Chapter 16
After emailing Penn, Fionn flopped on his bed, pushing a couple of pillows under his head, closing his eyes as he thought about what his uncle was really after.
Logan thought it was his white dragon but without the superpower, his dragon was anything but special.
Mulling it over, he rejected Logan’s idea.
Fuck! Why couldn’t I have a normal family?
And what the fuck is it with all this cloak and dagger shit?
First his father’s, then his uncle’s, and his mother’s siblings’ actions—lies, threats, deceit, greed—all aimed his way.
He was getting pretty tired of all of their crap.
Maybe I should leave after the court declares me an adult.
Go live someplace away from all the assholes in the world so this shit stops.
It would be nice for once in my life to wake up and not have to think about who’s out to kill me today.
Desperate to rid his head of the mess his life was in, Fionn reached into his pocket for his phone and, selecting one playlist, tapped the button, letting the words from one of his favorite songs fill his mind, temporarily eclipsing his anxiety.
Browsing through music videos online one day, he found the song and couldn’t stop listening to it; the lyrics spoke to him like no other before.
Humming the opening bars, he joined in when Red began to sing:
Deep in the shadows, I search
For something, but what?
Never seeing what the future holds
When will I finally be free?
Though it was written about a wolf shifter, the emotions in the song belonged to him.
Ever since discovering Red Force, he’d been the singer’s number one fan, following him on social media and the web.
There were rumors of a tour, maybe even a worldwide tour, and though it was just talk so far, Fionn had no doubt one would be announced soon and, when it was, he’d be buying tickets to as many shows as he could.
Fionn’s voice rose, filling the bedroom as he sang another verse
Somewhere there’s a place for me
With all the love I need,
Free from the hate and evil
That seems to be my fate
As the last note faded, Fionn smiled; the song had done its magic, giving voice to his feelings and reassuring him that he wasn’t alone.
~/~/~/~/~
As he drove along the highway to the RV dealership, Sawyer glanced at Mason, slumped against the passenger side door, gently snoring.
He figured his brother was making up for lost sleep from the night before.
Shaking his head at Mason’s refusal to use sleeping aids, Sawyer’s eyes turned back to the empty road, happy that Mason had, at least, been able to drag his ass out of bed before sunrise.
Of all the brothers, Sawyer was the easygoing one, never stressing about a decision; instead, letting life take him where it wanted him to go.
Hunter always claimed he’d arrived in the world asleep, taking his birth in stride as just another ordinary day in his life while his twin, Sam, was wired differently, always analyzing situations before making decisions.
Regardless of their different personalities, Sawyer and his twin, Sam—known as Mac within the family—were close; and they always had each other’s backs.
Sawyer was pretty sure he was the only brother looking forward to the California trip; once they got there, he was determined to try surfing.
He’d have preferred taking their time, stopping along the way to have some fun, but he accepted Mac’s decision about getting there fast. Besides, after the visit with their cousins, he was sure his brothers would agree to play tourists on the way back since they’d have fulfilled their promise to their mother.
After making certain Mason was still sleeping, Sawyer sped up, wanting to have the maximum time to look at the RVs for sale, hoping to persuade his brother to buy the one he’d found online.
When Mac explained why they needed an RV, Sawyer saw it as an opportunity to live his dreams of traveling around the country once they returned from California, hopefully with one of his brothers along for company.
He anticipated the eye rolling when he announced his plans—just another of his spur-of-the-moment decisions his brothers would say, but they’d be wrong.
The thought of having the freedom to go where the road took him, staying as long as he liked before packing up and moving on, was the dream that sustained him through the tragedy of losing both parents within a relatively short period of time.
And when he thought about it, it was one of the best plans he’d ever come up with.
~/~/~/~/~
Checking the time, Carson quickly grabbed the file before leaving for his meeting with Jackson and Steel.
During his restless night, he finally gave up any pretense of sleep, heading outside where he shifted.
The hour long run did both him and his wolf good, taking the edge off his anger and his wolf’s need to attack a threat.
Cursing his father for failing to show him the proper way to control himself and his wolf, Carson felt like a young pup—a constant embarrassment to himself.
