A Fragile Family

by J. J. Massa

  She situated herself on a bench next to Tav, enjoying his arm around her. Myles sat on the floor of the porch at Ashley’s feet while Yancey scooted onto the glider beside Philly. Tracey wasn’t surprised to see Sherman find a spot on the floor close to Myles.

  Nor did it take her by surprise when Tayler climbed up in Sherman’s lap and let himself be petted.

  “Yancey and I are going into town, Princess,” Myles told everyone, never taking his eyes off of Ashley. Sherman was looking at Ashley as well, his piercing blue eyes sad now, fine tremors barely visible in his taut frame. Myles reached over and patted Sherman’s knee. “We’re going to file a divorce complaint on Sherman’s behalf with the superior court, and then we’ll pop in on Lilith and give her a copy.”

  Tayler licked Sherman’s hand gently while Mik and Rafe sat near him, lending comfort and support as best they could.

  “You think you guys ought to go on your own?” Lakon asked casually. “We really don’t know what the set up over there is.”

  “It’s mostly a meet and greet,” Yancey spoke up. “We’re sort of letting her know where Sherman is and how he feels without him having to interact with her.”

  “I don’t really feel right letting you guys…” Sherman began, but Riker cut him off.

  “Sherman, Yancey is the pack lawyer. He and Myles often file things and deliver difficult news to unpleasant people. It’s their job within our pack,” he explained patiently.

  Sherman looked up, eyes locking with Riker’s. “So what’s my job within the pack?” he asked, pulling no punches.

  Riker raised a brow. “The same as all of ours. Use your talents and resources for the good of the pack, and take care of yourself while you do it.” He squatted down in front of Sherman, ostensibly to pet Tayler, his large hand cupping the delicate puppy skull. “Everybody does what they’re good at. We take turns taking care of each other. Just like you did for Ashley, and she did for you.”

  Sherman expelled a breath and nodded, both men stroking the soft, silky fur of the pup on Sherman’s lap.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Office of Lilith Landon

  Landon International

  Suite 2A, 5400 Peachtree Street

  Atlanta, Georgia

  Lilith was having an exceptionally bad day. She hadn’t heard from Jack since early the day before and that made her vastly uncomfortable.

  Now, the sun had already gone down again, it was getting a bit cold. Of course, the weather wasn’t really what was bothering her. It was the complete absence of a warm body in her bed. Not that Jack had actually been in her bed.

  That didn’t matter. Jack was supposed to be here. He had specifically refused to get her off when she’d demanded it. On top of that, he hadn’t been to his apartment in two days.

  “Mrs. Landon?” Lilith snarled at the speaker on her desk before tapping the button and responding. She’d hired a half-werewolf secretary because she hadn’t wanted a shrinking violet. The woman turned out to be weak and spineless; just hearing her voice sounding hesitant enraged Lilith when she was already in a bad mood.

  “What is it, Ginger?” she snapped, not really interested unless it was Jack. She knew instinctively that it wasn’t.

  “Two gentlemen are here to see you,” the secretary’s smooth voice floated out of the speaker. “They say it’s important personal business.”

  She’d liked Ginger’s melodious voice when she hired her, it was actually soothing when the young half-breed Were didn’t sound hesitant and nervous. Besides, she calmed herself, it was important to have black women in visible positions of importance.

  Ginger’s mother was a black woman and her father had been a white Were. Lilith thought briefly of the woman she’d met in Tampa—Bernadette F-something-married-to-a-Were.

  Taking a deep breath, Lilith calmed herself. It was actually a good thing that she made Ginger nervous—after Sherman was gone, she’d place Ginger in a more key role and keep her in line. Yes, fear could be very advantageous. Lilith took a deep breath and pushed the button.

  “Do show them in, sweetie,” Lilith purred, trying to fake it. “I don’t have any appointments scheduled just now.”

  “She’s not in a good mood in case you can’t tell,” Ginger was warning the men.

  Lilith’s jaw tightened. The impertinent little witch would pay for that. “She has a bit of a temper.”

