Riley smiled and nodded. “It’s not a problem,” he said, smiling warmly before he left them to go back to his table.
Roman sat down in the extra chair at the table, and Kaiser watched him suspiciously.
“I’m Roman,” he said, extending his hand to Renata.
“I’m Renata, and this is Kaiser,” she said. Then she looked at Kaiser. “Kaiser, baby, this is Mr. Basilio’s uncle, his name is Roman.”
Kaiser watched Roman, and took a bite of his funnel cake.
Roman chuckled. “He’s already protective and suspicious. You’re a strong boy,” Roman said.
“Yep. I am,” Kaiser agreed, munching on the last of his food while eyeing Roman.
“I thought so. Maybe later you can show me how to climb the tree out behind my house. I usually don’t have any problems with trees, but this one… I can’t get above the first branch,” Roman explained.
“I climb real good,” Kaiser answered. He thought about it for a minute then nodded. “I guess I could show you. If my mama and Silio say it’s okay.”
“Fine by me,” Basilio said, grinning proudly that Kaiser recognized him as being a part of him and his mother.
“If I can watch, then it’s okay,” Renata said, smiling at Roman. “Thank you so much for offering us shelter for the time being. It means more than you could ever know.”
Roman smiled pleasantly, but his eyes held a sadness. “Oh, I do know. I left the same Troop Basilio did, for the same reasons it sounds like you’re running from yours. Ain't no man got the right to treat a woman like property. And no man got the right to claim more than one and expect them to appreciate it or force them to do whatever he wants.”
“He comes after mine, there will be no mercy,” Basilio said, a low rumble sounded from his chest.
Roman looked at Basilio. “You made the right choice. If you need us, we got you,” he said.
Libby walked over and placed the same breakfast Basilio had ordered in front of Roman. “Must be a family thing. Same exact order,” Libby said, grinning. “He eats it every morning he comes in here,” she said to Basilio.
“Thanks, Libs,” Roman said, picking up his fork and digging in. He looked around to ask for coffee, but Libby was already behind him with cup and coffee pot in hand.
“You’re the best,” Roman said, smiling again.
~~~~~
“I’ve already spoken to the teams at Lyakhov’s house and the stadium. There’s no trace of them. That’s why I’m calling you. How much longer until you are in the payroll system and get us a home address for Renata and the boy, and bank account numbers for both of them so we can track any activity?” Spencer snapped into the phone.
“We’re doing our best, but this isn’t just some little privately owned business that has minimal security that’s available to everyone on the web. This is a huge conglomerate. They’ve got multiple security measures in place. It may take us a couple of days to clear through them all.”
“If they’ve gone and you cause us to lose their trail,” Spencer started.
“Then we’ll find it while they access money from the pitcher’s account. They most likely haven’t left. They’re probably hunkered down at her place, waiting to make sure it’s safe to come out again.”
“You’d better hope they are,” Spencer warned. “Otherwise you will explain to Prime why you lost his female and his heir.”
“We are doing the best we can. It shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Fine, I expect an update shortly,” Spencer said, ending the call without waiting for a response.
“No progress?” the Prime asked from behind him.
Spencer jolted, startled at the Prime moving up behind him without a sound. “They are making progress, it’s just slow going due to the magnitude of the security the team has in place for its online programs. I’ve been assured it shouldn’t be much longer, Prime.”
“Very well. If you don’t hear of further progress by this evening, let me know.”
“I will, Prime.”
The Prime turned to leave the room, but paused at the door. “I am losing patience, Spencer. You know this is not a good thing.”
“Yes, Prime. I understand. I will push them harder.”
The Prime inclined his head and left the room, trusting his assistant to handle it.
~~~~~
Roman opened the front door of his home. He pushed it wide and stood back, waiting for his nephew and his nephew’s mate to enter ahead of him. “This is home,” Roman said, following them inside.
“Thank you for opening your home to us, Roman,” Renata said.
