by Anya Nowlan
His brother straightened up at that, the fight back in his eyes.
“You’re serious?”
I guess I am.
“Do I have your word or not?”
Dyson rolled his shoulders, smiling.
“It’s a deal. Let’s do this.”
Kate threw him a concerned look and he winked back.
“Keep back. It’s going to be okay,” he assured her.
She crossed her arms in front of her, a gun in each hand, and rolled her eyes. Just like that, she looked hotter than ever to him. Defiant, ready for anything, and armed to the teeth.
Sexy as hell.
River let the roar that had been building inside him for a while now rip out of him. His muscles coiled and folded over, his spine stretching beneath his skin as he dropped down on all fours. The change flowed over him, painless and practiced, as he transformed seamlessly from man to beast.
When he looked up, Dyson’s tiger was already taking its first steps in his direction. As humans, Dyson had always been shorter than him, but as tigers, they were the same size. They were both massive beasts, the ground thudding under their huge paws.
Dyson’s coat glistened under the sunlight, the orange bright and the black as deep as the night.
His brother advanced toward him, teeth bared and ears flattened against his head. River followed suit, letting his mouth pull back to reveal sharp canines as he padded forward, circling Dyson.
Dyson charged first, lunging towards him with his claws out, looking to rip into River’s flesh. River jumped to the side, dodging the attack before leaping on his brother. Dyson fell to the ground with River’s paws holding him down. He thrashed and wriggled, trying to get back up, but River dug his claws deeper into his fur.
You brought this on yourself, he thought, as he bent down and plunged his teeth into Dyson’s left shoulder.
His brother roared in pain, blood streaming down his back and matting his beautiful coat. River shook his head, ripping at the flesh between his teeth. Dyson swiped at him blindly, slashing River’s skin here and there, but the pain wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He just clenched his jaw even harder every time Dyson tried to resist.
Finally, panting and growling, Dyson rolled onto his back and pulled up his paws, exposing his soft underbelly in a sign of surrender.
Releasing his hold, River pulled back and stepped away from his brother, bleeding on the ground. Dyson let the change flow over him again, letting out pained grunts as his form turned back to human.
He looked terrible, with a big gaping wound where his shoulder should be, but he was alive. For a moment, looking at Dyson, River was surprised his brother had even taken the challenge. Hadn’t he realized this was the only outcome?
He’ll recover, River thought, tugging on the reins of his tiger.
His skin stretched unpleasantly in the places where Dyson had scratched him, but otherwise the shift back was the same as any other time. His body moved around him, realigning and elongating, until he was back on his two feet.
Kate rushed to his side, inspecting the gashes on his forearms and not sparing even a single glance at Dyson.
“It’s okay,” he said, gathering up the hands roaming across his body and giving them a kiss. “Just a scratch.”
His brother groaned as he crawled up into a sitting position, careful not to move his left arm.
“Can we consider this settled?” River asked with an arched brow, looking down at him.
“I’m not stupid. I can admit when I’m outmatched.”
“Then you’re the right person to convince father that leaving me and Kate alone is the best decision he could ever make. I want you both on the first plane back to Boston, understood?”
Dyson avoided his gaze, wincing as he struggled to get on his feet. River could almost feel sorry for him, but not quite.
“I’m sure he can be made to see it’s the right thing to do.”
“Goodbye, brother,” River said, wrapping an arm around Kate’s waist as they walked back towards the beat-up minivan.
He was surprised when he turned the key and the engine groaned to life, as the body of the vehicle looked absolutely shredded. It jerked forward, spluttering and coughing, but moving nonetheless.
Maybe I judged you too harshly, he thought, patting the dashboard appreciatively.
Kate was silent as he pulled back onto the highway, looking tense and distant. She only spoke when they were well away from the carnage they left behind.
“I’m not leaving Chicago. Fuck The Firm. I want to stay with you.”
River almost swerved off the road, thinking he may have imagined the words he wanted to hear.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
A deep rumble started in his chest. His mate wanted to stay with him.
Could she mean forever? Was she ready to accept they belonged together, despite their rocky start?
“You’re mine. I’ve been trying to fight the feeling, but everything is clear to me now. For a second there, I had to accept the fact that you may be dead, and I realized how empty my heart would be if you were gone.”
Her voice was soft and so were her grey eyes as she looked at him. His heart beat twice as fast in his chest.
River grabbed one of her hands as they trundled along in the thrashed minivan, their clothes splattered with blood and the scent of death all around them. To anyone else the setting couldn’t be less romantic. But they weren’t anyone. They had fought for each other, tooth and nail, and come out victorious. What could be more romantic than that?
“I love you, Katie, and I love the thought of us being a family. It’s insane, but it’s fate.”
The words sprang out of his mouth on their own, without him even considering the weight they carried. It felt right to say them and that was all that mattered.
She smiled at him, eyes shiny and full of emotion.
