by V. A. Dold
Marcus glanced at his office door, and with a low growl, snapped. “She isn’t a spy. And the last thing I’m going to do is fire her.”
Cade’s eyes clashed with his. “If you won’t get rid of her by choice, I’ll have no option but to call a family meeting. Don’t make me go there, man.”
Marcus shrugged. “Call the meeting. It won’t change a thing.”
Cade jabbed the elevator button and glared at him as he stepped inside. As the doors began to close, he growled, “Be at the main house in two hours.”
Marcus sighed and headed for his office. Just what he needed, a family intervention.
* * * * *
Marcus faced off with Cade, stare for stare. Without a doubt, the entire family felt the antagonism raging between the two of them. His skin prickled. He hated being the center of attention, and all eyes were on him. He didn’t say a word. Just waited. Cade called this dog and pony show, he could damn well be the one to break the silence.
“What’s up with you two?” Anna asked, voicing what they were all thinking.
Neither answered her. Finally, Cade broke the stare down. “The woman has to go,” he demanded in the low, quiet tone he used when what he said brooked no argument. His brother only pulled that deep rumble out when he was laying down the law. He could flay a lesser man with that tone. Marcus wasn’t lesser and didn’t cow so easily.
Marcus continued to stare, his eyes boring into Cade’s skull, letting his brother know he was unaffected. “She goes. I go with her.”
He sent his father a quick look. Isaac wore a little grin but remained silent. He swore his father was waiting expectantly for good news. As he tried to ferret out what the old man was up to, Isaac took his mother’s hand and winked at her. Something was going on that he hadn’t been read in on. He despised secrets. Lack of information tended to get someone hurt or worse. That was unacceptable.
Brian, the youngest of the Le Beau boys, sauntered in. He’d recently returned home after traveling the world for a number of years. “What’s going on?” he asked, taking one of the wide, leather armchairs. “I was about to head to Logan’s bar and scout out the hotties. This had better be worth it.” Glancing around, his grin quickly turned into a frown.
Cade dropped into the chair beside his mate, Anna. Scrubbing his face, he growled, “Marcus is being a pain in my ass.”
Marcus looked around the room at his family. Wide-eyed and gaping-mouthed, every one of them. Only his parents showed no sign of shock at his proclamation. The needle on his suspicion radar redlined.
He took a breath and braced himself. As much as he hated throwing Cassidy under the bus, he had to tell his family what he knew. Having been human women before being claimed by his shifter brothers and knowing what he was up against claiming his mate, Anna, El, and Rose would be his allies. Sara was a wild card. As a cop, she could go either way. He glanced at his parents. They would be thrilled that he’d found his mate, the assassin tidbit, not so much. His brothers, as well as Thomas, and John would initially be thrilled, and then they would blow a gasket. He had to choose his words wisely.
Needing time to think, Marcus got to his feet and poured himself a finger of whiskey. Maybe the good news would temper the bad? With his back to his family, he announced, “Cassidy’s my mate.” He turned and looked Cade in the eye, a challenge in his gaze.
Rose appeared flummoxed.
Anna cheered.
El gave him a thumbs up.
His eldest brother didn’t twitch a muscle, his eyes locked on like a heat-seeking missile. When the room erupted with exclamations and questions, Cade held up his hand for silence. Very quietly, he asked, “Are you sure?”
Marcus scrubbed his cheeks with both hands. “Yes. The moment I saw her, I had all three signs.”
Cade narrowed his eyes. “Congratulations. But she can be your mate without working at Le Beau Corp.”
“True, but firing her would be rather detrimental to courting her, don’t you think?” He couldn’t help the sarcasm dripping from every word.
Stefan pulled a twenty from his wallet and slapped it on the coffee table. “I give him a week. Seven days is more than enough for Marcus Le Beau to claim his mate.”
Simon cocked his head and pulled a twenty. “Five.”
Thomas shook his head, adding another bill to the growing pile. “Something tells me it could take longer. Eight.”
