by Lacey Thorn
“By choice, Daniel,” Gabriel argued. “You said yourself he could have been different. He made his choices just like the rest of us.”
Daniel sighed.
“What?” Gabriel asked, sensing there was more his brother wasn’t telling him.
“Do you remember the time he came home and Mom made him take us on a picnic?”
“Yeah,” Gabriel said. It had been just a few weeks before they’d lost her. “He argued it was a waste of time. Said picnics were for girls, and he had sons.”
Daniel laughed. “I’d actually forgotten about that. You’re right. We went because she wanted to. We had our picnic, and Mom sent us off to play while she and dad sat on the blanket.”
“We played hide and seek,” Gabriel said. He’d hidden, and it’d taken Daniel so long to find him, Gabriel had finally come out on his own.
“I hid and watched them. I’d never seen him that way before.”
“What way?” Gabriel asked.
“Happy,” Daniel said. “I was ready to go find you, and I heard him laugh. So I hid, and I watched them. The way he looked at her. I can still see it. Every time he yells and berates, I remember that moment and the way he looked at her.”
“Damn it, Daniel,” Gabriel said. “You can’t make excuses for him. You can’t let him get away with the way he acts.”
“So stick around and deal with,” Daniel snapped.
“I plan to,” Gabriel admitted.
“You’re giving up being the Angel?”
“No, I think we need the Angel, but I don’t need to get myself killed trying to be him. You’ve been telling me for years to slow down, to think more and plan, to let others help me more often than I do. I think it’s time I listened,” Gabriel said.
“You should have mated sooner,” Daniel teased. “I wouldn’t have had to worry so much.”
“I’m sorry,” Gabriel said. “I haven’t been the best brother, have I?”
“How would I know?” Daniel joked, standing and heading toward the pond. “You’re the only one I’ve got.”
He raced into the water, whooping and hollering about the cold. Gabriel watched for a minute, laughing, before joining him. They spent the morning as they had so often when they were boys, and Gabriel realized they needed to spend more mornings like this. The two of them. He’d let himself become closer to Laura since she’d arrived, finding it easier to talk to her than to Daniel. Now, he realized he’d been wrong.
Daniel saw Gabriel as the strong one, as having nothing in common with their dad. Gabriel knew better. His dad had hidden his grief in anger and apparently now in alcohol. Gabriel had hidden his by leaving, fighting and saving all the ones he could. Still, he and his dad were both motivated by the same thing—their inability to save his mother. Daniel was the strong one, the one who stood his ground, dealt with his grief, and moved forward with nothing to prove. He was unapologetically who he was and somehow still managed to see the good in everyone.
They were back at the vehicle, pulling clothes on when Daniel asked about Kenzie.
“So what was the deal with this Nix guy?” Daniel questioned.
“What do you make of him?” Gabriel asked instead of answering. Daniel was good at reading people.
“Don’t really know much about him. Quiet. Observant. Doesn’t draw a lot of attention to himself,” Daniel said.
“He’s claiming to be Kenzie’s long lost brother, but I’m not sure I’m buying it. Seems a little too convenient for me.”
“Convenient how?” Daniel asked as they got in and began driving back toward town.
“My mate decides to go look for answers, and this guy just shows up with all of them,” Gabriel said. “What’s your gut instinct say about him? Would you trust him?”
“Not without solid proof to back it up,” Daniel admitted. “It would take more than a photo he could have found anywhere. What was the deal with Clara, anyway?”
“Claims the woman in the photo is Elizabeth Walker Blackwell, sister to Thomas and Michael Walker, Clara’s uncle and father.”
“Which would make them cousins, but Clara didn’t appear to know him,” Daniel commented.
“No, she didn’t. Said her father never mentioned him. To which Nix blamed Thomas.”
“From the things I’ve heard, he seems to get the blame for a lot of stuff,” Daniel said. “Let me put it this way. Dad hates everything and everyone.”
“Yeah.”
“Can you see him not telling us if we had family out there? Cousins or aunts or uncles?”
