by Lynn Hagen
T-Rex chuckled. “Cattle, dumbass. And we’ll make sure that we have reliable men who can run things in our absence. I talked things over with Harland. We can build a bunkhouse out back for the cowboys we pull on board.”
“Couldn’t you have dropped this in my lap sometime when I wasn’t wearing a hole in the carpet?” The door to Legend’s bedroom opened and his muscles grew tight. He tried to read the doctor’s face, but the man only smiled.
“All done,” the doctor said.
The man must have been getting some perverse pleasure out of withholding the most important news of Legend’s life. Legend curled his hands into fists as he breathed out through his mouth, telling himself that yelling at the doctor wouldn’t do him any good. The man had information Legend wanted so he’d play nice.
“Stop messing with him,” T-Rex said to the doctor with humor in his tone. “Can’t you tell he’s about to fall apart?”
The doctor chuckled and nodded. “I suppose he is.” The man switched his handbag from one had to the other. “Gabe Summerville is pregnant.” Then the man added, “But I didn’t tell him. It was your job to explain the whole shifter thing to him, Legend, so I left everything up to you.”
Legend’s body broke out in a cold sweat as he stared at the open door. “He doesn’t know anything?”
“I left him the way I found him,” the doctor replied. “Completely clueless.”
It was what Legend deserved. He nodded before stepping into the room to see Gabe buttoning his shirt. The man glared at Legend. “Since when do doctors have to examine a man’s groin for a stomach virus? I think the guy was feeling me up. You should seriously consider using someone else. He’s a damn pervert.” The man didn’t look the least bit happy. “And he drew blood, mixing it with some weird stuff in a tube. What the hell is up with that?”
Legend closed the door for privacy before he steeled his nerves and faced Gabe. “He was checking to see if you were pregnant.”
Gabe’s hands stilled as he tilted his head to the side, his brows deeply furrowed in a frown. “Say that again.”
Do I have to? Legend knew he did. He cleared his throat and closed the distance, taking Gabe’s hands in his. The man would need an anchor. And Legend felt it wise not to leave Gabe’s hands free to hit him. “I’ve never had to explain this before, so bear with me.”
No pun intended.
“Okay.” Gabe took a seat on the bed. “But please don’t tell me I have something terminal. You have that strange look in your eyes that people have when delivering bad news.”
“You’re not going to die, but I might.” Especially when Gabe realized Legend wasn’t kidding.
“You are a very strange man,” Gabe said. “Now tell me what’s going on. The doctor was very evasive and wouldn’t give me a straight answer.”
There was no other way to break the news than to just come right out and tell the guy. So why was Legend stalling? “I’m a bear shifter.”
Gabe laughed as he pulled his hands away. “You guys are really comical around here.”
Legend didn’t move and he didn’t laugh. He gave Gabe his most sincere face. He kept his eyes locked with Gabe’s gorgeous pale-blue ones and waited.
The laughter died and Gabe frowned again. “Prove it.”
Legend held his hand out, letting his claws slip free.
Gabe fainted.
* * * *
Max slowly woke as he tried to get his bearings. The room was bathed in darkness but he felt more than heard someone in the penthouse. Was it Gator or one of his men?
Slipping his hand under his pillow, Max retrieve the Glock he had shoved under their before going to bed. He eased out of bed, weapon in hand, as he silently made his way to the bedroom door.
He strained to listen. All was quiet. But Max didn’t trust the silence. He moved to the other side of the doorframe and peeked out into the living room. It was empty. Max trusted his gut instincts and it was screaming that he wasn’t alone.
Easing the bedroom door open, Max scanned the living room. He was in the penthouse suite with only one way onto his floor. If someone had gotten in, how had they bypassed Gator and his men? How had they bypassed the security codes to get into the penthouse?
A trickle of sweat slid down Max’s temple. It had been too long since his days in the marines. Although Max stayed tiptop shape, his long-ago training wasn’t fully with him. But he was still able to handle a gun and that was all he needed.
