Page 29

Brandt dropped Shaun off first, so Lucien could see where he lived, and also pointed out Christian’s house and Remi’s along the way, then pulled up in Hellen’s drive at the opposite end of the street and waited while Lucien gathered Hellen’s cheesecake and pecan pie.

“It is a good feeling having you around, Lucien. I’m glad you decided to track Hellen down. ”

Lucien nodded. “Yeah, didn’t have much choice in that, though as you know, setting up house and taking on a clan that’s not even my family wasn’t in the plans.”

“Yep. You told me plain as day, until I get enough, then I’m gone.”

“I did say some stupid shit like that, didn’t I?”

“Just barely 48 hours ago,” Brandt teased.

“There’s worse things to be than wrong, you know? And sometimes, even being wrong is worth the reward in the end. She’s my reward. Hell’s the only thing that’s ever meant anything to me in my whole damn life.”

“For what it’s worth, she’s never bonded to or brought home any other male. This is a big deal for her, too.”

“Good, I’d hate to think I’m the only one on uneven ground here.”

Brandt laughed. “Go take your female her cheesecake. I’m pretty sure that alone would get you an unlimited amount of approval.”

Lucien chuckled and waved as Brandt backed out of the driveway. He turned to the house and opened the front door, letting himself in without so much as a knock. This was where his mate lived, then this was where he lived. “Hell?!” he called out. “Brought you a surprise.”

He went straight into the kitchen and put both the cheesecake and the pecan pie on the counter top.

Glancing briefly into the living room, he realized the television was off, and went to the bedroom.

When he walked into the bedroom, he knew immediately that Hellen wasn’t there.

“Hellen?!” he called a little louder. He closed his eye, and canted his head sideways while standing perfectly still to try to detect any movement in the house at all, but there was none.

On his way back down the hallway toward the kitchen, he quickly glanced into each of the other two bedrooms before checking the spare bathroom, and ending up in the living room.

Once he stepped fully into the living room, he realized why the house was quiet.

She was not only not in the bedroom, she wasn’t in the house at all.

He strode toward the television and pulled off the note taped to the screen.

“Don’t be mad. I got a call from my boss and had to report for an emergency. I should be home by tomorrow morning, or maybe a little later, but definitely by tomorrow night. I think. Maybe. There’s food in the fridge. Help yourself.

PS: Havoc and Barron are going to come keep you company.

PSS: Are you getting your fill of me yet? Too bad! You can’t leave.

See you soon.

Remember I said to not be mad.

Me.”

“Damn it!” Lucien yelled, then about the time he was looking for a phone to try to contact anybody with, there was a knock at the door. He stalked to the door and snatched it open.

“What?!” he half-shouted.

“You found her note?” Emmalyn asked.

“You knew about this?!” Lucien demanded.

“Well, I knew she was planning to leave a note, I’m not really sure about what it says,” Emmalyn said.

Lucien thrust it out toward her.

Emmalyn took the note, skimmed it quickly, then handed it back to him. She smiled brightly at him. “Yeah, that’s not the whole story.”

“What?”

“I was hoping she’d put more in her note, but figured maybe she didn’t.”

“Will you get to the point?!”

“Her boss called.”

“I know that. Says it right there,” he said, pointing at the note in his other hand.

“He said they had a report of some pretty prolific poachers and asked if she could go do a little recon and check it out.”

“Nooooo,” Lucien rumbled.

Emmalyn nodded. “Yeah. I’m thinking based on what she said to me and Analise that they might be the same people that did,” she waved her hand up and down Lucien’s body, “this to you. And she kinda knew that, so intentionally didn’t tell you.”

A slow steady hiss began to escape him.

“When did she leave?” he asked, his voice low and deadly.

“About an hour and a half after you left with Brandt. Analise and I thought it was best that you know.”

Lucien glanced behind her, then focused on her again. “Where’s Analise?”

“She’s breaking the news to Havoc.”

“And you?”

“I decided to come tell you personally, rather than letting the guys do that, because they weren’t with her when she got the call. We were, and we know what we heard.”

“And you waited until you saw me come home to tell me?!”

“See, here’s the thing… I have a loyalty to Hellen, which means I have to give her the benefit of the doubt. But that loyalty to Hellen also says that I have a duty to keep her alive. So, I feel under the circumstances, I’ve done both. So, are you coming with me, or am I going alone?”

