4. Killian

Chapter four

Killian

M y alarm blared at five-thirty in the morning, and I scrubbed a hand over my face. The bed was firm, the pillows were fluffy, and I didn’t want to move.

Get up, Yael hollered. I’m hungry!

“Right,” I sighed and threw the covers off, shivering on my way to the closet. The mess would have to wait until I returned as I found joggers, a tee shirt, and running shoes. I worked out furry and skinned to keep in shape. It helped me in the battle last night. The other Guard I worked with had to get furry to kill, but I managed to take out several barehanded.

I strapped my phone to my arm, put in my earbuds, and checked a map. Banthard was four miles away.

“Popular Monster” by Falling In Reverse blared when I stepped off the front porch and set a rhythm. The yard was huge, the drive recently graveled, and pine trees dotted the landscape to the stone wall. I reached the gate and turned left. It was peaceful, and only one vehicle passed me, going in the opposite direction. At the gates for MacLaden Estate, I looked both ways and crossed the street.

Banthard was connected brick buildings on either side of a wide street, slanted parking on the curb, and gleaming storefront windows sandwiched between two stop signs. All it was missing was a green station wagon and an old faded pickup truck in front of the Feed-n-Seed. The redbrick sidewalks were well-worn with peaks and valleys, and I learned quickly to dodge the low parts. The neon diner sign buzzed on ahead of me, and I patted my pockets to make sure I remembered cash. From the looks of things, they’d never heard of a card reader. Banthard was a postcard for the seventies.

The bell above the door jingled as I crossed the threshold, and the rubber soles on my sneakers squeaked on the checkerboard floor. The place was clean and smelled less like a greasy spoon and more like a smoothie bar, which threw me off. I eased onto a round backless stool, and the red vinyl creaked.

She was five-seven from her serviceable white shoes to her forehead, and her MacLaden blonde hair added another six inches under the hairnet. Fake black lashes caked with mascara lifted, and her MacLaden blue gaze landed on the coffee pot. The color of her eyes competed with the blue eye shadow, and I had to look away to keep from staring.

She set a cup in front of me and poured, the steam rising from the mug. I wrapped my hands around it and soaked in the warmth.

“Well, aren’t you purrty. I’m Charlene. What brings you out so early in the morning?”

“A hot breakfast,” I said. “I’m Killy. It’s nice to meet you.”

She pulled the pen from behind her ear, tapped it on her pad, and smiled. “What can I getcha?”

“Eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes?” I wasn’t quite sure I could get that based on the smoothie machine and all the fresh fruit behind her.

She leaned her head back and hollered, “One groovy breakfast, Marv!”

“Groovy?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Well, now. You got that sparkly look aboutcha and the fiery, wicked gaze. Only ones around here that eat eggs and bacon for breakfast is us.” She leaned closer. “You ain’t exactly us, is ya?”

I smiled. “I’m a Blood-right.”

“Now, how did you git way down here?” She set the cream and sugar out for me, and I doctored my coffee while I thought about the best way to explain.

“It seems I’m the new King. The last two are dead, the Queen has stepped down, and for some reason that leaves me.”

“For some reason, huh?”

“So, my mother was Delilah Di Gatti, and my father was-”

“Destin MacLaden,” Charlene smiled. “You’re the one Lilah took home with her to Colorado when she and Des parted ways. Has she passed on then?”

“About fifty years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Well, if you’re the new King, what are the taxes?”

“Taxes?” I lifted my head and frowned at her. “You don’t pay me taxes.”

“You sure now? Old Xeno decided we owed him every spare penny we made. Got so bad I was hidin’ the tip jar in my panty drawer. Goddess knows I don’t have a prickly pine hidden under my dress, so he wasn’t lookin’ there. Cass came around once a week for money.”

“I have my own money and funds for the Pride, too. You make yours. We all have jobs.” I was confused.

“Well, now, you don’t have to convince me. I knew your mama. Was her lady’s maid when she lived up at the big house for a while.”

“That big house collapsed last night. I’m stayin’ a mile down.”

“That nice new house up there? The one Zee just finished?”

“That’s the one,” I nodded.

A bell dinged, and Marv hollered, “Order up!”

Charlene held up a finger and went to get my food. She returned, set the plate in front of me, and leaned her elbows on the table. “So, that Axl. He’s a goner?”

“Yes, ma’am.” I tucked into my food, and she continued to talk about the town and who needed what, making me a list on her pad. The last thing she said was, “You takin’ care of Cassandra’s bills, too?”