  “Ta,” one of the men said, a smile in his voice. “We’ll be just fine. You go on home now, pet.”

  How dare he? Who did this man think he was telling her hired help she could go home?

  “Take care, Ginger,” said another voice, with a more southern accent this time.

  “Tell your Aunt Maisie we said hello.”

  Maisie…a reasonably unique name. And she was a werewolf of course. Dr.

  Maisie Montgomery? Lilith had met her at some charity function or another.

  “Thank you, Mr. Montgomery,” she heard Ginger’s voice receding.

  The scent floated in just before the door opened. The men were werewolves.

  Maybe having the air filtered and keeping the office insulated so well was not the best idea she’d ever had.

  Montgomery—no doubt something to do with Sherman’s friend then. Lilith held her back ramrod straight, working to keep both anger and fear at bay. These were Weres, of course they’d scent the emotion on her. Less was better, of course.

  “How can I help you gentlemen?” she asked pleasantly. “I’m Lilith Landon,” she held a hand out.

  The darker of the two she recognized as Myles Montgomery, the well known saxophonist.

  “Myles Montgomery,” he said, stepping into her personal space. She could smell the primal power, like an aphrodisiac. And then she could smell something else…somebody else on him. “I have something for you,” Myles said smugly, stepping even closer, so that there wasn’t two inches between them. Nothing except the thick manila envelope he held to her chest.

  “Sherman,” Lilith snarled. “You stink of Sherman!”

  “Odd way to put that, innit?” he murmured, stepping back. “Sherman Landon is a member of my pack. ‘S only natural for pack members to touch, share scent.” Myles leaned into her, his scenting her, nostrils flaring slightly. “Funny. I don’t smell him on you at all.” He turned toward the other man. “This is Yancey Livingston, Sherman’s attorney.”

  Lilith blanched. She’d heard of Yancey Livingston about as much as she’d heard of Myles Montgomery and his whole family. The Montgomery-Livingston pack was huge.

  “Sherman Landon is my husband and the CEO of Landon International, as I’m sure you know. You can expect action to be taken for your forcible removal of a man under duress…” Lilith knew she was grasping at straws, but she’d try just about anything right now.

  “Save it, Miz Landon,” Yancey Livingston said coldly. “Don’t put yourself in a position to be defending anything more than a divorce complaint. The local sheriff’s office will be delivering your official document in a few days.”

  “Sherman is my family—a member of the Montgomery pack,” Myles growled low, his fangs dropping, face covering with hair. “We take it very personally when a pack-mate is suffering. Sign the papers. Leave him alone. You’ll be better off for it.”

  Myles released the folder he’d been holding to her chest. It slithered to the floor as he turned and walked out.

  ****

  Home of Jack Aschtholdt

  Apt 1404, 5302 Chatham Way

  Chatham Suites Apartments

  Atlanta, Georgia

  “Where the fuck have you been?” Lilith snarled at Jack when he pushed the door open and dragged himself inside.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Lilith?” Jack mumbled tiredly.

  He really wasn’t in the mood for her just now. In fact, he’d hoped to crawl into his cool and quiet bed and just mull over everything that had taken place over the last forty hours or so.

  That was obviously a pipe dream now.
Lilith was not the kind of woman who mulled, or who allowed anyone else to mull, either.

  “What? Who has been all over you?” she shrieked, grabbing Jack by the shirtfront and yanking him closer.

  “Stop it, Lilith! What are you doing?” He was becoming alarmed now as she sniffed up and down his body, including his groin, his ass, even his ankles.

  “Someone has been fucking you,” she hissed, sniffing her way back up his body.

  Jack groaned. He really didn’t want to deal with this right now. Not ever, if he was honest about it. “I’m aware of that, Lilith,” he sighed.

  “And you’re in pain…and you’ve been bathing in lilac oil?” she ended on a high note.

  “Did you get what I had for supper?” he asked wryly, his arms crossed over his chest.

  Lilith pushed her nose up to his. “Deep fried okra,” she growled. “With too much salt and pepper.”

