Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Dewi
Dewi left Ken, Hamish, and the baby with Callum and Bryn while she headed downstairs with Badger to find Peyton.
And when she did, she hugged him long and hard.
“You motherfucker,” she muttered against his shoulder as he tightly held her. “I can’t punch you now because you found all those people. Especially because you made Ken happy. It’s like you didn’t want me to punch you for scaring me.”
He laughed, making no move to end their embrace. “Yeah, that’s why I did it,” he joked. “Because no one can say you ever hit like a girl, and I don’t want to get my ass kicked by my baby sister. I’d never live that down.”
“Shut up,” she said, closing her eyes. “Love you.”
He kissed the top of her head, like he used to when she was a kid. “Love you, too, Dewster.”
“Guess what Callum said.”
“What?” he asked.
“Lyssa and Eliza are both strong Alpha shifters.”
“Uh, okay. Who’s Eliza?”
“That’s what we’re naming Thing 2 when she arrives.”
“Oh.”
“Exactly,” Dewi said, finally looking up at him while making no move to release him from her embrace. “So don’t be shocked when I start begging Gillian to beg you to move to Florida and live there full time.”
“Is Callum sure? I mean, Ken’s not a shifter.”
“He says he’s sure and that he wouldn’t joke about a thing like that.”
“Huh. Are they worgis or colves?”
She snorted. “I don’t know, but I guess we’d better figure that out. I wonder if Maisie will end up being a shifter? If she does, she’ll be the same, because she’s half wolf, half corgi.”
“I kinda like ‘worgi’,” he said. “It’s cute.”
Dewi sensed movement and spotted Aisling emerging from the kitchen. “Hold that thought.”
She released Peyton, ran toward Aisling, and before Aisling could move, Dewi practically tackled her in a hug.
“Eh, hullo?”
“Shut up,” Dewi said, still hugging her. “When are we holding your wedding?”
“Eh, we haven’t even decided all that yet. We were kinda preoccupied. Are ye gonna hug me for a while?”
“Yup,” Dewi said. “Deal with it.”
Aisling finally laughed and returned Dewi’s hug. “Then to what do I owe the honor of this less-than-lethal squeezin’?”
“Because I love you, you Irish jerk. And because I’m grateful to you for a whole bunch of reasons I’d rather just lump into one big ball rather than list individually.”
Aisling snorted. “Happy days.”
“And because I can’t list them in order of importance, because they’re all important.” Dewi released the Irish Wolfhound. “But you kept Peyton and everyone safe. And you rescued Bryn and Callum and the others.”
“Eh, that wasn’t just me. The Primes and Jake get a bunch of credit for that. They went in ahead of time an’ compromised personnel.”
“I know, but you helped plan that.” Dewi sniffled. “And I know I’m a snarky bitch, but I also want you to know that just because I’m a snarky bitch doesn’t mean I don’t love and respect you. You should hear the shit I’ve called Peyton and Trent over the years.”
“When’d ye start lovin’ me now?”
“I liked you before. The love is because you still risked your life when even I wouldn’t have blamed you for backing out because of Tam.”
Aisling actually blushed. “G’wan now. Just doin’ my job.” She looked at Peyton. “Thank ye for havin’ trust and faith in me.”
“Dewi’s right,” Peyton said. “I love you, too. Eh, like a sister,” he added, smiling. “And no offense, but I want you on the jet back to Florida with them when they leave in a few days. Unless you want me to put you on the next plane back to Florida? Because you name it.”
Aisling shrugged. “Nah. Leavin’ wi’ everyone else is fine. Tam’s busy with the kids, an’ we video chat several times a day. Plus, we’re textin’ up a storm. Don’t make a special trip just for me.”
“That’s not the point,” Peyton said. “You are the reason this operation was successful, and I’m not going to let you ‘aw, shucks’ your way out of the praise you’ve rightfully earned and deserve. Anything you want, name it.”
Aisling shrugged. “Well, I do have a wee favor I’d like to ask.”
Peyton nodded. “Yes.”
“I haven’t asked it.”
“I don’t care—I’ll say yes. As long as it’s something within my power, obviously.”
“I wanna go visit Frannie.” She tipped her head toward Dewi. “Send her with me, then ye know I won’t kill the woman.”
“Who, me?” Dewi asked. “How do you know you won’t have to keep me from killing her?”
Peyton chuckled. “No one’s killing her. But yes, I’ll arrange that. When would you like to go?”
“Is today possible?”
“Yep. I’ll ask Trevor to have someone waiting for you on the helipad at the other end to drive you.”
“And don’t tell Tam,” Aisling added. “Or anyone else but Trevor. I don’t want it gettin’ back to Tam.”
“Sure,” Peyton said. “May I ask why?”
