Unleashed by Shadows (By Moonlight Book 10) Page 6

  He wasn’t easily shaken. He feared no man, no foe, no obstacle or challenge. He’d learned to stand his ground and take it without a wince while growing up with the most to prove in the House of Terriot. He’d been schooled beneath the heavy heel and meaty fists of Bram Terriot, the marks of those lessons scoring his skin and once tender psyche. Understanding intimidation better than he did compassion, he’d once willingly indulged in every savagery now expected from him. He would have become a brutal, heartless monster, walking the same path his father followed, except for two things that called to his latent decency: The brothers who’d fearlessly stood beside him, and the female brave enough to believe in him.

  He owed them. He owed his family prosperous lives without fear and subjugation, where pride wasn’t measured in cruelties. He owed them a future in which they bowed to no one and had no reason to expect the worse from one another. He owed the woman he loved the fulfillment of promises made by a starry-eyed boy. And to achieve those things, all he had to do was right the wrongs of the man who’d desecrated the crown he now represented.

  All . . .

  With a weary sigh, Cale closed his eyes.

  His debt. His burden. His to carry and complete alone. No whining about the costs to body, heart, or soul. No crying over what couldn’t be repaid or repaired. No shirking from sacrifices sure to cost more than he’d ever thought to wager. The blood on his hands would never come clean. There was no forgiveness for his sins—the sins of the father now those of the son. He wouldn’t drag those he loved and respected down with him. Not while he still had strength and breath and opportunity.

  What was he going to do?

  He couldn’t save his people hiding on their mountain top. He couldn’t purge his guilt without a willingness to surrender his life. And he couldn’t protect his mate if he couldn’t provide her with his heir.

  What the hell was he going to do?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Thanks for the invite.”

  A pretty brunette held the door open wide, her smile warm and genuine. “You know you’re welcome here any time. You’re family, after all.” Dark eyes skipped over Cale in curiosity. “And you must be Kendra. From the way he talks about you, I was expecting a halo and wings.

  “Oh, dear. I thought this was informal, or I would have worn them.”

  Tina Babineau laughed, lifting her face for her half-brother’s kiss on the cheek. Her hand stroked gently along his. Kendra, she enveloped in a lightly perfumed hug. “Everything around here is informal, I’m afraid. But its home.”

  Yes, Kendra could see that from the moment they’d pulled up in front on Cale’s big bike. The modest curb appeal, the carefully tended lawn and flower beds, basketball hoop with its torn net attached to a car port, a cheerful kitchen where the scent of their meal tantalized. Home. Kendra felt that same subtle longing she’d experienced when visiting Cale’s mother’s condo. A place filled with memories and love, removed from the dangers of their daily life. The kind of place she wanted to create with Cale. She reached out to tuck her hand inside his and received a gratifying squeeze.

  “Alain’s on the patio fighting with the grill. He’d probably welcome the company and this.” Tina handed Cale a couple of long necks.

  “Where’s the kid?” he asked, releasing Kendra to accept the beers.

  “Where else? In his room saving some kingdom or another.” She turned and shouted, “Ozzy, Cale’s here.” That earned a loud, “Cool! Be there in a sec! Soon as I finish this level!”

  Cale laughed. “Who am I to interrupt the rescue of the free world?”

  Kendra studied the crowded stovetop and offered, “Can I give you a hand in here?”

  Tina blinked then grinned wide, opening her arms to embrace the narrow galley space. “Sure. Extra hands are always appreciated. It’s a tight fit. Alain calls it our one butt kitchen.”

  Cale’s hand smacked his mate’s playfully. “Good thing you’ve got a nice, tight—“

  “Cale!”

  “Turning radius,” he concluded diplomatically. He leaned over to sniff one of the bubbling sauces, eyes rolling heavenward. “She’s anxious to become a homebody. And I love that about her.” His arm scooped about Kendra to tug her flush against him, tone growing husky. “I love everything about her.”

  For a long second, their gazes mingled.

  “Do I need to turn on a fan?”

