Forbidden Secrets (Lee County Wolves Series) Book #5

by Teresa Gabelman

  “You find her?” Steve rushed up as he looked around. “Damn, Damon, again?”

  “Grabbed his nuts, man,” Sid replied as he continued checking for life.

  “Ouch.” Steve grabbed his junk with a cringe on his face. “Definitely the wrong nuts to grab.”

  “Why in the fuck weren’t you watching her?” Taz grabbed Steve by the shirt. “I trusted you to keep her safe.”

  “Whoa.” Jared jumped between them. “We’ll find her, but you need to chill the fuck out.”

  Taz glared at Steve for a second longer before turning away to backtrack. He had taken two steps when he heard a scream coming from the house. It was Leda.

  He took off immediately, pushing past anyone in his way. Just as he ran through the door, he heard noises coming from upstairs. Garrett and Dell along with Hunter were coming from the other side of the house at a run.

  Taking the stairs three at a time, Taz landed at the top, then turned to see Leda being pulled back into the last room at the end of the hall. She was fighting like crazy to get away.

  “Hey!” he bellowed as he started that way.

  Leda appeared with a man behind her, his arm around her throat, using her as a shield.

  “I swear I’ll snap her neck.” The guy’s voice was high-pitched with fear.

  “She won’t be worth anything to you dead, asshole.” Taz figured he might as well try to use the bounty to get her away from the bastard.

  “I don’t care about the fucking money.” He stared wide-eyed over her head. “I saw what they did to them out the window. The big fucking vampire took Denny’s head off. Jesus, who the fuck are you guys?”

  “You let her go and you can walk out of here,” Taz lied. He saw the blood at the corner of Leda’s mouth. That and that alone called for this man’s painful death, and he would be the grim fucking reaper.

  “Yeah, I don’t think so.” The guy tightened his grip, making Leda gasp and gag. “You need to move out of my fucking way and give me a clear path. Once I’m free, I’ll let her go.”

  No way in hell was that happening. He looked at Leda, then shifted his eyes to the right. He did that twice before looking back at the man, who was no doubt still trying to figure out how to escape with his head intact. Holding his hand out, Taz moved his body to the side so the man couldn’t see his other hand as it reached toward the waistband of his jeans.

  “Listen, man, I just want her,” Taz said calmly. “Let her go, and you have my word you can walk out of here. What do you say?” His fingers touched cool steel.

  “Fuck you and your word,” he spat. “I swear I’ll snap her fucking neck like a stick if you don’t—”

  In one swift and seamless movement, Taz pulled the knife and hit his target dead on, right in the forehead. “Wrong answer,” he growled, racing toward Leda before the man could take her down, but he wasn’t close enough. She fell backward from the man’s dead weight, going down.

  Reaching her, Taz pulled the bastard’s arm from around her neck, then pulled her up. “Are you hurt?”

  She rubbed her throat, shaking her head. “No, I’m fine,” she croaked with a grimace. He didn’t believe her as he continued to check her body, but she started to push him away. “I’m fine, dammit.”

  The fear and anger at seeing her with that bastard’s arm wrapped around her neck flooded him all at once. “What in the hell were you thinking?” His voice rose with each word.

  He heard footsteps running up behind him and turned to growl, his teeth showing. Seeing it was Garrett, Dell, and Hunter, he relaxed, then turned back to Leda. “Answer me,” he hissed, lifting her face to meet his.

  Slowly, her eyes rose to meet his; they were haunted with an edge of distrust… of him.

  What the fuck?

  Pushing fully away from Taz and his touch, Leda stood on her own two feet. “I had to see.” She cleared her throat, which felt tight. She didn’t know if it was because of the man’s arm that had been squeezing it or the tears she was holding back. God, she was so damn sick of crying.

  Taz glanced around, his frown deepening. “You put your life in danger just to see this room?”

  For a split second, she wanted to smack him for not understanding. “You had Steve take me away.” The accusation was clear to everyone within hearing distance.

  “Yes, I did.” Taz seemed fine with his decision.

