Learning Curve

by Jools Louise

  “We should go check on the restaurant,” Shark said after they’d settled down, kissing languidly as they finished getting clean.

  “Yeah, I need to look at the store,” Slade agreed. “Jericho and Mo will give you a hand until Noah’s back on his feet again.”

  “We’d like that,” Shark said, smiling gratefully. “I know we’re probably being over cautious, but I’d feel happier having those two helping out.”

  “We should go visit Fly, as well,” Oliver said, drying off with a huge, fluffy towel. “I heard you say he was at the hospital. I just want him to be okay.”

  “We’ll check on him and Noah first,” Slade said. “Then head to the mall. I want to see if John’s café was fixed okay. I can’t imagine who would drop a load of manure through his window.”

  “It doesn’t sound like the usual Flashpoint shenanigans,” Shark agreed, wandering through to the bedroom to dress. “It sounds more like a mean prank than anything.”

  “I wonder if he got one of those letters,” Oliver suggested, putting on his Feeling Clucky uniform. “You know, like the one we got, about extra security. Perhaps this is part of the same protection racket.”

  “Whatever the reason, they’re brave or stupid,” Slade retorted dryly. “Anyone thinking that John is someone to mess with has cojones…or is mentally ill.”

  Chapter Nine

  Fly lay in the cot next door to Noah’s, staring at his mate’s sleeping face, tears trickling slowly down his cheeks. He’d never seen his lover so still before. When they’d first been rescued, and they were all close to starvation, their bodies beginning to shut down, Noah had always been the stalwart, smiling despite being close to death. Fly had fallen in love with the big lug back then, and his feelings had only grown more intense.

  “He’s been in an induced coma,” Lex said softly, entering the quiet ward, which was dimly lit in the early morning. “He should be coming out of it now, though. We shut off his sleep meds. He’ll come around soon enough. He’s healing well.”

  “I can’t believe Morag shot him,” Fly wailed, forgetting to keep his voice down. “Why would she do that?”

  “Apart from stopping him ripping her face off for taking his mate?” Lex asked dryly, then grew serious. “From what Meredith told me, Morag was always pretty selfish. She enjoyed causing pain to people she thought had slighted her. You already know some of that. Since you didn’t do what she wanted, she decided to hurt the one thing you cared for.”

  Lex placed a tray across Fly’s lap, containing fresh orange juice and some freshly baked pastries from John’s café. “Ethan sent these over,” he said, smiling. “John’s had to board his window up, but they’re still in business. Someone dumped a truckload of manure into the café. Ethan and his brother, Douglas, decided to have a baking marathon, after spending most of yesterday shoveling shit, and have baked enough of these for the whole damned town.” He smirked. “I’m not complaining. Leo and I didn’t get home last night, with all the kerfuffle. We’re happy to have some extra calories to keep our energy levels up.”

  “I heard about Crash,” Fly said, grimacing. Kaden and Alfie had come to visit the night before and related everything. He felt sick at what they’d described, hating the violence, but he knew Mystery had been vindicated. What Ronan had done, at Mystery’s request, would stay with him always. Fly just hoped that somehow the wolf shifter could find some solace from the fact that Crash was gone now, along with Morag and Ghost, who had killed his pack mates. “I’m so sorry about Ronan. Will he be okay?”

  “Murphy is on his way back from DC,” Lex said wearily, taking a seat beside Fly’s bed. “He’ll be able to talk to Ronan, but I don’t know what he’ll be able to accomplish. Ronan’s completely shut down. Even his mates can’t get through to him. They knew he was planning something, but he hid what he intended and drugged them, as well. It’s as though he’s gone someplace in his mind and doesn’t want to come back.

  “He’s an alpha,” Noah whispered suddenly, his eyes flickering open. Fly cried out, upending the tray as he leapt out of bed, showering Lex with juice and pastries. Lex yelped, nearly ending up on the floor himself. Noah chuckled and then coughed, wincing. “Here again,” he drawled hoarsely. “My second home.”

  Lex grinned at his droll humor. “You just need to move in, really. It’ll be easier when you get into trouble again.

  Noah flipped him off, curling his arm around Fly when the cheetah shifter hopped up onto the bed beside him, curling against his side.

