by Faith Gibson
“Ms. Pierson?” a woman’s voice said from behind Kai. Presley’s face paled, but being the professional bitch she was, she put on what Kai imagined was her shark face. The one that got her through her days in court.
“Hello, Mrs. Cooley. Can I get you something to drink? Coffee or tea? Maybe some water?”
“No, I don’t think so. Where’s Josie?” Kai stepped back, giving the older woman room to speak with Presley.
“She’s in a meeting with Mr. Pierson. Why don’t I take you to the conference room and get you settled?”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll wait right here for Josie.” Mrs. Cooley went to sit down in one of the plush chairs in the lobby, but Presley intercepted her. Or she tried to. Josie came around the corner, and her face lit up when she saw the older woman.
“Hey there, Mrs. Cooley. How are you?” Josie walked right up to the lady and hugged her like they were good friends.
Mrs. Cooley’s smile was just as warm when she returned the embrace. The lady leaned closer to Josie’s ear and whispered, “Is that your man?”
Josie cut her eyes to Kai, smiling. “Yes, ma’am. Can I introduce you?”
“Please do.”
“Joselynn, I’m sure Mrs. Cooley is in a hurry,” Presley said. Preston came around the corner but stopped when he saw they had a client.
Mrs. Cooley’s smile faded when she spoke to Presley. “Actually, I have all the time in the world.” She placed a wrinkled hand on Josie’s bicep and tugged her toward Kai.
“Mrs. Cooley, this is my fiancé, Malakai Palamo. Kai, this is my dear friend Edwina.”
Kai took Mrs. Cooley’s free hand in his and kissed the back of her knuckles. “It’s a pleasure, ma’am.” The blush on Edwina’s cheeks warmed Kai’s heart.
“Oh, Josie. Handsome and manners? He’s a keeper. But you did say he’s your fiancé, now didn’t you?” Mrs. Cooley patted her white hair while looking up at Kai. “The pleasure is all mine, Malakai. Wait, did you say Palamo?”
Kai nodded. “Yes ma’am, I did.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from originally?”
“Samoa. The island of Manono, to be exact.”
The woman’s eyes lit up. “Are you Ariki and Lani’s child, per chance?”
Kai’s eyebrows narrowed. “Winnie?”
Edwina threw her head back and laughed, her eyes filling with happy tears. “Oh, my dear child. I haven’t seen you in… a really long time. How in the world did you manage to catch someone as perfect as our Josie here?” Winnie knew exactly how Kai caught Josie. Her family was one who worked for Kai’s family over the last few centuries. They both knew how it would sound if she admitted it had been over fifty years since they’d seen one another.
“By the grace of the gods. Now, if I might ask you a question. What are you doing here? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Oh, heaven’s no. Nothing like that.”
Preston must have decided he’d given them enough time to chat when he strolled up and placed a hand on Winnie’s shoulder. “Mrs. Cooley, if you’d be so kind as to walk with me, we can get started.”
“Oh, I no longer require your services. When I walked in, your daughter” — she pointed to Presley — “was saying some of the most hateful words I’ve heard in my seventy years. She might get away with that in the courtroom, but I want no part of it. I don’t know how one daughter turned out like her and the other, well, Josie, you must take after your mother.”
Malakai bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Edwina Cooley had been a spitfire when she was younger, and it seemed she still was. “Winnie, Josie and I are headed to lunch soon. Would you care to join us?”
“Now, wait just a minute,” Preston huffed.
“Oh, that would be wonderful, Dear. I would love to catch up. Josie, is it all right with you if I encroach on your time with Malakai?”
Kai hadn’t missed Josie’s mood when she left her father’s office. She was lighter than she’d been since he’d met her on the side of the road. He’d listened in on her conversation with Preston while he had been dealing with her sister. Josie bounced on her toes, and said, “It’s more than all right. I’d love it if you joined us. I just need a few minutes to grab my things, then we can be on our way.”
“Mrs. Cooley, please reconsider,” Preston said.
