Wolf With Benefits

  And although Freddy knew Vic would protect them, and that he was big enough and strong enough to do it, that didn’t matter. Not to Freddy. Not when he was holding on to his sister and knew without a doubt that he was safe.

  Because with Toni, Freddy knew he’d always be safe.

  Ricky charged around that corner, catching sight of a long leg seconds before it disappeared inside the passenger side of a car, the door closing behind it.

  “Stay with Toni!” he ordered Roy.

  “Wait—”

  “Just do it!”

  Ricky Lee took off after that car, dodging through the vehicles of pissed-off New York drivers as he sped across the street when the car turned a corner.

  The car turned again, and Ricky continued to follow, pushing people out of his way and ignoring the rude things they were screaming at him. The car made several more turns until it ended up in an alley.

  The engine still running, the vehicle sat there. Moving slow, Ricky eased up to the car until he could look into the windows. It was a late-model Mercedes. Really nice with darkened windows. Leaning in close, Ricky was about to press his nose to the space between the window and the door to see if he could scent anyone inside. But he stopped before his nose could touch anything when the cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his neck.

  “You sure are fast, kid,” a male voice said from behind him.

  And to prove the man right on that point, Ricky turned fast, caught the man’s wrist with one hand, and rammed his free hand into the man’s elbow.

  The bone snapped and ripped the skin apart as it jutted forward.

  The man started to scream, so Ricky slapped his hand over the man’s mouth and slammed him against the wall.

  “Let him go.” A woman. Another gun.

  Then another, as a male voice said, “Now.”

  Ricky knew he had one chance at this. If he blew it, he was not leaving this alley alive. Since he had plans for the weekend, he decided that wasn’t an idea he liked much.

  So, still moving fast, he ripped the rest of the man’s arm off and used it to slap the woman in the face. She shrieked and ducked as blood blinded her. Then Ricky tossed the screaming man into the other and scrambled up onto a Dumpster, caught the bottom of fire stairs, and headed up.

  By the time he was standing on the roof, the woman was trying to wipe all that blood off her face while the man was trying to find Ricky. He didn’t look up, because it never occurred to him that anyone could get up the stairs to the roof that quickly. So these people were definitely not aware they’d become involved with shifters. But, they were definitely government. Which government, Ricky had no idea. Not yet.

  Ricky waited until the remaining couple placed the now-one-armed man into the backseat. The woman got in with him, screaming that they had to get to a hospital. But Ricky got the feeling that the other man had no intention of bothering with that as he tossed his partner’s arm into the front seat like he was tossing in an old bag of laundry.

  The car pulled out of the alley and sped off, and Ricky took his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. His eldest brother answered immediately.

  “What’s up?” Rory greeted him.

  “Track down Dee-Ann for me.”

  There was a long pause and then Rory sighed out, “Well, that’s never a good way to start a conversation.”

  Nope. It sure wasn’t.

  When Ricky arrived back at his truck, he found Toni still holding her brother, flanked by Vic and Roy, who were warning off the full-human students and professors just by being themselves. Ricky could tell that the full-humans wanted to help. But they didn’t, and he knew why. They were terrified of the predator holding the child more than they were of the much larger and scarier-looking predators surrounding her. Because at the moment, Antonella Jean-Louis Parker saw everyone as a threat—and there was nothing more deadly than a predator female who felt one of her own was in danger.

  Ricky stepped in front of her to block her glower from the full-humans nearby. “Why don’t you put him in the truck, darlin’?”

  “You don’t have a child seat.”

  Something told him it wouldn’t matter if he did; she didn’t want to let her brother go.

  She held her phone in one hand and raised it. “I didn’t call nine-one-one. I should, though, right? I should do something.”

  “We don’t need the cops.” He reached for Freddy but Toni’s grip tightened.

  “It’s all right. Give him to me.”

  After a moment, she released the boy and Ricky took Freddy from her.

