Easton: Forbidden: Paranormal Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  Ever since they’d closed on the house, pretty much the same day that they’d put the offer in on it, they’d been living there. It made it easier when the Internet had to be installed around the house, as well as other things that they’d decided they needed. Like the bars on the kids windows.

  At first he was afraid that it would look like they were caging them into the house. Easton still had fresh memories of his niece in the cage when she’d died. But when Forrest and Jake had seen them and heard why Wayne had put them in, they did the same thing to their home.

  “We have money, and I’d hate for anyone to get it in their head that they can just put a ladder up against the house and take our kids. Not to mention, we’re on the second floor. If they managed to get the window open, they’d fall to their deaths. I couldn’t live with myself if that happened to anyone.” He’d heard that Cattie and Tyson were doing it to their homes as well.

  “Easton, I need you.” Easton went down the stairs to find Wayne when he yelled for him. Easton laughed when he found him beside the biggest pile of plastic wrap and cardboard he’d ever seen. “Don’t even tell me that you told me that we’d need a dumpster when this stuff was delivered. I should have thought of how much there was going to be.”

  “Where did all that come from? I mean, I understand that everything was wrapped in plastic so as not to get dirty, but the cardboard?” Wayne told him to follow him. “Is this going to be bad? If so, I might need to gird up my loins for it.”

  Taking him into the dining room, he could see someone was still unwrapping the china that he and Wayne had picked out. While there wasn’t much in the way of plastic in here, there were boxes that the dishes and stuff came in. Next he took him to the pantry.

  “What the hell, Wayne? Are we preparing for a coup of some sort that I wasn’t made aware of?” There were at least twenty big bags of flour and rice in there. Fifty pounds of potatoes, as well as cans of juice and other vegetables. Wayne explained. “Oh. I guess we’re all shifters and we do eat more than the normal person, but this is a great deal of food.”

  Just as he was ready to try and figure out if they could send it back, DePaul came into the room with him. He looked like he was in a tizzy. Wayne asked him what was going on.

  “We’re feeding the pack.” Easton had to put his hand over his mouth so as not to laugh. “They’ve brought over steaks that they’re going to fix tonight, and we’re going to supply the rest. I do hope we have enough food.”

  Easton left the room. It was that, or Wayne or DePaul was going to clobber him with one of the number ten cans of green beans they were taking out of the room to cook. He was just making his way to his office again, to see if he could maybe get his computer set up, when he saw Cara looking at the living room and the way it was set up.

  “Don’t you like it?” She turned to him, her face radiant with a smile. “Christ, you’re beautiful. Love must be really good for you. I’ve missed you. You need to come over more.”

  “I wanted to tell you both together, but Wayne is scaring me right now with his muttering. I had no idea he did that.” She smiled bigger at him. “I’m going to have a baby. Our baby, mine and Denver’s.”

  He picked her up and swung her around the room. Easton was just as happy for her as she was. It was wonderful that she’d found love, and now was going to be a momma too. Again.

  “We’re so happy.” Easton told her that he could tell. “And all the children will be about the same age, about a year apart, and can play together. Oh Easton, you have no idea how, every day, I thank my lucky stars that you were outside of that elevator when I had Abby. Thank you for this. Thank you for being a friend to my buddy, and making him as happy as you have.”

  “He makes me that happy. And he loves me as much as I do him.”

  They hugged again and Easton went to find Denver to tell him congratulations as well. Cara went to find Wayne. Easton heard him yelling, and knew that she’d told him. It was happiness for all those he loved.

  Chapter 10

  Wendell looked outside the windows of the big van as they drove to the courthouse. He’d been told that his home was gone. Damn it, why didn’t people just leave him alone? As he rode by the house, he tried his best to get them to stop so that he could see it better, and was jerked backward when they finally did.

  It wasn’t completely gone, but there were big yellow machines still there working on taking it to the ground. Three dumpsters in the yard were being filled up by the backhoe, with what he could see were his things.