“Begging isn’t a good look on you, Preston. Josie, dear, are you packing your desk?” Winnie looked between all the Piersons, trying to figure out what was going on.
“Yes ma’am. As of about half an hour ago, I no longer work for the firm. My choice, so please don’t worry.” Josie removed all the files from her briefcase, placing them on her desk before filling it with a couple of picture frames and other personal items. When she seemed satisfied she had everything, Josie smiled and said, “Ready.”
The three of them left Josie’s father and sister staring after them. As soon as they were outside, Josie let out a whoop, pumping her fist in the air. “Mrs. Cooley, I’m so glad you stopped by. You can celebrate with us.”
“Please, call me Winnie.”
Kai and Josie drove to the local Italian restaurant with Winnie following in her chauffeured car. Josie enjoyed lunch with Mrs. Cooley. She sat back and listened as Kai and the older woman reminisced about the island Kai called home. What was strange was Kai referring to Winnie as a young girl, while she said he hadn’t changed a bit in fifty years. He had explained how they, she included, would look the same for the rest of their lives, but it hadn’t hit home until then.
Winnie was loyal to Kai, and in turn, Josie, saying she would find another attorney to handle her estate. Kai mentioned a woman named Victoria Holt, who was the Stone Clan’s lawyer. Before they went their separate ways, Winnie made them promise to come by for dinner soon. Josie had two dinner invitations in one day, and she couldn’t be happier. Her decision to walk out of her family’s firm had been easier than expected, especially when her father made his ridiculous offer for Josie to work solely for Presley. Her mother called during lunch, but Josie let it go to voicemail.
“Where are we going?” Josie asked as soon as they were in the Veyron.
“Since we’re already close, I thought we’d stop by the building so you can see your next adventure.”
Josie laughed. “You make it sound like I’ve had my first one.”
“Then welcome to the beginning of lots of new experiences.” Kai kissed her knuckles, and Josie found it to be one of his favorite moves.
The structure, which Kai said she was co-owner of, wasn’t anything like Josie imagined. It was a two-story brick business in a nice area with plenty of parking. The inside was spacious, and as Kai showed her where he planned to put sparring rings and equipment, she could easily envision it. By the time he locked the door behind them, Josie was excited.
“How long will it take to get everything set up?”
“I’m not sure. I need to get Rafael down here to show him my ideas. He’ll then work up the plans for renovation and suggest the contractor. In the meantime, we need to talk to Frey about the software he uses for the gym. I imagine it would be close to what we need. If you like, I’ll leave that up to you since that will be your domain.”
“I’d like that. But we’ll need help designing things like the website and the logo.”
Kai pushed a button on the steering wheel and said, “Call Frey.”
The phone rang in surround sound, then Frey’s voice was loud and clear. “Hello, Brother. Is Josie okay?” Frey’s concern warmed Josie’s heart. In a few short days, she had become part of a large family who accepted her without question. They didn’t know anything much about Josie other than she was Kai’s mate.
“She’s perfect. She quit her job this morning, so we’ve been discussing the training center. Whenever you have some free time, we’d like to talk to you about the software and computer system you use for the gym.”
“If you’re free, why don’t you head this w
ay? Connor’s here playing with Amelia. We’d already planned on grilling out later when Dante and Isabelle come to pick Connor up. You’re welcome to join us.”
“That sounds perfect. What do we need to bring?”
“Just yourselves. We’ll have plenty of food.”
“Okay. We will see you as soon as we run home and change clothes.”
Kai disconnected. “I’m sorry, Sunshine. I should have asked before I agreed without making sure you were okay with staying to eat.”
Josie placed her hand on Kai’s neck, running her fingers through his short hair. “Are you kidding? Three invites in one day. I suddenly feel like one of the cool kids. Actually, I feel like the nerdy girl who is dating one of the stars of the football team, and now I get to hang out with the team and all their cheerleader girlfriends, only these cheerleaders are nice women who won’t look at me like I’m out of place. Like I’m the pity date.”