  “I want Mommy.”

  “I know. And we’re going to get you home right now.” Ricky pulled open the back passenger door and placed him in the seat. While he buckled him up, Ricky told him, “You were so smart, Freddy. The way you handled that. You should be real proud of yourself.”

  The little boy gave a brave smile. “Toni taught me what to do.”

  “And you listened. Good boy. Now Vic here’s going to sit in the back with you.” He leaned in and whispered, “Ask him to show you his claws. They’re huge.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Isn’t that right, Vic?”

  “Enormous.” Vic got into the SUV beside Freddy. “You wanna see?”

  “Yeah!”

  Ricky closed the door and stepped closer to Toni. She leaned up against the SUV. Her entire body was tense, ready to strike like a cobra.

  “We’re gonna take care of this,” Ricky promised her.

  “It was them, wasn’t it? The ones who were in our house.”

  Ricky nodded. “The scents matched, yeah.”

  “Government?”

  “Probably. Don’t think they were after Freddy because of what he is, though. They didn’t know what that was.”

  “If we hadn’t been watching out for him, Ricky—”

  “We were. He’s safe. And we’re gonna keep him safe. Let’s get him home.”

  “And then what?”

  He took her hand, held it tight. “Then there’ll be hell to pay.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  By the time they reached the house, Dee-Ann was sitting on the stone banister, her long legs stretched out in front of her. To someone passing by, Toni would guess she looked innocuous enough in her ancient jeans, worn Led Zeppelin T-shirt, and black baseball cap with absolutely no logo on it.

  But Toni knew better. She knew that Dee-Ann simply sitting and waiting was one of the most dangerous things in the world.

  With Freddy in her arms, Toni walked up the stairs. She stopped by Dee-Ann, and the She-wolf tugged on Freddy’s T-shirt. “Hey, little man.”

  “Hi, Dee-Ann.”

  “Heard you were brave today.”

  “Brave?”

  “Yeah.” Dee leaned in and whispered, “And Ricky Lee Reed don’t say that about just anybody, ya know? So you must have been amazing.”

  A little embarrassed and overwhelmed, Freddy smiled and buried his head against Toni’s neck.

  “Go on and take him inside,” Dee-Ann coaxed. “Me and the boys will be right in.”

  Toni nodded and continued on up the stairs. As she reached the top step, the front door opened and her mother stood there. She’d been crying, but she was trying to hide it. She opened her arms and Toni handed Freddy off. Jackie held on to her son with one arm and reached for Toni with the other, hugging her daughter tight.

  “It’s going to be okay, Mom,” she assured her. “It’s going to be okay.”

  The front door closed and Dee focused on Ricky Lee.

  “You’ve got blood on ya.”

  He looked down. “Oh. Yeah.”

  “Any cleanup necessary?”

  “They took him away. He was alive last I saw him but doubt it’ll last unless they get him to a hospital. Something tells me they won’t.”

  “Why would they want the boy?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I thought for sure it was Irene they wanted.”

  “U
se him for leverage?”

  “Maybe.”

  “But that don’t sound right, does it?”

  “No. The kid is brilliant on his own, Dee. We picked him up from a university class. He’s seven. When we were driving back, he said the teacher hated him because he corrected his equations or somethin’.”

  Dee looked around Ricky and nodded her head at the big buck standing behind him. “Barinov.”

  “Dee-Ann.”

  “You got any thoughts?” The feline-bear shrugged, which meant he did. She hated when he was evasive. She didn’t like chatty men, but she wasn’t much for shy ones, either. And that was his problem, though he hid it well. “Say it now before my patience wanes.”

  “If they just wanted to take the kid,” Vic finally said, “why didn’t they just take him from the beginning? Why bother breaking into the house first?” He folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t think it’s the kid they really want.”

  Dee thought on that a brief moment, then slipped off the banister.

  “Where are you going?” Ricky asked.