  “They didn’t even take my things out before they started on this mess? How could they do that to stuff that didn’t belong to them?” No one answered him, but he really didn’t need for them to. It was all right there in front of him. Nary a thing of his had been taken care of so that he could have it back when he was out of jail. “Are they planning to build me a new house, you think?”

  “I doubt it’ll matter to you once this trial is over, Mr. Bennett. Now, you’ve seen your house, so sit down and shut up. We’re already behind today because of you.” They’d gotten all pissy with him because he’d had to take a dump and they had to wait on him. “Today starts your trial, so if I were you, I’d listen to my attorney. Elsewise you’re going to end up back at the jail and not know a thing about it until someone comes to tell you.”

  He didn’t tell them, but he had a long list of things that he wanted to ask the judge. That man had been sticking it to him, he thought. Why did he have to wait in the jail for his trial? Wendell knew lots of people that got to spend their time outside with people while waiting. He was going to get money for that too.

  Then there was the fact that he had to wear those orange and yellow striped suits. Every time he had to take a shit or even to wash up, he had to take the entire thing off to get to his special parts. Not to mention, they chaffed something terrible.

  Twice the doc had to come in and given him some medicine to put on his legs where the stiff material would rub him raw. He was told that he needed to bathe more, but that wasn’t it. He didn’t bathe all the time at home. Why should he change up things now that they had him in here?

  Once they were at the courthouse he was unchained from the shackles around his ankles. He knew that as soon as they were in the actual room he’d be locked to the floor. Wendell thought that it was degrading to have to be tied up like this. He hadn’t even done that to his dogs when he’d had them.

  Course, he’d done it to his family. They had needed it though. He knew as surely as he was sitting here that they’d have run if given the chance. Well, he nipped that right in the bud, now didn’t he? No way did he think that anything that belonged to him was allowed to leave without his say so. But Mary had gotten around that, hadn’t she? he told himself.

  The money had better be here today. And his son. He wasn’t going to wait for someone to get around to it either. After this bullshit was finished up, he was going to stay in a nice hotel and have him some fun with his son.

  Wendell was so lost in the thought of getting this shit done that he had to be poked to stand up when the judge came in. When everyone else sat down, he kept standing. He wanted to get some things straight, or he was going to be standing up the entire time.

  “Yes, Mr. Bennett, what is it now? You do know that this isn’t the time or the place to be spouting off how this is unfair to you. Frankly, I’m sick of hearing about it.” He smiled at the judge, thinking to soften him up. “Well? What do you want now?”

  “I’d like to be able to be unchained, first of all. I ain’t going nowhere without my kid and the money that my wife tried to run off with.” The judge looked confused, and asked the man next to him what was going on. “I can tell you. Apparently, my wife, she won this big ticket of lottery money, and I want it given to me. I don’t care that she kept it from me all that time. It’s all right, now that I can’t hurt her for keeping it from me, b
ut I want that. Also my kid. There ain’t no reason that I shouldn’t be able to have my boy with me when we leave this here place. And did you know that someone is tearing down my house? Saw it this morning. All my—”

  “Do you know why you’ve been arrested, Mr. Bennett? Do you have a clue that you’re being charged with the murder of not just your daughter, but your wife as well?” Wendell told him that they didn’t have any proof he’d done such a thing. “You think not? Well, I guess you, of all people, would think that. That’s why we’re here today. To figure out if there is enough proof to show not just you, but the jury as well. Then I get to sentence you if said jury finds that you did indeed kill your family. That is, if you’d ever let us get this show on the road.”

  “But you’ll have to make sure that when I leave here today, I have my things.” The judge looked at him, and Wendell thought for sure that he was getting a cut of the money. But he knew better than to say that. That would get him in Dutch with the judge but good. “You will allow me to have my things. Including my son that has been taken from me.”

  “If, as you have thought, you are found not guilty of the things that have had you arrested, then I will personally make sure that you’re given just what you deserve.” There was a funny wording there, but at least he’d been able to get the man to say that he’d get his things. “But I cannot guarantee that this trial will end today. There are a lot of witnesses for the prosecution side of this.”

