Chapter 28

28

REMY

D ad was smiling and laughing, telling me a story about him and Mom when they were kids when Katy and the twins arrived with food. Dax and Sam left the room and came back pulling three chairs that we awkwardly squeezed around the bed so we could eat together.

I chewed on the breakfast sandwich that Katy had given me while Dad unwrapped his burger.

Mom shook her head. “It’s barely nine in the morning. I can’t believe you’re eating a burger.”

“It has bacon,” Dad pointed out with a smile as he took a huge bite.

“Addie was at the cafe,” Katy said, sipping her latte. “Skye already called her and told her that she’s coming home soon. She seemed really happy about that.”

I nodded, wondering if Skye had mentioned her father would be coming with her. Based on what Addie had told me the other day, I had a feeling she might not be happy about that.

“Anyway, she said she’ll be by with lunch later. If Dad has a special request, you can text Zoe. She’s handling the afternoon and evening shift.”

Dad’s eyes lit up at the prospect of having whatever he wanted.

“Is she sending people out to the site again?” I asked my sister, wanting to be sure the workers were taken care of.

Katy nodded. “Yeah. They were prepping lunch for everyone. Addie was going to run it up with some people in a few hours. They already dropped off a bunch of coffee urns at the food tent this morning.”

I nodded slowly, finishing my sandwich. “I can head up there when I’m done here.”

“No, you have that phone call with Griffin and Dante in a few hours,” she replied. “I’ll meet Ryder at the site and let you know where we’re at this afternoon. I already talked to Lark. She’s getting the twins their assignments for today.”

Dax groaned. “Seriously? Can’t we have, like, a vacation day?”

“You get an entire summer of vacation,” Katy retorted. “If you need help, Larkin said she’ll help you tonight.”

Sam sighed. “I was going to ask her to help me with geometry anyways.”

I groaned, remembering how much I hated that class. I’d had to ask Larkin for help, too, so I could pass it.

“It’s like they don’t need us anymore,” Dad said with a chuckle.

Mom stared at us in wide-eyed amazement. “When exactly did my babies grow up?”

“Maybe this means we can take that long vacation I was talking about,” he murmured softly.

Her lips curved into a smile as she looked at him. She traced his jawline. “I love that plan.”

Dad grinned back, nipping at the tip of her finger. “Some place warm so clothing is optional?”

Dax made a gagging noise and Sam looked more than a little disturbed at the open display of affection between our parents.

“Is it too late to go to school?” Dax asked, only half-kidding.

I balled up the wrapper my sandwich had been in and tossed it into the trash can. “Nope. I need to head out now if you want a lift.”

“You all don’t have to stay,” Mom said gently. “We’re fine here.”

“Mom’s right,” Dad agreed, hiding a yawn behind his fist. “I’m probably going to go back to sleep.”

Sam and Dax exchanged one of their twin looks. Those two could say more in a word than most people could in a ten minute conversation.

“I think we’ll stay, if that’s cool,” Sam replied, leaning back in his chair. Dax mimicked his position.

“Of course,” Mom said warmly.

Katy stood up, biting her lower lip. “I really want to make sure that we’re okay on the housing project.”

“Then that’s where you should be,” Dad told her firmly. “I’m proud of you, Kit-Kat. You’re becoming the person your mom and I always knew you could be.”

“Thanks,” she whispered, his voice wobbling slightly as she blinked hard and fast.

Dad being proud of you was the fastest thing to bring a kid to their knees.

“I’ll drop you off,” I said, also getting up. I reached over, hugging Dad as gently as I could.

“We’ll stop back in later,” Katy promised, taking my place and hugging Dad, too.

“Be safe,” Mom called as we headed for the door.

We both turned and looked back at her, amused.

She threw her hands up with a snort. “I’m your mother. I’m fully aware you’re both practically adults and on your own, but humor me.”

“We love you, too, Mom,” Katy said with a wink.

