Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“ C ome take a ride with me,” Sin had ordered Kaine about an hour after their arrival.
They got out at a liquor store and Sin grabbed a cart and headed in.
Griff was usually at his side but Kaine waved him off, for some reason understanding that Lucky’s father was probably more dangerous than any other shifter in the area.
There was something about the male’s power that had put Kaine on alert from the first moment he’d stared into Sin’s eyes.
But his tiger didn’t get any bad vibes, so he relaxed.
They bypassed the shelves in the front and headed toward the back of the store. Kaine frowned until he saw the paw print over the door jamb. Sin gave him a mischievous look.
“This the good shit they hide for shifters,” he told Kaine, indicating the shelves of different types of liquors.
The bottles didn’t look anything like the ones in the front. A smirk tilted his lips. The Eastfield shifters were different, that was for damn sure. Sin glanced at him as they went through the aisles.
“My baby said you just pulled up on her today.”
Kaine chuckled. He wondered if she was still salty about him forcing the meeting between him and her people.
Sin smirked, flashing his gold fangs. “You gotta handle baby girl like that because she gon’ do what she wanna do, so you already know that much about her.”
“I’m trying to show her how serious I am,” Ezra confided. “I thought I would get more pushback from you from the way she talked about you.”
“My baby don’t be bringing males around me, so ain’t no use in me getting all rah-rah ‘bout the shit.” Sin threw him a sidelong look. “Besides, I used to do work for your grandfather. It would be hypocritical of me to give you a speech. I am sorry for your loss.”
He turned a surprised glance to Sin before schooling his features. “Thank you.”
Sin nodded as he put six bottles of what looked like moonshine into their cart.
“The only reason I’m bringing it up is because my baby brash than a motherfucker.
But she sensitive, so even though you think she can handle anything, you better still treat her like a delicate fucking flower.
Give her enough for her to feel secure that you not out here fucking off, but the grittier parts of your life ain’t for your mate to know. ”
Kaine took in the warning, appreciating the advice.
Despite all the training Henry had given his grandkids, how to truly do this mating stuff had never been a part of that.
He was grateful for any guidance, especially from a man who knew his mate better than anyone.
Sin didn’t say anything further, but the tension between them was lighter.
Kaine added more liquor to the cart, paying for all of it at the front.
They loaded the back of the truck, but Sin cursed as he checked his phone.
“Kat finna have us all over this damn town,” the male grumbled as they got back in the cab of the truck.
Kaine took that to mean that they weren’t headed back to the house. He found out how true that was ten minutes later when they pulled into a big warehouse store. His tiger rattled his chest in aggravation and Sin laughed, tapping his shoulder.
“It ain’t gon’ take us long,” he assured Kaine as they stepped out.
They went inside and he was right. They went straight in, got what they needed, and headed out; the whole thing took twenty minutes.
He thought he would have to make idle chit chat with Lucky’s father, but Sin ain’t speak unless it was necessary.
Despite the crowd, he found himself getting more comfortable with his new father-in-law.
Kaine was sliding their shopping cart into one of the collection areas when his tiger tensed in warning.
His favorite knife down at his side, Kaine whipped around and eyed the young ass shifter who was holding a gun up, a nervous tremble vibrating the feline’s body.
“Didn’t think you could get caught slipping, huh?” the shifter taunted.
Before Kaine could do more than roll his eyes, Sin walked up smooth behind the male and put his Glock to his head.
“Who got caught slippin’?”
The smug look was wiped from the shifter’s face. Kaine nodded his head at Griff and his security was snatching the kid out of Sin’s arms, dragging him to the SUV.
Sin tucked his gun into his back. “And I thought you trusted me enough to have your security waiting in their car.”
Kaine shrugged, slipping his knife back into the back pocket of his jeans. “They have their orders.”
Especially since this was the third time someone had tried to kill him. Easy would be pissed.
“You were cool as a cucumber. Oddly enough, that does reduce my worry for my baby.”
Kaine grunted. “As of now, she’s the only thing standing between the world and the hunter under my skin.”
“I can get with that.”
Sin studied him a moment and smiled, holding out his fist, which Kaine bumped in respect to the OG.
The situation could’ve gotten ugly, especially in public, but Lucky’s father had handled it without causing alarm.
Sin was clearly true to this shit, not new to it.
His tiger relaxed further. It was nice not to have to hide any aspect of his life from her family.
Sin’s phone rang as soon as they got into the truck and he picked it up, sighing. “Yes, my love?”
“You still in the store?” Kathleen’s voice carried through the speaker even without his tiger’s hearing.
Sin shook his head. “What you need, Kat baby?”
Kaine and his cat were eager to get Lucky within their sights, but seeing the love that suffused Sin’s face, he knew they would do whatever the woman needed. By the time he tuned back into the conversation, Sin had hung up.
“Now, fooling with you trying to get shot in the grocery store parking lot, we got more shit added to the list.”
Kaine couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “Now how you blaming me for someone upping their shit on me?”
“You froze,” Sin fussed.
“I did no such thing!” He cracked up at the older male’s audacity.
“Well, that’s how I’ma tell Devon the story.” The charming smile on his face showed that her father was joking.
For what felt like the first time in years, laughter came easily to Kaine.
Something about Lucky’s father relaxed him wholly.
Could be the mention of his grandfather, but more than likely it could be that there was no artifice to the male.
Sincere didn’t put on airs. It was hard to fault a person who showed you all of them, take it or leave it.
By the time they made it back to the house, the two males were friends, and Lucky’s eyes ballooned when she saw them.
She rushed up to him. “You good?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m fine, princess.”
“Yo, Devon,” Sin called out, carrying the liquor into the backyard. “Just the wolf I wanted to see.”
“Here he go,” he said under his breath, smiling.
Lucky gave him a bemused smile. “What y’all got into?”
“Nothing for you to worry about.” He dropped short kisses to his mate’s lips. “You need anything?”
She shook her head. He nuzzled her gently and shifted the bags of ice in his hand to cup her cheek. She was so damn beautiful. There was residual worry in her gaze that had him pausing a second to reassure her.
“I’m good, baby.” He held her gaze until her shoulders relaxed.
She nodded and left him alone. He walked up to the men gathered around a few open coolers. Kaine dropped the ice onto the ground. The look Devon and Sin gave him let Kaine know they were on that good bullshit.
“Uncle Sin said you let a jit get the drop on you?” Devon was the first to start.
“Said he was ten,” Declan joked, balancing a baby on his lap. Kaine hadn’t even noticed the wolf.
“Y’all full of shit,” he said, and they all busted out laughing.
It caught the women’s attention and Lucky gave him a surprised look.
It seemed his mate didn’t think he would get along with her family.
That made him smile. He knew the way to his mate’s heart would be through her family, and it seemed to be working.
Kaine dropped into one of the lawn chairs, getting comfortable.
Being with Lucky’s family had him reminiscing about the summers he spent with his cousins.
It was the relaxed and easy air of shifters who were dangerous, yet understood that family rooted a person.
His siblings were also blending in, Easy laughing with Lucky’s brother and his sister dancing with someone’s baby on her hip.
Kaine basked in the moment, happy to lay his worries to the side for a day to enjoy his mate and their family.