Page 54 of Broken Bonds
“Stand by,” Father says as I hear a chime in the background that I suspect is his phone.
When Father next speaks, his voice sounds growly, angry. “Don’t know the humans,” he says, “but I’m certain one of the shifters is Sterling’s brother-in-law. The mate of one of his sisters. If not him, he’s a dead ringer for him.”
Well, fuck.
That certainly complicates my life.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Shawn
Mixed Emotions
I text Todd I’m on my way to pick up the phones and he’s waiting for me outside the house when I park next to his truck. I don’t even have to get out because he walks over to my car. I roll my window down so he can hand them to me, as well as a paper with information about his passwords.
He leans in. “Mal says he hasn’t turned them on and hasn’t logged into any social media or email. I feel he’s telling the truth. He bought and used a burner because he was too worried about his father tracking him, dumped it, and then got a new burner. Shouldn’t be any way to track that phone, and his father has no way of tying the burners to the kid.”
“Thanks. How’s he doing?”
The big elk shrugs. “Guys all like him. Hell, I like him. Hard worker, and that’s not something a guy can fake for long. But he’s obviously used to physical labor. Not afraid to pitch in or get dirty. I could use another few like him anytime. He’s right up there with my best guys, and it’s rare I can say that about a greenhorn.”
I can’t help but ask. “Show him the fun room yet?”
He chuckles. “Not yet. Though I tugged one out last night. He’s gonna be one hell of a ride once he’s available.” He drops me a wink. “Still have plenty of energy any time you need a hand.”
I think it says something about my mood when a statement like that from him, delivered in that tone, would usually start winding me up.
But today?
Nothing but dead wood down there.
“I wish I could take you up on that offer,” I tell him, “but not today. I have too many things to do and need my brain.” None of that’s a lie, either.
He smiles. “No worries.” Then he pats the roof of my car. “Take care. I’ll let you guys know if anything changes with the pup.” He straightens, stepping back.
“Thanks.” He walks away and I roll my window up, crank my music and AC, and turn around to make my way to the office.
Yeah, I think Jax and I need this time together to talk and hash things out once and for all about the baby issue. At least for the next week or so. This emotional mess caught me completely unaware and I don’t like that kind of surprise. We have a good thing. I don’t want to fuck up our marriage—true mates or not—by not completely working through this issue with him before we move forward.
Being true mates doesn’t mean we can’t feel pissed off at each other from time to time.
Or that resentment can’t slowly brew and poison what we have.
I meant my vows when I said it was for life, and I know Jax did, too. That means we fix this, and we fix it right now.
And… I mean, who’s to say I’ll even catch when we do start trying?
That’s a dire possibility that, unfortunately, logic tells me has pretty good odds—definitely non-zero odds—but emotionally it’ll be another hurdle for me to clear, and I want to make sure Jax and I talk that through, too.
But the fact that Jax is finally willing to seriously have these conversations with me gives me hope, because it’s progress. It means he’s willing to work on this with me, as mates, and not sit back while letting me do the heavy hauling in that way. Or burying his head in the sand and hope I let it drop.
When I pull into the parking lot at the office, I see a strange vehicle parked there. The tingle I feel at the base of my tail turns into a full-on scream when I get out and smell it.
Vampire.
What the actual fuck?
I’m about to burst through the front door but I pull up short when Susan, Jax’s AA, opens the door first and meets me.
