Chapter Five
Kesha stared out the window, holding Billy in her lap with Travis at her side. Ice and snow covered the land around them as the multiple four-wheel-drive vehicles plowed down the road. “We should be at our new home soon. Are you two excited? I know I am.” She kissed Billy’s nose and squeezed Travis’s hand.
Billy yawned and laid his head on her shoulder. “Will we be living with them?” He pointed to Valentine, Marcus and Bruno.
“Yes. I told you all about them, remember? They’re my mates and they’re going to be your fathers.” Kesha sighed as Billy flinched and squeezed her neck.
“Are they going to be bad daddies?” His tiny, scared voice was tearful.
Her heart ached and she closed her eyes.
“Not to worry, little, wolf it will take time, but eventually they’ll trust us.” Bruno’s strong voice spoke in her head, startling her. She looked up at Bruno, who turned in his seat and smiled at Billy. “Billy, I promise you no one is ever going to hurt you or your brother again. The five of us won’t allow it.”
Valentine lifted Travis into his lap and smiled down at him. “I think you two are going to love living here. We can take you fishing and swimming in the summer. We have snowmobiles, and we can teach you how to ski, or we can also go ice fishing.”
Travis stared up at his face. “What’s ice fishing? Are the fish froze?”
Valentine laughed and roughed up his hair. “No, it’s where you cut a hole in the ice and put your fishing line down in the deep water where the fish hide so they won’t freeze.”
“That would be fun. We don’t know how to ski, but we saw someone on TV do it. Are we really going to do all those things?”
“Yes, Travis, we’ll all teach you different things. Look, there’s your new home.” Valentine pointed out the window of the SUV to a large A-frame cabin.
“Wow, that place is huge. It looks like a ski lodge.” Kesha studied the home that was surrounded by woods and lakes. She couldn’t wait to see what animals were out there. “Look, Billy, see all those woods? Maybe after we get settled, I’ll take you two out to introduce you to all the different animals. Would you like that?”
He smiled and nodded as they pulled up in front of the house. Bruno got out on the passenger side and opened her door before reaching for Billy. She held her breath as Billy tensed and glanced up at him.
“I won’t hurt you, Billy. You’re going to have to try and trust us. I know it’s scary. You know that we’re all scared too, right? We’re afraid you won’t want us to be your daddies, that we’ll do something wrong, but we’re going to try real hard. Can you do that too?”
Billy slowly relaxed in his arms and laid his head down on Bruno’s chest, nodding.
“That’s our boy. Now come on, it’s late and we need to get you two tucked in for the night.” Bruno glanced at Travis. “Have you two eaten tonight?”
Travis shook his head.
“Well, then, we better get you something to eat too before bed.”
Kesha smiled as Bruno led the boys up the stairs to the house. Sergeant and Nora jumped out of the SUV and raced around in the snow, biting it. She wrapped Valentine’s coat tighter around her and smiled up at him and Marc as they wrapped their arms around her and urged her forward.
“Come on,” Marc said. “Let’s get you inside before you freeze. We’re going to have to take you shopping. I didn’t see one winter thing in your suitcase.”
Kesha laughed. “I didn’t have much time to get ready. I was going to go shopping tomorrow. Before you guys showed up.”
They stepped into the house and she stopped walking, staring at her surroundings. A large winding staircase led upstairs while the hallway curved around into a family room.
“Kesha, this is my mother, Andrea, and my father, Franco.” Valentine squeezed her hand as Andrea stepped forward and hugged her.
“Welcome to the family, Kesha. I have food set up in the kitchen for you all.” She pulled back, smiling at the boys. “I even have some hot dogs and french fries for these guys.” She ruffled Travis’s hair.
“Thank you so much. I’m sorry to put you out,” Kesha said.
Andrea patted Kesha’s arm and hooked it in hers.
“Nonsense. That’s what families are for. Now the boys’ room is upstairs, two doors down from yours. There are two twin beds in there, and I found some of Valentine’s and his brothers’ old toys to put in there for them too. We’ll go shopping tomorrow for clothes and things you three need. Plus, we need to find you a dress for the dance and your bonding ceremony,” Valentine’s mom rambled as she led them all into the open kitchen. A fireplace burned at the back of the room, and a square shaped table that sat 12 was covered with food.
