Her Midnight Wedding (Keeper's Kin Book 2)

by Beth Alvarez

  “He’d have to go through me, first. But that ain’t gonna happen, so don’t worry. Now that I got proof you’re under control, we’ll get things sorted out.” Or at least, Kade hoped they would.

  Brady gave a stiff nod. “What do I need to do until then?”

  Beyond the stall, the barn door creaked.

  Kade checked the holster at his hip, relieved to see the pistol was still there. “Make sure you’re covered. We’ve got company.”

  THIRTEEN

  * * *

  BLOOD SPATTERS MARRED the floor. A long trail of crimson ended in a dried pool in front of an open stall. Dread settled in Felicity’s stomach. “They were definitely here,” she murmured, slipping inside. She almost pulled the door shut behind her, but Cole grabbed it before she could.

  “Leave it open. Might still be in here.” Cole shifted his finger to the trigger of his rifle, sliding into the barn behind her. With the way he was dressed, he looked more like a desert soldier prepared for a dust storm than a regular hunter. She didn’t know much about his history, but from the way he moved, she thought that guess might not be far off. The shemagh wrapped around his head kept the sun off, but was considerably more suspicious than the cowboy hat and bandanas Kade relied on for the same thing. It was a good thing they hadn’t run into anyone in their trek across the ranch. They’d come close.

  He squinted into the farthest shadows, then searched the floor. “What’s this?” He took two steps forward, then knelt to pick up a smart phone with a shattered screen. Clicking the buttons did nothing.

  Felicity took it from his hand. If it hadn’t matched hers, she might not have recognized it. It was too new. “No wonder he didn’t return my calls.” She slid it into the back pocket of her jeans, raising her voice. “Kade?”

  Something moved in the barn and Cole snapped his rifle toward the sound. Felicity prepared to run if a monster answered. Instead, she shoved Cole’s gun out of the way and darted forward when Kade rounded the corner.

  Dried blood marred his chest and shoulders and made the saturated bandages around his neck sag. He put up his hands—she’d seen that gesture for her to settle enough to find it comforting—but she still threw herself against him and wrapped her arms around his middle.

  “What happened? Are you all right?” She caught his chin in her hand and turned his head to inspect his neck. She wasn’t even surprised that he’d lost his shirt but managed to keep his Stetson.

  “It looks worse than it is.” His voice was husky, but it sounded like weariness rather than injury. He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, his eyes flicking to Cole. “Had a little mishap. My buddy mistook me for you.”

  “Is he here?” Cole pulled a dark bottle of blood from his jacket. They’d retrieved it from the fridge before setting out to search the ranch.

  Kade took it, nodding. “Don’t know how the mix-up happened. Lord knows I’m more attractive.”

  Felicity snorted. “Good to see your humor is intact.” She started past him, but he put a hand on her chest and gently rerouted her.

  “Give him a minute,” Kade murmured. “He ain’t wearin’ a stitch, and I’d prefer to be the only man you see that way.”

  “Looks like you guys had a pretty good scuffle,” Cole said, inspecting the marks on the floor. “You sure he’s not-”

  “If he were dangerous, Kade wouldn’t be standing here talking to us about it,” Felicity interjected.

  Behind them, someone quietly cleared their throat. “If y’all would excuse me, I’d like to get this taken care of so I can go get my pants.”

  She blinked, stepping away from Kade. “Brady?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He shifted awkwardly, holding tight to the bloodstained blue plaid tied around his waist.

  Cole studied him for a moment, tension filling the air between the two men. Brady wasn’t a coward, but he looked close to shrinking. Felicity couldn’t blame him. Dressed as he was, with nothing but his eyes showing, Cole made an intimidating figure. With or without a rifle.

  As if sensing her thoughts—something that made her uncomfortable, knowing Kade could—Cole lowered his rifle’s stock to the floor. “Seems we had a bit of a miscommunication. I’m sorry, man. Nothing personal.”

  “No offense taken,” Brady said, though he glanced away. His ears were red. A side effect of his near-nudity, no doubt. “I mean, I did almost rip Kade’s throat out. I suppose the whole thing was... a little dangerous.” He shot Felicity an apologetic look.