“Stop with the thank yous. You don’t have to thank me, you don’t owe me a single thing. Family takes care of family. Took me a long time to figure that out, but I have, thanks to Riley and Maia. They took me in, showed me about taking care of people you love. No way in hell I’m turning my nephew and his mate away.”
Basilio was standing next to Roman and hugged him spontaneously after that remark.
“Now, only two bedrooms, but you’re welcome to them both if you want and I’ll bunk on the couch.”
“No! That’s not necessary. We can share a room, and Kaiser loves his sleeping bag because he thinks it feels like he’s camping, so he can bunk on the floor,” Renata said.
“Yay!” Kaiser said, jumping in the air.
“Got some extra blankets and stuff. Can make it soft for him,” Roman said.
“That’s perfect,” Renata answered, looking bashfully at Basilio.
“Ya’ll sure that’ll work?” Roman asked.
“Oh, yeah. We’ll be fine. We’re very happy to be here,” Basilio said.
“Well, make yourselves at home, go on and get settled and we’ll sit down and figure out all the details,” Roman said.
“Thanks,” Renata added.
Roman looked at her with a corner of his mouth barely tilted up threatening to smile and his eyebrow raised. “I mean, sounds good,” she said, grinning at him. “No thanks offered.”
Roman nodded and went into the kitchen to put away his dishes from the previous night while Basilio and Renata put their things in his extra bedroom. He smiled thinking about Basilio being there with him. It had been a long, long time since he’d seen or spoken to anyone from his old Troop. He thought of his sister. He’d never had the chance to say goodbye, but that’s how they both knew it had to be as long as she insisted on staying. She’d encouraged him to go and make his way in the world, so he did. Now she was gone, and Basilio was here with him.
“You got any chips?” a little voice asked from behind him.
Roman turned around and grinned at Kaiser. “I do. But you just ate breakfast. You hungry already?” Roman asked.
“I could eat,” Kaiser said.
Roman chuckled as he went to the pantry to get some chips. He remembered growing up how he was always hungry. Shifters’ metabolisms constantly burn twice the calories of a human, add to that a little kid whose body is trying to grow and develop into the predator it housed, and the hunger can gnaw at you if you don’t eat almost constantly. It was many a night he went to sleep hungry — his Prime refusing to feed him or allow others to because his sister wasn’t behaving as was expected. He didn’t want this kid to ever feel hungry or helpless like he had growing up.
Roman took two bags of chips out of the pantry and opened them both placing them on the table. “Here, little man, eat as much as you want. You want some dip, too?” Roman asked.
“Yes, please,” Kaiser answered, climbing up into the chair and sitting on his knees as he bit into a chip. Roman put out salsa, and onion dip for him to choose from, then opened a can of cola before thinking to ask if Kaiser could have it or not. “Ya’ll mind if Kaiser has cola?” he shouted out in general to the whole house.
“That’s fine,” Renata answered from the bedroom where they were organizing their things.
“Good deal,” Roman said. “Here ya go. Want anything else?” he asked.
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“No, thank you,” Kaiser said, scooping up onion dip on his chip and munching it happily.
“You’re a very polite little man,” Roman said.
“Yep. My mama says no reason you can’t be polite,” Kaiser said.
Renata placed Kaiser’s sleeping bag in the corner of the room, then looked around as Basilio brought her duffle bag and Kaiser’s small backpack. “Want me to help you put the clothes in these away?” he offered.
“No, thank you. I’m not unpacking. I have to be ready,” she said, opening the closet door and placing the two bags in the closet.
Basilio came up behind her, blocking her from being able to retreat from him. “Not anymore you don’t,” he said.
Renata looked up at Basilio as he looked down into her eyes. He raised his hands and gently wrapped them around her upper arms to hold her to him. “You’re safer now than you’ve been in a long, long time.”
Renata nodded slightly. “I know that. I do. But it’s been a long while since I’ve felt safe. It’ll take some getting used to,” she said.
“Baby steps,” Basilio suggested.
“Yes, baby steps,” Renata answered. She looked up into his eyes again, and he brushed her jaw with his fingertips.
