Lucian: McCray Bruin Bear Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  Her appointment had been moved from tomorrow, which she’d been planning on, to this evening. It was only one in the afternoon now, so she drove herself to the cemetery where Grandma was buried. Grandda was there too—his death had occurred before she was born.

  Putting the flowers on their graves as she sat on the bench she’d had put in, she told them of her trip here. “I’m going to see them tonight. I’m not sure that I’m ready for that. I mean, I’m not stupid—I know that they’re going to try and blame me for their lot in life—but I also know something that they don’t. I have more money than they’ll ever have.” Demi told them both about her new business venture, as well as the problems she was having at the restaurant. Nothing she couldn’t figure out, she assured them, but it was annoying. She told them too that her mother had passed away. But since they more than likely already knew that, she moved on. Demi looked out over the beautiful cemetery and wondered for a moment if she should visit her mother’s grave. “I won’t, just so you know. There was nothing between us in life, and there is less now that she’s dead.

  “I’ve been watching the stock market, as you taught me to do, Grandma. I have bought and sold more businesses than I think you and I did when you were around. I miss you, by the way. Bouncing ideas off of you while we talked was something that I looked forward to every time, and I miss that now.” Kneeling down, she pulled a small weed out of the otherwise pristine flower garden that had been planted by her. “I have to see the attorney tonight. I’m not sure how he found me, but I intend to find out. I don’t know what Abrielle wanted of me or why she would mention me in her will, but

  I’m guessing this is her way of letting Astrid and Nathan try and beat the crap out of me one more time.”

  It wouldn’t work this time. Not only had she learned to defend herself, but she also had learned to carry and shoot a gun. There would be no more taking her to the floor and beating her to shit. No more stitches from them using their boots on her body. She was her own woman, and she would defend herself no matter what.

  When it was time for her to leave, she kissed both headstones and told them she’d see them later. As she was leaving the cemetery, she wondered about the car parked just down from hers. But since no one had bothered her, she never paid it much mind.

  Demi hated to be late and disliked it when other people were late too. She always made it so that she was early, so that she didn’t have to worry about something befalling her to make her behind. And when she got to the offices of the attorney, she was told that Ms. Chase was running late and picking up Mr. Morgan. But Mr. Peyton popped his head out of an office and smiled at her.

  “If you’d like to come on in, Demi, I’m sure you have questions.” She nodded and stood up. “Your attorney called me today, just to make sure that you were represented should you need it. I assured him that you’d not need him this evening, as this was just a meeting, but that tomorrow he should be here.”

  “I want to know, first of all, how did you find me?” She was asked to have a seat.

  “Mr. Peyton, I don’t want my name out there in the public. I’m sure that, if you’ve had any dealings with my family, you can understand why.”

  “I do. And they haven’t any idea of anything about you other than that I found you.

  They’ve asked, I will admit to that, but I never told them anything. Not one thing.” She nodded. “I put a search out to find you from some of my trusted friends in this business. It was difficult, I will say that for you. Even when I heard from Mr. Shoe, he wasn’t easily willing to give me any contact information. He only gave me that number when the timing of the will was getting close.”

  “What does that mean?” He said that part would be explained tomorrow. “No, tonight, or I walk.”

  “I’d rather you didn’t force my hand, Demi. And I know that I should ask to use such an informal name, but to think of you being associated with Astrid and Nathan makes my skin crawl.” Mr. Peyton shivered. “How on earth are you from the same family? I shouldn’t say that, but goodness, they are a pair, aren’t they?”

  “Yes, well, Abrielle wasn’t any better.”

  The noise out in the hall made her aware that the pair in question had shown up, and with them all the noise, cursing, and even bodies being pounded against the walls.

  They walked in—waddled in was more like it—and she stood up. It was a defense thing—sitting down around these two would always get her hurt. But when Nathan smiled at her and Astrid sucked in her cheeks in an effort to make herself look thinner, she supposed, Demi knew that they had no idea who she was. Good, this might be more fun than she’d thought.