The doors to the library flew inward and four assailants rushed the room, automatic rifles drawn and leveled on him as Max dove for cover. Bullets sprayed as the penthouse was shredded. Glass shattered and artwork fell from the wall. Max was trapped behind the bar.
“Come out, Mr. Summerville.”
Max glanced around the bar to see Savant walk into the fray. Resplendent in an expensive suit and polished shoes, Savant looked as if he should be strolling into a meeting instead. But it was Savant’s boyish smile that took Max by surprise. The guy appeared innocent, unthreatening, and untouchable.
Savant brushed the feathers from the damaged couch and took a seat. “We have much to talk about.”
Where the fuck was Gator? “The only thing we need to talk about is the color of your coffin,” Max said.
“Not true,” Savant answered. “I’m taking over since Ortega will more than likely never see the light of day. I’ve even arranged to marry his sister, who, by the way, inherits his mass fortune should something terrible happen to Ortega. Prison can be such a dangerous place.”
“You just might find out for yourself,” Max replied.
“Do you mean the FBI and ATF agents who’ve been watching me?” Savant asked. “They pose no threat. I have a few men on the inside who keep me abreast, letting me know their every move so that I may get out of the way before anything goes down.”
Max already knew about Savant’s moles and the departments were currently being flushed out. Only a few handpicked men were being used to bring Savant down.
“My Irish connections have become nervous,” Savant continued. “I don’t like when prospective buyers become wary. It’s bad for business.”
Max’s eyes flickered to the other side of the apartment. He caught sight of Gator. The man pressed his finger to his lips as he moved silently through the shadows. Savant’s cronies were standing behind the couch, keeping their boss safe, but leaving their backs exposed.
Bad mistake.
“Then get into another line of work,” Max said. “It’s a risk you take when dealing with shady characters.”
“True,” Savant answered. “But the money is too great to pass up.”
“Greed will get you killed,” Max replied.
Savant stood. “It might. But your death will come before mine. I must kill you in order to show Ortega’s men that nobody is out of my reach.” The man shrugged. “Nothing personal. It’s purely a power play.”
“Nothing personal,” Max repeated before Gator took out two of Savant’s men. Max aimed and fired, taking another man down. Travis appeared from one of the other bedrooms and took the fourth man out.
Savant stood there with three weapons aimed at him. He smirked at Max. “Well played.”
Before Max could blink, Savant reached inside his jacket. All three men fired simultaneously. Savant’s lifeless body fell to the floor before Max stood and walked from behind the bar.
“He paid off the doorman,” Gator said. “The doorman led them up the back elevator and took out one of my men.” Gator’s jaw flexed as his eyes grew darker. “Fletcher was a good man and didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Max had known Fletcher. His heart went out to Fletcher’s mate and sons. He knew the loss that she was about to go through and Max didn’t wish that pain on anyone.
“I’ll get ahold of the team in charge of taking Savant down,” Travis said. “They’ll want to know that one of their major players is no longer breathing.”
Gator shook his head. “I got wo
rd that Ortega had an ‘accident’ in prison. He’s dead.”
“Which gets me off the hook,” Max said. “With Ortega and Savant dead, the foot soldiers will be fighting amongst themselves. They’ll be looking for a new leader.”
“And the news will leak out that you and Savant were caught in the crossfire. I’ll let you know how your funeral went.”
Max had already sold off his shares at Summerville Savings and Loans. He had sold the bank and then had his money moved to an offshore account. Gator was made executive of Max’s estate a few months back when he first suspected something wrong at his bank. He trusted the team leader to do what was necessary with his home and other assets.
He could finally retire and Max was looking forward to the downtime. He would never get out of the counterintelligence business, but he would disappear for a while until Ortega’s organization restructured.
Max’s phone rang. He scooped it off the bar to see Legend’s phone number. Glancing around at the carnage, Max decided to take the phone call in his bedroom.