Grinning, Brian raised his hands in surrender. “I’m staying out of it.”
The men turned their gaze on John. “I’m with Brian.”
Sara leaned forward; her brows pulled tight. “Spill it, Marcus.”
The room went silent, and all eyes bounced between Sara and Marcus.
Sending Sara a sad smile, Marcus sank into his chair. “I can’t get anything past you, can I?” He took a deep breath. “There’s no way to sugarcoat this. I don’t know the why of it, but Cassidy is here to assassinate me.”
Just like that, he tossed the grenade. Marcus counted the ticks of the mantel clock, knowing the explosion was imminent. One, two, three--
Cade exploded from his chair. “What!”
Stefan and Simon follow suit. “Hell no,” they growled as one.
Sara and Thomas remained calm, their police training winning out over explosive reaction. They looked at one another then back at him. “What are you going to do about that?” Thomas asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing. I’ll just watch my back while I woo her.” Then he chuckled softly. “I have a feeling it’ll be a slow, difficult process.”
Brian laughed. “Wooing shouldn’t be a problem for you, Marcus. Though with the new info, I’m glad I stayed out of the betting pool.”
Marcus watched as his brothers gave each other hard glances and then turned determined stares on him. He sighed internally. At least his baby brother was happy for him.
Thankfully, his father stepped in before things got truly ugly. “Why does Miss Ryan want you dead? She must have a reason.”
Marcus rubbed his jaw. “I’m not sure. When I met the two of you in the lobby, I heard her thoughts.” He glanced at his brothers, telling them with one look to keep their smart remarks to themselves, then continued, “She was thinking and I quote, It’s a shame to kill a man that fine. Who in the world took out the contract on him? She’s not the one who wants me dead. She’s just the tool being used.”
Isaac sat forward, a frown creasing his brows. “We need to know who’s behind the contract. If we get the job canceled, the problem is solved.”
“Why didn’t she just kill you outright?” Simon asked. “By taking a job at the corporate office, she exposed her identity. If she kills you now, we all know who she is.”
Marcus shook his head. “I’m not sure, but my gut tells me she’s checking me out before she makes a move.”
Stefan snorted. “Are you saying, she’s an assassin with a conscience?”
Marcus gave Stefan a one-finger salute.
“What on earth could you have done to trigger a contract on your life?” Cade asked as he voiced his thoughts.
Marcus shrugged. He had no idea.
El glared at her mate, Stefan. “I agree with Marcus. Why would she take a job and expose herself unless she wanted to make sure he was guilty of whatever he’s accused of doing?”
“Let’s say, hypothetically, that’s what she’s doing,” Simon concurred. “Who is behind all of this?”
“And what on earth could Marcus have done to trigger a contract on his life?” Cade asked as he repeated the question again.
Marcus shrugged. He had no answer to either question. Simon and Cade were right. He needed to find out what he supposedly did to piss someone off enough to take such drastic steps. If he knew who was after him, he could turn the tables on the bastard.
Isaac stood and paced the room. “Let’s review the facts. Someone put a contract on Marcus, and Cassidy was sent to do the job, but she hasn’t followed through. Instead of taking him out quick and q
uiet, she put herself in a position to spend time with Marcus and observe him for hours at a time.” Isaac spun on his heel and smiled. “She’s investigating Marcus because she questions the validity of the contract. Which means she isn’t convinced the hit is warranted.”
“That could explain why she was going through your desk,” Cade conceded to Marcus.
The tightness of Marcus features eased. “It could.”
Cade’s lips hardened into a straight line. “You aren’t doing this alone. She’s got a hard-on for you, which means we’ll have your back.” When Marcus opened his mouth to object, Cade held up his hand to silence him. “That isn’t a suggestion or request. Until this situation resolves itself, you’ll have a bodyguard and driver. Each of us will take a shift.”
Marcus bared his teeth at his eldest brother. “I didn’t cock block you when you courted Anna. The last thing I need is a babysitter when I’m courting my mate. Having all of you hanging around won’t help and may very well exacerbate the situation.”