“Dance?” She looked at Bruno and Valentine as they sat the boys at the table and began filling plates of food for them.
“It’s our local Valentine’s Day dance. We thought it would be perfect for the bonding ceremony. All our families are coming in for the ceremony. Everything is already planned.” Bruno grinned and kissed her.
“And what would have happened if I’d turned out to be a toad, or a total bitch? Then what?”
“Well, then we would have our families here for the dance anyway, but it turned out fine. We even have sons now. What more can a man ask for?”
Marc stepped behind her and helped her out of Valentine’s coat. “Sit and eat. You need to build your strength back up.”
Valentine’s father glanced at his son, then at Bruno, laughing. “I see you five don’t wait. Well, congratulations.” He patted his son on the back, looking at Kesha.
Her face heated and she stared down at her food.
Andrea slapped her husband’s arm. “Franco, knock it off. You’re embarrassing the girl.”
“Marc, could you go get Sergeant and Nora? They’re not used to the cold, and I don’t want them out there too long.” Kesha smiled up at him as he leaned down to kiss her nose.
“No problem. Now eat.”
“Who are Sergeant and Nora?” Andrea glanced at her, then at Valentine as Kesha’s dogs came running into the kitchen, slid across the floor trying to stop, and ran smack into Franco, sending him flying onto his ass.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” Kesha got up and ran to him. “Are you okay? Sergeant, Nora, you know better,” she cried.
Franco looked up at her and started laughing. “Honey, don’t worry about it.” He stood and pulled her up into his arms. “I have a feeling this old house is going to finally feel like a home once more. Now, introduce me to your pets.” He knelt with her.
“Sergeant, Nora, come here and meet Franco.” They slowly crawled up to them and licked Franco’s hand.
“My God, they’re huge.”
“Yes, they’re bigger than the normal Rottweiler. Nora is expecting pups next month.”
Franco grinned and glanced at his wife. “What do you think? Can I have one?”
Andrea laughed and patted his hand. “We’ll see, dear. Now, go eat, Kesha, before the food gets cold.”
“Did you bring in their food and toys?” Kesha sat at the table and looked at Valentine.
“Yes. I swear, you spoil those animals. Their bag is bigger than yours.” Valentine sat next to her and piled some potatoes on her plate with a large steak.
She just shrugged. “I don’t need much.” Kesha glanced at the boys and laughed. Billy and Travis hadn’t said a word before they began stuffing food down their throats. “Easy, guys, there’s plenty of food and no one is going to take it away.”
Bruno glanced up at her. “He took their food?” He growled.
Kesha nodded and watched Bruno place another hot dog on each of their plates.
“I’m sure we have cookies around here too.” He got up and searched the cupboard, then pulled out a bag of Oreos, smiling. “Here’s dessert for when you’re finished.” He placed the cookies in front of them, and the boys’ eyes widened in surprise and delight.
“Are y
ou sure?” Travis asked Bruno.
Bruno looked over at Kesha with tears in his eyes. “No one is taking our boys.” He looked back at Billy and Travis. “Yes, I’m sure, but only two each tonight. It’s late and I don’t want you to have a bellyache.”
Kesha and Andrea watched the men fussed over the boys. When Travis and Billy finally yawned, she stood up. “It’s time for bed, you two. You can play more tomorrow.” She grabbed Billy’s hand and held out her hand for Travis. He smiled up at her.
“I like our new home. Do you think Sergeant can sleep in our room?”
“I don’t see why not. Sergeant, you and Nora want to sleep with the boys tonight?” They barked, waving their stubby tails. “Well, I guess they do.”
“Come on, I’ll show you the way. Bruno, Valentine, Marc, grab the suitcases. We might as well take them all up.” Andrea picked up Travis and made her way up the winding staircase. At the top, she turned left. “The rooms on the right side are guest rooms. Your bedrooms are going to all be down here.” She gestured down the hallway to the left.
