Killian glared at me. “Yeah, it’s true.” I could hear his teeth grinding as his jaw clenched.
“So Macie has never technically been part of the Clan?”
“Until yesterday you never confirmed her birth father so it wasn’t an issue. We simply filed her lineage away as father unknown.”
I roared and Macie squeezed my hand harder.
“But I do have a Dad and he’s here now.”
“I can see that. I’ll talk to Kano about rescinding the order immediately,” he said through still gritted teeth.
“I’m happy to just take them back home with me.”
Olivia glared up at me. “I think that’s something we are going to have to discuss and decide together. I’m not making any rash or permanent decisions right now.”
My bear was more agitated than I’d ever felt him.
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out to check it. “Shit.”
Macie nudged me, but I didn’t have time to correct myself before I answered.
“Where the hell are you?” Silas barked in my ear.
“I’m over at Olivia’s shop.”
“You have got to be shitting me. I thought I made it clear that you were to stay away from that girl. We’re here to help, not cause further trouble.”
“Things changed.”
“Bullshit. Now get your ass back here immediately. We have a lead on Pike.”
“We do?”
“Yes. We leave in twenty and your ass better be here.”
I cringed as the line went silent.
Macie had moved to stand with her mother. They both looked sad. I squatted down so I was eye level with my daughter. That was going to take some getting used to.
“That was the grumpy one and you’re leaving, aren’t you?”
“Of course he is,” Killian muttered.
I glared at him. “Stay out of this, Killian. Listen short stuff, I warned you this was going to happen.”
“But it’s too soon. I’m not ready.” She launched herself at me and her little arms wrapped tightly around my neck.
I picked her up as she continued to cling to me.
Talking so they would both hear and understand, I said, “Look, this isn’t a bad thing. We have a lead on your grandfather.”
“You do?” Olivia asked. “We thought he was dead.”
“I don’t want to get your hopes up, but that’s why we came here.”
“Despite everything he did to you? To us? Why? We thought he was dead. Power’s already been turned over to Kano.”
“I know, O. Trust me, I know. I’ll admit, I was ordered to come here. I didn’t want to, but now, I’ll be forever grateful to that grumpy man for forcing me into it. There’s some stuff going on, it’s not specific to the Clan, but we had found evidence that you might be targeted. Not you two specifically. I don’t want you worrying about that.” I couldn’t bring myself to admit that Olivia very well might have been one of the targets.
“What about Uncle Killian?”
“Yeah, I saw his picture in a house of someone that shouldn’t have had it.”
“What?”
I had assumed Kano would have filled him in already, but apparently, I had been wrong.
“Ask Kano to fill you in. I only have twenty minutes, or my ass is toast. Actually, can we walk and talk?”
Olivia nodded and I carried Macie. Killian followed.
“You really came to help us?”
“Yes, you moron. I also wasn’t given a choice. For some stupid reason Silas thought I could get him a meeting with the Alpha, now Kano.”
“Didn’t you?”
“Well, yeah, but it was a fifty-fifty chance that he wouldn’t kill me first.”
Killian shrugged. “I guess it was worth the risk.”
For just a fraction of a second I almost caught a glimpse of my old friend—almost.
I didn’t put Macie down as I carried her out of the shop and down the street. Olivia clung to my arm the entire time. I didn’t have to turn around to know that Killian was following behind and watching the three of us closely.
It didn’t take long to get back to the Inn. Silas had already appropriated an SUV large enough to carry the seven of us. It was already loaded as my team stood around waiting to see if I’d show or if Silas was going to have to go hunt me down.
“What’s all this about?” he grumped when he saw the others with me.
Before I could answer, Tarron stepped up. “Hi. You must be Olivia, right?”
She looked up at him even while she nodded.
“Wait, this is the one that broke our boy’s heart and turned him into an asshole?” Painter stepped up and asked.
Killian snickered. “No, he was always an asshole.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Takes one to know one.”
My old friend nudged me and for another second, things almost felt right between us. It was freaking me out a little. I swore I would never be able to forgive him for the way he had betrayed me.
“And who is this little cutie?” Ben asked.
“Guys,” I waited to make sure I had all their attention first. “This is short stuff, my daughter.”
Macie squeezed me a little tighter but also rolled her eyes.
“I’m Macie Laine Murphy.”
“Daughter?” Silas asked.
“Yup, you heard me.”
“Well that was fast for only being here two days,” Tarron teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
“He didn’t know until I broke the news to him this morning,” she announced.
“Welcome to the family, Macie,” Taylor said.
I nodded my thanks to her.
“Mom, this is Taylor. She’s the spy I was telling you about. And that’s her mate, Grant. He’s the field medic. You said you were Tarron, right?”
“That’s me.”
“So he’s a spy too, but a different kind, like a, um, tech guy, right?”
“You got that right.”
“What’s your name?”
“Ben.”
