Quinlan: Foster’s Pride – Lion Shapeshifter Romance (Foster's Pride Book 3)

by Kathi S. Barton

  Blacking out for a few moments, as if he’d been hit in the head, Cass woke lying in the grass out back of the house. He was clothed and in his human form, and an officer was standing near him. Sitting up, he saw the man turn to him, asking if he was all right now.

  “I don’t know. What happened?” He told him he’d dragged him out when more police had shown up. “I’m assuming there was a reason for that? Also, that you pulled me out as my other self.”

  “Yes, you were a lion. Big fucker too. Pardon my language, sir. But yes, I pulled you out so they’d not know what was going on. Parker Foster showed up too. I don’t mean she came in the door saying howdy doody. She just was there when you were finished taking care of Mr. Crabtree. Mrs. Foster said you were her brother-in-law.” He nodded and nearly had to be sick from the movement. “She took care that the body wasn’t anything like he was. You killed him. Good thing too. He was ready to kill Miss Linton. I’m aware that I’m not making much sense, but this hasn’t been an ordinary domestic house call.”

  “I’m not sure if it’s me or what, but it’s like you’re talking to me in disjointed sentences.” He said it was him. That he was scared out of his mind right now. “If Parker said she’d take care of things, she will. Tell me what happened. All I remember is hearing the gunshot and then nothing after my lion took me.”

  “My partner and I pulled in the same time as you. I wanted to tell you that telling those boys to hide was a good idea. They were coming out to us when you went into the house.” Careful not to nod too much, he said he’d had an abusive father. “Miss Linton was in the kitchen telling her landlord, Mr. Crabtree, that she had the money for the rent. He seemed to think she had other means to pay. Needless to say, she took objection to that.”

  “I just bet she did. Then what happened? Was he going to make her have sex with him?” The officer nodded and said that had been his plan. “Then I showed up.”

  “Yes, you did. Took his head right off him. Miss Linton had been shot once in the belly by the time you entered. It wasn’t until we entered that I realized we might well be in over our heads. I should have waited, but I called in the extras. Mrs. Foster showed up. Just like that, she just appeared and started telling me and my partner what we had to do. She sure is a bossy thing, isn’t she?” He looked around, almost as if he was afraid she might have heard him. “The body was lying there with his head off and blood all over the place when the others showed up. They saw what we were told to say. That Miss Linton had saved herself by stabbing him in the chest. Then they took her off to the hospital. Funny thing, though—she was about healed by the time they got here.”

  It took him a few moments to realize what he’d said. After he sat there for a little while longer, all his thoughts centered on Sarah. He had a feeling she’d healed because of him. When he was ready to stand up, Parker met him at the doorway to the house. She looked like she was as happy as he was.

  “She’s going to be just fine. They took her to the hospital right after it was determined it was self-defense. I’ve called Robby in. He’s with the boys now. They’re getting to know one another. Are you all right?” He shrugged. “Good. There are several things you should be made aware of. First of all, you weren’t here. I’m sure you might have guessed that part, but I just need to put that out there. Second, the house is now a part of the Foster group. We purchased it just today, so we have the rights to do with it as we want. Which will be tearing it down as soon as the police are finished with it. No one needs to be seeing this place and thinking about the death that occurred here. Especially not those young boys. Who I like, by the way.”

  “I’ve not met them yet.” She nodded and didn’t continue. Nor did she seem inclined to tell him anything else. “What are you not telling me? Just tell me, Parker. You look like you have a fart crosswise, and it’s paining you.”

  “You Foster men. I do have something to tell you, but I think you might well be aware of it already. She’s your mate. Also, the kids are Robin’s. I’m assuming that was why you were coming out here.” Cass told her about one of the boys calling him. “They’re not speaking. Not to any of us. When asked how the man had gotten into the house, they clammed up tighter than you can be when you’re on a case.”