“I can’t see him not telling us,” Gabriel agreed.
“I get the impression Clara was close to her father. Plus, why would Gideon not know? If Thomas was so manipulative, seems like he would have wanted to keep an eye on his sister’s only child. Don’t you think?” Daniel spelled out some of the questions going through Gabriel’s mind.
“I think I need to talk to Nix and demand some more answers, and some hard proof of his claims.”
“I can buy that the woman in the picture is Elizabeth Walker Blackwell,” Daniel admitted. “I saw the picture, and there is a resemblance to Clara. I can even buy into Clara and Kenzie being related now that I think about it. Similar brown eyes in color and shape. The way they both tend to cock their heads to the right when they’re listening. Plus, Clara confirmed she’d seen the woman in pictures that were in with her father’s stuff. Were there any of a younger Nix? Only makes sense that there should be if he’s her son.”
“That’s a good point, too. I should have been focusing more on this last night,” Gabriel confessed.
“You were more concerned with your brother,” Daniel said. “I know we haven’t been as close over the last few years. Hell, sometimes I think Laura’s more of a sibling to me than you are.”
Gabriel burst out laughing. Just couldn’t help it.
“What’s so funny?” Daniel asked.
“I found myself thinking the exact same thing recently,” Gabriel admitted. “We’re lucky to have her.”
“We are,” Daniel agreed. “We’re lucky to have one another. Today was fun. We should do it more often.”
“Agreed.”
“As for Nix, I’d definitely keep my eye on him. Listen to your instincts.”
“My instincts are screaming something’s off. If you don’t mind, I’ll drop you off and head back out to the ranch. I want to talk with Gideon, find out exactly what he saw of Nix in that lab. Then see the pictures Clara has.” He was suddenly uneasy and overwhelmed by a keen desire to head back and find Kenzie. It didn’t help that he still couldn’t feel the connection to his mate like he should. He wasn’t sure if his animal was reacting to that inability, or if something was going on and Kenzie needed him. The uncertainty scared him and that just pissed him off.
“Then let’s go,” Daniel said. “I’m off the next two days and at your disposal. I more than know my way around paperwork and investigation.”
Gabriel grinned. “Yeah, I’m sure you do, Sheriff. So tell me about your job.”
They spent the rest of the drive with Daniel highlighting some of the more amusing calls he’d been on or reports that had been filed. They were both laughing when they pulled up to the house and headed in.
“Just the man I was looking for,” Logan said as soon as they entered. “Follow me.”
He led them back to the office where Tah stood with Reno, Gideon, Vic and Clara.
“What’s going on?” he asked as soon as he and Daniel followed Logan in.
“Logan and I went through all the pictures and papers last night,” Clara said. “There are none that include a baby or young boy. Several of the woman with a man, and I found one with names on the back, Kenneth and Elizabeth. My dad’s journal mentions her. There’s something about the way it’s written, though.” She shook her head. “He makes it sound like they lost Elizabeth and her husband. Not just her.”
“I found similar statements in Thomas’ journals from the same time fram
e,” Vic stated.
“Shit!” Gabriel thundered. “Kenzie said it was too unbelievable for her.”
“He wanted to make a call last night, and I told him to wait,” Tah said. “Reed said he blocked several outgoing attempts from Nix’s phone. Also said he was looking a bit frazzled and nervous this morning.”
“I put some feelers out, asking about Nix before Vic and I left South Dakota,” Gideon said. “Finally heard back this morning. I was told hunters don’t make mistakes.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Gabriel demanded.
“It means, seizure or not, no hunter would have left him unattended in that lab unless he was dead.” Gideon looked Gabriel in the eyes. “Or he was one of them.”
“Beware the enemy who wears a friend’s face,” Gabriel muttered.
“Shit, that sounds like something cryptic Adrian would say,” Daniel said.
“He did,” Gabriel told them. “The night we arrived. Where’s my mate?”
“She’s not with you?” Vic said.