  “You had no right to do that,” Leda growled, taking a step closer to him.

  Taz remained silent, but the anger on his face and rage behind his eyes said more than words could. Actually, she noticed everyone was looking at her, some angry, others disappointed.

  “I shouldn’t have run off like I did. It was wrong, but until you’ve been in my shoes, do not judge me or my actions. None of you would have let me come here because of the danger, and I understand why, so give me the benefit of understanding why I did it. I may be younger than all of you, but I’m not stupid and honestly, what I’ve seen and been through has aged me well past my years. But I had to see this place one last time before I left. This was my home, a good place before my uncle took it away. It was my right to walk through the halls and rooms to know what I’ve started here today was the right decision.” Leda stared at each of them before looking back into her parents’ room. “And now that I have, I know my decision to leave Lee County to fight for my pack was most definitely the right one, and no one had the right to take that away from me.”

  Hunter started to say something, but Leda held up her hand, stopping him.

  “I never wanted anyone else involved. My fear of getting anyone else hurt or killed was always at the forefront of my plans, which totally changed because of everyone here now. But I thank you for standing with me, Sam and my pack. I know it doesn’t seem like I give a shit as I rushed toward the house, but I also think I’m afraid to ask because of what the answer may be.” Leda swallowed hard, then looked toward the ground as her stomach soured at the fear of what her next question may bring. “Was anyone hurt?”

  “Ah, well…,” Hunter hesitated. “There were a few injuries and, ah, deaths.”

  “Our side?” Her heart clenched painfully.

  “Fuck no.” Hunter’s head shot back as if he couldn’t even believe she’d asked that. “Not a scratch.”

  “Good.” Relief spread through her. “Please don’t move the bodies. Leave them where they lie.” She looked at Dell when she said it, keeping her gaze from Taz, who was glaring holes through her.

  Turning, she walked farther into the room and went to her mother’s dressing table. Reaching down, she grabbed a picture of herself and stared down into it. The girl in the picture didn’t exist anymore, and it was time, way past time that Leda let that girl go.

  Holding the picture to her chest, she glanced around the room.

  “My room and Sam’s no longer exist. Nothing of ours remains.” She spoke with such control she surprised herself. “But this is… was my parents’ room, and it looks the same as it did the day they were murdered.”

  “That’s strange.” Garrett walked into the room, looking around, then swiped a finger over a piece of furniture and examined it. “Someone’s been keeping it clean.”

  “I didn’t tell you everything.” Malcolm’s voice had her turning his way. He stood behind Taz, staring into the room. “I’m sorry.”

  “I think you need to start talking.” Hunter’s voice became hard. “She deserves to know everything. Plus, if you don’t, I think Taz may kill you on the spot.”

  Leda glanced over to see Taz restraining himself from going after Malcolm. Garrett had actually put himself between them.

  “What else can there be?” Leda sighed, walking toward Malcolm. Seeing the stark paleness that colored his face, she knew the answer to that question. A lot, there was still a lot she didn’t know, and she was terrified to hear more.

  “Do you seriously think that Sam’s age has anything to do with Allen not putting a bounty on his head?” Malcolm asked, as if wanting h
er to guess what he had to say.

  “It’s against—”

  Malcolm snorted. “Come on, Leda. Think!” Malcolm took a step forward, but stopped when Taz growled low in his throat. “You think your uncle is such an upstanding citizen that he wouldn’t do it? Sam is more of a threat to him than you could ever be, or so everyone thinks.”

  She was getting sick and tired of trying to guess what in the hell her uncle could do, or already did. Hell, she was sick to death of Allen Kingsman. “Dammit, Malcolm, just tell me!” Leda rushed toward him and smacked him on the chest. “What haven’t you told me!”

  Malcolm didn’t even try to protect himself. He just stared down at Leda until finally his gaze shifted away as if he couldn’t stand looking her in the eyes. “Sam isn’t….” He swallowed hard. “Sam is Allen’s son.”