Andrea opened the first door. “This is Andre and Leon’s room. Over there, across from them, is one of the bathrooms.” She moved down to the next door on the left, opened it and stepped inside the room.
“This room is for the boys.” She put Travis down, and he ran to the overflowing toy chest.
Billy hurried after his brother. “Are these for us?”
Valentine strolled into the room and laid their suitcases on the floor. “Yep, those are all for you two. They used to be my toys when I was small.”
Travis’ eyes widened. “You’re giving us your toys. Don’t you want them?”
“No, Travis. You and Billy can have them now.” Valentine kneeled at his side, and Travis threw his arms around him, crying.
“Thank you.”
Billy grabbed the teddy bear and hugged it, smiling up at Valentine. “Can I sleep with him?”
Valentine nodded as Billy slowly circled his arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “I promise to take real good care of him,” he whispered and ran to Kesha, showing her his bear. “Look at what I have. I’ve always wanted a teddy bear.”
Kesha kneeled and kissed him. “Good. Now why don’t we get your PJs on? Because I sure am tired.” She grabbed their suitcase and opened it, then pulled out their Batman PJs and the toothbrushes she’d bought them last week.
For the next half hour, Kesha and Andrea got the boys settled down and into their beds. Valentine, Marc, Bruno, Leon and Andre each came in and hugged the boys, promising they would go shopping tomorrow for new clothes so they could play outside.
Kesha sat on Travis’ bed and smiled down at him. “My room is down at the end of the hallway if you need me. Also, all you have to do is tell Sergeant or Nora to come get me and they will.”
Travis curled up on his side and glanced at his brother. “We’re going to be safe now, aren’t we?” He smiled at her.
“Yes, Travis, I’m not going to let anyone hurt you or take you away. I love the both of you very much.”
He jumped up and hugged her. “Billy was right. You’re going to be a great mom.”
Her throat closed and tears dripped down her face. “Come on, in bed with ya.” She tucked him back into bed and watched as Nora and Sergeant curled up by the toy box.
Closing their door a little as she stepped into the hallway, Kesha stared up at Bruno. He wiped her tears away.
“You are an amazing woman. We’re all very lucky to have you in our life. Come on, why don’t you take a nice hot bath and soak? I know you’re still sore from earlier.” He picked her up and carried her down the hall to her bedroom.
Bruno stepped into the room and she gasped, looking around. A large fireplace was crackling to life as Valentine worked on getting it blazing. Marc was hanging up her clothes in the walk-in closet. She stared at the four-poster bed and smiled. The bedspread had an image of a dragon on it. In fact, the whole room had a Gothic theme. When she turned to the right, she saw Andre and Leon in the master bathroom.
“Now if you don’t like the room, we can change it around for you. Go on, Leon and Andre have your bath all ready for you.” Bruno lowered Kesha to her feet and patted her butt before pushing her toward the bathroom.
“You won’t touch a thing in this room. I love it.” She grinned back at him and stepped into the bathroom. Jazz music played on the MP3 player, candles were lit all around the room, and the garden-style tub was filled with hot, bubbly water.
Andre stepped up to her and pulled her shirt off while Leon reached around her and pulled her pants down. “Get in, baby. I even put special salts in the tub to ease the soreness.”
“You know, a girl can get used to this real quick.” She sank into the tub and moaned.
“Don’t worry, baby, we’ll be taking great care of you.” Leon lifted her head and placed a bath pillow behind her neck. “Now rest while we take care of business. We’ll all be downstairs if you need anything.” He leaned over, kissed her lips and then slipped out of the door with Andre, leaving her alone.
* * *
Valentine walked across the family room and poured himself a shot of bourbon from the minibar. “Her father is on his way here as we speak. He doesn’t trust Walter.” He turned and glared at Bruno.
“Please tell me he’s not bringing his daughter and wife. I swear if that woman lays a hand on Kesha…” Leon growled and curled up next to Andre.
