Chapter Fifty-One
Clark
W here was my girl? The need to hold her, be near her, clawed at me. My alpha was very unsettled that Gwen kept leaving my sight. She needed to be under me, where I could keep an eye on her, with my cock deep inside her.
I needed that reassurance. Not just from her. From Tenzin. We all needed to fall asleep together.
It was late, and we had a game. But I didn’t mind. Because it was for her. She was safe.
But where was she?
“There you are.” Tenzin’s arms snaked around my waist.
“Let’s go home, so we can make her feel safe and loved.” I leaned into him. Fatigue weighed down on me.
“It looks like things are wrapping up.” He rested his head on mine. “She’s safe. Her family came for her. We came for her.”
“Yeah, the whole thing with that other dad thinking that she was his daughter is just wild. I feel bad for him. How shitty is her ex that he couldn’t even find the right Italian ice-skating Gabby?” My eyes rolled.
I leaned into him more, trying to get warm since I’d given Gwen my jacket.
“We should steal Gwen and the helicopter and go to my parents. We’re not that far. Pretty soon someone will be up, anyway. We can make a big breakfast for everyone,” I added. Okay, I was hungry.
“Can you steal a helicopter?” A boyish grin greeted me as a guy I didn’t know joined us.
He had many of Gwen’s facial features, but his eyes were blue. His brown hair hung in his eyes and he was younger than the other brothers, but older than Gwen.
“Also, it left a while ago. You’re Buttons’ boys, right? I’m Joe, the one she likes best,” he introduced.
Another brother. That was all three, and Lenny.
“Hi. No. I can’t. I’m just hungry and my mom makes good jam.”
“I brought food. Hopefully, by the time we finish eating, we can all go home. I’m so curious about you two.” He herded us to the back of an SUV where there were to-go boxes, with eggs, bacon, pancakes, and hash browns.
Dimitri, Carlos, and Tegan were already there. So were Luca and Matty.
“This is delicious.” Carlos had taken his eggs, bacon, and hash browns, put them in his pancake, and was eating it like a taco.
Jonas came over. “Okay, so according to Charlie, you can hack those bracelets to use them as a tracker and not just an emergency beacon. In case anyone needs to know that.”
“I’m changing the contact in that bracelet to me when we get home,” Tenzin said as he leaned against the car and ate his eggs.
“Keep it on Mercy. Gwen’s logic of being able to send her location to someone else, in case she’s with you when something happens, makes sense. Get an additional tracker that’s just yours,” Lenny replied, grabbing a container and opening it. “Mmmm, bacon.”
“You know they make tattoo ink that can help hide a subcutaneous tracker from detection,” Dimitri replied, taking a bite of eggs.
Tegan took a sip of coffee. “Yeah, it works great with micro trackers. It doesn’t hold up to the good detectors the government has, but it works fine with the usual stuff.”
Tenzin was nodding. “She wants another tattoo for her birthday.”
“We’ll ask her, right? Consent is important.” I frowned at the other alphas and took a bite of my fluffy pancake. The food was hot and tasty. Not quite my Ma’s pancakes with Mom’s jam, but pretty good.
Luca looked right at me. “That’s the right answer.”
“You’re no fun, Luca.” Lenny rolled his eyes.
“I’m not fun. Joe’s the fun one.” He said it matter-of-fact.
I looked around. “Where’s Gwen?”
“She’s eating with the dads by one of the other cars. We should let them have a moment,” Matty said. “It’s a long time coming.”
Oh. Good idea. Maybe it would help her feel less anxious about her upcoming visit.
“If she starts yelling, then you can rescue her,” Luca added. “Because she’ll out stubborn them.”
“What I’m curious about is you two. Like when Buttons gets signed next year, then what?” Joe asked, giving us a stern gaze.
Oh. Brother inquisition time.
“There are these things called phones. We can use them to talk to each other. Also, trains and planes to visit. If Grif and Dean can make it work for six years, we can manage.” Tenzin’s voice became dry.
“We’re making her a home. So she knows no matter where in the world she goes, she’ll have a place with us.” I beamed at Tenzin.
