by E. M. Leya
"Not a word. I left the house and never looked back. I figured he'd be glad I was gone. I can't think of a single reason he'd search for me unless he just needs someone to continue beating up on." The thought made my stomach turn despite the fact that I was no longer under his roof and control.
"He wouldn't dare lay a hand on you now. Not only would I kill anyone who hurt you, but you're not a little boy anymore. You're a man. A man who has more strength now as a wolf than any human man could ever dream of having." Tavish reached for a piece of bacon. "What you need to do now is focus on learning how to understand the feelings of those around you. Learn how to read their scent. You'll figure out when someone is angry or aggressive and know when you catch that scent to be alert. Let your wolf come forward enough to focus on things. He'll know when danger is around."
I sighed.
"Try and eat. There's nothing we can do about it right now. Even if whoever this guy is sees the news this morning, he can't be here for a few hours at least. Don't stress on this until we know why he's looking for you."
I stared at the food, my appetite gone. While I agreed with Tavish that my father couldn't hurt me anymore, the memories of the past flooded back, and my fear of the man was just as strong now as it had been the day I ran away. I picked at my eggs, forcing myself to take small bites as I thought about everything.
"Kurt also sends his congratulations on our engagement. He offered to give you away at our wedding."
I choked on the coffee I'd just taken a drink of. "Wedding?"
"I'm not against it. The media might expect it." Tavish shrugged. "I'm for anything that shows my love for you."
I smiled, touched by his words. "You show me every day, but I think if anyone gave me away, it would be Justice as the one who turned me. Only that might look odd since he's your identical twin." I shook my head. "When can we get back to Montana and hide away again?"
"Not soon enough," Tavish said. "We've got to get through this tour, then we can hide for a few months, maybe even longer. We've been on the road a ton the last few years. I think most of the guys would be up for taking a year off."
"I don't want to be the reason. Whatever you decide, don't do it because I ask. I don't want to get in the way of your career. You've worked too hard to get where you are. Besides, I don't want the rest of the band to hate me for keeping you from them."
"They're jealous of us. They all want to find their mates too. I promise I won't let us get in the way of the band's business, but being with you does change my priorities. I want more time off because, for the first time in my life, I've got someone to spend time with." He wiped his mouth. "I'm going to go grab my shower so we can go." He stood, coming to stand beside me. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, leaning against him. "I don't like hearing someone is looking for me, but I'm okay. You're right. No one is going to hurt me anymore."
He bent and put a kiss on my lips. "Never again." He smiled before turning away and heading into the bathroom.
Once alone, I pushed the food away. I took the coffee and walked over to the couch and sat down. I hadn't taken the time to really think about my father in a long time. Once I'd left home, I'd put him from my mind. Other than telling Tavish about my past, I'd let that part of my life go. Now, hearing someone was looking for me, I wondered what my father had been up to all these years. Had he remarried? Had he stayed in Denver? Was he even still alive? I'd never cared enough to find out. Did I want to know? It would be easy to look him up online and see if there was any information.
For now, I was going to let things be. If someone wanted to find me, they could. Tavish drew attention, and everyone would know where we were now that we announced our engagement. I just hoped that whatever was going on with me wouldn't cause problems for Tavish and the band.
I'd just found a new life and I refused to let my past take it from me. I wasn't who I used to be. I wasn't on the run anymore. For the first time in my life, I was going to face whatever came my way head-on. And for the first time in my life, with Tavish by my side, I wouldn't have to fight alone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Tavish
It took longer than I thought it would. Four days after Kurt had let me know that someone was looking for Mark, I finally got a call from Will letting me know someone had contacted him as well, requesting a meeting with Mark. The lack of information given didn't make me happy, and I took the number from Will, trying to decide what to do with it.
I couldn't hide the information from Mark. He had a right to know, but there was a part of me that wanted to call the guy first and find out what the hell he wanted before dragging Mark into the middle of it.
I'd researched his father online and found he was alive and still living in the Denver area. There wasn't much information about him. He worked for an insurance company, appeared to be an upstanding member of the community, and had never remarried. There was never a mention of Mark or a child. There were also articles about his wife's death, but all of those listed it as a tragic accident.
What I hadn't expected was to find out that Mark's mother had been the daughter of a very prominent family with railroading ties in the Denver area. It was because of her family that her death had even made the news. I had to wonder how much Mark knew about his mother's family since he'd been so young when she'd died. He'd mentioned her, but I couldn't remember much about what he'd said.
I rolled my shoulders, dreading the fact that Mark was going to have to step into his past, and I prayed that whatever was going on wasn't something that would hurt him. The need to protect my mate was powerful, stronger than anything I'd ever felt for anyone before, including my twin.
Mark walked out of the bathroom, his hair wet, and a towel wrapped around his hips. We'd spent the day at the studio and had come back to the hotel to change before going out to dinner. Mark had been fantastic about hanging out while we recorded. I knew it couldn't be very exciting for him, and even though I offered to let him go shopping or do his own thing, he insisted he go with me. It gave me hope that he hated being away from me as much as I did him.