  Stumbling back as those words sank in, Leda shook her head and laughed. “No.” She stared at Malcolm as if he’d lost his mind. Her laughter died as he finally looked down at her. The truth in his eyes hit her like a brick. “No!”

  “Allen blackmailed your mom.” Malcolm frowned, ignoring Leda shaking her head. “He was in love with Jewel and wanted everything your dad had. He promised her that he would leave if she spent one night with him. If she didn’t, he would stay, fight your father, and take everything he had, even her if she didn’t. She did.”

  Leda smacked him across the face. “You’re a liar!” she spat, then went to slap him again, but stopped when he didn’t even try to defend himself.

  “I wish I was, Leda.” He his eyes went to the ground. “Right before my mom died, she told me everything. Jewel had confided in her. They were like sisters. You know that.”

  She did know that. Oh God. This can’t be true. It can’t. Bile rose from her stomach, burning its way to the back of her throat. “My mom would never do something like that. She loved my father.”

  “Leda, you don’t even know the evilness that your uncle possesses,” Malcolm continued, his voice becoming harsh. “Everything he threatened your mother with happened. Look around. You’ve seen what he’s capable of. That’s why she did what she did. She loved your father, her family so much that she sacrificed herself to the bastard, but in the end, it was her downfall.”

  Still holding the picture, Leda gripped her stomach, trying to keep from vomiting. The more Malcolm talked, the more she knew he was telling her the truth.

  Her eyes rose from the floor to Malcolm, just as Taz wrapped his arm around her. She let him. “He left,” she whispered. “I remember him leaving. It was maybe a month later Mom said she was pregnant with Sam.”

  Malcolm nodded. “My mom told me that because your dad was alpha, news of her pregnancy didn’t leave the pack.”

  Leda knew that to be true; it had been the same when Janna was pregnant. It was considered that alphas became weaker, more vulnerable when their mates were pregnant.

  “He showed back up years later and put two and two together after seeing Sam,” Malcolm added. He continued, as if knowing what she was about to say, “I know for a fact Sam is Allen’s son.”

  “How?” Leda was afraid to ask, praying that maybe, just maybe, this was a mistake. That somehow it wasn’t true.

  Malcolm glanced first at Taz, then back to Leda. “The night my mom took her last breath, she told me that Jewel confided in her. About Sam. About everything.”

  “I don’t understand.” Leda frowned, without a doubt knowing she was about to be sick. “Why would your mom tell you any of this?”

  There was such a long hesitation that Leda thought she was going to have to rush out of the room before Malcolm answered, but he finally did, and God, she wished he hadn’t.

  “Because she knew I loved you.” Malcolm swallowed hard, then lifted his head to stare down at her. “She made me promise to keep you, Jewel, and Sam safe and, on her last breath, I did. I swore it. I’ve failed you all. I’m so sorry.”

  Malcolm walked past her, his hand moving behind her mother’s dresser. He stilled as the sound of ripping tape echoed in the room. When his arm and hand reappeared, he held a small journal. Walking over, he handed it to her.

  Leda put the picture under her arm and took the journal, running her hand over it and wiping off the dust. Opening it up, she saw her mother’s beautiful handwriting.

  “Everything is in there,” Malcolm whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “All of it. No one knows. I thought that night… ah, Allen would tell everyone, but he didn’t, and as far as I know, he hasn’t still. But—”

  “But what?” Leda urged him to finish, even though she didn’t know how much more she could take.

  “Just before your father was… killed, Allen whispered something to him. I have never heard such a sound of anguish come from a living bei—”

  “That’s enough!” Taz cut him off, and he was right. It was enough.

  Slapping the journal shut, Leda pushed past everyone. Hearing Taz calling out to her, she ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. The picture fell from under her arm onto the tile floor, the glass frame smashing into pieces. She barely had time to lift the toilet seat before her stomach emptied into the bowl. The one thing she didn’t drop was the journal; she held onto it tightly as she continued to heave all of her emotions out of her body.

  Chapter 15

  Taz barged into the bathroom just as Leda fell to her knees. Knocking broken glass away from her with his foot, he reached down, catching her hair with one hand while gently holding her forehead. “I’m here, Leda,” he whispered, then cursed when he saw blood on the toilet.