  “Do I have witnesses?” Judge Winslow said that he’d have to talk that over with his attorney. “He’s an idiot, but I’ll talk to him. Thanks, Your Honor. Nobody has ever been so nice to me before.”

  After he was seated again, he realized that he’d forgotten to ask about his clothing. Well, he was planning on getting out of here today, so he’d just let it slide. However, if it got to be going into tomorrow, he’d have to say something. It was getting to the point where he had to sleep in his skivvies rather than his pants to keep it from hurting too much.

  The attorney sitting at the other table stood up to call his first witness. Since he was sure that it wouldn’t matter—Wendell had always been really careful-like when he was taking care of his business—he closed his eyes to rest up for taking care of his son.

  He’d not had a lot to do with raising up kids. When his daughter was born he knew that all he’d done was complain and bitch about her to Mary. He supposed that Mary had done most of the taking care of her so he’d not have to hurt her, but that was her own fault. Mary should have known better than to have given him a girl the first thing.

  Of course, now that he thought on it, it wouldn’t have hurt him at all to have had the kid around. Boy or girl, she could have been pretty helpful in fetching him a beer or bringing him his meals so he’d not have to eat at the table. Then there was the added bonus of making Mary happier so that she’d birth him a little man to take after him.

  Wendell wasn’t sure why Mary was forever in trouble—not that he had time to think on it. She was good to him in cooking him meals and cleaning up his house for him. She’d also tried her best to keep the brat out of his way. Killing her hadn’t been necessary, but it sure did quiet down the house after she was gone. The woman was forever whining about this or that.

  When he was poked in the ribs, he yelled out about it. The man standing in front of the table he was at was the other attorney, and Wendell didn’t know what he was wanting. Looking up at the chair right next to the judge, he saw his good buddy Sips. He didn’t know if he had a real name or not. Everyone just called him Sips because he drank his beer in sips rather than gulps.

  “What the hell do you want?” The attorney, he thought that his name was Can or something, asked him if he knew the man at the dais. Since he didn’t have a clue what that was, Wendell just nodded so that he’d leave him be.

  “Your Honor, I would like it entered into the log that Mr. Bennett does know Howard Long.”

  Then as he was walking away, Wendell asked who that was.

  “It’s the man at the dais. Aren’t you paying the least bit of attention here?” Wendell figured it didn’t matter if he lied to this man or not, and said that he’d been thinking. “Well, you should be thinking about how you’re going to be spending the next hundred years or so in prison if you don’t keep up.”

  “Hundred years?” He realized that he’d spoken too loudly and lowered his voice. “There ain’t no way I can spend a hundred years anywhere, you dummy. I’m not one of them creatures that be running around.”

  Wendell decided that he might be right. Instead of thinking on things that he was going to take care of and how he’d ended up here, he was going to start paying attention to what was going on around him. It might be fun to watch them try and convict him on something.

  “The night that Mary’s body was found, did you see the defendant, Mr. Bennett?” Sips nodded. “What did he say to you? If anything.”

  “Yes, he told me that he’d just thrown Mary off into the ditch. That he’d cut her throat. He also said that he was glad to be rid of her and the kid.” Sips looked at him. “I didn’t even know you had a kid, Wendell.”

  ~*~

  Wayne waited at the first house for over an hour after the appointed time. Instead of calling Moody again and leaving a message, he gathered up his things and decided that he’d had enough of this shit. When he was going to the door, a young woman came into the room with him and told him she was sorry.

  “You’re sorry? I’ve been here waiting. Did you even think to call me and tell me that you were running late? I have a lot of things that I could be doing rather than waiting on you to get your butt in gear and get here.” She told him again that she was sorry. “Look, I’m just exhausted. It was hard enough for me to even want to come here. Let’s just get this finished up so that I can get back to the States.”

