Chapter 21 #2
My hands balled into fists, and I growled.
I fully understood my role and responsibilities as future alpha, but I could be a good alpha, keep the pack safe, and still find a way to be a good mate to Liza.
She was mine, and I would protect her at all costs, even if that meant going against my own father.
“Dad, I’ll warn you one last time. Think wisely about the moves you take with Stone. He owes you no allegiance, and he has plenty of reason to want vengeance.” I stormed out of the office before he could respond.
I had some moves of my own to make. Liza wasn’t safe, and that was unacceptable.
Once inside my bedroom, I shut the door and pulled out my phone to call Zephyr.
When he answered, he started talking right away. “Hey, Ty. Sorry, man. I don’t have anything else on Liza.”
“That’s not why I’m calling, Zephyr.” I sighed. “I need you to see what you can find on Stone Black, if that’s even his real name. I need any dirt you can dig up.” Maybe there was a way to fight him without involving weapons and bloodshed.
Zephyr was silent for a moment. “All right, I’ll see what I can do. How fast do you need it?”
“Yesterday.” The sooner I had the information, the easier it would be to keep my dad from getting himself killed.
I ended the call and tossed my phone on my bed. There was nothing to keep me from using anything I could find against Stone, and no reason not to. I needed him far away from Liza, and fast.
My phone vibrated, and if it was Zephyr, he’d worked fast this time, and safe to say I hoped he had some good news. Instead, it was a text from Liza.
Are you okay?
Instead of texting back, I dialed her number.
“Hey, Ty. Is everything okay? I thought I’d have heard from you by now.”
I could tell by her tone that she was worried about me.
The desire to tell her everything overwhelmed me, but I couldn’t fill her in until I knew for certain that Stone wasn’t going to be a problem anymore.
Then I’d figure out a way to break all of this to her.
There was no fucking way her parents had been in the dark about it all.
“I was just thinking about how I’d like to meet your parents. It would be nice to have a man-to-man chat with your dad about becoming your mate.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.
“I’m sure Dad would like that. I’ll call them and get back to you.” I heard the smile in her voice as she spoke, and that nagging guilt whooshed through my body again.
I put as much enthusiasm as I could in my tone. “Perfect. Let me know. Bye, Liza.”
I fell back onto my bed, holding my phone up and staring at it, willing the goddamned thing to ping or ting or chime with information from Zephyr.
It didn’t.
Fuck.
Depending on someone else to do the things I should’ve been doing myself but couldn’t without garnering some attention and provoking questions was pure torture. I needed to make a move, not idly stand by while Stone ironed out his plan to mate with Liza and ruin my family along the way.
My phone buzzed in my hand. It was Liza again.
Damn, that was fast.
Dinner with my parents tomorrow night at six? Does that work?
I smiled, sensing her excitement, even via text.
Yep. I’ll pick you up. Sweet dreams, beautiful.
I was on edge when I went to pick Liza up for the dinner with her family that I’d instigated. Zephyr still hadn’t responded, and I hadn’t quite worked out the best way to broach the subject with Liza’s parents.
Each hour that passed was another hour Stone had to devise a plan to take our family down.
There was no way in hell I was going to allow Liza to leave Presley Acres with him, but I didn’t take Stone for the kind of guy who played by the rules.
I could see him going full kidnapper to prove his point and get his way.
Liza’s safety was in jeopardy, so seeing her safe and smiling as she walked to my car was a massive relief.
Honestly, I was surprised she still wanted to spend time with me.
I’d been so keyed up, I’d called and texted almost every thirty minutes throughout the day, checking to make sure she was safe.
If she took longer than a couple seconds to answer, my heart throbbed, and blood rushed to my ears until I got a text from her.
“You look amazing.” I walked around the front of the car and opened the door for her.
The smell of her perfume combined with the sensory overload of her tight jeans gave my brain a moment of respite from thoughts about Stone.
“Thank you.” She grinned as she kissed me on the cheek. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
As she directed me to her parents’ home, she smiled and chattered like she was nervous, but that was on me. I could hardly speak at all. The relief and happiness at seeing her overwhelmed my very being.
When I turned onto her street, Liza pointed out her parents’ home. We pulled in behind several vehicles. “How many people am I meeting tonight? Looks like a whole basketball team is joining us for dinner.”
Liza laughed. “My brothers are here.”
Oh, good. Nothing like a pair of brothers to take the pressure off.
Her parents met us at the door. Her mom’s smiled reached from ear to ear, and her dad stood behind his wife, his gaze unwavering.
This was a man who was keeping a close eye on the suitor for his daughter.
I didn’t blame him. I only hoped he couldn’t read the thoughts I had about his daughter and the outline of her ass in those jeans.
“Welcome, Ty.” Mrs. Mims embraced me. “I haven’t seen you since the boys played baseball at the summer league downtown. You’ve grown quite a bit since then.”
I chuckled. “So nice to see you again, Mrs. Mims.” I reached to shake hands with Liza’s dad. “Nice to see you, as well, Mr. Mims.”
Mrs. Mims giggled nervously. “Oh, please call us Rory and Scott.”
Scott took my hand and shook it firmly but didn’t say a word.
When we entered the dining room, Liza’s brothers rose from their chairs.
“Holy crap. If it isn’t Tyson the bison,” Mason said with a laugh.
Shit. I hadn’t heard that nickname in years.
Michael and Mason each slapped me on the back and shook my hand.
We reminisced about our days in sports camp together while Liza listened and laughed at our antics. I’d been a junior coach at the time. Even though the twins were several years younger than me, it was easy to pick up on their dedication and drive to be winners.
