Passages (The Kings of Guardian Book 13)

by Kris Michaels

  Dixon shot a glance at Drake. “We’d be honored to come visit you on your dad’s mountain. He was talking about taking your mother on a honeymoon someday. We were thinking maybe you could come here and stay with us while they did that.”

  Ethan blew out a lungful of air. “She won’t go. She thinks I’m still a baby, I mean holy crap, I'm going to be driving soon. Dad says her apron strings are really short. Whatever the hell that means.” Ethan dropped his legs out in front of him.

  “She’ll come around, dude. You’re lucky to have a mom like her, you realize that, right?” Dixon studied his younger brother. Damn, he could see the resemblance between the three of them—same nose and jawline, same strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. The kid was going to be as big as they were, too. You could tell by how gangly he was now.

  Ethan sighed. “Yeah, I know.” He grinned at Drake. “Are you ready to get your ass kicked?”

  “I don’t believe your mama would appreciate you using those types of words,” Frank Marshall drawled as he walked in the kitchen.

  Damn, how had he not heard his father come in the house? Oh, right… Mad tickles in the middle of the kitchen floor. He chuckled at the memory.

  Ethan scurried to his feet. “No sir, she doesn’t.”

  Dixon reached up and Frank extended his hand, pulling him and then Drake to their feet.

  “I came down because Charity is in foal. Seems to me every member of this family has a horse they claim. I figured whatever foal Charity throws should go to the newest member of our family.” Frank crossed his arms and looked at Ethan.

  Ethan blinked at Frank and his mouth fell open. “Me?” His disbelief was almost comical.

  Frank nodded. “Yup. Now I know you wouldn’t be here enough to take care of it on a daily basis, but when you are here, that horse would be your responsibility. To feed, curry, ride. You think you’re up to it, son?”

  “Yes sir!” Ethan’s glance bounced between Dixon, Drake and Frank. As suddenly as he’d inflated, Ethan deflated. “Mom hates horses. She’s afraid of them. I don’t think she’ll let me do that.”

  “You let me worry about that.” Frank nodded to the mudroom. “Go get your coat on. Remember your gloves. It’s cold as hell out there.”

  Ethan bolted from the kitchen only to halt in the doorway and turn. “Grandpa Marshall, please don’t tell Mom what I said. She’d be upset.”

  Dixon loved that Frank wanted Ethan to call him grandpa. It made his brother’s transition into the Marshall clan almost seamless. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Frank had told Ethan to call him that. Even Joy was blinking hard, and it took a lot to move his wife to an almost outward display of emotion.

  Frank crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels before he grunted, "Won’t. Don’t see the need." Frank pointed to the mudroom and cocked his head. Ethan grinned and scrambled out of the room.

  “You know, yesterday, when you gave every family a puppy, I think Ethan was a little upset he was excluded.” Dixon put his hand on his father’s shoulder. “But, seriously, you don’t have to give him a horse.”

  “Well, as I explained to Ethan before I gave out that litter of golden retrievers, I had calculated one pup per family. Just because he surprised me, does not mean he doesn't deserve a present. He told me all about his wolf and assured me he didn't want another dog. Which is fortunate. I'm not sure that a wolf would take to a puppy. Although, for some reason, I know several sets of parents who are willing to donate a newly acquired puppy. Regardless, they have to suck it up. Kids need the responsibility of raising puppies.” Frank crossed his arms, daring either he or Drake to say a word.

  “Marcus and Royce are babies.”

  Dixon groaned, of course Drake went there.

  “Jared and Christian can watch the dog until Marcus is old enough. Tippy is getting old. Having a puppy in the house will give that old dog new life, and Reece can handle two dogs. Stop picking at my Christmas gifts to my grandchildren or I’ll give your wives a litter of barn cats. Each.”

  “You wouldn’t.” The cat Drake said he didn’t like and wasn’t his, but for whom he bought pricey canned food over in Hollister, was perched on a kitchen chair. All eyes went to the animal. Drake had found homes for each of her kittens and then had her fixed. From what Drake told him, Jillian wanted to keep all of the kittens.

  “Drake, would you please shut the fuck up?” he begged his brother. He didn't think Joy would want kittens, but he hadn’t thought she'd want Sasha, the dog-ette, either. The damn thing was permanently attached to Joy's ankle whenever she was home.