“What’s life worth if you can’t get a little crazy once in a while, right?” she said
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Dyson might be off our backs now, but we still have to figure out what to do about The Firm.”
Kate looked thoughtful for a moment. It was then that realization dawned on River.
“I think I know. The Firm is after me because I’m the leader of the Crimson Claws. If the Crimson Claws don’t exist, they have no reason to want me dead…”
The thought roiled around in his head. The more he considered it, the more he liked it. The Claws had long lost their sense of purpose and he’d been itching to do something about it. Dismantling his own organization wouldn’t change what they’d done in the past, but it would be a start. A step in the right direction.
One he and Kate sorely needed.
Kate’s eyes widened as she turned in her seat, angling her body towards him.
“Are you sure you’re ready to take this step? I know how important the Crimson Claws is to you.”
River shook his head with a snort.
“It hasn’t been the organization I wanted it to be for a long time, now. It’s time to move on and live the life I’ve always wanted to live. Hell, who knows, maybe some of these guys can get out and do something meaningful with their lives this way as well. I know they’re not leaving on their own, so a kick in the ass might be just what the doctor ordered.”
“Then it’s time to clean house,” Kate grinned at him, giving the gun still in her hand a little kiss.
I don’t know what I could have ever done to deserve a woman like her, but whatever it was, I’m damn glad I did it.
Thirty-Seven
River
Climbing the steps of his townhouse with blood all over his arms raised a few eyebrows from passersby, but River couldn’t care less. Not with Kate by his side, and knowing that’s where she wanted to stay.
I’m going to have a family of my own, River thought, shaking his head.
It was still something he had trouble wrapping his head a
round, yet it filled him with excitement. All he had to do was shake off his past, and he could have a whole new life with Kate.
Dismantling the Crimson Claws could turn out to be tricky, but when had anything ever been easy for him? He was used to fighting tooth and nail for everything he wanted, and he had never wanted anything more than a future with Kate.
A familiar scent stopped him at the last step, hand hovering near the door handle.
Shit! Haven’t I had enough battles for one day?
“What is it?” Kate asked, already palming the guns tucked into her waist band.
“My father must have not gotten the message yet. He’s here. With Diamond.”
Kate clucked her tongue, gripping her weapons tightly.
“Do you think he’s here to fight?”
The gleam in Kate’s eyes told him she was readying herself for anything, which was probably smart when Dornan Royce was involved. Yet River didn’t think his father was here with violence in mind.
That wasn’t entirely true. The old man always had violence in mind. But it was unlikely he was going to pick a fight now, not when he desperately needed to convince River to marry Diamond.
Diamond was many things, but patient was not one of them. She was probably already feeling humiliated, which meant Dornan was running out of time to get River to agree to his arrangement.
“I don’t think so. But it’s best to be on guard, anyway.”
Kate gave him a stern nod, tucking the guns away in easy reach. Pushing the door open, River led the way inside, bracing himself for another argument with his stubborn father. The man did not disappoint, leaping to his feet and getting in River’s face as soon as he and Kate walked into the living room.
“I just got a call from Dyson. He seems to think our business here is concluded. I don’t agree,” Dornan ground out, staring at him and pointedly ignoring Kate.
Diamond was splayed out on one of the couches, bouncing her leg up and down and looking ticked off. She rolled her eyes when she noticed Kate, before throwing River a disparaging look.
“Father, I am not in the mood for your crap. I have made my decision. I am not marrying Diamond, and nothing you say will change that. I’ve already found my mate.”
From the corner of his eye, he could see Kate straighten her spine, predicting she would be a part of this conversation sooner rather than later. Dornan took a step back, brow furrowing.
“No. Diamond is your mate,” he stated flatly.
Wrapping an arm around Kate’s shoulders, he pulled her close. His tiger let out a soft purr when she leaned into him, relaxing even while one of her hands still hovered near her hidden weapons.
My little assassin, never off guard.
“No, she’s not. Kate is.”
Diamond got on her feet even before Dornan could react, hands on her hips.
“I knew it!” she scoffed. “That bitch has you wrapped around her skanky little finger.”
Kate seemed unaffected by the insults, except for her hand twitching over her gun. But River was downright furious. He had given Diamond plenty of slack, even felt sorry for her, but she kept pushing him over the edge.
“Watch your mouth, Diamond,” he growled, stepping towards the woman. “Do you really want to be rude to my mate, under my own roof? I thought you were smarter than that.”
Diamond let out a little snarl, but shrank back from him nevertheless. She knew better than to challenge an Alpha like him. Unfortunately, Dornan didn’t.
“Son, I am giving you one last chance to do the right thing here,” his father warned, bristling in another one of his tailored suits.
“Enough!” River thundered.
He was tired of this unending tug of war between him and his father. It was time the rope was cut, and Dornan finally learned River was his own man. Not wanting to pick a fight, River had submitted to his father’s will too long, whether he meant to or not.
It stops now.
