Melonee Brac's Mistletoe Madness [Brac Pack 30] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Lynn Hagen

  Chapter Ten

  Maverick walked into the precinct, unsure of who he had to talk to in order to kill his mate. Illegal bare-knuckle boxing? Was his mate insane? What on earth had possessed Cecil and the others to go to a boxing match in New York? He had gone to Malcolm Lakeland, asking if his mate, Luke, would shimmer him, Kota, and Ludo here.

  The keeper was placing a stronger spell on the house and Micah and Ludo were clearing out Adam’s apartment at this very moment. Maverick knew he needed to stop thinking about that human before he went home and killed the man. It seemed everyone was losing their minds lately.

  “Can I help you?” a man dressed in plain clothing asked from his desk, looking as interested as watching a parked car.

  “I’m here to bail out Cecil Walters and Blair and Oliver Weston.”

  “Hang on,” the man said as he set his cup of coffee down, pushed from his desk, and walked away. Kota and Ludo stood behind him, Luke electing to stay by the door. As he waited, Maverick glanced around to see the place sparsely decorated with Christmas items. It seemed this precinct was as enthusiastic with the holiday cheer as the officer was talking to Maverick.

  “I still don’t understand how they ended up here,” Kota muttered. “I could understand closer to home.”

  “It seems I need to have a talk with Gunnar about his mate silencing the alarms,” Maverick said. He didn’t keep his mate or any other resident under lock and key. But Nero knew Cecil had a penchant for trouble. It wasn’t even his mate who had called him. It had been Sidney from Zeus’s pack. That alone pissed Maverick off to no end.

  He knew Cecil had created a network with the other mates in the other packs and covens, but his mate should have called him.

  Maverick gave a low growl when the detective returned with files in his hand instead of Cecil. “Where is Cecil?” he asked.

  “He has a bond hearing in the morning,” the human replied. “It seems the ring he was caught with has been under surveillance for some time now. I have a feeling the judge isn’t going to go light on him and his friends.”

  Christmas was only a week away and Maverick knew that if Cecil didn’t get free, hell would be paid. He hadn’t spent a Christmas away from his mate since first claiming Cecil, and he wasn’t going to start now. It angered him that he had to walk away empty-handed tonight, but there was nothing he could do until tomorrow morning.

  “Can I see him?”

  The man raked his eyes up and down Maverick, and he had a feeling the man was judging him by his appearance. Maverick hated when anyone did that. Just because he wore leather didn’t mean he was a bad guy…mostly.

  The plain-dressed cop was more apt to allow Kota back there. His beta dressed in charcoal slacks and a cashmere sweater, wearing a long tweed coat. The guy looked more like a businessman than a timber wolf—especially since he had cut all his damn hair off.

  “I’ll give you five minutes,” the man finally said.

  They followed the cop down to the holding cells. Maverick wanted to rip the bars from in front of his mate and pull him free when he saw the seedy characters around the three mates. Most looked like they would sell out their own mother if given the right price. His fingers itched to teach each of the men what would happen to them if they touched Cecil, Blair, or Oliver.

  “Oh, shit,” Cecil murmured as Maverick walked into his mate’s line of sight.

  “It’s not what it looks like,” Blair quickly defended. “I swear.”

  “Get over here, Cecil,” Maverick commanded as he eyed each and every one of the men in the cell with his mate. He spotted the biggest man and knew he was going to have a talk with the human before Maverick left.

  Cecil walked over to the bars, his chin jutted out in stubbornness. Oh, his mate was asking for it. “Do you want to tell me how this happened?”

  “I was helping someone,” Cecil replied. “That’s all I can tell you.”

  Maverick gaped at his mate. “That’s all you can—you have five seconds to explain to me why you just might be looking at doing time.”

  Cecil raised his head, his amethyst eyes locking with Maverick’s. “I can’t tell you, but I wasn’t out causing trouble. It just found me this time.”

  The sincerity in Cecil’s eyes made Maverick believe the man, but it still didn’t explain why the three were behind bars. “Your bond hearing is in the morning. I’ll be here for it.”

