by TL Reeve
“Master?” The man standing beside Yevgeni blinked. “The desert? For a vampire?”
If she could have laughed, she would have. Instead, she made a deranged chuffed squeaky noise, startling everyone.
“Uh, what was that, princess?” Warren stared down at her. “Please don’t let it be a furball. So gross.”
Abraham laughed. “Not as gross as puking blood.”
“So, it came from you?” Yevgeni muttered.
“Yes, sir. I am so sorry for what happened. It’s my fault and I accept full responsibility.” Abraham bowed his head.
“No apology necessary. I never thought it was done purposefully.”
A group of men joined them moments later. While they announced those who remained and bid on lots had been arrested, leaving it a cleanup and transport mission, they also gave her major side-eye, like she'd pounce on them.
“Good, then let’s go home. I could use a beer and a burger.” Ghost stood. “How about you, guys?”
A beer and burger sounded good right about then.
“Blood is better, but yeah. A shower too. I feel disgusting.” Grainger groaned as he stood on shaky legs.
She nudged him and flicked her head backward, trying to tell him to get on. It would be easier on him and she could feel like she did something productive besides looking pretty on Warren and Abraham’s arms.
“Get on,” Warren said. “She’s giving you a lift.”
Suān ní shifted forms beside her, becoming his lion. He nuzzled Fallon then chuffed at her. Warmth filled her. He might be her familiar, but as her mate, he was so much more. If she could have given a girly sigh, she would have. Seeing her powerful men surrounding her, made her giddy with excitement and joy.
“I believe Suān ní here, is offering up his services, Mr. Nemescu,” Abraham said. “Please, allow us to help you out of this mess.”
Grainger climbed onto her back first and buried his face in her tuft of fur. “You smell really good.”
“No biting here,” Warren said. “Later.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Grainger muttered. “Take me home, Fú zé. I’m beat.”
Home. She grinned to herself. Yeah. She wanted to go home too.
Chapter 14
Two weeks later...
Fallon stretched and snuggled into Warren’s chest, not ready to start the day, yet. They’d been through so much in a short amount of time. Grainger and Mr. Nemescu were still healing due to the iron in their bloodstream. Abraham still had a few lingering side effects from the drug as well. Seeing him lying so still in their shared bed, made her heart ache. Not because he was a vampire, but knowing those lingering effects, might become permanent.
Kalkin already set up a meeting for Abraham, Lyle, Maddison, and Lake, the people stuck with her brother in the cage at the warehouse, along with Jase and a new guy, Rafe, as a support group type thing. It sounded a bit ridiculous, but, if the symptoms were bad enough both Abraham and Rafe needed to talk it out and learn ways to combat the lingering issues, so be it. Whatever help bring back the Abraham she knew and loved.
“Are you thinking too hard again?” Warren’s voice rumbled in his chest.
“Nope.” She sighed, snuggling closer to him. “Well, maybe a little.”
“Your aunt arrives later today to remove the block of Ji’s memories since Yegor has been dealt with. Are you ready?”
She didn’t know. For so long she bared the brunt of Ji’s disdain, hell, all of her family’s anger, knowing they were a few hours from the truth being returned to her family and the guilt that would come with it, she’d honestly rather have a brother who was angry at her for the rest of her life.
“Have you spoken to Lyle yet?”
She shook her head. “It’s a delicate subject. I guess I understand what kind of state of mind he could be in, but I don’t. I’m not like him. Not one bit.”
Warren sighed. “It’s still a trauma.”
“Eh.” She shrugged. “I didn’t go through what they did.”
“He’s your brother.”
He was right. It was too much to process though. She didn’t know what to say or how to say it. If Lyle and Lu knew the truth about everything, they also hid it from her, protecting her or not. There were going to be issues between them for a long time she feared. She’d been walking on eggshells for years because of the situation they’d been thrust into. Those types of incidences didn’t go away with a snap of fingers and a few memories righted.