“Kate is not only my mate. She is carrying my child. We are bound to each other.”
“I knew it,” Diamond muttered under her breath.
Dornan looked as shocked as he ever had, his gaze darting from Kate to River in disbelief. Taking in a deep breath, a snarl stretched his lips as he undoubtedly smelled the truth.
“She is my family now and you’d do well to accept that. I am done being what you want me to be,” River continued, feeling liberated as the words left his mouth.
His father stepped forward, grabbing hold of the front of his shirt. Dornan was out of plays, trying to assert his dominance over River was all he had left. Even he knew trying to talk a shifter into leaving his mate was an exercise in futility.
“You ungrateful, disobedient…” the man started, hands balling into fists as he twisted the fabric of River’s shirt.
Acting on instinct and a healthy dose of anger, River shook off his father’s grip before shoving the man to the ground. Dornan hit the floor, hard, sliding backwards before stopping in a heap of tangled limbs.
“I’m ungrateful?” River demanded, walking up to his father’s fallen form to tower over him. “Everything I have, I’ve worked for. All you’ve given me are orders. I’m done. The next time you try to tell me how to live my life, I won’t be as gentle. Understand?”
Dornan scooted up to a sitting position but didn’t stand, silently staring daggers at River. Finally, he just nodded, his pride wounded and his suit wrinkled. At least he seemed to get that River wasn’t playing around.
It felt like a weight was being lifted from River’s shoulders. Like he’d finally broken free from the shackles that had held him back for almost as long as he could remember. Even the air seemed to taste a little sweeter all of a sudden, though truth be told that had been the case ever since Kate entered his life. This was just the icing on the cake.
“And you,” River said, turning to Diamond. “Why are you going along with this? You’re strong, stronger than you think. You deserve to be more than a pawn in our families’ games.”
Diamond shuffled on her feet uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze.
“Marrying you has always been what I was supposed to do. I don’t know what to do now.”
“How about whatever you want?” River replied, softening his tone a little. “Come on, Diamond, don’t tell me you don’t have ambitions. You don’t need to be married to achieve them.”
The woman continued to pout in the corner, but her demeanor changed. She stood a little taller, brow furrowing as she worked his words over in her mind.
“I guess,” she finally conceded, arms crossed as petulantly as ever.
She couldn’t hide it from River, though. He could see that he was getting through to her. She’d just need a little time to make up her mind. He couldn’t blame her for it – it had taken him decades to be able to stand up for himself.
Dornan got up silently, obviously fuming. He spared a look at River, evaluating if continuing this fight was worth it, seeing as even Diamond was giving up on the plan.
“Now both of you, get out of my house,” River growled, letting his tiger float closer to the surface.
That was all Dornan needed to make up his mind, it seemed. He wordlessly brushed past River and stomped out of the front door. Diamond scurried after him, keeping her head low. The door slammed shut after them and River let out a long sigh.
“I think he got the message,” Kate commented, quirking a brow at the closed door.
“I hope so.”
He wasn’t keen on delivering the same damn message again.
Pulling Kate closer to him, he kissed her on the top of her head.
“Just us now, baby.”
“The way it’s supposed to be,” she sighed, and he couldn’t have agreed with her more.
Thirty-Eight
Kate
River looked calm and determined, but she knew he had to be feeling a little uneasy on the inside. There were big changes ahead for him, and change was always difficult. He was buttonin
g up his shirt, already clad in black jeans. Kate watched him from the bed, pondering how she would much rather have him walk around naked whenever possible.
Covering up a body like his should be a crime.
“How many are you expecting to show up?” she asked, stretching out her legs.
She was dressed in white, her favorite color. It was a choice she could grow to regret, considering what they were walking into.
Once it dries, blood can be such a bitch to get out.
“I’m sure most will be there. Should be around twenty of them or so.”
“It could get ugly,” she remarked.
“Then I’ll be glad you talked me into taking you with me.”
Now that had been a heated conversation, but somehow, Kate had been able to convince him this was something they had to do together. No way was she going to sit on the sidelines as River addressed a room full of disgruntled shifters.
They had been busy since Dyson left town with Dornan and Diamond, coming up with a way to shut the Crimson Claws down for good. Some of the lieutenants had a good grip on their neighborhood and had set up businesses that could run independently from the rest of the organization.
River wanted to make sure that when the Crimson Claws died, everything it spawned went with it. He felt strongly that it was his obligation to put an end to any operation that’s origin could be tracked back to the Claws and she could understand why.
They both needed a clean break.
Which is why they had done some digging and came up with a list of people they wanted off the streets and behind bars. It was mostly made up of lieutenants that had grown power-hungry and were operating with unnecessary brutality, and had also gotten mixed up in areas of the underground River didn’t approve of, like the drug trade.
Mixed in with that crowd were some of the cleaners. Hitmen that had gotten a reputation for being sloppy and leaving behind a trail of bodies when they only had one target to take care of.