24
I sat on Jay’s living room sofa in something of a daze. So much had been dumped on me in such a short period of time that my brain had basically checked out and was not taking reservations for any more thoughts.
Romeo was next to me with a pint of rocky road ice cream at the ready. He seemed to think finding your long-lost father while in the middle of dealing with a nut-job master vampire warranted ice cream. We were way past ice cream at this point.
Way, way past.
Jay had tried to sit with me, but the constant hugging thing had grated on my nerves by minute four.
Shaw, or Dad, or whatever I was supposed to call him now, had made an attempt to stay close to me.
It wasn’t long before Romeo chased them both off and sat with me. He’d not said a word, which was perfect.
I ran my hands over my face and shook my head.
Romeo held out the ice cream for me.
This time I took it.
He produced a spoon without me having to ask.
I dug in and tried to offer him some as well.
He groaned. “Chocolate and wolves don’t mix very well.”
“Huh, never really thought of that before,” I said, taking a big spoonful. “Why do you guys have it around?”
“Jay knows you like it,” he said, as if that explained it all.
I ate more and then glanced at him. “My week has been super weird.”
He grinned. “I’d say so. How are you doing with everything?”
“My dad is Scottish,” I said, as if that was the biggest revelation I’d had as of late.
“I noticed.” He nudged me lightly with his shoulder. “Explains your temper though.”
I ate more ice cream. “Are they talking about me?”
Romeo was quiet a moment and I knew he was listening in on the conversation happening in the kitchen. He nodded. “Your father just threatened to neuter Jay for claiming you.”
The ice cream was looking better and better. “Wait until he learns I was with Sam too.”
Romeo smirked. “One alpha male sexual escapade revelation at a time.”
I stilled. “He saved me when Reynaud first attacked me.”
“Who? Sam?”
I shook my head. “My dad. He, Christian and Mason had been outside of the vampire club, watching it. Then when I got the flat tire and Reynaud came for me, my dad and the others showed up. I don’t know what would have happened if they hadn’t.”
“Gina, he may not have recognized you as a grown woman, but deep down, he knew who you were to him on some level. He’d already gone rounds with the vampire in the past. He had to know confronting him like that wouldn’t end well for him, but he did it anyway. He did it for you.”
I leaned against him. “My mom was Reynaud’s mate?”
“Sounds like it,” Romeo returned in a hushed tone. “If I was her, I wouldn’t have stayed with him either.”
“I’d have slit his damn throat while he was sleeping,” I added before eating more ice cream.
“Why did you push him to take over Jay and hurt you?” he asked. “I couldn’t read you then. You shut down on me.”
With a sigh, I handed him the ice cream. “My gut says he can’t force Jay, but he wants me to think he can. He didn’t use my dad against my mom.”
Romeo tensed. “You think they’re immune?”
“I think they’re too strong for him to invade their minds. I think Reynaud’s not as strong as he used to be, and even back then, he still couldn’t use my dad for his evil bidding.” I pushed the ice cream away more. “If I eat another bite, I’ll be sick.”
He was quiet a second before another man came in and took the ice cream.
“I wish I could mind talk to them all,” I said with snort. “It would save so much time if I could read Jay’s mind.”
“He wears his emotions for you on his sleeve,” returned Romeo. “He loves you so much, Gina. And he’s going to be a great husband and father.”
“Father?” I asked. “Uh, let’s not go there just yet. I need some time before we cross that bridge. Like a century or so.”
He eyed me but said nothing.
I remained pressed to him. “Jay is going to do something stupid and attack Reynaud full-on, isn’t he? Like Zachariah said he would.”
“Probably. Your dad seems onboard for it too. I think fear for you is driving them both,” admitted Romeo. “And, Gina, you should know they won’t have their heads on straight. Jay’s mind is going a thousand miles per hour right now. His emotions are all over the place too.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I whispered. “They’re all going to end up hurt or worse.”
“More than likely,” he said, and I appreciated his honesty.