  “Well, Danger’s my middle name, or something like that,” Kade muttered, opening the bottle of blood and taking a swig.

  Cole cocked his head. “I thought it was Gabriel.”

  Felicity turned to look at her fiancé. “Is it really?”

  “You didn’t know that?” Cole asked, surprised.

  “I didn’t know, either,” Brady said.

  “Surprised the whole world doesn’t know, since I let Miss Gertie have a look at my license.” Kade rolled his eyes, hooking an arm around Felicity’s waist as he took another drink.

  She nestled into his grasp, closing her eyes for a moment of peace. It wouldn’t last long, but she’d take what she could get. Then she poked Kade’s ribs, trying not to look cross. “I’m taking you back to the house.”

  He almost choked on his drink, catching himself at the last moment. His face screwed up when that mouthful went down hard. “What about your dress?”

  “I’ll send it home with Regina. If I don’t get you patched up properly, I might not need it.” She wanted to peel the bandages off his neck and have a better look now, but so long as he was up and moving, she supposed he’d be all right.

  “Heading back is probably a good idea,” Cole said. “I’m going to have to talk to Justine about all this. She might call me back to Nashville right away.”

  That left Brady, shifting on his feet and clutching the shirt around his waist a little tighter. “What about me?”

  Cole scoffed. “Unless Felicity’s got a massive kennel hidden away in that big house, it’s probably better if you stay away from people.”

  “That’s a bit harsh, but I think he’s right.” Kade’s arm tightened around Felicity. “After last night, it’s probably better if you spend some time hidin’ in the crops instead of on the range. Where’d you leave your things?”

  “In my truck,” Brady said. “I knew it was coming, so I went out to the other side of the ranch and found somewhere hidden to park. I can get some more clothes from the bunkhouse, but...”

  “I have a couple outfits with my gear,” Cole said. “I’ll let you borrow whatever you need. I’m sure you won’t want to march back to the ranch house dressed like that.”

  How they were going to get Kade back to the Hilltop House without drawing attention, Felicity didn’t know. “I think we should split up for now. I can get the truck and get us back to the house to clean up while Cole’s getting something for Brady to wear.” That he was a werewolf somehow didn’t even faze her. They’d already concluded it was one of the cowboys—which had taken the edge off the discovery—but after coming to terms with having the living dead for a significant other, it seemed so minor.

  “Probably better if none of us are seen like this,” Brady agreed, though he eyed Cole with uncertainty.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not in the business of hunting healthy people. Just monsters.” Cole passed his gun to Kade, holding his hands up with palms out. Felicity doubted he was weaponless, but with the rifle in Kade’s hands, Brady seemed to relax.

  “I know it’ll take you a bit to get over the hard feelings, but Cole’s one of the good guys,” Kade said. “I’ve got some contacts who can help you get used to all this, learn more about what you can do and how to keep hold of yourself, but it’s going to take a bit to get somethin’ worked out.”

  “And I’ll need you to speak to my Keeper,” Cole added. “She’ll have questions for you. She won’t strike the contract until she’s heard for herself that yo
u’re not a threat to anyone’s safety.”

  “Sounds like we have a plan, then.” Felicity glanced between them, then patted Kade’s stomach. “I’ll go get your truck.”

  “I’ll keep these two from killing each other,” Kade replied, and she wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not.

  The three of them were still alive when she returned with the truck, even sharing some amicable banter. Getting everyone out of the barn without exposure proved a bit more of a challenge. Kade reclaimed his bloodied shirt while Brady hid in the back stall of the barn. That got Kade to the truck, at least. Cole jumped in the back for a ride to his SUV, promising to retrieve Brady—and bandage up his hip. A doctor would have been a better solution, but Felicity couldn’t blame him for not wanting to come up with a cover story.

  “Dad’s helping Penny at the bakery,” Felicity said as they traded places and Kade took the driver’s seat. She didn’t mind driving, but he enjoyed it. From the look on his face, the comfortable familiarity of his truck’s wheel in his hands was just what he needed.

  “At least there’s that.” He sighed, falling silent for the rest of the trip.

