Kylan: Prince of Tigers – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “Dad?” He shook his head at Rowan when she opened her eyes and looked at him. “Roger Jackson. He’s over there.”

  Telling the other cop what Rowan had said, the man’s body was found under the filing cabinet just to the right of what used to be the desk she used. Telling her that he had her, Roone told her to keep quiet until the medics got there.

  “Might not make it.” He told her she damned well better. “Came in the back door. Fired at Dad, then me. In the living room.” He asked her again to be quiet. “Listen to me. Looking for guns. I made sure he found mine. Shot him to hell and back.”

  Her attempt at humor was just like his sister. When the chips were down, he knew she’d make a joke. She told him in broken sentences what had happened. Jackson wanted guns and figured a cop would have plenty. If he’d gotten to the basement, he would have found her safe, but getting into it would have been impossible.

  The medics started to work on her as soon as they got there. Roone didn’t leave the room even when ordered to. She was his sister, and there wasn’t any way he was going to leave her now. The police worked in the other parts of the house while he waited on them to tell him she was going to make it. Or if she wasn’t. No one, it seemed, wanted to make that call.

  “Agent Bronson, do you have any idea why someone would target your family?” Roone told the cop what Rowan had told him. “Does she have guns on the premises?”

  He told the man he didn’t live there. He knew she had guns, a great deal of them. They had been their dad’s and his dad’s before him. They were a family of cops. He was the only one that had gone a slightly different direction and became a Fed. But he would never volunteer that sort of information to anyone. Not if he could help it.

  As they rolled her out of the room, he followed. When one of the officers that pulled him over earlier stopped him, a thought occurred to him. He would have been there, too, had they not pulled him over. He didn’t know if that meant he would have been killed too or could have helped his family, but he asked the man what he needed.

  “I’m sorry.” Roone told him he had to go. “You might have saved her. You could have been here when someone broke in.”

  “I might well have been killed as well. She’ll be fine. I can’t help but think that. All right?”

  He was out the door before anyone else could talk to him. His dad was gone too, he remembered at the last second, and wondered what the hell he was going to do if something happened to his sister.

  Driving to the hospital, he made some phone calls. First, he called Margie, their older sister. She said she’d meet him at the hospital. Then he called Micky, his younger sister. Micky was younger than he was by only eleven months. She said she’d get a ride with Margie and would see him there. None of them asked about Dad, and he didn’t tell them yet. Just them worrying about Rowan was hard enough. Calling his brother, he had to wait for several minutes before he was able to come to the phone. Mark worked at the hospital he was headed to.

  “She’s on her way up to surgery. It’s bad—you know that, don’t you?” He said he was the one that had found her. “I guess you’ve heard that Dad didn’t make it. Christ, this is a nightmare. What the fuck would they want shooting up an old man and our sister?”

  “Guns.” Mark told him he had to go, that the ER was busy, and Roone said he’d be there in five minutes. Just as he was walking in the door, he saw his sisters pulling in too. Pulling out his cell phone, he called the other two siblings. They were a large family, he thought with a small grin. Calling Jeff and Winnie, he figured by the time they arrived, everyone in the county would know that Rowan had been shot. He hated to tell them about Dad, but it had been left up to him to spread the news. Roone also called Rowan’s boss and friend of the family.

  “I just heard. I’m so sorry for your loss, Roone. You need anything to help that girl along, you tell me.” He said he would. “She’s just too stubborn to die, you know that, don’t you? That red hair of hers, it’s not just for show. Rowan has a temper like nobody has ever seen before, I tell you that.”

  “I’ve called the rest of them in. We’re all redheads, you know.” He said he knew that too and thought their parents must have been saints to have so many high tempered people in one household. “Mostly, it was Micky and Rowan that were high tempered. I have to go, my sisters are needing me, sir. I’ll keep you updated. Mark said they took her right up to surgery, and we might not hear anything for a while.”

  “You do that, son. You keep me informed.”

  Roone made sure he had his cell phone number. Hanging up after getting told everyone was praying for his sister, Roone prepared himself for a long wait. She couldn’t die. Not her. She was his other half. His twin in all things.

  There was no word coming from the operating room. Mark called him twice, once to tell him he was working over and would be up soon. Then the second time, to let him know that Dad’s body had arrived and they were going to perform an autopsy on it as soon as possible. He had told the others Dad had been murdered but kept the fact that Dad had suffered badly to himself.

  The surgery took seven hours to finish up. The surgeon, via his nurse, told them she’d be down to see them as soon as she got Rowan set up in ICU. The nurse that had spoken to them said she’d not been in the operating room, so had no information to give them. It was just as well, he thought. She’d not be able to answer any of the harder questions he knew Mark would ask. He was a stickler for details.

  They were taken to a large room that had a single table, as well as a couple of vending machines. Once they were all seated, he got up and put the pocket full of change he’d taken from his car into the machine and got all of them drinks. It had been a long night so far, and he, for one, could use a little pick up in the way of some caffeine. The doctor, Doctor Margery Fleming, came in just as he was getting himself another drink.

