Chapter 2
Malcolm walked out of Roxy’s with everyone else, his mood dark. Glancing at his phone, he stopped next to Devon and Hunter. He still had an hour to kill before he was due to run the perimeter.
“What in the hell is Roxy doing?” Hunter frowned at Marcus, gaining Malcolm’s attention. “She knows how we are about strangers coming around.”
Malcolm was basically new to the group, but he silently agreed with Hunter.
“You know, brother,” Marcus said, tilting his head as he stared at Hunter with a narrowed stare. “Once upon a time, I would have agreed with you, but correct me if I’m wrong…isn’t it because of you the world now knows about us? I’m not just talking about being Shifters, but us, the Foster brothers.”
“What’s your point?” Hunter frowned, his eyes narrowing.
“My point is don’t come after my mate,” Marcus hissed. “She was doing something nice for her friend, so shut the fuck up about it.”
“I’m not coming after Roxy.” Hunter defended just as Dell walked up.
“Malcolm, I need to pull you off rotation tonight,” Dell said, ignoring Hunter and Marcus glaring at each other. It was an everyday occurrence with those two. “I’ve got two cars needing transmission work, so I need you fresh in the morning.”
“Are they there now?” Malcolm frowned, not wanting any free time. Free time was not his friend. He needed to stay busy and keep his mind off things from the past that haunted him when he was idle.
“One of them just came in,” Dell replied, then watched a car pull into the parking lot with the others. “Who the fuck is that?”
The one thing about the Lee County pack is that they knew every car that belonged in their small town. If a stranger stepped foot inside their perimeter, it was known and known quickly.
Malcolm glared as a tall, dark-haired man exited the car. He disliked the him instantly. The growl that escaped his throat indicated his wolf was on the same page. Malcolm ignored the look Devon tossed his way as he continued to track the man’s movements toward them.
“By the looks of it, Clare’s date,” Hunter replied, not sounding happy about it.
“Why’s he picking her up here?” Dell asked, also watching the man head toward them.
“It’s a blind date set up by Roxy.” Marcus sighed, shaking his head. “Clare didn’t want to meet him at her place, so Roxy set it up for them to meet here before the date.”
“Smart girl,” Dell mumbled, then stepped in front of the man as he tried to pass with a nod. “You looking for someone?”
“I just told you—” Marcus started to say, but Dell stopped him by holding up his hand.
“Yes.” The man answered, his voice cracking slightly, and Malcolm smirked just a little bit, enjoying the guy’s discomfort. “Clare.”
“And you are?” Dell’s voice was low and not too friendly.
“Jeremy,” the man glanced nervously around at all the men before looking back at Dell. Are you her brothers?”
“Yes.” They all answered simultaneously except for Malcolm, who glared as the man paled visibly.
Dell stepped out of the way but continued to give the man a warning glare. “She’s inside.” He tilted his head toward the door.
“Thanks.” Jeremy nodded, then glanced at the other men and finally at Malcolm, whose mouth had turned into a sneer.
“Don’t like him,” Hunter muttered, glaring at the door the man had disappeared into. Then he turned toward Marcus. “Do you?”
Marcus cursed, shaking his head. “Fuck. Roxy’s pregnancy is fucking me all up.”
Everyone mumbled to themselves in agreement. Shifters, especially males, can sniff out a bad player before they muttered a single word. Malcolm had learned early that this pack was dedicated to keeping all their people safe, both Shifters and humans. That was how the Kingsman pack used to be before Leda’s parents were murdered.
“Hey, you good man?” Devon’s voice broke through the burning hatred that fed on his soul. “Looks like you’re ready to kill something…or someone.”
Before he could answer, the door opened as Clare and Roxy walked out arm in arm. The asshole followed. Malcolm couldn’t quite put his finger on why he disliked the guy. Clare was free to date whomever she liked. He had no say in the matter and didn’t even really understand if he cared or not, but something about this guy set off triggers to the point he wanted to rip his fucking head off.
Looking away from Clare, he nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.” He lied as his gaze once again caught and held hers.
She quickly looked away, searching the men, then stopped on Marcus. “Why isn’t she in bed?” Clare’s voice was not soft and sweet as she pinned Marcus to the spot with her glare.
“Yeah, Marcus,” Hunter asked with raised eyebrows. “Take care of your woman.”
“Shut it, Hunter.” Clare snapped before Marcus could say a word. “I don’t want her here tomorrow at all. I got it handled. She and that little one need bed rest.”
“Ah, do I have a say in this?” Roxy frowned with a huff, then yawned.
“Nope.” Clare carefully transitioned her to Marcus, who was by her side in a flash.
“Call me as soon as you get back,” Roxy gave Clare a sideways wink.
“I will talk to you tomorrow.” Clare sighed, rolling her eyes before looking at Marcus. “Make sure she stays in bed and sleeps.”
