Kaleb (Samuel's Pride Series) (14 page)

The gun came from seemingly nowhere.
And when he fired it at Thor, everyone seemed to freeze for several seconds. Then…Hawk blinked several times to make sure he was seeing what he really thought he was seeing. Mother fuck. Taking a step back, he waited to see what happened with this shit.

Thousands of faerie
s were swarming from the house. Most of them stopped at Thor, but when she sat up, those who didn’t moved to Lipscomb so quickly it was as if they’d known what they were going to do even before the bullet left the gun. And when they landed on Lipscomb, the screams were enough to make him want to close off his ears.

They tore him apart.
Not in large pieces like his arms and legs were torn off, but in small pieces that Hawk knew no one would ever find enough even for DNA purposes unless they looked really hard. And he doubted anyone would care that much. The speed in which they did it made him still not believe it. In a matter of seconds, Lipscomb was gone, simply gone, and the only thing left to even show he’d been there were his bloody clothes and the gun. Everything else about the man was no more.

“Thor?”
Hawk moved to the porch, giving the clothing on the ground a wide berth. He got to where Kaleb and the other faeries were and smiled when Thor started cursing.

“I’m fucking fine.”
Kaleb pulled her into his arms as she tried to stand up. “I’m really fine. I told you this might happen, and would you listen? Oh no, you said he’d never pull the trigger. He’s the one that hires men to do that sort of thing. I told you—”

“Shut up.”
Hawk moved off the deck when Kaleb told his mate to shut up and went to stand by Samuel, who was still staring at the clothing.

“You do know that he’s not there
, don’t you?” Samuel looked at him with a blank stare. “Lipscomb, he’s dead you know?”

“I didn’t know they could do that.”
Hawk nodded. He did. In fact, he’d seen it done once before. Not the actual killing but the aftermath of one. This one was clean in comparison. “They seem so…so tiny.”

“Yeah, but they’re a massive front when they band together like that.”
Hawk put out his hand. “I’m Russel Hawkmen. Everyone calls me Hawk. I spoke to your wife a few weeks ago.”

“Yes, the furniture guy.”
Samuel nodded as he continued, and Hawk turned so neither of them could see what was left of Lipscomb. “I guess you’re going to go to Ireland with her soon and see what you can fix.”

“I can fix anything.
The issue is whether or not you can afford me.” Samuel laughed and nodded. Hawk immediately liked the werelion. “You the master of this group? You do know that they belong in a lunatic asylum, right?”

“I am.
And you’re right, they do. I still don’t know how it happened, but I have been running it for about a year now. You’re a shifter. Vinnie said you prefer to be a hawk. Is it because of your name or a general preference?” Hawk nodded without answering. It was a long story and one he wasn’t thrilled to be telling to a stranger. “I see.”

“Doubtful
, but that’s okay, too.” Samuel took his hand. “Is there a place I can stay around here while we get the house squared away?”

And that seemed to be that.
When they had finalized the plan for him to stay with him in the big house, Hawk told him he had a car that he wanted to store, too. Samuel told him there was plenty of room in the garage and to bring it over. By the time they turned back around, Thor was spouting orders about clean up, and Kaleb was leaning against the house. Some things never changed.

“You look the same.” Hawk nodded at Kaleb.
“You are still as fuck ugly as you’ve always been. Might be worse if you really want to know.”

“Yeah, you don’t look much better. I hear you’ve got yourself attached.” The
y both looked at Thor. “She’s not what I expected for you in a mate.”

“Me
neither. Great, huh?” She turned to look at them as if she knew that they were talking about her. Christ, she was more beautiful every time he looked at her. “Are you still looking for yourself a mate?”

“No.”
He moved away from his friend. Hawk wasn’t really in the mood to talk about mates and such. And didn’t know if he’d ever be. There were some things that were better off just not talked about.

Hawk moved to the edge of the woods and shifted.
He’d been able to take on any animal since he was small. And it wasn’t until he was in his teens that he realized that few could shift like he did. Most shifters—well, all he knew—had to lose the clothes and then wonder how to get any when they got to where they were going. Flying high over the trees, he let the wind current take him. He could shift naked or fully clothed and when he landed, his clothes simply appeared when he turned back. It was a good selling point to being a shifter, he thought.

This was his preferred method of living.
Not as a human, though it paid the bills, but as a hawk. Soaring above the trees and looking down on what the world had become. When he got to his car he’d parked in a garage, he got inside and pulled out his cell. Smiling, he listened to the message from his mother.

“I suppose I should be grateful that you bothered to use your own voice on this
ridiculous contraption. Just so you know, I’m not pleased with you. Who sends their mother five dozen roses for no other reason than to tell her he loves her? You should be sending them to a lovely girl. One that will give me grandchildren.” Either she ended the call or she ran out of time. Either way, he decided to send her another five dozen in the morning. When he started the car up, he reached for Vinnie.

“You said she was pretty
; you lied.”
Vinnie laughed
. “I thought she’d be a lot less like Kaleb, too. I don’t know why, but I thought of someone he could boss around, and she’d be all mushy about being with him.”

