Ran peered out the window at the single-level white home with a flat roof. “It looks just the same.”
“Apart from the vehicles and the bike parked in front,” Tate said in clear surprise.
Sax pulled over in front of the neighbor’s house. The Alexanders used to live next door to his mother. They’d had a daughter five years older than him.
“I thought a family rented your place,” Ran said.
“They do. They have two young children. I’d expect to see tricycles or toys littering the doorstep.” Instead, the loud base of a soundtrack and a rapper with a filthy mouth boomed from the house. Sax stared at the vehicles for an instant longer before exiting the SUV.
“Where are you going?” Tate asked.
Ran opened his door. “Yeah, what he said.”
“I’ll speak with the neighbor and gather information,” Sax said.
“Not without us.” Ran glanced at Tate. “We’re coming too.”
Sax nodded, knowing he wouldn’t talk them out of going with him. In his brothers’ minds, they were a team. Truthfully, he loved his half-brothers, and they were a team. They worked well together, each taking responsibility for different parts of their business.
Sax knocked on the faded gray front door of the neighbor’s house. His hearing, better than average for a human due to his polar bear genes, picked up the uneven approach of footsteps. A definite limp. The door opened. An older woman answered, glancing at Sax and his brothers before grimacing toward the rap music pounding from his mother’s property.
“Mrs. Alexander?” Sax asked.
“Yes.” She pushed her glasses up her nose, her black brows squeezing together in a query.
“I’m Saxby Hallsten. These are my brothers Ran and Tate. That is my house.” He jerked his head to indicate the neighboring property. “I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. We’ve been in Costa Rica for several months, and the caretaker isn’t answering my calls.”
“Oh! Young Sax. I remember you. Such a serious child you were. Come inside. I’m so glad you’re here. Do I have a story to tell you!”
2 The Confrontation
Mrs. Alexander showed them into a tidy kitchen with sparkling clean counters. Red-and-white checked curtains covered two windows that overlooked the road frontage. Mrs. Alexander probably saw quite a bit while she was washing the dishes. She gestured them to seats around the kitchen table. Delicious cookie spices had Ran’s nose twitching.
“Are you baking chocolate chip cookies, Mrs. Alexander?” he asked.
“For my granddaughter. I’ll make you boys a cup of coffee. You can try out my cookies. I used a new recipe.”
“Thank you.” Tate winked in a flirtatious manner. “I’ve never met a chocolate chip cookie I didn’t like.”
Ran rolled his eyes. His easy-going twin loved women and charmed them, no matter what their age. Ran dropped onto a seat beside Sax while Mrs. Alexander bustled around the kitchen, opening cupboards and drawers as she made them coffee.
“How long has the loud music been a problem?” Sax asked.
“Most nights,” Mrs. Alexander replied. “Once Tony died, I assumed things would continue as normal. The Brookes—the couple living in your mother’s house—are good people. Quiet. Pleasant neighbors. One weekend, two of Tony’s sons came to visit the Brookes. They asked them to pay the rent in cash. Helen Brookes told me that a month later, they put the rent up by fifty dollars a week. Helen and Allen struggled to pay the increased amount and looked for something cheaper. Someone offered Allen a job in Winnipeg and they moved. The house was empty for a week before Tony’s three sons and their friends moved in. They have parties every weekend and play loud music. There is drunken shouting. Bad language. I even saw one visitor urinating on my plants. We’ve reported it to the RCMP. The cops visit often. They turn the music down for a while but it never lasts.”
“How many people live in the house, Mrs. Alexander?” Sax asked.
Ran listened to Sax use his charisma to question Mrs. Alexander. Ran glanced at Tate and smiled at his twin’s wink. Despite his lone status, people approved of Sax. He listened and had a gut instinct of what the other person wanted to hear, yet he never lied to them. Their older brother had more integrity than anyone Ran knew.
Sax might deny it, but he’d saved Ran and Tate. They’d been mischievous troublemakers, heading for worse. Sax’s hobby of building had grabbed their interest. It had been the first time they’d listened to their father. During a quiet moment, out of their mother’s hearing, he’d told them Sax needed them and curiosity had done the rest.
