Keegan POV:
I nodded in agreement, closing the distance between us. "I'll suit up in a bit."
She smiled and rolled her eyes. "About time you realized you rather it be you than these brutes throwing a punch at me."
"Sweetheart," I growled. "I don't want anyone to raise a hand to you, but I realized that for me to feel better about what's coming that I need to teach you. I can beat all these assholes in a match and if you can stand toe to toe with me, then you can against Brant."
"Like I said, about time you realized it."
I rolled my eyes, palming her ass, earning a tiny squeal of surprise and laughter. The mood that the news of Clement's arrival created seemed to disappear as she allowed her walls to come down long enough for me to see all of her.
Her arms pulled me close, against all that warmth and softness. In the week since our arrival to the cabin, she honed her body to something lethal. We utilized all that she learned as a child, with
Keegan POV:That of course meant that Brant also had someone in his pocket, it was the only way their case was overlooked."He didn't come with me, Claire," Clement said, setting her on her feet.She looked up at him, her bottom lip trembling. "But our wedding is in three days."In everything that had happened since she announced her pending "marriage" to Dennis, we had forgotten all about it. When the first tear fell down her cheek, Vianne knelt in front of her."Baby, Dennis had to go do something that will help you and me."Claire wiped at her tears, sniffling. "He did?"Yes, and I'll make you a promise," she whispered, meeting my eyes over Claire's shoulder. "When this is all over, and we're all safe, there will be a wedding." That should make Claire happy, but something in Vianne's gaze, telling me her words meant more. "Right, Keegan?"My heart pounded in my chest, the look in her eyes said it all. It wouldn't be Dennis and
Keegan POV:The smile on her face was gorgeous. “You sure you don’t mind me asking first?”“No,” I whispered, taking her face in my hands. “But I will be ding it properly when we get back. You hear me?”She sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're a man, I get it." Laughing, she took my hand and led us toward the open field a ways from the main cabins.On the soft grass, we had sectioned off an area for practicing and honing Vianne's skills. She stretched for several minutes while discussing something with Zayne. They were going first since he was as agile as she was and a good partner.Clement and I stood well outside the ring and watched as they started to circle each other. The look on their faces was completely opposite from the other. While Zayne looked like the fierce warrior, ready to take on his latest opponent, Vianne, on the other hand, seemed passive as if it was any other day.The mask she had
Keegan POV:After Zayne expertly tended to my nose, we headed to the shooting range and course. Vianne had insisted that we quit since I'd been hurt, but I dismissed it immediately. We had something to prove to Clement. Vianne might not be aware of the vibe that she could care less what he thought, but it was there in her determination.I did care what he thought, though. I wanted to show him that despite the fact that I was in love with Vianne and mated with her, her safety and her training were a priority. That and we didn't just fuck as he had accused us of before.The range was set up far from the house, enough so Claire was unaware of what we were doing out there.Since we started, Vianne had been dressed in black leggings that made her ass look amazing, but had used her t-shirt on my bloody nose. It left her in her the same leggings and a cut-off tank top that tempted the hell out of me. I watched as she strapped on a gun belt and shoulder holster w
[WARNING: Things get a little frisky towards the end of the chapter. You have been forewarned.] Keegan POV: "Yes." My lips skimmed over her thudding pulse at her throat. "You were amazing," I whispered. Her body trembled beneath mine, adrenaline still coursing through her. It had never been this strong before. Maybe it was because of the others, or maybe because she had done so fucking good. "We're going to walk through those trees to a tiny one-room cabin that is ours for the night," I continued as her hands flew up and dug into my arms at the touch of my lips on hers. I had this arranged with the others beforehand since we were leaving the following night. Nothing had come up on the internet about any video with Vianne or Claire in them. Thanks to my quick exit that night at the school, it appeared that the reporter had hit a brick wall. No one would answer her questions and she quickly moved on to the next story. We still had an eye on the woman as a precaution. "There's some
[Warning: Mild sexual content in the first part of the chapter. You have been forewarned!] Keegan POV: I groaned as I kissed her neck and shoulder. She turned in my arms, taking the small bottle of shampoo from the floating tray. "You're gonna have to help me out here." Even in the water, she barely reached my shoulder. Grinning I let my chin fall to my chest. From under my lashes, I could see her concentrate on her task, gathering a thick lather, her nails gently scratching at my scalp and every touch sent my blood rushing down my spine. My hands gripped her hips, my thumbs rubbing the same path of skin along her stomach. I felt her muscles clench beneath my hands and decided that we had to get out soon because I desperately needed her. I allowed her to soap up the rest of my body, but she had avoided the place where I wanted her hands the most. The coy little smile on her face told me she knew exactly what she was doing. I growled and quickly dunked underwater, and rinsed off. Und