She had to think for a minute. “Oh right, Ben’s the eagle. Eyes in the sky.” She looked at me and then held a hand up between us and whispered. “I think he’s a sniper, but Baine doesn’t want to admit it.”
“That would be correct, but hey, I like eagle. Good codename.”
She frowned. “It was what he called you. I didn’t pick it.”
“I’m Painter.”
“I don’t know who you are or what you do, but you’re not the grumpy one. That grumpy guy is the leader, right?”
They all burst out laughing.
“Silas, short stuff, his name is Silas. And Painter is sort of number two around here. He does a little of everything, but mostly watches everyone’s back.”
“Cool.”
“We should have already left,” Silas grumbled. “It’s nice to meet you, kid, but we’ve got a job to do.”
“You’ll bring him back though, right?”
“No guarantees.”
“Not good enough. I want a promise.”
Silas gave her an incredulous look. Macie just crossed her arms over her chest and stared the big gorilla shifter down.
“Fine, if I promise to bring him back, can we go?”
The others snickered but loaded up into the SUV. I hugged Macie and kissed her cheek before passing her off to Killian. I may have still been mad at him, but I had seen the two of them together and there was no doubt in my mind that he would do absolutely anything for his niece.
Then I turned to Olivia. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.” I passed her my cell phone. “Put in your number and I’ll call and text as often as I can.”
She nodded and punched in her contact information before giving the phone back to me. Then she hugged me and breathed in my scent.
“Promise me you’ll be careful.”
I nodded. “Promise. I have a lot to come back for this time.”
She smiled u
p at me as her eyes started glistening again.
“None of that,” I whispered before kissing her for all to see.
Killian groaned as Macie giggled.
I didn’t want our first mated kiss to have such an audience and I certainly wished it could have lasted longer, but Silas was right. I had a mission to complete.
“Take care of my girls, Killian. I will be back.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it.”
I hopped into the waiting SUV and we were off before I even had the door closed. There was an awkward silence filling the vehicle.
“So, you and Olivia, huh?” Tarron asked breaking the silence.
“Yup.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“The best.”
“What happens when it’s time for us to go home?”
“I’m taking them back with me.”
“Bloody hell. Are you trying to get us all killed? You were excommunicated from your Clan, Baine, over that girl. What is it about her that has your head so screwed up?”
I smirked. “She’s my true mate, Silas. I’ve loved her my entire life and there is no way in hell I’m giving her up now that I know. Plus, we have a kid together and she’s pretty great.”
“I didn’t even think you liked kids,” Ben said.
“Not particularly, but I like this one. She’s a little smartass, just like her dad,” I said proudly.
Olivia
Chapter 10
I didn’t know that watching him leave would hurt so much. It felt like a piece of my heart was literally ripped from my chest. I had a small glimmer of hope that my father might still be alive, but that paled in comparison to watching Baine walk away.
He said he would be back. I had to hold on to that.
Logically, I now knew that he had never left me, and that he had been forced to leave.
“He’ll be back, Mom. Have a little faith.”
I wish I had even half of her optimism, but heartbreak from the last time he walked away from me was too close to the surface, fresh wounds cut open from seeing him back here after all these years.
Mate, my bear whined.
“I’m not sure anything or anyone will keep him from coming back here, Liv.”
I looked up at my brother, surprised by his comment. There was a hint of hope in his voice. I couldn’t understand it after all he had done, but in that moment, it was easy to remember that Baine had once been his best friend too.
“Come on, let’s go. I’m not even sure I locked up the shop.”
“You were a little distracted,” Killian teased.
I could tell he was trying but there was still tension in the air between us. Macie reached up and took my hand, and then his, as if she was sensing it too and trying to bridge that gap between us.
Just before we rounded the corner to my shop Killian stopped and turned to us both.
“I really owe you two an apology.”
“Why?” Macie asked. “What did you do this time?”
“I’m talking about what happened with Baine and why he left.”
“Oh, yeah, you really screwed that one up, but it was a long time ago,” she said matter-of-factly.
I smiled down at my daughter. She was so optimistic and young. It wasn’t going to be quite so easy for me to fully forgive him. I was pretty sure I was still in shock over the news. Finding out Baine was my true mate and knowing the time we lost was devastating if I let myself think about it. At some point I knew I needed to mourn those years and move on if we were ever going to get past this. I couldn’t control what happened, neither could Baine.
I knew now that it wasn’t his fault, but I’d always suspected something like that had happened. I never blamed him for leaving. I also had never even considered that my father and brothers had been the ones behind it all. It was the kind of betrayal I wasn’t sure I could ever allow myself to fully face.
“Say something, Liv. I screwed up. I was young and so angry. He was supposed to be my best friend. He was supposed to look after you, not take advantage of you like that.”
I sighed. “If only you had respected me enough to actually talk to me about it then you would know that he never took advantage of me, Kill.”
He looked down at Macie. “I think we both know that’s not true.”