Dinner went well and the conversation flowed easily, even though Liza’s father barely spoke. Once we finished our dessert, I caught Michael giving Mason a look.
I suppressed a groan. I knew that look. It was time for the interrogation to begin.
Mason cracked his knuckles. “So, Ty, what are your intentions with our sister?”
His demeanor morphed to protective big brother. It happened so quickly it took me by surprise. I considered and reconsidered my words as I tried to think of the best response.
“Your sister is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. Fate wants us to be together, and the more I get to know her, I can see why. She’s kind, compassionate, strong-willed, and intelligent… not to mention she’s an amazing cook.”
There were chuckles and laughter all around. I wasn’t the only fan of her food.
“In all seriousness, I care so much for Liza that I would do anything in my power to keep her safe and happy.” That was the God’s honest truth.
Liza reached for my hand under the table and squeezed tightly.
Rory wiped a tear from her eye. “That was beautiful, Ty. I love seeing the two of you together. The connection between you both is undeniable.”
Michael and Mason grinned, so I assumed I had their approval. That small relief did nothing to unclench my stomach. I still needed to have a conversation with Liza’s parents.
Once we’d cleared the table, I turned to Scott. “Could I speak with you and Rory privately?”
“Sure, we can speak in my office.” These were the first words I’d heard him say all night.
I turned and kissed Liza on the cheek. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”
She blushed, then went to join her brothers in the living room.
Scott led us into his office upstairs and closed the door behind him. “This room is soundproof, so they won’t be able to hear from downstairs.”
I nodded and took a seat in an office chair while Rory and Scott sat on the couch across from me. “I’m going to cut right to the chase. I know how Liza was brought to you from the Wylde pack after the members were slaughtered.”
Scott’s eyes went wide, and Rory’s face paled.
I continued. “There was a survivor from that pack, Stone Black, and he says that he was promised Liza many years ago. I’m assuming before the pack…
ended. He’s shown up in town, ready to claim her.
Stone is a very dangerous man, so I’m working on getting him out of the picture, and I intend to protect Liza at all costs. ”
“Fuck.” Scott stood, and rubbed his temples. “How could this be happening?”
Rory choked back a sob. “We always worried that Liza would find out the truth about her past, but our biggest concern was how she’d react to that truth.”
Scott walked to the window and stared outside. “We wanted to protect her. She didn’t talk for six months when we got her. We figured she was dealing with her trauma. The poor little girl was only four. She had to be terrified after witnessing everyone she knew and loved being slaughtered.”
“Did she not remember?” I asked. It was conceivable. She’d been young. I didn’t have any memories from back then. Of course, I hadn’t been through that kind of trauma.
Rory wiped away a couple of errant tears. “When she finally did start talking, it was like she didn’t remember a thing, so we never brought it up.” She clasped her shaking hands in her lap.
They were both scared, and with good reason.
Stone wanted Liza to know the truth, and they didn’t want her to know at all.
Since they hadn’t told her, it could have been that she wouldn’t take it well and that she would be angry they’d kept it from her.
I wondered how many things would have been different if she’d known.
Liza would be wondering the same when she found out.
I couldn’t see a way that I could keep it from her. She deserved to know the truth.
Did her parents know the whole truth? I shifted in my seat and looked up to meet Rory’s eyes. “Do you know what she is?”
Rory covered her mouth, and Scott went to sit next to his wife again. Their reactions and lack of response told me everything I needed to know.
“I promise you both that I will never expose her secrets to anyone.”
They shared a look like they wanted to say something but must have decided against it.
After giving Rory a few minutes to compose herself, we opened the office door and walked downstairs. We spent the rest of the night playing card games and laughing as if the conversation had never happened and nothing was wrong.
Liza finally yawned and glanced at her watch. “We’d better go. I have an early meeting with a client.”
We said our goodbyes. As I shook Scott’s hand, he gave me a knowing look. He was entrusting me with his daughter, and the news I’d shared had put him on high alert. I squeezed his hand, hoping that would convey how I intended to protect Liza.
On the drive back to Liza’s house, she reached over and held my hand. “That went better than I thought it would.”
“Hey,” I laughed. “Are you saying you thought I’d screw it up royally? I think your family liked me, Liza Mims.”
“Honestly, I’m a little disappointed.”
I tilted my head and looked at her.
“I figured they’d spend more time grilling you to determine if you were worthy of my time.” She shrugged and pouted. “You must’ve won them over with your charm.”
“Don’t forget my blinding good looks. My wit. The muscular body.” I raised my eyebrows and flexed my biceps. “I’m the full package.” True enough, but I said it with some measure of humility.
Liza rolled her eyes. “All right, Hercules. Are you going to walk me to my door?”
“Naturally. I wouldn’t miss an opportunity for a proper goodnight kiss.”
Liza giggled, and I opened her car door. With our hands clasped, we walked to her house. She unlocked the door, then turned to me. Just before she went inside, I tugged her close, brushing my lips over hers. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
I moved in again, pulling her into a deep kiss with sweeping tongues and half-whimpering moans. I wanted the kiss to convey how much she meant to me. How much I needed to be with her.
She returned the kiss with the same fervor, clinging to me, the fabric of my shirt fisted in her hands. We stayed in that tight embrace for several minutes.
I finally pulled away and took a deep breath. “I promise I’ll make up for our ice cream date.”
Liza waved her hand in the air. “You already have. Thank you for being so kind to my family.”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her body close to mine. I needed one more kiss before I walked away.