Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Shane and Lily’s house was a single-story craftsman up on the hillside above the village with a wide front porch and a stone path through the front yard.
The sun had dropped behind the ridge, and the porch light was on.
Theo’s car was in the driveway with a car seat visible through the back window.
Stella sat in the passenger seat of Blaze’s truck. “Ready?”
“I hope so,” Blaze said.
She opened the door, got out of the truck, and walked up the porch steps. Blaze was a half-step behind her with his hand at the small of her back. She opened the front door and walked inside. The Keenan house smelled like roasted pork with something fennel-and-citrus going on.
The hallway opened into the living room.
There was a stone fireplace at the far wall with a low fire going.
Serena was on the rug, dark hair in a loose knot, and her shoes were off.
Arlo sat between her crossed legs in a MILK BANDIT onesie and one sock, gnawing on a wooden spoon with the focus of a small scientist. He looked up when the door closed, saw Stella, and banged the spoon against Serena’s knee with both hands.
Serena lifted her chin. Her eyes found Blaze and stayed there, staring at him as if to ask, “Who the heck is that?”
“Hi, Serena. Can you bring Arlo into the kitchen? I want to introduce everyone to my guest.”
Stella’s stomach flipped as she walked down the hall and into the kitchen. Lily was at the island with a wineglass in her hand. Shane was at the stove in his Father’s Day apron, working a pan. Theo was at the kitchen counter, dicing shallots. Serena came in behind them with the baby in her arms.
When Lily saw her, she set down her wineglass and crossed the kitchen. “Stella, what happened?” She touched the bruise on Stella’s face, then Lily’s eyes went to Blaze. “And who is this?”
Stella took Blaze’s hand. “Everyone. This is Blaze Mercer. My mate.”
Lily’s hand went to her mouth. Shane hadn’t moved from the stove, but his eyes were on Blaze. He knew exactly who he was looking at. “When did you get matched with a member of Savage Steel MC?”
“It’s a long story, Dad. I’d rather share it over dinner.”
Shane looked at her. He looked at Blaze. He looked at the bruise on her neck.
“All right,” he said, his voice incredulous. He turned back to the stove, lifted the pan off the back burner, and set it on the island.
Lily lowered her hand from her mouth. “Theo. Help me set the table.”
Moments later, the dining room table was covered with an array of dishes. Shane and Lily sat at the heads. Theo and Serena sat on one side, with Arlo’s highchair between them. Stella and Blaze sat on the opposite side.
Theo dished up a serving of roasted Brussels sprouts. Shane passed the pork platter to Stella. Lily passed the rolls to Serena.
“Honey. Tell us how you got matched,” Lily finally said after everyone had a full plate. “And what happened to your face?”
“We got matched on a month ago. As soon as I opened the app, I recognized his face from the corkboard in the break room.”
Shane’s jaw tightened.
“He texted me right away, but I didn’t respond. He kept messaging me, but I ignored it. Then he came to the diner one morning during a breakfast rush and told me I was his mate, in front of everyone. I told him he was banned, and he had to leave.”
“Stella,” Lily said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Stella looked up at Shane. “I didn’t tell you about the match because you’d banned his whole pack. I didn’t want to be the daughter who came to you with a mate you’d already told the whole town wasn’t welcome in your restaurant.”
Shane set his fork down. “Stella, I wish you’d trusted me with this. I would have understood.”
Her eyes burned. She didn’t blink. “I’m sorry, Dad.”
Lily reached over and put her hand on Stella’s forearm. “But why are the two of you beat up?”
“That’s the rest of the story.” Stella took her mother’s hand.
“You know how Nell went missing three weeks ago?” Lily’s hand tightened on hers.
“The police did what they could. But they ran out of leads. Andre told me there wasn’t anything more they could do, but I’d promised Nell’s mother I’d find her.
That’s when I went to Steel Protection.”
Shane nodded slowly.
“Steel Protection identified seven other missing young non-predator shifter women. Nell was the eighth in the pattern. They realized it was a trafficking operation. The traffickers scouted girls through social media. They drugged them, held them in a warehouse, and sold them to wealthy buyers during underground fighting events.”
Serena shook her head. Theo hadn’t moved.
“Steel Protection identified the venue where the fights happened.” She took a breath.
“Blaze went undercover as a fighter. The plan was to get him inside, identify the holding location and the sale event, and raid them with law enforcement coordinated through Detective Reynolds.” She looked at Lily. “I went undercover as his girlfriend.”
“What do you mean you went undercover?” her father demanded.
“I wore a disguise, and I sat at the bar during the fights. I got all the intel I could and made contact with Nell.”
“You were in a building full of human traffickers,” her father said, his voice on the edge of reason. “When you told me you would be in Eureka.”
“Yes, Dad. I lied. I’m sorry.”
Shane’s jaw twitched. He didn’t speak.
“Is that where all those bruises came from?” Lily asked, her voice shocked.
“They grabbed me off the street the morning after I made contact with Nell.” Lily gasped.
“They took me to a holding building outside of Portland. They put me in a room with the other women. They drugged me with a suppressant they used to keep the women from shifting. The dose wasn’t calibrated for a grizzly.
My bear started cracking through it while they were trying to process me, and Nell took advantage of the chaos to escape in her wren form.
She flew to our hotel and found Blaze. She told him where the building was. ”
She looked at Blaze beside her. He was looking down at his plate. “Steel Protection raided the building that night with Officer Holt and Detective Reynolds. They breached the building, we took out the guards and got all the women out.”
“Oh my god, Stella,” Lily said.
“We drove home yesterday.”
Theo set his fork down. “Wow, sis.” Stella looked up at her brother. “You’re a badass.”
“Total badass,” Serena said, nodding.
“Thank god you’re all right,” Lily said, gripping her hand. “Where’s Nell now?”
“With her mother in Eureka.”
Stella looked at her father. “You’re not mad at me, Dad?”
Shane looked at her.
“Of course I’m not mad at you, Stella. How could I be? You’re a hero.” Her throat closed. “You both are.”