Mrs. Alexander placed red mugs of black coffee on the table. She retrieved a jug of milk from the silver fridge and a glass sugar bowl from the pantry. Last, she set down a plate of chocolate chip cookies before she took the remaining empty seat. “The number of men in the house varies. Judging from the noise today, I’d say there are at least six. Mostly it’s Tony’s two oldest sons and their two friends. Their friends are temp workers at the bar. They didn’t grow up around here. What will you do?”
“Evict them.” Sax scowled. “The house is mine and they have no right to be there.”
“The house will be damaged inside,” Mrs. Alexander warned. “Mark my words.”
“We can fix destruction,” Sax said. “As long as they don’t burn it down.”
“I have the number of the RCMP,” Mrs. Alexander offered as she shunted the cookie platter toward Tate and Ran.
“No, I want to speak with them in person before I call in the authorities,” Sax said.
It was his even voice that told Ran how much anger filled his brother. Sax was always slow to anger, but once someone lit his fuse, they needed to tread with care.
“But there are at least six men in there.”
The caretaker’s sons weren’t shifters. He and Tate could go all polar bear on their asses. Yep, upper hand. And Sax with his icy-cold temper would do the rest.
“Are you back to stay in Churchill?” Mrs. Alexander asked.
“For a while,” Sax said, surprising Ran.
He and Tate had a private bet on how many days Sax would stay in Churchill.
Ran shot a quick glance at Tate, caught the slight widening of his brother’s blue eyes, and grinned. Looked as if the wager was turning his way.
“Oh? Do you have plans?” Mrs. Alexander asked.
“We’re between jobs.” Sax paused to sip his coffee. “Ran and Tate are visiting their family while we decide where we’re going next.”
Mrs. Alexander asked more questions about their work, their award-winning designs and their plans, but soon the cookie plate held only crumbs and their coffee mugs, dregs.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t contact the RCMP? Tony’s boys are hotheads. The oldest got into trouble in Winnipeg. He did six months in jail.”
Sax stood. “Thank you for the coffee and the information, but we’ll be fine, Mrs. Alexander.”
Ran and Tate took the cue, offered their thanks and exited with Sax. They wandered to their SUV but didn’t climb inside.
“What’s the plan?” Ran asked, guessing but wanting confirmation.
“It’s time to knock on the door and demand answers.” Sax’s jaw hardened, his gaze on his childhood home.
Ran followed his older brother’s line of sight and nodded.
“I don’t like bullies or thieves. Let’s do this,” Tate agreed.
A big black vehicle turned onto the road and drove toward them. It pulled up behind. Two men climbed out—a burly blond and the other a blond with hair so light, it was almost white.
“Josef?” Tate asked. “And Arve, isn’t it?”
Once Tate mentioned a name, Ran recognized the two brothers. Josef and Arve Swenson were older than them, a few classes ahead at school.
“You remember our brother Sax?” Ran asked.
“Sure.” Arve offered his hand. “I think you’re the same age as Josef.”
“How long are you here for?”
Josef wanted to know. “Last I heard you were traveling around the world building hotels.”
“We’re still doing that,” Tate said. “We finished building a new resort in Costa Rica and we’re taking time before we decide on our next project.”
Arve scowled toward Marie’s house and the loud music. “Why don’t you come over to our place so we can catch up? Fiona wanted me to invite you to dinner.”
“Fiona is our mate,” Josef explained.
“Your mate?” Ran and Tate exchanged a glance. “An arranged match?”
“No.” Pride shone in Arve, lighting his expression. “We picked Fiona ourselves. She’s great. So you’ll come?”
“We haven’t told our mom we’re home,” Ran said. “We need to visit her first, otherwise she’d never let us forget our mistake.”
“True that,” Tate muttered. “We’d love to meet Fiona. Dinner should be fine.”
Ran tut-tutted but didn’t contradict the acceptance of the dinner invitation. “You can explain to Mom.”
“With the way the gossip spreads around here, we’d better hurry.” Sax squared his shoulders. “Let’s kick these guys out, get the keys and we can visit your mother.”
