Unbreak My Heart: BWWM Romance (Brother From Money Book 20)

by Shanade White

  “Well, you know how I’ve been racking my brain looking for a solution?” he asked, unable to look into her eyes. “I think I may have just made things worse.”

  Betty’s stomach dropped down into her feet. “What did you do?”

  “I shouldn’t have said anything,” he sighed. “I never let my emotions get the better of me. He was much better off not knowing. Now, I have no idea what he’s planning to do.”

  “What did you tell him?” Betty asked again, hands on her hips now. “Did you tell him about us or something?”

  “Worse,” he said. “Much, much worse. I told him about Crystal.”

  “Me?” asked Crystal. “What about me?”

  “It’s your scent, Crystal,” Ted said. “Every person takes on a unique scent, which blends together aspects of each of their parents.”

  “I know,” she shrugged. “Betty and I were just talking about that. Only, we have no way to know who my parents are because we don’t have either of their scents. Betty says the only thing she can smell on me is Allie, and that’s because Allie is the one who raised me.”

  “No, sweetheart, that’s not it,” Ted told her with a shake of his head. “Allie’s scent is so strong on you because she is your birth mother. I don’t know why she never told you. I believe she may have been trying to keep you safe.”

  Crystal stared at Ted like he’d just grown a set of horns or something. Then she shook her head and nodded as well. “Yes, that sounds very much like something she would do. Hide the truth in plain sight. Well, at least now I know why I’m so clever, but why would she want to hide me at all? Who is she trying to keep me safe from?”

  “From your father, of course,” he scoffed. “They are enemies, after all.”

  “Do you know who my father is as well?” she asked stoically. “Betty told me that he is a lion. Just like you.”

  “We share the same father,” said Ted, looking into her eyes. “Do you know who my father is, Crystal?”

  “Wow, you mean I’m a princess?” she gasped, apparently overjoyed by the news. “Betty, that means we could be princesses together! Isn’t that wicked?”

  Ted chuckled despite himself, hearing that. He tugged on one of Betty’s curls and asked, “So, you were hoping to become a princess, were you?”

  “I never told her that,” Betty protested. “Although if you’re the prince, well—”

  Ted kissed Betty, hard. When he finally let her go, he said, “Hold that thought, then, my dear, because you’re not going to like this next part.”

  “That’s right—you’re worried about your father,” she said.

  “He’s ordered me to take Crystal to him today,” he admitted. “I have no choice but to obey.”

  “Awesome!” Crystal grinned.

  “This is no laughing matter, Crystal,” Ted admonished her. “His original plan was to use Betty as bait, to get Allie to bring him the artifact. But now he intends to use you instead. The only thing I don’t know is, what he will do if the plan does not succeed.”

  “You think he would harm her?” Betty wanted to know.

  “I doubt he would kill her,” Ted answered slowly. “But who knows if he would do anything else that might harm her? He has punished me rather harshly upon occasion. It’s all part of being part of the lion tribe. Sometimes life there can be harsh. That’s why I was so glad to escape it for a time.”

  “While you were fishing,” Betty nodded. “But why are you telling me this, Ted? You must know that I can’t let you have her.”

  “You wanted me to think of a plan,” he pointed out. “This could easily become the first part of it. If Allie comes for Crystal, she and my father will have to come face to face again. Maybe seeing each other will spark the flame.”

  “What if it doesn’t work?” Betty wanted to know. “Are you going to keep Crystal safe from your father’s wrath if Allie refused to bring the artifact to him? No, I really don’t like this at all. I’m not going to just let you—”

  “I’ll go, Betty,” said Crystal in all seriousness then. “You told me to do whatever I must for that Clan. And I believe that this may well be the best opportunity I’ll ever have to fulfill that directive. Come on, Ted, you can take me there right now.”

  “You can’t be serious!” Betty gasped. “Crystal, do you understand what kind of fire you are playing with here?”

  “Ted will keep me safe,” Crystal insisted. “I’m sure of it. Aren’t you tired of this war? Wouldn’t you much rather spend the next twenty years in the arms of your lover than fighting over a cause you no longer even believe in?”

  Remembering how easily she could transform into any creature she desired, Betty turned and sat down in one of the chairs, staring off into space. She had already given up on Allie’s reasons for being there a long time ago. Her true interest was in studying the Raven, and in keeping her people safe. But an alliance with the lions would not be a danger to those people, it would be a help. She knew that—felt it with all her heart.

  Maybe Ted was right. Maybe if they took Crystal to the lions’ den, Allie would jump down off her high horse and go there to fetch her. It seemed worth the risk in Betty’s eyes. She didn’t move a muscle as Ted bent to kiss the top of her head, and waited while Crystal threw on her parka and some gloves. The two of them left together, leaving a stunned Betty sitting there all alone.

  *****

  Betty couldn’t decide whether or not to call Allie and tell her what had happened, or if she should just wait until King Caius sent someone with his demands. Part of her wondered if it might not have been a better idea if Ted had ‘abducted’ both of them so she wouldn’t have had the dilemma at all, but she suspected he’d left her behind so that she could convince Allie to bring the artifact. Otherwise, she might be foolish enough to decline.

