by Lauren Dane
“All right. Thank you. You guys are as complicated as the shifters are, you know that?”
And apparently as murderous. “Meh. Several things. First, what’s next with the plan to get my father? Second, I’d rather meet Max at home. I don’t want to go to Max’s building. Beth is there. I don’t have the strength to deal with her.”
“Who does, bebe, who does? Ignoring her won’t make her disappear though.”
“I know that. But it saves my blood pressure and short of killing her, it’s the best I can do right now. She’s pregnant, I’m not going to do anything that would endanger the baby.”
“Shall I share something with you about my sister?”
He pulled into his very own spot in the lot beneath Max’s building. Totally not listening to her—something else he had in common with his brother—but she wanted to hear the details about Beth, so she let it go. For the moment.
“Beth was really into school. Popular, pretty, had lots of boyfriends. She was a cheerleader, on the debate team, all that jazz. In her senior year she was assaulted after a party. Or I should say someone attempted to assault her and she fought back. She’s no one’s victim, my sister. But she’s the one who got in trouble because by then, people knew about shifters, but like now, they didn’t trust us. The boy made it out like she’d seduced him and then flipped out. She lost everything. All her friends, her human ones anyway, she was expelled and my parents sued. Eventually they let her back for the end of the year and graduation, and they publically apologized.”
“But she was never the same.”
“Nope.” Even as he spoke to her, he never took his attention from the immediate area. He was a serious multitasker. “I’m telling you this, not because it excuses what Beth is now, but because it sheds some light on it. You’re that way. You want to know. And, since it’s just you and me here, I think you might understand what it feels like to have everything you counted on taken from you in an unfair way. You rose above that, you triumphed, and you’ve found something amazing with Max. She’s never shaken it all the way off, and the way our jamboree acts, or has in the past, only made it worse by being so insular.”
What could she say to that? It wasn’t that it made everything all right, or acceptable at all. But it helped her understand and maybe she could approach it differently. Maybe.
“What’s Carlos’ story?”
“Him? He’s just an asshole. Third-born son in a world where oldest counts most.” That barely perceptible shrug again. “Doesn’t seem to have held any of the rest of us back, but Carlos’s biggest issue, in my opinion is that he’s not Galen, much less Max.”
She chewed her lip as she thought it all through, or attempted to anyway. “I don’t know if it’s okay for me to ask you something. I don’t know the rules.”
He paused. “I am the Bringer. Do you know what that is?”
“A cop of sorts?”
“Something like that. I am the bringer of justice. I am the bringer of law and stability. You are next-in-line, but you are also someone I know I can trust. Tell me and I will let you know if you’re on the right track.”
“Can I say, before you close up again and stop talking in more than one syllable that this is the most you’ve said since I met you and I really appreciate it?” She knew he would be uncomfortable with the praise so she quickly moved on. “Can you watch Carlos? Max loves you all so much. I think perhaps he might be blind to someone close to him who might wish to harm him for whatever reason.” Carlos bothered her a lot. Beth, well Beth was just a spoiled bitch. But Carlos had the light in his eyes. That sort of fervent hate that rarely avoided ending up with violence and pain. She didn’t trust him at all.
“It is absolutely acceptable for you to bring any and all concerns for the security of anyone in the jamboree to me. It’s your job, and mine. And to answer your question, yes. I have been and I continue to. I also have issued a rule to my guards to not admit Carlos to your home if Max is not present.”
Her heart slammed against her ribcage. He’d warned her for her own safety. Had chosen her over his brother. She knew he’d be uncomfortable with any show of overt emotion so she nodded and grabbed her bag.
“Thank you.” Nausea writhed through her belly for long moments. If Carlos attempted to harm her or betray him in any way, it would break Max’s heart.
“Wait.” Gibson got out and walked around, exactly like that brother of his. He opened her door and escorted her through the walkway and into the lobby.
“Yes, yes, it’s old school and all. But I’m a gentleman and by getting out first I can survey the immediate area and block you as we move into the building.” He put a hand on her lower back but kept his gun hand free as they moved. “By the way, Max and I would appreciate it if you’d consider going to the range to learn how to shoot. It’s an important skill.”
So Max knew then? About Carlos? Or was this about Carlos? Gah!
In any case, he’d phrased it as a request rather than an order. She could get on board with that. “All right, yes. That sounds like a good idea. As long as it’s after school or on a weekend I’m in.”
Renee waved the two of them over to her small coffee/smoothie bar located in the sun-flooded lobby. “Gibson! Try this.” She shoved a tall glass his way.
Suspicious, he sniffed and then drank some of the liquid.
He…purred.
Renee clapped, beaming. “You like it. Yay!” He ducked his head a moment.
“Yes. It’s quite good. Thank you.”
“Don’t let this get out or anything.” Renee looked from side to side and leaned toward Gibson. “But Kendra and I are the awesomest sisters ever. Stick with us and you’ll have ginger orange juice iced green tea any time you want.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he smiled, sweeter than Kendra had ever seen.
Gibson shook his head, but the smile remained a little longer before his normal inscrutable scary-guy face came back.
