Chapter 15 Memphis
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
memphis
Dinner’s in the crockpot—thanks to Ridge—and we all did our best to get home early so we could talk before Shay got back.
Apparently, she’s at Bible study, but August had some serious doubts about that being the case.
As he pointed out, why would the ladies hold Bible study at City Hall and not at the church?
I told him it didn’t matter and to get his ass home.
As we all find places to get comfortable in the study, glasses of whiskey in our hands, I can’t help but notice that Auggie is nervously tapping his foot against the floor.
“Seriously, bro. Just spit it out. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad,” I mutter, shooting my cousin a loaded look.
“But if you tell me it’s something that could fuck up our chances with Shay after spending time with her yourself, I might just whoop your ass.
Pretty sure Mom and Aunt Ashley will support me on that. ”
He releases a loud sigh, his head dropping back onto the top of the sofa as he stares up at the ceiling. “That package was meant for me.”
“Then who the hell is Eden Foxx?” Ridge asks.
“My pseudonym.”
My brow furrows. “Why would you need a pseudonym, and why the fuck is it a woman’s name?”
He tosses back his entire glass of liquor, but Lyon is already there with a refill. “If I tell you, you can’t judge me.”
“Dude, just spit it out. It’s us you’re talking to. Your pack.”
Ridge’s frustration is getting to him, so it won’t take much to set him off.
Even the most remote chance this big reveal will affect what we’re building with Shay, and dude might blow a damn gasket.
He’s got more patience than any normal man should, but when it's gone, be prepared for some next-level tear downs that will leave you in tears, questioning if you want to live another day.
“I write under Eden Foxx because romance is primarily a woman’s market. They don’t trust men in their space.”
The room is silent as we all process everything he just said. My bad boy cousin, with the tattoos and motorcycle, writes romance for a living.
Oh. This is fucking gold.
“Wait, like, super fluffy romance, or…the really kinky stuff?” Ridge asks.
His eyes narrow. “I prefer to think of it as spicy romance. Technically speaking, it’s considered Why Choose, where it’s one woman with multiple male partners. There are some that are kinkier than others, but it’s all consensual.”
“And you make a living doing this?” I ask, honestly a little mindblown.
“I have an entire team behind me and over twenty-five books, with three of them hitting Top Ten in the store. So, yeah. I do. I’ve got a loyal following of readers, some of whom seem to have trouble with boundaries, which is where that package comes in.”
He goes into detail about everything that led to his move from the Valley to Darling, his shock at how this Stan—stalker fan—could’ve gotten his address here, and his worry about what it all means.
“Okay, so some crazy fan sends you very crafty gifts that depict exact scenes from some of your books and includes kinky sex shit that ties into it as well.” Ridge repeats the facts, his hand rubbing along the scruff on his jaw.
“Which means that lovely little ménage is from a scene in one of your books. Can I read it?”
August’s eyes nearly bug out of his head. “You want to read it?”
“Uh, yeah. If you haven’t noticed, we’re courting an Omega. There are four of us. Never hurts to get some inspo, and it’s either this or porn. Might as well try this first if what you say is true and women eat this shit up.”
My cousin, who is normally so confident and steadfast, looks like he’s about ready to have an aneurysm.
“I’ve…uh…got copies in my room. Just let me know if you want one.”
“How the hell have you kept this hidden for so long?” I ask, leaning forward and refilling my drink.
“Again, I’ve got a team. No one ever seemed to care how I earned my money, so it never really came up.
” He heaves out another sigh. “I didn’t set out to lie to any of you.
I’m just so used to not talking about that portion of my life with anyone outside of the community that it just never crossed my mind until I saw that box. ”
Suddenly serious, Ridge sets his glass down. “Do we need to consider ramping up security around here? Obviously, this person has our address, and if it was just us, I’d say we’d handle it ourselves, but now we have Shay to worry about.”
My gut flips with worry. Even though Shay and I haven’t had a chance to talk, the fact that she’s under our roof and willing to give us a chance is enough to have every protective instinct I have shifting into high gear.
Worry rushes through the pack bond, our scents souring as the weight of what this all means takes its toll.
