Chapter Two #2
The echoes of her scream would haunt him for the rest of his days.
It was reminiscent of the cries his mother had made the day she’d died giving birth to his youngest brother.
It was the sound that sometimes shrieked through the trees and rolled down the mountain during a violent storm.
Cyrus’s wolf wanted to howl. It wasn’t easy to restrain the beast who was raring to begin the hunt.
Her fingers dug into his back. Her entire body trembled. She was a strong woman, but even the strongest could break, and she’d been shouldering the burden on her own. Whether she liked it or not, she had him now. With him came the resources and strength of his family.
Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, savoring the feel of her in his arms. He caught a whiff of mint from the toothpaste she’d used along with a hint of rose, likely from soap or lotion.
His wolf settled, calmed by her nearness.
He rubbed his hand up and down the length of her spine.
Like the first time he’d held her, she fit against him perfectly.
He didn’t want to let her go, but when she pulled away, he released her.
She rubbed her hands over her arms and took a breath. “That was uncalled for. I’m sorry.” When his lips twitched, her brows lowered and she scowled. “You find this funny.”
He shook his head. “No, there’s nothing remotely funny about this situation. But you remind me of Kinley. She’s Eli’s woman. She kept apologizing so often we bought her a t-shirt with the phrase on it.”
“Eli is one of your brothers?”
They shared a son but knew very little about each other. “I’m the oldest, then Josiah, Eli, Zach, Levi, Noah, and Silas. Kinley is a new edition to the family. She and Eli took off to spend a few days alone. Not much privacy here. The others are on jobs.”
“You all live here together?”
“We do, but we’re rarely all here at the same time. We spend a lot of time on the road for work. And speaking of work, we need to make a plan.”
Her head fell forward, as though it was too heavy for her to hold up any longer. “I don’t know where else to search. I’ve looked everywhere I can think of.”
“We go back to the beginning. I want to see his room, have you take me to his favorite places in the woods.” He held up his hand before she could protest. “It seems like a waste of time but trust me. This is what I do.”
Doubt clouded her eyes, but she nodded. “I came to you because you’re considered one of the best.” She bit her bottom lip. “Do you need a retainer? We haven’t discussed price.”
It stabbed like a dagger to his heart. His wolf whined and paced inside him. “No way am I taking a dime of your money.”
She briefly closed her eyes and nodded. “I didn’t mean to offend you, but I didn’t want to assume. I’ll cover gas and expenses.”
Cyrus tamped down his temper, but it wasn’t easy. “Listen and listen well, Lavinia Grant.” He’d seen her full name on one of the police reports. “When I said I wasn’t taking your money, I meant it. I’ll cover expenses.”
“That’s hardly fair.”
“Look at it as me paying my fair share. You’ve been supporting Adam his entire life.”
“You didn’t know about him.”
And that was on him more than her. She’d run off that night rather than sticking around and discussing what had happened.
He hadn’t pushed it because he’d assumed there was no chance a child would come out of their night together.
She hadn’t known where he lived, but she was right where he’d left her.
If he’d gone back or even looked up the town online, he might have known.
He’d never done so because he’d feared he wouldn’t be able to let her go a second time.
“You must have been scared when you discovered you were pregnant.”
“It wasn’t an easy time.” Her answer was short and abrupt, a clear sign she didn’t want to discuss it. Message received. He might want to know every detail, but he wasn’t entitled to them. Not yet at any rate.
“Give me a couple of minutes to get packed and we can head out. You can leave your vehicle here. We’ll take my SUV. We’ll need the cargo room. Plus, I don’t use equipment I haven’t tested.” It was time to set ground rules.
Her mouth tightened but she nodded. “Fine.”
Cyrus went to the back door and released a sharp whistle.
Josiah had gone out for a run to give them some privacy and to scout the mountain to ensure no one had followed Vinnie here.
He’d disable the GPS on her vehicle and any other tracker as soon as they were gone, if he hadn’t already done so.
Not a trusting sort, his brother. None of them were.
Josiah jogged out of the woods in his bare feet and jeans. “You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question.
“Soon as I gear up.”
“You need backup?” They might disagree about things, but when it came down to it, the Sin brothers had each other’s backs. They were the Seven Deadly Sins, loyal to the bone.
“Not yet. If I need you, I’ll let you know.”
Josiah’s glanced at Vinnie on his way to the kitchen. “You telling the family?”
“You think Zach hasn’t already told them something’s up?” There was a strict procedure for how they handled jobs. He was skipping all the steps, something he’d never done, and something he’d kick his brothers’ asses for if they did it. “I’m surprised my phone hasn’t blown up.”
Josiah fished his phone out of his pocket and smirked. “That’s because they’re texting me.” He shoved the device back into his pocket. “I’ll pack some drinks and road snacks.”
It was his way of offering support when he didn’t fully agree with what Cyrus was doing. There was no time or privacy to discuss the implications of him having a son. That would come later. For Cyrus the matter was settled. Fully human or partial wolf, Adam was his.
“Appreciate it.” He turned to Vinnie, who was intently watching them. “I won’t be long.” He shot Josiah a silent warning and hurried down the hallway. He grabbed a bag from the closet, one he kept packed and ready in case he had to leave at a moment’s notice.
Then he detoured to the gun safe in the office, which was actually a walk-in closet they’d converted into one large armory to store weapons.
While he preferred to rely on his werewolf skills, it helped when dealing with humans to use actual weapons.
Lot easier to explain a gunshot wound than a man’s ripped-out throat.
A semiautomatic pistol and hunting knife went into the duffel. He slung the rifle over his shoulder.
In the short time he’d been gone, neither Vinnie nor Josiah had spoken. With his enhanced hearing, he’d have heard it.
She turned from where she was staring out the window when he arrived. “That was fast.”
“I’m used to having to move out quickly.” He set his gear down and went into the kitchen. Josiah was zipping a cooler bag closed.
“There are roast beef sandwiches, two apples, bottled water, orange juice, and the last of the cookies Kinley made before she left. It’s not a lot, but it will take the edge off.”
He wrapped his hand around the back of Josiah’s neck and pulled him forward until their foreheads touched. Wolves were tactile creatures. It’s how they established and strengthened their bonds.
“You be careful out there,” Josiah cautioned.
“I will.” Though they both knew he’d do whatever it took to find his son.
“I’m calling the family home. In case you need us.”
“Never doubted it for a second. But do me a favor and leave Eli and Kinley out of it. They’ll be back day after tomorrow anyway.
This way they won’t worry. Warn the others not to say anything to them.
” His brother and his woman hadn’t been together long, and Kinley had had a rough time.
They deserved the break. He slapped Josiah on the back, gathered his gear, and canted his head toward the door. “Ready?” he asked her.
“I need to get my things from my vehicle.”
“Lead the way.” He waved her forward. With a final nod to Josiah, he followed Vinnie out the door and into the unknown.