“I am.”

She presented me with Cassandra’s bill for the diner, including delivery fees. I pulled my phone off my arm and removed the case, taking the credit card from the little slot for it, sliding it across the counter. The two twenties in my pocket wouldn’t cover the five hundred dollar bill Cassandra had racked up.

“Well, now,” she picked it up and took it to the register. “Mighty fine doin’ business with ya, my lord.”

“Killy is fine.” I smiled as she returned the card and the slip for me to sign. I wrote my number on a napkin and gave her both. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Will do, my lord. Will do.”

As I popped my earbuds in and headed home, I had a feeling everyone in town would have my number before lunch. I needed a First to keep up with everything.

When I reached the driveway, a Black Chevy Tahoe was parked in front of the house, and Coleen Di Gatti stood from the porch steps when she saw me.

“Killy!” she smiled. “I have groceries from Wheeler’s at the mall in Fire’s Rise.”

“Oh, thanks. It’s good to see you. Didn’t know you made house calls.”

“You do when four gods are standing over your bed, and one can make you a pile on the floor. ‘Coleen, my grandson needs a car,’” she mimicked. I laughed as she opened the back of the SUV, and I sent the bags to the kitchen. “Fate clued me into Jules, so I also have juice cups. Josh will bring your food order once a week. Bobbi Jo opened this morning and wants to talk to you about a store out here.”

I unlocked the front door, turned off the house alarm, and we entered. “We can do that. It would be more convenient than having to count spaces there and back. I’m not goin’ into human territory for food.”

“I’ll let her know you are very open to the idea. Cassandra said no,” Colleen said as she put the milk in the fridge.

“Did Cassandra have Josh delivering her groceries?”

“No. She didn’t want anyone from other Prides here. The only one she called on a regular basis was Indy Bonnie.”

I set a pot roast on the counter and grabbed the slow cooker from the pantry. Thank you, Zander .“Where is she now?”

“Currently at the ClawsArc. Enzo rented her a suite there and told me to ask you if you wanted her to have an allowance. Erebus ordered me not to let her come back to Banthard.”

“Set her up in an apartment, have her food delivered, hire her one person who cooks and cleans, and give her an allowance for Sliques and Styles. She may have one meal at the restaurant monthly, and I’ll pay for it. If she needs anything, have her call you, and you let me know what it is. I’m not being mean. She just can’t manage money. She went to finishing school, and her papa filled her head with nonsense.”

Coleen snorted. “I could buy her jeans and send her to Brigdon’s.”

“Definitely talk her into a haircut,” I nodded. “Anything but a beehive.”

Coleen laughed then. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“I need a First, too. Asked for that.”

“I have a candidate for you. She will arrive at four this afternoon. Her name is Sophie Di Gatti. Do you know her?”

“I think so. She’s from the ClawsThorne Hotel in Colorado, isn’t she?”

“Yes, her father is an Elder, and she swore to me she has never met a Witch.”

“Ah. The mess with Sacha Delarue. Sophie was Dante’s personal secretary twenty years ago, and I thought she managed the hotel now.”

“She did, but she said something about rotating jobs and didn’t want to work the counter again.”

I laughed. “Yeah, because we get bored. Every ten years, we do something different.”

“You mean Amber Light Pride switches jobs.” Coleen arched a brow. “I’m Fire Ridge, and I’m not switching anything.”

“No, I like you where you are.”

“Good. Now, if you hire Sophie, let me know. I don’t have another candidate lined up. She just stopped by the bank this morning while Enzo was setting up your accounts, and he more or less told her to talk to you. She wants the job; it’s not how I made it sound.”

“Enzo is commanding.”

Coleen pointed at me. “That’s a good word for it.” She washed the last of the sippy cups and set them in the drainer. “Well. Here are your car keys. You can put that in the garage, and I’m going back to work. I’ll let Bobbi Jo know you said yes, and you let me know about Sophie.”

“Thanks, Coleen.”

“You are very welcome.” She shimmered away, and I prepared the roast, slicing potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker. I added the meat and the spices, put the lid on, and cleaned my mess.

Jules would be here in an hour, and I wanted a shower.

I did move the SUV into the first bay closest to the door and was glad to see a carseat in the back. So many little things! I had no idea about raising cubs.

We just need the mate, now, Yael thought.

We do, I agreed.

Zander is cute.

I laughed as I stripped down. He is. I need to clean the closet and wash clothes.

Killy.

I hear you.

Good.