Page 9 of Guy
He bent over the computer again, and it felt like he was being dismissed.It was no less than he deserved.When he was ready to leave, Guy stopped him by saying his name.Lica braced himself for the words that were surely going to hurt him.
“I have copies of the next book that is coming out if you want them.”He asked if it was book seventeen.“I don’t know the number, but it’s the next book.I have several copies that usually end up in my office because I don’t have anyone to give them to.”
“Sure, I’ll take one.I’m betting that the others would like one as well.”Guy explained that it wasn’t out yet, so they couldn’t share.“No, I wouldn’t do that.You’ve given it to me; I’ll treasure it forever.”
“You didn’t have to say that, Lica.I was going to give it to you anyway.”He laughed and said that he really would treasure it if he signed it anyway.“I’ll do that, but I’ll sign it as Adam.That way, there’s no misperception about who I am.”
“Sure, sure, I understand.Which one are you working on now?Is it hard to get one started?How do you do it, with an outline?Where do you get such great idea—” Lica cut himself off this time.“I’m sorry.I have like a billion questions going through my mind right now.I can’t seem to grasp any of them quickly enough to ask you.”
For the first time in years, he’d bet maybe even longer, he heard his brother laugh.It was something that he’d not known he missed until right then.Going to the desk before he could change his mind, he pulled Guy from the seat he was sitting in and hugged him.He didn’t let go until he hugged him back.Tears filled his eyes when he realized that was something else that he’d missed.Hugging his brother whenever he needed it.
“I’m sorry for a lot of things right now, Guy.I’ve missed so much.I don’t know if it was your mood that I caused or just you pushing us away, but I’m not going to let that happen again.I’ve missed you and so much with you.I want to get to know you better again.”He said that he’d like that too and told him that he was squeezing the life out of him.“I don’t care.You should get used to it because this is going to be an everyday occurrence.”
He finally let him go and stood staring at his brother before hugging him again.This time, Guy was quick to hug him back, and he was glad for it.He didn’t want to squeeze the life out of him, buthe would if necessary.
While he was closing down his computer, he answered his questions.Apparently, he’d been writing for years before he published his first Adam book.As soon as he showed him the books that were still in boxes, he took one of each, trying to juggle them around so he’d not damage them.True to his word, Guy signed them all for him and even gave him one of the boxes to take them home in.Then they sat in the living room, his favorite part of the house so far, and talked to his brother about any topic that came to mind.
“I’ve never had such an enjoyable afternoon with anyone.”Guy told him to stop sucking up.It was over now.“No, I wasn’t sucking up, but I did want to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed this one-on-one time with you.It’s been a real revelation for me.”
“I won’t lie to you, Lica.”He said that he should have known that before today.“Yes, you should have.I might be successful at writing books, but I’m not good at people, and their hurting me.It’s why I stayed away for so long.I don’t like people, humans, or shifters, dead or alive.But now that I have a mate, I suppose I’ll have to get over that soon.”
“You have a mate?”He looked around the room and saw Amber walking down the hall.“Amber is your mate?That’s great.How long have you known each other?Are you going to live here or…I’ll shut up now.”
“We’ve only known one another for about four days.She’s staying here to get away from her brother and sister.They want the insurance policy that I was telling you about that she got the other day.”He said that he remembered.“Look, why don’t we order out some food, and you and Brandy, and the others come here for dinner.I’ve been wanting to show off my new home, and this will be the perfect time for me to get over some of my anxiety about being around people.Belinda said it would be good for me.”
“Belinda is your mother-in-law?”He nodded.“I’m going to need your help on a few things.You have the ability to plot and stuff, so I was wondering what I should do about Bates.”He told him everything that was going on with him and the bank with the elderly again.Just to reaffirm what he said to him the other day.That way, they were on the same page.“I’m losing money for the pack, and I don’t want anyone to suffer anymore from him if I can help it.What should I do?”
“Kill him.”He looked at his brother and asked him why.“He’s disrespected you and your position.If you allow him to continue, he’s going to undermine you in a lot of things.Kill him and anyone that he’s working with.”