  Ethan ran back into the kitchen, shoving his arms into the sleeves of his coat. His hat sat askew on his head and his gloves dangled from his free hand. “I’m ready. Will Talon and Reese be there?”

  “This time is just for you boys. I’ll take you up to the house after we see your new horse, and you can visit with the younger ones then.”

  He put his arm on Ethan’s shoulder. “We’ll have to think of a good name for your horse, so we need to get to know him or her. Spend some time with the foal and his momma.”

  Frank looked up at Dixon and Drake. “You two get a move on. I’m not waiting all day. Bring those gummy worms; I ran out of taffy.”

  Chapter 15

  Ryan sat on the couch and marveled at the symmetry in his life. He watched Bethanie talk and laugh with the host of women. She was happy here at the ranch but had confided to him last night she was ready to go home. Ethan, Talon, and Reece raced down the stairs, bundled up and ready to follow Frank out to the barn.

  He felt her presence before he saw her.

  "Absolute insanity," she muttered before she sat down.

  "Absolute bliss," Ryan corrected. He was fucking happy. His wife and his son had an extended family now. Ethan, Reece and Talon were going to Skype with each other and, since the boys were on the East Coast, they'd already scheduled visits. Plus, Ethan's brothers had a standing invitation. Which meant more people knowing about the location of his home, but if it meant his family was happy, he'd wire the mountain with so much security he'd know when a bird circled overhead. Whatever it took.

  Joy stuck her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "Who the fuck are you?"

  Ryan shrugged. "A better version of the man I was. Who are you?"

  "I'm a work in progress. Some days I don't recognize myself. Then I go away for work and I remind myself of who I actually am."

  "You don't have to work." He'd walked away and look at the opportunity that presented itself. He was still astounded at the roller coaster ride his life had morphed into. He was hanging on for the entire ride because he had to know what was over the next hill and around the next bend.

  "Yes, I do." Joy crossed her arms. "I'm not done. There is a reason I do what I do. I haven't reached a place in my life where I can walk away."

  "Does your man agree with you working?" Ryan glanced at Bethanie. He would become a marionette for her. She pulled his strings and he happily and willingly danced to her direction.

  "He would never give me an ultimatum. That isn't us. That isn't how we survive. Our relationship works for us." Joy plunked down on the couch, lifted her stocking clad feet underneath her, and curled up in the corner.

  "I meant no disrespect to you or your husband. He's a good man. I'm happy for you. Not that you need my blessing."

  "We've been friends for a long time Ryan. You are probably closer to me than anyone except Dixon. I'm glad you found your white picket fence." She snorted and chuckled.

  "What?"

  "This." Joy lifted a finger and made a circle indicating the hubbub of activity. "You, me, Asp, Anubis, Fury. Each one of us should be rotting in jail or dead."

  "We made sacrifices for our country. We've fought hard to keep our world safe. Don't you think it is okay to forgive ourselves for our pasts and accept that maybe our beginnings don't comprise the totality of who we are?" He was damn certain he wasn't that person any longer and no matter how much s
he denied it, Moriah had changed, too.

  Joy grunted. Which in Joy speak meant she'd take his words into consideration. He knew when to change the subject. "What's next for you?"

  "We are going to Arizona. There is work the twins and Jillian need to complete. I love the desert. Most people think it is barren, but if you really look, it is beautiful in its own way."

  Ryan smiled at her. "Like you, prickly on the outside, but soft under all the thorns."

  Ethan came back in the house with Dixon and Drake. Joy's brow scrunched as she watched the men head their way. "Did you just call me a cactus?"

  "It was a metaphor."

  Joy swung her head to him. "What the fuck is a metaphor?"

  "It’s like a comparison." Ethan said.

  "An analogy." Dixon added.

  "Good one. A figurative expression." Drake high fived Ethan.

  "Oh! An allegory or a parable!" Ethan raised his fist for Ryan to bump.

  "Excellent, bud. It could also be called an adumbration." Ryan winked at him.

  "Well, hell man, if you're going in the predictive sense, we can add prophecy, and foreshadowing." Drake shoved his hands in his coat pockets and smiled at Ethan.

  "Prefiguration." Dixon added.

  "Forecasting and prediction." Ethan added.