  Her cell phone rang about an hour later, and she reluctantly picked it up, confirming that Allie was the caller. She let it ring through to voice mail, too cowardly to press the answer button and answer it herself. But she knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep doing that all day, and resolved that the next time it rang she would pick up.

  It didn’t take long, probably less than a minute. She pressed the button with gritted teeth. All these years, Allie had not told her own daughter who she really was—the fact was still sinking in as she prepared to talk. Words stuck in her throat as a lump formed, but she forced them out anyway.

  “You heard?” she asked.

  “Heard what?” asked Allie, seemingly still in a good mood.

  “Oh, I guess not,” said Betty. “Well, we can discuss it later then. What were you calling about?”

  “Just checking to see if those lions have been bothering you girls,” she said. “We didn’t really talk much last night. You seemed to have other things on your mind.”

  “I—” Betty began. “Yeah, I did. But I’m sure you understand that all too well, right?”

  “Why are you acting so weird?” Allie wanted to know. “Is something the matter? He’s not there right now, is he?”

  “No,” she answered slowly. “But neither is Crystal.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, no longer sounding happy at all.

  “They’ve taken her instead of me,” Betty explained. “It might have been useful information for me to know that Crystal is your daughter with King Caius, don’t you think? Here I was, blithely thinking they would have no interest in her. Little did I know, right? You shouldn’t have sent her with me without telling me something so important, don’t you think?”

  “Oh, God,” Allie gasped, and it was obvious that she’d begun to cry. “How did he find that out?”

  “Smell, maybe?” Betty pointed out. “You once told me that Crystal smelled so much like you because you raised her, and I took that for truth, Allie. You lied to me, and now it may cost you quite dearly. I hope you’re happy. You already know what they’ll be wanting next. Don’t you think it’s
about time we ended all this and began to work together?”

  “You don’t understand, Betty,” Allie insisted. “Giving up the Raven would be no easy thing. I can’t do that to all these people. Too many of them have become dependent on the powers it gives.”

  “Then why don’t you just form an alliance?” Betty insisted. “Both Ted and I want you to, it’s just you two who are being stubborn.”

  “No, that’s not going to happen,” Allie insisted. “Caius is far too stubborn for that. Besides, I’m used to being an independent woman, and he’s going to want everything his way. There’s no way he’d be willing to compromise.”

  “Well, don’t you think we should at least try to meet his demands when he makes them?”

  “No, I don’t,” she said. “I think we should march right over there and kick some lion butt. Now hurry home so we can do it sooner rather than later. I don’t want Crystal in that place any longer than necessary.”

  “We don’t even know where they’ve taken her, do we?”

  “Of course we do,” Allie scoffed. “I’ve known right where Caius has been all along.”

  “Telepathy?” Betty asked.

  “Telepathy,” Allie confirmed.

  *****

  Even though Allie had insisted that Betty should come straight home so they could gather the warriors for a confrontation, she just couldn’t agree with that decision. She wished there was some way she could contact whoever was guarding the artifact and have them bring it to the lion’s den—if she even knew where that was. Then again, she could easily ask Ted the answer to that question, if only she knew the answer to the first.

  Who had the artifact, and how could she get them to bring it to her?

  There was a dinosaur computer housed in the top of the restaurant which was mostly used to keep the books, but it did have a tentative internet connection on day’s not ending in ‘y’. But necessity called for desperate measures. If Allie was going to hide information about the whereabouts of the artifact, it was likely to be somewhere in her files about it. And Betty knew the password to get into them.

  With a need to act quickly so that she could return to the compound afterwards, she headed up the stairs now, and flipped the on switch to the beast. After about five minutes it was finally booted, and in another two she was finally online. She went straight to the files and searched frantically for some sort of a clue, but to no avail. Then, as she was about to leave in despair, she went into the folder in which they were stored and looked for other folders there.

  “What is all of this?” she gasped as she read about five other names. One of them was called relic, and she went inside. There, she found the names and addresses of three different people. It was obvious from notes in the file that they were the guardians, and the last one listed was Wayne Michaels.

  Stunned, Betty wondered if she could convince him to help her out. She dialed him up and waited for him to answer. “Hey Wayne, this is Betty Cummings. We have a bit of a situation here, and I’m afraid Allie is about to do something rash. I really could use your help.”

  “Yeah, in what way?” he wanted to know.

  “I know that you’ve got the Raven right now, and if you don’t bring it along I’m very worried that something terrible might happen to Crystal,” she blurted out. “King Caius has taken her captive trying to force Allie to make a trade, but she wants to simply attack him. And I don’t know what to do anymore.”

  “Betty, I don’t know how you found me, and I don’t care,” said Wayne. “But you know that I can’t go against orders like that. Besides, how do I know that lion you’ve befriended hasn’t put you up to this?”

  “I understand your concern, Wayne, I really do, but this war is stupid, and my main concern right now is Crystal,” Betty insisted. “Can’t you help a poor girl out?”

  “Can I be honest with you, Betty?” he wanted to know.

  “Of course you can,” she said.