  “Are you thinking they might have let him in and are feeling badly for it?” She said she knew that was what had happened. “Are they hurt? Where is Sarah? I know you said she was taken to the hospital, but the young cop told me she’d started to heal. I’m guessing either you did something to her, or it was me being her mate.”

  “You. The kids were hurt, but not terribly. That is what I’ve been working up to. He’s been bullying them all along. Making them let him in the house when she’s not at home. Or worse yet, when she’s sleeping. I’ve heard of this happening before, but this guy would take pictures of her sleeping. The boys are sick with it, the worry that they caused their mother to nearly die. Which she did, by the way. They need to be sat down and told what the hell is going on. Also, they weren’t the least bit afraid of you showing up as a big badassed lion. I guess their mother told them what you were.”

  “Yes. I’m assuming so too. The one that called me, he knew what I was. When I told him to hide with his brother, he just dropped the phone and bugged the hell out. I wonder how they knew to call me.” Parker said his phone number was by the phone when she’d gotten there. That Sarah must have written it down. “And they were supposed to talk about us coming to meet them.”

  “Sounds about right.” She asked him where he was going now. “I’m guessing the hospital. If so, I’d like to ride along. I want to check on the boys as well as Sarah. You’ll have to talk to her soon, and I would like to be there in the event she has any questions about the magic I can only assume she got.”

  “Why? I mean, other than mine, you’re assuming she got something from you as well?” Parker nodded but didn’t look very happy. “What happened, Parker? Am I going to be afraid of her when I go see her? To be honest with you, I’ve only ever seen a picture of her and the boys. Not to mention the one of her was slightly blurry, and the boys were just school pictures. Those never show what a child really looks like.”

  They spoke all the way to the hospital. By the time they arrived, he was ready to go back to the house and wait. Nothing, he thought, could have prepared him for the shit Parker knew about his mate and children. Nothing that would have been on paper anyway.

  “She had this good life—a wonderfully supportive family—and Robin took it all away by taking her from her date, who he killed, then raping her. The fucker then shot her three times in the chest and left her for dead. If not for the police being called when they were and them knowing about the death of Dennis, her then boyfriend, it might well have been too late for her.” Cass listened to Parker, but his mind was centered on the fact that she might well have died twice before he would have met her. “As it turned out, Robin found out that she was alive and tormented her for the next several months. When she found out she was going to have his child, they faked her suicide, and she moved out here to raise them on their own. I’m going to have someone notify her family that she’s safe now, as soon as we can get her and the boys together.”

  He was as ready as he’d ever been, he supposed when he knocked on the door to her room. Even as he opened it, he could hear crying. The children were on the bed with her, and Robby was sitting in the chair. All four of them looked like they’d been talking and crying for some time now.

  ~*~

  Quin watched his brother tangle with the pretty little blonde. She wasn’t like the other women in the family. She was outspoken, but it was tempered with her pain. The little boys, Toby and Mike, seemed to be watching them too. They looked like they were watching a tennis match with their blond heads going back and forth between the two of them.

  “How about we go get some lunch?” The boys, who he was talking to, nearly leapt at him when he spok
e. “I think we can do better than hospital food. How would some pizza or burgers sound? Or better yet, we can hit some of the kinds of places that cater to people with a larger range of tastes.” They both looked at him oddly. “Or not. What do you want?”

  “Are you going to be our uncle?” Quin hadn’t thought of it but told them he was. “Okay, you might want to remember that we’re only kids. We don’t have a range of tastes. Just burgers is good. We had pizza last week, and neither of us liked it all that much.”

  “Really? What did it have on it?” Toby, the one that seemed to do most of the talking, said it was from their school and had strips of something like pepperoni, but he was positive it wasn’t. “I’ve had school pizza before. You’re right. It’s only like pepperoni.”