Keegan POV:"She's alive," Vianne whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. She blinked them away."Where are they? How did Dennis find out?""I sent him to retrieve the gun with your fingerprints from Brant, but not before he looked at all of your husband's coming and goings. Brant’s sidekick had been hiding in plain sight. I'm not sure what he planned to do, but Dennis cornered him. Thanks to the password you shared with them, as you had with your mom and Tory, he told Dennis everything. They're worried about you."Her relief was palpable, before she asked, "And the gun?""It's in our hands, Vianne." She slumped in his arms, her face burrowing against his chest. He looked alarmed for a few moments before he held her tightly against him. "Baby, now with the gun missing, Brant knows we're closing in on him."She sighed, nodding and pulling away from him. "I know. We knew it might happen."This doesn't change much for retrieving t
Keegan POV:Vianne kept her emotions from her face, but I knew her enough to see it in her eyes. The idea of Brant even touching her affected her. She nodded and removed the wig and sat down in a chair so Tess could show her the rest of her items."You've been out of the house only a handful of times, right?" Tess asked. "It has to stay that way for a while. You can't go out with your face, because once you make the news in Darwin, you run the risk of someone recognizing you here.""Yeah, Keegan already warned me about that," Vianne said, shrugging. "It sucks, but what can we do?""You can go out with another face," she said with a smile. Pulling out a few pieces, she went to work on Vianne's face. In a little over thirty minutes, Vianne had a new nose, more pronounced cheekbones, and even the shape of her chin changed. It was enough that even I wouldn't have recognized her without looking very closely."You know what this means after, right?" Edwi
Keegan POV:Her chin trembled and waited a long time before she answered. "I thought if I was good he wouldn't yell at Mommy when we got home.""Oh sweetie," I whispered, removing her seatbelt. "Come here." She crawled into my lap and snuggled up against me. "Nothing you did was the reason why he did what he did.""Are you sure?""Yeah, baby," I said softly, kissing the top of her head. I shared another look with Ricki, who smiled sadly at me. When this was over, Vianne and I would find a way somehow to heal the little girl in my arms and we'd do it together..Ricki checked out the hotel suite as a precaution while I waited with Claire in the hall. From the corner of my eyes, I kept watch on the elevator and the stairway exit down the hall. I had been on alert since we arrived. Though Wilson hadn't confirmed anything on Mike’s family, Clement had determined that some of his men were on business on the other side of the country.
Claire POV:College was not as fascinating as I had thought it would be. My classmates seemed to be just as rash and childlike as those in the high school. But it was the behavior of the professors that kept me going. I enjoyed listening to their lecture. I enjoyed reading the extra material they asked us to read but no one else did.If a professor said it was optional reading, I definitely read it. I asked questions after class, often getting disgruntled looks from my classmates. Sometimes I received irritation from the professors and teaching assistants too. But all of it was overshadowed by the simple fact that I felt watched.It had been a long time since I had felt like something was chasing me at all times of the day.At first, I had ignored it, thinking that Dad was correct, that I was just nervous and missing them. But then the feeling persisted. I knew what nervousness felt like. I knew how much I missed my family. But there was nausea that overtook me at certain times of the
Keegan POV:I heard the baby monitor beep and squinted into the darkness, hoping it was nothing. The clock read three in the morning and this was a usual time for Vianne and me to wake up every morning. One of many. I sniffed and looked over at Vianne, who was curled on her side, still facing me. Her eyes were screwed shut and she was definitely awake, but she didn’t want to get off the bed. Understandable. She had a little shifter for a baby and it was safe to say nothing fun came from breastfeeding our son Kyle. He was still small, needing to wake up every few hours to be fed and bathed. Vianne, who despised breast pumps ended up sobbing in relief when I bought one this time around.I looked at the monitor again and saw that our son was wide awake, blinking and cooing at the camera with a gummy smile. He was a jolly child but he still needed to be fed and changed. I slipped out of bed and turned the alarm on the monitor off. I found Vianne smiling groggily at me and chuckled. “Go b
[Warning: The chapter contains explicit sexual content. Please read at your own risk.]Keegan POV:I heard the chime from Vianne's cell phone and knew it was Claire. She checked it, laughing."She asked if we were at the cabin yet.""Well damn, she gave me away." "A cabin?" "I said it was only a couple of hours by car. And it's pretty secluded and we'll have it all to ourselves." She laughed and kissed my cheek. "You don't have to convince me. It sounds perfect and that explains why you only brought us one bag for a three-night stay." I growled and pulled her hand to my mouth. "We won't be leaving the cabin for much. And being naked all weekend is mandatory." "Yes, alpha," she purred.Fuck. Did she have any idea what her saying things like that, in that fucking hot voice of hers did to me? I groaned when I felt her free hand rub between my thighs. "Oh fuck," I hissed and released her other hand. Both of my own gripped the steering wheel, desperately trying not to fucking kill us