“Is that what high school was like for you?”
“Oh, no. I never got to date the hot guy. Not saying my boyfriend wasn’t cute because he was. But he was considered a nerd. He was shy and sweet, so we were perfectly matched.” Josie felt Kai’s mood dip, and she squeezed his neck. “No need for jealousy, Mr. Palamo. That was fourteen years ago. He broke up with me our junior year when he transferred to a school somewhere in Tennessee. His father got a new job, so they had to move. After that, I focused on getting good grades. My father was already hounding me to go into law. Besides, there wasn’t anyone I was interested in who asked me out.”
Kai calmed down, and Josie continued massaging his neck the rest of the ride home. She smiled when she thought about coming home every day to the large house nestled in the trees. It was like a mini paradise. When they stopped at the gate for Kai to speak into the box, the gate didn’t open as it should. Kai tried several times and ended up calling Julian.
“Damnit. This is the third system that isn’t working. Hang on a second.” The sound of computer keys being tapped was loud. “Okay, punch in this code.” Julian rattled off a nine-digit number, and when Kai pressed the sequence, the gate opened.
“Julian, is it possible someone is sabotaging the security boxes? Saturday night, there was a stranger lurking around, but by the time I reached the edge of the property, he was gone.”
“Anything’s possible. If you would, turn the cameras on. Now that Josie’s there with you, it’s better to be safe.”
“Will do. Is there anything I can check on this end while I’m here?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to leave the lab in a few to check them myself. In the meantime, use the code instead of the voice activator.”
“Josie and I are headed to Frey’s. We just ran home to change clothes. If you need us for anything, give us a call.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, but thank you for the offer.”
As Kai drove the car through the gate, Josie bit her lip as she watched through the side mirror to see if it closed behind them. “Don’t worry, Sunshine. It’s probably just a glitch. Julian will get it straightened out.”
Josie hoped it was a glitch, but the fact that someone had been there Saturday night didn’t feel like a coincidence.
Once inside, Kai swapped his jeans for a pair of shorts, while Josie opted for one of her dresses. She chose one that was the least sexy considering where they were going. She paired it with some flat sandals. Her hair was already in a low ponytail, so she didn’t feel the need to fuss with it. When she was finished changing, Josie found Kai in the office.
“I should have activated the cameras before now,” he muttered.
“Why didn’t you?” She placed her hands on his shoulders as he tapped on the keyboard.
“It was just me, but now, you’re here,” he explained, but Josie didn’t like his reasoning. She wasn’t more important than he was, but she knew he felt because he was a Gargoyle, he could protect himself. “Okay, we’re back online.” When he turned the chair to face her, his eyebrows rose, and he let out a low whistle. “You look stunning.”
“Thanks. Is this okay for a barbecue? I’m not one for wearing shorts in public.”
“It’s perfect. I know you said it’s hard to find shorts that fit you, but is that the only reason you don’t wear them out? Because I have to tell you, you have amazing legs. On second thought, never wear shorts again unless we’re alone.” Kai grabbed Josie around the waist and settled her on his lap. He ghosted his fingers over her shin, then traced a trail up past her knee. When his hand continued higher, she grabbed his wrist.
“You keep doing that and we won’t make it to Frey’s.”
“But you’re so sexy,” he groused against her neck. Kai inhaled deeply, and Josie chuckled.
“Let’s go, Mate.” Josie climbed to her feet, but not before Kai sucked on her neck. Josie shivered, rethinking leaving the house. Then logic overrode her libido. They could have all the sex when they got home. It was time to go meet some more of Kai’s Clan.
When they entered the garage, Kai asked, “Jeep or Veyron?”
“I feel like that’s a trick question. If I say Veyron, you’re going to think I’m stuck up and don’t like the Jeep. If I choose Jeep, well, I don’t know what you’ll think.”
“There’s no right or wrong answer, Sunshine. We can take your car for all I care.”
“Ugh, no. I bought my sedan because it was practical. The lower payment allowed me to lease a nice apartment. Speaking of, I need to find out how much it’s going to cost to break my lease.”