  “I’m not one to pull punches here, so if that’s the way you want it, in bits and pieces, you might as well leave the room now.” No one moved. “Good. All right. Rowan was shot a total of eight times. I’ve taken out six of the bullets, but the others didn’t stick around. Through and through is all I can figure. She was shot twice in the chest, once in both knees, as well as in her left elbow. There were two to her head, as well as one that hit her in her left hand. He was bound and determined, it looks like to me, that she suffered. She has lost a great deal of blood, so if you all wouldn’t mind giving a little back to us, that’ll be great.”

  Doctor Fleming pulled out photos and handed them around to them. “While I don’t normally take pictures of my patients, I was asked to do so by the officer in charge of the investigation. As you can see from the photos there, the bullet to her head was what worried me the most. However, after starting there, we ascertained that no brain damage was evident so far. The bullet only cracked her skull but didn’t penetrate her brain.” He asked about the chest wounds. “Did you notice that she had on her vest when you found her, Agent? It wasn’t done up, buckled in place, so I’m assuming when she heard the shots that took your father, she pulled it on. Smart chicky there.”

  He’d not noticed but remembered seeing it now that it was mentioned. Letting out a long breath, he felt like she might just make it after all. The doctor was talking about the next forty-eight hours and what it would mean for her. Mark had more questions, but the one they all heard him ask was what they wanted to hear.

  “Will she make it? I honestly have no idea. She’s young, strong, and in great shape. However, as I said, she’s been shot to fuck and lost a great deal of blood.” Roone asked the doctor what her odds were. “Sixty/forty that she won’t make it. I’m very sorry. I wish I had better odds, but as I said, the next two days will tell us a great deal.”

  “She’ll make it. Simply because the odds are against her that she won’t.” He grinned at Micky when she spoke up. “My dad, he was brought in. Do you have any information
on how he was murdered?”

  “No. I know the coroner and that he’s damned good at his job. However, I was told this was a drug-related crime. That someone was looking for guns to sell. I don’t buy that. I’ve seen a lot of people suffer for a great deal more than just a few guns. There is more to this than what the police are saying.” She looked at him. “You’re a cop too, I’ve heard. I’d keep an open mind if I were you, Roone. Something just ain’t right in the pudding I’ve been served.”

  “Thank you for that.”

  She left them there, telling them she was going to check on Rowan again. After she was gone, Roone called Jeff to let him know what they knew. He said he and Winnie would be landing in twenty minutes, then they’d come straight there.

  Roone hated to take them away from their work, but he was thrilled that they dropped everything to be there. They were close, he thought. Angry most of the time at one or more of each other, but they came together when it was needed. Roone knew they would need each other in the coming hours more than ever before.

  ~*~

  Kylan helped Marcus take the furniture out of the barn. It had been stored there while he had his home repainted. The two of them had been working for the last few hours and not saying a word. Marcus finally turned and looked at him with a smile. The office the two of them worked in, the advertising company, was just about ready to open. They’d taken their time in setting things up so it would be a good place to work.

  “You’ve never been one to empty your head when we’re together. If any of the others were helping me, especially Bryant, I’d be sending him home by now. Christ, he can sure talk your arm off.” Kylan told his brother that Dad would have been worse. “Yes. He would have wanted to know where I was putting this stuff in the house. I have it all set up in my mind right now, but nothing is etched in stone yet.”

  Marcus had bought Bryant’s former boss’s home, fully furnished, when it went on the market. It wasn’t at all what he thought it was going to be like, but wood and slate. Colors of nature as well. Having all the furniture removed had been Mom’s idea so it could be cleaned. The stuff looked brand new to him.

  Putting things away once they were able to get them in the rooms, he didn’t envy his brother all the work that needed to be done yet. The staff, he knew, would be his biggest help. However, there was still a great deal of clothing, personal things, as well as the wine cellar in the lower levels. All in all, it was going to be a chore for all of them.

  “Your daughters are beautiful. I meant to tell you that the other day, but I kept getting sidetracked with the move into the offices.” He said he loved them very much already. “I can see that. Michelle is about the most adorable baby I’ve ever seen. And she loves Olivia. They’re inseparable, aren’t they?”

  “Yes. They started watching television together in Olivia’s room one night, and now she sleeps in there with her. I think Emmie is slightly jealous of their relationship. I know I am a little. But that is why we have her. So that she’ll be happy and well liked.” Everyone knew what was going on with the little girl. Of course, he’d not had to tell them that no one else was to know. They seemed to get that on their own. What did surprise him, however, was how much Michelle was looking like she had been born to them. Even her hair color was now a dark black like his. “It’s fun having two little girls in the house. Sort of like having a party all the time.”

  “Do you suppose your son will be hanging out with them?” He said he thought he might at first, but as they all got older, they’d go their separate ways. “I can see that happening. Remember how much we hung out with the Sanders girls? They were fun until they started figuring out that boys were kinda neat.”