Chapter Nine
Arteries of lightning lit the sky. The earth rumbled and rolled with the approaching storm as Gabe sat on the bed, reeling from Legend’s earlier confession. He reached for the phone Legend had left on the nightstand and called his father.
Gabe was confused, angry, and…scared. He needed the comfort of his father, his wise words, and just to hear the man’s voice. The wind rustled through the trees outside as Gabe dialed. A part of him wanted to run to Legend, to forgive the man for holding back such vital information. But right now Gabe was not in a forgiving mood.
Still, he couldn’t help but ache to be in Legend’s arms. Ugh, he was an emotional wreck right now. He wasn’t sure if he was coming or going. And the whole bear thing? That was something he wasn’t even going to think about right now. It was too freaky and something his brain couldn’t wrap around at the moment.
“Gabe.” His father’s voice was a soothing balm.
Gabe opened his mouth to tell his father what was going on, but his voice caught in his throat. He whimpered, tears hot in his eyes. Fear welled up inside of him, gripped him, and he couldn’t break free.
“What’s wrong, Gabe?” His father’s voice filled with concern at Gabe’s silence.
“I—” Gabe wasn’t sure how to tell him. It sounded insane even in his own mind. Voicing those words would have Gabe sounding like a lunatic. But he needed to tell someone, to relieve the pain in his chest and have his father tell him that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to hear Maxwell say that he loved and missed Gabe.
“Talk to me, son.”
“Legend is a…different.” Gabe cursed his cowardice. It shouldn’t be this hard to tell his father. They talked about everything.
“How so?” Maxwell hedged. There was something in his tone, and an epiphany struck Gabe. He knew. His father knew that Legend was a shifter.
“He’s a shifter,” Gabe finally said. “But you knew that already, didn’t you?”
Silence hung in the air. His father didn’t deny or admit his knowledge. Gabe waited, holding his breath. How could Maxwell do that to him? How could his own father send him with someone who wasn’t human and not tell Gabe?
Could he trust anyone to tell him the truth?
“I did.” There was defeat in his father’s tone. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
His apology didn’t lessen the sting of betrayal. If anything, it made it worse. But Gabe couldn’t muster the strength to remain angry at the man. Gabe was too afraid for Maxwell’s life to let any ill feelings come between them. When this was all over, maybe then he would be upset.
“I want to come home.” Gabe glanced out the window, watching as lightning lit up the sky. The need to cry was strong and Gabe wasn’t a man who gave in to tears too often. He usually rolled with the punches, but the news that Legend was a bear and that Gabe was pregnant had been a one-two knockout that he was struggling to recover from.
“It still isn’t safe.”
“I don’t want to be here,” Gabe confessed. “I want my old life back, Dad. I want to go back to work, to live my life as if none of this ever happened.”
“I know. And I want you home, Gabe. Just give this a little more time. Things are being set in motion and I’m hoping that this situation will be cleared up soon.”
“Are you safe?” Gabe whispered, hugging the phone to his ear as if he was truly hugging his father.
“I’m safe, Gabe. Just make sure you stay safe. You’re all I have left and I would be devastated if something happened to you.”
He and his father didn’t normally get this emotional. They knew how they felt toward one another. They didn’t have to say it. But this was a stressful situation and Gabe needed to hear those words. “Why didn’t you tell me I could get pregnant? You could have at least warned me about that.”
The line went so silent that Gabe thought the connection had severed. He pulled the phone back to check that his father was still on the line. “Dad?”
A low, lethal growl filled Gabe’s ear. It wasn’t as scary as when Legend made that sound, but it was still effective. “I’ll kill him.”
“You didn’t know?”
“No,” his father replied in that same lethal tone. “Miller’s father neglected to tell me that when he confessed to being a shifter.”
It took Gabe a second to understand that Miller was Legend. He had gotten used to calling the man by his surname.
“I’m going to kill that son of a bitch when I see him. I entrusted you to him and he fucking betrayed that trust.”
