wasn’t Chad or his sister that she was going to teach this lesson to. But she could pretend, she thought. Pretend and beat the shit out of this person.
~~~
Are you all right? Finn told his mom that he was better than ever. I can understand that, I guess. How is your mate? I’m hoping you can tell me if I’m going to like her or not.
I don’t know why you’d not love her as much as I do. But yes, Mom, I think you’ll like her a great deal. She told him she’d never had a daughter-in-law before. Well, I guess the two of you have more in common than you thought. She’s never had a mother-in-law before.
Smartass. He watched their jet landing and told Rachel that they were here. Your dad and uncles are happy that you’ve been taking care of things here. I just want you to know that I’m so very proud of all of my boys.
I love you too, Mom. And you can talk to me in person when you get off the plane. You are planning to get off it, aren’t you? She told him she was nervous. So is Rachel, if that is any help. Chad is here as well. He’s a little beaten up after last night, so be gentle with him. I feel for the man and the things his wife said to him.
When she promised she’d be good but not to count on the others to behave, he laughed when they all—each of his uncles who were not already there, their wives, and the family attorney—got off the plane before his mom and dad.
“Holy fuck. They’re all here.” He kissed Rachel on the nose and made his way to the doors they’d be coming through. “I don’t think this is a good idea. There are so many of them. What the hell were we thinking?”
“We were thinking that you should meet my family. I didn’t know they were all coming either.” She looked at him, and he laughed. “You look like you’re ready to hit me. I’d not if I were you. My uncle is the king of dragons. He might not like it if you hit his favorite nephew.”
“Are you? His favorite, I mean?” Finn just shook his head at Chad, who looked green. Finn said that they were all his favorites. It would depend on which one was closest to him at the time he said it as to who was the favorite at that time. “I see. My mom used to tell people I was her favorite male child. I never really thought it was funny then. But now, I think I’d give just about anything to have her say it to me one more time. What do you think she’d say about all this?”
“That she’s glad you’re happy?” Finn walked to the line of people coming through the gate while Rachel boosted her brother up. “That she’s glad you finally grew a set of balls? I don’t know, Chad. I think she’d be glad you were getting up off your ass and doing something productive about your shitty life.”
Finn laughed. Okay, perhaps boosting him up wasn’t what she was doing. But he loved her for it anyway. It took the sick coloring from Chad and made him smile. Finn’s mom grabbed him around the neck and gave him one of her famous hugs.
“Look at you. You look so good.” Mom let him go so he could hug his dad. Dad had a tight hug that you could feel pressing tightly against your ribs. When he let him go, Dad hugged him a second time and then told him he loved him.
“I love you too, Dad.” Finn felt his eyes fill with tears. It had been a few months since he’d seen his parents, and it felt wonderful to have them there. Turning to Rachel, he smiled. “Everyone, I’d like for you to meet Rachel Merkel Manning. This is her brother, Chad Merkel.”
“My goodness, Rachel, you’re as lovely as Finn said you were.” Mom hugged her first, followed by Dad. After his aunts were introduced to her, each of them telling her who they were married to, they headed for the car that was there for them. “I went ahead and ordered us a couple of cars to take us home. I wanted to surprise you that we were all coming.”
“You did. I only expected about half this many.” Mom asked him if he minded. “Not at all. We have plenty of room, as you well know. And if we don’t, you can bunk on the plane.”
After being seated in the first limo with his parents and Rachel and Chad, they talked about the things that were going on at home. There was always something going on there, and he was glad to know his family was keeping up with the traditions of helping others as they’d always done.
“We, as a family, have our hands in a lot of things at once. Mostly it’s charities and the like.” Dad told Rachel that they had the money and loved being able to help those in need. “We’ve worked on rebuilding the schools too. Mostly to make sure our own children were safe going there. Also, the food pantries are stocked, and we provide meals for the elderly.”
“My parents used to do that as well. I do a little of it. Not nearly as much as they did, but I work at it. I have a couple of things going on right now that are taking a great deal of my time.” Dad asked if it was the restaurant. “It is. Also, Sandra and my brother. I wanted to thank whoever helped with the filing of the paperwork on the house.”
“And to get the divorce proceedings going. I knew all along that my wife was a monster. I just didn’t know the extent of her evilness.” Chad told them he was also sorry to have dragged them into his troubles. “She’s been stealing from the restaurant too. I had no idea until Finn told us. Rach had an idea it was going on, but she didn’t know for sure until we sat down with your son. He’s a good man, and I know he’ll take care of my sister.”
“You’re family now, Chad. Both of you are. And if we can help, we will in any way we can.” Dad laughed. “It took some time to find a way for everyone to be able to help you with this. They all wanted to be your hero. You two are the first of what we all hope are many more of the next generation coming to join our group.”