"I kept waiting for you to join me." Mark grinned as he dug out a pair of pants.
"I'd planned on it, but then Will called." I stood, going over to him and taking the pants from his hands. I set them on the dresser and turned to Mark. "Will got a phone call that someone would like to meet with you. He wouldn't give much information. All we know is he's been looking for you for some time. He says he only needs a half-hour of your time to discuss something." I hated seeing the way Mark paled and the strong man I'd come to know become nervous.
"He didn't say why?"
I shook my head. "Will tried to pry for information, but the man wouldn't give him anything. He said it was a personal issue that he could only discuss with you. I took the number from Will, but it's totally up to you what you do from here. We can ignore it or if you want to meet with the man, we can call and set up a meeting. I can even ask my security team to join us if you're worried."
Mark leaned back against the dresser as he took a deep breath. "You think I should meet with him?"
"I don't think he's going to go away if you don't. I think you should at least find out what it's about. If your father sent him, trying to cause you more problems, then we walk out. We're the ones with the power here. We don't have to do anything you don't want to." I reached for his hand and tugged him to the bed so we could sit down. "Personally, I can't imagine your father would send anyone after you. What good would it do? You're of legal age to be on your own now. There isn't a single thing he can do other than apologize for the way he treated you."
Mark gave a dry laugh. "He'd never."
"Yeah, I doubt that too. Whatever you decide, I'll support you."
"I thought I'd left my past behind." Mark ran his fingers through his hair.
"You have. You're a wolf now. You couldn't go back to your old life even if you wanted to. Your wolf would seek out the companionship of others. You're s
tronger, older, and more confident than you were when you ran away. You're the one in control now." I wished we'd completed the mating ceremony so he could feel the confidence I had in him through our link. I hated seeing the doubt and worry in his eyes. It was almost as if just the thought of his father had him shrinking back into that young boy who'd taken the beatings so many years ago.
"You'll do this with me?"
"I won't leave your side," I promised.
"Then I'll call him and set up a meeting. Where do I tell him we want to meet?"
"We can meet here in the suite or we can arrange to meet at an office at the record company. Wherever you decide is best. Why don't you call him and see when he wants to meet, then we can go from there?" I reached for my phone that sat on the bed. "Will sent me this man's number."
Mark took the phone before reaching for the one I'd bought him right after we'd met. He copied the number, punching it into his phone, and with a deep breath, he hit the call button.
It was nearly six in the evening, so I wasn't even sure the guy would answer. He'd be stupid not to. With the insistence he'd shown to find Mark, it only made sense that he'd answer even if it had been two in the morning when Mark called.
Mark put the phone on speaker and set it on the bed as it continued to ring. After a moment, long enough I wasn't sure anyone would answer, an older man finally answered.
"Hello?"
"This is Mark Westburg. I was told you'd been trying to reach me." Mark's voice was strong, showing no sign of the nervousness I saw in his eyes.
"Yes, thank you for returning my call. My name is Martin Transbony. I'm a private investigator hired by your grandfather Jonathan Shell. He has asked me to locate and speak to you about a few things. Is it possible we could meet?"
I recognized the name of Mark's grandfather on his mother's side. He was the rich railroad businessman.
"My grandfather?" Mark whispered; the shock evident in his voice.
"Yes. I was told you two didn't have much of a relationship after your mother's death and it might surprise you to hear from him."
Mark's shoulders tensed. "I don't remember meeting them. Why should I care what he has to say after all these years?"
I was proud of Mark for not giving in easily. I also wondered why his grandparents hadn't been around when Mark was young. He'd said his father didn't allow him to see them, but any good grandparent, especially one with money to fight, would go to court and get some kind of visitation.
"That's one of the many things I'd like to discuss with you. If it's convenient, I'm available to meet this evening." Mr. Transbony sounded hopeful.
Mark glanced up at me and I gave him a nod. The sooner we knew what this was about, the sooner we could react to whatever news this man was bringing Mark.
"There's a lounge in the Peninsula. Would that work for you?" Mark asked.
I smiled, wondering if the man would accept our suggestion of the expensive bar. I doubted Mark had any knowledge of the place other than seeing it as we walked around the hotel.
"Of course. Shall we say seven? I need to gather my paperwork and drive over." Mr. Transbony didn't even hesitate.
With another nod from me, Mark said, "that will work perfectly. We'll see you then."
Once Mark had disconnected the call and set the phone down, I reached for his hand. "Feel better knowing it wasn't your dad looking for you?"
"Yeah, but now I'm confused. I never met my grandparents. Why would they want to talk to me now when they were never there when I was little?"
"I don't know, but that's something you have every right to ask. This is all up to you. You get the information you want or you get up and leave. You owe them nothing." I leaned in and kissed him. "Justice and I are your family now. The pack is your family. No matter what, we'll always be there for you."
Mark smiled. "You're all I need." He caressed my arm before standing. "We better get ready to meet him downstairs."
I glanced at the clock, seeing we had thirty minutes. "I'll grab a quick shower while you get dressed."
"Tavish…" Mark reached for my arm before I could leave him.
