Chapter Twenty
Tyrone
Millie’s father would never make father of the year.
Asshole maybe. Jerk certainly. Narcissistic creep, yes.
But we were going to try to make peace with him before we took any other kind of action.
He was our omega’s blood, and we didn’t want to end him if we had a choice.
Even if he didn’t deserve her love, it was natural to care about one’s parents, and Millie had been through enough without having to deal with her alphas killing her father. Even if it was for the best.
“I have to go with you.” Millie clung to the truck door, fingers white with the strain of it. “I don’t trust him.”
“And that’s why you have to stay at the salon.
” Cannon peeled her fingers free and kissed each one.
We had gone over all the options, and since Pete knew where we lived and presumably her father did as well, it would not be safe to leave her at home.
“Ray will keep you safe while we’re gone.
” The alpha owed us a favor, but she’d probably have done it anyway. She had a strong sense of justice.
“I just don’t think…maybe I can talk to him.”
“Omega, have you ever been able to talk your father into acting like one?” Felix had a way of just saying things. Words were as logical as numbers to him.
She sagged. “I guess not. But what if he tries to hurt you. He could bring a lot of people with him, you know, and none of them have any scruples.”
“We’re meeting at the biker bar outside of town.
They have a no-weapons policy and a whole lot of wolf shifter bikers there to enforce it.
” I took her hand and led her toward the shop where Ray waited in the doorway.
“We’ll be back before you know it. Have some wine.
Get your nails done. Just try to relax and don’t worry. It will all be fine.”
“Call when it’s done?” She let Ray usher her inside, glancing back at us one more time before disappearing into the back of the shop.
We got back in the truck and drove out of town, each lost in his own thoughts. But when the bar appeared in the distance, I asked, “What she said about when it’s done… Did that sound ominous to anyone else?”
“Like she might be giving us permission to do whatever it takes?” Cannon looked out the passenger-side window at the passing scenery. “I thought so, too. But it’s still not optimum and would traumatize her on some level.”
“She doesn’t need more of that,” Felix added from the back seat. “Let’s hope we can convince him to at least not make things worse.”
“He sounds like he’s good at making things bad. Can you imagine selling a daughter of ours to the highest bidder?” I said. “Or like any one of those creeps who showed up at the auction?”
Of course none of us could imagine anything like that. And the thought only made us angrier at our mate’s father.
The bar was busy, rows of bikes parked out front and along the sides and wolf shifters spilling out to the tables on the enclosed patio.
This was not the kind of place where bears would normally be welcome, but my connections had come through again and managed to get us the use of a corner table at the back of the place for our conversation.
“He’s only bringing two others, right?” Felix climbed out of the truck and joined us at the front. “There’s a limit?”
“Yes. Two more of the sleazes who run the auction no doubt.” Cannon started for the door. “But the conversation is to be between us and him. And there they are.”
We threaded through the tables, wolf shifters giving us unfriendly looks, but since they didn’t try to stop us, there must have been some sort of announcement.
As we reached our destination, a tall, lean elder wolf moved in between us and the others who waited for us.
“There’s to be no trouble in my place. Agreed?
Because one wrong move and you’ll have enough wolves on you that you’ll all be one big splotch on the floor. And I hate cleaning the floor.”
“Understood.” Cannon spoke for us, and the others promised not to cause any issues.
“We’re just here for a friendly talk,” Millie’s father said.
The bar owner left us, and a server brought two pitchers of beer and some glasses then also went away. The wolves at the tables resumed their conversations, but there was no denying the tension in the air. We passed the pitcher and filled the glasses, but no one drank.
“All right, old man, why are we here?” Cannon fixed him with a stare. “We are busy males and do not have time to discuss whether you felt cheated about a legitimate deal you made in front of your whole sleuth and guests.”
Put that way, it made him sound like a real double dealer.
“It wasn’t enough. My daughter is educated. She has all the domestic skills as well as others that can lend support to any sleuth. And she’s untouched.” He smirked. “At least, she was.”
It was all I could do not to strangle him right there, but that would have the wolves on me. Millie’s father might think our choice of locations was to protect ourselves, but it was really saving his life. “Just tell us your bottom line.”
He named a price. A high one.
“And if we meet your demands, we will never hear from you or anyone from your sleuth again?”
“No.”
“Then done.”
At this point, Cannon and Felix were looking at me as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had, and I didn’t care if it meant I had to borrow from my ex-boss’s pack; we were buying peace of mind. Somehow, I’d get it.
We left, soon after, and on the way to the car, Felix said, “I know you mean to do whatever it takes, but I think there might be another way.”