“She’s a hell cat is what she is.
And I would doubt that she’s ever been mushy about anything or anyone.”
Vinnie laughed again as he continued
. “I don’t suppose you contacted me to tell me that you’re hanging around for a while, did you? It certainly would be nice to see you for more than ten minutes this time.”

“I’m staying with
Samuel. He and his wife have generously offered me a place to stash my car, too. You think they’re okay with what I do with inanimate objects?”
Hawk rubbed his hand around the steering wheel
. “This one’s got something in her that I can’t part with.”

“They’ll get it. And you’ll be surprised when you pull your baby in
how much you and Samuel have in common. He’s a collector, too, but I don’t think he’s aware of it yet.”
Few knew the attachment that Hawk had with his things that didn’t breath. And the fact that he could help them was amazing, too.
“He has a Porsche that could use your help I think, too.”

He decided that he’d have a look at the other man’s car but wouldn’t fix it.
As he drove down the road, he thought about what he’d just said to himself and laughed. He knew that he’d fix the car. If for no other reason than the fact that it would call to him. And he’d never been able to turn one down yet.

“You go to sleep?”
Hawk laughed at Vinnie and told him he hadn’t but had been thinking.
“I was hoping that you and I could talk about a few things when you get here. The main thing is that I need a partner.”

“I don’t do humans well. You know that. In fact, I try my best not to do them at all. They’re a smelly
, overbearing lot and for the most part make me nuts.”
Vinnie laughed.
“I’m serious.”

“I know, you really are nuts. But I promise you,
what I need from you isn’t so much a partner as a person who can come in and do the finish work. The wood work stuff.”
Hawk pulled into the drive at Samuels’s but didn’t breech the gate.
“I need you to tell me what the wood wants.”

He wanted to do it
, and he was pretty sure Vinnie knew it. But there were things to consider. Things like him living here full time. “
Let me think about it. I’ll tell you when I get back from Ireland with Kennedy.”

Maybe by then, after the several months he was going to be away, Vinnie
would have forgotten about it and he’d be off the hook in making the decision. Hawk was pretty sure he’d not forget, and he’d be pledging to the big lion, too. He pulled up to the house and looked at the garage. Okay, this might not be so bad after all.

Chapter 1
4

“Mistress, there is that man at the front door.” Thor looked up at their new butler, Phillip Cox. Tomas had had to quit because his mother had been ill. They hoped he’d return, but it didn’t look like he’d be able to. “He said that he wishes to speak to you about a loan. I do believe he said he was your father.”

“Tell him to fuck off.”
Phillip took a step back, and if the look in his face was any indication, they’d be looking for more help next week. This guy was too stiff anyway. “I’ll talk to him. Let the idiot in.”

With a nod
, he left them. When he was gone, she looked over at Kaleb while he laughed. “I do believe you shocked him a little. What do you suppose the chances are he’ll stay to supper?”

“I don’t care. If he took the rod out of his ass
, he might be okay, but he gives me the creeps. Can’t we please try and see if Butler and Brigitte will come here?” Kaleb laughed harder. “I want to be able to say what I want when I want to without anyone looking at me like I’m sub-human.”

“I
doubt very much he thinks you’re sub-human. He more likely thinks you’re something of an oddity. Or maybe something that should be working in a locker room.” She snorted. “See? That doesn’t help either. Maybe if you tried to be more…I guess less manly around him he’d change his mind. But I love you just the way you are.”

“
Thanks, I think. And I like me, too, so he’ll have to fuck off as well.” They both looked up at the door when Phillip cleared his throat. “Don’t tell me he decided not to come up.”

“No, mistress. It’s another person. This gentleman says he’s your brother, sir. A Mr. Langley Jonas.”
Kaleb growled, and she laughed at him. “Shall I allow him to come up as well?”

“Two birds and all that. Yeah, show the second idiot in. Set them in the front room. And don’t leave them.
They’ll have the room stripped down to the bare plaster before you can tell us they’re here.” She watched Phillip leave and wondered if he’d simply go and get his things and leave now. Thor was still laughing when she and Kaleb stood to go to the front room.

“After they leave
, I’m taking you upstairs and ravishing you.” She shivered when he nipped at her neck. “If we make it upstairs. Right now, I’d like nothing better than to shove you against this wall and take you hard. After I eat you.”

“How am I supposed to deal with my father and your brother if you’re making me wet?” He growled at her to do it quickly.
“You too. I might have a thing or two I’d like to do to your body.”

The door was open when they entered
, and Phillip moved out of the room, shutting it quietly behind him. Thor sat down on the chair nearest the fireplace, and Kaleb stood nearby. They both looked at their family. Neither of them was worth the time and effort to talk to them. Especially her father. He was nothing to her long before today, and it was doubtful that anything he said now was going to change her mind.

