by Lauren Dane
Moments later, she came into the bedroom, her lipstick on, her sweater and skirt hugging every beautiful curve and the highest of heels on her feet.
“I wish we had more time. Damn you look good enough to eat. Again.”
She closed her eyes and he took a step forward. Her eyes snapped open and she fake-frowned at him. “No. I want to have dinner with my sister. I want to go out on a date and have a nice time. Keep your penis in your underpants, mister.”
“Mean.”
He let her go, content to watch her brush her hair back with her fingertips and change earrings.
“You know, watching you get dressed is like being let into a secret club. The way you slather lotion on.” He changed lanes and settled back into his seat. “The way you always look back over your shoulder at yourself in the mirror. The way you shake your hair out. It’s sensual. Beautiful.”
Her lips curved up in her secret smile. “You’re so good to me.” She took his hand a moment, squeezing before she let go.
She had no idea what she’d done to his life. How she’d filled it when he didn’t know how very empty it had been until she was there, vibrant and warm and he’d nearly collapsed at the feel of her in that spot that had been vacant.
“Come on then. Let’s go and eat lots of food. This new metabolism thing rocks my world. I need to say that right now.”
* * *
Amor was safe. When Kendra walked through the doors, everything bad seemed to fall away. She liked that a lot. Liked that this place had been a touchstone for Max and the others in his family, and now it would be hers too. A space like this would have built up its own sort of protective magicks over time. That was a big reason why Renee’s place and the de La Vegas’ house held a ward so well.
“Not to alarm you,” she murmured as Max settled in next to her at their large, private table in the back, “but outside, I felt them outside. We’re being watched.”
“I’m on it.” Gibson spoke to Max without him even saying a word. What rhythm they had. “I’ve known this for a while. Finding their bolt-hole worked quite nicely, helped freshen their scent. They’re part of this. He’s not out there, neither is she, or I’d be busy.” His eyes darkened at the mention of their stepmother. “But they have been, and the people watching you and Renee are with them. Stink of them.”
Kendra leaned forward. “And you were going to mention this to me when? You said we would work together. You keeping secrets is not together. Just saying.”
Max threw himself under the bus. “I asked him not to say anything. I wanted you safe but not worried.”
“Max, we’ve discussed this more than once. I won’t have you making these sorts of choices for me. You are not my parent, or even my alpha. You can’t hide things this way.”
He met her gaze, implacable and unshakable in his conviction. “I’ll do what I need to to keep you safe.”
“You’ll do it alone then. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. Again. You either trust me to run this jamboree at your side or you don’t. I bet your father doesn’t dare hide this sort of thing from your mother. You think I’m less worthy of respect?”
Galen sighed, leaning back, his hand on Renee’s. Her sister narrowed her gaze at Jack and then Gibson. “Where is he? My father?”
“You knew too?” Kendra turned to Jack, totally livid.
Jack looked over at Galen, who heaved another sigh and nodded. Damn it, they’d all known.
“Renee, you and your sister knew I was investigating your father’s whereabouts. My guards and Gibson’s work together so we share a great deal of intelligence. It’s been clear for some time that you’ve been watched, so that’s nothing new. And you knew the possible connection here as well. We only learned of the connection, for a certainty, yesterday.”
“And yet, you still made the choice for me.” She shook her head at Max, totally annoyed he continued to do this. She dismissed that for the time being, needing to stay on task. “Where is our father?”
Gibson blew out a breath. “Truly, I don’t know that. We’re on it, as I told you, Kendra. But there is a connection, you said so yourself so that’s not a surprise to you, is it? What would it have done to tell you? Hm? You know you’re being watched. There’s a connection. You’re aware of all this so why would I hurt you more by reminding you? There will be times when I do my job without informing you of the whole of it. It’s how this job works.”
“That’s not what this is and you know it. And I hate how my face wrinkles up when I get mad so it’s totally digging into how cute I’d be looking right now.”
Renee laughed and Max did too, but she turned back to him, putting a hand up. “You don’t get to laugh. You’re in big trouble with me right now. However, we’ll table this for the time being because it’s vulgar to fight at the dinner table in front of others.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong. We wanted to be sure, totally sure, before we said anything. I don’t want to see that look in your eyes any more often than is necessary.” Max took her hand and while she considered punching him, she chose not to. For the moment. Big, dumb butthead was being sweet, even as he was being a pushy, bossy jerk. “They’ve hurt you both so much. I hate that. And I hate that you have to finish this to get closure. But I know you do and I’m right with you. You can’t ask me to not try and spare you more pain. I can’t not protect your heart.”
She let out a long breath, because she was totally defenseless against him. He cared about her and risked her anger to protect her. Even though she knew it wouldn’t do to let him get away with this sort of thing, it still touched her. “Did you practice that in front of the mirror?”
He risked a smile, kissing her knuckles. “It’s the truth. I’d die to protect you from the tears I see in your eyes every time the subject comes up.”
“You’re absurdly good at getting out of trouble,” she muttered before kissing him. “No wonder you’re a lawyer.”
