Table of Contents
Copyright
The Bond of Brothers
Foreword
Chapter One – Belle
Chapter Two – Rift
Chapter Three – Belle
Chapter Four – Rift
Chapter Five – Belle
Chapter Six – Rift
Chapter Seven – Belle
Chapter Eight – Rift
Chapter Nine – Belle
Chapter Ten – Rift
Chapter Eleven – Belle
Chapter Twelve – Rift
Chapter Thirteen – Belle
Chapter Fourteen – Rift
Chapter Fifteen – Belle
Chapter Sixteen – Rift
Chapter Seventeen – Belle
Chapter Eighteen – Rift
Chapter Nineteen – Belle
Chapter Twenty – Rift
Chapter Twenty-One – Belle
Chapter Twenty-Two – Rift
Chapter Twenty-Three – Belle
Chapter Twenty-Four – Rift
Chapter Twenty-Five – Belle
Chapter Twenty-Six – Rift
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Belle
Epilogue
Also By Harmony Raines
Get In Touch
The Snow Leopard’s Love
The Bond of Brothers
Book Five
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All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.
This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.
© 2021 Harmony Raines
The Bond of Brothers
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Individual Books
The White Wolf of Wishing Moon Bay
The Bond of Brothers Book One
The Horse Shifter’s Mate
The Bond of Brothers Book Two
Her Fae-vorite Bear
The Bond of Brothers Book Three
Fae-ted to the Bear
The Bond of Brothers Book Four
The Snow Leopard’s Love
The Bond of Brothers Book Five
The Dragon Shifter’s Desire
The Bond of Brothers Book Six
The Snow Leopard’s Love
The Bond of Brothers
Book Five
A silverback shifter romance
Belle is done with men. Her husband left her and their children for another woman and never looked back. All she knows about her father is that he was a bad man who wound up dead because of his bad ways.
So why does she feel compelled to trust the man in front of her? A man who is obviously lying when he says he’s a snow leopard shifter.
There’s no such thing as shifters. Just like there’s no such thing as true love.
Belle’s about to discover she’s wrong about a lot of things.
She’s also about to learn that Rift is the right one for her.
Rift has found his mate, at last. But Belle doesn’t want anything to do with him.
Somehow, he must persuade her that they’re meant to be together forever. However, she wants him to turn around and walk straight back out of her life.
It’s what she wants. He can see it in her eyes.
What’s a shifter to do?
When Belle and her family are threatened, Rift is the one, she calls on for help. He grabs the opportunity to show her what being a shifter’s mate is all about.
But a new discovery threatens the safety of not just Belle’s family, but Rift’s too.
Chapter One – Belle
“I’d like you all to get back in your truck and drive away.” Belle’s even voice didn’t betray her fear as she faced down the group of strangers who had arrived at her dead uncle’s house. Reggie had caused trouble all his life, any hope that had ended with his death was fading fast.
They should have gotten someone else to come and empty the house. However, Belle’s mom, Katrina, had hoped that emptying the rented house of her brother’s possessions might give them some kind of closure.
Belle suspected her mom also hoped to find some evidence that Reggie cared for his family, or at least thought of them in some small way. So far there had been no evidence of that. Not one single photo of his family.
She gnawed her bottom lip. She shouldn’t have brought the children with her. Jack and Rosie should have been shielded from any connection with Reggie, who had never done a good deed in his whole life. At least according to Katrina.
But Belle had brought them.
Smart move, Belle told herself as she faced the five strangers in front of her. She’d put her children in danger. Something she swore she would never do.
“We aren’t looking for trouble.” The first guy out of the truck had gotten as far as the gate before whatever drug he was on took a hold of him. Now he stood, half-leaning on the broken gate post to stop himself from falling flat on his face.
“Then turn around and leave.” Belle glanced down at her daughter, Rosie, as the small child yanked on her hand.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?” Rosie cupped her hand to her mouth and whispered loudly.
“Nothing, honey,” Belle lied as she fought the urge to scoop them both up in her arms, run to the car and drive away from here and never look back. Yet there was something she couldn’t explain that compelled her to stay.
“Who are they, Mom?” Her son, Jack, moved to stand next to Rosie.
“I don’t know.” Belle crouched down to speak to her son. “Jack, I need you to take your sister inside. Go find Grandma and tell her to take the car and leave.” She slipped her car keys out of her pocket and pressed them into her son’s hand.
“I’m not leaving,” Jack insisted. “Grandma says I’m the man of the house and I’m supposed to protect you and Rosie.”
Belle closed her eyes for a moment before inhaling deeply and opening them again. She would have a word with her mom as soon as they got out of this mess.
If they got out of it. The words hit her like a hammer on the side of the head. She was no match for the strangers in front of her. Three tall, broad-chested men and a couple of women who looked as if they knew how to handle themselves.