“He is,” she replied. “I have shit to sort out too.”
Besides the drug, she also had to come to grips with the truth. She had to deal with rejection and fear. The self-loathing and aching need to be accepted by her brothers and her aunt who'd shunned her. Understanding the truth didn't erase the last few years. As much as she wanted to forget about it, the realization of what happened crept in. Her aunt used her as the scapegoat to keep her and Ji safe.
“You could always talk to Brie,” Warren said. “It might help.”
She nodded. “Yeah.” It might. If she learned anything over the last year being with her guys, it was a simple fact, keeping everything bottled up ended up hurting her more than anyone else. Lashing out at others was also bad. “I think it's a good idea.”
“Good.” He kissed the crown of her head. “Now, should we get up or should we, play a little?” He rubbed the thick stalk of his erection across her lower belly.
She grinned. “Well, we do have a few hours before we have to do anything. Shouldn’t let it go to waste.”
“My sentiments exactly.” He tipped her chin up and grew serious. “When we’re all ready, you’ll be having my babies. Are you okay with that?”
Suān ní reminded her of the issues with him not being able to have children. Then with Abraham and Grainger being vampires and the likelihood of them not having children. With Warren being an incubi it might be easier. The conversation was something she hadn't thought much about, after the faux heat she experienced with Suān ní. Fake or otherwise, they should talk about it. “Seems they'll be ours by blood, and all of ours by bonding.”
Warren grunted. “That’s one way to look at it.”
“You’re afraid of jealousy from the guys?” She peered up at him. “I don’t think they’ll be jealous. Suān ní is quite content with being the one to help me through heat and Grainger and Abraham...” She shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Vampires can have kids, but I’ve never seen a shifter-vamp, have you?”
He shook his head. “No. It might not work.”
“I guess we could always ask Mr. Nemescu later after everything dies down.” She skimmed her fingertips down Warren's torso. “Can we talk about this later?”
He growled. “Definitely.” He pushed her panties aside and entered her in one stroke. “Love you, princess.”
Love you too, incubi.”
They walked into Kalkin’s office an hour after sunset. Abraham and Grainger appeared better than they had since they’d come home, which eased the worry and guilt knotting her insides. Warren stood behind Fallon, keeping his hand on her shoulder as she took a seat in the chair across from Kalkin. There was something different between them. A new kind of connection. She’d felt it earlier when they’d had sex. She couldn’t explain what it was, but something inside her had been unlocked and she liked it. She’d ask Warren about it later, for now, she needed to concentrate on the meeting with her boss and Alpha.
Though her team and PRA had been gathering intel since before they'd infiltrated the bratva organization, Fallon and the guys were still digging, trying to link the members of Congress who'd been behind PBH. They also had to figure out who the mole was giving away their information. If they could do that, maybe they could bring Lu's killer to justice. As it was, Gabriel and Natalie were able to close down several distribution points being used to deliver the new drug to street sellers. However, they didn't get any higher-up names, due to Saoirse Gabbard refusing to cooperate then subsequently d
ying on the way to prison.
PBH, it seemed, was learning and adapting.
“This will be our last official meeting for the case. Since you've taken down Yegor Orlov and Dima Popov, you have closed a major supply chain for PBH. The official tally from the auction netted over half a billion dollars from would-be trafficking sales, and you saved several lives. For a group of kids, not bad.” Kalkin folded his hands. “However, the war isn't over. We still have children and adults being picked up and used for testing. The team on the east coast is going after the remaining unsolved murder cases, which means all of you are back to saving orphans.”
“Saving orphans?” Fallon tilted her head. “We do that?”
Kalkin grunted. “Not all of our operations are as fantastical as the bratva or black markets. The majority of the time we’re saving lives and giving them a chance to become someone.”
“We’re ready,” Grainger said. “To show her the real job we do here.”
“Excellent. Because I have a case for you.”