  “Well, hello there, gorgeous. Had I known you were going to be here, I would have arrived on time.” He winked at her as he turned to look at Peyton. “You didn’t tell me that you hired someone to work for you, Dax. She sure is a looker.”

  “Sit down, you idiot. She’s your sister. Demetrius arrived on time. Now we can get started. Your mother left each of you an envelope. You’re not to open it until tomorrow when you come back here at one. She was very serious about this. If you bring the envelope back to me opened or tampered with, you forfeit some of the estate.” He handed them all an envelope, and Demi put hers in her bag with all the other

  paperwork that she had to take care of in the morning. “All right. That’s all for this evening. I will see you all tomorrow at one. Do not be late.”

  Mr. Peyton showed them out. Neither of her siblings spoke to her in the hall or the elevator ride down. It wasn’t until they were in the lobby that Nathan drew back his fist and slammed her in the face. It had been too fast for her to do anything more than fall to the floor. That was the last thing she remembered except for the face of a man standing over her.

  Chapter 2

  Madden was going to stay with the woman until she was admitted. Her face was a mess, and she was going to need some surgery on her lip if she was ever going to be able to kiss again. Madden thought it would be a shame if she couldn’t, since she was a pretty little thing. When the gun in her purse spilled out, he’d put it in his pocket so she’d not get herself into trouble. Had he been thinking, he might have used it on the man and the woman with him.

  The man who had hit her had swung at him too, but since he wasn’t a female and was faster on his feet, Madden had been able to knock the man out. The guy had ended up with a broken nose, four broken ribs, as well as a lip that was going to need a few stitches. Honestly, Madden wasn’t sure why the man hadn’t died of a massive heart attack before now. He was nothing but blubber.

  “Madden, where are you, son?” He stood up and peeked around the curtain and waved at his dad. They’d been meeting for lunch, but when he’d gotten sidetracked with this, his dad had said he’d meet him here at the hospital. “Is she going to be all right?”

  “The doctor said that she hit her head, and he wants to keep an eye on her. At least until she wakes up. Dad, that guy that hit her, he didn’t say shit. Just swung around and hit her right on the mouth. Who does that?”

  “A human. Your mom is coming in too. I told her that I had it, but she said that she wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt. I don’t know why she’d think that when you told her several times you were all right.” Madden told him that she loved him. “I love you too, but I’m not going to go all mushy when you defend a damsel in dire need.”

  “It’s distress, not dire need.” The woman sat up, then laid back down. Her words were all mumbled because of her lip, but Madden understood her just fine. “Nathan never could go by me without slugging me. Where is he? Jail, I hope.”

  “Yes. I pressed charges for you—I hope you don’t mind. But he hit me too. Jimmy, a local police officer, said that he’s had trouble with him before. Is he your husband?” The woman told him that he was her brother. “Ah. And the woman with him, she’s related to you as well. Sister?”

  “Yes, unfortunately.” Sitting up slowly, she accepted his help. “I need to get out of here
before Astrid finds me. I’m in no position to deal with her antics today. Thank you for your help. I might not have survived this trip if not for you.”

  “It was my pleasure, miss.” He waited for her to fill him in on her name, but she stood up and said nothing more. “My name is Madden McCray. This is my father,

  Alden. I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”

  “That’s because I didn’t throw it at you. But I’m Demi Morgan. I’m here because

  Abrielle, my mother, passed away some months ago.” Madden looked at his father, then back at the girl. She must have felt some of their tension and turned to look at the two of them. “Something that I need to be aware of?”

  “You’re Milly Morgan’s granddaughter.” She smiled then, like she was lighting up the room when his dad asked about her grandma. “I knew her. Had I not been so worried about you, I might have recognized your face. You look just like her when she was just a young woman. My goodness. I’m sorry that she passed away. Not a greater person I knew as a young boy growing up.”

