by Tl Reeve
“It’s a part of the job. You’ll never get used to it. If you didn’t feel bad about lying to people, I’d worry there was something wrong with you,” Royce said, glancing down at his watch. “We’re going to be late. We should tell everyone goodbye.”
He followed Charisma into the house. Mackenzie sat at the table with Riley and Liam still. After all this, they still needed to talk everything through. “We’re going now. We should be home by tomorrow unless Jefferson wants us to stay longer. I’ll call you.”
“Sounds fine,” Mackenzie said. “We’ll be home by tonight. We’ll call when we arrive.”
“Be safe.” Royce kissed the crown of Riley’s head then squeezed Liam’s shoulder before taking Charisma’s hand and leading her out of the house one last time.
In the driveway, when they stepped onto the porch, Penelope and Saber were already transferring over their things to the van. Lynx was strapped into his car seat in the middle of the second-row, clapping and babbling to himself.
“You ready?” Saber closed the back end of the van.
“Yep,” Charisma said, getting into the van beside her nephew. “Let’s go see our dad.”
The flight to Washington DC had been smooth. Charisma slept the whole way, and a niggle of guilt ate at him. She was pregnant carrying twins, and he hadn’t been very gentle with her. Royce would make it up to her though, later after they saw her father.
When they landed, he nudged her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she glanced around before giving him a sleepy grin. “Are we here already?”
“Yep. Did you have a good nap?”
“I did. I’m hungry too.” She unhooked her belt and rubbed her belly. “I think they are too. They’re really moving around in there.”
“Then we’ll grab some food on the way.” Royce eased her out into the aisle then grabbed their bags from the overhead bin.
Saber, Penelope, and Lynx joined them moments later as they made their way through the concourse to baggage claim so they could grab the rest of their things. As Royce reached for their last bag, Sloan appeared in the middle of the crowd. Again, the tingle of awareness passed over him. He couldn’t explain it or why he had a feeling the man wasn’t who he said he was. If Royce said a word of what he thought, he’d probably get laughed at or worse, no one would believe him.
“Good morning,” Sloan said in greeting. “Senator Winters is waiting for you at his office. I’m here to give all of you a lift.”
“Thank you,” Charisma said. “Can we stop for some breakfast or brunch? I’m starving.”
“It’s already been arranged. Lunch will be waiting for you when we arrive.” Sloan took the bag from her. “Your father has been eager to see you both.”
“We’ve missed him too,” Penelope added. “We haven’t seen him since Lynx was born.”
Sloan’s features softened. “He is beautiful, Miss. Jefferson has his picture on his desk. I know he will be elated to see what a fine boy Lynx has become.”
Lynx blew a raspberry then giggled.
“Well,” Sloan said. “He has a sense of humor too. Good.”
Charisma laughed. “And an extensive vocabulary.”
Penelope groaned. “Don’t start. It took hours for him to quit saying the word the other night.”
Saber laughed. “That’s my boy.”
The drive to Capitol Hill didn’t take long, even with traffic. They went through the gated entrance and parked near the door. After going through security, Sloan escorted them down the hall. Reporters were everywhere along with Pages and other Capitol workers. Some of the reporters were outside the offices of the senators who were caught at the auction the night before. Others were waiting at Jefferson’s door. Sloan didn’t engage them as they asked questions. Instead he opened the door and allowed them to enter then closed the door in the reporters’ faces.
Royce kept his arm around Charisma, to protect her and his pups. Only when the door closed did he let her go so she could greet her father. The man looked haggard. Run down and tired. His tie was askew. His hair appeared as though he ran his fingers through it one too many times.
The scent of mating was thick as well. It rolled off of Jefferson in heady waves. Royce looked to Saber, who had a shocked look on his face. A hint of a purple mark peeked out from the collar of the senator’s shirt as he glanced up at their arrival. The tired look disappeared and was replaced by one of relief and happiness.