“Whoa!” The guy at the gate straightened and held up his hands. “No one needs to protect anyone. We’re not here to cause trouble.”
Belle stood up and nodded to her son. “Go find Grandma.”
“Mom...” Jack’s protest was cut short with a firm look from Belle and he tugged on his sister’s hand, pulling her back toward the house.
“Wait. Please.” The guy turned toward the others as they approached. “We just wanted information.”
“Why don’t you let me handle this, Rift?” One of the women hurried forward, brushing past Rift who still looked wild-eyed and half crazy. “I’m Elise.”
“I don’t care who you are, I want you to get back in your truck and drive away,” Belle replied.
“I know you do and we’re sorry to bother you, honestly.” She held out her hands as she approached.
Belle kept her attention fixed on the woman while also monitoring the actions of the others who had now joined Rift at the gate. “But you are bothering me and even though I’ve asked you to leave, you are still here, bothering me.”
She reached for her cell phone. Maybe she should call the local sheriff’s off
ice. But she didn’t want to draw attention. After today, she’d hoped the specter of her uncle would disappear from their lives forever.
She’d deal with this alone.
At least she hoped she was alone. She glanced toward the house. Would her mom do as she asked and take the kids and run for safety?
“We’ve driven a long way to find the owner of the toy.” Elise pointed to the small plush toy Rift held in his hand. “And now that we’re here, we could do with your help.”
“I don’t know anything about the toy. It doesn’t belong to either of my kids, I’ve never seen it before in my life.” Belle jumped at a noise from inside the house.
“I’ve seen it before,” her mom called from the window to Belle’s left.
“Damn it, Mom! You were supposed to take the kids and get out of here.” Belle gave her mom a reproachful look before turning back to the strangers before her.
“The toy belongs to you, Belle. It was called Jonjo or Jojo, something like that.” Movement in the window told Belle her mom was coming toward the door.
Stepping to her left, Belle put herself between the door and the people in the yard. “Stay inside, Mom.”
“I want to know where they got the toy from.” Her mom stepped outside. “And how they knew it was yours since... I haven’t seen it since your father...”
Belle swallowed hard as her mom took a deep shaking breath. “Okay, it looks as if we all need answers. So, as an act of good faith and since you are trespassing, you can go first.” She waited for the strangers to answer. “Tell us where you got the toy and how you know it’s mine.”
Elise half-turned to look at the others. Rift sucked in a breath of the cool afternoon air and with a nod to the others, he took a faltering step forward, his chin raised as he regained his balance, and, it seemed, his wits.
“The toy has been in the possession of the police for the last forty years or so. It was among the evidence in a case of two boys who were taken from a foster home. They were found in an apartment, alone. This toy didn’t belong to them, but we thought that whoever the toy did belong to might be able to give us some answers.” He held out his hands. “And so here we are.”
“Wait a minute.” Belle put her hand up to stop him from getting any closer. “You’re expecting me to believe that you managed to track me down to my dead uncle’s house because of a toy that has been in police evidence for over forty years?” She gave a short laugh and shook her head. “You really should have come up with a more plausible story.”
“Belle.”
She closed her eyes. Belle knew that tone. “You’re telling me you believe them?” she asked her mom.
Her mom stepped out of the house, an arm around Jack who still held on tightly to Rosie’s hand. “I’m telling you that toy is yours.” She stared at the small toy in Rift’s hand. How could it be hers? None of this made sense. But she trusted her mom. “And...”
Her mom brushed her hand across her eyes and sniffed loudly. Her mom, who never cried. Her mom, who was the strongest woman, no, person, Belle had ever met.
“Mom, what is this all about?” Belle whispered.
“Your father... He...”
“He what, Mom?” Belle knew her dad wasn’t one of the good guys, she’d known it since forever. Her mom refused to hide who Belle’s father really was. But looking in her Mom’s face now, she had hidden something. “Mom?”
“He...” She sniffed loudly and wiped the back of her hand across her nose. “I need you to know I had no idea that he... That he...”
“Your father was the man who kidnapped the two children.” Rift half-turned to point at the other two men. “These are the two children.” He winced. “I mean, they were the two children.”
“I get it,” Belle whispered. Only she didn’t get it. Her mom told her that her dad, Murray, was a small-time petty thief who crossed the wrong people years ago and wound up dead in the street like the piece of garbage he was.
“Oh, no.” Her mom covered her mouth with her hand and tightened her grip on the children.
“What do you want?” Belle stepped backward, closing the distance between her and her kids. Were they here for revenge, did they plan to take her children to get back at a man who had been dead for nearly forty years?
