She shook her head. “I’m going with you. If you show up without me, they’re going to know it’s a ploy. I’ll leave Arin with your mom but you need me. And I’m not letting you go without me. Together, you said.” Her expression was steady. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Race wanted to argue but he knew she was right. About everything.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Her lips kicked up in a sweet smile. “I know you won’t let anything happen to me. But you have to take me, Race.”
As his father looked on, Race crossed the room and draped his arms around her. Her eyes widened even farther and her gaze slipped for a brief second to his dad. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again. And I will always be right here with you.”
“Standing in front of me?”
“Or behind you or beside you.” He leaned in and whispered so only she could hear him. “Or under or over you.”
The blush on her cheeks made him want to beat his chest but her smile rubbed against the rough edges of his fear for his brother. And for her.
He really didn’t want to take her along but he knew she was right. In this short amount of time, they couldn’t fake her presence.
“Kiss Arin goodbye then we have to leave.”
“I already did. He seems to like your mom.”
“Everyone likes my mom.”
“Son, I think I should accompany you.”
Race turned to his dad, unable to contain his shock. His dad had never been a fighter and there was definitely going to be a fight. “I’ve got backup.”
“You know I did my time in the legion. I was a fairly decent strategist and I still remember how to use my claws.”
“Dad, I didn’t mean—”
His dad held up a hand to stop him. “I know you didn’t mean to dismiss me but you’re not the only one who can fight in this family. I just chose a different path.”
“Then stay here and guard Mom and Arin. If the Mal think two steps ahead of us, they’ll send someone here. Someone needs to make sure they don’t get to the baby. He’s…important, Dad.”
His dad’s laugh was strained but amused. “I think we understand that, son.”
Yeah, but did his dad understand just how important? And not just to Race. Probably not. But the look his dad gave Mara was beyond worth. It was an accepting smile. A welcoming smile.
“You’d better get going then. I won’t let anyone near Arin or your mom. Bring your brother back.”
“I will, Dad.”
His dad turned to Mara and reached down to pat her cheek. Surprisingly she didn’t flinch. She even had a smile for him. “You make sure you’re careful, sweetheart. I have a feeling my son would be lost if anything happened to you.”
“They want to meet here? At a park? Where anyone can see?”
Mara’s incredulous tone cut through the silence that had held throughout their drive to the address the Mal had indicated. He’d figured she was worried but now he heard anger in her voice.
They were a few minutes early and he didn’t see Quinn or any unusually large gray dogs among the people milling around the park.
“Promise me you’ll stay in the car.” Race had to make her understand how important that was to him. “No matter what, okay? I don’t want you anywhere near these people. We’ll get Lark and we’ll get the hell out of here and you will not expose yourself to any danger. Understand?”
Mara smiled at him and put her hands on his cheeks, drawing him close for a quick kiss that eased a little of the anxiety inside him.
“I’ll try.”
“No, you will do it.”
“I’ll—”
Mara’s eyes widened as she looked over his shoulder and Race turned to find a man standing by the door. Not that old, maybe a little younger than Race. And definitely not as big. Race could take him with one hand behind his back.
Except for the fact that he reeked of magic.
The guy wore a pleasant smile that Race had no doubt was false. If he didn’t stop directing it at Mara, Race was going to rip it off his face.
“Thank you for coming.” The man didn’t raise his voice but Race and Mara heard him plainly through the window. “Why don’t you step out and we can talk?”
“Stay in the car, Mara.”
He didn’t turn to see if she responded in any way. He could scent her fear and anger and he wanted to rip out this guy’s throat. Time enough for that later. First he needed to get his brother. He could smell Lark but didn’t see him. And he really didn’t like that.
This guy was fucking with him.
Race opened the door and stepped out, keeping his arms at his sides. “Where’s my brother?”
“He’s here. And I see you’ve kept your end of the bargain.” Looking in the back window, the man must have been satisfied to see the car seat. Hopefully he didn’t realize it was empty but Race knew it wouldn’t fool the guy for long. He was surprised it had so far.
“Nice to see you again, Mara.”
“You don’t speak to her.” Race didn’t bother to hide the growl in his voice. “Let me see my brother.”
The guy looked amused and it was all Race could do not to shift and tear his throat out. But he had no backup. Where the fuck was Quinn?
“Look across the parking lot.”
A van sat on the opposite side of the lot. The side door opened and Race saw his brother in the back. He didn’t look injured but then he didn’t exactly look completely awake either.
“Don’t worry. He’s perfectly fine. Just dosed with a little Bullet. Wouldn’t want him to turn and expose all these lovely people to the Etruscan dirty little secret.”
The bastard had given his brother the drug used by the lucani to stop their change. He was going to enjoy ripping out the guy’s throat.
“Now, where’s my son?”
Race felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. Son of a bitch. No wonder Mara had gone sheet-white.
After a split-second struggle to submerge the shock and fight off the urge to kill the guy, Race took a deep breath. “The brat’s in the back. You send Lark over and I’ll get the kid.”
“And don’t forget Mara. She produced something extraordinary the first time around. Can’t wait for the second.”
Holding on to his rage by the barest of threads, Race deliberately turned his back on the guy. In the reflection of the window, he saw two men help Lark out of the van. His brother stumbled and between one blink and the next, both men had vanished.
It only took a millisecond to realize what had happened and, letting instinct take control, he turned and grabbed for the bastard behind him.
But he wasn’t there.
“You didn’t think I’d be stupid enough not to think you’d bring backup, did you?”
The guy stood on the other side of the truck, his hand around Mara’s throat. He must have pulled her from the truck in the time it’d taken Race to turn.
They stood on either side of the hood and, though Race wasn’t looking directly at Mara, he could see her in his peripheral vision. She had her hands clasped in front of her and she looked terrified.
Race felt his wolf flex his claws inside his skin. He wanted so badly to shift and tear the guy’s throat out.
But he couldn’t risk Mara.
“And you didn’t think I’d be stupid enough to bring the kid.” Race looked the guy in the eyes and silently promised retribution. With a silent apology to Mara, he added, “You can keep the girl. We don’t need her.”
The guy snarled. “I want my son.” His hand tightened around Mara’s throat. “I’m sure I can make more but he’s mine and I want him.”
The guy sounded like a toddler who’d had his favorite toy taken away. Vaffanculo, he hoped like hell Quinn was close because Race was about to make a goddam mess of this guy and there were going to be witnesses.