Jefferson stood then closed the distance. “You’re here.” He gathered Charisma up first in a hug before stepping back and tilting his head to the side.
“Surprise,” she said. “We’re pregnant with twins.”
Jefferson gathered her up once more and laughed. “Congratulations, sweetheart.” He glanced over at Royce. “Good work, son.”
Royce puffed out his chest. “Thank you, Senator.”
* * * *
Kalkin Raferty sat at his desk. For the first time in three hours, the phone had stopped ringing. Mostly it was updates from the mission. Some, though, were from different newspapers around the country looking for comments from him. He declined, naturally. He didn’t have anything to say about Holly being captured or Brooklyn dying. All he cared about was his family and the shifters who would need to rebuild their lives once they made it to Window Rock.
The phone rang again, and he bit back a growl of annoyance. He glanced at the screen then answered it. “Yeah?”
“They got Holly last night,” Adrian said. “Hayden finally returned to her apartment with a broken hand.”
“I found out at three this morning about Holly. How are you holding up?” Hayden would shift, Nico would see to it, so her hand could properly heal.
“I’m okay. But...” He heard the hesitation in the kid’s voice. Something happened.
“Spit it out, boy,” Kalkin grumbled. “Only gonna eat away at you until you do.”
“I got a call a few minutes ago. Someone high up, if you know what I mean,” Adrian replied.
Kalkin understood. “Well...”
“They want me to take over. Holly left instructions should she be caught or killed. I was the first person they got into contact with when the first reports went out.”
Bingo. They had their in. Now Kalkin could begin to take the agency down from the inside out. “Do it, kid.”
“Yeah? I thought you’d tell me to stay far away.”
“If we want to eradicate this agency and protect all those who deserve it, we have to do it this way. It’s perfect. You’ll be privy to all their plans. We can continue to save lives while slowly dismantling them,” Kalkin replied.
“I never... I never thought about it that way,” Adrian said. “You’re right. But, what about school?”
“Stay in school. You have the scholarships to provide your tuition. Tell them you’re not leaving it for nothing, but you’ll take the job. They’d be stupid to pull you.”
“Right. Okay. Stay in school.” Adrian sighed. “This is a lot to take in.”
“It is,” he agreed. “You’re the man for the job. I trust you.”
“Thanks.” School bells tolled in the background. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call soon.”
“Hey, before you go,” Kalkin said. “You should try to get to Window Rock. I can figure it out, so you get here safely. Your sister will be home soon. You should all meet.”
“Nah. It’s still better this way. Maybe in a few years or something, I will, but until then, I can’t. I won’t screw up their lives any more than they already are.”
“Well, the invitation stands,” Kalkin stated. “Your home is always here.”
“Thanks.”
Adrian hung up, and Kalkin shook his head. “Kids.” However, he’d already begun making new plans now that they had an in. With Adrian becoming the head person of PBH, they’d know the comings and goings of PBH. Adrian would be the last person to ever have a controlling interest in an agency that should have stayed dead a long time ago.
The phone ran
g once more, and he swore he would lose his shit if he had to hear it one more time. He slid his finger across the screen and growled, “This better be fucking good, Sloan, or should I call you Kamala?”
Sloan laughed. “It was last second, and I didn’t want to be seen.”
Kalkin blew out a breath. “I don’t have time for your kinks.”
The snow leopard laughed. “You’re one to talk. Besides, Senator Winters enjoyed it.”
Kalkin sat up. “What?”
“Never mind that for now. I have a few updates for you.”
“Spit it out,” he growled. “No more games, Sloan.”
“Fine. Your nephew and your niece are on their way home, as are Saber and Penelope. Winters has thrown his weight in as support for the coming trial. The FBI along with Apache County and Arizona’s State Police will have everything they need. I have it on good authority the extradition will be coming down within the next day or two. So, Hayden and Nico will be bringing Holly back with them.”
Kalkin sat back in his chair and sighed in relief. “She’ll be transferred to the state prison here to await trial. I doubt any judge will grant her bail after all this shit.”