Renee was having her own heated discussion with Jack and Galen so Kendra took Max’s jaw in her hand, holding him in place. “No more. I accept that you’re nosy and pushy and in my business. I accept that you want to protect me and it means everything. This happened to me. To my mother and my sister. I need to see it end. I need to be part of that. Keeping me away from it doesn’t help the way you think it does. It makes me feel out of control and I really need control here. It’s the only way I can manage to get through it.”
She saw it in his eyes, when he’d understood exactly why he had to share this sort of thing with her. His sorrow that he’d missed it. And his resolution to tell her. Oh, he’d do this sort of thing again, it was who he was. But on this particular issue, he’d share everything. And what more could a girl ask for from an alpha cat?
“All this arguing is ruining my appetite so I think we should eat instead of fight.” She looked to Renee. Her sister had come through some rough times and Kendra hated that anything else would mar the happily-ever-after she’d achieved with her two men.
“From now on, you will share with Kendra and me whenever you receive new information about this situation.” There was no question in Renee’s statement and the men all nodded, agreeing. “Fine. Let’s eat.”
Gibson filled them in on the investigation. The information about the positive link had truly been the only thing he’d not told her, but it felt better to hear him lay it all out, complete with details about her father’s movements. What they’d found, where they’d found it and what it meant. He was careful and methodical, not drawing any conclusions unless the evidence merited it.
“You’re telling me our father and his wife are working with the mages to steal magic. Specifically the ones who’ve targeted Renee and now me.” Kendra sipped her coffee and thought.
Gibson nodded slowly. “Yes. And they’ve been a unit for quite a long time. From what w
e can put together, your father and Susan have been together, at least working together, since the year Kendra was born. Your mother may have been sure then and that’s why she took you to your aunt’s. Or she just suspected but couldn’t break away herself so she snuck you out.”
Kendra tried not to dwell on it just then. She had a job to do. “Mary told me about this magick, concealment and protection magick for one person on behalf of another. If that’s what my mother did, it might have been that she stayed in place to make a sacrifice strong enough to keep me hidden and Renee safe. It’s just conjecture at this point, but the way everything happened doesn’t make a whole lot of sense so it’s not that much crazier to think that.” And it had felt true when they’d discussed it.
“That may be it.” Gibson smiled briefly before continuing. “We managed to uncover their trail. From Gilroy to Santa Fe, where your stepmother read palms and ran crystal-healing seminars.”
Kendra growled. “She probably fleeced those who had true power, stealing their energies like a pickpocket.”
“We’ve found an arrest. A group of women filed assault charges against her. Said she’d physically harmed them during a reading. They let her go, but only after a full day in jail. My contacts in Santa Fe tell me there’d been a lot of suspicion toward Susan and your father the whole time you lived there.”
“I can’t believe I don’t remember that. I have had dreams of deserts and mountains, but that’s a common dreamscape so who knows.” Renee spooned up some of Amor’s delicious meatball soup.
“Your memories are beginning to fill in slowly. You’ll get it all back, though I wish we could scrub out the bad stuff first.” Jack squeezed her hand.
“Then they lived in New Orleans for a year, same sort of story, only this time they were run out of town. I’ve got investigators down there, seeing if we can’t connect up with some of these mages. Perhaps they’d have a reason to give us information if they thought it might hurt your father.”
“Be careful, Gibson. I think it’s important not to let these mages know how much power you have. I’d prefer it if you’d keep your distance and let humans deal with the mages when you’re poking around.”
“I take the safety of my people seriously. When you brought up the possible risks, I spoke to them about it to be sure they’re using local law enforcement and other shifters to get the info to stay out of the picture the best they can. I agree that it’s best to keep how much magick we have on the down low until you figure out how to handle this problem.”
Kendra nodded. “Thank you. So after New Orleans?”
“El Paso, Little Rock and finally Boston where she opened her shop.”
“I imagine she’s stolen magick and life essence from thousands over the years.”
“She’s killed for it.” Renee spoke, putting her spoon down. “I know this, I saw it in her. Have always seen it in her. Not just our mother, but others.”
Galen’s cat shone in his eyes a moment. “She wanted to kill you, and there’s no reason for us not to believe she wasn’t part of selling you out to these other mages. Either way, she’ll be dealt with. They can’t hide from wolves and cats. Not for long.”
“When we find them, we’ll deal with them and end this threat.”
And then she could truly begin her life. Free of the shadow her father had cast on her life for as long as she could recall.
Chapter Fourteen
“Nice control.” Rosemary spoke from the other side of the room as Renee went through her paces in the practice space.
Two weeks had passed since the dinner. Not a whole lot of movement in the investigation. It wasn’t stalled so much as garnering small bits of information in the wake of a deluge. Max and Gibson both assured her it was a factor in narrowing down and focusing on the target. Gibson said it was often like this right before he got that final piece that broke an investigation open wide.
In the meantime, she had classes to teach and classes to take and a new life to adjust to on several levels. Max had been incredibly generous with his time and knowledge, answering every question, explaining, giving her the tools she’d need to be part of his family.
She knew she pestered him, knew it agitated him not to just take over and fix things. But he never made her feel guilty, even when she saw the exhaustion and annoyance with internal jamboree politics written all over him.