“Whatever it costs will be worth it. Shit, I forgot to call Sixx with everything that happened this morning. I’ll do that on the way.” Kai led Josie to the sports car and opened the door. She was glad he didn’t make her decide because she didn’t want to sound pretentious. She loved the Jeep, but how often did someone like her get to ride in an exotic vehicle?
As Kai was talking to Sixx, Josie found it surreal. This male was Desmond Rothchild’s father. After making the quickest deal ever in regards to Kai and Josie buying the house, Kai asked how Desirae and Simone were doing. Josie was fascinated with talk of pregnant mates, learning Desi – as Sixx called his son – was a half-blood, and his mate was the daughter of something called a Hound. When they ended the call, Kai explained the Hound was a Gryphon shifter. Tessa’s brother, Tamian, was mated to a Gryphon, and that’s how the Gargoyles found out there was another species of shifters in the world. Josie couldn’t wait to hear about all the mates and how they met their Gargoyles.
As with the one at home, Frey’s security box didn’t work from voice activation. Kai called Frey, and instead of giving him a code, Frey met them at the gate. It opened as he approached from the inside.
“Julian said more of them are acting up?” Frey asked through Kai’s open window.
“Yes. He had me open mine with a numerical code. He’s personally checking each one, so you probably need to let him know to add yours to the list.”
“I don’t like this. If it were just one, I wouldn’t worry, but he designed these himself. There’s no way they’re all glitching at the same time.”
“You might want to check your security feed. My cameras were turned off, but with the strange visitor I had Saturday, I’m thinking someone from Drago’s camp could be sabotaging the boxes.”
“Let’s go check. I’ll meet you at the house.” Frey took off jogging, and they followed in the car. Josie had so many questions about what was going on, but she kept them to herself for the time being.
Frey’s mate, Abbi, met them on the front porch. Their home was also large and nestled on a large tract of wooded land. The house was more rustic than the one she and Kai were buying, but Josie could feel the love as soon as she stepped inside. After introductions were made, Kai and Frey went to check on the security feed, while Abbi showed Josie around the house. A little whirlwind named Amelia wearing a pink tutu was followed by a quiet boy named Connor. The boy fisted his heart and bowed his head like some of the
adult males had done.
After Abbi introduced Josie to the kids, Amelia jumped up and down. “Uncle Kai is here? Yay! Are you staying for supper, JoJo?”
Josie laughed at her new nickname, but Abbi temporarily crushed her daughter’s spirit. “You might want to call Josie by her name, Sweetie. You know Aunt Sophia calls her grandfather JoJo.”
“But he’s not my grandfather, and I need my own JoJo.”
“Of course you do.” Abbi ruffled her daughter’s hair as the child skipped off down the hall. Smiling, Abbi turned to Josie. “That kid and her nicknames. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. She’s adorable.”
Abbi’s smile dimmed. “She had a hard life until we adopted her, but we try really hard to make up for what my husband and his wh— mistress put her through.”
“Your husband?”
Abbi sighed, but her smile remained in place. “I guess you haven’t heard my story. Come on. Let’s get something to drink and go out back.” Josie followed the pretty blonde to the kitchen where Abbi poured them tall glasses of tea. The back deck opened up to a manicured yard complete with a large playset. Josie listened in awe as Abbi related her life, including her brother Matthew, and what they endured. Their mates joined them about halfway through, but both males remained quiet as Abbi talked. Frey lovingly stroked Abbi’s round belly as he held her close. Josie didn’t realize she was crying until Kai wiped her tears with his thumbs.
One of the most shocking bits was that Trevor had been the one to kill Abbi’s husband. “Purple-haired Trevor?”
“Don’t let his quirkiness fool you. That young man is like a momma bear when it comes to Matthew. He’s loyal to the Clan, but he’s taken a special shine to all the mates. Like the rest of us, he has his own story. He will tell you mine is the worst, but they’re all bad in their own ways.”