Kendra hugged her sister. “I want to talk to you, but I expect Max is waiting. So, how about you, Jack and Galen go to dinner with us? You too, Gibson. Max took me to this place, dark, oak paneling, sumptuous banquets and the best steak I’ve ever eaten. It was our first official date.”
“He took you to Amor. He knew it even then.” Gibson tipped his cup. “This is delicious. Thank you, peaches.”
Renee blushed.
“Bring a date, Gibson. You’re good for the digestion and all, on account of you being so handsome. Renee and I can sneak off to the bathroom and objectify you guys.”
He sighed heavily, but she knew he smiled as he pretended to totally focus on his drink.
Before Kendra could take three steps toward the elevator, Max exited, stealing her breath, looking masculine and very handsome in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit.
She sidled up to him, forgetting everyone else but Max. “My goodness, sir, you’re the very model of masculine beauty.” She fluttered her lashes and he dipped down to kiss her quickly.
“You’re one to talk. You know what that school-teacher thing does for me.”
She wanted to laugh. She wore blue pants, ballet flats and a deep crimson sweater. Hardly prim, though certainly not sexy. Her hair was loose and she wore a scarf to hide the bite mark he’d given her.
He untied it slowly, revealing the spot where he’d first sunk his teeth into her skin. Her breath came short as she wanted that again.
“Ah, ah, ah. Cari, you’re going to tempt me to ravish you right here in the lobby and get me arrested and disbarred. Thing is, I want to see you naked but for diamonds dripping over your breasts. Can’t afford that if you get me disbarred.”
She grabbed his lapels and dragged him closer, tiptoeing up to whisper in his ear. “I want you to mark me again. On the inside of my thigh.”
Their energy reverberated, humming, vibrating until she nearly came from it.
“I want to lick you until you say my name. You know how you do it, stuttering, breathless, like a s
ob. It makes my cock hard. Let’s go home right now. I just finished for the day. Was on my way down here to bother Renee and wait for you and Gibson, and look at what I found.” He kissed her.
The kiss left her breathless. “We can’t.” She rested her forehead against his chest. “I invited Gibson, my sister, Galen and Jack to dinner at Amor.”
He groaned. “All right. But we don’t need to meet them for another hour or two. Let’s go home first. Then you can be all relaxed at dinner.”
She smiled up at him. “You’re naughty and I should feel bad for tempting you off the path of righteousness. But I so don’t.”
“You know, I don’t think I had much whimsy in my life before you. I enjoyed it, but since you hurtled into my life, I’ve had a lot of fun. You make me laugh. Fill me with happiness.” He kissed her forehead. “Not many people are playful with me. You are. That means everything.”
She swallowed hard, blinking back tears, pressing herself to him, hugging him as tight as she could.
“Gibson, Kendra and I will go home for a bit and meet you all at the restaurant at seven. Does that work for you, babe?” he asked Renee.
“Totally does. Galen took me there for our anniversary, I love that place.”
“We’ll see you then. Gibson, thank you for bringing Kendra here.”
Gibson bowed with a stiff formality that was more than a run-of-the-mill thank you and you’re welcome. That happened at the oddest moments, but Kendra had become sort of charmed by the old-world formality between Max and his family at times.
Kendra darted over, kissed her sister’s cheek and rubbed hers along Gibson’s. “Thank you for everything. I’m glad to have you in my life, helping me. And I didn’t forget that you haven’t outlined a plan for what comes next in the search for our father.”
Gibson barked a laugh, taking her hands with a huge smile. “Oh I do like you two.” He turned, winking at Renee before giving Kendra his attention again. “Tonight at dinner, we’ll talk and plan. All right?”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
Max loved to watch her get dressed. He stood in the doorway to their bathroom and greedily took in the way she slathered on lotion. They’d most energetically fucked both in the garage and on the stairs up to their bedroom.
Naked, she glistened under the heat lights while he watched her caress every part of her skin she could reach. He’d been banned from helping with this task the last time when he’d coaxed her into three orgasms as he went down on her. All because he’d been helping her get lotion on her back. Really, what was the world coming to when a man got punished for trying to help?
“Get that look off your face, Max.” She met his eyes in the mirror, smiling.
“Uh-uh. I have lust in my heart for you, Kendra. I’m busy with that just now.”
“We’re going to be late if you don’t hurry.” She narrowed her eyes at him, holding out a hand. “No! If you come in here, you know what will happen.”
“That’s why I’m trying to get in there.”
Trying unsuccessfully to hold her laughter back, she pulled on her panties and bra, and he pouted a moment. “You’re so mean to me.”
“Go!” She tossed the deodorant at his head and he ducked, grinning. He’d meant it when he told her he hadn’t really had much fun in his life before her. She made him laugh. Just by thinking about her, his mood lifted. She pleased him even when she was being a bitchy pain in his ass.
He’d had lunch with his father. His father had spoken to him of how strong and special Kendra was and how much he and Imogene had loved how they fit together.
And then he’d warned Max about the future.
He’d wanted to bounce it off Kendra. She saw things in ways he couldn’t. He appreciated her candor and her insights. But they’d been busy with love and who wanted to leave their lover’s arms to talk about family politics?
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 Vega’s 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?”