“Fuck!” Gabriel bellowed again, jerking his phone out and calling her. No answer. With a resigned sigh, he placed a second call, putting it on speakerphone as it rang through. He didn’t feel the need to clarify who he was calling. He suspected they all knew it was Holt.
A motor revved in the background, drowning out Holt’s voice as the call connected.
“He’s on one of the four wheelers,” Vic whispered.
“Is Kenzie with you?” Gabriel called out over the noise.
“Not yet,” Holt said. “Dusty and I are tracking her, and she’s not alone.”
“She’s with Nix,” Gabriel said, voice going hard and cold.
“He took her for a ride on one of the ATV’s, alone. I hauled ass after them as soon as I found out. Didn’t know where you were. I can’t see her going off with Nix willingly, though,” Holt argued. “She told me this morning that it still didn’t seem right to her.”
“Tell me where you’re at,” Gabriel said. “What direction you’re going in.”
“We’re headed north, just passed a copse of trees and hitting some tall grass now.”
“That’s on the way to Dad’s house,” Daniel said, pulling his phone out and turning away.
Gabriel hoped the old man was sober enough and willing to help them.
“Shit,” Holt said. “Found the ATV. Looks like they hit something. It’s flipped. No one’s here. They must be on foot.”
“Be careful,” Gabriel warned. “There are large rocks all through there.”
“Has anyone seen Kenzie?” Diane said, stepping into the office with a sheaf of papers in her hands.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriel demanded, trying hard to keep his voice calm and not upset Diane. He’d experienced enough of her rage the day before.
“I had her stop in and give blood this morning,” Diane said. “I ran it three times, and this doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?” Gideon asked, crossing to see what she was referring to.
“Her animal should be coming out,” Diane said. “The mating brought it on. The bouts of fever and iciness she told me about.”
“Her animal is dormant again,” Gideon said, looking through the papers.
“It’s more than that,” Diane said. “I didn’t know her beast was recessed before she told me. Her blood tests never gave me any clue to that. They were right on course with Clara’s. Now, I don’t know what I’m seeing here. There’s stuff all over the place. It looks like they’re going down except for a few spikes here and there. I ran it several times, and each one has a spike in a different area. I’m not sure what to make of it. Normally, I’d just ask the professor, but he never came out, even though he knew I was planning to test Kenzie this morning. It’s not like him.”
“No need to worry; the professor’s fine,” Tah said. “He’s with Abby and Regan.”
“Good,” Diane said with a sigh of relief.
“Let me see,” Gideon said, taking the papers from her. “Is it possible someone gave her something?”
“Nix,” Gabriel said. “She told me he’d checked on her when we were at the Holloways, but she never mentioned him doing anything.”
“She might not have realized it,” Gideon said.
“Dad’s not answering,” Daniel said.
“Fuck!” Holt exclaimed. “I can see them. Standing in your dad’s yard, and he doesn’t seem too happy to see them.”
“Is she okay?” Gabriel asked, but he was already shoving the phone toward Vic, shrugging off his shirt on the way to the door. He couldn’t feel her. He had no idea if she was in control or terrified. All he knew was the overwhelming urge to find and protect his mate. Now.
The entire room seemed to hold their breath as the sharp report of a gun echoed through the phone. Holt yelled something, and the phone went dead. Gabriel roared, clothes forgotten as he ran, throwing open the front door and shifting before he was two steps from the house. He sensed the others following but zoned them out, not wanting them in his head. His only thought was Kenzie. He had to get to her, and he’d kill anyone who got in his way.
Chapter Eighteen
Kenzie was heading back from giving Diane blood when she ran into Nix. She’d spent longer in the new facility than she’d planned, but Diane had been worried over the professor’s absence. It wasn’t like him to stay away from the testing and research. Kenzie had promised to check and see if he was in the house with Abby and Regan but found herself waylaid by Nix instead.
“I was hoping to find you,” he said, a shy smile on his face.
“What’s up?” Kenzie asked.