  “You idiot!” Fly scolded, peppering kisses over Noah’s raspy jaw and then kissing him passionately. “Why the heck did you let her shoot you?”

  Lex laughed at that. “I don’t think he ‘let’ her,” he said, dabbing at the drops of juice staining his white lab coat.

  “Three bullets, and she still couldn’t manage to kill me,” Noah said wryly. “Guess she’s not such a hotshot after all,” he quipped. “Pun intended.”

  “It’s no laughing matter,” Fly said sourly, but his kisses were tender, his eyes soft with love.

  “Hey! You’re awake, dude,” Louis called from the bed opposite.

  “Hey, Louis. Glad you’re okay, man,” Noah said, giving him a thumbs-up.

  “Where’s Ronan?” Doyle asked seriously. “I think I need to go and speak to him. He’s in a bad place right now.”

  “He’s with Mazy, in the secure wing,” Lex told him. “I’m not sure he’s up to having visitors right now.”

  “Fuck that!” Doyle growled. “The fucker shot us! If he’d told us what he wanted to do, we’d have helped him. That bastard Crash needed to be put down. A shame we were in hospital.”

  “We should all go and see him.” Mystery, ensconced in the same ward, his arm and leg still in a cast, stared at them all, his eyes shadowed with the events of the past few days. “He needs to know that he’s given us closure. Crash deserved what he got. He was a monster. He enjoyed causing pain and beat me every day when we were kids.” He bared his fangs. “He thought he owned me and hurt Humdrum when we found out we were mates. I hope the bastard’s suffering all the levels of Hell right now.”

  “Gentlemen, I’m appalled that you started this breakfast party without me,” John announced as he wandered in, with Slade, Oliver, and Shark in tow. His children followed behind, looking glum.

  “What’s up with these guys?” Lex asked, arching a brow at their sulky attitude.

  “My heroes!” Fly said, smiling at the kids.

  “Hey, Fly,” Murray said, his smile brief as he glanced warily at John. “We can’t stay long. We’re on shit cleaning duty.”

  Fly laughed at that, seeing the fierce look on John’s face. The little fuckers had courage, for sure, but had a problem with following through. If David hadn’t shown up with the cavalry, they’d all be lying on a slab right now. Their bravery only went so far.

  “Yeah,” Blue added, sulking. “Daddy Aiden said we all had to help. He said it would be a lesson for if we ever thought about disobeying anyone again.”

  Fly looked at the children with amusement, seeing the glares directed at Blue and Murray. Little Moe and Flint were among the cleanup crew, plus Aiden’s tribe, along with John’s. None looked particularly happy to be there so early.

  “We had to get up really early,” Murray griped, yawning.

  “And just think,” John said cheerfully. “You get to go to school and sit through a full day of math, as well as doing community service. I got David to arrange it with Aiden.”

  Murray huffed with irritation, arms folded across his chest. “I hate math.”

  “I know,” John shot back, grinning widely. “And I hate having to be told, yet again, that my offspring are in peril. If you step out of line just once, I’ll make you sit through a whole bloody month of math.”

  “Crap.” Blue pouted, his lower lip trembling.

  “Now, say hi and bye to everyone, and then we can crack on. There’s a whole lot of cleaning to do.” John clapped h
is hands loudly, making everyone jump, and then grinned at their expressions of disgust.

  “I thought you cleared it up yesterday,” Lex said, eyeing John with amusement.

  “Never enough cleaning,” John retorted, smirking. “They each have their very own sponge, bucket, and mop each, and I treated them to a lovely pair of rubber gloves. Fuchsia pink. The manure was cleaned up, but I think the café could use some elbow grease. Since I have so many willing helpers, it would be a shame not to use them.” His eyes twinkled as he looked at the group of unhappy fuzz butts. “Apparently, it’s been said that I’m not the best disciplinarian, so I thought I’d rectify that situation.”

  “I hate pink,” Murray groused, flushing at John’s knowing look. Then he looked at Fly, sighing. “I’m glad you’re okay, Fly,” he said. “I’m sorry we couldn’t help you more. Daddy John said we could take our self-defense classes, though, once we’re not grounded anymore.” He smirked. “I don’t think he trusts us not to get into any more scrapes.”