“And when you get traded?” Luca prodded.
“It’s not a physical location that makes a home. It’s people,” I replied. “I once asked Gwen if she wanted one of those paintings of her childhood home, like her mom and nonna had, to bring with them to their new house. She said it would be of us, because we’re her home.”
Tenzin beamed back at me.
“Good answer,” Matty nodded, drinking his coffee.
“Technically, that’s an omega tradition,” Luca interjected.
Lenny snorted. “Buttons doesn’t give a flying fuck about that.”
“How are your investments?” Joe asked. “A hockey player’s work span isn’t very long. You need to be prepared for your own sakes.”
“Joe, she’s dating them. Not getting married.” Luca gave him a look.
Lenny shook his head. “Naw. I’ve seen them together in the wild. Unless they massively fuck this up, in a couple of years we’ll all be attending a Very Buttons Wedding. With space lilies and a dress festooned in sparkles.”
“Oh, and weird dances like the one she went to in Quebec,” Matty added.
“Can you festoon a sparkle?” Luca’s brows knitted.
“I mean, I have.” Joe started laughing.
I looked at Tenzin. “I can’t wait for a Very Buttons Wedding.”
Yeah, we weren’t going to fuck this up. Sure, we’d have our issues, all families did. But after fretting that I might lose her forever, I knew for absolute sure that she was it.
They were it.
“Me, too,” Tenzin replied.
“Marty the tiger will bring the rings.” Dimitri started laughing.
I joined in, envisioning her little tiger at the wedding.
The brothers grilled us a little longer, then it turned to other things.
Finally, Gwen came over, still wearing my coat. She peered into the back of the car. “Is there more?”
Joe dug around in the bag. “This is why I got an emergency breakfast sandwich. You eat like an alpha cage fighter.”
“Thank you.” She bit into it and made happy noises.
“Come here, Firecracker.” Tenzin pulled her into his arms and held her as she ate.
One of her dads came over. I wasn’t sure which one, but he had the same eyes as Gwen. He also clearly seemed to be head alpha. I sort of thought of him as First Dad.
“Mr. Bonnaduci’s story has been corroborated. The emails said his daughter was in trouble. I can’t fault that, and he broke no laws,” he told us. “He’ll be let go.”
“What about Midwest Gabby?” Gwen asked softly.
“She most likely died in the explosion with her sister.” His head bowed.
Another dad joined us. He looked fierce and smug despite his age. This was the dad that fucked shit up, clearly. “Mr. Deloitte is being taken to jail. He will probably be released, but it’s just temporary. Our lawyers are better than theirs.”
“I’m pressing charges. Kidnapping me was uncalled for.” Gwen scowled.
That it was. I put my arm around both of them.
“Absolutely,” the second dad agreed.
“What about Austin?” Jonas asked.
“I’m pretty sure he knew nothing. But we’ll make sure everyone who participated gets their due.” The second dad’s eyes gleamed, which made me think the law might not be involved in everything.
However, I appreciated that they brought the police into it.
“We’ll get you all back to New York. Unless, Buttons, you’re coming home in a few days. Would you like to come back early? You can bring your boys.” His look turned pleading.
“That is a lovely offer, but we have a game tonight,” I told him.
His eyes focused on Gwen.
“So do I.” Gwen finished her sandwich. “After I thought I might be done playing collegiate hockey, I was sad. Since I’m reinstated, I really want to play these next two games. Then I’m on duty for a Knights game. After that, I’ll come home for a visit as planned. I need to text Coach. I hope by the time I get back I don’t miss the train. We’re doing back-to-back away games.”
“We’ll make sure you make your game.” Tenzin squeezed her shoulder.
We would. I’d already bought special treats for her bag, just in case she got reinstated.
“Just because I have no class, doesn’t mean I don’t have responsibilities. I’m giving you my whole break as it is.” She bit her lower lip.
The second dad squeezed her shoulder. “I know. We appreciate you making time for us. We just miss you.”
