Page 5 of Shattered

Jerome’s shoulders sagged. “I hate laying this shit on you.”

Kalkin shrugged. “It happens. We knew when we got involved with Aislinn all those years ago, this day would come. We figured she’d be mated before it happened, though. Maybe this is a good thing.”

Rapier scrubbed his chin. “Have to give it to her father, he is tenacious.”

A sixteen-year-old Aislinn had come to them after her father, a high-ranking member of the Yakuza, agreed to sell her to Christoph’s family as a way to form an alliance with the St. John’s. When Christoph refused to follow their edict, the boy put a plan into motion to save the girl and give her a new life. She’d had one, too. She renamed herself Shelby and helped Keeley and Danielle in the orphanage, while taking online courses at the community college. She’d also been adopted by Rashid and Melody, becoming part of the Dryer family.

“Mine, too,” Christoph said. “He still thinks he has an advantage.”

“He’s grasping for straws,” Jerome stated. “He knows how much trouble he’s in once Shelby’s father finds him.”

“My father had to have tipped them off,” Christoph stated. “Best place to start looking for her, is here. Where we’re bringing everyone.”

“How’re your mates handling this?” Mackenzie asked.

Christoph blanched. “Well...” He cleared his throat. “We were waiting to tell you this.”

“Bell’s pregnant.” Rapier grinned. “We already know.”

Christoph blew out a breath. “She was afraid to tell you after all this came up.”

“Jasmine and Danielle figured it out when Jackson said she was sick.” The Alpha lion winked at the boy. “She never should worry about that shit.”

“I can’t even explain why she does,” Christoph muttered. “But they’re hanging tough. They’re more worried about our new arrivals and Shelby than anything.”

“Grandpa Rapier, has a good ring to it.” Kalkin chuckled.

Rapier flipped him off. “Shut up. I hope, to fuck, Ella mates the biggest fucking wolf with the biggest fucking dick. Just as payback for that grandpa bullshit.”

“Fuck you,” Kalkin said. “Ella is going to be my innocent little girl.”

Mackenzie covered his laughter with a cough.

“Anyway...” Jerome drew their attention back to the current situation. “I have two agents who are being assigned to this case.” He glanced over at Christoph. “It seems your father has popped up in some pretty interesting places and jumped onto some interesting radars as of late.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. He is going to call in each of his favors to keep from owing the Yakuza,” Christoph answered. “Where and who is looking at him?”

“Scotland Yard, Interpol, FBI, CIA, NSA, OGA, the standard,” Jerome answered. “We—all the agencies—believe he is coming here as well as Shelby’s parents. Hence why we would like to imbed these agents with you.”

Kalkin whistled. “OGA?”

Jerome nodded. “Black market shit no one will touch.”

“OGA?” Christoph cocked a brow. “You lost me.”

“Other Government Agency,” Kalkin answered. “They do the shit the government wants to keep off the books.”

Jerome motioned to a vehicle Mackenzie hadn’t even been paying attention to when he walked up. Two men stepped from the truck. One was built like Kalkin, all shoulders, arms, and chest with a lean waist while the other one reminded him of Royce. More compact and stout. They were also complete opposites. Where Malcolm had dark-blond hair and hazel-green eyes, Ulysses had cropped black hair, dark skin, and obsidian eyes. “I’d like you all to meet Ulysses and Malcolm. Ulysses is our undercover Yakuza member, while Malcolm is more of our tech guru.”

Ulysses was biracial, black and Asian. “How does that work?” Mackenzie hadn’t meant to blurt the question out, but what little he knew about Yakuza, they were steeped in tradition and bloodlines.

“If you mean me,” Ulysses said, his voice deep and heavily accented. “The kisama who raped my mom? My grandfather killed him. My mom raised me and now lives in isolation.”

“And you joined the FBI to...” Kalkin narrowed his eyes.

“Free my mother,” Ulysses answered. “And take down the Yakuza.”

“He’ll do,” Kalkin said. “Rapier?”

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