Everything was happening so fast. They went from almost dying to going back to their regularly scheduled program without skipping a beat. “I need a second.”
“This is the life a PRA agent,” Kalkin said. “Breathing is a luxury these kids don’t have.”
“Sink or swim, kid,” Ghost stepped into the office. “You have to decide if you want to be here or if you want to go back to your B&E ways.”
“Who are you?” She tilted her head, confused by Ghost’s appearance.
“Who I am isn’t important. What is, is your commitment to the cause. Are you going to continue the work your mother, father, and brothers started or are you going to go back to your old ways?”
She blinked. Being an agent, she supposed, was in her veins. Her family had been a part of PRA from the beginning and now, so was she. If she gave up now, what did it say about her, especially after everything all of them had been through. “Staying.” She didn’t sound confident, and her voice wobbled. “On one condition, though.”
“There are always conditions when it comes to these kids,” Kalkin muttered. “Spit it out.”
“Ji never gets involved. We already lost Lu, I won’t lose another member of my family,” she said, her voice growing stronger.
“You got it. Ji is off-limits for PRA.” Kalkin stared at her. “Anything else?”
Anything else? She hadn't thought about it. She figured the Alpha would have balked at her request. She worried Ji had already been involved in PRA or some other aspect of Vigilante Security. “I guess...” She licked her bottom lip. “I guess that's it.”
“Good. After you have dinner with your aunt, your next mission will begin.” Kalkin handed each of them a thumb drive. “There is a small group of children in Kansas who need help getting to Window Rock. The youngest is three. The oldest is thirteen. They're a mix of kids, psychics, and shifters.”
“Who are they running from?” she hedged.
“An abusive prick of a father,” Ghost said. “He's a low-level PBH lacky.”
“Their mother?” Grainger asked.
“Dead.” Kalkin sighed. “We’re not sure if mom passed away of natural causes or if the asshole killed her. Either way, the kids need to get here. They’re runaways.”
“Which means if daddy-o gets in the way, we could have trouble.” Abraham snarled.
“Upside, there are several CPS cases on file from the past few years. Those will help you if you should run into any trouble getting them here. Keeley has already sent the eldest, a boy, named Kellen, a bank account number along with an access key to helping them along the way. They're also taking advantage of the safehouses, however, with a three-year-old, they need help.” Kalkin pointed to the thumb drive she held in her hand. “All your information is there. It should be easy. I figure a week at most.”
“We’re on it.” Warren squeezed her shoulder.
“Good to hear.” Kalkin stood. “Now, get out of here. You have dinner with your aunt to get to and my mate is due to give birth any day now. I ain’t missing that shit because you’re here.”
Abraham snorted. “Damn, Rafertys are going to overrun Window Rock soon.”
Kalkin chuckled. “You make it sound like a bad thing.”
A knock came at their apartment door as Fallon laid the last plate on the table. She had to ask Danielle for a little help setting up the place since Keeley was out of commission until after she gave birth. The table came from Saber’s collection of drop-leaf oak dining room collections. It was big enough for their small family and could expand to fit the rest of her family.
Fallon opened the door and gasped. Not only was her aunt there, along with her family, so was Lyle. Maddison and Lake also accompanied him. Lyle’s cheeks were a little pink and his gaze wouldn’t meet hers just yet, but they had time. Lake and Maddison appeared a little lost as well. She couldn’t begin to imagine what they experienced while captured. Then, being thrust back into their freedom and entering a house of shifters, demons and vampires had to be intimidating. But if they were going to give this a go, they’d have to deal with it sooner or later. She wouldn’t push her luck with any of them, though. Fallon stepped aside allowing her family entrance, greeting them with a smile. The only one they were missing was Ji and Warren had gone to get him from the orphanage.
They'd talked about it on the drive home—finding a bigger place so Ji didn't have to stay in the orphanage. She knew once he had his memories back, things would be strained, however, she couldn't leave him there. He had a family and they were it. Of course, he could also want to live with Ayí. As much as it would suck, she'd allow him to go. He needed to heal as did she.