Maxwell Summerville was not a man to trifle with. Gabe had seen his father in negotiations and board meetings. Maxwell didn’t lie down for anyone and he was a force to be reckoned with when he wanted something or if someone crossed him.
“As soon as I tie up this mess, I’m coming after Miller Legend. He’s fucked with the wrong man.”
Gabe couldn’t help but smile at his father’s wrath. Not that he wanted Maxwell to actually hurt Legend. But it reminded him how much his father really cared about him. “Let me know when I can come home.”
“I will. But until then, stay the hell away from Legend. He’s a walking dead man.”
Gabe’s eyes were wide when his father hung up. Wow. Maxwell really was pissed. A part of him wanted to protect Legend from Maxwell’s wrath. That was until he remembered that Legend had gotten him pregnant.
Gabe tossed the phone aside and curled up on the bed, watching the storm roll in. He began to imagine what his child would look like and how things might play out if he gave Legend half a chance. He knew his anger stemmed from Legend keeping secrets from him, but that anger would soon subside. Could he forgive Legend and try to make this work?
He wasn’t sure right now. Maybe after some sleep he would have a clearer head. Maybe after he slept he would no longer feel the need to neuter Legend.
* * * *
Legend leaned against the wall outside the bedroom door, his arms crossed over his chest. He’d heard the entire conversation. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but when he heard Gabe talking about leaving, Legend couldn’t walk away.
He knew he’d fucked up and he wasn’t sure how to fix things. He’d do anything to get Gabe to forgive him, but it seemed as if Gabe was ready to throw in the towel.
Legend was clueless about what to do. He knew none of the men in the house could help him. They were all single. What did they know about possibly losing a mate?
Walking downstairs, Legend grabbed his keys and braved the storm outside as he headed to his truck. The warm rain pelted him, making it almost impossible to see his own truck. He jumped inside and sat there for a moment, staring up at his bedroom window. He couldn’t lose Gabe, but…he just didn’t know.
He pulled from the driveway, driving slowly in the torrential downpour. His wipers were going as fast as they could, but it was still hard to see the road. Maybe he should have told Gabe that he’d left,
but Legend wasn’t sure if his mate wanted to see him right now.
Things were not looking good for them.
He gripped the wheel tighter, feeling as if his world were spiraling out of control. Legend had to make this right. But how?
Navigating as carefully as he could, Legend pulled into the Triple-B ranch. The lights were still on which meant someone was awake. He just hoped the person he’d come here to see hadn’t gone to bed yet.
The front door opened before Legend parked his truck. He waited a second to see if the rain would let up, but it was still coming down pretty heavily. Fuck it. He was already wet.
He jumped out and made a run for it, racing up the porch steps to see Clayton standing there with a grin on his face. The guy opened the screen door, allowing Legend to enter. “What in the hell are you doing out in this weather?”
The place was quiet for a change. The kids must have gone to bed. Normally the Triple-B house was chaotic and noisy. Legend loved coming here. The noise didn’t bother him. He grew up in a large family and wanted one of his own. If he ever got things right with Gabe and the man didn’t try to bolt, Legend wanted many more kids. Hell, he wanted a house full of ’em. He’d been saving since he’d gone into the service and had a pretty nice nest egg. It wouldn’t bother him to take fewer missions. He wouldn’t totally cut them out because he knew the men in his unit counted on him, but Legend wanted to get things going with Gabe.
“I came to see Renee. Is she still awake?”
Clayton chuckled as he led Legend into the kitchen. Renee was standing at the sink, cutting vegetables. He frowned. Why on earth was she up so late cooking?
“She never sleeps,” Clayton said. “Or at least, that’s what we all suspect. She’s prepping for tomorrow’s dinner.”
She turned, her blue-green eyes sparkling. Her smile was warm and she had a knowing look that said she knew why Legend was there. He knew she couldn’t possibly know the exact reason, but it was the same look Legend’s mom gave him when he needed to talk to her. Renee was short, slim, and looked absolutely beautiful for her age. Her face held youth and vibrancy that couldn’t be found in a bottle.