Page 2

Clare

“Let’s get him and the others handled,” Councilman Oliveria said to the council guards with him before turning to Bevin. “I’m sorry to rush you, poppet, but I have other pressing matters.” He reached over and rubbed her shoulder. “And you’ve already had too rough of a day. Let others handle this and help your sister.”

“I don’t…” Bevin shot me a guilty look.

“I’m fine,” I lied. “Thank you for coming.”

“I’ll stay with her and Jasmine if you go right back home and stay there,” the guy who came through the door first said as he put away his gun. He gave Bevin a hard look. “And heal your hand.”

She smiled at him. “You loved it.”

He snorted. “I’m jealous. Alex is a huge asshole and I’ve wanted to clock him for years.” He focused his intense gaze on me. “You’re fine with this?”

“Um, sure, but who are you?” I whispered, hating how fragile I sounded. Then the adrenaline that had been filling my body seemed to cut out and my legs felt weak. I had just enough awareness to catch myself on the arm of my chair and sit down there.

“Taylor Reid,” he introduced. “I have a security contract with your sister.”

I blinked at Bevin. What the fuck was going on that she had the eldest son of the head of the council working for her? Seriously, there was so much that I was missing. I think I mumbled that I was fine with it and then stared off into space as too much happened. I felt cold and hot at the same time while the council guards used magic to tote Alex away.

“You’re in shock, but there is too much to do and fast, so I need you to pull yourself together, Ms. Shaw,” a woman said abruptly.

But then I realized it wasn’t because several people were staring at me.

I blinked up into her pretty dark green eyes, noting that her brown hair was up in a professional twist that suited her face and vibe. Then I almost laughed that I noticed such a thing in this sort of crazy situation.

“I’m Jasmine Hough, your sister’s attorney. We need to move fast to stay ahead of your family.” She let out a slow breath when I didn’t reply. I didn’t know how to reply or couldn’t. She squatted in front of me and took my hands in hers.

Wait, when did I sit?

So not the point right then.

“You’re at the edge and it’s scary. I understand that. You suffered a trauma and you’re in a bad spot. I’m going to lead you away from that scary edge and protect you. I know it’s too much right now, but please trust me that I will get you through these next few hours, and before you know it you will be somewhere safe, protected, and eating all the comfort food you want.”

Someone snorted. “Add in a lot of hard liquor too.”

Yes. Please.

“Tell me what to do,” I whispered. “I don’t know what to do or what comes next.” I actually did since I’d been planning how to break away from my family, but… She was right and I was in shock.

“I doubt that because I hear you’re incredibly organized and very popular in your field,” she argued. “You’re in shock. So I need you to tell me if you had any plans or lists for your escape or an exit strategy from your family.”

Yes, yes, I did. I managed to remember that and got her the hidden notebook with Taylor’s help since it was stuck in a slit under my mattress. I simply shrugged and reminded them that my trust paid for the condo, so my parents had keys and it was all theirs in their minds.

Jasmine was a miracle of efficiency. She had people already coming to pack up everything of mine and get it someplace safe. Then I blinked and I was changed, my face healed, my essentials in a few suitcases off to the side, and we were at the bank for me to withdraw everything that I could and had access to.

She had me put it in a human bank instead of a hidden one run by warlocks… And of course they were from top-tier families and that was why those of us from those families were so well-controlled and trapped. I also informed her of the other accounts and the safety deposit box I had at another human bank. She seemed impressed with that.

But she said we might clean out the safety deposit box and have a safe at Bevin’s house since Father or Alex could do too much with magic if they learned of it. That was fair. Yeah, probably smart.

She had me handle work, putting in an emergency notice of leave. I did contact my direct boss, and with Jasmine’s guidance, I told her that my brother had a psychotic break and put me in the hospital. I hadn’t even realized she or anyone had taken photos, but I had them to send to her to show the state I’d been found in.

My boss was less than thrilled, but she understood the emergency and issue. I promised that I would be available for any questions from those taking over my projects and would help as best as I could, but I couldn’t be onsite or meet with clients with a busted face… Even if it was already healed. She didn’t know that.

Jasmine waved for the phone when I got some pushback and handled it like a master, saying that the police also asked me to lay low because my brother might have involved himself in drugs and that was part of his odd behavior. That my company wouldn’t want that following me there, blah, blah—so it was best for everyone.

“Thank you, but that might bite everyone later,” I worried.

“Then we have magic and will handle it, but for right now, we need them not to send up alarms or start trouble for you,” she said easily. She let out a slow breath. “Now I have to do my job to protect your sister. I need you to sign magical NDAs and for you to understand that I am on her side. She asked me to help you, but I protect her.”