“Had I placed this call earlier, I would have told you to hold your tongue. However, two senators have also been arrested, and there are ongoing investigations I will keep you abreast of,” Sloan said. “Also, it might be wise to make room for the Senator and I soon.”
“What?” Sloan’s remark caught Kalkin off-guard.
“Well, not really soon.” He laughed. “I still have to help Adrian. Cute boy, by the way. So impressionable and sweet. He’ll make a fine director of PBH and a great ally.”
Damn, the snow leopard really did have his finger on the pulse of what happened in DC. “What are you talking about us needing to make room?”
“If I have to spell mating out to you, Kalkin, there is something wrong,” Sloan purred.
“Well I’ll be damned. Do the girls know?” He’d only met Jefferson a few times. He knew about Charisma and Penelope’s mother, but not much else. If it shocked Kalkin, it sure as hell was a shock to the good senator too. “Is Jefferson okay?”
“Define okay.”
“Never mind, stupid question,” he said. “Whatever you need, we’re here for both of you.”
“Thank you. The girls don’t know, and I’d like to keep it that way until we’re settled,” Sloan replied. “I think it’s going to take some time for Jefferson to accept, and until then we’re going to need our space.”
“I understand.”
“I knew you would,” Sloan said. “As always our services are here to help. Don’t alter anything for now. We don’t even want a hint of suspicion getting out about us. It would destroy everything Jefferson is trying to build here in way of the case. Like I said before, he may retire. If so, he’ll want everything tied up so there are no loose ends.”
“Of course. If anything happens, we’ll make sure you get out without harm.”
“Thank you, Kalkin. We’ll be in touch.”
Kalkin stared at his phone. Fucking snow leopards. If anyone found out about Winters and Sloan, everything would be in jeopardy. He would keep their secret and hope to fuck no one leaked the information to the fucking press. Because, if someone did, it might just ruin their chances of ending PBH once and for all.
Epilogue
One year later...
Charisma put the finishing touches on Julius and Fern’s costumes. The twins had been born a couple of weeks early, or as she liked to say, been eager to meet their parents. Both were healthy, and both were a handful. Julius weighed in at seven and a half pounds while Fern came in at a dainty five pounds three ounces.
Royce called it the Raferty curse. All the girls in the Raferty family, with the exception of Hayden and Sage, were small. They were also quite ethereal too. Fern would be following in her cousin’s footsteps.
Charisma absolutely loved it. She adjusted the little fairy costume on her daughter then added the little fire booties to Julius’s feet. A fireman and a fairy. She couldn’t believe it was their first Halloween together or that it had been a year since they were in Everett. It still bothered her she’d lied to Lizbeth, but she did send a letter later, explaining everything and, to her surprise, Lizbeth answered.
Hopefully, they could get together over the Christmas holidays, but they wouldn’t push it. The trials for Holly and Katie would be beginning in a couple of weeks after Holly’s failed attempts to suppress evidence and have the whole case against her dropped. Katie, on the other hand, turned State’s evidence. She was willing to testify against Holly for a reduced sentence. It pissed all of the Rafertys off, and she couldn’t blame them.
It wasn’t here nor there now. They could deal with it as the trial started. Tonight, they were going to have some fun. Keeley and Danielle were having a small Halloween party at Kalkin’s house. Then all of the older kids were going to town to do some trick or treating.
“I think I’m ready now,” Mikey’s soulful husky voice would always melt her heart. It reminded her of a young Copper, from Fox and The Hound.
When she first met the boy at Danielle’s clinic in the orphanage, she worried Royce would grow too attached to him and then they’d lose him. Yes, she understood caring for the boy until his parents were found was a profound job they’d be entrusted with, but what if they couldn’t give him up?
Because of how malnourished he’d been when Mikey was found, Danielle kept him for three days just to be sure he would be okay. In that time, she ran some DNA tests and Keeley had begun the arduous task of trying to locate his family through missing persons. Every search came up empty. Charisma wouldn’t let them give up, though. For six months she made sure they checked every nook and cranny for Mikey’s family.