“Has this fan ever given you the impression she’s possessive or territorial? Do we need to worry about this person potentially attacking Shay out of jealousy?”
Lyon unexpectedly releases a low, rumbling growl. Dude’s not an Alpha, but when he cares for someone, he cares hard.
August shakes his head. “There’s never been any indication that this person is aggressive.
It’s always just super creepy, which was enough to make me want to get away from it all.
I know I don’t have the right to ask this, considering the Omega we all clearly want is finally within our grasp, but if we could keep it under wraps a little bit longer, I’d like to see if my team can finally get a drop on who this person is and whether they’ll back off peacefully.
It will be a lot harder to blend in here in Darling than in a major metropolitan area.
If it really is just an excited fan, I don’t want to risk this hitting the news.
This person knows who I am, and to be honest, I’m surprised they haven’t outed me already.
I don’t want to rock the boat. Negative press and cancel-culture is a bitch. ”
Tension floods the pack bond as we consider the ramifications and potential fall-out if she catches wind of this messy situation.
She’s already skittish. Would this be enough of an excuse for her to walk away and lock us out again?
At minimum, it might make her want to find another place to stay, and I enjoy having her under my roof.
I know we can protect her. Question is, will she let us without questioning our motives?
“I think we need to vote.”
Everyone nods.
“All in favor of keeping this to ourselves, giving Auggie’s team a chance to flush out the fan, say aye.”
Unanimously, we agree.
Ridge adds, “But we can’t drag it out too long, or we risk pissing Shay off. And while I’ve enjoyed seeing her take her wrath out on others, I don’t ever want it aimed at my pack.”
August nods. “I totally agree. Plus, all she asked for is honesty, and this is already toeing that line by omitting something she might think is pretty important. One night with her was enough to have me ready to give her my bite. I’ll ask for a couple weeks max.
If my team doesn’t have any new information by then, we’ll sit her down together and explain everything. ”
“Agreed,” we say in unison.
We all relax back into our seats now that the main topic of conversation has been dealt with.
“What did the contractor say today?” I ask, watching the amber liquid swirl around the edge of my glass.
Ridge blows out a harsh breath. “His suggestion was to replace the whole roof. Cost was upwards of $30k despite it being barely over a thousand square feet. She’ll definitely need a crew to come in and assess the walls and baseboards for mold.
Water always follows the path of least resistance, and there’s no telling how long water may have been seeping into the ceiling joists and down into the interior of the walls.
Another contractor is coming out tomorrow morning, then the last one tomorrow afternoon. ”
“Stubborn woman,” Lyon mutters, taking a small sip of his whiskey. “Wants to use her saloon money.”
My head cocks to the side. “Why would she waste her savings on that rundown old cabin when the saloon would theoretically bring in an income that could sustain her for years to come? It’s probably the most profitable establishment in Darling, considering there’s nothin’ else for these boring fuckers to do than drink. ”
“The cabin is the only thing she has left of the couple who raised her. She has nothing and no one else.”
Ridge’s words leave an empty hollow in my chest. Lyon just grunts and tosses back the rest of his whiskey.
August sits forward, elbows hitting his knees. “I want to take care of it for her, but how do I do that without her handing me my ass on a silver platter?”
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline. “You have that kinda money, bro?”
He smirks. “Romance is the best-selling literary genre. Need I say more?”
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, then turn to him with wide eyes. “Wait. Do Mom and Aunt Ashley know?”
He nods. “They read my books, cuz. Who do you think my first alpha readers were? I needed feedback on my female points of view, and they were happy to help.”
I pretend to gag. “I do not want to think about my mom reading smut, thank you very much.”
He shrugs. “Get with the times, man. Women need any outlet they can find. That it takes a village shit is long gone. Nowadays, it takes an alphahole who calls her his good girl, a tattooed daddy with his hand wrapped around her throat, and the golden retriever to get her through the day.”
“Golden retriever?” I shake my head. “You know what, I don’t even want to know.”
“That would be you, in case you’re wondering.”
“Nope. No. Not going there.”
His laughter fills the room, and we all settle in to wait for our girl to get home.
Fuck, I like the sound of that.