by Lisa Oliver
Rubbing his temples, Simon pondered the possible options. “You were definitely fifteen when you were kicked out?”
“We were kicked out two days after Liam’s fifteenth birthday,” Lucien replied. “I was sixteen. I came from a litter of three; Liam has a twin back at the Pride.”
Shit. No wonder the boys looked so rough when they were found. Leaving a pride at such a young age was hard enough, but leaving littermates and parents would have made the situation so much harder. “And you were thirty on your last birthday, is that right?” Simon remembered dragging a drunken Lucien home from Cam’s six months before.
“I was. Liam’s is coming up in two months. I guess they decided they couldn’t wait and decided to hammer us both.”
That was strange enough in itself. The letter made the presumption the brothers were already thirty. “Leave this with me,” Simon said, putting the letter in his drawer. “I’ll need to conduct some research, but from what I can gather this letter was designed to intimidate you and try and make you pay for something that wasn’t your fault. I take it neither of you have had relations with women before?”
The boys shook their heads and Simon was struck by how similar they were. Lucien was darker haired and slightly slimmer than Liam who had the face of an all-American surfer and sun-streaked hair to match. Both boys were built like linebackers in uniform and would be an asset to any pride or pack.
“Okay, well the simple thing is anyone under the age of eighteen is considered unable to enter into a contract of any kind. As neither of you have been on pride grounds since you turned eighteen, combined with the fact you were banished, I don’t see this letter as being anything more than an effort to intimidate you into parting with your hard-earned money.”
“The guy who rang said he was going to lay a complaint against us with the shifter council if we didn’t comply,” Lucien said. His efforts at soothing his brother were hampered by his own agitation.
“And if it comes to that, I’ll support you.” Simon let out a long breath. “Look, the simple matter is you can’t be party to a contract you know nothing about. A legally binding contract has to be signed by all parties concerned. Even if the….” Simon pulled out the draw and checked the letterhead. “Even if the Lamont Pride had a law stating that all pride members had an obligation to provide cubs for the benefit of the group by a certain age, it’s not something they can seek retribution for if you don’t do it. You haven’t been part of that pride for a very long time.”
“What will you do?” Lucien asked.
“I will reply to the letter, let them know I am acting on their behalf. I’ll ask to see a copy of the contract you signed, which we already know you didn’t do and also speak to the council about your banishment records. We’ll get this worked out, don’t worry about it anymore.”
“What if that man calls us again?” Liam was trying to act as though he didn’t care, but Simon had known his friend long enough to see through the charade.
“Give them my number and tell them that any further calls have to go through your lawyer first. Okay?”
“Okay.” The brothers stood, still leaning close to each other. “Thanks, Simon. We…we didn’t mean to cockblock you with your mate.”
“I’ve still got time for a blow job before he goes to work.” And shepherding the boys out of his office, Simon went to find his mate. Liam and Lucien’s issue was clearly a case of someone getting their facts wrong. He was confident he could work it all out with a few calls and a professionally worded letter in the morning.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“I like lying with you like this.” Darwin wiped the sweat from Simon’s face. They were curled up on their bed sharing an afterglow, the room saturated with the scent of sex. “Everyone is off doing their own thing. You and I are together in our own little world. We don’t get to do this often enough.” The sun was slowly setting behind the trees and he knew he’d have to get up soon for work. He pushed the thought away, determined to remain focused on his mate a while longer.
Simon rolled to face him. “Why is being financially independent so important to you?”
Darwin was stunned and it took a moment for his brain to engage. “Isn’t money important to everyone?” Okay, he should have taken longer than a moment before talking. Darwin’s head was still buzzing with sex hormones and was hoping for a different kind of conversation. He almost pulled out of Simon’s embrace, but decided that would be childish.
“I’ve always struggled for money,” he added as Simon watched him settle down again. “All the time I was growing up there was never enough food to go around. We fought among ourselves for the scraps we could find. When I did get tossed out, I was determined I’d always have enough to eat and a roof over my head no matter how many jobs I had to take to do that.”