  Maverick waved the large man over. He lowered his voice so only the human could hear him. “How much would it take to ensure my three friends are kept safe until their hearing in the morning?”

  The man rubbed his chin, and Maverick heard the plain-clothed cop clearing his throat, telling him his time was just about up. “Find me something that pays better than this bullshit fighting and it’s a deal.”

  “You trust me to keep my word?” Maverick asked.

  “You trust me?” the man countered.

  Maverick pulled out a business card with the rec center’s address on it and handed it to the man. “Come see me when all of this is cleared up, and I’ll make good on our deal.”

  The man’s beefy fingers curled around the card as he nodded his head. “Name’s Frisco James.”

  “Maverick Brac,” he replied before turning to Cecil. “Stay out of trouble until morning.”

  Cecil nodded, but Maverick could see the slight tinge of fear in the man’s eyes. He knew his mate could do overnight in the slammer, but the thought of doing a stretch of time scared them all.

  It was going to be his first night away from his mate in over a decade. Whether Cecil was helping someone out or not, Maverick didn’t like the idea of sleeping alone. “Tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow,” Cecil replied as his glanced up at Maverick. “I love you.”

  Kota finished talking with Blair and Oliver and joined him at his side as Maverick leaned close to the bars. “I’ll get you out, Cecil, and then I’m going to tan your hide for the next five years for this.” That brought a sparkle to his mate’s eyes. “I love you,” he said before heading out of the police station.

  Carter paced back and forth as he stared at the man who was scowling at him. He couldn’t leave this fey alone, but he needed to go rescue Cecil, Blair, and Oliver. This was a mess, and he couldn’t figure out what to do.

  “Does he bite?” Keata asked as he stood there with his arms crossed over his slim chest, glancing nervously at their capture.

  “No,” Carter answered. “But don’t trust him. He’ll probably tell you whatever you want to hear in order to get free.”

  “Why are we kidnapping him again?” Johnny asked as he peeled back the wrapper on his candy bar and took a bite.

  “Because there are big blue men out there trying to kill him,” Carter replied. “And according to Cecil, we have to keep him alive.”

  “He looks harmless enough,” Drew said. “But I still don’t understand why we have to keep him hidden. Shouldn’t we just tell Maverick the guy needs our help?”

  Carter paced around the room, worried about the men he had left behind. Cecil should have called by now to tell him where to pick the three mates up. It wasn’t like the man to chance getting caught. Okay, maybe it was, but that still didn’t stop Carter from wanting to pull his hair out in frustration. “No, Cecil said to keep him hidden from everyone.”

  “Then why are we here?” Keata asked.

  “Because I need help watching him.” Carter checked the bracelet he had placed on Fire’s wrist to make sure it was snugly in place. He didn’t need the man shimmering out and getting away.

  “I think he’s trying to talk,” Johnny said as he strode forward and pulled the gag from the man’s mouth. “What?” He took another bite of his candy bar.

  “Who in the hell are you guys?” the man asked, looking around bewildered. “Why have you taken me?”

  “We’ll be the one asking the questions,” Johnny said with a mean little growl, slapping the candy bar on the palm of his hands. “Who are you and why ar

e you here?”

  Carter glanced at Johnny and wondered if the man was aware he asked the man the same questions Fire just asked them.

  Fire stared at Johnny as if he had lost his mind. “I could have sworn I just asked you that.”

  “Oh, double-talking me I see.” Johnny reached over and placed the scarf back in the man’s mouth. “Watch him. He’s a crafty one.”

  “Will he be staying for Christmas?” Keata asked. “Someone should make sure he has something under the tree if he is going to be here.”

  Carter rubbed his eyes. “He isn’t a houseguest, Keata. He’s our prisoner.”

  “I’ll go get him some bread and water,” Drew said as he exited the room. Carter wasn’t sure if letting these men in on the fact that Fire was here had been a good idea. If Maverick found out who this man was and why he was here, Ruttford would probably be skinned alive and his flesh used as a damn carpet in Maverick’s office.

  He still couldn’t figure out how he had gotten dragged into all of this. Just because he knew who Fire was didn’t mean he knew the guy personally. Why was he stuck watching the man? If Maverick found out what Carter was up to, his skin just might be laid out next to Fire’s under Maverick’s feet.