“We wanted to know the truth. We wanted to know if Murray was alive.” Rift nodded toward the house. “And we wanted to know about Reginald and how he fits into this.”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Katrina replied. “But first you let my daughter and her children get in their car and drive away. You need to promise me that you won’t try to follow them and that when I’ve answered your questions, you won’t ever bother us again.”
Rift’s shoulders slumped forward, and the others all turned to look at him, their expressions unreadable. Yet it was a simple request. If they got their information, they’d leave and forget all about where it came from.
“My daughter wasn’t out of diapers when her father died. This has nothing to do with her.” Her mom stepped forward. “Take the kids, Belle.” She pressed the car keys into her daughter’s hand. “You go and I’ll call you to come to pick me up later.”
“I’m not leaving you, Mom.”
“You wanted me to leave you and get the children to safety. I’m asking you to do the same thing.” Her mom took a shuddering breath. “I shouldn’t have asked you to come with me today. I had a sense this was going to be all messed up.” Her mom put her hand to her temple. “I should have listened to myself.”
“Mom.” Belle held her arm around her children as she hugged her mom. “It’s okay. None of this is your fault. Whatever Dad did, whatever Uncle Reggie did, none of that is on you.”
“Please.” Somehow Rift had made it right up to the house without them noticing. “We’re not here to hurt anyone. We only want answers.”
As Belle spun around and faced Rift, their eyes locked together. As she stared at the man before her, there was an undeniable attraction.
Belle sucked in a sharp breath. Katrina always said her relationship with Murray was a mistake. Belle hadn’t exactly done much better with the father of her kids who had walked out on them a couple of months ago. Was she about to make another mistake and put her trust in a man who didn’t deserve it?
“Belle,” her mom said gently. “It’s time you knew the truth.”
“The truth about what?” Belle asked.
“Your father. Your uncle.” Her mom brushed her hands across her eyes and looked away, staring into the distance.
“What truth?” Belle asked. “You’ve always told me they weren’t good people. You’ve never hidden the truth from me. I knew why Uncle Reggie was in prison for so long.”
“I never hid the truth from you,” her mom agreed. “But I never told you the whole truth. I always figured there was no need.” She turned and looked at Rift, her eyes lingering on him for a long while before she added, “But I think it’s time you heard it all.”
“It all?” Belle placed her arms around Jack and Rosie and pulled them close, wishing they were anywhere other than here.
“There’s so much you didn’t know.” She smiled sadly. “So much even I don’t know. So much I didn’t want to know.”
“You’re scaring me, Mom,” she whispered.
When her mom finally met Belle’s gaze, her breath caught in her throat.
She was right to be scared.
Chapter Two – Rift
Isn’t there anything we can do to prove to our mate that we don’t mean to hurt her? Rift’s snow leopard asked.
I don’t know if there is, Rift answered. We’re strangers to her and we’ve brought trouble to her door.
I don’t think that is her door, his snow leopard answered.
You know what I mean. She doesn’t want us here. And I don’t think she wants to hear what her mom has to say. Rift stepped forward and his mate instantly tensed and shot him a warning look.
“No closer.” She di
dn’t move, her arms wrapped tightly, protectively, around her children, tensed.
“Maybe we can talk while the children play?” he suggested. She looked down at them but didn’t relinquish her hold. “I promise, I mean you no harm.” He turned to look at the others. “None of us mean any harm.”
“You might not mean me harm, but that doesn’t mean you won’t cause harm,” she countered.
Rift bowed his head. “You’re right. And I’m sorry for that.”
Belle turned to look at her mom. “Does what you have to say involve these people?”
Her mom nodded. “I think it does. I also think they might be able to fill in some of the gaps for us.”
Belle closed her eyes and relaxed her shoulders. “Okay, kids. Why don’t you go play in the backyard for a while? But stay close to the house.”
“Mom...” Jack began.
Belle hunkered down next to him and took hold of his hand. “Jack, sweetheart, I need you to watch over your sister for me. Please.”
Jack stared at his mom for a long moment and then nodded briefly. “Come on, Rosie. Shall we go see if we can find the frog you saw earlier?”
“Sure.” Rosie skipped away, pulling her brother after her.
“Not too far,” Belle warned and looked around, scanning the area for threats.
“They’re safe while we’re here,” Rift assured her.
“You would say that, wouldn’t you?” she accused.
A small smile flickered across his lips. “I promise you, I will never hurt you. Or your children.”
“He’s telling the truth,” her mom replied.
“And how do you know?” Belle asked. “Because as much as you trust your intuition, it’s not always been great where men are concerned, has it?”
“No.” Her mom’s face crumpled, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
Belle rushed toward her and wrapped her arms around her, cradling her mom as she stroked her back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”
“But that doesn’t mean you aren’t right, does it?” her mom sobbed.
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