Chapter 35

The morning starts for me with multiple work calls before seven a.m. I've always been an early riser, but I'm still annoyed that I had to crawl out of bed to address actual work emergencies.

Before joining Tanner, Locke, and Laken in the nest last night, I made some calls and dispatched a team to the rehab facility Lyra is staying in. They should arrive today, since everyone in close proximity already had their own assignments that prevented them from taking the post.

I'm not sure what set off my instincts, but it seemed prudent not to ignore them.

I don't drink coffee, and it's a rare morning when I don't wake up refreshed. I've even got a bit of a tension headache coming on as I head out of my office.

Stopping dead in my tracks, I appraise the fluff ball. It's all ears and fur and tail at this point. Its entire body starts to wag as my head tilts.

Christ.

Maverick and Gunner don't know when to stop when it comes to pets.

"Hello." I squat down, and the hairy creature bounds toward me. "Why are you here?" I ask quite needlessly. It's not like he or she is going to answer. Planting a hand on the canine's chest, I lift. "Okay, so you're a girl." I nod. "Nova is better behaved than Haze. He used to dig in the trash nonstop when he was a puppy." I keep the mongrel at a reasonable distance from my chest, to avoid any lingering dog hair on my clothing, and pat her fluffy head. She has more black on her face and torso than the older dogs. She wiggles in my hold, trying to lunge at my face.

I frown. "Down you go. No face kisses from you." Placing her back on the ground, I watch as she slides across the wooden floor in an attempt to gain traction as she takes off toward whatever has caught her attention. "That mutt better be potty-trained…"

I come around the corner into the living room, and Maverick is toting a dog bed in from the entryway.

My eyes narrow.

The fact Gunner follows him in with a massive dog kennel does not improve my mood.

"No," I say, shaking my head vehemently. "It's time you take your beasts and go home."

"That's the plan," Gunner says, moving to the far wall and dropping the massive dog crate.

Tanner and Laken bounce into the room from the hallway with the stairs.

"Ohmigod, hi, puppy." Laken beams, bending down to scratch the mutt's head.

Reality finally catches up. Those bastards said they had a gift in mind for Laken to offset their abysmal rescue tactics. They didn't even introduce themselves, nor did they inform her they were there for her, nor did they remove their masks.

None of that equates to giving a living creature as an apology gift.

"Her name is Karma." Maverick has dropped the bed somewhere—probably behind the couch, where I can't see it. He strides over to Laken. "She knows her first twelve commands. She'll need another round of training during her teenage stage. That's three weeks on site, and it's already paid for."

"Hi, Karma," Laken coos, falling to sit on her rear end. "You're so pretty and so soft. You guys, she's adorable."

"That, she is." Tanner laughs, sitting down right in the middle of the floor next to Laken and the mutt.

I vaguely wonder if my blood pressure is high enough to be dangerous.

I don't want to go out from a stroke.

"She's trained in English," Gunner says, walking over to join the group. "You hear a lot about needing to use another language to ensure no one else can give them commands, but that's bullshit. If your dog is confident enough in their training, they're simply going to disregard commands from anyone who isn't you. She's also proficient in hand signals?—"

"At least, for those twelve initial commands," Maverick says, squatting down. "She was bred for companionship, just like Nova. She'll be most content when she can keep her eyes on you."

"On me?" Laken gasps, her stunning eyes widening. "Is she my gift?"

Maverick and Gunner swivel their gaze to meet mine, and I already know I'm fucked. Just by the look of happiness on Laken's face and the way the bond buzzes with her excitement.

I force a smile that feels very much like a grimace and focus on blocking my fury from the bond. Their fuckup now has lasting consequences on my life.

Maverick and Gunner better pray they run while Laken is distracted.

I'm going to need a live-in housekeeper.

Possibly two.

A day and a night shift.

Maybe three.

One specifically to follow the mutt around and vacuum up any hair she sheds.

"She's for you," Tanner says, like he wants to focus my ire on him when he was finally out of my peripheral vision.

Laken squeals, and the beast lets out a playful bark that's cuter than it should be, under the circumstances.

I'm going to need an entirely new wardrobe to be kept in a new building on the property where that mutt isn't allowed access. I wasn't lying when I told Laken I often have compulsions, and unless I want to obsessively lint roller myself throughout the day…

I'm going to need to get creative.

"What a lovely gift," I deadpan, glaring at Maverick and Gunner.

"She really is," Laken agrees, completely unaware of my ire.

I take a deep breath, roll my shoulders back, and aim for the basement.

I have some anger to work off.

"I thought you didn't like to get your hands dirty?" Locke chuckles as I rinse the blood from my forearms.

I already pulled off my gloves, but there was some splatter…

I scoff. "Make no mistake, I have no problem with gore. I generally work up to this level of carnage, but I'm annoyed."

