Master Bits & Mercenary Bites (Masters and Mercenaries)

by Lexi Blake

  “Maybe after supper, love.” He would feed her and rub her feet and when she was asleep he would put the box away, far in the back of some closet where his family should be shoved away and forgotten.

  Avery stopped moving in front of him. “Li, I would very much like to open the box and see what’s inside.”

  He felt his jaw clench. “Nothing that’s inside that box means a damn thing, love.”

  She reached up, her hands moving to the sides of his face. “They mean something to me. Whatever is in that box was important to my husband’s brother. I would like to see it.”

  She was forgetting a few things. “Your husband’s brother was a psychopath who tried to kill you.”

  “Li,” she began, her voice taking on that soft but strong tone that let him know her sweet foot was coming down, “I know your relationship with Rory was complex, but all families are. There was some good in him and that’s what you have to hold on to.”

  He wasn’t so sure there had been anything decent in Rory at the end, but he did know that tone of voice. He knew when to retreat. None of it mattered. Avery was the only thing that mattered and pleasing her was his life’s work. Avery’s optimism was one of the reasons she was perfect for him. She forced him to see the world in a different light. A brighter light.

  But he thought she was wrong on this one. “There’s nothing my brother would have kept in a safe that I would want. I don’t need his money and that’s all my brother cared about.”

  “He cleared out all the money before the house blew. He was leaving that night. Damon believes he meant to send for the things in this safe later on. It’s only a few items, but Damon thinks they’re all of sentimental value.”

  “My brother had no sentiment.”

  She shook her head, her hand on that bloody box. “Very few people are pure evil. Most still cling to a few things that hold their humanity.”

  “Why is this so important to you?” He knew damn well she wouldn’t ask if she didn’t have a reason.

  “Because this is your family, Li. For better or worse. It’s mine, too, because I share their name and so does my son. Maybe they’re not the best family. Perhaps they’re made up of criminals and rogues, but one day Aidan will want to know where he came from.”

  “Then let’s make something up. Let’s agree that he never had an uncle, and me mum died so long ago I barely remember how bitter she was at the end. Let’s make a fairy tale he can be proud of.”

  “Or we can tell him the truth. We can tell him his grandmother became bitter because his grandfather died and his uncle went to the dark side. We can tell him that despite poverty and everything being against him, his father turned out to be not only an honorable man, but a hero who saved the people around him time and time again. That is something to be proud of, not something to hide.” She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “I can’t give him much. My parents died and didn’t leave a lot behind. I can tell him stories and he can look into his background, but there are no mementos. My aunt didn’t save many pictures or heirlooms. What’s in that box is important.”

  He didn’t want to open it, felt an old familiar stubbornness well. This was when the old Liam would have walked away, gone to a bar, and drank himself into numbness. It was right there, the instinct bred into him. Walk away and he wouldn’t have to deal with the bad shit.

  But he had a child sleeping mere feet away. A boy who adored him. He had a wife standing in front of him, pleading with him to give them a past they could talk to their son about in the future.

  And still he hesitated.

  Avery took a deep breath. “Please, Li. Give our children a past.”

  He stopped, his whole soul catching on that one word. “Children?”

  Her lips curved up. “Yes. I took a test this morning. It could be wrong, but I don’t think so. I think we’ll be welcoming baby number two in about eight and a half months.”

  His heart welled. He wanted so much for his kids. More than he had. He wanted his children to love each other, to be able to depend on each other.

  Take care of your brother, Liam. He needs you.

  He could hear his mother’s words as she’d clutched his hand and the cancer had wracked her body.

  His mum.

  He held on to his wife as the emotion flowed through him. What the hell had he done before this woman? Stupid shit. He’d driven the emotions down and drowned them out with alcohol. He’d fed his need to obliterate himself until Avery had shown him he didn’t have to. He could hold on to her and she would be his life raft. He could protect her, love her, and find the reason he’d been born. “I’m so happy, my love. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me, but I’m afraid to open that damn box. I’m afraid to see what me brother might have thought to keep.”

  She kissed him, brushing her lips against his. “Don’t be afraid. Whatever is in there, we’ll deal with it. Whatever is in that box belongs to us. Belongs to you and me and Aidan and this baby in my belly. And all our babies. I know you have some problems when it comes to your mom, but I can tell you what she felt when she had you. She felt wonder. She felt love. Things might have gone wrong later, but I can’t help but think she did love you.”

  He squeezed her and then backed away because she was right. He had to face this for his children. They would want to know where they came from. “Me mum was a complex woman. She loved me Da and when he died, she went a little crazy. But she did love her family. She was strict with me and Rory, but only because she wanted something good fer us. I didn’t think that at the time though.”

  Her fingers brushed along his jawline. “No teen thinks that early curfew his mom enforces is anything but unfair.”

  She was right. “I was angry with her for many reasons. She always put Rory on me. I was always responsible for him.”