“We’re waiting for Warren and Ji,” she said, closing the door behind her.
“It gives me time to brew the tea,” her aunt replied. “Would you like to help me this time?”
Surprise filled her. “Yes. Of course. I’d be honored.”
A smile tugged at the corner of her aunt’s mouth. “Good. It’s time for you to learn everything I know so you can pass it down to the next generation.”
“Sounds fancy,” Abraham said. “We’ll entertain everyone while we wait.”
“Thank you.” Fallon kissed his cheek.
“Not a problem.” He winked at her as he ushered everyone into their cramped living room. “It feels like it’s been months since we saw all of you. How’s it going?”
Grainger came up behind her. His breath fanned against her nape. “You’re tense.”
“Yeah. Shouldn’t I be? If we mess up...”
He turned her. “You won’t.” He kissed her then. “I believe in you. I trust you.”
Trust you. Those words meant more to her than, ‘I love you,’ when they came from Grainger. Pure joy filled her chest as she stood there with him. She didn’t say a word because she didn’t want to ruin their moment. She kissed him again before joining her aunt in the kitchen. “Okay, Ayí, how does this work?”
“With a bit of patience and a little love, you can cast any spell.” Her aunt cut her gaze at Fallon. “Ready, Fú zé?”
“Ready, Ayí.”
Ji sat in the chair set up in the middle of the room as Fallon had a few weeks ago at their aunt's house. She handed her brother the cup and stood back. He eyed each of the suspiciously before drinking down the contents. When he arrived at the house, he hadn't said a word to her, though he'd been content to talk to Lyle and his other family members. The scent of ire coming off of him kept Fallon at bay. She hoped though, with the tea, he'd lose some of that anger and accept her.
Her brother gasped, dropping the delicate teacup. It fell to the carpeted floor with a thunk but didn’t break. His eyes fluttered closed as he slumped back into the chair. His breathing became shallow. Being on this side of the whole thing, scared Fallon. He appeared peaceful and in a deep sleep. Yet, the less he breathed, the more she worried they’d done something wrong. For the longest time, the only thing any of them could hear was the tick
of the second hand on the clock.
Ji gasped, jolting upright, startling all of them. He touched himself while looking around the room as though he was lost. When his wide-eyed gaze landed on her, he let out a breath and went straight for her. He wrapped his arms around Fallon and shook while a gut-wrenching sob fell from him, she grabbed him up, holding him close as he cried. She didn't know what to say or if she should say anything, so she let him get it out of his system.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “So, so, sorry.”
“You didn’t know. We both didn’t. It’s okay though. We’ll get through this together.”
Ji sniffed. “But I said terrible things to you.”
“You and I didn’t know the truth. Plus, I was an asshole too.” She pulled him back slightly and grinned. “Are you okay?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I feel like I am losing them all over again.”
Yeah, she understood. “It hurts more this time. At least you're not attacking everyone.”
“Did you?”
“Let’s just say, I wasn’t nice.”
“You? Not nice? Never,” her brother teased.
Fallon laughed. “Right?” She snorted. “I’m glad I have you back. I couldn’t stand it. I hated every moment of being away from you after finding out the truth.”
“Kalkin kept me posted. I pushed it aside, but I wish I hadn’t now. You did so much. You saved lives.”
She brushed off his words. She didn’t feel like a hero after losing Lu. “It’s a job.”
“What do we do now?” His voice was small, edging on lost.
“Well, I want you to live with us until you’re ready to find your mate and move away.”
“All of you?” He glanced back at Abraham, Warren, Grainger and Suān ní who’d joined them as soon as Ji drank the tea.
“Yes. All of us.” She caught and held her aunt’s gaze. “It’s what family does for one another. Besides, we have tons of catching up to do.”
“What about Lyle? Where’s he going to live?”
Their brother’s brows raised in surprise. “Well, I—”