“Call me if you need anything,” I added before following her into the hallway. We headed out of the medical center, nodding to the doctors, nurses and staff as we passed.

Katy tossed me my keys when we exited, pointing to where she had actually parked our car and not left it blocking the main entrance.

“He looked good,” she said, hope laced in her tone as she got into the car.

“Yeah.” I started the car and pulled out of the parking space before turning onto Main Street. I pressed my lips together, overly focusing on the familiar task of navigating the streets of Blackwater to avoid talking.

I finally caved, breaking the silence that hung between us when I turned off the side road that led to the development. “The doctors said he’ll need to have surgery.”

“I know,” she replied softly.

I glanced at her in surprise.

“I talked to the doctor when we were bringing in food. He mentioned the nerve damage. He also said Dad would make a full recovery. “A smile ghosted across her face. “Thank God for shifter genetics and healing.”

“He told me to stay on as Alpha.”

“It’s for the best, Remy.”

I wished I was as sure as she was.

When we reached the start of the development, I put the car in park so Katy could get out, but instead, she didn’t move.

“You were born for this, Remy. To lead this pack. Hell, to lead multiple packs. You’ve been doing it for years at GPA,” she pointed out. “Every single heir deferred to you. They looked to you for guidance.”

“And now most of them are dead,” I muttered.

Katy turned in her seat and grabbed my hand. “But you aren’t, Rem. You’re the person who can make Norwood pay for their deaths.”

“Can I?” I asked archly, letting the bitterness and anxiety of the weight on my shoulders press down.

“Yes,” she said fiercely, eyes blazing. “The fact that you’re questioning yourself is proof that you’re a good leader. You think Damien or Linden or any of those other assholes ever stopped to wonder if they were making the wrong choice?”

I didn’t have an answer for that.

But Katy did.

“No, they didn’t,” she went on heatedly, “because they only cared about themselves. Their pack was simply a tool for their own greed. You’re not that guy, big brother. Trust me.”

She leaned back in her seat, letting me go. “I’d beat the shit out of you if you ever became that guy.”

I snorted, the sound melting into a chuckle. “Well, at least I have you around to keep me straight.”

“Not just me,” she added with a cheerful grin. “Rhodes, Dane, Ryder, and even Larkin will help out. And we’re nothing compared to your girlfriend. We’re just pinch hitters until the A Team gets back.”

I frowned. “Did you just make a sports reference?”

Her nose scrunched up. “Yeah. It felt weird. I don’t get why people always assume lesbians are into sports. Fucking stereotypes.

“Well, you used it the right way, so good job,” I replied with a laugh.

She laughed with me for a minute before slowly sobering up. “You’re doing a great job, Remy. We all trust you.”

“Thanks,” I said, more than a little humbled by her endorsement.

My phone started to ring as she unbuckled her seatbelt. I grabbed it from where I had dropped it into the cupholder when we started driving.

“Who is it?” she asked curiously.

“Unknown number,” I replied. I had fielded a lot of unknown numbers the last few days, most from packs I had never talked to and one from an automated system warning me that my car warranty was about to expire.

I hit the talk button. “Hello?”

There was a moment of nothing, and I almost hung up, before the voice came over the line.

“Remy Holt.” The voice dragged my name out, emphasizing each syllable as he spoke.

Immediately, my body tensed and a growl ripped from my throat. “Damien.”

Katy’s eyes wide met mine across the console.

I put a finger to my lips and lowered the phone, pressing the speaker button.

“It’s good to hear your voice, son,” Damien continued.

I bristled. I wasn’t anything like his fucking son, and the condescension in his tone was infuriating. My wolf rippled beneath the surface of my skin, alert and out for blood.

“I heard you survived that mess at the Summit,” he added. “Fortunately my heir and I had already left.”

I couldn’t hold in the snort. “Yeah, I guess it is pretty fortunate to miss an explosion that you planned.”

Katy rolled eyes, a look of disgust contorting her face.