  Leave it to Marcus to say something like that. They spoke about the new businesses going in around town, as well as the office Emmie was setting up. She had converted the entire upstairs into a living room/kitchen so the kids could come over and be close by. He had already noticed that Olivia had made some of the space her own little domain.

  They were getting ready to part ways when Bryant came to see him. Kylan was almost afraid of what he had to tell him. So when he asked if he had any plans for the day, he nearly told him he did. Whatever was going on, Bryant was extremely upset about it. In a stressful way, not angry.

  “A friend of mine called me just a little while ago. She’s a surgeon at a hospital in the Cleveland area. Margery has this woman in her hospital that isn’t going to make it without a little help from us. She’s a good cop, as well as a sister to some really wonderful people. She doesn’t want her to die.” Kylan told him he’d do whatever was needed. “I was hoping you’d say that. She’s been shot to fuck—not my words, but Margery’s. She’s not one to butter you up before she shoots you with the truth. The family lost their father in the shooting, and it would devastate the community as well as this family if they were to lose her too. She’s a decorated officer, as well as someone I’d like to see in action.”

  “I’m assuming we’re leaving right now.” He nodded, and Kylan followed him out to his car. “I really didn’t have anything planned. Just to spend the night at home. But I would have cancelled them to help you out with this.”

  “I thank you for that. I’ve already cleared helping her with Aurora. I mean, she’s not a cat or one of us, so I didn’t know if I could go and help her. She said for us to hurry.”

  Nodding, he reached out to Emmie to let her know what was going on.

  Yes, you need to be there. Do whatever you need. He said he didn’t know how long he’d be. That’s no trouble here. The girls and I will make an evening or two of it, and when you return, we’ll have a nice family dinner together. With everyone.

  That would be wonderful. Marcus might need a little help at his home. We were just getting started on putting away some of the linens and things he’d purchased for his new place. She said she’d go over and help him out when she was finished there. We need to get you a car too. I’ve been thinking I might want to invest in one myself. It’s going to be tough getting three kids in the truck with two in car seats. What do you think?

  I’ll do some research on them while you’re gone. Be careful, and tell Bryant I think what he is doing is great. After closing the connection, he told his brother what was going on. They were getting on the highway when Emmie reached out to him again. This woman, is her name Rowan Bronson by any chance?

  He asked Bryant, and he said he didn’t think to ask. We don’t know. Why? Did you find something while you were online? You’re supposed to be working, you know. He laughed but was worried when Emmie didn’t join him.

  I was working, but this news flash thing came up on my computer. She was shot in her home, the paper says. That not only could she lose her life, but her father was killed as well. She shot the intruder, but not before he shot her several times. She’s one of seven children. And a twin of Roone Bronson. I know of him. He’s a big deal in the Feds world. He told Bryant what he was learning from Emmie. If this is her, you’d better do whatever it takes to make sure she lives, Kylan. This is one of the good ones. Not just her, but the entire family. In addition to Roone being a Fed, they range from an operator for an elderly daycare center, two doctors, as well as two of them work at building homes in other countries.

  Christ. He told Bryant why this was so important. “What do you want to do? I mean, we can’t change her, but we can give her enough of our blood to make sure she lives. I know I can heal her wounds. By accident, I figured out that with just dropping a bit of my blood onto a bad wound, it will heal immediately.”

  “Heal her. Save her. That’s all I want to do with this.” Bryant drove for a little while longer before speaking again. “Do you suppose any one of them could be Harley or Marcus’s mate? Not that it matters, but it seems they’re on board with all the things we take care of. It would be a good fit.”

  “I wouldn’t mention that to them or to our brother
s. That might mean an all-out family gathering up there.” They were both laughing when they saw the signs for Cleveland. “Another hour, I guess. That’s not too bad. Let’s just not end up in the ER with her by hurrying too much. Besides, since you’re driving, Emmie will take you apart if I get hurt.”

  “You wussy.” Marcus had been right about Bryant talking all the time. But most of it was speculations on the new things they were getting into. The halfway house was just one of many topics they went over. Kylan was excited, now that the building he was going to be working from was brought up to this century, that he’d be able to get started on a lot of things. “Mom is making sure that the not for profit programs are up and running. I’d forgotten how good she was at getting people to donate. We should have enough coats and mittens to give to every person in town, with some leftover for next year, at the rate she’s going. She’s already starting on next year’s food drive. A lot of people can use that this year too.”

  By the time they were pulling into the hospital parking lot, Kylan had notes on things he was going to make up an ad campaign for. Also, they were going to hire more staff for the cable company. A project within a project there.

  They were trying a new scheduling program, with people working half shifts and some people on call. It was working out very well too. So instead of one cable office carrying the entire load for them, all the offices were doing very well. Bryant had also started running classes on how to fix remotes. Also, how to tell when someone was just lonely and needed someone to talk to.

  Doctor Fleming met them at the door. “The family would like a quick word with you about their sister. I told them you were going to have to do some of your magic on her, and they’re all right with it. However, they still want to meet the two of you.” Bryant told her that was fine. “I didn’t think you’d mind. Thank you so much for this. You’ve no idea how special this young lady is to so many people.”