“That’s a perfectly normal reaction to a shitty childhood,” Simon said quietly. “I can’t help but wonder if striving to make money all the time is somehow tied up in your lack of trust in others. Again, if I’m right, that’s understandable, given your history with your parents,” he added as Darwin frowned, “but have you ever thought about how that determination might affect a mating? Our mating?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Darwin struggled to think of any true mated couple he knew of and gave up on that idea. The only one’s he’d observed up close were Seth and Ra and he still didn’t know how Ra made his money although he believed it had something to do with whatever Ra did in his locked shed. Seth was too busy running around after triplets to work outside the home; something that didn’t seem to bother Ra.
“A mating is based on trust and mutual affection, right?”
“Uh huh. But I don’t see what that’s got to do with my wanting to be financially secure.”
“No. I guess you don’t.” Simon flopped over onto his back and stared at the ceiling and Darwin knew he’d hurt his mate in some way. He scrambled over, lying on his mate’s chest, unwilling to have any distance between them so soon after the sex they’d shared. “Simon, don’t give up on me. I’m trying to understand.”
“What are you feeling right now?” Simon still wasn’t looking at him but his hand was a comforting warmth on Darwin’s back.
“Confused. I know I’ve hurt you but I can’t work out what I’ve said wrong. I told you about my parents and the way I had to fend for myself since an early age. I can’t help the way I am.”
“So you’ve just accepted that the way your parents bought you up was wrong and you’re hell bound and determined not to make the same mistakes when it comes to money.”
“It’s not fun being so hungry your stomach thinks your throat’s cut.”
“I know.”
Darwin closed his eyes at the loaded reply. He was being selfish. Simon’s upbringing was far worse than his.
“It’s not a competition about who had the crappiest childhood, babe,” Simon added as though reading his mind. “What I’m saying is your whole life’s behavior is governed by something that happened decades ago. Have you ever considered it doesn’t apply anymore? That you’re not the starving child you used to be and that maybe even if you couldn’t trust your parents to take care of you, that when you met your true mate, maybe you could trust in him? In me?”
“I trust you implicitly.” Now Darwin was hurting as his brain scrambled to make sense of what Simon was saying. “Wait a minute. You think, because I have a job, that I don’t trust you?”
Simon’s raised eyebrow spoke volumes.
“But that’s ridiculous. I’ve always worked. It’s not as though I have….” Darwin’s voice trailed off as he suddenly caught himself. Simon had refused to take back the money he’d stolen from his backpack back in Jackson, claiming it came from under his floorboards. Darwin stashed it in the back of his drawer. He didn’t even know how much was there.
“We have babies on the way so our personal time is going to become even more limited. You said you wished we could be together mo
re often.”
“But it’s my fault we can’t because I keep picking up extra shifts at Cam’s.” Darwin’s heart fell like a stone. “Oh fuck, babe. I always said you deserved a better mate than me. I’ve barely had time to shift. When we are together I want to get my hands on you so bad because I’m empty when you’re not around. Fuck. How could I be so stupid?”
“You are not stupid!” Large hands bracketed his face; Darwin hadn’t even realized he’d dropped it. “You’re independent, strong and you’ve made a life for yourself from an early age. You’ve got a lot of things to be proud of so don’t put yourself down.”
“I’ve got no qualifications. I didn’t even finish high school,” Darwin whispered as the shame of the life he’d lived hit him hard. “I’ve stocked shelves, cleaned offices, flipped burgers, pumped gas and taken my clothes off for money. Fifty years old and I’m still working menial jobs.”
“There’s no shame in honest work,” Simon said fiercely. “It doesn’t matter what jobs you do provided you’re reliable, turn up on time, are honest and work hard during your shifts. You do that.”
“But you’re a lawyer. You have degrees coming out of your ass. People respect you for the work you do.”
“And if I had my way, all workers would be respected no matter what their job title. Don’t you understand? You’ve got every right to be proud of yourself. I bet you’ve never stolen from an employer, never turned up late for your job.”
