2. This officially sucks. #2
“Darrel, we’re talking about Bailey here.
She will murder anyone who tries to trade for a whelp in her care.
I might be able to sell her on fostering, but I expect I’ll be saddled with both until adulthood.
They can socialize in your hive if that’s the case.
” The offer would please my entire family, and my cousin was in a position his hive could support another breeding male.
His serpents stirred, watching me with interest. “My hive is large enough to support a young breeding male,” he confirmed. “We could just wipe the hive out and take the whelps. They can be part of my hive’s bride present for your wedding.”
Sometimes, I hated gorgons. Other times, I loved everything about our twisted society.
Perkins snickered. “That’s one way to handle this. Can you get proof that former cadet contacted this Dover hive?”
“I have sufficient evidence, Officer Perkins.” My cousin smiled, and showed off his fangs. “For gorgon law.”
I could make a few guesses, especially after evaluating witness reports of the cadet’s treatment of my wife and his general attitude. “The idiot emailed the hive, didn’t he?”
“Indeed. To make it worse, for him that is, the Dover hive’s patriarch asked around about Bailey Gardener.
I requested a copy of the offer. He sent it to me.
He plans to offer five hundred thousand.
I told him she was worth much more than that.
I got the feeling that was all he had to offer.
I also got the feeling he would pursue her without an accepted bride offer. ”
Kidnapping and coercion went against everything I’d been taught by my father and grandfather. It even went against what my cousin had been taught, although he’d suffered through a complete lapse of judgment following an alcoholic bender and exposure to an incubus.
The exposure to an incubus part of the equation had grudgingly won him my forgiveness.
He had gotten his ass handed to him by my wife, and I understood what demonic powers could do to someone. In part, it was why I always hesitated to reveal any of my demonic nature.
Unfortunately for me, Bailey could be very convincing, and once she coaxed me into shapeshifting, she had a way of making my common sense dribble out of my ears.
We made quite the pair.
I sighed and shook my head. Considering how poorly Bailey had taken my cousin’s multi-million dollar offer, she’d enter orbit over only being offered five hundred thousand.
“Amanda’s been teaching her self-defense.
While I will do everything in my power to prevent another hive from even looking at her, I pity this patriarch should he manage to get near her. ”
Perkins snickered again, which grew into boisterous laughter. “She’ll get so mad she might spontaneously combust. After she’s done laying waste to the entire hive, I wish you luck convincing her she has value.”
Bowing my head, I closed my eyes and sighed again. And again. I sighed a few extra times for good measure. “It’d be best if she doesn’t find out about this. She’s going to have enough trouble accepting she’s going to be a Chief Quinn soon.”
My cousin cackled. “She’s going to turn the entire city upside down. Which jurisdiction is to be blessed with her?”
The sarcasm I expected from my cousin didn’t come, and when I lifted my head, he watched me with open interest. “They’re partnering her with me.”
My cousin nodded, his expression satisfied. “Well, I’d like to see anyone get to you with her around. She’s vicious. She sometimes flails, but she flails viciously. And I’ll give her credit. She punches hard when mad.”
I’d always treasure the memory of my wife beating my drunk cousin. “You deserved it.”
“I did. I regret I didn’t find her first.”
I only regretted marrying Audrey before meeting Bailey. “Thank you for not finding her first.”
“Who am I kidding? You two were made for each other. I know of no other capable of handling her fire without being burned.” My cousin shrugged.
“She’d burn the entire world to ash for your sake.
That’s what I want, for a woman to look at me like your bride looks at you.
I doubt she’s easy to love, but what you have will last. I don’t typically believe in fate, but perhaps with you two, it was simply meant to be.
How do you want me to handle the Dover hive? ”
“Talk to your old man, and when you do, tell him my old man keeps telling Bailey she’s too vicious to participate in the fostering matches.
Should the Dover hive suffer from any unfortunate accidents pursuing my bride, she has first right to claim the whelps.
I intend to back her on it, and I will fight for her if she’s barred. ”
“While shifted?” My cousin’s snakes hissed their opinion of that. “You’ll scare off the competition.”
“I’m all right with that. Bailey isn’t. She’s stuck on earning the fosters properly. I’m much lazier than she is.”
I was also more ruthless, and if she wanted to foster children, I would end every fight as quickly as possible before accepting my beating as the victor.