All his brothers—even Zane—had mastered the technique but he hadn’t, and it was infuriating.
He’d lucked out when Dylon stopped Carson from shifting to attack Josiah for sullying their names.
Had he done so, he’d have stepped right into a trap.
Now, Cody spent time with him every day, teaching him the right ways to conduct himself as an Alpha.
Still, there were times like last night when it was hard not to fall into old habits.
Standing in front of Jackson’s study, Carson checked his outfit, making sure the creases in his dress pants were straight and his long-sleeved dress shirt was wrinkle-free. Then, he knocked.
“Come in,” Jackson invited.
“Good morning,” Carson said, as he took a seat across from his brother.
“And to you, too,” Jackson replied, inwardly smiling at his brother’s formality. It seemed Carson was in full business mode this morning. “Your email said you had something to show me.”
“Yes. Last night, I was reviewing all the grant applications Dire Enterprises has pending and I came across the one Josiah submitted,” Carson said.
“I’m familiar with it,” responded Jackson.
“Yes, but did you know Josiah has received title to the Fox River Pack lands by court order?” Carson asked, passing the document to his brother.
Jackson read it, then handed it to Steel. Turning his attention back to Carson, he asked, “Did our uncle say how this was done?”
Nodding, Carson said, “According to the letter he included, he told the court there weren’t any direct descendants.”
“Fucking asshole!” Steel snorted.
“He is, but what did you expect?” replied Jackson. “Our uncle has already shown his true colors.” Then looking at Carson, he asked, “What do you suggest I do about it?”
Carson knew his brother was testing him and he wasn’t going to fail this time.
“Josiah committed fraud so my recommendation is to turn it over to Penn and listen to what he has to say about it. I’m pretty sure our uncle’s action can be used to bolster your complaint.
He lied to the court, so it follows anything he says to the High Council in response to your complaint should be verified by outside investigators. ”
Impressed by Carson’s response, Jackson said, “Good, I agree.”
“I do too,” said Steel. Then addressing Carson, he asked, “What do you plan to do about Josiah’s application?”
“I thought about it and my recommendation is to do nothing until Penn looks over this information. As much as I’d hate it, he might suggest approving the application.
That way, if Josiah accepts the money, it weakens any defense he might have by saying he never profited from his lies to the court,” Carson said.
Grinning at this new version of his brother, Jackson said, “How come you know so much about law?”
“My minor in college was business law. I wasn’t planning to be a lawyer but I wanted to know the basics so when I had my own company, I’d be aware of some of the legal aspects of my decisions.”
“I like your plan, but before I can approve it, I’ll have to speak with my father and Slate,” said Steel.
“That’s fine,” Carson said, “Now, since I’m familiar with Josiah’s grant application, I plan to outline the steps that need to be taken—and in what order— for Slate’s approval when he gets back. If there isn’t anything else, I’ll get back to my work.”
“Go ahead,” smiled Jackson. “I’ll let you know what I decide after speaking to Penn.”
Nodding at his brother, Carson left, pleased with how he’d handled himself.
~/~/~/~/~
David sat quietly in the corner of the living room, watching Zane’s fingers fly over the keys.
Worrying his bottom lip, he wished he had the skills to help his mate but that was something else the High Priestess didn’t think was necessary for him to learn.
Zane promised to teach him once they were in California, but David was sure it’d be an exercise in futility; he’d never be as good as his mate.
“Babe, I don’t expect you to be like me.
I’ve been doing this for, shit, at least fifteen years so don’t worry.
All I want for you is to feel comfortable using a computer, especially because you are the High Priest. There are many online libraries and research centers that might prove useful to you. I know Adam knows the laws but…”
“…There are other things I might need to know,” David said, finishing Zane’s sentence.
Zane paused, gazing at his mate., “Come here, babe.” When his mate stood next to him, Zane pulled him down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him. Nuzzling his neck, he murmured, “You will be awesome and you want to know how I know that?”
Shivers of delight ran down David’s spine—all he could do was nod.
“Because I’m awesome and the Fates wouldn’t have given me a mate who wasn’t.”