My face morphs into a frown.

Why am I suddenly sharing my feelings with Laken's new alpha?

"On the bright side, we've got a wealth of information sooner rather than later," Locke says. "That's a positive."

I concede he's right with a nod of agreement. "I need to speak to Mercer and pass along the details Braxton spilled about your family's holdings in New York."

Adair and Kurran were given sanctuary, first by Braxton, then by Locke's younger brother, Avan. I expected as much, but having verification is always nice.

"I need to touch base with Bless too," Locke says. "I'm not sure what to do about the missing product in Chicago." He sighs. "I thought I got to Will quickly enough that he wouldn't have had time to pass on that information. Apparently, it wasn't fast enough." His head shakes. "It didn't take me more than a few hours to realize the video wasn't Laken. If they have any sense, they should be able to determine she couldn't have been both kidnapped and in Chicago to steal product from Will, but they've never been the most astute individuals."

"We'll handle it."

"Someone needs to secure her sister's car and empty Laken's apartment," he says, like it's news to me. "I'm willing to forfeit everything I left behind, but I knew when I left Chicago that I wouldn't be going back. Laken didn't have that same luxury."

"We also need to secure you a new identity. Possibly Laken also, but that would nullify our marriage. I'll have to see exactly what Merrick recommends." I sigh, mentally running through all the things that need to be done. None of this is helping my migraine. "I'll see about paying her bills for the next several months to avoid any problems that might arise from that. Assurance Security has teams in Chicago. I'm just not sure if that's something we should outsource versus handling ourselves."

Locke shrugs. "I have no problem going back to Chicago to clean up, but I would say there's a good possibility my family has people in place to alert them if Laken or I show up."

If nothing else, it's convenient that Locke and I have a similar thought process. It also puts me at ease knowing he's just as vicious as I am, especially since Tanner is not.

"I don't think it's wise for any of us to be seen in Chicago for the foreseeable future." I finally stop scrubbing my arms and eye the shower stalls. "You touch base with Bless. I'll reach out to Mercer and check in with the facility in Florida. Lyra's location should be a secret, but I'm not in the business of hoping for the best. I have a team on the way that will stay close in case an emergency arises, but I don't foresee the rehab allowing them to stay on site."

"No," he says. "Probably not."

Now to shower and find something for this never-ending headache.

I briefly consider banging my head against the table as I get the runaround from the facility Lyra is in.

My elbows rest against my desk as I cradle my aching skull in my hands. The facility coordinator who I spoke to when scheduling Laken's call is not available, and the best the secretary can do is to promise me a callback.

My door opens, and Laken comes inside my office. She shuffles up to stand at my side and offers a hand.

I glance at it dubiously but place my fingers in hers and allow her to tug me out of my chair. "Where are we going?"

"To the sofa," she says, tugging me behind her. The soft material of her dress clings to her hips, and if my head wasn't throbbing quite so badly, then my cock likely would be.

She spins around and turns me until my back is toward the cushions before giving my hips a shove.

I fall against the couch, and my curls fall into my eyes as I look up at her. It might be time for a haircut.

Laken climbs into my lap, burying her face in my throat and her hands in my hair.

Hmm, maybe it's not time for a trim.

"You smell stressed."

"Just a bit of a headache that won't quit," I admit, wrapping my arms around her.

"I love Karma. She's precious and adorable. Thank you for saying yes." She kisses my jaw.

I barely hold myself back from admitting that I didn't say yes.

My men committed mutiny, and we're now stuck with a ten- to fourteen-year commitment.

"She is cute," I concede. "But we will be keeping up with her training. No crying and complaining when she has to spend three weeks at her behavioral refresher once or twice a year."

"She's not just a family pet," Laken murmurs, moving her hand to run through my stubble. It's so long, it might qualify as a short beard, but I may keep it if she likes it. I generally allow it to grow to this length before shaving to bare skin and allowing the process to repeat. "I get that, but she's so sweet."

"Yes, I'm sure. Until she spends all night in her kennel, howling and whining like the end of the world is upon us."

"Aww, you are cranky." She chuckles. "That's okay. I know it's a lot." She cuddles even closer.

My nose twitches as her soothing pheromones flood the air. My chest gets warm, and a ragged purr vibrates out.

"I love feeling that," Laken says, running her hand over my chest. "Let's just snuggle for a few minutes." She yawns. "I can't figure out why I'm so tired all the time."

"It's likely your body adapting to the pregnancy," I murmur, running my hand down her spine. "It takes a lot of extra energy to grow a human being from a simple collection of cells."

"I guess so," she mumbles.

Her pheromones help to soothe my headache, but by the time I notice it's gone, Laken is snoring against my shoulder.

I have many things I need to accomplish, but they'll have to wait. For now, I intend to soak up sweet omega cuddles.