  “She was my savior and my world. And had it not been for her, I might not have survived my family when I lived here.” Dad told her that he’d not realized she was related to Nathan and his sister. “Abrielle didn’t like me. Actually, she loathed me.

  When I lived at home, I was either their punching bag or someone that would be thrown to the wolves when there was a problem. I spent more time in the hospital than

  I did in my bedroom. Which wasn’t anything more than a space in the basement right next to the washer and dryer.”

  “I’m sorry, honey.” She waved Dad off, telling him it was old news. But Madden could tell that it bothered Dad. Madden asked her what she was going to do now. “Yes, you’ll need a ride someplace. I’m assuming that you’re living at the homestead?”

  “I am. I was thinking about opening the place up, maybe either living in it or selling it off. A great deal of my good memories come from that house.” She signed herself out of the hospital and they made their way to Dad’s car. It was a beater—all their cars were—but it ran well and had four doors. More than some had. “I’ll need to go to the attorney, Mr. Peyton’s, office. I left my car there. And I need to find my gun.”

  “I have it. It’s here.” He handed it over to her and she put it in her purse after making sure that it was still loaded. Her weapon had probably cost more than he’d made all of last month. But Madden was glad that she had something to protect herself with. “You brought it with you to take care of yourself?”

  “Yes, but it was already here at Grandma’s house. I know how to use it, but I couldn’t bring it on a plane.” He nodded and watched her turn slowly in her seat. “I don’t know if I can drive home now that I’ve been sitting up for a while. Perhaps you can just take me home, and I’ll have Moses and his wife come back and get the car.”

  “I can drive you back. I don’t have a car in town, so it won’t be any trouble. And my dad can follow me over to pick me up.” She looked at Dad and he nodded, saying it’d be no trouble at all. “That way, Mr. Moses won’t have to come into town, and you’ll still have your car.”

  “Thank you. I’m not used to having people helping me. I try very hard to do things on my own.”

  Madden could see that—she was very independent.

  They swapped her out in her car and Madden had a few moments of worry. The car was brand new, and while it was a rental, as she told him, it was newer than anything he’d ever driven before. He should have thought this through, his mind told him, and when she asked him if he was all right, he turned to her.

  “I’m not sure if you remember the McCrays, but we have been dirt poor and living on the edge of poverty since I was born. Before then I guess. This car.... Well, Ms.

  Morgan, it’s well out of my realm of being able to replace it should I do something to

  it.” She told him it was just a car. “To you, perhaps, but to me it’s a luxury that I will never have. It even smells good.”

  “Thank you, Madden. I really appreciate you being honest with me. But as I said, it’s just a car. One that I rented to get home. And there is insurance on it.” She smiled at him. “I don’t say this to many people, fewer than the fingers on one hand, but I trust you. Very much so. And while I believe you to be an excellent driver, the vehicle can be replaced.”

  They talked about her grandma on the way home. While Madden knew of her, he’d not been in the same social circles as the elderly woman. He didn’t say that to Demi; he was positive that she’d rip him a new ass if he did. There was something about her, something that made him feel so protective of her, that he knew that she was different than any other woman he’d met.

  “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, Madden, but I would like to hire you to keep me out of trouble. I make a great deal of it on my own, but I’m concerned that either one of my family might come after me again.” She laughed a little. “Be my bodyguard for the next several days.”

  “I’d love to. But I have a job.” She said that she understood. “You do know that I’m not human, right? I mean, I’m a shifter—bear, as a matter of fact.”

  “I do. My grandma, she knew of your family too. She didn’t socialize much, not since I left home. She, too, was afraid of my family. And as frail and elderly as she was, they would have killed her had she been found alone.” He said he was sorry. “Don’t be.

  She did what she needed to do, went where she had to with Moses. He loved her as much as I did. They were very good friends. And now he works for me. It was just a thought, anyway.”