“Great job to both of you.” Rosemary clapped before hugging Renee and then Kendra. “I’m so impressed. You’re such a natural.”
Renee smiled, blushing, but clearly pleased with the praise.
“This is the coolest thing ever. Each new thing I learn makes me want to learn more.”
Jack grinned at his wife from his perch near the doors. He and Akio were on guard duty, along with Gibson’s right-hand man, Saul. Saul, who was also their brother-in-law, married to Diana, the third eldest de La Vega and a glass artist. The de La Vegas liked to keep family business in the family.
Saul was pretty awesome, so hanging with him wasn’t an imposition at all. He talked more than Gibson and didn’t complain if she wanted to stop for milk shakes on the way home from work.
“We should get over to dinner, Kendra. Max said he’d meet us there.”
“Five minutes. Let me change into a dress. It’s just in the bathroom so I’ll hurry.”
Max arrived at his parents’ home a little early. He’d wanted to speak with his father but ended up face-to-face with Beth, who’d wisely been avoiding him.
“Hey.” She rubbed her cheek along his and not for the first time, he wondered how it was she could be so good to him, so normal and affectionate with him, and so mean to Kendra and Renee.
“Hey yourself.” He let himself into the foyer and hung his coat up. “Why are you here? Is everything all right?”
“Wanted to see Christina while she was around.”
Christina was their youngest sister, a history professor at Boston University who was about to leave to spend the next term in Spain with a small group of her students. He smiled. “Ah, good. I didn’t know if she’d be here tonight.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? She’s my sister, I like seeing her. She and Kendra get on well, which is nice for my wife too.”
“No. Why a human? Why not Kelly, who you dated and seemed happy with until this bimbo blew into town. There are many beautiful, accomplished shifter females who’d have been better suited to you than Kendra.”
“Beth, you don’t even know Kendra, so how can you say that? I’m asking you seriously. See your problem, supposedly, is that she’s human. Well, Kendra never was, she’s a witch. And now she’s a shifter too. So what’s the real deal here? Why are you so dead set against liking her?”
“I think we have enough problems. We have enough solutions too. We don’t need to seek out any outsiders. We’re just fine without that. She may have a cat now, but she didn’t even get it on purpose. She’s rejecting what we are.”
He pushed from the wall. “I told Carlos and I’ll tell you, don’t fuck around with me or Kendra on this. As it happens, I agree we’ve got enough problems. But unlike you, Kendra is trying to help me solve them. Your bitterness is bad for you. Bad for me. Bad for the jamboree and for that baby you’re carrying. Let it go. Just ignore her. I’m not asking you to pretend to like her, though I think you would if you gave her a chance. I’m asking you to act like other families do. You go one way, she goes the other and no one needs to see any drama. There are children around all the time, soon to be yours. Do you want your baby growing up seeing all this antagonism all the time? If you push her, she’s going to push you back, and you know, as well as I do, how it’ll end.”
“I’m second-born, Max. How do you know it’ll end up with Kendra victorious?”
“I would miss you every day for the rest of my li
fe if something happened to you. I love you, even when you’re acting a fool. But my wife is a powerful witch and our bond and taking on a cat has made her even more powerful. She can take you out and she will if you push. You’ll end up excised from your family, you’d break Mami’s heart and still the result would be the same. Let go of your past hurts. Feel free to dislike my wife all you wish, but shut the fuck up about it already.”
He turned his back and went up the stairs where he knew his father waited.
* * *
Saul nodded to Gibson, who’d driven out to meet them both. There was some sort of ceremonial thing so Kendra waited patiently for it to conclude before Gibson held the door to the house open. “Come on inside. It’s early yet so you have a chance to see the fire pit and enjoy some quiet before the kids arrive.”
“Renee will be here shortly, though I expect you know that.” Kendra paused, noting a deliberate distance where usually he was more open. “What’s wrong?”
Gibson’s eyes skirted making full contact with hers. “Nothing. Just busy. I’ll be back shortly, I need to get something from my office.”
Kendra glanced over at Saul. “He’s odd today.”
Saul took her coat. “Darlin’, he’s odd every day. Like clockwork. Go on inside. I hear my wife’s voice and you’re good to go now that you’re here.” He rubbed his cheek along hers and ambled off toward Diana’s velvety laugh.
Kendra took advantage of not having a guard right on her heels and of the quiet to simply walk through the main part of the house and look at things. She smiled at the pictures on the walls and framed on desks and shelves. So much love in this family, so much respect and understanding, even when they were punching each other in the face.
She snorted a laugh and turned to find herself face-to-face with one of Carlos’s friends, a far-flung de La Vega cousin, Ramon. He was like one of those sitcom characters who stood behind the bully and said yeah a lot. She should have kept walking, but it was important to stand her ground with him. She was higher ranked and he needed to deal with it. He’d made comments the last time they all had dinner and she was just so very done. She’d promised to do her best to keep attending these dinners, and she knew how much it meant to Max that she did. So if that was going to happen, she needed to start acting like them more. Grinding this douchebag into a greasy spot would be a nice first step.