“I just want to see her and speak to her, face-to-face. I’d like to know ahead of time what Tamsin would be gettin’ into, or if the woman is even worth forgivin’.”
“That’s fair,” Dewi said, looking at Peyton. “All right, I promise no killing or punching or hurting the woman. But can I insult her if she’s a bitch?”
He laughed. “I doubt you’ll want to insult her, but yeah, sure.”
Aisling
They were on their way less than an hour later, wearing headsets so they could talk in the chopper.
Aisling stared out the window as the helo bore them across the Welsh landscape toward the secret safe house.
It felt like they were going northeast, but with the terrain, it was difficult to tell for certain.
“Any ideas about where Tamsin will want to live eventually?” Dewi asked.
Aisling shook her head. “Wherever she wants, that’s where we’ll live.”
“I know I don’t get a vote, but I’m kinda hoping Florida wins.”
Aisling finally looked at her. “Ye mean even after Peyton wouldn’t let ye disembowel me when yer starkers hubby pulled a gun on me in yer kitchen an’ I drank outta yer favorite coffee mug?”
Dewi grinned. “All right, I forgive you.”
Aisling laughed, longer and harder than she’d expected, her soul feeling a little lighter than it had in…
Well, since that night when people knocked on her mam’s door, bearing the grimmest of news.
“All joking aside,” Dewi added, “you know we can’t kill her, right?”
Aisling nodded. “I swear that while it’s a temptin’ fantasy, it’s not on my list of things to do. I won’t even poke her hard.”
“Okay.”
“Peyton and Trevor questioned her,” Aisling added. “I trust both of ’em. And I guess she was powerless against Faegan. It’s surprising she was able to stand up to him to keep them from handin’ Tamsin off when she was younger.”
“Yeah, I’d like to know how she managed that,” Dewi said.
“So would I. But it means she’s not a total cunt. I give her credit for that.”
“Not to mention, Donnel kind of fucked her over.”
“Ye mean he completely fucked her over,” Aisling said.
“Yeah,” Dewi said. “Hey, look at that, we’re on the same side.” She grinned, making Aisling laugh again.
“In retrospect, I’m glad Carl didn’t get me fired after I tried to make a bomb in the backyard with the kids.”
Dewi’s eyebrows shot skyward. “You tried to make a whut?”
“Don’t worry. Nothing large. Would’ve just a bit of smoke. That was before everything sorted itself.”
Dewi laughed. “Well, good luck getting rid of Carl now. You’re probably his fifth favorite person in the world.”
“Only fifth?”
“Well, first, if you’re not talking immediate family.”
“Ah, I get ye.” Aisling looked out the window again. This wasn’t Ireland, and she’d never lived in Wales. Not full-time, anyway. But it was pretty.
Still…
It wasn’t Florida.
“I do kinda hope Tam decides we’ll stay in Florida,” Aisling said. “I like the warm.”
“Most people bitch about how hot it is,” Dewi teased.
Aisling shrugged. “Not as hot as some of the places I served on deployment.”
“Well, we’re happy to have you,” Dewi said.
“The kids love you, and we haven’t even started untangling that mess yet.
Imani, Dania, the twins. And trying to impress upon Bebe that she can’t just shift whenever she wants to.
Plus, making sure she learns how to do it properly.
She can’t live her entire life under a Prime command. That’s not right.”
“True. That would likely be the best angle to show Tam,” Aisling said.
“That the kids need her. Trevor already reiterated to me that they’re happy for us and honestly mean it when they say it won’t hurt their feelings if we want to live in the States.
Elizabeth will be hella busy with the littlest ones, anyway. ”
When they circled a small pasture with a large square made up of heavy gravel, Aisling immediately spotted the awaiting Land Rover and the man standing next to it.
“That must be our ride,” Dewi said.
Ten minutes later, the SUV pulled up in front of a small cottage located at the far rear of an estate, which bordered upon a large forest that wasn’t accessible to the public.
“That’s a step down in life, innit?” Aisling snarked as they got out.
“Yeah, well, based on the pics I saw,” Dewi said, “before Trevor had the manor house converted, it was a dump on the inside.”
Another of Trevor’s men opened the door as they approached, welcoming them in. “She’s in the back room,” he said, pointing. “Go through the kitchen.”
Hell, the cottage was barely larger than the two rooms Callum and Bryn now had. But this home was also tidy and smelled like freshly baked goods.
The room was small, but it was a sunroom, and Frannie—who Peyton said they should still call Hyacinth, for now—sat reading in a recliner.
She smiled and put her book aside, standing to shake hands with them. “Hello. Trevor called ahead. I made blueberry scones.”
“Mebbe later,” Aisling said, already scrambling to retool her previous mental image of this woman.