Page 3 of Killian
“Getting the key?” he shrugged.
I poked him in the arm and frowned when my finger met solid muscle. “Show me where I’m goin’ then.”
He grinned and lifted his chin towards the large stone in front of me. “I tried to knock it out of the mess.”
There sat a key on a lightning bolt keychain. He reached for it, and his hand went through the stone.
Perfect.
He gave me a visual of the front porch, and I collected my bags, counting spaces there. It was dark in the storm, and I couldn’t see much of anything until I opened the glassed-in screen door and slid the key into the knob of the heavy oak beyond. The lights erupted from the ceiling, nearly blinding me, and it took a second to see.
Axl stood at the far end of a white hallway that was six feet wide—one hall table to my right, one archway beside it, and another arch across the way.
“Welcome home, Uncle.” Axl grinned.
Chapter two
Killian
The tour was brief. I brought my things in and followed him to the master bedroom through the kitchen, den, long library, and billiards room. There were three doors into the space, two of which were French doors that led to the pool room with a glass ceiling. In a nook by the door I’d entered was a nursery.
I dumped my bags on the hardwood and raised my eyebrows. “I have so many questions.”
“Well, the answer to the first is I have a son. Maisy will be bringing him in the morning around ten.”
“Is she the mother?” I asked, grabbing my bags of clothing and taking them to the enormous walk-in closet, which led to the bathroom.
“No, she’s the nanny. Jules is two. Please make him yours. Maisy is not expecting to see me tomorrow. I told her someone would be here, and that person would-”
“Hire her?”
He laughed. “Possibly. She’s not expecting anything. Mom told me I needed an heir, so I had one. Then I was dead.”
“You just said he was two, Axl.”
“You’re quick. I did. The truth is, Ezra was wearing me after. I haven’t been in my Vessel since,” he frowned and counted on his fingers, “the Halloween party King Di Gatti threw in Scandals.”
“That was last year!”
“Yep. Been wearin’ the tux since.” He shrugged. “So, how did you find out I was dead?”
“Well, Lou Barstow married Cian Di Gatti last night. Ignatius showed up as Ezra.” I wrinkled my nose. “That’s just creepy since Ezra was trying to get Indy to mate him to Ignatius.”
“Back that up?” Axl arched a brow.
“The last Council meeting was last week.”
“Why Indy?”
“Oh, because Lou and Cian fucked up, and Indy got staked. Echo Donovan staked him. Ignatius killed King Campbell Fowler and Xeno Barstow, too,” I said. “The Original Council made Indy King of The Prides. Indy’s mated to Gio and Dante now.”
“I’ve missed a lot,” he murmured.
“Yeah, well, Ignatius killed your Vessel tonight,” I said. “The gods sent me here to take your place.”
“Mom said you were my Uncle, and if I needed anything, you’d help me.” He smiled winningly, and I arched a brow.
“You ain’t cute. So, who paid for this house?”