  “I’m not sure whether to be proud or terrified,” Fly replied faintly, putting his hand to his brow melodramatically. Murray giggled at his antics.

  “I’d be very afraid,” John said, laughing, as well. “These fuzz butts are a work in progress.”

  “Do you think I could join you?” Mystery suddenly asked, smiling slightly at the sullen kids. “I need help with self-defense, too. Then maybe I could walk around without feeling I was a complete wuss.”

  Murray grinned at him, then ran over, and gave him a gentle hug. “Of course you can,” he said, kissing Mystery’s cheek. “All us shorties need to have skills.”

  Mystery hugged him back awkwardly. “Once I get rid of these casts in a few days, I’ll sign up.”

  They all turned as Mazy entered the ward, with Ronan close behind. His face was drawn and pale, his eyes filled with tears, but he seemed better somehow, as though a weight had been lifted. Fly gave a low cry and left his mate to comfort Ronan.

  “Thank you for what you did,” he said, hugging Ronan tightly. He felt the big shifter’s arms enfold him, felt the shudder that rippled through the wolf, and tightened his grip. “You took care of an evil man.”

  Oliver and Shark ran over, as well, joining in with a group hug. “Thank you,” Oliver whispered. “We’re so sorry about your pack mates. We know you’re hurting, but what you did for us, for Mystery and the others, that means everything to us. We doubted you for a little while, thinking you were working with Morag and Ghost. But you weren’t. You were doing what had to be done. Like an alpha should.”

  Ronan whimpered, holding onto them, and then sank to his knees, sobbing.

  The children looked at him somberly, tears in their eyes as they saw the big man’s grief. “Daddy, will he be okay?” Murray asked John, who walked to his son, and gathered him close.

  “Sometimes being the alpha means you make tough choices,” he said slowly, staring grimly at Ronan. Then his smile returned, along with his snark. “Of course, Ronan’s aim could do with some work. He managed to shoot those two tubs of lard at close range and still missed all vital organs.”

  Ronan choked on a startled laugh, drowned out by Doyle and Louis’s loud protests. “Dude, that’s harsh,” Louis complained, although his eyes smiled at the banter. “We were shot in the ass. How much more vital is that?” They all knew that was a lie, but the humor was appreciated. Even the children giggled at the teasing.

  “I chose the biggest target,” Ronan said with a grin, wiping his eyes as he eased away from the group hug.

  “Harsh, dude,” Doyle snorted. “I’m happy enough, though. I get to lie in bed all day and get meals on wheels delivered straight to my bedside by a sexy nurse,” he retorted, smirking.

  “Yeah,” Lex cut in dryly. “That sexy nurse is my mate, so chill out with that kind of talk. Or I’ll make sure your bedside is in the middle of Main Street.”

  “Hey!” both bears exclaimed at once.

  They exchanged looks with Ronan, who nodded, looking more relaxed. “Thanks,” he said simply.

  “No worries, dude,” Louis replied, winking. “Next time, just ask us to help, huh? We would have ripped that fucker’s face off without flinching.”

  “Louis just said the ten-dollar word,” Murray whispered to his dad.

  John nodded as Louis grimaced, looking sheepish.

  “I think a time-out might be in order, don’t you?”

  “Invalid here,” Louis responded and then blushed. “Sorry, little dudes. I forgot my manners.”

  Blue giggled. “John won’t forget the time-out. We’ll save our mop and bucket for you, for when you get out of hospital. Besides, he already owes us about a million dollars. He’s always using the B word when Cameron’s not listening.”

  John sent Blue a pained look and then arched a brow in Louis’s direction.

  “Dammit!” Louis complained, eyeing John as he nodded.

  “Not a bad idea,” John said, carrying Murray toward the door. “Now, let’s leave you all in peace, so I can these guys started on their punishment.”

  “I still don’t get why we have to clean, too.” Honey pouted, glaring at her brothers. “We didn’t sprout feathers and get ourselves into trouble.”

  The group left, still bickering, as John waved good-bye.

  Chapter Ten

  A month later

  Oliver flipped sixteen sizzling fillets of chicken, skillfully maneuvering them on the hot grill. He grinned when he saw Slade enter the restaurant and felt his cock twitch predictably.