“What are they talking about now?”
He licked his lower lip. “Their harebrained plan to kill Reynaud. It’s not going to work. They all know it too, but they can’t think of anything else to do.”
I thought back to the night at the club. The huge metal door with the guard on it kept popping into my head. My hand went to Romeo’s knee. “Darkness like Reynaud has in him isn’t normal, right?”
“I’ve never heard of it before.”
“Do you think it comes from somewhere? Like maybe Reynaud is plugged in to it, like a power source, and where he goes, it has to travel with him? Or do you think it’s always there inside of him?”
Romeo thought on it a bit. “I don’t know. What makes you think it might not always be in him?”
“I felt it crawling over the club when I was there. Like it was vines coming from an evil plant.” I clutched his knee. “Stupid thought. I know.”
“Gina, the very fact you said it tells me it’s not stupid at all. You come from a long line of slayers from the sounds of it, and you have magik and shifter in you. I’m inclined to trust your knee-jerk reactions.”
The doorbell rang, and Romeo put an arm around me protectively.
I cast him an unamused look. “I doubt bad guys knock.”
Two of Jay’s men answered the door, and were suddenly shoved into the foyer.
“Where is she?” demanded Lindsay, sounding pissed.
I hurried in that direction just in time to find my best friend storming in, her hand on her stomach and a determined look on her face. Right behind her was my other closest friend—Myra.
Myra laughed as Lindsay charged in. “Dear Lord, woman. You were scary before pregnancy hormones were added. No wonder why Exavier is thinking of wearing a cup.”
“Don’t even say his name to me right now,” snapped Lindsay. She spotted me and beamed, coming right for me. She yanked me to her and held me tight, like I was a rag doll. “We were worried about you!”
Myra helped to pry Lindsay off me and then she gave me a fast hug, knowing I wasn’t a huge fan of them. “Look who I ran into out front.”
I glanced past them both. “Where is Exavier?”
Lindsay huffed. “I left his ass at home.”
“It would appear the baby has Daddy’s ability to pop in and out of places,” said Myra, looking as if she wanted to say more but thinking better of it.
“What are you both doing here?” I asked. “Myra, you were supposed to be with your mom longer.”
They shared a look.
Myra grinned. “Sweets, there is no way we were leaving you alone with everything going on. Lindsay called me when the slayers went down. I caught the first flight back. No one messes with my friends.”
Lindsay hugged me again. “And Jay texted to say you needed someone to talk to and that you wouldn’t let him hug you anymore.”
A laugh burst free from me. “So he sent for backup?”
She blinked back tears. “Gina, he also texted to say your birth father is here.”
“Ooh, I missed that tidbit,” said Myra. “Is he here, here? Or in the city?”
Romeo put his hands on my shoulders. “Here, here. He’s in the kitchen with Jay and the others, tr
ying to formulate a plan to take down the new big baddie in town.”
I looked at my friends. “Cutting to the end—it’s not going to work.”
Myra groaned. “Men. They’re shit at planning.”
“I hate all men,” snapped Lindsay, eyeing Romeo.
He stiffened.
“Get her the rocky road,” I said. “It’s the only way to stay safe.”
He hurried off.
Jay came rushing down the hall at us, his phone pressed to his ear. “Yes, Exavier, I’m looking at her right now. She looks pissed. What did you do? You told her she wasn’t allowed to see Gina until all this blew over? Fuck, man, do you still have balls or did she cut them off?”
I smiled. “Might want to suggest the cup to him, Jay.”
“Calm down. She’s here in my house. Myra is with her. No. I’m not going to let her leave,” said Jay, before licking his lips and looking at me. “I mean, Gina won’t let her leave. I like my balls just where they are.”
“I like them there too, hon,” I said.
He growled in a sexy way.
Myra sniffed the air. “Holy shit! He did it. He claimed you!”
Lindsay squealed so loud that Myra and I actually jumped.
