While they looked for what she’d found, she continued to explain that she was there for photos for a table book that someone else was putting together and didn’t have the shots of the monkeys that he wanted, nor a couple of other creatures in the area.
“I don’t see anything but trees.” Thatcher agreed with his wife that he couldn’t see anything. “What is it that you fell on?”
“The electrical conduits that power the place up.” After enlarging the photo, she showed them what they’d missed. “The building is cooled by air conditioners that are constantly running. I tripped over the conduit when I got close enough to make out the camouflage covering the building. Army issue and there was a great deal of it. The closer I got to it, the more things I could see.”
As she ran through the pictures she’d taken that day, she explained to them both what she’d come across. “There is a mass grave just here at the left of the building. Nothing but body parts fill it. The building itself is a makeshift operating room or something like that. At first, I thought they were harvesting organs. But there doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason for what they cut out or not. Some of the cutting was going on while the people were still screaming their heads off in pain.” Rogen asked where the building was now. “Still where I left it. You’re the first person I’ve told about it. I thought about taking it up with my handler, but there was just too much shit going on that made me wait.”
“You think it’s one of ours.” Ginger nodded as she sat down in one of the many office chairs in the room. “What else did you see that made you think that? I’m assuming that since you were shot up, you must have gotten close enough to see too much.”
“They were playing music. Not anything to get your underwear messed up about, but they were singing with it in English. Again, nothing too telling. There was, however, mail on the table addressed in English, and the things that were labeled on the cabinets were also English.” Thatcher handed her a bottle of water, and she drained it before continuing. “When they came out of the building to take a piss, one of them noticed that the conduit was no longer covered by leaves. I should have thought to take care of that. But when he pulled out his weapon—with the hand not carrying his small dick—I shot first. On my way out, I was shot a total of sixteen times. Most of them superficial, but they still hurt like a mother fucker.”
“Have you had them looked at?” She told Thatcher that she took care of it. “If you’d not mind, I’d like to make sure nothing is festering. I’ve noticed that you walk with a limp. A small one, but it’s there to notice. Also, I’m working as a physician for the government.”
“I used to be a registered nurse before becoming what I am now. If I tell you I took care of them, then you can bet I did.” Thatcher nodded, but she knew he wasn’t satisfied. “There are a couple more things I did before I left the area. I figured out who the people were that the envelopes were addressed to and from. The first piece of mail was from the Pentagon. The second one was from the White House.”
“Do you know the names?” Ginger nodded. “Do you trust me enough to give them to me? I’d like to make sure they’re not coming from someone I work with.”
“Sure. One of them was from you. The second one was from your husband.” They looked at each other, then back at her, shock written all over their faces. “The only thing that was wrong and makes me believe you had nothing to do with them was that they had your name as Rogan, with an ‘a’. And Thatcher was just plain Thatcher Robinson, no M.D or any other status attached. There was also a small lion, not a tiger, on the envelope, like the person was trying to be funny or some shit. Unless, of course, you were trying to throw someone off. Were you?”
~*~
Jonas waited again in the lobby for Thomas to come out of his session with the doctor. Just yesterday, he’d had Hailey in his office again, and the doctor had told him she was making progress and that he was very proud of her.
Jonas’s mind kept going back to the young woman at his brother’s home. He’d lied to Thatcher. While he didn’t know why he was still trying to figure out how he’d been able to do it. Ginger Morgan was his mate. But for some reason, one that was still a mystery to him, he’d not acknowledged her to Thatcher. Barely to himself.
“Mr. Jonas?” He looked at Thomas and smiled at him when he pulled him from his musings. “You looked like you were sitting there sound asleep. Are you all right?”
“I am. Just thinking hard.” Ruffling the boy’s hair, he asked him how the meeting had gone. “Did you tell him I forced you to eat broccoli last night, and it turned out that you love it? That was all I wanted from you, you understand. For you to try it. If you hadn’t liked it, then you would have known. But you did. So I hope we don’t have that fight again.”
“I’m sure we will. You make weird food. Nah, I didn’t tell him. I did tell him I was sleeping better and that Mr. Thatch and I went fishing yesterday.” That had been an adventure, Dad had told him. Fishing with five kids. Dad had been glad they’d been on the dock and not in a boat. He was sure they’d have tipped him into the lake had they been. “Your dad, he sure is funny when he has one of his tales to tell, huh?”
“He is at that. And he’s thrilled beyond words that he can tell the same stories he told us when we were little to a whole new generation of kids.” Helping Thomas put his hat on, they were headed out the door in a few minutes. “We’re having dinner at Thatcher’s house tonight. Your aunt will be there.”
“She’s not really my aunt, is she?” Jonas explained how his mother and Sissy’s husband were brother and sister. “I know. Ms. Tru, she told me that while we’re not really related, we should be on our best behavior, at least for the first few minutes. Then all bets are off. I think she wanted us to scare her off.”