“I thought maybe we could go somewhere and talk. There’s so much I still want to tell you, share with you.” He shook his head. “I still have trouble believing you’re here. It seems too good to be true.”
“It does,” Kenzie agreed. “Why don’t we go in? We can grab something to drink and chat in the kitchen.”
“I’d rather it just be the two of us,” he said. “The house is always full of people. I’d like the chance to get to know more about you. We were interrupted last night, so I didn’t get a chance to ask you about your life. Where you’ve been and how you ended up here?”
Kenzie debated back and forth for several long seconds. Was she so jaded that she was seeing subterfuge where there wasn’t any? Or was there more to Nix than met the eye? Maybe the key was to spend a little time with him, see if she could learn more, or at least enough to either make her believe or prove him a liar.
“Please,” Nix pressed, and Kenzie finally nodded.
They’d stick close to the house. “Of course, I’d love to find out more about you, also. I have so many questions about your parents.”
“I pretty much told you all about Dad and I,” Nix reminded her. He started walking, and Kenzie matched her pace to his.
“Were you able to get in touch with him, yet?”
“I’m waiting to hear from Tah,” he said. “Make sure it’s okay.”
Did he look nervous?
“Have you spoken to Clara today? I’m curious to see the pictures she found. See if she found any references to what happened back then.” He lifted his arm and wiped sweat from his brow. It didn’t seem that hot to Kenzie.
“I haven’t seen her, yet,” Kenzie admitted. “I was heading to her when you found me.”
“Oh,” he said. “Well, I’m glad I caught you.”
“Why are we headed to the barn?” Kenzie asked.
“It’s cooler in there,” Nix told her. “Plus, I figured it would give us some privacy.”
She paused at the door. This felt wrong. Something was definitely off. “I think I’ll head back to the house. I’m not feeling so well.”
Nix’s nose flared, and before she realized what he was doing, he had a gun on her. “You’re going to turn back around, open the door and step inside.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Kenzie challenged. “Shoot me. You won’t ta
ke two steps before you have people all over you.”
“You’ll be dead,” he snapped.
“You expect me to believe I won’t be if I go with you?” she asked.
“I expect you to believe I’ll shoot and kill anyone who tries to stop me,” he countered. “You’re so willing to risk your life. Are you willing to do the same with someone else’s? Your mate’s? Holt’s? Diane’s? I understand your good friend is pregnant. I’d hate to see something happen to her or her child.”
His hard, cold gaze had lost any pretense of the caring brother he’d worked to persuade her he was. He was worried. Worried Clara or someone would find something in the papers or photos? Kenzie should have paid closer attention last night instead of letting it all overwhelm her.
“Your choice,” he said when she continued to stand there. “You should know I came across your Professor earlier. He’s quite easy to overpower.” The smirk on his face chilled her blood.
“What did you do?”
“He’s alive—for now. Trussed up and knocked out. Hidden somewhere he’ll never be found, not even with the keenest animal senses. I’ve been trained well. We both know he’s not who I want. What happens to him from this point is on you,” Nix sneered.
“I’ll go.” Making her decision, she opened the door and walked into the cool, dark interior.
Nix stepped right in behind her, pressing the gun against the middle of her back. “Head toward the back. We’re going to go for a little ride.”
He shoved her along, gun digging in as they crossed to where the four wheelers had been placed, along with both Tah’s and Vic’s motorcycles. He went with her to open one of the larger doors at the back of the barn, leaving it just wide enough for them to drive through. He forced her on one of the ATV’s then climbed on behind her, the gun never leaving her as he did. One arm wrapped around her waist, and he pressed so close to her, anyone seeing them would never know he had a gun.
She wanted to attack. He could shift, something she wouldn’t be able to do. That might put her at a disadvantage, but she wasn’t willing to try when she had no clue where the professor was. Losing him would destroy them. Not just for his mind and the way he was constantly searching for ways to help them, but because of what he meant to all of them. He was a father figure to so many, a grandfather to others.
