Chapter Twenty-Four
Nixon
Every time the phone rang, I jumped. No matter whose phone it was, I jumped. The mercenaries, or whatever they were, had called and spoken to Randy to say that they had some information for us and would get it to us when possible.
I had no idea what when possible meant, but it most definitely did not mean right away since that had been at least a week ago.
“Nixon, you need to relax, or I’m ratting your ass out to my brother,” Barry, or as I had come to think of him, my babysitter said. “Here, eat some cookie dough.”
It wasn’t like I was going to say no to that one. I took the spoonful of yummy goodness and popped it into my mouth, sucking on it slightly before pulling it off the spoon and chewing it ever so slowly to avoid missing any of the flavors. Peanut butter, chocolate, cinnamon, and something I couldn’t quite place all danced on my tongue. It was magnificent.
“Soooooo.” Barry looked to the now-empty spoon. “Verdict?”
“Amazing. But they all are amazing.” It was so true. If he ever moved from the test kitchen to sales, he was going to make a fortune.
“The sprinkle of allspice worked?”
I said for the third time that afternoon as he hung up his phone, “That’s what that was. Yeah. It totally worked. I could eat an entire bowl full. Hint. Hint.” I gave an exaggerated wink.
“You know how Titus is.” He smirked before grabbing a new spoon and overloading it with dough. “He told me not to give you more than a taste because you are eating for two.”
“So, I’d better savor my taste.” I grabbed the spoon from his hand. “You know,” I mumbled with my mouth full. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
Not that my actions proved that. In hindsight, running off to investigate had been a fool’s errand. I blamed the hormones.
“That might well be…maybe.” Yeah, he thought I needed one, too. “But I enjoy having my brother like me so here I am. And who are you to complain? You get my amazing concoctions before anyone else.”
“I enjoy him liking me, too.”
“Who likes you?” Randy walked into the kitchen.
“You, I hope. I didn’t hear you come in.” I walked into his open arms, setting the spoon on the counter on my way. “Are you home for the rest of the night?”
“I am.” He kissed the top of my head, giving me a gentle squeeze. “Barry, are you staying for dinner?”
“Ha. You’re not fooling me. You aren’t wanting company. You want dessert.” Barry playfully smacked his brother’s shoulder. “Sue me. It’s good.”
“Speaking of sue me, have you heard from the lawyer or his friends?” Leave it to Barry to ask the question I had been dying for an answer to. Best. Brother-in-law. Ever.
“Yes. But I was planning to wait until Titus got home to share.” He stepped back, set his briefcase on the counter, opened it, and pulled out a manila envelope.
“Should I be here?” Barry asked, meeting first Randy’s then my eyes as he spoke.
“You’re my brother. Of course.”
“Should we wait to open it, or have you already?” I reached out to touch it but yanked my hand back and settled it on my growing middle instead.
“He’s on his way, so all is good. We can wait.”
A glance at the clock on the oven told me he was leaving early, and that meant the news was either good or awful. I had no idea which, and it was setting me even more on edge than I already was.
“If you are like this when our mate comes home, he is going to whip out that blood pressure cuff so fast.” Randy spoke low into my ear only for me. He was right. Titus was all about that blasted thing.
“I’m trying.”
“I know, love. Let’s go into the living room so you can put your feet up.” He took my hand and led me into the living room as Barry finished the batch he’d been working on. We snuggled on the couch, not talking about the envelope I pretended not to notice him snagging and sliding onto the coffee table.
“Titus just texted,” Barry hollered from the other room. “Told me to scram.” His belly laugh had me believing anything but. “No, he said he was on his way home and asked me if you and papa bear were calm. I lied. You’re welcome.”
“Thanks.” Although I was far closer to calm than I had been, thanks to my alpha’s touch.
“I am headed out, though, but I am only going to be a few minutes away, so call me if you need anything.” He walked out of the room and then the apartment before we could give the obligatory “we’ll be fine” because the truth was, we might not be.
Titus entered only a minute later. If anyone needed to have their blood pressure checked, it was him. Not that anyone who didn’t know him would notice his subtle cues, a twitch of his eye, the slight tap of his foot, the way his eyes only saw us. Yeah, he was a hot mess.
“This it?” He pointed to the envelope, and when Randy nodded, he picked it up. “Have you read what’s inside?”
Randy shook his head.
“But you know.”
A nod.
“Tell me,” I pleaded.
“It turns out our little dead professor was in hiding. Looks like he was not only part dragon, but was hiding that side of himself using his magical powers.”
“He was a warlock?” How had I never sensed that or the dragon, for that matter.
“He was, and at one time he was mated to a very powerful witch who was also a gargoyle,” he continued.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“The reds think you are the son of two powerful magicians who were also dragons and gargoyles. Looks like they had plans to breed you.”
Fuck. That was not good. Not that I had time to respond as Titus’s bear broke through and smashed the coffee table with a growl.
No. This was not good.