  He glanced at the picture she had been holding; it lay face up, showing a beautiful, carefree Leda with a cheesy grin on her face. Her hair was blown back in a summer breeze as she tilted her head, looking into the camera. His heart beat frantically as he held the same girl’s head as she heaved at what she’d learned about her family. If it took his last breath, he would make things right for this… not girl, but woman.

  “Oh God,” she whispered as she started to sit back. He sat beside her and pulled her onto his lap, holding her tightly against him. “Sam can’t know the truth, Taz.” She looked up at him, her eyes huge with fear.

  “We’ll make sure he doesn’t.” Taz took her hand gently and looked at it. The sliver of glass was embedded in her hand. “Come on. We need to get that glass out.”

  Helping her up, he led her to the sink. As gently as he could, he tried to get the glass out but couldn’t.

  “Here, let me.” She pulled her hand away. “I’ve got fingernails.”

  Her voice sounded so lost and sad, it drove him insane. She didn’t deserve this, and neither did Sam. He watched as she pulled at the glass a few times before finally capturing it. Reaching over, he turned on the faucet as she stuck her hand underneath, washing out the wound. Blood and water mixed before disappearing down the drain.

  “I’m going to kill him,” he vowed, realizing he had spoken aloud.

  Slowly, her head tilted up as she stared at him.

  “Not if I get to him first,” she also vowed, her hand still under the water. “But if for some reason I don’t, and he gets me first, swear to me that you will not let him have Sam.”

  “That’s not going to happ—”

  “Swear it, Taz.” She grabbed his arms with both hands and squeezed as if her life depended on his answer. The journal pinched his skin between them. “Swear it!”

  “I swear.” Taz pulled her to him, but in his mind, he knew that would never come to pass. Nothing would happen to her; it was his own vow to himself. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

  Leda cupped her hands and rinsed her face, then washed her mouth out. Turning off the water, she glanced back up at him. “There’s one more thing I need to do.”

  Before she could reach down around the glass to get her picture, he pulled her back and picked it up for her. “I’ve got it.”

  As they approached the door, she stopped. “Thank you,” she whispered as s
he glanced up at him. “For being here for me.”

  Taz leaned down and kissed her gently. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

  Tears filled Leda’s eyes, but she kept them from spilling over at his words. Instead, she took a deep breath for what she was about to do.

  Walking out of the bathroom, she looked into the three serious faces who stared at her.

  “Where’s Malcolm?”

  “I sent him outside to get himself under control.” Garrett frowned as he searched her face. “You okay?”

  She could lie and say yes, but they’d know it was a lie. “No, I’m not.” She shook her head. “I know we need to get out of here, but there’s something I need to do first.”

  “That’s fine.” Dell nodded, then pulled her in for a hug. “Whatever you need to do, we’re here for you. They’re already transporting some of your pack to Lee County.”

  “Thank you.” She hugged him back, then was pulled into Garrett’s arms, and Hunter’s.

  “I kinda liked you with short hair.” Hunter grinned as he peered down at her after pulling away. “Not. Where in the hell did you get that godawful thing?”

  Leda rolled her eyes, then reached in her back pocket where she’d stored the wig. “I need my wig.” She frowned, looking around her.

  “Believe me, you don’t,” Hunter teased, but when Leda looked a little panicked, he stopped her from searching herself. “Hey, I’ll find it. Calm down.”

  “Okay.” She nodded, knowing they didn’t understand, but she needed that wig. Hunter stepped away. “Has the house been searched? The basement?”

  “Everything’s in place, now that you’ve gotten the closet cleared out.” Dell frowned at her, letting her know he wasn’t happy she’d gone alone upstairs before it was checked out.

  With a nod, Leda took hold of Taz’s hand and led them down the stairs until she stood in front of the basement door. Opening it, she stood for a second and took a deep breath as she headed down, but Taz stopped her and squeezed in front of her while Dell and Garrett followed from the rear.