“Of course not.” Darwin’s face flushed. “It’s not easy gaining the trust of an employer, but I work damn hard to ensure they never have reason to fire me.”
“You understand trust has to be earned and that’s another point in your favor. Now, tell me what I can do to earn yours.”
No wonder he’s so respected as a lawyer, Darwin thought, mentally rolling his eyes at the way Simon steered the conversation. “You don’t have to do anything,” he said, meeting Simon’s eyes. “I get what you’re saying and you’re right. Don’t get bigheaded about it.”
He glanced over to the clock slowly ticking on the wall. It was almost time for him to leave for work. “I’ll work until the fundraiser and then see about cutting down my hours. Will that help?” As much as he wanted to, Darwin wasn’t sure quitting his job was the right thing to do. Simon still worked, although usually during day time hours. Maybe Cam could give him lunchtime shifts instead of working nights.
“I’m not asking you to give up your independence.” Simon dropped a kiss on the end of his nose and let him go. “I’d just like to see you more often. That’s all. Mates are compelled to be together and I know you’re feeling it to. It’s not too much to ask, is it?”
“I miss you too.” Aware of how hard it was for his stoic mate to show any emotion, Darwin wondered if he could blame Simon’s behavior on pregnancy hormones. But as he rubbed their noses together one last time before climbing off the bed, he knew in his heart of hearts it was more than that. All at once, Darwin was seized with a powerful urge to spill the L word, but he held himself back. He’d been raised to believe actions spoke louder than words and until he could show Simon how much he loved and trusted him, he would keep his words to himself.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It wasn’t in Simon’s nature to fidget but sitting in the Mayor’s office, while Darwin was curled up in bed at home was not high on his list of things to do. The call came while he was half asleep, Maggie’s cheery voice explaining that Quincy wanted to speak to him on some legal matters and demanding his presence in the office within half an hour. That was an hour ago. Simon let out a long slow breath. He knew a power play when he saw one; he just wasn’t sure what Quincy’s motivation was. In the meantime, Darwin would be heading into work shortly and Simon’s chance for an extra cuddle was fading fast. He fumed as he sat waiting, mulling over the strange request.
Quincy was a buffalo shifter with a penchant for wearing western shirts and huge belt buckles that fought with his paunch to keep his pants up. Word around town was that he’d been mayor of Arrowtown for more than ten years. He was prone to nepotism; his cousin was the local sheriff and his wife was the town treasurer, but the general feeling was he didn’t do anyone any harm and was more inclined to be lazy than cruel.
Simon’s only brush with the man came when Ra met Seth. In a bid to get Seth’s herd to leave his mate alone, Ra suggested a town meeting, which was how all local disputes were solved. Seth was on the run at the time and it was either that or Ra was prepared to leave town. Quincy showed up, clearly in cahoots with the herd Alpha, a slimy man called Simpson and afterwards, when the sheriff tried to arrest Ra for disturbing the peace, it was Simon’s eidetic knowledge of law that allowed Ra to spend the night claiming his mate instead.
Which didn’t explain why he was kicking his heels in Quincy’s office now. Didn’t Quincy have a family member with legal experience somewhere? Simon wasn’t sure. He hated politics with a passion. Helping Ra with his campaign to take over Quincy’s job was as close as he’d like to come.
“You can go in now, Simon. I am sorry you had to wait so long.” Maggie’s smile was as warm as sunshine on a wheat field; a stark contrast to the formality of the office. Simon nodded as he stood up. It wasn’t Maggie’s fault the mayor was an egotistical bastard. He pushed past her desk, knocking on the solid oak doors guarding the Mayor’s inner sanctum, opening it when he heard “enter.”
Quincy didn’t get up from his desk and Simon was glad. Shifters didn’t engage in the whole handshake ritual as a rule and Simon wasn’t a fan of unnecessary touching. He stood, waiting to be asked to sit and after a long pause, Quincy gestured to a chair in front of his desk.