“You look adorable,” she said, holding her hand out to him. “Are you excited for tonight?”
He nodded. “It’s my first Halloween. It’s their first Halloween too.” He pointed to his brother and sister.
“Why, yes, it is.” Danielle sat Charisma down with Keeley to announce they called off the search then handed her the paperwork to adopt Mikey. She and Royce hadn’t hesitated to sign the paperwork, and two months ago, the judge made it official. Mikey was a Raferty for life. “Do you like your costume?”
“Yes. Do you think Royce will like it?” They were still working on what Mikey should call them. They wouldn’t push him to call them mom or dad.
“I think he’s going to love it.” Charisma had gone online to find the twins costumes and while she’d been looking, Mikey found a rather realistic child’s wolf costume. He explained to her, in his best way possible, he might not be a wolf, but he sure did feel like one, now that he had a family. So, he wanted to show how much he appreciated them.
His face lit up with a smile filled with pride. “I can’t wait to show everyone.”
Charisma glanced at the clock. “It’s almost time. Want to help me get the twins settled in their car seats?”
“Sure!”
She lifted Julius off the changing table first and placed him in the waiting seat on the small table in their room. While she went back to pick up Fern, Mikey secured his brother and clicked all the belts into place. Then he repeated the steps for Fern. He stared at both of them in wide-eyed wonder. He’d been super sweet and wanted to help at every turn. He’d even gotten up a few times in the middle of the night to help her as well.
“I’m home,” Royce called from the living room.
Mikey looked up at her then back to the twins. “Go on. Go show him. I’ve got these two.”
After they returned from Everett, Royce refused to enter their apartment, instead opting to stay in a hotel until they could find a proper house for them to live in. They were going to need the space for the twins, plus Mikey. The house they found was four bedrooms and had a big enough backyard for the kids to grow and play. Now, a year later, it felt like a home.
“Look at you! That’s my
little wolf!” The satisfaction in Royce’s voice brought tears to Charisma’s eyes.
“Come on, you two, let’s go show daddy.” Charisma grabbed the handles of their car seats and carried them out to the living room.
Mikey stepped out of Royce’s embrace and walked over to the twins. “They’re a fireman and a fairy.”
Royce scrubbed his head. “Yes, they are. Did you help pick out their costumes?”
Mikey shook his head. “No, Charisma found them on her own.”
“Explains why Julius is a fireman instead of a deputy.” Royce winked at the boy.
Mikey giggled. “Yeah.”
“You dressing up this year, Oasis?”
“No,” she said. “I did it last year to keep up appearances. This year, I just want to have fun with my mate and our children.”
Royce pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Let me get out of this uniform and we’ll be ready to go.”
“Take your time. I love giving your uncle hell when we don’t show up when he requests.”
Royce laughed as he walked down the hall to their room. “Love you, Oasis.”
“Love you too.” She glanced at Mikey. “Let’s get these two loaded into the car.”
* * * *
Kalkin stood in the kitchen with his brother. Mackenzie looked like shit still. Who could blame the fucker? His life was turned upside down, and now the trial was about to begin for Holly. He still didn’t get the whys or hows of what went through his mind when he decided to create this farce of a life with someone who could have single-handedly taken down their family and almost succeeded in doing so.
He also wouldn’t beat a dead horse either.
Liam and Riley were healing now. If he brought up anything after they’d been doing so well, it would be a knife in even Kalkin’s gut. He couldn’t allow his questions or his anger to bleed off onto them. They were the innocent ones in all this bullshit.
Yet, for all his anger at his brother, he still wanted to help him. Still wanted to see Mackenzie happy. So, he invited someone to meet Mackenzie. The doorbell rang, and he left his brother’s side. When he opened up the door, there stood Aurora and her daughter, Abigail, or Abby for short.