  “What the hell is going on in here?”

  Carter swallowed when his mate, Tryck, walked into the room, his eyes zeroing in on Fire.

  Johnny quickly ran to the door and closed it, pressing his back into the wood. “Were you followed?”

  Tryck glanced at Johnny and then turned back toward Fire. “Who is he?”

  “Our prisoner,” Keata replied.

  “But watch him,” Johnny warned. “He’s a real smooth talker.”

  Carter grabbed Tryck by the arm and pulled his mate across the room. He knew he couldn’t lie to Tryck. “He’s Ruttford’s brother. He had a gambling problem and is in debt to some very shady Shadow elves. If they find him, they’ll kill him, and then come after Ruttford and then us.”

  Tryck glanced back at the bound fey. “This is Ruttford’s brother,gatito?”

  Carter nodded.

  “And this will piss Maverick off if you keep him hidden in here?”

  Again, Carter nodded.

  “Count me in then.” Tryck moved closer to Fire. “You will stay here and keep quiet or I will ensure you have no more fingers for gambling, understood?”

  Fire’s eyes widened as he nodded his head at Tryck.

  Drew slipped back into the room. “We’re out of bread so I grabbed him a few cinnamon rolls.”

  Carter groaned when Gabby walked in, gazing at everyone. “So it’s true. We kidnapped a man.”

  He shot a glare at Drew.

  Drew shrugged. “What? He won’t tell anyone.”

  Carter ignored him as he turned back to Tryck. “I have to find Cecil, Blair, and Oliver. They were with me when we found Fire. I had to shimmer out and left them behind.”

  Tryck clucked his tongue. “Maverick just went to bail them out of jail.”

  “Jail!” Carter felt like he was going to be sick. They were supposed to find Fire, kidnap him, and bring him back here. The plan was simple. How had it gone so wrong?

  “No worries,gatito. You know Maverick will bring them back.”

  Carter wished he was that confident. He wanted to punch Fire for getting him into this mess. He was happy decorating the house for Christmas, and now he was going to be skinned alive.

  “How long do we have to keep him here?” Drew asked as he pulled the scarf down and handfed Fire the cinnamon rolls.

  “Hell if I know,” Carter answered honestly. “Until he isn’t a wanted man anymore I guess.”

  Carter turned when Kyoshi stuck his head into the room. “Maverick’s back and he doesn’t look happy.”

  Just how many people knew Fire was here?

  Chapter Eleven

  Adam needed to get to his files. He knew Les would be calling soon, but he didn’t even have his cell phone. He knew that if Les tried to call him and Adam didn’t answer, Mr. Kenyon would send a scout to find out what was going on.

  And then there was Vincent. If Vincent couldn’t get ahold of Adam, he would show up looking for him. That was something Adam didn’t want to happen. He had never met the guy, but the vibes he got whenever they talked told him Vincent wasn’t anyone to mess with.

  “Where are you going?” Ruttford said as he turned over, pulling Adam close to his warm body. He still couldn’t believe he was mated to two fey creatures. It was weird as hell. If he hadn’t seen the strange silhouette figures, he wouldn’t have believed it. None of this seemed real.

  “I have to get back to my apartment.” Adam saw that Melonee had already slipped away, and oddly enough, he missed her already.

  Ruttford nuzzled Adam’s neck as he ran his hand down Adam’s back. “You can’t leave, handsome.”

  God, feeling Ruttford touching him was sending licks of fire through Adam, making him want to repeat what they had done earlier. Never before did he hunger for two people the way he hungered for Ruttford and Melonee. “I have things I need to gather from there and phone calls to make.”

  Adam yelped when Ruttford smacked his bare ass. “Still trying to exploit us, naughty man? I can’t let you go.”

  “But you don’t understand,” Adam said as he tried to get from under Ruttford’s strong touch. It was odd as hell letting someone else control him. Adam was used to being in control. He was the dominant one in all situations. He was a shaker and a mover, never allowing anyone to have the upper hand. Yet here he lay, allowing Ruttford to tell him what he could and couldn’t do.