“No more worries,” he said, looking into her eyes, then at her lips and finally smiling at her. “I’m more at peace than I can ever remember,” Basilio said.
“I’m trying,” Renata answered. “I wasn’t at first, I just wanted to get away, but I’m trying now. I really am,” she said. “Please be patient with me. It’s just been me and Kaiser for so long.”
“I know. No rush,” Basilio said, slowly lowering his head. Before she realized it, his lips were pressed against hers. He kissed her once, twice, just an innocent, gentle press of his lips to hers. “I’m not going anywhere. Ever. Take all the time you need.”
Renata’s heart was pounding. She looked up at Basilio as though she were in a trance. She’d been surprised when he kissed her, and even more surprised at her response to it.
He smiled down at her. “You feel it, don’t you?” he asked.
“I…” she tried to answer, but wasn’t sure what exactly ‘it’ felt like. “I feel something,” she finally admitted.
“It’ll only get stronger, honey. You’ll see,” he said, kissing her forehead.
They heard a knock on the front door of Roman’s home and then heard Roman holler to whoever it was. “Hold on. I’m coming!”
“I’m guessing that’s Riley, let’s go get better acquainted,” Basilio said.
“Okay,” she answered, and didn’t even object when he took her hand in his and led her into the living room.
Chapter 10
Roman opened the door just as Basilio and Renata entered the room.
“Hey, heard your nephew arrived,” a male voice said.
“Yeah, they here,” Roman answered. “Come on in,” he said, walking away from the door and leaving it open.
Two males entered, one very large, almost as big as Roman and Basilio, the second was obviously powerful, and he gave off a dangerous aura, but he wasn’t the size of the Gorilla shifters. He was closer to the size of the cook they’d met that morning in the diner, though a little shorter.
“Hey,” Basilio said, letting go of Renata’s hand long enough to shake hands with the males.
“Hey,” the first one replied. “I’m Lucas, this is Lazarus. Heard you made it in so stopped by to say hello and welcome.”
“Thank you, appreciate it. I’m Basilio and this is my mate Renata.”
“And me!” Kaiser shouted from the kitchen.
“And that’s our son, Kaiser,” Basilio finished. “I was getting to you, boy!” Basilio yelled back to Kaiser with a grin on his face.
“I know you,” Lazarus said. “Base, right?” he asked.
Basilio wasn’t as alarmed as he’d have been if Lazarus hadn’t been in Riley’s Pride. “Used to be,” Basilio answered.
“Heard you were on injured reserve so you’d be out a while seeking treatment,” Lazarus added.
“You did?” Basilio asked, looking puzzled.
“Yep. On Sports Network this morning,” Lazarus said.
“Okay, then,” Basilio said. “Guess I’m on injured reserve.”
“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. Proud to stand with your mate if needed,” Lucas said.
“I got this. Nobody is going to threaten mine and get away with it. Just need to know there’s a little backup to watch over Renata and Kaiser if they bring more than a few,” Basilio snarled.
“We’ll be there,” Lucas said, while Lazarus nodded.
“Thank you both very much,” Renata answered. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“Don’t have to repay anybody. It’s what we do,” Lucas said. He glanced over into the kitchen where Kaiser was busily stuffing himself with chips and dip. “Hey! I want some of that,” he said, walking toward the kitchen.
“I’m so sorry,” Renata said, following Lucas to the kitchen. “Kaiser, stop eating all Roman’s snacks, baby.”
“He offered,” Kaiser objected.
“Renata, no, let him have all he wants. It’s not a big deal,” Roman said as kindly as possible.
“It’s already too much that you’re opening your home to us. We’re not going to eat all your food, too,” she said.
“Of course, you are,” Roman replied. He walked over to Renata and looked down at her. “I know what it’s like to be a boy his age and not be able to appease the hunger that rides you all the time. If he’s hungry and he’s at my house, he’s eating. I’d be offended if you didn’t let me feed him.”
“Are you sure?” Renata asked.
“Very. It’s hard when your body’s trying to grow and no matter how much you eat, you just can’t get full. Even harder when you’re not allowed to eat. Let the boy eat,” Roman said quietly to her.