  “I’m as tired of this war as you are,” he replied. “I think it’s high time we put it to an end. If you can put me in touch with your man, I can get the directions from him.”

  Chapter 8

  Both Ted and Wayne came to the restaurant that afternoon so the three of them could talk. Ted thought it was somewhat foolhardy of Betty to go against Allie’s wishes, but in the end he agreed that bringing the artifact to the den was probably for the best. “Maybe if they are both there when he brings it in, they’ll be forced to talk to each other whether they like it or not.”

  “One thing, though,” Wayne cautioned. “The Raven is deep underground. It will take me time to go down there and carry it back up again. Maybe a few hours, even. I’ll want to carry it most of the way there through the ice caves so no one will see what I’m doing—which is what I do with it all the time when it’s in my care. But while I’m gone, the two of you must both behave in the same manner you normally would have done. You can’t let on that anything different is happening. Understood?”

  “Sure,” Betty nodded.

  “So that means when you get home, and Allie demands that you assemble the forces so she can lead you into battle, you’re going to have to do just as she says,” Wayne said. “And if she orders you into battle, then you must fight.”

  “I know that,” said Betty with a frown.

  “And you, Ted, if your father orders you to fight, you’ll have to do it too.”

  “I understand that,” he nodded.

  “Even if you are ordered to fight each other?” Wayne wanted to know.

  The two of them stared at each other uncomfortably, but each nodded dutifully.

  “Whatever it takes,” Betty said.

  “You should head back now,” Ted told her. “She’s already waiting.”

  Betty nodded. “You’re right about that,” she agreed. “I’m going to have to make up some reason for taking so long. I’ll just tell her I had customers I was cooking for when she called.”

  “Betty?”

  “Yeah?”

  “If you have to be fight today—” he began, then looked up and frowned, searching for the right thing to say. “Be safe.”

  Hearing words that would normally come from Allie’s mouth was somewhat disconcerting, but she went with her natural first response and said, “You, too.”

  Ted pulled Betty to him with a smirk. “The next time you make an appointment with the doctor, sweetheart, I’m coming with you. In the open, and with my father’s full knowledge of the event. So you’d better be ready for that, okay?”

  Betty felt happy tears well up in her eyes, and all she could do was nod. In a high, tight voice she said, “I gotta go!”

  She turned and went through the back door, prepped the dogs, and left without seeing Ted again. At the same time, the two men also headed outside. Ted turned the inner lock before they closed the door, so that it locked as it closed.

  “Seems like you’re used to do that now,” Wayne smirked.

  Smirking, Ted said, “Yeah, almost every day for a month, it does become habit I guess.”

  “You’re sure you’re ready to do this?” Wayne wanted to know. “For good or ill, everything will change if we manage to pull this off.”

  “You have your directions, sir,” Ted said with a nod. “You know what part to play. I’m trusting you to arrive in a timely manner, right? The sooner, the better.”

  “I’ll do my best,” he agreed, and then he was gone.

  Ted stepped over to his snowmobile and got into the seat, missing Betty’s warmth behind him since she was often behind him there these days as well. “Here’s hoping that I’m not wrong,” he muttered as he started the engine and headed for home.

  *****

  Allie glared at Betty as she arrived in the sled about an hour later. “What took you so long?” she complained. “Are you trying to be late for our own war and the rescue of your foster sister? I tell you Betty, your behavior lately has been inexcusable. I knew
once that lion got to you, things were going to be this way!”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I can smell him on you, you know that,” she growled. “You’ve been with him recently, too. Probably kissed him good-bye on your way back, didn’t you?”

  Since they hadn’t kissed each other just then, specifically, it was easy enough to answer, “No, I did not.”

  “In any case, I want the troops prepped and ready to go as soon as possible,” she replied. “Do you think you’ll be able to handle that, at least?”

  “Of course I will, Allie,” Betty told her in a hurt tone. “I have never failed to do my duty to this Clan, and I have always followed the orders of its leader. You know that.”

  “Yes, I do,” said Allie, trying to decide whether or not Betty’s specific wording had been on purpose, but dismissing the notion. Even if it had been, since she was the leader, and it was the Clan’s interests that made her take this course of action, it hardly mattered if she was giving her any cheek.

  Betty quickly rallied all the women of the Clan into the common area. Within minutes, all of them were assembled before her and waiting for an explanation. She was quick to tell them the situation. “Crystal has been kidnapped by the lions, and Allie has called for us to follow her to their den to get her back. We travel light, and we travel as bears. We will go on her order, which she is likely to give very soon. Stand ready, and don’t pester me with questions.”

  Knowing better, no one said a word. However, the number of curious looks they gave surpassed even Betty’s expectations. She chose to sit down with her back to them, staring at the exit instead. Allie stepped into the room soon, and nodded her approval at what she found there.

  “Follow me,” she told the assembled forces, and everyone transformed as they headed for the door. Quick and to the point, they set out over the snowy tundra towards their destination. As it turned out, Betty discovered they weren’t very far away from Point Barrow itself, which left her slightly annoyed as she remembered her first date with Ted. What had been the reason he wanted to go under the arched bones with her, if he’d probably seen it so many times before?