I touched my chest. “Linds! You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Gonzales, are you going to talk on the damn phone all night or are you going to help think of something to stop this son of a bitch?” asked Shaw as he came down the hall.
Myra and Lindsay smiled wide and leaned against one another.
Lindsay bit her lower lip. “Wow. Who’s the hottie?”
I paled.
Myra stared at Shaw as if she were thinking of taking him for a test ride. “Sexy and Scottish.”
I shot in front of them and put my arms out. “Stop mentally undressing my dad.”
My friends drew back.
“Gina, your dad is hot! Like fifty-out-of-ten kind of hot,” said Lindsay.
“You’re mated to the Prince of Darkness, stop rating my dad. It’s gross,” I said sternly.
“Pregnancy makes me very, very horny,” she blurted. “I can look but not touch. Can he take his shirt off?”
“What? No! Stop. He’s not hot. He’s…he’s my dad!” I glanced back at him to find Shaw trying hard not to laugh. “It’s not funny.”
“’Tis a wee bit funny, lass,” he said.
I couldn’t help but laugh some before tearing up.
He pushed Jay out of the way and came to me, sweeping me up in his arms. He hugged me tight to him. “I’m sorry again for leaving you, lass.”
“I know,” I whispered, hugging him back. “But if you take your shirt off right now, I’m going to go back to being mad at you.”
He laughed hard and set me down gently. He held me to him and faced Lindsay and Myra. “Yer friends of my daughter?”
They stared dreamily at him and nodded.
Now off the phone, Jay eased up alongside me. “Why in the hell do Lindsay and Myra look like that?”
I groaned. “They think my dad is hot.”
Jay didn’t bother to hide his laughter. “I think he’s a dick, but he’s growing on me slowly.”
“Yer nae growing on me one bit, Gonzales,” said my father sternly. “I do nae like that you claimed my daughter.”
“She’s my mate,” said Jay, as if he’d said it a hundred times before to the man.
“Och, I do nae care. She’s my babe. No man is guid enough for her,” returned my father. “Nae you. Nae anyone.”
I put my hand on my father’s chest. “Daddy, it could be worse. Reynaud could be your son-in-law instead of Jay.”
Horror crossed his face. “I changed my mind. You’ll do, Gonzales.”
Jay grunted. “Gee, thanks.”
Shaw touched my cheek. “You called me Daddy. I dinnae think I’d ever hear that from yer lips again.”
I hugged him once more. “I’m sorry about Mom, and what Reynaud said.”
“I knew she was nae my mate. But I dinnae know she went back to him,” he said, glancing away. “And I dinnae know the babe was nae mine. It wouldnae have mattered to me. I’d have loved him just the same as if he were my own.”
“He’s like a walking romance book hero,” said Lindsay, staring at my father. “Does he have a brother?”
“Aye,” he said with a laugh. “But I think yer husband would take exception to you being introduced to my brothers.”
“Speaking of my husband,” she said, before turning and opening the front door.
Exavier was there, with his cousin Eion. Exavier’s hand was up as if he was just about to knock. “Lindsay, you cannot flash away from me when you don’t like what I’m saying.”
He came in; so did Eion.
I gave my father a good squeeze and then went to Jay. He slinked an arm around my waist, backing us up to get everyone inside.
Lindsay put a hand on her stomach again. “Oh, I didn’t do that. Your child did. Apparently, the baby was sick of hearing you moan and groan too.”
Eion snorted, and then put his hands up when Exavier rounded on him. “What? Come on. Your kid isn’t even here yet and already it’s that powerful. Imagine temper tantrums later. The kid will end up in another country.”
Shaw grunted. “Aye. Gina did that to me once. She dinnae like being told no about making stakes when she was three. I told her it was dangerous. She got mad and then vanished into thin air. Scared a hundred years off me. Christian found her in my closet, her arms over her chest, her gaze hard. She was mad at me for days.”
“You can vanish and travel that way?” asked Myra?
I shook my head. “No.”