“I’m not here to hurt her even if we have… I’m grateful she came,” I said honestly. I swallowed loudly when I saw that wasn’t enough. “I’m working on the rest.”

She studied me and my aura. “Yes, well, I’d be a horrible shield for her if I didn’t consider this to be a ploy by the Shaws to get one of theirs in Bevin’s camp. So time will tell. As her attorney, this is a horrible idea and I’m against it, but Bevin is too kind for her own good, so I will do whatever I have to so she’s safe. I’m not the only one.”

I swallowed loudly hearing the threat. I nodded and signed what she wanted me to. Honestly, I was so tied up and spun around that I would have signed just about anything to feel safe and get a moment to let it all settle. I’d never been so scared and—Alex and Father had really lost their minds.

We arrived at Bevin’s house and I was glad my bags were already there.

“She’s in a session with Councilman Moon,” a guy who screamed security informed Jasmine before glancing at me and then back to her. “Taylor reached out to those who failed the council guard training to see if they’re looking for security jobs. You guys are going to need more and he wants to keep this contract long-term, not have you hire security privately.”

Jasmine didn’t take the bait right away which was smart and showed her patience—how good she was as an attorney. “You have a point so make it. I know Taylor wouldn’t like you sharing state secrets.”

He sighed. “He’s not trying to do it because it will make us extra money. He wants it done right and—” He shot me another look before focusing back on Jasmine. “He pays his debts. Bevin has done something none of us can ever truly thank her for and didn’t ask for anything in return. Doing it yourselves when so much is going on could lead to problems. He won’t allow that.”

Jasmine snorted. “She got to him.” Her lips twitched when he didn’t say anything. “He asked if she was dedicated to this war and she reminded him that he bailed and went off while she has always been fighting. He’s putting his money where his mouth is and saying he’s in this war all the way.”

“Yes, and not just because his family’s on the line. That’s what I’m saying. He pays his debts and she pulled off a miracle.”

“Yes, yes, she did.” She chuckled darkly and rubbed her neck. “Sometimes I wish I knew I was signing up for a war instead of a job but honestly it’s hard not to want to go all in when she could change our world and make it better.”

“Yeah, we all agree on that,” he muttered. “I never thought I could ever…” He cleared his throat.

And shot me another look.

Seriously, what was going on?

Bevin came inside with Councilman and Mrs. Moon joking around like they were old friends. Mrs. Moon caught sight of me and moved in front of Bevin protectively, anger and worry in her eyes.

“Sorry, I should have warned you,” Bevin said before they could jump on me. “There was a situation and—”

“She’s not part of your father showing up here?” Mrs. Moon asked.

My eyes went too wide. “Father found you? How—is that—did he hurt you?” I looked her over, but she seemed fine. “Are we safe here?”

“Yes, no, yes,” she said too easily which annoyed me, but then I saw she was tired. “It’s complicated and I’ll explain. Let me show the Moons out.”

“If you’re sure it’s fine,” Councilman Moon hedged. “If it’s safe for her to visit.”

Bevin and I shared a look, but she was kind and didn’t call out that this wasn’t a visit. I’d chosen a side by calling her and we both knew it. But she assured them it was fine and thanked them for the food they’d brought?

What the hell was going on that a council family brought food to my baby sister and she had some kind of “session” with them?

“Please think about what I said,” Mrs. Moon begged Bevin, rubbing her arm. “I know it’s all too sensitive, but you’re a strong woman, and just as we’re getting help from you, you know you cannot do everything on your own.”

“I’ll call her, I promise,” Bevin agreed, both of the Moons looking relaxed at hearing that.

They left and Bevin filled me in on what happened while eating a plate of food that they’d brought. I was floored at what she said, but one thing stuck out to me.

“Are you sure you heard Father right? You’re not mistaken?” I pushed. I ignored when people gave me annoyed looks and looked ready to jump on me.

Bevin flinched and shot Taylor a guilty look. “I was going to tell you, but—we’ve been busy.” She seemed relieved when a very attractive man with longer red hair that was pulled back in a ponytail walked into the room with Derek Wyatt and several other men.

I did a double take at seeing Derek so I didn’t notice who else was in the group… And he was just as shocked to see me.

“This cannot be a coincidence,” he worried, focused on Bevin. “You cannot trust this.”

“I do because—you know why,” she told him but then looked back to Taylor. “Fath—Charles said he was on his way to his hunting cabin and that made him realize he didn’t have this property or to look here—whatever he said.”

“This property?” I muttered, not hiding my confusion but nodding when she waved me off. “Father doesn’t hunt during the week. Ever. And early October isn’t the right time for where his cabin is. I don’t think he has ever gone in October.”