  “I like it that way,” he responded blandly. He’d stumbled into an alternate universe and it looked like he had to live here. He’d just make the most of it…

  “So you’ve been gone all this time getting fucked by some guy? While I’ve had to deal with the Montgomery family?” she spat, stomping across the dim room.

  Turning the other direction, Jack flicked on the kitchen light and pulled down two glasses. “Drink?” he asked. She narrowed her eyes at him. He went ahead and poured two. “I’ve been out assembling a little team who can go in, scope out what’s going on with Sherman and Ashley, and take care of them for us. Getting fucked was just part of the process.”

  He sipped his drink, keeping his eyes on her. How would she take this little bit of misinformation? What he was telling her was true…factual, anyhow. She seemed to relax a little, lifting her shot of amber liquid and drinking slowly.

  “That’s above and beyond Jack…but,” she sighed gustily. “Well, the Montgomery family has Sherman and they’ve filed paperwork for divorce…he signed it. Any ideas?”

  “Yes, of course I have ideas, Lilith,” he answered, impatient. “First, don’t you sign anything. It’s going to take the Sheriff’s office at least a week before they deliver your copy.”

  “How do you know?” she asked, brow arched.

  “I’ve been divorced in this state before, and nobody knows more about the legal system then the men trying to escape it, Lilith,” he shrugged.

  “Okay, so…you still think we can kill Sherman even though he’s filed for divorce and living with all those Montgomerys right now?” She didn’t look like she expected to be convinced—more like she expected to be amused by his answer.

  Jack smirked at her. “Lilith my dear, we aren’t going to kill him,” he shook his head at her.

  “Oh no?” she waited.

  “Of course not. That would be wrong.” He adopted an alarmed expression. “But you know who says they want to kill him? And they probably want to kill his famous and high profile friends, too…”

  She began to smile. “Do tell, Jack, I’m riveted.”

  He leaned close to her. “Well…there’s this group, lots of groups really, but this one—you know the one? We’ve gotten all kinds of terrible letters from them—that’s why you hired a criminal, Lilith, to help you understand and stop it,” he interrupted one explanation with another. “It’s hard to tell if this is an organized group or just a couple of angry Americans who think big business needs to mind it’s own business and let other countries take care of themselves…But we’ll keep investigating in-house for now.”

  Lilith stared at him unblinking for a full minute. Suddenly, she pounced, knocking him flat on the couch and sending his drink flying.

  His oomph of pain was lost in her enthusiastic kisses as she rubbed, squirmed, sucked and nipped at every part of him that she could reach. Every part of him that Becker had had his very special way with not twenty-four hours before. It had always been Jack’s experience that the second day was by far the worst.

  “Ohhh, Jaaack,” Lilith oozed. “You’re hurting. Let me see to you. I’ll take care of you until you feel better. I love your mind. Let me take care of your body until you feel better.”

  She quickly pulled herself off of Jack and supported him back to his room, efficiently stripping him and helping him crawl under the covers. Fluffing up his pillows, Lilith bustled back down the hall to get him another drink.

  Jack stared after her, oddly disconcerted. She’d all but repeated the words Becker had said to him that very morning. How eerie. Jack shivered and accepted the glass of fine whiskey. If she wanted to cater to him, he’d take it, no problem. What an odd world.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Future home of SunTrust Mini Tower

  Fifth floor frame

  Secure Building site

  5299 Chatham Way

  In the unlit darkness, Becker watched the wolf-woman pass back and forth in front of Jackie’s fourth floor window. He didn’t need binoculars to see what was happening. His distance vision was excellent.

  He really didn’t need to hear what was said. He could have if he strained—Jackie liked the windows open. He’d been locked up a long time. His Jackie. So smart. Too smart to be left alone.

  Becker wasn’t a wolf-man, he’d told the truth before when Jack had asked. He wasn’t a cat-man, not a vampire, not anything so much as a little part nice and a big part bad. When he was good, he was so sweet. But when the bad rose up in him, he had to use it on someone. Having pets helped—pets like Jackie.