“No, they’re not coming. They’re on their way to her mother’s house for the week. Hael agreed with me that it would be best to keep them apart for now.” Bruno moved to Leon’s side and slipped his hand around Leon’s neck and rubbed it.
“You’re nervous about something.” Bruno stepped in front of Valentine.
“I’ve done some checking, and I found out for sure that Billy and Travis were Walter’s children. Their mother seems to have disappeared. Everyone is watching his next move, but someone is helping him, and no one knows who. We have to take Kesha into town tomorrow, and it’s going to be risky.” Valentine gulped down his drink.
“I take it you had called the pack to let them and everyone in town to be on high alert?”
“Yes, everyone knows.” Valentine looked over at door to their master suit and frowned. “Shouldn’t Kesha have been down here already?” Valentine asked.
Marc flew into the room. “I can’t find Kesha anywhere. Your coat is gone, and so are your boots. I think she went out the back door.”
Valentine slammed his cup down on a table and tore out of the room. The other men followed him as he ran to the backyard. His heart beat a mile a minute as he followed her footprints in the snow, which lead right toward the woods.
The five of them spread out and slowly made their way into the trees, following her tracks. Valentine stopped five minutes later when he saw Kesha in a small clearing petting a grizzly bear. Animals of all sizes sat around her chatting.
“They came to greet me! Isn’t it amazing?” She laughed and twirled around, grinning from ear to ear. Her hair was wet, the coat hung open and she only had a T-shirt and boots on underneath, but she just was as happy as could be.
Bruno growled and slowly moved up to her. “Do you know how worried we were? Anyone could have taken a potshot at you, and look at you. You’re going to catch pneumonia out here like this.”
The bear rose onto his hind legs and snarled.
“No, it’s okay. They’re my mates. They were just worried about me.” She looked behind her and patted his chest. “You all better go now. Remember what I said? Watch out for any strangers.” Kesha turned back to her mates as they all surrounded her as the animals all walked away. “I’m sorry, but they were calling to me. I couldn’t ignore them. They can help us protect the house.”
Valentine swept her up in his arms and marched back to the house. When they were all inside, he set her down in front of the fireplace, then stripped off her coat and boots and wrapped a blanket around her. No one sai
d a word as he waited till he knew she was warm again.
He sat down on the chair and pulled her onto his lap, where he flipped her over onto her stomach and lifted her T-shirt.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she yelled as his hand came down on her bare ass.
“You will not go outside without an escort. Is that understood? Didn’t I tell you that earlier?” He smacked her ass three more times while holding her arms down. “You have five men and two children who love you, and you do something this stupid?” Valentine ground his teeth and spanked her four more times before he lifted her up and shook her.
“Do you even realize the danger you’re in?” Tears streamed down her face as she looked around the room in silence. “Answer me, Kesha.”
“Yes, I know the danger I’m in. That’s why I had to ask for help.” She glared at him.
He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “You explain it, Bruno, because I’m ready to swing her back over my knees.” He gently pushed her toward Bruno, who was sitting on the couch, and he pulled her into his arms.
“Kesha, just ask us before you go outside anymore, please. We can’t risk losing you. That’s all we want. We would have loved to have gone out with you.” He wiped the tears from her face.
“I can do that. I’m sorry I worried you, but I really didn’t think I was in danger out there.” She looked back at Valentine. “I’m sorry. I didn’t do it to go against what you said earlier. I was just excited.”
Bruno turned her back around to face him. “Your father should be here in an hour. He’ll be staying with us until the dance.”
Valentine watched her body tense.
“Are Nesa and Debbie coming with him?” she snarled.
“No, your father sent them to her mothers for the week.” Bruno stood, placed Kesha on the couch and strolled over to the bar. “Do you want a drink? It might help warm you up.”
Kesha moved over to the window and stared outside. “No thanks, I don’t drink, not even wine. It makes me sick. I think I’m allergic to alcohol.” She moved away from the window and walked toward the kitchen. “I think I’ll make some hot chocolate. Andrea told me there was some above the stove. Anyone want any?”
Valentine s Circle of Love Page 4