  "Oh, for the love of my sanity, make it stop." Joy covered her ears and closed her eyes tight.

  "Okay. Dad, it’s nice out today, and we’re going for a ride. Grandpa Marshall wants to know if you want to come with us. Say you will, please?" Ethan practically vibrated. “Reece and Talon's dads are coming. Dixon and Drake are coming. Joy, you can come too."

  Ryan suppressed a laugh when Joy groaned. "Yeah, about that. I suddenly remembered I have to vacuum or some shit."

  She popped off the couch and pulled Dixon to her, whispering in his ear. His face turned red and his eyes widened. Damn, he’d like to know what she said. He stood up and cleared his throat.

  Joy sauntered away, the swish of her hips followed by her husband's eyes.

  Dixon dropped his hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Hey, dude. I'll catch you after you come back in from the ride. I need to go help Joy... vacuum." Dixon smiled hugely at his brother's bark of laughter and followed Joy.

  Ethan turned and gave him a disgusted look. "Dad, they aren't going to vacuum."

  Ryan tried damn hard to keep a blank expression on his face. Thank God for years of training. "No, son, I don't think they are."

  Ethan shook his head and offered his hand to Ryan. "Come on. They don't know what they’re missing. There is nothing better than a ride."

  Drake exploded into laughter, and Ethan turned and frowned at his brother. The man had his hands on his knees and tears in his eyes.

  Ryan cuffed Ethan on the shoulder and shook his head. Out of the mouths of babes. "Let's go, bud. I'm sure Dixon will get a good ride in later."

  Drake flopped onto the couch howling, his insanity pulling all eyes in their direction.

  "You know, my brothers are kinda strange." Ethan sighed, shook his head, and led Ryan toward the kitchen where his coat, gloves, and hat hung on pegs.

  Ryan tugged on Ethan's hand, stopping him as they passed Bethanie. He wrapped his arm around her and dropped a kiss on her lips. "We are going for a ride with the rest of the family."

  She smiled wide. "Perfect. I'm going to help cook dinner and show Amanda pictures of my garden. She's really interested in the hydroponics option because the growing season here is so short." Bethanie dropped her eyes to Ethan. "Please be careful and listen to the men with more experience than you."

  "I will. When we get back, you'll come out and visit my new colt, right? You promised. We still have to name him. I'm torn between Ranger and Rascal. He's feisty, so probably going to go with Rascal." Ethan narrowed his eyes at his mom. "You know he can't hurt you; he's a baby."

  "No, I know. I most definitely will come see him. We need to get a bunch of pictures of him. Amanda said she'd ask Mr. Smith to take a picture every week so you can see how he is growing."

  "Yeah, Grandpa said he'd grow up fast and that Mr. Smith was better with technology, so I gave him my email address." Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets and a huge smile spread across his face. "When you guys go on your honeymoon, I'll get to stay here. Grandpa Marshall said if Dixon and Drake have to go to Arizona while I'm here, he'd watch me."

  "Oh, I..." Bethanie blinked at Ryan. He smiled at her and cocked his head.

  "Come on, Mom, I’ll be driving in a couple years. Plus, I don't want to go with you. All you're going to do is kiss and make out," Ethan scoffed.

  "Yeah, Mom." Ryan mimicked.

  "We'll talk about it. I still have a lot of questions."

  Ethan lifted his fist to Ryan. "That wasn't a no."

  "Score." Ryan bumped knuckles and then bent down and kissed his wife. "Thank you." He whispered just before he kissed her.

  She smiled and winked. "Go, have fun. We'll be leaving soon, and he'll be cooped up in the truck for three days."

  Ryan kissed her again and headed to the back door behind the bouncing ball of energy, also known as his son.

  Chapter 16

  Lycos shoved his hands in his parka and tucked his head as far as he could into the collar of his jacket. South Dakota had decided to turn into an Arctic wonderland. It was beautiful yesterday, for Christmas. Today, it was colder than a witch's tit in a brass bra buried in the frozen tundra of Alaska on the coldest day of the fucking year. Damn it his mountaintop got cold, but the wind in South Dakota seem to start somewhere in Idaho, gather speed over Wyoming and Montana, and slam into the state like a battering ram. Fucking frigid.

