Chapter Twenty-Six
Selena assured Quinn for the hundredth time that she was okay. The wound had completely healed, and it was like she had never been harmed at all. It hurt like hell, that was for sure. She totally would not recommend being shot.
After Killian, the next call they made was to Meredith, who, along with her warlock husband, magically appeared in their living room. Without a word, they sprang into action. Meredith hauled Carla to her feet and tied her hands behind her, then tossed her on the couch. Daric, on the other hand, whisked Paul to the Medical Wing of the Lycan headquarters. While he would certainly pay for his crimes, they couldn’t leave him to suffer or die.
“I knew it!’ Meredith exclaimed when she saw Selena’s bloody shirt. “He did it! I mean, you guys did it, right?”
Selena blushed and nodded.
“And now I’m gonna get another niece or nephew! Woohoo!” She pulled Selena into a fierce hug. Selena was glad she was indestructible now because Meredith’s hug would surely have crushed any normal human being to death.
“I’m so happy for you guys,” Meredith said. “Look, I’m gonna go to the balcony and make a couple of calls. Nick should know about this, if he doesn’t already, so he and Grant can decide what to do with that bitch.” Meredith gave her another hug and walked through the balcony doors, phone in hand.
Quinn came down from the bedroom, having put on a pair of jeans and cleaned up the blood from his body. He immediately ran to Selena and held her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and breathed in his scent.
The doorbell suddenly rang, and Quinn reluctantly pulled away. “That’s probably Killian. I should go get it.”
Selena watched him walk toward the door and then open it. However, instead of letting Killian in, Quinn stood there, not moving an inch. Her senses went haywire, and she knew something was wrong. She strode to him and wrapped a hand around his waist.
“Quinn? Who’s at the—” Selena couldn’t stop the audible gasp from leaving her lips. Standing outside the door was an older man who was a carbon copy of Quinn. He could be Quinn a few decades from now, but he was the same height and had the same nose, cheekbones, and jawline. His hair had turned silver, though, and his eyes were brown, not the brilliant blue of her mate.
Both men stood there, not saying a word. Finally, Jacob Martin cleared his throat. “I … I followed Carla here. She’d been acting weird for a couple of weeks now. I thought she was having an affair with that young man. Then, I saw your picture in her things.”
Quinn said nothing, still stunned. Selena tugged on his hand. “Quinn, why don’t you let your father in?”
He moved aside and let the old man through. Jacob nodded his thanks, still unable to take his eyes off his son. “Quinn. That’s your name?”
He nodded.
Jacob gave a sad smile. “That was my grandmother’s maiden name—Elizabeth Quinn. She was my favorite …” He choked, his eyes shining bright with unshed tears. “Anna must have remembered. My boy, I’m so sorry.” He reached out to grab Quinn, but he flinched the moment Jacob’s hands touched his shoulder. Jacob couldn’t hide the disappointment on his face as his hands dropped to his sides.
“Quinn …” Selena soothed, rubbing his arm.
Quinn’s face remained stony. “Your wife is in the living room. She tried to kill me and my mate.”
Jacob’s gaze flew from Quinn to Selena’s face. When she nodded, his face turned purple with anger. “Carla!” he called, storming to the living room.
“Jacob!” Carla got to her feet, even though her hands were tied. “Jacob, please!”
“You hid my son from me for the last thirty years?” he roared. “And then you tried to kill him?”
“I did it for you, Jacob,” Carla cried. “Please, Jacob, we couldn’t have that secretary of yours go blabbing to the press about her brat!”
“Anna wouldn’t have done that,” he countered. “And he’s my son. You had no right.”
Carla’s face twisted in fury. “You bastard! Did you think you could have it all? Have your whore and your pup, and me at your side, and my daddy’s contacts to help you win the election? You’re a fool, Jacob! I did this all for you and the clan.”
“You did this for yourself, Carla,” Jacob spat. “You and your father wouldn’t stop harping about me becoming the first Lycan congressman. You were the one who wanted it, not me.”
“Oh yeah, you sonofabitch?” Carla shot back. “See what’ll happen to your campaign when I divorce you and news of your tawdry affair and your bastard child comes out. You can forget about the governor's mansion!”
“Shut up, Carla,” Jacob warned. “First off, I’m going to divorce you. And you will not talk to the press. I’ll talk to Grant Anderson, and he’ll make you keep your big mouth shut. Or he can throw you in the Lycan Siberian Prison for attempted murder on another of our kind.”
Carla let out an indignant squeak and fell back on the couch. Jacob turned to Quinn. “I’m sorry, Quinn. For what happened. I didn’t know, I swear.” He buried his face in his hands. “If I had known about you … Carla and I had been trying for years, and then Anna came, and I fell in love with her … I swear, Quinn, if I had known …”
“Congressman Martin,” Selena began. “Why don’t you go to the kitchen and sit for a minute? I’ll be in there shortly to make you some tea.”
“Thank you …”
“Selena.”
“Thank you, Selena,” Jacob said, taking her hands in his and giving them a squeeze. After one last look at Quinn, he turned and walked away.
“Quinn?” Selena asked, looking up at him. “Are you all right?” His body was rigid and his jaw tense. “Please, Quinn. Talk to me.”
His head turned to her, his eyes bright. “I … all my life, Selena. I thought he didn’t want me.”
“He didn’t know about you.”
“I'm not sure if I can believe that,” Quinn said.
“I think he’s telling the truth,” Selena said. “The shock on his face when he saw you was real. And he looked like he was ready to kill Carla.”
His shoulders slumped. “I just … I don’t know …” He shook his head.
“Quinn,” she began. “He’s your father. He’s going to be our kid’s grandfather. I think you should give him a chance. Go and talk to him.”
Apprehension filled his eyes, and he let out a sigh. “All right.”
“Good,” Selena said. “No matter what, I love you, okay?”
“I love you too,” he choked, gathering her into his arms. He took a deep breath. “I’m going to spend my entire life making sure you’re happy. You know that, right?”
Tears blinded her eyes. “I absolutely do.”