Yes, ma’am.” Marcus nodded appreciatively, then carefully picked up Roxy and headed toward their place.
Malcolm observed Clare closely as she watched Marcus and Roxy disappear. For a second, he recognized the emotion in her eyes; he had felt it too many times to count. Loneliness.
“I think Dr. Allender needs to hire you,” Jeremy said as he stepped toward her with a smile Malcolm wanted to punch off his face.
“Doubt he could afford me.” Clare snorted with a grin.
Malcolm seethed as the man’s eyes lowered to Clare’s full breasts, beautifully encased in a black button-down shirt. He needed to get the fuck out of there before he lost his shit which made no sense at all. He barely knew Clare, and suddenly, he was having these enraged urges to kill a man for just looking at her. Other urges were rearing inside him also when his own gaze roamed over her body. Pulling his glare away from them, he caught sight of Devon grinning at him like an idiot.
“Fuck you, Devon,” Malcolm growled as he pushed off the streetlamp he had been leaning against and headed for the car shop. He knew everyone heard, but he didn’t give a shit.
“Is your brother upset?” He heard the man ask as he walked past and controlled himself from answering for her.
“Brother?” Clare’s voice penetrated his anger. “Malcolm isn’t my brother.”
“Damn straight,” Malcolm muttered under his breath, still controlling the urge to turn around, but instead continued until he was in the shop, away from all eyes.
“None of them are my brothers,” she added, her voice sounding confused. Malcolm continued to walk away, fighting the urge to turn to look at her.
“My mistake,” Jeremy replied, his voice lowered. “When I asked if those men were your brothers, they responded yes.”
That was a fucking lie, but Malcolm kept that to himself as he took a deep, calming breath. Finally, inside the garage, he closed his eyes, trying to gain some control. It wasn’t working. Picking up the closest object, he threw it across the garage. He didn’t have time for this shit, these feelings, and why was he having them now? He knew why but would never admit it. He knew what this was, and dammit it couldn’t happen. Anyone or anything he ever cared for ended up hating him, hurt or dead. He knew that his sister Jamie didn’t blame him for what she went through, yet there were times he saw the haunted look in her eyes, and he blamed himself. He let that shit happen to her, and no one could tell him any different. He was a failure then, and as the shadows of his past darkened his mind, he was terrified that he would fail again.
His hands shook as he stood there staring into nothing, mocked by memories of the past. He knew there was only one way to stop his hands from shaking and send his memories back into the shadows, but was he strong enough to resist the bottom of a liquor bottle? The answer to that question was...he had to be. He had no choice. What he had accomplished so far wasn’t worth losing just to see the bottom of a bottle.
Hearing the door shut behind him, Malcolm fisted his shaking hands, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply before turning around. Seeing Devon standing just inside the door, he frowned. “What?” He tried to keep his voice neutral but failed miserably.
Devon looked from him to the wall behind Malcolm before lowering his gaze to Malcolm’s fisted hands. He remained silent.
“Listen, man,” Malcolm frowned, un-fisting his hands. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Never said you did,” Devon answered without hesitation. “I told Dell we needed you tonight to run the perimeter. You can start on the cars when we return or in the morning. He’s good with it.”
“And what if I’m not good with it?” Malcolm questioned, not sure if he liked having shit dictated to him.
“Honestly, brother,” Devon said, giving him a long look. “I don’t give a fuck. I’m not going out knowing that you are battling whether taking a drink is worth it or not because, let me tell you, it’s not. I see the signs, man, and it’s written all over your face.”
“I’ve got this,” Malcolm answered, but truthfully, he wasn’t so sure. The battle not to take a drink was harder each day he was sober. Addiction was an evil son of a bitch that would strike as soon as you showed any signs of weakness.
“Maybe you do, but why do it alone if you’ve got someone to ride it out with,” Devon asked, tilting his head slightly. “Jamie is my world, Malcolm. Never in a million years did I think those words would come out of my mouth about a woman, but here we are. You are her brother, which makes you my brother. I made a promise once that you would never face this shit alone, and I’m here to fulfill that promise, and I will continue to be here. I don’t know what happened back there with Clare and that guy; it’s not my business, but I haven’t seen you that way since the first time I met you.”
Malcolm listened and didn’t say anything because everything Devon said was the absolute truth. The struggle he was having was very real. His sudden, intense attraction to Clare had shocked him. And if he was being honest with himself, it scared the living shit out of him. He had vowed never to feel strongly for another person because of what he let happen to his own fucking sister. He was a loser with baggage that he would never attach to someone else, especially someone he cared for. He planned on spending his life alone, but tonight proved that may be harder than he had ever thought it would be.
“Get out of your head, Malcolm.” Devon broke into his thoughts. “Grab your shit, pull that wrench out of the wall before Dell sees it, and let’s get going. I need you to keep these dumbass newbies in line. One of them scared the shit out of old Mable, who in turn scared the shit out of him with threats of turning his dick black.”