“Exactly. Something is going on,” Bevin confirmed. “What did Alex tell you?”

“Oh, I have his phone,” one of Taylor’s guys said with a smirk. “I scooped it up when you knocked him out before the council guards could.”

“You knocked out Alex?” Derek asked her with a shocked look.

“Punching hurts. No one warns you of that,” she grumbled, rubbing her hand even if it was healed. “Kicking is way better.”

The large kitchen filled with over a dozen men burst out laughing and I didn’t blame them. She was actually fairly amusing if I ignored my resentment of her.

“Alex said Father left home for a business trip but had to handle something first and gave him the orders he did,” I told Bevin.

She blinked at me. “Since when does he need to take ‘business trips’ like that? If he has to pretend in front of humans, he flies in and out that same day because he can’t stand accommodations that humans deal with and not having his own people to fear him and feed into his ego.”

I snorted. She had Father pegged. “Agreed. Alex is just too stupid to realize that because Father dangled the carrot of taking over but—something is going on.” I scrubbed my hand over my face. “Or it’s some sort of setup. Father isn’t stupid.”

“He just assumes everyone else is,” Bevin muttered.

“Yes, but he normally has contingencies.” I frowned when she looked at my familiar, immediately wanting to hide the crow like always. In my day of shocking, Bevin glanced at me with a look of pity that I didn’t understand. “What else did—”

“Hey, Clare,” Wes said as he stepped out from the others.

I hadn’t even seen him in the group or realized—I was too all over the place. I opened my mouth to greet him, trying to control my feelings for him like always.

“You are the one Clare gave the message to?” Bevin checked, gesturing between us.

I nodded. “I know him from Morrigan.” I gave her a look to leave it alone and I was glad that she accepted that.

It was way more complicated than that. I had always liked Wes and apparently the feeling was mutual. He’d asked me out when I was at Morrigan, but I’d turned him down. I’d been honest though that I wanted to be with him and I thought he was amazing but I couldn’t.

That I didn’t care that he was an orphan or his background, but my parents would never allow me to mate someone of his circumstances. And I was realistic about my situation. That I wasn’t strong enough to go against them and he could end up dead if I ever got involved with him. It wasn’t a risk I was willing to take and then be forced to mate someone else without a choice.

“Believe me now?” I asked him quietly. I flinched, stunned it came out of my mouth when so many people were around and would ask what it meant. I was normally so much better at controlling my emotions and mouth.

I rubbed my face and had flashes of Alex hitting me, the guards taunting me. Jasmine was right that I’d been traumatized.

“Yes, and I’m sorry for how I handled everything,” Wes said quietly. “I didn’t—”

“I understand,” I said firmly, pulling myself together. “I just wanted to clear the air that I’m not an alarmist and wasn’t toying with you. If you’ll excuse me.” I focused on Bevin. “Is there a room I can use or—I didn’t even ask if I could stay here. I apologize.”

“I would suggest she maybe stay somewhere else while she takes this break from your birth family,” Jasmine said quietly. “She’ll learn too much staying here.”

I swallowed a snort but was relieved when Bevin said I could stay in her room for now. It was all overwhelming, and I thought I mumbled something about getting air and went for the back door. I barely noted the construction going on to build a patio or whatever and simply tried to remember to breathe.

“It’s going to be okay, Clare,” Wes whispered as he tried to hold my hand. He sighed when I pulled it away. “Your sister will help. She’s awesome and—”

I glanced at him when he cut off what he was saying but frowned when his mouth kept moving. My eyes went wide when I realized it was magic keeping him from speaking.

“The NDA is muting you for others to hear,” Jasmine explained to Wes. “And I would advise you to remember you signed it and promised to keep quiet. Ms. Shaw had a fight with her family and was assaulted, but—she has not asked to switch teams nor have we accepted her on this one.”

Wes frowned but nodded after glancing between us.

I caught Bevin fidgeting and looking really uncomfortable like she was caught in the middle of something, so I decided to spell it out before she developed an ulcer. I met Jasmine’s gaze. “There is no going back in the Shaw family, Ms. Hough. That’s what Bevin is too nice to clarify and hit me with reality, but I understood it when I made the call.”

“I’m sorry, Clare,” Bevin whispered. “Really.”

I let out a slow breath. “Me too, but thank you for being there to catch me. Really. It’s more than I deserve after how I’ve treated you.”

“No, it’s not, and you didn’t know,” she mumbled.

“Wait, I’m confused,” Taylor interjected as he glanced between us. “What are you talking about?”