  “To find out what they could possibly want.”

  Jackie waited until Toni had sent Freddy upstairs to get his homework done before she talked to the rest of the kids. She knew that what she was about to tell them would not make them happy, but that was too bad.

  She walked into the living room. They were all waiting for her except the twins and Dennis. Those three were still at the age where they’d go anywhere they were told. But the rest of this group . . .

  There was, of course, one missing. Delilah. But she was rarely home these days. She’d turned eighteen and realized her parents had no legal way to get her to come home, so she didn’t bother. Then again, Jackie didn’t worry about her daughter like she did the others. She simply didn’t have to.

  “What’s going on, Mom?” Oriana demanded. She had several pairs of toe shoes spread out in front of her, sewing on the ribbons that wrapped around her ankles. “You’re crying. Aunt Irene is trying to get in touch with Uncle Van. And there seems to be a growth of hillbilly wolves in our house.”

  “Hey,” Toni warned, standing next to Jackie. “Be nice.”

  “What? You’re dating a hillbilly, so now we all have to tolerate them?”

  “Yes,” Toni shot back at her sister. “You do!”

  “Both of you stop it.” Taking in a breath, Jackie announced, “We’re returning to Washington. Tonight.”

  Troy turned to Kyle. “Now what did you do?”

  “Shut up.”

  “Kyle didn’t do anything,” Jackie cut in before there could be an argument. “This is about Freddy.”

  Oriana sighed. “Oh, God. What did he burn down now?” “Or steal,” Troy tossed in.

  “He didn’t do any of that. My God, what is wrong with you people?”

  Kyle snorted. “Perhaps one should look to the upbringing of troubled children.”

  “You’re not troubled, Kyle. You’re troubling.”

  “Stop it,” Toni ordered. “All of you. For once, this isn’t all about you. It’s about family.”

  “How is Freddy burning someone’s house down our problem?”

  “He didn’t burn anything down!” Jackie roared.

  Thankfully, Toni just came out with it. “Someone tried to kidnap Freddy today.”

  “What do you mean ‘kidnap’?” Kyle asked.

  “I mean they tried to grab your younger brother off the street.”

  “Whatever for?” Troy asked. “For slave labor in a foreign country?”

  Toni looked at Jackie and then back at her brother. “Really?”

  “Why do you sound shocked? That sort of thing happens all the time. And he’s a strong little boy and quite tidy. He’d make a good little worker in a sweatshop.”

  “Okay, stop.” Toni took a breath. Tried again. “We’re going back to Washington . . . for safety.”

  “No.”

  Jackie wished that had come from one of the kids sitting in front of her. Because she’d expected it. But sadly . . . it didn’t.

  “Freddy—” she began, but it was too late. Her little boy had heard everything.

  Freddy, standing under the archway, shook his head. “We’re not leaving. Not because of me.”

  “Freddy.” Toni tried to soothe, walking toward her brother. “I know this is hard to understand—”

  “I’m not stupid!”

  Oriana stood and Jackie cringed until her fifteen-year-old said, “We’re trying to protect you. This is about family, Fred. All of us. We protect you, you protect us. Even when we think you’re an untalented little bastard,” she added, her gaze moving to Kyle.

  Who came back with, “Or a chubby, overbearing witch with huge psychological issues.”

  Confused, Freddy asked, “You guys won’t be mad? If we go back? I mean . . . you guys have all your classes and stuff set up.” He pointed at the wall covered in giant Post-it notes with Novikov’s careful handwriting on it. “Our schedules.”

  “Our talent goes where we go,” Oriana said, managing to be loving and smug all at the same time. It was a gift she did possess. “Those of us who have talent. In all honesty, I’m not shocked someone’s trying to take you. You are a Jean-Louis Parker, after all. We’ll always be in demand. Right, Mom?”

  “Uh . . . yes. Very true.”