Cade sat back, as comfortable as you please. “You can bluster all you want. It won’t change a thing. You are family, which means you’re going to be protected until the threat is resolved.”
“Then it’s a good thing you only get one vote,” Marcus snarled. Cade just glared back, neither of the deadly men backing down. The silence of the room stretched his nerves to the breaking point. Finally, he broke the stare down and sighed. “Look, I know the situation is risky, but Cassidy’s my mate. She holds the other half of my soul. She’s the one and only chance I’ve got, and without her, I’m as good as dead. I need the time and privacy to convince her to accept me.” Marcus made eye contact with each member of his family. “I need you all to give me that.”
Cade persisted with his argument. “We know that you have to pursue her and keeping her close is the only way to do that, but she’s a trained assassin. We can’t ignore that, Marcus, and you know it.”
Marcus nodded once. “I’m more than aware. It’s crystal clear where Cade stands, what about the rest of you? Are you going to be a problem for me as well?”
Brian cleared his throat. “I say we leave Marcus to it. We don’t need to guard him like he’s a helpless child. He’s our security chief for chrissakes,” he argued on Marcus’s behalf.
Cade’s expression darkened. “Fine, we’ll take a vote.” He glared at Stefan. “Well?”
“Put a guard on him,” Stefan said, then mouthed I’m sorry to Marcus.
Cade turned his glare on Simon.
Simon took his time responding. “I suggest a compromise. He doesn’t need a guard at all times, just one of us close by. Using one of the company limo’s, we can take turns acting as his driver. Marcus and whoever is driving can wear earbuds to communicate. With the touch of a finger, he can turn the earbud on if he needs help. That way, we aren’t listening in on his conversations or trailing him into restaurants and the like. If he needs backup, it’s there. He’s guarded but has the privacy to court his mate. Problem solved.”
One by one, the family chimed in. The consensus was, Simon’s plan was sound and acceptable.
Marcus stood and made his way to the bar for a refill of his whiskey. “I can see I’m not going to dissuade you. But if I see even one of you lurking in the shadows, we’re done. I’ll take my mate and leave town.”
Emma’s palm flew to her throat as she gasped.
“Now, Marcus. I’m sure it won’t come to that,” Isaac assured him as he pinned Cade with a steely narrowed eyed glower. “Isn’t that right, Cade?”
Inside where no one could see, Marcus grinned.
Cade huffed out a breath. “I’m on board with Simon’s plan. Now that that’s settled, we need to know everything there is to know about Cassidy Ryan. I’ll call Quin and have him do his thing on the computer. The more we know, the better prepared we are.”
Marcus’s first impulse was to object, but then it occurred to him that he could use the information to further his cause in claiming his mate. “Let me call him. I want that information as well. When he has something, I’ll meet with him to go over the information.”
Cade glowered again. “We will need that information as well.”
Marcus looked from Cade to Anna. He knew exactly what to do to squelch that idea. “Anna, what would you do if Cade had you investigated and then shared that information with the entire family?”
Anna ripped her hand from Cade’s and snarled, “He better not have. If he did, I’m going to cut off his balls and wear them as a necklace.”
“Mon amour, you know I’d never do that,” Cade cajoled.
His placating didn’t faze Anna one bit. “And yet you think it’s perfectly acceptable to do that to Marcus’s mate.”
“I see your point, my love. Cassidy’s information will remain private, known only by Quin and Marcus.”
Her eyes narrowed for a second before she took his hand again. “It better.”
Ignoring the squabble, Marcus noticed Brian trying to get everyone’s attention. “What is it, little brother?”
“I’ve reached the point where I need to change my identity again. I’ve been Brian for the last forty-five years. People who know me from before I left town fifteen years ago will question why I still look twenty-five. So, I’ve decided that Rylon will be my new name, and I’ll need Quin to do his magic, creating my back story and life history. Would you ask him to do that for me when you get Cassidy’s information?” he asked Marcus.