I let out a small giggle and it didn’t sound too sane. “I went to the enemy, Mr. Reid. The biggest enemy of the Shaw family currently. That is an unforgivable crime to Father and even Grandmother. I won’t be welcomed back to the life I had no matter what precious Alex did. Now that sacrificing me is on the table, that is very clearly my only option if I go back there.”

“She’s right,” Bevin said firmly when they all seemed like they might argue. “I knew the same when Charles came to the hearing for me to be disowned. He wasn’t really trying to welcome me back. He didn’t want the world to see he lost an asset—something that belonged to him. He’ll do the same for Clare.”

I bobbed my head and stared out at the pretty landscape. “But I’m as good as dead if I go back. There is no one punished harsher to Charles Shaw than a traitor.”

“I’m sorry,” Bevin repeated.

“Why are you fucking apologizing?” I snapped. I pushed Wes’s hand away when he reached for me and stormed over to Bevin. Three different people got in my way, and I was impressed that none of them backed off when I made it clear that I would break them if they didn’t move. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

“It’s fine,” Bevin mumbled, clearly not wanting a conflict or issue. She stepped around them to face me.

The fear in her eyes when she looked at me was like a knife through the heart.

I grabbed her arms before any could stop me and gave her a shake. “You are Bevin Fucking Shaw—Millen now. You don’t apologize for others. Why are you apologizing that our father is a psychotic asshole? Did you make him that way? Did you allow it all of these years? What part did you play in it that you should apologize for?”

She let out a slow breath and nodded. I had a flash of the little girl she’d been, seeing her as she’d been and not the jealous little girl I’d been. I saw that same fear and worry—waiting for something bad.

And I shocked both of us by hugging her. “ I’m sorry that I wasn’t a better big sister and understood what you went through. I’m sorry I was trapped in my own survival of that family that I didn’t see how abused you were.” I leaned away and held her arms again. “But I’m going to teach you how to handle people and have better armor. You’re going to need it, okay?”

“I’m not dense,” she rasped, trying to pull away.

I mentally winced. “You are, but you’re right that it wasn’t your fault. And I’m dense for not having seen that. So we’re going to work together and stop being dense. We’re going to get our answers and be—we’ll figure this out, but don’t fucking apologize for Charles Shaw ever again. You are the kid and he is the psycho!”

She swallowed loudly and nodded. “I’ll try.”

That was the best I was going to get. I had to accept that and be patient with her.

And myself. I wasn’t going to just lose my years of resentment and anger towards her overnight. I’d made progress in accepting things weren’t what I’d thought, but it hadn’t even been a week since we’d talked. We both needed more time to get to know each other and learn who the other was so we could maybe try to have some sort of relationship.

Or at least be on the same side of things. That meant working together and not rocking the boat.

“But you have to stop abusing your familiar,” she blurted too loudly. “It’s not her fault she’s a crow, and she’s miserable because you don’t love her and are embarrassed by her. I can’t have that in my house. It hurts my heart and it’s not fair. And your bond is dissolving too fast.”

Derek yanked Bevin away from me and shoved her behind him, giving me a hard look that he would end me if I made the wrong move in that moment. Everyone was on edge… Except my familiar in the kitchen sitting in her cage. She was relieved.

Happy even?

The president of Familiar Treasures stepped out of the house and looked ready to do battle if need be, and that was the last piece of the puzzle I needed to be clued in. I blinked between them all and felt too much at once, spots forming in my vision. I stumbled away and would have fallen back to land on my ass if Wes hadn’t caught me.

“Yeah, it’s a lot to swallow and she’s not my kid sister,” he muttered.

That was the understatement of the year because Bevin didn’t just work for Familiar Treasures.

She was the owner.

She was the mysterious owner that everyone in our world was desperate to know about and find.

Holy. Fuck.

Then what she said hit me. “I don’t know how,” I rasped. “All I ever hear when I see her is all the shame I’ve endured because of her. It echoes in me when I look at her.”

Bevin peeked out around Derek. “Then we both have some work to do. It’s—crows are super smart, Clare. They are social and good at problem-solving. They are curious and protective of those they care about even at the cost of what is best for them. I think she’s the perfect fit for you.”

And then she looked past me to Wes. So she figured that out already.

“I’ll try. Really.” I took in a slow breath and let it out. “I’d like to not hear—I’d like to just see her as she is.”

“I can help with that, your bond at least,” Bevin offered.

“But if you hurt her or do anything to risk her, I will put you in the ground and you will never be found,” the president of Familiar Treasures warned me.

And I believed her. As she moved closer and I felt her power… I believed her. I nodded but then walked away to get some air.

I fucking needed it. Even better was when Wes brought some booze.

Yeah, I needed that too.