Page 33 of Back to You
“Now let’s go in,” he murmured against Ronan’s lips.“I don’t want to make my new alpha wait.”
“Cam doesn’t care about that,” Ronan murmured back.
“Maybe not, but I do.I already have a lot of things stacked against me.I want to make a good impression.”He wrinkled his nose.“And yes, I know I’ve already met Cam.I know he’s already had an impression of me since he asked someone to look into me.I still don’t want to make him wait.”
“Let’s go, then.”
Ronan exited the car.He was still nervous, but Vincent wasn’t wrong.Ronan was the only one who needed to be happy that Vincent was moving into pack territory.Everyone else was secondary, and even though Ronan suspected that eventually, that would change, for now, it wasn’t a problem.
He knew his mate.Vincent wouldn’t want to stay with people who hated him forever.It didn’t have to be forever just yet, though.It could be just the beginning.Ronan needed the pack right now, the safety it represented, and the future it might hold for them.If things didn’t go well, though, they could move.
Ronan wouldn’t hesitate to do so if it was for Vincent.
Ronan didn’twantto move.He didn’t want to lose the pack.He loved feeling like he belonged somewhere and like he wouldn’t be alone no matter what happened.But he could have that with Vincent, too.He already did.
They climbed the porch steps together, their hands linked and Ronan’s heart beating fast.The door opened a few moments after he knocked, and Toby smiled at both of them.He didn’t look anxious or angry to have Vincent there.He looked steady and calm, the way an alpha mate should be.
“He’s waiting for you in his office,” he said with a smile.“It’s good to see you again, Vincent.”
“Thank you for having me in your home.”
“You’re always welcome here.”
Ronan prayed that was the truth.
As promised, Cam was waiting for them.He was behind his desk, talking on the phone, and he raised a finger to tell them he would be just a moment.Ronan had to work hard not to start freaking out.Luckily, Vincent was still holding his hand, anchoring him in the moment.
“Sorry to make you wait,” Cam said as he hung up.“Vincent, it’s good to see you again.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” Vincent said.“I know it can’t be easy for some of your pack members to have me around.I don’t want to make things harder on them, but I also don’t want to give up my mate, and I certainly don’t want Ronan to have to give up the family he found.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.I can’t promise that everyone will be happy to have you here, but they’ll get used to your presence.You’re not your father, and it wouldn’t be fair to hold what he did against you.”
“I take it your man didn’t find anything in my past?”
“He didn’t, no.Not that we expected him to find anything, but at least now, I have something to show people when they come and complain about you.”
Ronan frowned.“People have complained about him?”
“People always complain about something.I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.”
Ronan wasn’t sure how he was supposed to do that, but freaking out wouldn’t help.Instead, he sucked in a breath and nodded.“I’ll try.”
“That’s all we can ask for.Now, Vincent.You said you wanted to talk to me.”
* * * *
THIS WAS IT.VINCENTdidn’t know what Cam would say about his offer, but the alpha was a practical man.He’d realize how much good he could do with all of the money, and he wouldn’t be able to say no.
It felt like a bribe, but it wasn’t.Vincent wasn’t bribing Cam to allow him to live with the pack.He’d give the alpha all of the money even if Cam were to say there was no place for him here.He really hoped he’d be allowed to move here, though.This was Ronan’s home.He shouldn’t have to leave just because of who Vincent’s father was.
He leaned closer to the desk.“As I’m sure your man will have found, most of my father’s accounts have been frozen by the FBI.I don’t know how much money was in them, and I don’t care.”
“Even though that money is supposed to go to you?”
“I’m not happy about the FBI keeping it, but only because I think that something good should be done with it.We both know how many people my father hurt to earn it.I feel it should go back to those people.“
“It would be one way to deal with it,” Cam agreed.