Not words Ran had ever thought he’d hear from Sax, but his brother was big on displaying a united front.
Josef clicked his fingers. “Right. This was your mother’s house. I was sorry to hear she passed away. Marie was nice to me when I was a kid. I tripped over on the road and bloodied my knee.” Josef grimaced. “I cried. Marie found me and brought me here to doctor my grazes. You gave me your special Mickey Mouse plasters, and then we had cookies and milk before she drove me home.”
“You never told me that,” Arve said.
“I’m telling you now.” Josef jerked his head in the direction of the house. “Fiona said dinner will be at seven but to come earlier. Arve and I need to go to our store but we might wait until you’re done here.”
Ran glanced at Sax and received a nod. Some of the tension in him slid away. Four polar bear shifters on their side. It made him more confident about facing the unknown, currently blasting music and ribald laughter from inside Marie’s house.
Sax led the way to the front door and thumped his fist on the faded blue wood without hesitation. When no one answered his summons, he tried the handle and stepped inside.
Ran followed Sax toward the racket and sensed Tate, Josef, and Arve at his back. Sax strode straight to the music system and ripped the plug from the socket. The ringing in Ran’s ears ceased abruptly.
“What the fuck?” A pale, skinny tattooed man leaped off a battered red couch. His hands fisted at his sides and he stuck out his chest.
Ran blinked. The man resembled a chicken—one of those tiny ones with attitude but few brains. Didn’t he understand he and his brothers, their friends, were predators and above them on the food chain?
“My name is Saxby Hallsten, and I own this property,” Sax said in a cool tone. “You’re not authorized tenants. Get out or I will take action.”
“You gonna get physical?” another man sneered.
From his position at the door, Ran saw he was bigger and more solid than his friend with an equally impressive number of tattoos decorating his arms. Ran stepped alongside Sax, allowing Tate, Josef and Arve to enter.
“Get out now and I won’t come after you for the rent you stole from me and the rent you haven’t paid since you forced out my tenants,” Sax said.
The skinny man sneered. “How do we know you are who you say you are?”
Sax pulled out his identification and held it up for them to see. “Saxby Hallsten, the owner of this property. You have five minutes to pack your stuff and get out.”
Three of the men, who’d remained silent to this point, stood and edged past Sax. Thumping footsteps down the passage showed the speed of their exit. That left their two tattooed friends.
“Clock is ticking,” Sax commented.
“Are you good here?” Josef asked.
“Yes, thanks,” Sax said.
“We’ll see you later.” Ran inclined his head. “Thanks for the invite.”
Arve and Josef left, and still the two tattooed men lingered.
The skinny man lifted his brows, glanced at his friend. “Justin is a boxing champion. I like the odds of a fight now that your two friends have left.”
Sax snorted. “Really?”
“You look like a lawyer,” the skinny man scoffed.
Ran winked at Tate. Their brother might be only half-shifter but he did physical work and could kick this dude’s butt with ease.
“Last chance,” Sax warned.
The skinny guy sprang at Sax. Instinct made Ran want to dart closer, but Tate grasped Ran’s arm to halt him from going to Sax’s aid. Sax needed to take care of this guy, hopefully without their help. Sax led with a punch that connected with the guy’s jaw.
The tattooed boxer took half a step forward, looking to insert himself into the fight. Ran coughed, loud enough to carry over the thud of the couch skittering across the wooden floor. He wagged his finger at the boxer, and the man heeded his warning.
“Is that all you have?” Sax mocked.
The skinny man cursed and crashed into Sax. Sax didn’t budge under the onslaught of punches, striking back with precision. An uppercut.
“You’re a liar and a thief. A bully.” Sax’s fist connected with the guy’s jaw, sending the man sprawling.
“Excellent hit!” Ran shouted.
Ran high-fived Tate while Sax stood over the skinny man, waiting for the man’s next move.
“You wanna help your friend up?” Tate asked the boxer.
“Nope. I’m outta here.” The boxer shoved past Tate and didn’t look back. The door slammed as he left the house.