“You think I’m going with you?”

“Yes,” Emmalyn said, taking a gun out of her back waistband and checking to make sure it was loaded, before half-turning into the yard and leveling it at one of the trees in the lot next door to check the sight on it.

“I’m going. You’re not.”

“I beg to differ! I came and told you, didn’t I?”

“Did you tell Barron? And what about Brandt? Or maybe Hellen’s father across the road? This is no place for females to be inserting themselves.”

“Listen here, asswipe! I’ve been a fighter almost longer than I’ve been alive.

And an FBI Agent since I was old enough for them to take me seriously — you feel me?

Not you or anyone else is going to keep me from going to make sure Hellen is safe,” Emmalyn said, poking an annoyingly bony finger into his chest to accentuate every word.

With each poke Lucien backed up a step, intentionally leading Emmalyn into the foyer of Hellen’s home.

At about the same time Emmalyn realized she was standing in Hellen’s home, Havoc’s yell got their attention from across the street.

“Hey! You hear this shit she’s pulled now?!” Havoc bellowed. “Come on! Ronan was already here. He’s sitting with Analise and Harley. Let’s go ruin her fucking day!”

“Hold on,” Lucien said, his eyes on Emmalyn.

Emmalyn looked around the foyer, wide-eyed and clearly off balance.

Lucien very carefully took her by the shoulders and guided her in front of him back out of the house.

“I have no doubt that you can hold your own on a good day. But you’re not ready.

You just froze up because of the house you’re standing in.

You need to work through that before you can put yourself in a volatile situation.

But you did a great thing. You came to me.

As Hellen’s mate, no one will fight harder for her than I will. ”

Emmalyn blinked away a few errant tears, and sniffled a time or two before she got herself under control.

“Can I use your phone?”

Emmalyn nodded and pulled it out of her back pocket, swiping a finger over the screen to unlock it so he could use it.

“Call Brandt?”

Emmalyn swiped the screen again and chose speed dial four. When it started ringing she handed the phone back to Lucien.

“’S’up, Em?” Brandt asked lightheartedly.

“It’s Lucien. Hellen’s gone to try to confirm the location and activity of some poachers, at the request of her boss. She told Emmalyn and Analise she thinks it’s the same poachers that left me for dead.”

“The fuck?!” Brandt exclaimed.

“She left while we were gone this morning. Emmalyn just showed up to tell me.”

“You try to reach out to her?” Brandt asked.

“Yep. She’s got me locked out tight.”

“Hey! Get in the fucking truck. We going to get her ass!” Havoc said, stomping up the drive toward where Lucien and Emmalyn were standing.

“Tell Havoc to hold on, I gotta let everybody know what’s happening. Not all of us can go. Some need to stay behind to watch over things,” Brandt said.

“I can hear your ass! You stay here. I’m going to get my damn stubborn-ass sister!

You!” Havoc said, pointing at Lucien, “Meet me at my truck. You got five minutes!” he snapped before he turned and hurried back to his house.

“Like having Analise tell me would keep me from getting upset. Who the hell do they think they’re dealing with? ” he grumbled to himself along the way.

“Hey! Let your dad know!” Lucien shouted at Havoc’s retreating back.

“Already did!” Havoc yelled back. “Get off the damn phone and get what you need, then get in the fucking truck,” Havoc yelled as he continued back to his house.

“You hear that?” Lucien asked.

“Yeah, I’m already in contact with everybody. Hellen’s got me locked out, too. Which is her way when she doesn’t want to be interrupted. People should start converging on you. I’m on my way. Don’t let Havoc leave until we all get there,” Brandt said.

“Fine, but you gotta add me in to that communication shit y’all doing. If Emmalyn hadn’t shown up with her phone, I’d be on foot trying to let everybody know. I don’t have a phone.”

“Or a wallet, or anything,” Brandt said.

“It’s all at the bottom of the swamp.”

“We’ll fix that, too,” Brandt said, then ended the call without another word.

Less than five minutes later, multiple trucks and vehicles started arriving while Havoc was sitting in his truck in the street, leaning out of the driver’s side window yelling at Lucien to ‘get in the goddamn truck’.

“Lucien! You hear me? You coming or not?” Havoc demanded.

“Yes. But wait.”

“The fuck am I waiting on? This girl’s gonna get her damn self killed! Come on! Now! Get in the goddamn truck!”