Renata’s heart hurt for this gentle giant. Was he telling her that he’d been starved intentionally as a child? “Okay, I just don’t want to impose,” she said, not wanting Roman to have to confide any additional painful memories to her than necessary.
Roman smiled at her and winked. Then he turned to Kaiser. “How about some brownies?”
“You got brownies?!” Kaiser asked, sitting up straight.
“I do. And I’ll let you have some,” Roman answered.
The front door opened and Riley stuck his head in. “Anybody home?” he asked, grinning because he could hear them all from outside the door and knew they were home.
“Naw, we gone, boss,” Lucas answered, grinning.
“Smart ass,” Riley responded, cuffing him playfully on the side of the head when he passed him, walking toward the kitchen leading Cristie by the hand.
“Hey, Kaiser,” Riley said.
“Hi,” Kaiser answered, his eyes wide while he watched Roman cutting into a pan of brownies.
“This is my daughter, Cristie,” Riley explained, introducing the kids.
Kaiser looked over at Cristie, then the brownies again before doing a double take at Cristie. “Hi,” Kaiser said, offering a little wave.
“You gonna have brownies?” Cristie asked.
“Yeah. You want one? Roman said I can have two, but I’ll share with you,” Kaiser offered. “My name is Kaiser.”
“I like that name,” Cristie said, walking over to the table and climbing up into a chair next to Kaiser.
“Thanks. I like yours, too,” Kaiser answered.
Roman put a plate in front of Kaiser with two big squares of brownies on it. Then he turned back to the pan to cut more for Cristie. When he turned back around with Cristie’s plate, he smiled when he saw that Kaiser had given the larger of the two pieces he’d been given to Cristie. Roman put the plate in front of Cristie, and sure enough she did the same, choosing the largest piece and offering it to Kaiser, who took it with appreciation.
“Think they buddies now,” Riley said.
“I think so,” Renata agreed.
“Thought maybe we could sit for a bit and talk about what brings you to us,” Riley said.
“Of course,” Renata answered. She reached out and took Basilio’s hand without even looking up at him.
Basilio squeezed her hand and led her to the couch.
Roman poured the kids some milk, then joined everybody in the living room.
“As you know I offered sanctuary, and it stands. I just want to be sure we understand exactly what the threat is so that we can be ready just in case it’s necessary.”
“I understand,” Renata replied. “I’m not sure where to start,” she said, wringing her hands. She glanced over at Kaiser and lowered her voice. “I met his father when I was eighteen. I easily fell for everything he told me, and swallowed it, hook, line and sinker. Next thing I knew, I was pregnant. He promised…” she said before pausing and looking up at Kaiser.
Riley realized she was trying to choose her words carefully in front of her son. “You know what? Constance is right next door. If it’s okay with you, why don’t I ask if she’d mind taking the kids swimming? It’ll give us a chance to talk in private without little ears.”
“Where? Where would they go swimming?” Renata asked, her nerves obviously rising a level.
“My house. Right across the street in the back yard. Nobody can see the pool from the street. It’s safe, and lots of floaties and rafts for them to play on. Cristie swims every day. Only reason she’s not now is my mate is napping with the baby. She’s still trying to get the baby on a daytime schedule. Little one still likes the nighttime better.”
“I guess, I mean…” Renata said, trailing off.
“Can we meet Constance?” Basilio asked.
“Absolutely. She’s Richie’s mom. Richie’s the one you met cooking at the diner. He’s my number two,” Riley explained, taking out his phone and pressing in a few numbers. “Hey, Constance, you busy?” he asked. He waited a moment while she spoke before talking again. “Aw, good. Listen, would you mind taking Cristie and Roman’s great nephew swimming at the house? We got a little talking to do and little ears… if you know what I mean. I wouldn’t ask but Maia’s taking a nap while the baby’s napping.” He listened to Constance’s reply, then wrapped up the call. “Thank you so much. We over at Roman’s. See you in a minute,” Riley said, before hanging up.
Safe On Base Page 8