“Simon,” Quincy sat back in his ornate chair, his pudgy hands folded over his stomach. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you in here.”
“Maggie said it concerned a legal matter.”
“Yes, well, sort of. This is more of an initial enquiry. I can be assured of your complete discretion about this matter, can’t I?”
Simon’s snake reared up at the implied insult. His human half was more circumspect. “All client-lawyer matters are considered confidential under shifter and human law.”
“Right. Well…you have a problem in your pack, club or whatever you call your band of bikers and I need legal advice on how to handle it.”
Ooh, you sneaky bastard. Simon kept his face impassive. “Perhaps you could explain the specifics of your concern.”
Ha. That got you, didn’t it? You thought I’d immediately start blabbing about my friends, Simon thought as a flash of anger crossed Quincy’s face. “I got a letter from the shifter council,” Quincy fiddled with some papers on his desk. “Concerning Liam and Lucien Lamont.”
Keeping the anger off his face was more difficult a second time around. “It’s my duty to inform you I have already been retained by Liam and Lucien concerning an erroneous complaint made by their ex-pride. Due to possible conflict of interest, you and I can’t continue this conversation. You’ll have to hire yourself another lawyer.” As much as Simon wanted to see the letter Quincy was holding, he forced himself to stand. He wasn’t about to let anyone question his ethical standards. And how the hell did I fail to notice Liam and Lucien carry the pride Alpha’s name?
“Wait,” Quincy held the letter out. “Didn’t you want to see this?”
“I imagine it’s addressed to you,” Simon said stiffly. “I’ve already explained this is a possible conflict of interest. Anything we discuss now can’t be considered under client confidentiality.”
“The thing is,” Quincy waved the letter in his hand, “your lions’ problems are going to reflect badly on Ra. He is the leader of your little gang.”
The shit didn’t even bother to show concern for the lion brothers and Simon’s opinion of the mayor dropped. “Liam’s and Lucien’s issues are a historical matter reflecting on events that happened well before they met Ra.”
“But you know how people think.” Quincy grinned, r
eminding Simon of the cliched car salesman. “Or maybe you don’t. But I know this town and if word gets out about this….” His voice trailed off leaving Ra’s campaign could be toast an unspoken threat.
“What do you want?” Simon didn’t like games. “The complaints against Liam and Lucien are firstly a civil, not a criminal matter. Secondly, they are false claims and will be retracted. Third, what I do or how I handle their issues is no concern of yours. Finally, this is a private matter and doesn’t have anything to do with the people of Arrowtown. But you already knew all that, didn’t you. That letter you’re waving around like a prize ticket is nothing more than a notification from the council advising an investigation is being conducted. You don’t need legal advice on that at all. So, give it to me straight. What the hell do you want from me?”
“It’s simple.” Quincy’s eyes narrowed. “I know you’re advising Ra, helping him in this stupid bid of his to try and take my job. I want you to convince him not to run against me in the election.”
Simon crossed his arms. “Why would I do that? Ra cares about people and would make a damn good mayor.”
“Because this,” Quincy shook the damn paper again, “might just be a simple civil mistake but you and I know it’s just the tip of the iceberg with your little lot. If Ra doesn’t withdraw then I will make it my life’s mission to find out every sordid detail of what your gang got up to before you came into my fair town. And when I find that dirt, I’ll make sure everyone knows about it. Maybe I’ll find some juicy gossip on your new mate? Rumor has it, the boy was a stripper. How many votes does fancy pants Ra think he’ll get when the town hears about that? You’re nothing but a bunch of hoodlums. You wouldn’t know the first thing about taking care of a decent town like this.”
“And you do?” Simon looked down his nose at the bitter shifter, reining in his snake form through sheer will. Sinking his fangs into the mayor would simply give the asshole the ammunition he needed. “What my mate did or didn’t do before he came to Arrowtown is none of your goddamned business. And as for running a decent town? I’ve got two words for you. Alpha Simpson. I’ll see myself out.”