  He parked at the back of the Hilltop House, slipping through the shadows to the back door. Felicity unlocked it and let them in.

  “We need to get you upstairs and cleaned up,” she murmured. “I want to have a look at your neck.” He’d managed to drink everything in the bottle they’d brought before they left the barn, so his healing would be accelerated, but she still worried over the lingering injuries. He hadn’t yet recovered from his run-in with Nick. How was she supposed to stand him getting himself hurt this often?

  Kade touched the bandages around his throat, his fingers exploring under the collar of his ruined shirt. “It ain’t as bad as it looks right now. Soon as I get a shower, I’ll let you have a look. With any luck, we won’t-”

  “Jesus!” Owen gasped from the top of the stairs, staring down at the two of them.

  “Never mind,” Kade mumbled. Felicity took his arm, giving him a gentle, comforting squeeze.

  His brother made it halfway down the stairs before his expression twisted with disgust, his concern replaced with the realization Kade was up and walking instead of sitting in a hospital.

  “The life of a ranch hand,” Felicity said with a smile.

  Neither of the men appeared to appreciate the humor.

  “What happened?” Owen asked, his voice cracking. For a second, Felicity thought he looked ill. He was a city boy; he probably wasn’t used to seeing things like this. Even before she’d gotten involved with a vampire, she’d seen her share of roughed-up cowboys.

  “None of your beeswax,” Kade growled, nudging Felicity up the stairs.

  “He’s fine,” she said as they slipped past his brother, hoping to take off the edge.

  Owen didn’t seem reassured.

  Kade all but slammed the door behind them. He didn’t waste any time, peeling off his shirt and flinging it at the small trash can beside the bed.

  Her shoulders slumped. That was a far cry from joking with the guys in the barn. “You were just fine at the ranch. What happened?”

  “I got mauled by a lycan I was tryin’ to protect. It’d be easier if I’d just needed to shoot him and send the body home with Cole. This is harder. Now we know for sure that things ain’t right back at headquarters.” He picked at the gauze on his arm, growing agitated when he couldn’t find the taped edge. “Now there’s no escapin’ that we’re gonna have to work things out with the Keepers. And since I went and got myself involved, I can’t shrug it all off on Cole and Justine.”

  Felicity moved his hands out of the way, gently peeling the bandage from his arm. “A little trouble with the Keepers is worth what you’ve done for Brady, I’d say.” A year ago, she would have been left reeling just thinking about what the cowboy was going through. Even now, there was a disconnect in her head between the Brady she knew—the friendly cowboy who secretly preferred delicate French pastries over the cinnamon rolls and turnovers the other ranch hands enjoyed—and the Brady who could turn into a monster and maul her husband-to-be. He’d still seemed so normal in the barn. Aside from being naked, that was; warmth blossomed in her cheeks when she thought of that. It had been awkward, but it hadn’t changed anything. She wondered if it would.

  “I should’ve known it was him,” Kade muttered, examining the burns. “As soon as he asked me about the wolfsbane, I should have known.”

  Felicity blinked. “What wolfsbane?”

  “I don’t have any silver, and Thaddeus wouldn’t send it to me. I’d hoped to find some wolfsbane to use on bullets, just in case I ended up wrong and the werewolf wasn’t one of the boys.” The dismissive tone he used indicated he’d never considered that an actual possibility, but hadn’t wanted to leave any bases uncovered. “I asked Miss Gertie about it. She suggested larkspur. I guess it’s similar, but since it didn’t seem to do anythin’ to Brady, maybe it ain’t similar enough.”

  “Or maybe whatever it did to him already ran its course. Even cattle that get into larkspur usually recover within a day or so if it’s not enough to kill them, don’t they?” She reached for the bandage at his throat, then changed her mind. They’d cut through that one and soak it off. With how saturated it appeared to be, she didn’t think pulling it was a good idea.

  “Sometimes. Or maybe it just didn’t put enough of the poison in his system, since it wasn’t much more than a graze.” Kade pulled his belt free, tossing it to the bed before reaching for the zipper of his jeans.

  Felicity turned away.