Keegan POV:Minutes later, Vianne stood on a chair as I stood in front of her, holding onto her hips so she wouldn't fall. Behind her were Claire, Tory, and several other single women, all looking up as Vianne waved the small bunch of flowers overhead. Twice Vianne faked it, making them laugh and scream at her.Finally, at the end of the next countdown, Vianne threw it over her shoulder. I looked to see who caught it, finding a wide-eyed Tory holding the bouquet in her hands. However, seconds after, Clement passed her, grabbing the prize and handing the flowers back to my wife.There were several laughs and Tory groaned, chasing him toward Vivian who was too busy trying not to laugh. Then he went back for Claire. Good, I knew he was on my side."I can't believe your dad," Vianne said from her perch. She looked down at me as she waited for everyone to settle again. "You're enjoying yourself aren't you?" I shrugged, not apologizing for my wandering hands. My fingers were barely grazing
Keegan POV:Sensing my eyes on her, my daughter offered me a smile and wave. She blew me a kiss, which I caught mid-air, making her giggle. I winked and turned to Vianne who was watching me."You've been an amazing father," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I want to see you with a baby in your arms, sleeping on your chest."I leaned in, brushing her hair aside to whisper in her ear. "I want to see your belly grow with our son or daughter, watch you sit in a rocker as you breastfeed, and listen to you sing a lullaby-like you still do with Claire. I hope you never stop singing like that, sweetheart.""As long as I have someone willing to listen, I won't." She kissed me then, prolonging it with a sweep of her tongue along my lips. "I love you, so much, Keegan."I smiled as I went back for another kiss. "I know." She laughed, smacking my gut with her hand. "I love you, too. It's a good thing you do though. I would hate to be the only one."Something caught her attention over my sho
Keegan POV:"I'll get you!" I handed Claire to Vianne and followed the asshole. Why was it that Claire always asked the most uncomfortable questions when he was around?I heard my mother ask what was wrong from behind me. "He's still struggling with how smart our daughter is." "Did I hear something about baby sister or brother?" I heard several people laugh as I chased Ricki around a table. "It's not my fault she figured out what happens during a honeymoon!" "She didn't even know we were going to one!""Sorry," he said, laughing as he twisted away from my reach. "It didn't take much for her to work it out when I told her she couldn't join you." I growled and tried to grab him. "All you had to say was to ask me or Vianne." "Sorry!" I laughed and shook my head, knowing it wasn't really his fault. I just wanted to give him a hard time. I would smash some cake into his face later anyway. "Alright," I said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I'll let this go, but not before I tell th
Keegan POV:My baby girl looked like a mini beauty queen. Dressed in a white dress, she was eating up the attention, the gown covered in lace and tiny crystals. Her dark curls held small flowers and sparkled as she threw petals every few steps. She gave me a wink that had me rethinking strategies of keeping her locked up the moment she became a teenager.She was going to break so many hearts.As Mom and Dad made their way down the aisle, both smiling widely, I knew we made the right choice for me to come home for this.The music changed as my parents took their seats, both giving me a small hug before they sat. I looked up toward the entrance where I knew Vianne would appear, anticipation sizzling through me. As the music took on a softer quality, I saw a hint of white.My eyes ran the length of her; she was gorgeous, perfection and mine.The dress highlighted her beautiful body, making her look like a dream come true.Beside her Clement looked nervous as he stared at his feet, to mak
Keegan POV:Tess. She winked over my aunt's shoulder. Somehow, I knew my friends would find a way to be with me on my wedding day. My aunt, oblivious to me, went inside the wedding tent and Tess made her way to me."Don't you look handsome," she said, lifting her hands to fix my bow tie. "I'm glad you're here," I said softly, not wanting to be overheard. She smiled and shrugged. "We wouldn't miss it for the world." "Please tell me Edwin is in disguise.She knew why I asked. Though he wasn't widely known as the man that took over Clement's organization, he had made the news a few times already.“He let his beard grow out and changed his eyebrows. Even I had a hard time recognizing him,” she whispered, still smiling. "Where is he?"She cocked an eyebrow. "I'm the boss today, so he's somewhere around here following my orders."I laughed and wished I could hug her. "Thanks for coming," I said. "Who else is here?" She tried to play it off, but I could see right through her. Some of the
Keegan POV:I should have known. It hurt to know that she didn't seem to feel the bond I felt toward Claire."You feel it acutely because she is your mate’s daughter. It is an unbreakable bond. That's not to say I don't love her already," she added in a soft whisper."You do?""Irrevocably," she said with a smile. "How could anyone not love a pup like her? She's so beautiful and we share a hobby!" She laughed at that and I realized I had nothing to worry about with her and Claire. I couldn't tell her the whole truth, but I had to say something to ease her curiosity."She was running from an abusive boyfriend when we met," I said, coming up with a different cover story as I sat beside her. I hated the lie falling from my lips, but it was a price I paid to keep my family safe. "It was one of the reasons why Troy told you to wait a few months ago. He came looking for them after all this time."She nodded. "And that situation is resolved?""Yes," I said, kissing her temple. "I can't tell