“I thought you were joking before when you told me that.”Guy just shook his head and pointed out that Bates needed to die to make an example of people that fucked with him to show that he’s not a pushover.“Do you think that I am?”
“It’s not me that you have to impress this upon.I know you’re all badass and all, but the people being taken advantage of are thinking that you’re just a big blowhard that doesn’t care about the people he’s responsible for.”He asked him again if he thought that.“Again, I’m not the one you have to impress with yourself.You and Brandy both need to confront him, kill him and his family, and be done with it.If there are others, which I’m sure there are, then you deal with them the same way.I would just walk up to him and his family and rip their throats out.At least that’s what I’d do if someone was messing around in my pack.”
They talked about the things that Bates was doing, and it occurred to him that Guy was right.There was too much that he had his hand in that was disrupting his ability to run a good pack.Or at least one that cares about his people.First thing tomorrow, he was going to find him and kill him.Just like he said to do it too.Just rip his throat out and be done with him.
When the rest of the family arrived, Brandy and the other women were making plans about dinner.They all, like him, marveled at the house and the fact that he’d only lived in it for about three months.It was the most put-together home he’d ever been in, and Lica never wanted to leave.He talked to his brothers about Bates, and they agreed with Guy.Kill him so that he was no longer an issue.
“I’m with you, but let’s please go as a family unit.I’m willing to do my part in this as well, but Iwant to have backup just in case.”He told Brandy that he had planned on it.“Good.Now, while we’re talking, you need to have a second.I don’t think there is anyone better for the job than Guy.He’s on point in giving you information that you need, and he’s right in this thing with Bates.I’ll work with Amber to see if she could be my second as well.”
“Deal.”He pulled Brandy into his arms and held her tightly before speaking again.“She might tell you no, but I’ve dealt with her today; you talk her into doing it for the two of us.”
“All right.”The rest of the night went well.Guy gave them a plan to follow in getting things finished up with the elderly.He needed to assign someone who would be there for them after this was done.Someone whom he trusted with money.It wasn’t anything for him to assign his brother Edmond and Mac the job.They’d do a good job with them and be as honest as much as Bates was a thief.
~*~
Guy stood next to his brother as they knocked on the door to the Bates home.It was much nicer than he thought it should have been for a man who said retiring was going to cost him more than he had.The house looked like it had several wings off the back, no doubt where his two sons and their families were living.
Belinda had found out that the wives were about as clueless about the way things were being run as a newborn would have knowledge of where his bottle was coming from.Wilma Bates, however, was right there with her husband in making sure that things were run just like they’d been when her husband had been Alpha.
Playing at being retired had offered Lincoln the opportunity to be more behind the scenes.He could spend his money the way that he wanted, and no one was the wiser.Living in the big house on a lot of property, too, gave him the illusion of being out of things that he was stealing from the pack.
But they had a list, and according to pack law, he had to be read what he was doing wrong before anyone could kill him.Guy would have said fuck the bylaws, but he wasn’t one to follow rules when it came to making things work out the way that he wanted.He was going to have the pleasure of reading him the things that they had on the list, which included about twenty-five things that were involved in other things around the pack.Like the missing food from the pantry.Money from the bank, as well as having his hand in the school projects that had been deemed wrong by the pack, without them knowing it.
“Lica?What do we owe this unplanned visit to?My wife and I were just headed out to the Amish country.”He started reading the list that they had after demanding that the entire household come to the living room.“You’re making me very nervous.And with my bad heart, that’s not a good thing to be doing.”
Guy continued reading the list of things and telling what his part in the plots was.After about four of them being read, Bates asked what the meaning of this was.Guy was happy to tell him, but it was Lica who needed to say that part.They were following the book in this crap so that nothing came back to bite them in the butts.
“You’ve been given a list, Lincoln, and the penalty for each.Now I will sentence you.Death by alpha.BecauseI amthe alpha.”Whatever Bates was going to say was cut off by the swipe of the hand of the most powerful man he knew.Bates’ wife suffered the same death, and so did their two sons and wives.At the last minute, Belinda found that the women had been shopping with the ill-gotten gains just the day before.