  “Besides,” Oriana added, “going back is better than if you were actually taken. Because then we’d have to mourn or whatever, and spend our time searching for you.”

  “Wow.” Troy sighed. “I hadn’t thought of that. What a nightmare!”

  “Exactly.”

  Toni put her hands on her hips. “Oriana . . . really?”

  “What? I plan to be in the Royal Ballet by the time I’m seventeen. Can’t do that if I’m busy handing out milk cartons with Freddy’s face on them.”

  “Oh, my God!”

  “Antonella,” Jackie cut in, giving a quick shake of her head, “let’s just go with what we have?”

  “Narcissistic children?”

  “Yes!” she told her eldest daughter. “That’s what we have. So deal with it.”

  “Toni,” Troy asked, “are you going to be coming with us?”

  “No,” Oriana answered.

  “How the hell do you know?” Toni demanded.

  “Because you’ve finally found something you’re good at. And, even more important, you enjoy something you’re good at. You can’t walk away from that.”

  “And you know this because . . . ?”

  “Because you’ve been getting flowers and gift baskets all day from people. The flowers we put on tables all around the house, but the lion security people ate the meat from the baskets and the bear security people ate all the fruit. I have to admit, I’m not sure that security company pays their people enough, because they seem awfully hungry.”

  “The idiot’s right,” Kyle told Toni. “Although I’ve always planned for you to be my personal assistant and business manager . . . it’ll be a few years before I need you full-time. It’s best you get some outside training before I add you to my team.”

  “Gee,” Toni said dryly. “Thanks, Kyle.”

  He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  “Look,” Toni said. “We’ll worry about all that later. For now I still plan to head home with you guys. Now, everybody upstairs. Get packed.”

  “You’ll need to get movers to transport my marble,” Kyle said.

  “Can’t we buy you new marble when we get home?”

  “I’ve already started!”

  “Kyle!”

  Jackie took Kyle by his shoulders and turned him toward the door. “We’ll discuss this with your father later. For now . . . get packing.”

  While the kids walked out, Jackie and Toni crouched in front of Freddy.

  “You all right?” Toni asked him.

  “I thought they’d all be mad at me.”

  “Nah. Not for something like this.” Toni kissed her brother on the c
heek. “Now go upstairs and get packed. I’ll try to get us out tonight, but if not, definitely tomorrow morning, so be ready. Okay?”

  “Okay!” He hugged Toni, then Jackie, before sprinting out of the room and up the stairs.

  Toni waited until she heard his little feet hit the second floor before she said, “I’ll make sure I set up an appointment with his therapist for the day after tomorrow and get rid of any matches in the house.”

  “Great. Thanks, baby.”

  Toni smiled, as always comfortable in her role as sibling protector. “You’re welcome, Mom.”

  Freddy was packing up his suitcase, carefully folding his Batman T-shirt, when Delilah suddenly sat on his bed.

  “Hi ya, Del,” he said, smiling at his sister.

  “Hi, Freddy.”

  “Where have you been?”

  “Out with some friends.”

  “Did you hear?”

  “I did.” Delilah leaned in and whispered, “Actually, Toni sent me.”

  Freddy didn’t understand. “Sent you?”

  “Yeah. She wants me to take you out of here.”

  “No. I’m going with the family.”

  “Oh, hon. She doesn’t want you putting them in danger, too.”

  “But they said—”

  “They were just being nice. For Mom. But you want to do what’s right for the family, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do.”

  She smiled. “Then come with me. I’m going to take you someplace safe.”

  “Just the two of us?”

  “For now. Don’t worry. We’ll have you back with the rest of the family in no time. But you wouldn’t want to risk them, would you? If something happened to them, wouldn’t you feel awful?”

  It was the first time Freddy had ever felt this way. It came over him, falling on him like a blanket. He knew the word Toni would use, too . . . instinctual. He instinctually knew Delilah was lying to him. Had been lying to him. Was still lying to him right now.