"Yeah?" I turned, giving him my full attention.
"Thanks for everything you've done. Thanks for being the family I never had."
I smiled, stepping close enough to pull him into my arms. "I will always be there for you. I love you." I kissed him softly. "Now get dressed. We don't want to be late." I tugged on the edge of the towel, causing it to drop from his hips. I grinned and winked at him before turning and heading for the shower.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Mark
I held Tavish's hand under the table as we waited for Mr. Transbony to arrive. My wolf was on edge, and my emotions being all over the place didn't help to calm him. I wasn't worried about him trying to force his way out, but it was distracting having him at full attention in my mind. I reached for the Coke in front of me and took a long drink.
"We should go dancing one night while we're here." Tavish held his own glass in his large hand as he stared at me.
I blinked at him, wondering how he could be thinking about dancing when I was so nervous. It was probably his way of trying to distract me, or maybe it was just simply that I was making this out to be a bigger deal than it really was. "Are you a good dancer?"
Tavish rolled his eyes. "I have to be able to move on stage, right?"
"But that's not dancing with a partner. That's gyrating your body so all the fans want to fuck you."
Tavish laughed. "Jokes on them since the only person I'll be fucking is you."
My cheeks heated.
"I'm an okay dancer. With the right partner, I can be pretty good, and I think you'll be the perfect partner."
I tried to imagine us dancing, but couldn't push the thought past the nervousness. "Maybe we can try. I don't think I'd be very good at it."
"Have you ever danced?"
"Other than in my room alone when I was maybe twelve? No. Dad wouldn't let me go to the dances at school, and since then, well, I haven't really had the chance."
"Then we'll go for sure." Tavish's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the door. "I think he's here."
I glanced up to find a tall, dark-haired man, who appeared to be in his mid-fifties walking toward us. He looked more like a soldier than a private investigator with his short hair, thick muscles, and confident stride. Not that I really had any idea what an investigator should look like, but I'd expected an older, overweight man to show.
I took a deep breath as Mr. Transbony headed to our table.
"Mr. Westburg?" The man held out his hand.
I stood, taking his hand. "It's Mark, and this is my fiancé, Tavish."
Tavish stood and shook his hand before we all sat down.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. You can call me Martin." He set a thick folder on the table in front of him.
"Can I get you a drink?" the waitress asked before we could start talking.
He ordered a beer before turning his attention to me. "Mark, I have been searching for you for nearly a year. I'd followed your trail to Casper, but then lost it from there. Thankfully, you applied for your driver's license in Terrin Pass, and that allowed me to finally find you."
"What is it you needed to contact me for?" I wanted all the facts upfront.
"Your grandparents, Jonathan and Sarah Shell asked me to locate you."
"Why? I've never met them."
"I'm told you have, but you were very young. It seems after your mother died, your grandparents tried to keep in touch with you, but your father made things very difficult. They visited with you for the last time when you were about five."
That shocked me. I had no memories of them at all. Granted, I didn't remember a lot from when I was a child, but it seemed to me I should have some memory of my grandparents.
"They didn't try to get legal visitation?" Tavish asked.
"I don't know all the facts about that. I was told that at the time, they felt
it was better for you if there wasn't a battle. Mr. Shell mentioned that your father made it a war every time he tried to insist on seeing you. He worried that you would suffer for his desire to spend time with you."
I frowned. "He was wrong." I couldn't help but think that if my grandparents had been around, maybe they could have stopped my father from beating me. Possibly, I could have gone to live with them instead of having to run away.
"I wish I could tell you more about that, but that is something you'll have to discuss with them if you choose to contact them after we talk." Martin opened his folder. "The reason I am here to speak with you is to let you know that your mother left you a large trust-fund. Your father and grandparents both knew about it. Once you turned eighteen, it was to be handed over to you."
I shook my head.
Tavish's hand tightened gently on my thigh. "But he'd ran away before that could happen."
"Correct." Martin nodded. "You'd been gone a few months when your grandparents found out you were gone. They started to search for you then, but had no leads at the time. Your father refused to speak to them or explain why you'd left."
I closed my eyes, fighting back the urge to tell Martin how badly my father had beaten me. It wasn't something I needed to bring up now. "And they searched now because they want me to sign the money over to them?"
Tavish's hand squeezed my thigh again as if he was silently trying to tell me to relax.
"Quite the opposite. They want you to have the money. The issue now is that your father is also trying to take control of the trust. He's petitioned the courts to declare you deceased."
"What?" I sat up straighter.
"Your grandparents felt the same way you do. They were sure you were alive. The courts usually won't declare someone who is missing dead until after seven years, but there are cases where a judge will do it after four years. Your father is hoping that is what will happen. The chances are slim that any judge would have declared you deceased without more evidence, but you know how some things slip through the system. Anyway, your grandparents hired me to find you so you could claim what is rightfully yours, or at least prove that you were still alive and well so that your father didn't receive any of the money left for you." Martin smiled slyly. "I'm sure it was a shock for your father to find your face all over the internet after you announced your engagement."