“Aye,” said my father. “She was able to do so from birth. ’Tis nae something I can even do with ease. My mother could. And two of my brothers are able. Gina cannae shift forms to wolf though. The wolf is but a small portion of her. Her mother’s temper and hair color took root deep. And her mother’s slayer side. As noted by her being three and wanting to make stakes. Thankfully, she only had access to a plastic knife for modeling clay. I do nae want to think what she’d have done with access to anything else. She’d have whittled an arsenal.”
Myra and Lindsay stared at me.
I shrugged. “I don’t remember that, and I haven’t vanished that I know of.”
“Gina, your dad is a wolf shifter who can wield magik?” asked Myra.
I nodded.
Her lip curled. “Pity. The whole wolf thing does take away from the hot factor.”
My father snorted.
I looked at him. “She’s a cat shifter.”
Jay hugged me to him and kissed the top of my head. “Baby, I love you, but should I hide the knives in the house? I’m not sure I want to walk in on you making stakes.”
Lindsay burst into tears.
Exavier hugged her. “Honey, I know you’re happy for them, but don’t cry.”
“You were right. They are so perfect together,” she said, sinking into her husband’s embrace.
Eion shook his head and walked around them both, extending his hand to my father. “Nice to meet you. I’m Eion, and the guy who looks confused by his pregnant wife’s mood swings is Xavier.”
“I’m fully planning to lecture my wife about showing up here without me,” said Exavier. “I told her Eion and I were coming to help. She didn’t think that was good enough.”
I grinned.
Romeo came into the room with the ice cream and thrust it at Lindsay.
She took it and wasted no time eating it. With a mouthful, she spoke to Romeo. “I knew there was a reason I always liked you better than Jay.”
Jay groaned.
Myra patted Exavier’s shoulder. “Now that the women are all here, let’s catch us up on what’s happening and then let’s kick some ass and take some names.”
I smiled. “I think we need to call in Zachariah.”
25
The warehouse district seemed even more desolate and neglected
than normal. I wasn’t sure that was even possible. It was as if all the supernatural lawbreakers had heard something big was about to go down and they didn’t want any part of it.
I couldn’t blame them.
If I didn’t have skin in the game, I’d have wanted far from it all too.
But backing down wasn’t an option.
Reynaud had to be stopped. His reign of terror needed to come to an end.
We’d spent an entire day at Jay’s house, trying to organize a plan of attack. Zachariah had arrived before the sun had come up, and he’d taken the steps needed to reach out to the local dens. All were on board to help in the fight against Reynaud. Apparently, they didn’t appreciate the increase in crime either. It made going about their regularly scheduled programming harder to do with everyone watching.
Exavier had sent word through the local Fae community that there was a battle coming and they’d be needed. And the rest of Jay’s pack had been notified. They all wanted to help. Fringe groups of supernaturals had reached out throughout the day, calling or coming to Jay’s home, offering to assist.
None of them wanted Reynaud or his darkness in their city or possibly influencing them too.
Even the slayers that I’d never considered myself close to had arrived, wanting to help. They’d lost fellow sisters to the madman and two of their own were still missing. They wanted blood for it. I couldn’t blame them.
I wasn’t sure we’d ever actually agreed on any one plan. Finally, the idea of having me be bait came into play. Much to my father and my husband’s dismay. It took some convincing, but I finally managed to persuade them to let me go to the club myself to draw out Reynaud. They’d only truly conceded when Myra insisted on accompanying me. I took my wins where I could and the moment the sun set we set out for the club.
Had we tried to go earlier, Zachariah and the vampires he was bringing to the battle wouldn’t have been able to join us. Their numbers were great, and they could fight on Reynaud’s level.
Vampire to vampire.
Myra touched my shoulder and glanced off to her right, looking into the blackness in the distance as we stood in the parking lot of Reynaud’s club. It was dimly lit, adding to the ominous vibe it had going.
Bad Moon Rising: A Loup Garou World Novel (Tempting Fate Book 2) Page 17