  “My brother, Lucian, is out of work right now. The plant where he worked, the distribution center, it closed down when they opened up a new one a state over. It was hard on a lot of people. And had any of them had any kind of notice, I think it would have been easier to ease into another job. As it is now, there aren’t any to be had around here.” She asked him what Lucian had done there. “Shift manager. He was paid well, but the work is gone now. And because they didn’t close up but moved, he’s finding it hard to even get unemployment.”

  He could tell that she was hesitant. Demi didn’t know Lucian, and she only trusted

  Madden through his saving her from being hurt too badly. While she thought about it, or whatever she might be doing, he reached out to his brother and asked him if he’d help out if she wanted.

  Drive a new car to haul a woman around town? Sure. I’d be a fool to turn it down. But I’d like to meet her. If I have to spend any amount of time in a car with someone, I don’t want her to be a bitch. Madden asked Lucian if he remembered Astrid. Yes. Please tell me that it’s not her. Nor is she related to her.

  Sister, believe it or not. But the thing is, she’s absolutely nothing like her. Or nothing like

  Nathan. Untrusting, yes. She has that in spades. And with good reason. He told Lucian what had happened today. I don’t know what he might have done to her had I not been there,

  Lucian. He was out for blood. And someone as big as him, I’m surprised that he moved so quickly to hit her.

  Where can I meet her? Madden told his brother where they were headed. All right. I’m not far from there. Let her know that I’m coming by if she’s all right with that. And you hang around with me. That way I won’t scare her. Sounds like she has had it bad if she’s related to those two.

  They pulled up in front of the house. It was beautifully maintained, and he was sure that it had been in her family for generations. Not like their home. It was a rental that they’d been living in since he’d been born. Madden had shared his room with two of his brothers, and it was tight. But now that he was out of the house, as were all of them, his living arrangements weren’t that much better.

  “I’ve contacted Lucian. He would like to meet you. And he said that if you trust him, he’ll be glad to protect you.” She nodded, staring out the window to the house. A man in a suit came out, but he didn’t come to the car. “He’s a good man, my brother.
r />   Just fallen on hard times.”

  “I’m sorry for that.” She turned to him. “What is it you do, Madden? I mean, is it a good paying job? Do you like it? I would really like to know.”

  “I work at a factory that makes those plastic bowls and lids that are used in restaurants for take home stuff. Do I like it? No, I can honestly say that I don’t care for it. But like it or not, I have to eat. And I send what I can to my parents.” He looked in the rearview mirror and saw his brother in his truck rumbling up the drive behind their dad. “The pay sucks too. I mean, it’s a living, but that’s about all. I can live on it, but there isn’t enough left over for an emergency.”

  He wondered why he was able to tell her this when he wasn’t able to tell his parents the same thing. Not even his brothers knew just how he felt about his job. When she got out of the car, he did as well. Boy, to be able to ride around in something that wasn’t as old as he was would be awesome. But he had a car, more than a lot of others in town had. And a roof over his head, food in his cabinets, as well as a coat when the weather turned cold.

  When Lucian stopped to talk to their dad, he waited with Demi until they were finished. And when Dad and Lucian started toward them, Madden wanted to snatch up

  Demi and hide her away. He had no idea why he was so very protective of this stranger.

  ~*~

  Lucian didn’t want to frighten her. He’d had a long conversation with his buddy

  Jimmy and knew that this thing with her family had been going on since she’d been a tyke. It was terrible the way some people treated their family. His was the best there was, and he was glad every day that he had them.

  When she paused at the car, he watched her while she watched him.

  “I don’t know you at all, do I?” He shook his head, not wanting to bring up that she’d been privileged and he’d not. “Don’t do that. Don’t judge me before you even know who or what I’ve been through. I can see it in your eyes, calculating how I have more than you do. Think of it this way, Mr. McCray—you have something that I’ve