Everything got wrapped up, the police left, and we found ourselves in a car, headed to some place. Gwen wasn’t in our car, which made me itch. But again, I understood her family wanting a moment with her.
We ended up at a small airport, and everyone got out of all the cars.
Several people hugged Gwen. Finally, she trotted over to us and threw herself into my arms.
“I want to go home,” she said. It was tired and almost a whine, tugging at me.
I kissed her head, holding her tight. “We will.”
The big scary dad, the one who looked like he might have been a bare knuckle fighter in his younger days, pointed to one plane. “Okay, this plane is going to New York. The other is going to Vancouver.”
People got on different planes. I noticed Lenny and Luca got on the plane to New York, but then they’d already been on the East Coast.
Gwen’s dads came over to us.
First dad hugged her to his chest, tight. “Are you sure you don’t want to come back to Vancouver with us? I know the paramedic checked you out, but we should take you to the doctor. I worry about the drugs they gave you.”
“She has games. We need to be supportive,” the one with the blue eyes insisted. Nice dad. He seemed softer than the others.
First dad gave him a look that said this is me being supportive.
“I’m okay. I’ll visit the campus clinic when I get back from the games, if I need to. Also, I’ve already texted my therapists,” she told him.
Oh good. I was glad she was on top of it. She was just so amazing.
Giant, scary dad pulled her to him. “Are the games close to us?”
“We’re playing Natty, staying over, then going to Tex. We’re taking the ultra-bullet and not a bus at least,” she shrugged.
“We’ll see you soon. Good luck with your games.” The one with the blue eyes hugged her tight.
Second dad also hugged her. “If you want to stay longer, you can.”
“That would be nice, there’s a lot to discuss,” First Dad said.
Gwen frowned. “I don’t think I can. Ty was swept up, now we’re short an EBUG.”
“Easy, Buttons. It’s things like getting you your painting, so you can hang it up in your new house,” nice dad told her. “I know how much you want it.”
She brightened. “I get it even though I’m not pro yet?”
“As long as you have a good security system and insurance,” First Dad added.
“Done,” Tenzin said. “We’re doing the final walkthrough the day she plays Tex. Then I can have the system installed and finish getting the insurance set up. I’ll get you whatever documentation you need.”
We got onto the plane, which was nowhere near the size of the team jet. Not that it was tiny. It looked like it could seat maybe ten or twelve people. I wasn’t sure, since part of the seating was a couch.
Carlos, Jonas, Dimitri, and Tegan took the four seats around a table. It looked like Carlos was asleep. Dimitri was texting. Lenny and Luca sat towards the back. Luca was on the phone, talking softly.
“We saved you the couch.” Jonas looked up from his conversation with Tegan.
“There’s drinks and snacks in the galley, sorry, no attendant on this plane,” Lenny told us.
Gwen and I sat on the couch and she curled into me.
“Do you need anything?” Tenzin asked us.
“Just you. Gimme.” Gwen made grabby hands.
Tenzin sat down with us, Gwen in the middle, draped over us. She sent a few texts to her coach and her agent. Also Mercy and Kylee. Good. I wasn’t trying to spy, but she wasn’t concealing her texts, either.
The plane took off, the cabin lights dim. Gwen put her phone down and trembled, tears streaming down her face.
“Hey, it’s okay. We have you,” I assured her. If Luca and Lenny weren’t on the plane, I’d take her into the bathroom and show her how much I loved her.
“I was kidnapped. I hate being kidnapped,” she sobbed. “The worst thing is that Mr. Deloitte probably knew that I’d been drugged and kidnapped before and was playing on that to get his way. To get me out of the way.”
She was right. He’d probably pumped Austin for info on her. After all, they’d somehow concluded she was that other girl. Not that it was the right info.
“You’re safe and with us. But cry it all out.” Tenzin stroked her hair.
We snuggled and reassured her, until she fell asleep. Though neither of us even dozed. My inner alpha was hyper-vigilant, determined to watch over her, until we got her home. The next few days with her away with her team were going to be hard on us. But what else could we do? She had her responsibilities, we had ours. We’d support her with whatever she needed, and that was all that mattered.