  Cale laughed at his sister’s wry comment and stepped back, hoisting the two bottles. “Can’t have these getting warm.” He turned and headed through the small dining area toward the back of the house.

  Blushing when Tina caught her ogling the tight fit of his jeans, Kendra murmured, “I miss him like crazy, but I love watching him leave.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “Whew. Maybe I do need that fan. We haven’t seen each other for three weeks. Let me know if we get too embarrassing.”

  Tina smiled. “I think it’s an enviable problem.” And just before she turned back to the sink, Kendra caught an unmistakable sadness in her dark eyes. “I wasn’t kidding about the halo. From the way he talks about you, I was expecting a cross between Saint Theresa and Saint Joan.”

  “Such a high bar. Sorry to disappoint you.”

  Tina glanced over her shoulder, eyes softening. “You don’t. You’re perfect for him.”

  How that simple statement from a stranger pleased her.

  “Cale did lead you astray in one thing. I have no domestic skills. None, other than popping something in the microwave and ordering off a take-out menu. I never had the chance to learn or anyone to teach me.” Her voice hitched painfully, but instead of expressing sympathy, Tina pressed a wooden spoon into her hand and gestured to one of the pans.

  “Taste that and tell me what it needs.”

  Kendra obliged and moaned, “It needs to be on my plate. Right now.”

  “Then set them on the table and get an ETA on the steaks.”

  As Kendra gathered up the inexpensive stoneware dishes, Tina touched her arm lightly.

  “Welcome to the family.”

  An unexpected wad of emotion had her looking away before the other woman could see how greatly her gentle comment impacted. Her hands were a bit shaky as she dealt the plates around the table. Until she glanced through the living room to see Cale on the other side of the open slider, and everything steadied. He was leaning back against the patio rail while Tina’s husband turned their dinner. His beer was almost to his lips when his glance caught hers and held. His smile spread wide as he lifted the bottle in a toast before taking a drink and responding to whatever he and Alain Babineau were discussing.

  Love for him hit like an unexpected blow, stealing her breath with a powerful crush about her ribs.

  She moved through the tiny living room where a flat screen dominated one wall and a cushy sectional draped with inviting pillows and crocheted blankets the other, and stepped out onto the small patio.

  “Here’s my much, much better half. Hey, mama.” Cale scooped her up close, the heat from his body almost as great as that from the grill. “This is Alain Babineau, detective and rescuer of lost souls.”

  Had one of them been her mate’s?

  Alain Babineau was, in a word, a doll.

  Mega-white teeth flashed as he put out his hand with an offer of, “Pleased to meet you, Kendra.” Any female with ovaries couldn’t help but respond to that smile with a sudden explosion of estrogen. Mainly because he was so unaware of the effect he had on the Y population.

  There was nothing slick or tailored about him, from the loose tee shirt skimming his long, fit torso to baggy cargo pants and tennis shoes. He was surfer blond and tanned with blue eyes that hit with flood lights of warm, healthy energy. Next to Cale’s head-on-collision directness, he was all snuggly puppy and hand-in-hand walks in the moonlight. The kind of man you wanted as a best friend and to marry your sister. Apparently, Cale thought so.

  “Tina wanted to know if the steaks were done.”

  “Be on th
e platter in a minute or two. Go ahead and wash up,” he prompted Cale. “I’ve got this under control.”

  “Good.” Cale sighed in relief. “I’m hungry enough to eat one of your neighbors.”

  A moment of cautious hesitation proceeded Alain’s laugh. He pointed over the back fence with his fork. “I’d suggest Mr. Miller. His dogs bark all night, and he’s too free with his comments about my crabgrass.”

  Cale grinned, winking slyly. “Thanks for the recommendation.”

  There was just enough gleeful malevolence in his expression for the very human Babineau to remember who and what he was. His smile faded.

  Kendra thumped her mate’s hard, if empty, belly. “Stop that.” Then for their host, added, “He’s just kidding.”

  “I knew that,” Alain claimed, only a touch of uneasiness lingering.