“You’re all dragons.” Dad told Rachel that most of them were, yes. “I know you must be old, but you don’t look any older than I do. I’m assuming you can live a long life being a dragon.”
“You and your brother will live a very long life as well. You’re never going to age. Never get ill or get any kind of debilitating condition.” Following Dad’s comment, Finn told Rachel he’d meant to talk to her about that. “We want you to be around for a long time. Not just to get to know you, but also to have our family nearby. My parents gave up their lives for us, and we try very hard to make their sacrifice worth every moment that they lost with us.”
“Chad and I lost our parents as well. That’s what has Sandra so stressed out. She somehow thinks I shouldn’t have been a part of their will at all since I was never their biological family.” Chad said that she was as far as he was concerned. “You’re just being that way because you know you’re going to need me when Sandra comes after us.”
“That is t
rue.” They all laughed when Chad spoke. “My not soon enough to be ex-wife has been causing a bit of trouble for both of us for some time. I had no idea she was— I guess I did know she was bothering Rach, but it never occurred to me that she’d steal from her. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before now, but I should have.” Dad told Chad that sometimes it’s hard to think of someone you’re close to stealing from you. “That’s for sure. I think I didn’t want to believe what sort of person she was. I knew she didn’t care for me, not really, but to do that to Rach was uncalled for.”
“We’ll all talk when we get to the house.” Mom asked him if he’d made plans for dinner. Telling her not for this many, she smiled at him. “I’ll see what I can—”
“I’ll cook.” Chad nodded even as Rachel started talking about how much she loved to cook. “It won’t be any trouble for me to cook for this many people. I understand most of you are large eaters, so I’ll have to make sure I get that down, but I would love to cook dinner for all of us. It will help me get to know Finn’s kitchen too.”
“Have you decided where you will be living?” Rachel shook her head and told Mom that they were still working out the kinks right now. “That’s a wonderful way of doing it. Our waiting until we got to know each other a little better gave us, Xavier and I, the ability to have dragons. It was magic that was afforded to all of us, but we were the ones that were able to use it. I’m not saying that you have to wait to have sex or—”
“Mom. We’ll work it out. All right?” Mom’s face brightened a little, and Dad hugged her to him. “The only thing we’re working on at the moment is keeping both Chad and Rachel out of harm’s way. While Sandra is in jail at the moment, they really can’t hold her for very long. Not until Rachel files charges against her over the theft at Merkel’s.”
“Carson and your mom have been digging into a couple of other things as well. Once we all sit down together, we can tell you everything. Like I said, everyone wanted to come and meet the newest two members of the family, and to tell you what they were able to find as well as the things they’re working on.” Dad touched his mind and spoke to him privately. Trouble is brewing, son. There is speculation that Sandra might have had something to do with the deaths of their parents. Carson is looking into that. Because of the information from their deaths, they’re putting together the pieces to the death of her own mother and father. Her parents died in the same manner as Chad and Rachel’s parents, Finn. Even without as much training as I have, I think someone should have figured it out.
Do you know why no one did? For all I know, Rachel might have thought of it too and looked into it. I mean, as I said, we’re only just getting to know each other. I know Mom mentioned magic if we waited, but believe it or not, I’m fine with getting to know her first. She’s a complete joy to just be around.
Dad said he could see it. Then he told him what had happened to both sets of parents. So, as you can see, something is wrong when two families who have become related via marriage would decide to die like they did. Not to mention, I don’t see how two sets of adults could have up and decided to kill themselves by leaving a car running in a garage to end their lives. Can you? To me, it’s just too convenient. According to Carson, they didn’t, either of them, leave any kind of note.
Carson thinks Sandra had something to do with the deaths, or she knows it? You know as well as I do she can make a rock confess to someone tripping over it. Dad laughed a little. I don’t want either of them to be hurt. I know you can understand that, but Chad is a good guy. A little browbeaten right now, but he’s a good man. I think he’s hurting more for what he’s hearing that Sandra did to his sister than whatever she’s done to him.
I think you’re right on that. By the way, you should explain to him about the magic that he’s gotten. I’m assuming you can feel what he has. Finn looked at his new brother and nodded to his dad. Yes. Having the ability to dress himself and to bring things to him as he needs them might give him a little heart pounding. I don’t know if he knows this or not, but he does have something wrong with his heart now.
I didn’t feel it until just now. I need to get my head in the game here, or I might screw up sometime. As for his heart issues, the magic given to him from me is making him healthier. I think, for now anyway, I’m not going to share his being healed until he learns to settle down and not stress so much. Understand? Dad told him it was hard when you had a new family. Also, he thought it was a good idea for Finn to slow down a little bit. No kidding. This morning, if not for April, my new assistant, I might well have gone out without shoes on. Too much going on.
You’ll get used to it.