“I called to see if you would be interested in joining my pack.”

I almost choked on my spit. Staring at the phone in my hand, I wondered if this guy was truly insane.

“As you likely know, I’ve been reaching out to packs, offering them the protection of my own pack in lieu of the deaths of their Alphas and heirs.”

“What you call offering, most call invading,” I snapped.

Damien chuckled. “I am simply availing them to the resources my pack offers.”

“And what about the girls who went missing from the school?” I demanded roughly. “Were you availing them of your resources, too?”

Katy’s breathing hitched beside me. Her nails dug into the leather of the console between us.

“Missing girls?” Damien asked, his voice twisted with feigned confusion. “I know nothing of your school after I removed my pack from it. But I can’t say as I’m surprised if girls went missing. Wasn’t your own mate abducted right from under you there?”

My wolf surged forward, and I barely leashed him. Bringing up what happened at GPA on the heels of him sending someone to Russia to help him do the same fucking thing was too much.

“Last I checked, she was taken by someone that your pack let into the school,” I ground out through clenched teeth.

“Cassian? I can hardly be responsible for what those not in my pack do,” he replied flippantly. “But we’re getting off topic, Remy. I’m offering you a peaceful way out of this. Do you think I don’t know what you’re doing? That I don’t have men watching you?”

“Watch all you want,” I snapped. “I’m not hiding anything.”

A low rumble came across the line that sounded suspiciously like a snarl. “You’re out of your league, Remy. What I’m doing is for the betterment of all packs.”

“All packs?” I echoed. “You’re taking packs. You’re manipulating and forcing them to submit to you.”

“I’m offering them a leader, just as I’m offering you a choice,” he hissed. “These packs have no Alpha.”

“Because of you !” I roared, losing my patience. “You did this. You killed dozens of innocent men!”

“Men who would have seen us all ruined,” he answered coldly. “Last chance, Remington. Join me. Ally yourself and your pack with me and I’ll let you keep your life and your mate.”

“Let me?” I repeated incredulously.

“I’ll even throw in a bonus,” he went on, clearly not getting just how past too far he was pushing me. “Those missing girls you’re so worried about? I’ll release them to their families. I believe one of them is especially important to your sister, yes?”

My eyes cut to Katy.

She covered her mouth as tears filled her eyes. Her whole body trembled.

“I thought you didn’t know anything about the missing girls?” I replied evenly.

“And I thought you might be reasonable,” Damien fired back. “But you’re just as bullheaded as your father.”

“You’re admitting to kidnapping. You took children ,” I said quietly. “Do you even realize what that means? How completely fucked up that is?”

“Who are you going to tell?” Damien demanded with a harsh laugh. “The Council? They’re dead. Your allies? I’ve already taken half of them as my own. I was offering you a peaceful way out. Now I think I’ll enjoy ripping your pack apart.”

Katy blindly reached out, grabbing for my free hand.

“I’ll happily send your bitch and her mother back to Long Mesa,” Damien said happily. “After hearing that Preston kid talking to Trace... Well, they have some fairly creative ways they want to welcome them home.”

I screwed my eyes shut, thankful as hell I had gotten rid of Preston when I found him twitching and begging in the dirt after the bomb.

“Don’t worry, though,” Damien finished, clearly loving this. “I’ll save a spot in my house, and my bed, for your mother. And your sister will be well taken care of by my men.”

Everything in me slowly settled, like the dust and smoke after the bomb went off. There was a deafening sort of quiet that came in those moments after. When we looked around the piles of rubble and bodies and realized what we needed to do.

That calm swept through me now. Knowing your purpose, your path, no matter how twisted it might be, often brought a sense of peace.

And I knew my path.

“You’re going to die,” I told Damien quietly. “I’m going to stop you from hurting anyone else I love ever again. From hurting any other innocent.”

“You’re welcome to try,” he said with a laugh.

I smiled into the phone. “I’ll see you soon.”