  They were waiting at the elevator when Robby asked to join them. Both of the kids had taken his hand when they’d left the room, but Mike took Robby’s hand as they entered the elevator. Going out of the hospital was refreshing. The air inside smelled of things he didn’t care to think about.

  “Do you have any kids we can play with? Mom is so busy all the time we don’t get to play with the kids at school. Not that we like them. They’re very snobby.” Mike agreed with Toby, saying they had chips on their shoulders. “Not chips, you dummy. A chip on their shoulder. Will you pay attention when you hear someone using those things?”

  “For a long time I thought it was chips too. I was forever looking for the chips. But as I grew older, I realized it was only a chip, and I never cared for that saying.” Mike asked Robby why. “Well, it labels people. I try hard not to do that when I meet someone. I mean, just because they’re dressed nice or have a big smile on their faces, it doesn’t mean they’re rich or happy. Take this man here, for example. What is it you think Quin does for a living? Unless he’s told you.”

  “He smells good. And he’s a nice man. I feel good when I’m around him. Not like I did when Mr. Crabtree came around.” Toby poked his brother. “Oh. I forgot.”

  “It’s all right if you talk about the man. And the things he did when your mom wasn’t around. Now there is another example of a person that didn’t look like what he was.” Mike said he was a pervert. “Yes, he was. A mean one on top of that. But when a person would see him out on the street, they’d think to themselves, ‘There goes Mr. Crabtree. He rents houses to people.’ But what they should have been thinking was, ‘There goes that mean man who takes advantage of young boys trying to protect their mother.’ Like you two.”

  Mike nodded, but Toby looked up at him. “You look like you don’t work much. I know you do. You have on a nice shirt and pants, and your shoes look new.” Quin told him they were indeed new, as he’d stepped in horse manure the other morning, and his wife wouldn’t allow him to wear them in the house anymore. “Were you looking to step in horse poop?”

  “No. I’m a vet. I take care of Mr. Quarter’s horses for him when they need it. Also, I check out their newborns when they come along and go with him when there is a horse race that his ponies are in.” They both looked at Robby like he was a god then. “You should ask your mom if you could go to a couple of races with your new grandda. They’re fun. My niece goes too. You’ll like all the other kids in the family. My oldest brother has twin little girls. They’re beautiful.”

  “But you don’t have any kids.” Quin told Mike he didn’t yet. “Yet. Okay. Who is your wife, and why isn’t she here? Everybody else is, it seems.”

  “They’re not. Trust me, I have a large family. I have five brothers, now three sisters-in-law, my mom, and my grandma. I also am happy to say I have a wonderful set of in-laws that I love. My mom will be so happy to be hanging around with you guys. You’ll have all the fresh baked cookies you can eat. Then there are the kids.” Smiling, he named off all the children in the family. “My mom owns this barn. I know that sounds like nothing, but it’s huge. It has room in it to have large parties and weddings. But the best part is when I was leaving to come out here, there was playground equipment being put in. Swings, slides. I think there was some kind of climbing equipment. I didn’t get to see it all, but I was told that kids from everywhere would want to use it. And you guys will be able to whenever your mom lets you because your grandma owns it all.”

  “Wow.”

  They both asked if they could have chocolate milk with their dinner, and while he figured it would be all right, he asked his brother. Without a connection to Sarah yet, he had to rely on him doing the asking for him.

  She said they can have one chocolate or two white. Up to them. They’re not allergic to anything either. He said that was going to be his next question before they ordered. Sarah said to tell them that ketchup is not a veggie, nor are French fries. They have to offset their meal with something green.

  He told the boys what their mother had said. The look of disappointment on their faces made him laugh. Quin told Cass.

  Sarah said they don’t get out much, so be gentle with them when they don’t have any idea what to order. Where are you? He told him. After a few minutes, Cass was laughing. Sarah wants to know if she orders two milks. Can you bring her back a pizza too? She wants a meat one with all the trimmings. I’m not sure what that means, but you might be able to guess. We’re doing better now that we’re alone.