  “Because she knew you were the only one who might have a shot at fixing him,” she said quietly. “I think she knew there was something dark inside Rory and something light inside you. A mother knows her child. She loves them all, but she recognizes the darkness inside some and prays she can find a way to bring them back into the light.”

  There had been no way to save Rory. It pierced through him, but he’d accepted it long ago. They’d had such good times when they’d been children, but something had turned Rory nasty and dark. Something he’d never told Li, never offered up as a problem that could be fixed. Maybe it was something he’d been born with, perhaps something that had happened to him, but Li realized he had to forgive himself for what Rory had become.

  “I tried with him,” he said because all forgiveness in his world flowed from one person. He could say he was trying to forgive himself, but he needed to confess to her. Needed her to understand. Avery was his center, the reason he’d ever once found the light.

  She sniffled, her tears coming easily. She cried for them both, her emotion moving his world. “I know you did. You loved him. Don’t hide that. It’s okay to have loved the brother you knew. The one who did all the rest, he wasn’t someone you knew. You can mourn Rory and it’s all right. You can miss your mom. And baby, you can open that box because the history inside that box is ours and there’s nothing wrong with it.”

  Their history. When she put it like that, he found a place of peace inside himself. His history with Avery was beautiful.

  He turned to the box and felt a bit numb as he started to open it. What would Rory have kept that Damon thought would be important enough to send along? Damon wouldn’t have sent him foolish things. He would only have used his pull if this was something he thought was important.

  Li stared at the box. It didn’t matter in the end because it would be okay. Avery was here and nothing that was in that box would change that fact. Avery was his partner, his soul mate for life, and that was everything. He opened the box.

  He couldn’t help his smile. There was a photograph of him and Rory and their mum. Rory couldn’t have been more than seven and Li nine. Mum stood in between them, a stern l
ook on her face as she stared at the camera, but Liam was smiling. He could see his son in that dumbass grin.

  “Oh, look at that.” Avery picked up the framed photo. “Wow. Aidan is going to look just like that in a few years. And you look like your mom.”

  She’d been so hard after their father had died. He couldn’t remember the man, but he remembered his mum crying over him and then pretending like her weakness hadn’t happened. That had been her mistake. She should have let him see how she’d mourned the man who’d fathered him, let him help her along.

  He reached back in and chuckled. There were a couple of ribbons Rory had won at school events. There was a medal from a spelling contest and a dumb plastic toy soldier they’d played with as kids. Silly things, but they’d made up a childhood.

  Why had Rory kept these things in a safe for years? He’d hatched all his evil plans and yet he’d kept a stuffed bear he’d held on to as a child.

  It struck him forcibly that his brother had been nothing but a human who’d taken a bad turn somewhere along the way. It hadn’t been Liam’s fault. He’d loved Rory. He’d given his brother everything he could.

  Avery wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands covering his chest. “It’s okay, baby. You can mourn him. You can miss your brother.”

  It was okay to feel. It hurt and yet there was something freeing about it.

  He reached in because there was one more thing in the box. Another box. A small jewelry box. He pulled it out and opened it.

  A Claddagh ring. He had a sudden vision of his mum staring at that ring on her hand. He’d thought they buried her in it, but apparently Rory had taken it off her.

  Now it was left to him.

  The silver ring had been polished recently, likely by Penelope Knight, a show of her kindness. It was small, a silver band around a heart with a crown shining on top. This was a traditional Irish ring that represented love. He knew the story. His father had given it to his mother in lieu of a wedding ring because they hadn’t had the cash. When the ring was worn on the left hand with the heart pointing toward the wrist, it meant the wearer was married.

  His father and mother had both worn a Claddagh. This ring had been left to him by fate, but it didn’t belong to him. Oh, no, this ring could only be meant for the woman he loved. His mother had been stern but she’d always wanted him to find love and have a good life.

  He stared at that ring and let go of so much pain.

  His mother had loved him. His past wasn’t some tragedy he had to hide.

  “This is for you.” Everything he had was for his wife. His future. His present. Even his past. One day she would decide who to pass the ring to, but it was his and that meant it belonged to her.

  Avery held out her hand and he was surprised to find she’d taken off her wedding ring. “I love it.”

  He placed it on her finger, the heart pointing toward hers. “You knew what was in that box.”

  She pulled out one of her own. A small box from a jeweler. “I did. Liam O’Donnell, will you wear this ring from me? Will you share your heart and heritage with me and pass it all on to our family?”

  She opened the box and there was a Claddagh ring for him. One Avery had chosen and had fitted. One she’d selected because she loved him.

  “Aye, love. I’ll always wear it.” He exchanged the ring he’d worn since they married for the new one. A new ring to represent the past. A ring that promised a future.

  He leaned over and kissed his wife.

  “I’m so glad. When Penny told me what she was sending us, I wanted you to accept it. I want to put that picture up.”

  He frowned a bit. “And when our kiddos ask about it?”