  “Oh, you gonna be all shy now?” A hint of a spark returned to Kade’s hazel eyes. “Nothin’ in there you haven’t seen.”

  “And none of it’s going to be sexy while you’re covered in blood.” She paced toward the bed, sitting down with her arms crossed.

  “Fine,” he sighed, but a touch of humor had returned to his voice. “I’ll wash up, then I’ll let you play doctor on me.” He stole close enough to kiss her forehead, brushing a hand through her brown hair. He spared her the strip show, keeping his jeans on as he headed for the bathroom, but the way he chuckled as he closed the door made her suspect he’d caught that image in her head.

  She’d likely never get used to that oddity, though a few practical—and a few purely selfish—uses for it came to mind.

  “I heard that,” Kade called from the shower, and her cheeks turned fiery red.

  Unwilling to fuel the fire, she tugged his phone from her pocket and pulled open one of the drawers on the nightstand. It was one of many places that had become a catch-all for things that didn’t belong anywhere else. As a bed-and-breakfast, the Hilltop House had amassed quite a collection of forgotten cables and chargers, and this was just one drawer that held them. With so many to choose from, she figured they had to have a replacement for the charger he’d left in the bunkhouse. She only tried two before she found one that worked for Kade’s phone. The shattered screen blinked on, displaying an indicator the battery was too low for use.

  At least he wouldn’t have to replace it. He’d told her once that he didn’t keep a phone because of how short-lived they were when he worked with cattle. That had been before she’d known he was dead. Somehow, she doubted the cattle had been responsible for many at all.

  The moment the phone powered on, a slew of text messages and missed calls from her number popped up. She snorted a laugh at the seemingly uncharacteristic use of heart icons before and after her name.

  “You never stop surprising me,” Felicity murmured, putting the phone screen-down on the nightstand. She considered slipping out and giving him some privacy, but she didn’t like the idea of leaving him to change his bandages alone. Instead, she slid to the floor, rooting around underneath the bed until she found the spare first aid kit he kept there. They hadn’t needed it often; aside from occasional scrapes and bruises, his job on the ranch didn’t seem particularly hazardous. In spite what she’d told Owen.


  The shower shut off and she picked up the little box of medical supplies, slinking to the bathroom door. It popped open just as she reached it.

  “All right,” Kade said, pulling the door open a shade. “Let me know what you think.”

  He wore a towel around his waist, and Felicity couldn’t help the flashback to the midnight encounter that first ended with her in his bed. She blushed, but he didn’t seem to have caught that thought. He wiped condensation from the mirror and counters with a spare towel, then made space beside the sink for her to put down the first aid kit. After months to get used to it, she didn’t often notice his lack of a reflection anymore. If it weren’t for his polite after-shower cleanup, she didn’t think she’d have noticed this time, either.

  Putting down the plastic box, she popped open the lid and fished out a small pair of scissors. “Let’s have a look.” The bandage around his neck was even more disgusting now that it was soaking wet, but she did her best not to cringe. It peeled away easily, though a few of the wounds did reopen. The crimson trails that trickled down his throat struck her as ironic.

  Kade offered her a washcloth, already dampened, and lifted his chin for her to wipe him clean. She sponged the injuries, standing on tip-toe to inspect them.

  “It could definitely be worse,” Felicity concluded, reaching for fresh bandaging. “I’m surprised it wasn’t, honestly.” If he hadn’t already been bandaged up, some of those tooth marks might have been enough to kill him. She shook the thought from her head, wrapping him with fresh gauze.

  He didn’t speak, but his eyes could have bored holes through her. The fiery intensity of his stare left her hot and flustered.

  She tried to ignore it. “I need to get you a bathrobe.” Heaven forbid she look down, though his hard muscles tempted her eyes.

  “Towel works fine,” Kade murmured. He brushed his hand over her hair, twisting strands around his fingers.

  She did not want to look down at his towel. She rinsed the washcloth and laid it out to dry on the edge of the sink instead. “I’m sure you’re tired. Why don’t you get some rest before you go back to the bunkhouse?” It had to be difficult to sleep there; at least he had blackout curtains here in the suite.