  “Mr. Moody didn’t tell me that there was an appointment until about twenty minutes ago.” Wayne stopped moving around the house to turn and look at the woman. “He forgot, you see, and instead of calling you, he sent me here to take the blame for being late, because he wants you to find him a house. Right now, I could care less if I had to sleep on the street, I cannot work for him too much longer if he doesn’t take it down a notch. I think he’s under a lot of stress, and he won’t let me help him with it. I mean, I love working for him, but just lately he’s been a real ass.”

  “I’m sorry.” She started crying, and Wayne held her while she sobbed out how upset she was. “Does he do this often?”

  “No, not too much. But lately he’s been a nasty bear to everyone and anyone. It doesn’t even matter if you work for him or not, he’s rude and demanding.” He told her he was sorry again. “I can’t quit working for him, even though I want to several hundred times a day.”

  “Again, I’m sorry. Let’s have a look at this house and move on to the other if it’s not going to suit him. I’m sorry that I took it out on you.” She nodded and pulled out a tablet. “Is this a list of things that he wants to have in a house? That’s an extensive list.”

  “Yes, it is. And you have no idea how extensive it is. I’m to measure the rooms too. I hope you don’t mind.” He said that he didn’t, then glanced down at the list in her hands. He told her that this house wouldn’t cut it for the man. “Why? What do you see here that would have you knowing that so soon?”

  “There isn’t a wine cellar here. If that’s a deal breaker, then this is off the list.” She nodded and wrote herself a note as to why the house was being marked off. “If you let me look at the rest of the list, perhaps I can see what I have on the market so that we don’t waste any time. All right?”

  “My name is Grace Lane, by the way. You must be Wayne Carey.” They shook hands. Then she handed him the list that she had. “If you’ll notice, he’s put a list of other homes that he’d like to have me look at. I’m sorry about this, Mr. Carey, but as I said, I had no id
ea that this was even going to be happening today.”

  “It’s fine, Grace. Call me Wayne. I’m here to help him get a house, and hopefully get it done, so that you can tell him that you’ve done an admirable job for him. Will he notice?” She laughed, and told him that she doubted it. “Then we’ll have to work hard on this list.”

  The next two houses wouldn’t work for the man either. While Wayne was glad for the list, the man was wanting things that weren’t going to be easy to find in a home in the oldest part of London, where he wanted to live. Sitting at the bar of the first home, he and Grace went over each of the houses that he had on his list, as well as the ones that Moody had given her to look over.

  “Why is he sending someone else to find him a house?” She said that was the way he did things all the time. “What else do you do for him? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “I order his clothing. Suits mostly, but sometimes I’ll order his underthings. I make dinner reservations for his dates, or his mom when she wants to see him. I update his calendar daily to make sure that he has no surprises when he pulls it open for the day.” Grace looked at him shyly. “Which, as you can imagine, isn’t all that easy, since he pops things on it all the time without telling me. I keep track of his suits that he wears to an event, as well as the shoes and tie that he wore. That way he won’t wear the same thing twice to the same event.”

  “That sounds like a crazy job.” She said that was why she couldn’t quit, that it paid so well. “Yes, but that must drive you insane to know what he wears and ordering things.”

  “It was at first, but I got into his closet one week and numbered all his clothing. Then I took pictures of it all to keep in a notebook. That way, on the list alongside of the picture, I can write out what he wore to the events and so on. He changes out his suits after he’s worn one five times or so. He has an allergy to the dry-cleaning chemicals that they use, so it keeps him healthy as well as nice looking. The suits are then donated to a local homeless shelter for them to either sell for the cash or let the others use them for job interviews or the like.” That was very generous of him, he told her. “He’s normally a very nice person to work for. I don’t mean for you to think that he’s a nasty ass. But lately, just over the last couple of weeks, he’s gotten more demanding about things and he’s hard to talk to. Before all that, I could go to him about needing time off and things. Not that I’m afraid of him. Never that. It’s just that he’s working too hard and is stressed out, as I said before.”