  Slade smiled at him. “Where’s Shark?” he asked, leaning on the counter.

  “He took out some trash with Drew,” Oliver replied, blowing a lock of hair out of his eyes as he returned his attention to the chicken. “We suddenly got busy, the second they left. They’ll be back soon.”

  “Want some help?” Slade asked, already moving behind the counter to wash his hands.

  Oliver smiled gratefully, eyeing the queue that had formed as customers waited patiently for their orders. Six of John’s ex-army buddies had come in a few moments ago, hungry after a long day of training with Ryder in his Warrior’s Brigade. It was after ten at night, and they were due to close at ten thirty, but business was business. Oliver was happy they were still in business.

  “Thanks,” he said. “These guys like to eat.”

  One of the men, called Ice, with white-blond hair cut in a short buzz cut, smirked at him, his pale blue eyes gleaming with amusement. “Your chicken burgers are the best,” he said, his accent from the north of England. “We can’t help but eat them,” he said, patting his flat stomach.

  “Yeah, you’re keeping us in business,” Oliver laughed, readying the carryout cartons as he shoveled fries into the relevant containers. Toasting buns efficiently, he had the orders ready a few moments later, and Slade helped him load them onto trays for the hungry group.

  “Thanks, Oliver,” Ice said. “We could have taken them with us.”

  Oliver wrinkled his nose. “No, you couldn’t. It’s raining buckets out there. I have to clean up anyway, so stay as long as you like. Slade could probably eat, too.”

  Slade nodded, smiling. “Always,” he joked, kissing Oliver’s nose.

  “Did someone mention eating?” a familiar voice asked, as Kaden and Alfie wandered in with Fly. “Our new apprentice here forgot to have lunch. Are we too late for dinner?”

  Oliver shook his head, smiling at the group. “No, you’re just in time,” he said. “Hi, Mystery, how are you?”

  Mystery smiled back. “They worked me to the bone,” he teased, glancing at Alfie, who snorted derisively.

  Oliver glanced at the clock, then frowned. “I wonder what’s keeping Shark and Drew?” he said pensively. “They’ve been gone for twenty minutes. It shouldn’t take that long to take out a couple of trash bags. They went together, because Shark was a little nervous about going out back.”

  Slade looked at Kaden, who had the same thought as he did. Tro
uble. “Stay here, Oliver.” He looked at the Warrior Brigade. “Would you look out for our mates? We just want to check where Drew and Shark got to.”

  “You need help?” Ice asked, rising to his feet instantly.

  “Wouldn’t hurt,” Kaden commented. “Flashpoint are still at large, even if we got rid of two of their major players.”

  “Guys, you hold the fort while we check this out,” Ice told his men, who nodded agreeably.

  “No problem,” a big, dark-haired individual replied, nodding.

  Slade darted from behind the counter, following Kaden and Ice out to where the dumpsters were located. There was nobody around, but Slade scented blood…fresh blood. He heard a low moan and rushed to the far corner of the yard to see Drew coming round, holding his head.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, alarmed as he helped the young man to his feet. “Who did this? Where’s Shark?”

  “Someone clouted me from behind,” Drew said, wincing as he touched the knot on his scalp. He looked around. “They took Shark. I didn’t see who, but he was pretty angry. It sounded as though he got in a few good punches before I faded out.”

  “Fuck!” Slade let out a loud, piercing roar, fangs bared as he unleashed his anger and fear.

  “Easy, Slade. We’ll get him back,” Kaden said, placing a hand on his arm. “I don’t recognize one or two scents here. Shark went this way. I think maybe he took off after whoever it was. Looks like there was a fight.”

  Slade snarled. Shark was on his own, putting himself into danger. Why the hell hadn’t he called for help? Unless he couldn’t. Kaden had said there could be more than one assailant. “I need to track him,” he said urgently.

  Kaden nodded. “Shift. I’ll get backup. I can follow your trail easily enough. Ice, you go, as well, in case he runs into more trouble than he can handle.” Ice shifted instantly, into a magnificent white tiger with clear blue eyes. He chuffed urgently, sniffing at one spot, jerking his head at Slade.