  “Then explain it to me,” Ruttford said as he kissed Adam’s shoulder. God, would the man stop thinking about sex for one minute? He was making it hard for Adam to think.

  “I can’t.” There was no way Adam was telling Ruttford why he was sent here. He had already fucked up when he mentioned telling the world about fey. If anyone found out he was here to buy the town out and demolish it, he was pretty sure Maverick would do more than just kidnap him.

  “Then you are going to stay in bed with me,” Ruttford said with a wicked gleam in his green eyes. Adam felt like he was arguing with the wall. The man wasn’t going to budge.

  He was about to tell Ruttford to get the hell off of him when a knock sounded on the door. Who on earth could it be?

  “Come in,” Ruttford called.

  “Are you nuts?” Adam asked, trying his best to cover himself. “I’m naked.”

  “You have a blanket on, handsome,” Ruttford reminded him.

  The door opened and a man walked in carrying a box.

  “What do you have, Micah?” Ruttford asked as if they weren’t lying in bed naked together. It was embarrassing as hell. Adam wanted to demand the man leave at once.

  “Adam’s stuff from his apartment,” Micah replied as he sat the box down.

  Adam almost leapt from the bed until he remembered he wasn’t wearing anything but his birthday suit. He wanted to smack Ruttford when the fey began to caress his arm.

  “Thanks, Micah,” Ruttford called when the guy turned and closed the door behind him. “Jeez, make one mistake and everyone wants to cut my balls off.”

  “What did you do to them?” Adam asked as he hurried from the bed to rummage through his things. He blew out a relieved breath when he saw his briefcase. It had a combination lock and looked undisturbed. Now if only he had his damn phone.

  “I played a few pranks on them,” Ruttford said offhandedly. “No sense of humor.”

  Adam searched through the box and pulled out his clothes. He needed to talk to Maverick. Maybe the man would see that Adam really didn’t care about exploiting them. He had just been blown away by the discovery. That was all. There really was no need to keep him here.

  Adam moved to the bathroom to take a shower and then dressed, needing to find Maverick and have a talk with him. The man seemed fairly intelligent. He should listen to reason. Besides, kidnapping was illegal.

  Ruttford went into the bathroom next and showered. Adam glanced through his files and reread Maverick’s while Ruttford was busy in the bathroom. If Maverick was fey, then that might explain why there was no record of when he first ran for mayor. The more Adam read, the less he feared the man. So Maverick could pop in and out of places, big deal. Adam had dealt with true sharks in the work world. He wasn’t afraid of Melonee’s dad. The guy was pissed because his daughter had two men. He’d get over it.

  Confident he could face the man down, Adam tucked the file away and locked the briefcase just as Ruttford came out of the bathroom. He didn’t wait for the man. Adam marched from the bedroom and went in search of Maverick.

  “Are. You. Serious?” Melonee asked in astonishment as she stared at Ruttford’s brother and then glanced at Carter. “You kidnapped him?” This was not good. Maverick already wanted to skin Ruttford alive. If he found out Fire had put them all in danger, he was going to—Melonee wasn’t even sure what he would do.

  A few days ago, all she had wanted to do was mate Ruttford. That was it—nothing more. And she had stupidly thought her life was complicated then. Now she had Adam and Fire was sitting here bound and gagged, glaring daggers at her.

  She didn’t even want to ask what else could happen for fear the skies would open up and lightning bolts would rain down on the house.

  “So what do you plan on doing, keeping him for the rest of his life?” she asked as she stared at the bracelet around his wrist. She knew it was the one Maverick kept in his desk. It neutralized a fey’s power and prevented him from shimmering out. But after trying to get away herself, she knew it wasn’t needed. Maverick had made damn sure no one was shimmering anywhere.

  “Yeah, Cecil hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Carter answered her. “Right now we just have to keep him hidden so the Shadow elves don’t find him.”

  “I still vote we hand him over to Maverick and let him decide what to do,” Drew said.

  Melonee felt her stomach turn to ice. “Oh, no. We can’t let him find out.” She glanced around. “Where is Cecil anyway?” He may be a troublemaker, but Melonee was pretty confident the man would have a solution to this. He was a crafty guy.

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