21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Bri

A shower and two more orgasms later, I'm starving, and knowing I'm a mess in the kitchen, Cain is currently scrambling eggs in nothing but an apron that reads ‘Paws off my grill.'

That man can certainly make anything look good, and even the thought has me craving him again. The ache between my legs quickly squashes that thought.

Nope. Too sore.

The smell of peppers and onions floats in the air, and my stomach growls in anticipation. There is a peaceful silence between us that feels comfortable despite the fact that I know we need to talk. Something had to have gone wrong.

Here we are: In a safehouse cabin in the middle of Colorado, hiding from a supernatural legal corporation who wants to send me to Reno with a complete psychopath.

You know, just another Saturday.

"Want this in a tortilla or just on the plate?" he asks, pulling one down from the cupboard.

"Tortilla, please. A burrito sounds amazing. Was there any hot sauce in the fridge?" I ask, not remembering if I had seen any in there earlier when we finished putting everything away.

"Unfortunately, no, but I may have seen some salsa I could add," he says, turning to pull it out and put everything together.

When he slides the plate in front of me, I dive right in, not waiting for it to cool down, and regretting it immediately as the cheese he'd added burns the top of my mouth.

Ouch .

The eggs are perfectly cooked, and the combination of flavors makes me moan and dance a little in my seat.

His chuckle draws my attention, and I raise an eyebrow at him, challenging him to make fun of me to my face before chomping down another bite.

Shit. Still hot.

"Slow down there, Firefly. No one is going to take it from you." His words hold the same humor I see dancing in his eyes.

"Well, with my luck, I'll be rushed off somewhere before I get a chance to eat it," I say with a smile once I've swallowed, causing his face to fall serious. My hand reaches for his on instinct.

"I was kidding, mostly. It has been a lot to take in, but honestly, I think I'm doing okay. I've accepted that my life is never going back to what it was, and that's okay because I will get to move forward and have a new life with you. And let's be honest here: the idea that I have a cool wolfy alter ego has me excited to let her loose. It will be nice to feel strong for a change." I squeeze his hand before returning to my food.

"Before we get back on to the subject of you being Awakened, which, for the record, I still think is too soon to make a decision about, I promised you no more secrets, and I intend to keep that promise now that we are safely off the grid."

At his tone, I brace myself, wondering what the LLC did to make him jump to removing me from their custody behind their backs.

"Why did you have to take me out of there?" I ask, voicing the question that had rolled around in my brain for most of the drive here.

What were we running from? Is he going to get Dante in trouble? Are we running from Dante?

He levels his eyes on mine, reading me as he chooses his words.

"The LLC hearing yesterday came down to a split panel. Half of them sided with Marlo. The other two didn't know where to fall, so they posed questions that led to your adjudication and DNA tests," he says, helping me understand more of what was playing out around me.

"When they returned today," he says, slowing down and sighing before continuing, anger rising in his voice. "They said that the DNA came back showing that Deacon Marlo is your biological father."

Time stops.

The air leaves my lungs, and I feel as if I've been punched in the stomach.

No.

No. It's not possible.

How?

Cain keeps talking, but I only hear fragments as my mind spins out of control with questions.

"...not sure how he messed with the results…"

"...will get to the bottom of…"

"Dante has his lawyer…"

I close my eyes, trying to regain my focus on his words.

"How sure are they that he is my father?" I ask, my throat causing my words to sound croaked and strained.

"He didn't say."

"Could they have switched them?" I continue, needing something to hold onto to keep the panic away. My grip on Cain's hand turns my knuckles white, and I focus on his thumb, which rubs back and forth on top of it.

"I'm not sure, Firefly," he says, his voice almost sad, causing me to look up at him.

"Can we call Dante and see?" I question, hoping more details will help me understand this news.

"I could mind-link him, but it's probably unsafe to call. Right now, they don't know who has you. So the pack is safe. If they adjudicate Dante, he knows nothing but that I got you out. He has no details on where we are staying, so they can't use him to find us."

At this moment, I realize how good Cain is at his job. His calm tone and thorough answers tell me he's in complete control of what he's doing.

"What do we do if the news is true?" I verbalize the dark thought.

I don't want to be related to that monster.

The man who played a part in my kidnapping, traded me like cattle, and then ensured that I would be killed, all before realizing what I was and trying to force me to be Awakened before I even knew what that meant fully.

He's a man full of darkness, and just the thought that part of who I am comes from him makes me want to get back in the shower and scrub until my skin comes off.

His evil could be a part of who I am.

Cain's eyes search mine as he tries to find the words to answer my questions.

"I can reach out to Dante tomorrow for more details, but I think we need to get to bed for tonight. Are you done eating?" he asks, standing and reaching for my mostly empty plate.

My stomach clenches, thinking about the fact that all these years, I've wondered who my real dad was. I'd pictured him picking me up from school and teaching me how to ride a bike. I'd spent years hoping she would tell him about me.

I was only alone because he didn't know. If my father knew I existed, he would take me away from her.

The childhood lie came easily. I could make him whoever I wanted, and in my imagination, he was a good man who just didn't know about me.

I guess that fantasy is shattered now.

Deacon Marlo isn't a good man. He's the worst kind of man.

Cain's arms encircle me before I even realize he's come back from cleaning up the dishes.

"We will find out the truth, Firefly. I promise you we will," he says, nothing but confidence in his voice.

"What if that is the truth?" I ask, wondering how, in a world of so many people, it could be possible.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, you need sleep. Let's get you to bed," he says, kissing my forehead before lifting me like I weigh nothing and carrying me back to the room.

My mind spins with questions, trying to prepare myself for the possible outcomes, but one question just won't quiet down. Dante had told me Deacon Marlo had been Alpha of the Reno Pack for almost four decades.

What the hell was Deacon Marlo doing in Vegas's territory twenty-three years ago?