  Kendra hauled Cale inside to whisper, “Don’t forget what he is,” to which Cale replied, “I don’t want him to forget what I am in case he decides to mistreat my sister and nephew.”

  There was no amusement in his tone.

  “Bathroom’s over here.” He led her down a narrow hall then turned her abruptly up against one of the closed doors. He leaned close, body pressing into hers, features dynamic with intensity. “I want this, Kendra. I want what they have.”

  Her heart leapt, but she kept her response light. “A nine-to-five, a mortgage in the suburbs, and dishes in the sink?”

  He huffed in kingly disdain. “Don’t be ridiculous. This!” He made an abstract gesture. “You feel it. I know you do. The sense of closeness, of a real family. We had those dreams once, and they were torn away from us. I want it back, Katy.”

  She swallowed hard, her hand touching his face. “I want it, too.”

  He pulled a big breath and urged gruffly, “I want to make babies with you.”

  “Aw, geez,” interrupted a tall, lanky youth as he exited the bedroom opposite. “Not right here in the hallway, please. There are kids present.”

  Cale gave an explosive laugh to break the tension and pulled the boy into a rough headlock. “Your timing sucks, little man.” Cale let him straighten, but didn’t let him go as he put his other arm around the blushing Kendra. “Ozzy, this is my queen, that sunrise I was telling you about.”

  He smiled a bit shyly. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  At the sound of the slider opening, a delicious smell intruded. Cale drew it in noisily. “I’m starving. If I can’t have what I really want, I’ll have to settle for second best.”

  “You are so embarrassing,” Oscar exclaimed, wriggling free.

  “I’m an education.”

  Ozzy laughed at his uncle’s boast. “I don’t think that’s the kind of schooling my mama would approve of before I’m old enough to drive. Wash your hands while I try to wash out my mind.”

  Cale grinned. “Good luck with that.”

  Oscar smiled at Kendra. “You must be a saint to put up with him.”

  “That’s what I’ve been hearing.”

  Cale steered her toward the bathroom to Oscar’s wry, “Leave the door open, or we’ll never get dinner.”

  “Wiseass kid.”

  Kendra angled up to the sink beside him to smile at their reflections. “He’s cute. They all are.”

  “One big happy family.”

  So why didn’t either of them really believe that?

  *

  Dinner went well, the food excellent, the conversation animated and centered mainly around Oscar. All too soon, Cale pushed back from the table to thank their hosts.

  “That was great. Haven’t had a meal this good since I lived with my momma. Hate to break things up but I’ve got to meet with my brothers tonight and I need to get Kendra back to the hotel.”

  Kendra wasn’t quick enough to hide that this was news to her. Unwelcomed news, at that.

  “It’s still early,” Tina interjected. “Kendra, why don’t you stay. Alain can take you into the city when he goes to work. I hate to think of you alone in a hotel room.”

  She hated the thought of it, too.

  Cale shrugged. “Fine with me, if it’s no bother.”

  “And I can help you clean up,” Kendra offered.

  “Oh, that isn’t necessary,” Tina insisted, “but the company would be wonderful.”

  Cale stood. “Walk me out, baby.” As Kendra rose, he bent to touch a kiss to his half-sister’s brow. “Thanks for having us over. It’s nice to do normal things.” No one questioned his meaning. He slapped Alain on the back. “Take care of your family, brother. They’re the best you’ll ever have.”

  Babineau accepted his comment and his pointed stare with a brief nod.

  The early evening air still held the gentle warmth of the day, making it almost balmy as they walked to Cale’s bike. She could tell his hurry was mainly to avoid questions but she wouldn’t let him get away that easily.

  “So what do you have planned with your brothers? Some sort of princely debauchery?”

  Cale laughed, hugging her tight against him, letting her know that the interest piqued in the hallway was still very much on his mind. “Nothing like that. Just some business. Silas will be there to drain the life out of anything enjoyable.”

  “Good,” she muttered under her breath.

  His hips nudged hers. “I meant what I said earlier.”

  “So did I.”

  “Good.”

  She gave him a slight push. “You’d better go before I decide not to let you leave.”