  She shrugged. “We tell them they have an interesting history.”

  He laughed, feeling lighter than he had before. “That we do, love. That we do.”

  He looked down at his new ring and knew their future was bright.

  Mini Chicken Pot Pies

  1 cooked rotisserie chicken

  1 can cream of celery soup

  ½ cup chicken broth

  1 (8.5 ounce) can diced potatoes

  1 (8.5 ounce) can peas and carrots

  2 (9-inch) pie crusts (click here)

  1 egg

  Salt to taste

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shred chicken and place in a mixing bowl. Add the soup, broth, potatoes, peas and carrots and mix well. Pour into 6-8 oven-safe ramekins, depending on size of ramekins, and place on a cookie sheet.

  On a lightly floured surface roll out the pie crusts and, using a large biscuit cutter, make 6-8 individual crusts. Place them on top of the filling, allowing about a ½-inch overhang. Crimp the edges of the crust and cut a few slits in the top.

  Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Brush the top of each crust with the egg mixture and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

  Pie Crust

  Makes 2 (9-inch) pie crusts

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  ⅔ cup cold Crisco or butter

  2 teaspoons salt

  6 tablespoons cold water

  In a food processor, add the flour, Crisco/butter and salt. Pulse 6-8 times until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the food processor on low speed, add the water and mix until the dough forms a ball. Remove, cut in half to form two balls and cover each ball in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.

  Spaghetti Carbonara

  1 pound linguine

  1 tablespoon salt

  5 strips uncooked bacon, diced

  1 tablespoon garlic, minced

  4 egg yolks

  1½ cups Parmesan, grated

  1 teaspoon salt

  2 teaspoons pepper

  ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

  In a large pot, bring 6-8 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add linguine and boil for 6-8 minutes or until al dente.

  While the pasta is boiling, cook the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium heat until crispy. Add minced garlic and stir together for one minute. Pour bacon, bacon grease and garlic into a large bowl.

  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1 cup of the Parmesan, salt and pepper. Add the pasta to the bacon mixture using tongs, and allowing some of the pasta water into the bowl. Toss to cover.

  While the pasta is still hot, pour the egg mixture over the pasta and toss to cover to ensure that the eggs are cooked from the heat, but not scrambled. Top with the remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

  Coconut Cream Pie

  2 cups milk

  1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding

  1 (3.4 ounce) package coconut cream pudding

  2 (8 ounce) containers whipped cream, thawed

  1 cup flaked coconut

  1 graham cracker pie crust

  In a large bowl blend together the milk, vanilla pudding and coconut cream pudding with a hand mixer. Fold in 1 container of the whipped cream and ¾ cup of coconut. Pour mixture into graham cracker pie crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight is best.

  Top with remaining whipped cream and remaining coconut, toasted. To toast the coconut, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

  Bourbon Balls

  1 box vanilla wafers

  1 cup pecans

  1¾ cups powdered sugar

  2 tablespoons cocoa powder

  ½ cup bourbon

  2 tablespoons light corn syrup

  In a food processor, mix together all of the ingredients except for 1 cup of powdered sugar until a dough forms. Pinch off dough and form into 1 inch balls. Roll in remaining powdered sugar and serve. Makes about 4-dozen balls.

  Mini Key Lime Pies

  4 egg yolks

  1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

  ½ cup key lime juice, fresh or bottled

  4 mini graham cracker crusts


  Whipped cream, for topping, thawed

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer beat the egg yolks until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the condensed milk while the mixer is on low speed. After that is blended well, add the lime juice and mix on low speed for about 30 more seconds.

  Pour into the graham cracker crusts and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool, then top with whipped cream.

  Macon and Ally - Life is Sweet

  Ally stared across the kitchen at the massive hunk of man currently using a pastry bag to create delicate flowers on the small cakes he’d made. Watching his big hands as they deftly handled the minute work was always fascinating to her.

  Macon. Her husband.

  God, she hoped she wasn’t losing him.

  “You have to have a conversation with him about this. It’s making you crazy and you’re going to explode.” Tiffany Hayes stepped up beside her. “You have to tell him that you know he’s been talking to other women.”

  All around them Top was bustling with energy. It was a Saturday night and they had a full reservation list. She did not envy the hostesses. There were two of them now. Grace Hawthorne, who handled much of the business portion of Top, had brought them in after her husband, Sean’s, appearance on a cable cooking show had sent reservations soaring. He’d done several spots since then. Apparently the fact that Sean Taggart was a former commando who’d turned chef and now hired veterans and trained them in the culinary arts was considered an interesting story. It didn’t hurt that Chef Taggart was a Viking god of a man. Ally was certain there were whole groups of women who came in not for the food, but to get a glimpse of the rising celebrity chef.

  So now they had a crowded house, a second restaurant opening soon, and everyone was buckling down and pulling long hours to make it all work. Including her husband, pastry chef Macon Miles.