Sax turned back to the remaining trespasser. “Looks as if you’re on your own.”
The man pushed to his hands and knees. Blood dripped to the floor, and the man swiped his right hand over his jaw. He gingerly touched his nose and winced.
“I’m waiting,” Sax said.
“You arrogant bastard,” the skinny man snapped. “My father looked after this place and you paid him a pittance.”
“I offered to pay him more.” Sax kept his tone even but his creased brow indicated his level of irritation. “Tony told me he was repaying a favor to Marie and wanted a token amount. It was important to him to repay the favor.”
The man sneered. “I only have your word for that.”
“You can ask the lawyer who witnessed the agreement between us,” Sax informed him. “Mr. Hather will tell you.”
“You paid him to lie.”
“I don’t lie,” Sax said, and his voice held the chill of a polar blizzard.
The man inched toward the doorway. Ran and Tate stepped back to give him space and the illusion of safety.
“You’ll be sorry,” the man spat.
“I doubt it,” Sax said. “The law is on my side. This property belongs to me, which makes me in the right. I repeat. You’ve stolen from me. If you walk now and don’t create a fuss, there won’t be further consequences.”
“Bastard.”
“Get out.” When Sax spoke in this slow even tone it meant he was furious. It was his bear half taking charge. Both Ran and Tate knew not to poke the bear if Sax fell into this mood.
The skinny guy spat in Sax’s direction but his older brother didn’t react, merely stared at him with his ice-cool blue gaze. Then, the man slunk from the house. A vehicle started seconds later, the noise of the engine receding as it drove away.
Sax lost his frozen pose and wandered around the lounge. He scowled at the holes in an internal wall and the foreign substance staining the floor. Ran cataloged the damage too. A board covered a broken window to block the breeze. The once cheerful ruby-red curtains hung at a drunken angle as if someone had swung on them. Scratches marred the varnished floorboards along with a layer of dust and dirt.
Dishes covered with half-eaten food hid
the surface of the kitchen counter. Pizza boxes, empty bottles of spirits and beer added to the jumble. A frying pan sat on the stovetop, the congealed remains of eggs clinging to the surface. Stinky old garbage had Ran wrinkling his nose in distaste.
“The bedrooms are a tip,” Tate reported. “Clothes and crap everywhere.”
“The furniture is wrecked,” Ran said.
Sax joined him and Tate in the entranceway. “I’m gonna need to gut the place and start from scratch.”
“Will you press charges?” Tate asked.
Sax cursed. “No. Damn, I should’ve got the keys from him before he left.”
Ran shrugged. “Not much here for anyone to steal. I’d change the locks in case he has multiple copies of the key.”
Sax stalked to the doorway of the kitchen and stared at the mess. “God, how can anyone live like this?”
Tate grinned at Ran. “So we’ll go and see Mom. After this, your day can’t get much worse.”
Sax groaned. “Your mother scares me. Do I have to go?”
“Just as well that guy didn’t hang around to listen to you bellyaching over a simple visit,” Ran said with a sly wink. “He’d never have backed down.”
3 A Dinner Date
Kendall listened to Arve and Josef describe the damage to their friend’s house while she scrubbed a dozen potatoes for roasting. The men sat in the lounge area of the huge open-plan room while she and Fiona worked in the kitchen, housed in the right corner. A long breakfast bar separated them, delineating the spaces. Six sturdy bar stools sat beneath while a big table filled another corner, its proportions perfect for a celebration family dinner. Beside her, Fiona hummed her responses to the conversation and continued dinner preparations.
Unsure of what to expect when she’d arrived at the warehouse, Kendall had approved of the comfortable first-floor living area with its plush seating and faux fireplace. Large, colorful woolen rugs covered the floor and gave pops of fall orange, browns, reds and green.
“Honey, I’m home!” a deep voice boomed up the stairs.
“Leif!” Fiona sped around the breakfast bar and threw herself at the big blond man who appeared at the top of the metal staircase. Their lips met, and Kendall had to look away from the private moment between the obvious lovers.
Kendall's Mates Page 2