  Good. I’m having a blast myself.

  When he ordered the pizzas, he also put in an order for one to go. The waiter told them he’d not put in the order until they were about finished. As soon as their meal was put in front of them, the boys looked at each other then back at their meal. “Is there something wrong with it? You said you’d like to try one like your mom liked.”

  “It’s nothing like the ones they serve at our school.” Toby nodded as he got help from Robby on how to pick it up. It was hotter, too, apparently. “Holy smokes, Uncle Quin, this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten. This is amazing.”

  They not only ate their personal-sized pizza but a part of his and Robby’s. It was fun to watch them enjoying themselves so much, and he was glad they were enjoying the food. He figured that the green peppers on the pizza, though they had picked most of them off, was their green veggie, and not a bit of ketchup was poured onto anything.

  When are you coming back? He asked his brother if he missed him. No. But she’s missing the kids. I think she only just realized they weren’t with anyone she knew. I swore to her they were in the safest hands in the world. But seriously, I hope you bring back enough pizza for me to have some too. I’m starving.

  He ordered two more pizzas to go and told his brother they were just getting finished up and would be there in about twenty minutes. It was nearly that time when they entered the room with the pizzas and a gallon of white milk. Cass liked milk with his pie as well.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m having food delivered to the staff here.” Sarah looked surprised but didn’t comment. “They do a great job, and I wanted to make sure they knew we appreciate them taking such good care of everyone. The other two shifts will have some as well.”

  It was nearly midnight, and the boys had been dozing in the chairs when he made his way back to the hotel he was staying in. Mike and Toby came with him after promises of making sure they brushed their teeth and took a bath. He didn’t know if the hotel room had a bathtub, but Sarah said a shower would be just as good. Quin and Robby ordered things online to have delivered to the hotel for in the morning, and they were set. Lucky for them, the kids still had tags on their clothing that they could know the sizes from.

  Just as he was going to bed, he heard from Rogue. I really am pissed off about this shit. I want to meet them too. He’d just told her what they’d done tonight with them and how much he loved hanging around with them. Robby also seemed to be a lot less tense. I have it on good authority that Robin isn’t playing well with the other inmates. Today he got into a fight and had to get stitches. He keeps this up, and he’s going to be dead before long.


  I don’t think Robby cares one way or the other now that he has a family around him. He and Sarah seem to be hitting it off well. I really had to restrain him from buying out the store when he and I ordered things they’ll need for the next few days. I think tomorrow we’re headed to the zoo.

  I’ve not been to the zoo in ages. I would guess that lions have a good deal of respect for you guys when you show up. He laughed. Anyway, I’m nearly finished here, and if I can, I’m going to see about getting dropped off there. That way I can have some fun with them too. By the way, Brook has started on the house for my dad and Lexi. There are two homes near one another that she’s hoping Sarah and the boys will want to stay in. At least until she and Cass get things worked out. Then we can rent it out. But I was thinking he’d like them on the ranch. Either way is good for us. So long as we can help her out when she needs it. Do you think she’ll need it?

  She really wants to see her family, Cass told me. I guess she’s not been able to see them since the boys were born. That’s sad if you ask me. Rogue said she could understand that. Why don’t you see what you can find out about them before they’re notified? They might be the worst kind of people, and she doesn’t want to be around them.

  I’ll get on that. She laughed and told him she wanted children. As soon as possible. I mean, it’s not like we’d not have an abundance of sitters. Even if you don’t count the aunts and uncles and grandparents, there are enough kids around that would jump at the chance of sitting for us and the others.

  After telling her he loved her, she told him she loved him as well. Children would be wonderful, he thought and told her that as well. He was thinking he’d like to have a houseful but knew it wasn’t up to him. It was her body, and he had no doubt Rogue would tell him when she’d had enough. Smiling, he rolled over and closed his eyes. Quin was looking forward to tomorrow.