Quintin Le Beau was unmatched on a computer. The man could hack anything, the government included, not that he did that often. The computer age was a godsend. Prior to that, it took weeks to gain access to a public records office to plant certified copies or bring a vampire along to glamour the recorder. The entire process had been tedious at best.
Now Quin was their go-to man when they needed a new identity to mask the fact that they didn’t age. He could whip out a birth certificate, driver’s license, and entire background in a matter of hours. Every legal document would be recorded in the public records with no one the wiser. Hell, Quin even created online profiles complete with photos and backdated posts. If investigated, the new identity was ironclad. He had no doubt Quin would unearth every detail of Cassidy’s life.
“Sure thing. He’ll get right on it. What do you want as a profession?”
Brian, now Rylon, puffed out his chest and announced. “I’m a chef specializing in vegetarian cuisine. As you all know, I spent years working with the best chefs across Europe. I finally get to put all of that training to use.”
Stefan turned and gave him an aghast look. “What the hell? You’re a freaking wolf!”
“I know that, you plebian. I haven’t had the chance to tell all of you, but Luperca asked me to learn vegetarian dishes for the off-worlders who will be arriving at Lucas and Krystal’s ranch. It seems they don’t eat meat in the Sirius star system. She asked me to develop a repertoire of dishes to serve them when they take part in her matchmaking service.”
Stefan sat back in his chair, muttering. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
Emma rushed across the room and hugged Rylon. “You’ll be great, baby. I can’t wait to try your dishes.”
Isaac followed Emma and shook his hand. “What made you choose Rylon, son?”
“It’s an old, highly respected family name. There was this elderly man in a small village I befriended. He was a genius with a wok and open flame. I spent almost a year living with him and learning everything he knew. Sadly, he passed away shortly after I moved on. I want to honor him by using his name.”
“That’s a fabulous idea,” Emma said as she hugged him again.
Cade gave Marcus a speculative look but left it at that. Before Marcus could excuse himself from the farce of a family intervention, Anna put in her two cents.
Without glancing at Cade, she said, “Say one word, mate, and you’re on the couch for a week.” Then she smiled sweetly at Marcus. “I want to meet her.”
&n
bsp; “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We can’t risk your safety until she agrees to be mine. Anyone who approaches her may be viewed as a threat.”
Her smile remained firmly in place. “Getting to the bottom of what’s going on while you court her is going to be difficult at best, Marcus. You need allies she trusts. I may be able to get her to talk about things she would never reveal to a man. She’s new to New Orleans and will no doubt enjoy a girlfriend willing to show her around.”
Marcus frowned, waiting for his brother to have a coronary. What the hell? Was Cade nodding his head? Hell must have frozen over.
Cade took Anna’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “That’s a good idea. Since you work for the Le Beau Corporation and go into the office a couple of times a week, it would only make sense that you would want to meet the new security officer. But, mon amour, like Marcus, you’ll wear an earpiece, and I’ll be close by.”
Anna rolled her eyes. “As if I didn’t know that. As long as you stay out of sight, I’ll play along.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Marcus saw Seth nod once to his mate, Sara. “I’ll befriend Cassidy as well. I’m more than capable of protecting Anna if Cassidy proves to be a threat.”
Cade opened his mouth to nix the idea, but Anna put a stop to it. “That’s a great suggestion,” she said excitedly. Then she glanced at her mate, and in a tone that said don’t object, she asked. “Isn’t it, Cade?”
“I guess that’ll work,” he groused.
Stefan and Rylon suppressed their snickers, but not before Cade shot them a dirty look.
“It seems we have an agreement on how to handle this threat. Boys—” Isaac paused and looked each of his sons in the eye, “you’ll hang back and allow Marcus to win his mate’s heart in his own way. If he needs your help, he’ll let you know. That’s an order. If I hear that any of you have gotten in the way, there will be hell to pay. Claiming a mate is a delicate matter in the best of circumstances. Marcus doesn’t need your interference.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Marcus wanted to hug his father for standing up against his over-reactive brothers.