  He quickened his pace as he approached the building where Anubis said to meet. This ranch was a cornucopia of surprises. It was going to take a couple weeks for him to adjust to the fact that Fury was actually alive. When he first saw the man at the house at dinner, he thought he had seen a ghost. It gave him hope, though. Hope that his own existence could carry on under the scope of most of humanity. Not being a blip on the screen was a good thing.

  He entered the holding area of the small, unobtrusive building. The outside definitely gave no indication of what was inside. The holding area, however, gave everything away. Lycos noted the latest technology installed throughout the room. As the door shut behind him, he knew he’d never be able to exit without someone inside that facility allowing him to do so. He glanced up at the camera and sneered. Anubis wanted him here, well, he was here.

  A distorted, disembodied voice cascaded from a speaker hidden somewhere in the room. “About fucking time you showed up.”

  Lycos chuckled. “Sue me. I’m on fucking vacation. I slept in.”

  The door clicked behind him. Lycos spun at the sound.

  “Yeah, about that.” Bengal opened the door and extended his hand into the hallway.

  Lycos stood firm in the middle of the holding area. “Why do I have a feeling I’m not going to like what you’re going to tell me.”

  “Nothing I say is going to alter what you have right now.” Bengal met his eyes and Lycos knew his friend was speaking the truth.

  Regardless, he stayed where he was. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that so?” Lycos heard the laugh before he saw the man.

  Fury came into view. “You’re keeping our boss waiting.”

  Lycos smiled and cocked his head. “Pretty fucking difficult to keep your boss waiting. You’re dead, and last time I checked, I was no longer employed.”

  Fury lifted an eyebrow and growled, “Get your ass in here before I close this door and you miss an opportunity of a lifetime.”

  “Well, hell, who the fuck can ignore an invitation like that?” Lycos sauntered forward. To say he was curious would be short selling it. However, he couldn’t go work as a Shadow. He would never spend months away from Ethan and Bethanie. On the mountaintop, his limited connection to the outside world restricted any opportunity Guardian could provide. Still, he was willing to li
sten. Any commitment would come after he talked to Bethanie. Not that he could share specifics, but what he could share, he would. Hell, he was already considering whatever opportunity Fury had waiting for him. He needed to halt that train in its tracks. He was out. It felt good, for the most part.

  He followed Bengal and Fury down the hallway, through a secure door that would rival anything at Fort Knox. They descended at least thirty feet. An underground room? At the bottom of the stairs, Bengal opened another mammoth, reinforced, alarmed, door. As Bengal and Fury stepped through, Lycos whistled. What he thought was a room turned out to be an underground facility. “This is fucking sweet.” His eyes searched the area. What he wouldn’t give to see the plans for this place. Whoever laid it out and made it secure knew what the fuck they were doing. “Who the fuck designed this place?” Lycos spun slowly as he took in the complexity of the build.

  Fury put his hands on his hips and cocked his head. “If I’m not mistaken that would be your stepsons?” He looked at Bengal. “Right?”

  “Say what now?” Lycos snapped his head toward Fury.

  “Dixon and Drake are stepbrothers to your adopted son. That makes his mother their stepmother. You married her. That makes them your stepsons.” Fury glanced from one man to the other. “Right?”

  “Holy fuck balls.” Lycos scrubbed his face with his hand. “I could have lived my life perfectly content without ever knowing that.” Those two grown ass men were his stepsons. How fucking weird was that? Shit. His stepson’s wife had once been his lover. Yeah, best not to go there.

  Bengal slapped him on the shoulder. “Come on, man, Gabriel is waiting.”

  Lycos followed the men down a long hallway into a conference room. Gabriel and Anubis sat at the head of the table. Fury and Bengal pulled out chairs sat down. Gabriel stood and extended his hand. “Thank you for coming to see me. I appreciate you taking time away from your family, especially now.”

  Lycos grasped the man’s hand. He had met Gabriel a couple times. Once, only in passing, at an event where Lycos was undercover. One time before that, they’d met when a mission went to hell in a handbasket. Gabriel drove Guardian. Were Lycos a fanciful man, he’d say Gabriel was Guardian’s soul and perhaps the Kings, its heart. “Nobody actually told me I would be meeting you, sir. I would’ve been on time. Them? I don’t give a shit if I make them wait.”