“More than likely. Tru and the others have fallen in love with you guys and don’t want you to leave us. But we’ll do whatever is right for you guys. I met Sissy’s sister today. Her name is Ginger.” Thomas asked what she was like. “Beautiful. She’s tall too. Not much shorter than I am. Slim. She’s got this long beautiful—” Thomas said he was being sappy. “Oh, you don’t want to know how beautiful she is? All right. She’s a ballbuster. I know you know what that means. She took down an armed man with a single punch to his face, then kicked him in the groin while he was going down.”
“Wow, really?” Jonas nodded as he pulled into traffic. “Kicked him right in the avocados? I can’t wait to meet her. Do you think Sissy is the same sort of person?”
“I think she’s more laid back, but I think if push came to shove, she’d be able to care for herself. Not a ballbuster, Thatcher told me, but delicate. Like a rose kind of disposition.”
Jonas had been using bigger words with the kids, then having them look up what they didn’t know. It was fun for them as well as him. When he pulled into the curved driveway, he could see that Hailey and Sarah were sitting on the front step. Bobby was in the rocking chair, and each of them had a glass of something to drink.
He noticed the puppy as soon as he got out of the car. “Where did that come from?” The puppy seemed to hear the sound of Jonas’s shock from him being there and curled up behind Sarah. For someone as young as she was, the little girl was as gentle as a lamb with the little thing. “Did one of my brothers drop him off?” He got down on his knees to talk to the little girls. It made them feel safer around him, he thought.
“No, Jamie brought him by. Did you know he’s Ms. Rogen’s brother? He took our pictures too.” Jonas asked why he’d brought him by. “Oh. He’s going away for a couple of days and asked if we’d keep an eye on him. Mrs. Hamby is going to make sure she takes him home with her so she can watch him at night. Don’t you like dogs, Mr. Jonas?”
“I do, but I’m a cat, you see. Dogs don’t usually like being around someone like me.” The dog now that he seemed to understand Jonas was no longer upset, jumped at him and knocked him back on
his ass because of him being so exuberant to lick him in the face. “My goodness, you’re a rambunctious little thing, aren’t you?”
As they were playing with the dog, someone pulled into the driveway. He wasn’t worried too much. It was one of Thatcher’s cars, and when Ginger got out, he felt his heart rate pick up a little too much for what he was doing on the ground.
Ginger came over and sat on the grass beside him and played too. He wasn’t sure what she wanted, but he was happy she didn’t force her acquaintance on the kids. They, however, seemed to take to her as quickly as they had him when he first met them.
“You lied to your family about me.” He said he had but didn’t know why. “It took me a little bit to figure out that you had lied. Then I got all bent out of shape, wondering why. As I drove over here, I talked myself out of beating the shit out of you. I don’t usually start with something so violent, but today has been an off day for me. Are you going to introduce me to the kids?”
After introductions were made, Sarah made her way to them by holding onto her sister’s hand. When she fell, not only did she not cry, but she put out her hands for Ginger to pick her up. Without any hesitation, Ginger stood, then picked the child up to sit down with her in the grass again.
“She’s usually not all that good around strangers.” Ginger said that technically she wasn’t a stranger—she was his mate. “I suppose that could be some of it. You said you weren’t good around kids. You handled this well. Better than I did when I first saw them.”
“I’m going to convince my sister that the kids will be better off with the two of us rather than her. Also, I’m going to see if I can talk my dad into moving here. You have the room for a few weeks, don’t you?” Jonas said he’d make it if he didn’t. “Thanks. I’m not one to push away from something when it’s a done deal. I’m assuming that with us being mates, it’s done and over in that department.”
“It is now. I’ve met you and acknowledged what you are to me. It would be difficult on me to have you leave me if that’s what you mean.” Ginger spoke to Hailey when she sat on her lap with Sarah. Bobby came over too, but it took him longer to make his way. “They’re not shy around you.”
“I doubt they would be. Don’t you think? I mean, I’m willing to get down to their level and talk to them much like you do.” He nodded and watched her pluck a blade of grass from the yard and blow it as a whistle, to the delight of all the kids. “There are a few things I need to clear up with you. I know a lot of shifters in my line of work. Actually, more shifters than humans. Are you the bossy bastard kind that orders women around? Or are you the type that doesn’t expect anything more from me than I’m willing to give you? I’m not sure how much that would be at the moment—I don’t know you that well. But I’m guessing it will come to that eventually. Me sharing all that I am with you.”
“You’re taking this a great deal better than I thought you would. That’s not true. I hadn’t any idea how you’d take this. But I am impressed with you.” She smiled at him, and Jonas reacted in kind. “I’m a numbers sort of man that keeps us all in money. I know you have a bit of your own. Not that I’ve pried, but I know the Morgans. Also that Sissy told Benny she wasn’t a part of the ‘Morgans’ that has money.”
“Dad had him sign a prenup. It was told to him that in the event Sissy won the lottery or something, she’d not have to share with him. Or something along those lines.” Sarah pulled handfuls of grass from the earth and tried to shove them into Ginger’s mouth. “That’s all right, honey. How about I take you into the house and get you a clean diaper? You smell really rank.”
They were both laughing when she went into the house with Sarah in her arms. Jonas looked at Bobby when he laughed, then asked him what he thought was so funny. Thomas was giggling too.