  Becker didn’t mind the woman being around his babe. Jackie had a dick. He needed to put it somewhere. After all, Jack wasn’t gay—he didn’t put his dick in guys.

  What he was, was his. Property of Hail Becker.

  When the wolf-woman pushed Jack over, Becker did get pissed off. Some things were allowed, some things weren’t. Nobody marked his babe, and nobody made him sing like Becker did. He watched intently.

  She was sorry—that was fine. Jackie would probably be fine then. Becker would make his way back to his own little den—his lair. He kept the top part pretty for his pets, for Jackie when he came. He kept it pretty for after he took them downstairs and showed them what he really was. That wasn’t pretty at all.

  Tomorrow, one of his pets would go to Jackie’s new job and bring the letters, letters written all over the state, threatening Sherman and his cohorts. The wolf-woman was right, he heard her say that Jack was very smart. His plan covered just about everything.

  Becker himself would accompany another pet to see the people that Jack wanted dead. He’d get an idea about the set up. From what Jack had told him during the long years they’d been in prison together, this was the very same place that Jack had been caught and put into federal prison.

  It was also the place where Jackie’s sons were. Becker wanted to know more.

  ****

  Home of Tracey and Tavist Darke

  Darke Woods Road

  Talking Rock, GA

  “Bint was scared, she couldn’t hide that,” Myles murmured to his brothers. Part of him wanted Marc and T Paul here as well, but he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be pretty. Maybe it was best not to have too many family members around.

  “I think we should call Marc and T Paul,” Yancey shocked him, repeating his thoughts aloud.

  “Why’s that, Yance?” Tav had been strangely quiet ever since Ashley had come back. Conflicted possibly, unless Myles missed his guess.

  “Stop it,” Jacob murmured low, arching a brow at him. “You worry about them. Dad’ll be fine.”

  Myles knew that he was the only one who’d heard what Jacob whispered in his ear, and he almost wanted to laugh. To have his brother-in-law go from hating him to directing his love and concern…it was bizarre, absolutely bizarre.

  He glanced over at Ashley, leaning on Tracey as the two chatted quietly with Philly. Then there was Sherman, who, along with Kameron and Kaden, was tossing a ball around for Tayler, and Tav and Tracey’s twins, all three in wolf form. Myles suspected that Tayler felt
better in wolf form, but he didn’t know. Either way, Rafe sat nearby, quietly sketching the three pups as they played.

  Getting Sherman and Ashley outdoors to enjoy the mild night had been difficult to put it mildly. Ashley had fretted about the dark, shaking and shuddering before she broke down in tears. He’d coaxed her out to the porch with assurances that her mother and Philly would be there and she could stay on the steps so that she was still close to the door if she wanted to go inside again. He also promised that he would stay where she could see him at all times.

  Sherman had been a different kettle of fish altogether. Standing next to Myles, he’d looked out the window and quietly drifted away to whatever hell he lived in when reminded of his last adventure. It had taken Myles half an hour after clearing the house of people, Were and otherwise, before he’d been able to coax Sherman back from the edge mentally and talk to him about stars, trees, and breezes.

  Every minute or two, those intense blue eyes flicked to Ashley and then fixed on him before Sherman turned back to the conversation and the pups. Ashley had been only too willing to hover outside the kitchen door on the porch with her mother while Myles spoke quietly with Sherman. She’d been unable to give up the directive of seeing him, but completely understanding of Sherman’s need for calm and silence and Myles’ accented voice.

  Remembering Lilith Landon’s invective of “you stink of Sherman” just made Myles’ blood boil.

  “I said…” Yancey had obviously noticed Myles’ distraction. He felt a little sheepish but hid it, looking pointedly at his cousin now.

  “Yes, Yance?” he urged facetiously.

  “I smelled Jack Ashtholdt all around the door in the office there, and more when I moved around toward another door.” Yancey paused, looking around. “It apparently connected with another office.”

  “I smelled something familiar on her…someone, anyway. But it wasn’t Sherman,” Myles remembered as he looked over at Ashley, who was looking at him.