Malcolm actually grinned at that as he walked toward the wrench he had thrown earlier. He pulled it out of the drywall, making a mental note to fix it before Dell took notice. “It was Nate, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, fucking kid is going to get his ass killed. He has no sense of direction and fell off one of the cliffs. Just ran right fucking off. Thankfully, he landed on an overhang. Everyone has been warned repeatedly not to come within two miles of Mable’s place, but Nate ended up in her back fucking yard.” Devon sighed, shaking his head. “Dell was so pissed about getting his ass chewed out by some old lady, and then me and Taz got our asses chewed because we were the leads that night.”
“You think she is really a witch?” Malcolm tossed the wrench on the desk and grabbed his bag of extra clothes to stash.
“Hunter sure as fuck thinks she is. I heard she once threatened his dick. Ask him about it sometime.” Devon grinned, then opened the door and walked out. “I know one thing. Me and my dick don’t want to find out.”
They walked toward the woods” entrance in silence. Once there, Malcolm stopped, staring into the blackness. “Thanks, man.”
“Never thank me, Malcolm,” Devon responded, more serious than Malcolm had ever heard him. “For what it’s worth, if I had been in your shoes, I would have done exactly what you did. Being the only fighting-age adult male who stayed true to the Kingsman pack, you did what you could to keep yourself and your sister alive. That took guts and a lot of control.”
Malcolm sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. “I appreciate what you’ve done for me and my sister, but don’t lie to me, Devon.” Malcolm looked him straight in the eyes, not holding anything back. “I watched my people suffer and did nothing. I watched my sister be treated like a whore and did nothing. No, that’s not right. I did do something. I drank myself into a fucking stupor every single night of my miserable life so that I could bury the shit I saw every day. Nothing in this world will ever happen that I will forgive myself, but because I know how much it would devastate Jamie, I will fight to live and not give up, but that is the only reason. So don’t stand there and tell me you would have done the exact same thing because I know you never would have let the things that happened to Jamie happen.”
“Jamie is my mate, Malcolm. Not my sister. Those are two very different circumstances. Until you find your mate, you won’t understand. For my sister, I would do everything possible to see us both survive.” Devon said, his tone turning hard as he leaned toward Malcolm, his eyes burning black as death. “But for my mate, I would walk through Hell and die with a fucking smile on my face knowing that she would be safe from all harm.”
A sudden image of Clare entered his mind before he shoved it away as another image of her and that asshole crept into his subconscious, making him want to tear shit up. His wolf stirred inside him as he stared at Devon, the woods calling for his wolf to be set free so he, as a man, could let go to try to figure out his confusing feelings and rage.
“Whether you want to admit it or not, you had more than any man should have piled upon your shoulders. In the end, you stepped up.” Devon reached out and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’d want no other man having my back, brother.”
“You guys going to hug or what?” Hunter said as he passed them toward the woods. “Come on, and let’s get this over with. I got a warm bed and a sexy woman waiting for me. I don’t want to spend a second longer than I have to with you ugly fuckers.”
Devon smirked, looking toward Hunter. “Hey, Hunter,” Devon called out. “Did you hear about Nate having a run-in with Old Mable?”
Hunter stopped on a dime and then slowly turned around. “No.” Hunter’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
Devon and Malcolm headed toward Hunter and the woods. “Well, he ended up in her backyard and scared the shit out of the woman. She threatened to turn his dick black for being on her property. Didn’t she do the same to you?”
“Yes.” Hunter looked between them both. “She said, and I quote, ‘my little wiener would shrivel up, turn black, and fall off.’ I don’t take that shit lightly.”
“Neither would I.” Devon walked past Hunter with Malcolm beside him.
Hunter caught up with him. “Why are you telling me this?” He eyed them both with suspicion. “I’ve been on good terms with Mable.”
“I’m sure you still are.” Devon started to jog, glancing at Malcolm with a massive grin on his face. “It’s just that she came into town chewing Dell’s ass because of Nate and then asked for you. No one told you?”
“Fuck no, no one told me,” Hunter growled as he also started to jog. “That little fucking shithead. I’m going to kill Nate. Everyone knows to steer clear of Mable. Why the hell is she asking for me?”
Devon laughed as he leaped in the air and shifted. Malcolm did the same just as Hunter cursed, yelling obscenities at Devon, who he realized just got one in on him. One thing Malcolm learned was that it was hard to get anything over on Hunter Foster, and seeing it happen had him forgetting about that drink he had wanted so badly, not even half an hour ago. Devon had been right. Malcolm needed not to be alone when the shadows of the past swarmed him. He let his wolf take over for a moment and closed his mind to everything. He would face some hard truths tomorrow, but tonight, he just wanted to let his wolf take over, and that’s precisely what he did.