I groaned. “You’re not listening to me. I’ve been in love with Baine Landry for as far back as I can remember. I tricked him into kissing me for my sixteenth birthday. He told me I was too young. He tried to stay away, but I didn’t let him. He didn’t come after me, Killian. If anyone seduced anyone, it was me seducing him, not the other way around. We were in love. He struggled with our age gap and I kept reminding him that as soon as my bear surfaced it wouldn’t matter. I’d be of age and no one could say anything. He wanted to wait. I didn’t. I can be very convincing when I want to be.”
He grimaced because he knew how true that was. “What have I done?”
“The past is in the past. I can’t handle the negative energy required to be angry about it. I can’t entirely forgive you for it yet, but I know that in some really screwed up way you thought you were just protecting me.”
“You still love him, don’t you?”
“I’ve always loved him, Killian. I always will. I never for one second thought he left on his own. I always knew something bad had to have happened. He would never have just left me like that.”
“You’re that confident in him? Even after all this time?”
I smiled. “If I’d had any doubts whatsoever, they were laid to rest after seeing him today.”
“What’s it like finding your one true mate?” He groaned. “I can’t even believe I just said that. Baine is your one true mate. That’s insane, Liv. I wouldn’t have kept you from a true mate. I couldn’t have known. You know that, right?”
I nodded. “We didn’t even know. Honestly, I think I’m probably the most shocked by that at this moment.”
“Well, I think it’s romantic,” Macie said in a dreamy voice. “It’s like a fairytale in one of my books.”
“You do, do you?” I smiled at her. “Come on, let’s go lock up and pick up a pizza. We can talk more at home or just go on a movie binge.”
“You mean I don’t have to go back to school today?”
I scoffed. “I think we both could use a day off.”
We rounded the corner, and I came up short. Outside of Olive’s was a group huddled around the door. My cousins.
I groaned. “What are they doing here?”
“Is it true?” Tori demanded.
“What?”
“The whole Clan’s talking about how Baine Landry’s back in town and parading you and Macie up and down Main Street,” Felix said.
“Oh Lord, get in here now before you stir up even more rumors,” I said fumbling with the door to my shop as quickly as possible.
Once finally inside, I ushered my family in and shut the door, then pulled the blind down on the front door. It didn’t help much since I didn’t have any blinds over the two large picture windows, but it somehow made the space feel a little more private to me.
A few minutes later Kano was banging on the door.
“Come on in,” I said as I greeted him. “Might as well join the party.”
“Hey, what is going on here? I don’t like hearing half the Clan gossiping about my baby sister.”
I groaned and flopped down into one of the chairs as I let it twirl me around.
“What is everyone saying?”
“That Baine is back to claim you,” Resa blurted out.
“That’s not true,” Kano insisted. “He’s here to help find our father. That’s it. He swore to me he wouldn’t even come near you.”
Macie squirmed and tried to back out of the room.
“Freeze young lady,” I said.
“Fine, it’s my fault not his, so leave my dad out of this, Uncle Kano.”
“Your what?” he asked looking like he was suddenly go
ing to be sick.
“She knows,” I whispered.
Kano sat down hard in the chair next to me.
“Baine Landry is Macie’s dad? I mean I knew it, I heard you say it, but hearing her say it somehow makes it even more real.”
“Yup. Pretty cool, huh?” she said proudly.
He looked around the room. “Every single one of you knew all along too, didn’t you? Even you, Killian? Why the hell did you beg me to be on your side and have him removed from here permanently if you knew that?”
“I didn’t know at the time. I mean I sort of suspected once she turned up pregnant, but by then it was too late.”
“It was never too late. All you had to do was say so. Do you really think for one second our father wasn’t keeping tabs on him? He spent months in a drunken stupor when he left here. We lost track of him from time to time, but he always showed back up, at least until about three years ago.”
“What happened three years ago?” I asked, surprised by my brother’s confession.
“My guess, he joined the Force. I don’t know exactly what those guys do, but they are super covert. I still don’t have a clue how they knew we were in trouble.”
“We’re in trouble?” Resa asked.
“They think Grandpa’s still alive and some bad guys called the Raglan took him,” Macie told them.
“How do you know that?” Killian asked her.
She shrugged. “Besides Baine telling me this morning, I overheard Uncle Kano and Silas, that’s the grumpy leader guy, talking about it.”
Tori grinned. “She’s good.”
“I’m going into the family business,” Macie announced.
“Aw, you want to make people feel beautiful like your mom?” Resa gushed.
“No. I’m going to be a spy, like my Dad.”
I groaned and said a quick prayer. Please Lord give me the strength to get her through the teen years.
“They really think Uncle Pike is alive?” Felix asked.
“Apparently they came across evidence that our Clan was being targeted. That’s why he came back,” Kano told our cousins.
“So Baine came back to help Uncle Pike, even after everything that happened?” Tori whispered.
I nodded. “I don’t think he was given much of a choice.”
Macie gave a know-it-all look as she agreed. “That’s how it works. The grumpy man barks an order and they all have to obey.”
Collision Course Page 7