  “Kendra? You’re the best I’ll ever have.”

  Her emotions trembled but her voice stayed strong. “Don’t you ever forget that.”

  “Not a chance.”

  His kiss was way too explicit for a PG neighborhood. By the time he lifted away from her damp lips, she found herself clinging to him when she’d promised herself she wouldn’t. She gave him a determined push.

  “I’ll see you later.”

  His hand sketched over her hair. “Yes, you will.”

  *

  The party was in full swing on a private rooftop terrace where tropical plants, intimate open fronted cabanas and chic outdoor furniture surrounded a large pool. At one end, a DJ spun tunes through massive speakers lining a small dance floor, and on the other a neon-edged bar, and banquet length tables offered refreshments. Most of the male guests were in jackets and ties, the women in slinky evening gowns or barely there bikinis. Party boys boasting gym pack abs and little else played volleyball in the water. And off to one side, Casper Lee held court.

  When the elevator opened, his pale glance was drawn then held by the tall, stunning trio in black designer suits and shirts with silver ties that highlighted the diamonds in their ears. They exited together and paused to survey the crowd with deadly precision before parting so a fourth could stride between them.

  Mick Terry.

  His features set with the same harshly chiseled arrogance, the small fighter had also opted for designer sleek but he wore his single button black Dolce jacket over a boldly bared chest with its sleeves shoved up to his elbows. The effect was as snarlingly sexual as the black and red tattoo on his forearm.

  “Is that him?”

  Casper reluctantly tore his stare from the strutty Shifter heading for the bar with the threesome in tow to respond to the figure standing in shadows behind him. “Yes. What do you think?”

  “The three are definitely Terriot princes. No one else in their clan would dare flash carats that size. Or have taste quite that garish in jewelry.”

  “And the other?”

  “Could be he is what he claims to be, a Lesser friend. Bram the Beast’s sons all have his stature and that flamboyant hair. All except the one who overthrew and banished him to inherit. He’s said to be the vicious little runt of the litter. I’ve never met Cale, only James. That can’t be him. They’d never place their king in such a vulnerable position in another territory unless he was asking to be taken hostage.”

  Lee considered that whil
e considering the man he hadn’t been able to get out of his thoughts. “What do you know about the House of Terriot?”

  “That they’re greedy, treacherous and brutal beyond description. That they’d rather die than admit failure or have to humble themselves for any reason. They don’t come down off their mountain unless it’s for war. Going after them there would be like taking on a badger in its hole. You’d get torn to pieces. We faced them once and managed to drive them back, but we don’t relish having to do it again.”

  “So what are they doing here, out in the open as bold as can be?” he mused, calculating gaze lingering on Terry and his friends. “Find out.”

  *

  Cale scarcely had time to sip past the suds on his beer before he was accosted.

  “What are they doing here?”

  He followed Silas’s disapproving glare poolside where his brothers were quickly surrounded by bikinied girls. “Behaving themselves. They were invited by our host. Would you prefer them where you couldn’t see them?”

  “I’d prefer them in Nevada.” He flicked the lapel of the Dolce & Gabbana jacket. “Couldn’t find a clean shirt?”

  “Figured he’d be less likely to slit my throat if he’s drooling over my pecs.”

  “Be careful. He might want to buy what you’re advertising.”

  Cale leveled an icy stare. “Hey, I’m just a selfish, indiscriminating man whore who fucks anything that moves. Isn’t that what you told Kendra?”

  Silas chose not to comment. “Where is she tonight?”

  “Safe with family.”

  Since he was here and his sister was honeymooning, it didn’t take MacCreedy long to narrow down the options and be reassured. “Good.”

  “Did you think I wouldn’t be taking care of her?”

  “If you were, she’d be in Nevada, too.”

  “You underestimate her. You always have. That’s why she’s with me.”

  Further discussion on that point curtailed when Nica joined them looking unusually feminine in a gauzy turquoise dress that skimmed her knees. Skillfully applied makeup and a loose updo softened the hawk-like angles of her face.