Giggling, David said, “Pretty sure of yourself, huh?”
Zane kissed his mate behind his ear before saying, “What can I say…when you got it…you got it. Now, how about you gather up all the stuff I printed out and try to organize it. I have about ten more minutes before we meet with Logan.”
Happy to be able to help, David kissed his mate back, then, jumping up, grabbed the papers from the printer and started separating them into different piles.
~/~/~/~/~
“Hello, Penn. I was just about to call you,” Jackson said. after answering his cell phone.
“About Fionn’s hearing?” asked Penn.
“Uh-uh, about Josiah,” Jackson said.
“What did he do now?” asked Penn.
“I’ll let you tell me after you have a chance to review the docs I send you,” Jackson said.
“Give me a sec. In the meantime, check your email for the motion I’ll be filing today on Fionn’s behalf.”
Jackson found the email and, opening the attachment, read the document, chuckling when he was half way through it. Printing it out, Jackson showed it to Steel, smirking at his reaction.
“Jackson?”
“I’m here, Penn,”
“I have to say, Josiah certainly has some cajones,” Penn said.
“So, what do we do with this information?” asked Jackson. “And can it help us with our complaint against him?”
“Before I answer, I want to do some further research, such as pulling the court file to check when he filed his petition for title to the land. If he did it after receiving a copy of your complaint to the High Council, then he doesn’t have a leg to stand on, but if he filed it before he learned you were alive, then he probably has a defense—a weak one—but still a defense.
In answer to your other question, I’ll have to research that, also, to see if you’re allowed to amend your complaint so that it includes his fraudulent action to take your pack lands,” Penn explained.
“Penn, what should I do about the grant money Josiah applied for?” asked Steel. “Title to the land was the only thing holding up dispensing the funds.”
“Do you have a deadline to meet?” asked Penn.
“No, and with Slate out of the country, there’s a reason for any delay needed,” replied Steel.
“Fine, then put it off until I get back to you,” Penn said.
“One other thing, Jackson. I know you have proof you and your brothers were in Las Vegas at the time of the massacre but this…this title Josiah received through fraudulent means…might be submitted as exculpatory evidence in your defense of his claim that you killed your family members.”
“What exactly does that mean?” asked Jackson.
“It’s something the defendant submits to the court to help exonerate him of guilt in the matter. In this case…the alleged murders of your family. But before we do that, I want to find out what class of crime Josiah committed to get the deed,” Penn said.
“Understood. Now what about Fionn and why are you asking the court to allow testimony by video?”
“I want video testimony from Fionn’s family attorney who’s in France.
He’s the legal record keeper of the MacDùghlas hordes so he can certify to the court the dates when gifts were given to Fionn by each family member seeking custody of him.
If the court grants my motion, I’ll feel much more confident the court will rule in favor of Fionn’s claim he’s of legal age,” said Penn.
“That’s fine but there’s one other thing you should know,” Jackson said, pausing a moment. “What I’m about to tell you must not be written down, repeated or even spoken aloud even if there isn’t anyone in the room with you. Do you agree?”
“Is it about Fionn?” asked Penn.
“Yes.”
“You have my word,” Penn said.
"Fionn’s dragon is white.” Jackson waited for Penn to respond but only silence ensued. “Penn? Are you there?”
“Thank you for telling me this,” Penn said without any emotion. “Are you free later today for a face-to-face meeting?”
“In San Francisco?” asked Jackson.
“No, I’ll come there. I have some information you should know about,” Penn said.
“Hold on a minute, Penn.” Jackson muted the call and turned to Steel. “Does he sound strange to you?”
“Yeah, I think it has something to do with Fionn’s white dragon.”
“Bad something?”
“Maybe. I never heard of a white dragon. My mother probably knows but if the Fates haven’t given her permission to speak about it, then…”
“When Logan told me about it last night,” Jackson said, “I did some research on white dragons and found absolutely nothing other than the stuff I already knew.”
Shrugging, Steel said, “Then if Penn has information about white dragons and their potential to harm anyone, I say we hear him out.”
“Agreed.” Unmuting his phone, Jackson said, “Penn, what time will you be here?”