The car stopped in front of his home. He knew his family had seen it when they helped him move in, but today was different. Today he had a mate here, and she was going to cook for them all. Finn didn’t know how long it was going to take for him to get used to having all this going on at one time, but he thought it might be fun to learn.
Chapter 5
Rachel inhaled deeply and let it out as slowly as she could without passing out. It wasn’t as if she were nervous about cooking tonight—she’d been prepping the meal all day. But she was slightly nervous about the help she had in the kitchen. The faeries, all three or four dozen of them, were ready to do whatever she told them. Mostly she wanted to ask them to leave her alone, but she didn’t voice it. Cindi joined her in the kitchen just as she was ready to toss up her hands in defeat.
“Rachel, this is Joey. He’s going to be your faerie. I’m sure you were told about having a male faerie to help you out?” Nodding, she looked at the lovely woman. “Good. That’s wonderful you know. So let me help you out with this. Just this one time, all right?”
“I’ll take whatever you want to help me with. I’m overwhelmed. Actually, I’m more than that. I’m supernova overwhelmed.” Cindi just smiled and turned to the faeries, who were hovering—yes, hovering—above the large island in the middle of the kitchen. “What can you do?”
“Watch this.” Clapping her hands, she asked Joey to come forward. When he did, he bowed before Cindi, then her. “Joey, what would you do if you had this many people helping you pick a patch of wild blooms? I think you’d be crazy, correct?”
“Yes, my lady. But they only wish to serve the new princesses. She is the first of them, you know.” Rachel wasn’t sure what he meant, but the little man winked at her. In a surprisingly loud voice, he spoke to her. “My lady Rachel, there are just too many in here for you to have a good enough room to work in. How about I take care of the faeries for you by setting up a time when each of them can come and serve you? This way, you can choose who you wish to work in the house and in the gardens.”
“I have gardens?” Joey cleared his throat. “Yes. The gardens. I would really like a large herb garden. I enjoy cooking with fresh herbs and vegetables.”
She wasn’t sure, but it looked as if the group of faeries vibrated more than they had before. Looking at Cindi, who told her she was doing a great job, Rachel thought of something.
“If I have a list of things I’m going to serve and use to cook with, could some of them help me with that? I mean, I know there are seasons for things like strawberries and some herbs, but as often as I can, I’d like fresh.” Joey turned to the group after nodding once to her. “Would it be easier for them to tell me what they have rather than me asking for what I might not be able to get?”
“My lady.” A little blue faerie bowed before her as she landed on the side of the bowl on the counter. “We are magical creatures, as I’m sure you’ve been told. If you wish for us to have fresh things for you year round, it would be our greatest pleasure to make sure we have them. Working for a dragon, or the mate to one is our greatest dream come true. If it would help you, I will take over the running of the gardens for you. It would be my pleasure.”
Looking at Cindi when the little blue faerie bowed so low her head was touching the bo
wl, Cindi gave her a thumbs up. Asking for a name, something she could call her helper, seemed to have been the perfect thing to say. Her name was simply Blue.
“Yes, Blue, you will serve me well. But if you don’t mind, don’t say you’re serving me. None of you. I’d rather we work together as a sort of partnership on things. I want to make sure since you’re helping me, you get as much help as I can give you as well.” Blue told her they would love a warm place to live in the colder months, as well as a place to grow the things she needed. “A greenhouse. Oh, I have so wanted a greenhouse since I first started cooking. I’ll make plans to have one put in.”
“We would love to do it for you.” Most of the ones in the room came closer to her, vibrating again with anticipation. “It would be wonderful for us to build a lovely greenhouse for you and us to use, my lady.”
“That would be marvelous.” Before she could say anything more to them and to Blue, all the faeries with the exception of Joey disappeared. Looking at Cindi, she wondered aloud what she’d done. “I didn’t hurt their feelings, did I?”
Laughing hard, Cindi told her she didn’t, but not to be too surprised by the size of the greenhouse. Rachel asked her if it would be very small like they were. Laughing harder, they were joined by Finn and his dad. Cindi, between bouts of laughter, told them what was so funny.
“Oh my. Oh, my goodness.” Finn laughed and told her she needed to be more precise with faeries. “You didn’t by chance tell them you only wanted a smallish greenhouse, did you? Or perhaps told them you only wanted to grow small things?”
“I didn’t say anything except I had always wanted one. Why?” He pulled her into his arms, a place she was beginning to enjoy being. When he didn’t answer, she asked him again.
“It’ll be huge. I don’t mean like huge for just the two of us and a few faeries, but as huge as perhaps several large landscaping companies huge, with every imaginable thing they can put in it growing.” Frowning, she asked him if he was kidding. “No. I’m not. In fact, I’m betting if we were to go into the back yard right now, it’ll be about finished. And so full of plants and herbs that stores will be coming to us for their needs.”
Finn: Xavier’s Hatchlings ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance (Xavier's Hatchlings Book 1) Page 7