“You got it bad for her, huh, Mr. Jonas? She’s as pretty as you said, but not sappy like you are. Are you going to kiss her?” Jonas told him he certainly hoped so. “Good. I like her. She didn’t make us change the diaper, and that makes her all right in my book.”
“What would you have done if she asked you to do it?” Thomas shrugged and looked at the front door where his sister and Ginger had gone. “She knows less about kids than I do. I hope we can help each other out until a decision is made about the four of you.”
“Me too. I don’t want to live with Sissy and my uncle. I don’t like him at all.” Jonas said they were getting a divorce. “I might be little, Mr. Jonas, but I know that don’t mean doddle about people hurting you. Some people don’t care a fig about what a kid wants or doesn’t want either.”
“Did he hurt you guys, Thomas?” He didn’t think the little boy was going to answer him. But finally, he turned to look at him and nodded. “I see. Have you told anyone else? Do they know what he did to you guys?”
“He hurt Sarah really bad. Hailey too, but she got away from him. I thought about telling that guy we have to go see, but I don’t think I trust him not to take us from you. Not yet anyway.” Jonas knew the baby had been raped, but not by who. It was one of the reasons she was terrified of the darkness. Scary, she called them, hurt her. Hailey was not just afraid of food, but looking into her mind, he found she was terrified of being left alone. “Mr. Jonas, if you marry Miss Ginger, will you two keep us safer? I like it here. And I know the others do too.”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with us, Thomas. I wish I could tell you that you will stay here with us, but I need to talk to a few more people. Also, when we go over to Thatcher’s house tonight, Rogen wants to talk to you guys.” He nodded. Thomas seemed to like Rogen, but he didn’t trust Thatcher. He did like his father, however. “My dad and mom will be there too. You know how much you like them.”
“I do too.” Bobby turned and looked at him. “Can you carry me in the house, Mr. Jonas? I’m powerful tired, and I’m hurting a little too. I don’t want one of them big pills that make me go to sleep forever, but just a little shaving off of it.”
The three older kids worried a great deal about medications and how they didn’t care to take them. If Bobby was asking for something for pain, then he really must have needed it. Standing up, he picked up Bobby and made a game of carrying him into the house. Hailey went up the stairs where Sarah’s room was, to no doubt check to make sure her sister wasn’t being harmed. A few minutes later, Ginger and Hailey were talking as they entered the living room where they were. The television was on, but it was on a nature channel rather than cartoons. The only one that enjoyed those was Sarah, and she bored easily with them. When Ginger sat down on the couch next to him, Sarah was put on the floor to go with her brothers.
“Did you know the baby has been hurt?” The whisper was just loud enough for him to hear Ginger, and he nodded when she put out her hand. The small nip, just on the fatty part of her palm, made it so the two of them could speak without the kids hearing. I’ve seen injuries like hers before. Men like that need to know what it’s like to be butt fucked with something larger than their arm.
Jonas burst out laughing. He had no idea what he thought was so funny. It wasn’t, not at all, but the way she just put it out there like it was something she was really going to do had caught him off guard. He told her who it had been, and she asked if he was where she could get to him.
No. He’s in jail. Not that I don’t agree with you on what needs to be done to him, but I’m thinking since none of the other women know what happened to her or who did it, you might have to beat them to the draw on taking the man to task. She snorted, and he laughed again. Thank you for the laughter. I’ve been so stressed out for the last several weeks that I think I forgot about fun in the world.
He’s mine just so you know. When I find him—Christ, he’s the father of my sister’s child, and he allowed this to happen to them? Oh well, I’ll have to figure out some clandestine way to take him out. I’m sure I can. Jonas told her he didn’t doubt she could. Thanks. I’m goin
g to have to have a long talk with Sissy. She’s not going to be happy about the shit I have to tell her, but she’s going to know before too much longer. Happy or not, she’s going to have some hard-assed decisions to make regarding Benny. What a stupid name for a grown assed man.
Jonas laughed a great deal that night. Before going to his brothers’, he was feeling better than he had in a while. Taking Ginger’s hand, he kissed the back of it, much to the amusement of the kids, and got them all seated. Jonas was happy beyond words when Bobby allowed Ginger to get him buckled in without any fuss. This might well be the road that he needed to be on, he thought. One that wasn’t nearly as bumpy.
Chapter 3
Sissy wasn’t sure how to interact with the kids. They were sort of standoffish and quiet. It occurred to her that they were with Ginger more than anyone else in the household, but she didn’t put much stock in that. Ginger was just a likable person. Dad seemed to be at a loss as well.
“Hi, kiddos. How’s it hanging?” Sissy stared open-mouthed at Rogen when she spoke to the kids in such a manner. But they laughed and told her they were hungry. “There are some snacks in the kitchen for you all, but first, I want to talk to you about the drugs and guns you found.”
“I’m sorry. What did you just say?” Rogen explained how the kids, in trying to keep drugs off the street, had moved a great deal of drugs, nearly a semi full of them, from the place their father had hidden them. “You mentioned guns too. Where on earth would they have gotten this information?”
Jonas: Robinson Destruction – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance Page 3