“You gonna speak to me or you gonna have a staring contest? I don’t want to be here any
more than you want me here.” Her father stood up to pace. “Got me into some real trouble and you’re going to have to fix it. I know you have the means to do so. So don’t give me any of your hard-hearted shit and hand over the money.”

“No.”
He turned to stare at her when she spoke. “You got yourself into this, now get yourself out. I’ve got more important things to do than to—”

When he came toward her
, she stood up. He drew back his fist to no doubt hit her, but she was much quicker. She had him in a head lock before he could make good on his physical threat. As she’d told him before, she wasn’t ten.

“You’re a piece of shit
. Did you know that?” He struggled more and she tightened her grip on his throat. “If you make me kill you, I’ll simply bury you in the backyard. It’s doubtful that anyone would even care.”

“You should have more respect for me than this.
As much as I hate to admit it, you’re my blood and you have to help me out of this. It’s your duty.” Her father finally stopped struggling and held still. “You gonna let me go or what?”

“Or what.
I have no duties to you other than to keep you away from me. What the fuck did you do? Not that I really care. I’m still not bailing you out.” Thor let him go and took a step back as she continued. “Whatever you think you are to me is gone. As of the moment you took your first slug at me as a kid. I’m over you.”

“You guys are more fucked up than we are.”
She glanced at Langley, who she’d only just met tonight. “I mean, what the fuck girl? Give him what he wants. It’s not like you’re not going to live forever.”

Her dad looked at Langley
, then at her. “What the hell is he talking about? Nobody lives forever.”

“I will.”
Langley laughed. “So will my brother. And if I don’t miss my bet, so will your daughter. And in all those lifetimes of living, they’ll be able to amass such a fortune that you’ll never be able to suck them dry. Isn’t that right, Kaleb?”

“Shut up, Langley. You and I are going to talk later. Right now, we’re dealing with Mr. Thornton.”
Langley stood up and walked to her as Kaleb stood. “You touch her and I’ll tear you apart.”

“You mean like she’d be able to do if you let her?
You have her on a tight leash, don’t you? Keeping her in line like you try to do to me?” Langley sniffed her. “Hum, you smell like the two of you had been having some fun before we got here. Have you been fucking your pretty little mate here and we interrupted you?”

“Langley, I swear to Christ, I’m going to kill you.”
Kaleb took a step toward his brother as he continued. “I’m done with you, too. As of right now. You want something, then go out and earn it. Otherwise, never come here again.”

“Oh
, we both know you’ll give me what I want. Or else I’ll go on another rampage and kill some more little kids. You remember what happened the last time, don’t you? I got into that school and tore those kids to pieces. And then what happened? Oh yeah, you gave me what I wanted in the first place. I won’t go so cheaply this time.” Langley sat down next to her on the couch. “Maybe this time I’ll take me a little piece of your mate. You let me fuck her and I’ll see what I can do about—”

Thor put her hand
around Langley’s throat and held him there. With her free hand, she put her gun into his groin. If she’d had a camera, she might have liked to have a picture of this. He looked like a man who had never had anyone fight back before and wasn’t really sure what to do about it. When her father sat down in the chair across from them, she only looked at him long enough to see that he wasn’t armed. Otherwise, Langley had her full attention.

“You want to fuck me?”
He nodded once. “That’s too bad. And it’s not going to be possible for you after I’m finished with you. Have you ever heard of neutering someone? That’s my plan for you if you don’t shut the fuck up and pay attention to your brother.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”
Her father laughed and Langley looked at him using just his eyes. “What the fuck are you laughing about? As soon as I’m finished with her, I’m going to fuck you up, too. I don’t take kindly to being the butt of anyone’s jokes. Especially to a lesser female like she is.”

“
You’re not very smart, are you, boy? I gotta tell you, I’ve pissed her off a few times over the years, but I done never had her put a gun to my dick before.” Her dad looked at Kaleb, who was watching her but saying nothing. “You gonna let her treat your guests like this? It ain’t very sociable if you ask me.”

“I didn’t
ask and more than likely wouldn’t anyway.” Kaleb smiled at her. “Kill him.”

Langley looked at his brother and she cut into his throat a little
, using a little of her bear to do it. Not enough to let him bleed to death, mores the pity. But he stared at his brother with such shock and hatred that she wondered if he was serious.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea? I mean
, Phillip is already looking like he’s going to quit us. You think having him have to clean up blood is going to make it so anyone works for us?” Kaleb shrugged and that’s when she realized he was indeed serious. “Then, what do I do with him?”

“Bury him in the backyard. Like your father, it’s doubtful that anyone would miss him.
And no matter how many times we pay them off, they’re still going to keep coming with their hand out. Your dad won’t be a problem but for a few years longer. He’ll either be killed by somebody he owes money to or something like that. But Langley will never give up. He’s lost all respect for those who would try to love him, and has killed more people in his lifetime than I’ve met.” Thor looked at her father and didn’t feel a thing toward him other than abhorrence. She looked at Kaleb when he continued. “Just do it, love. We’ll be better off in the long run if you do.”

“
You’re not going to kill me.” Her dad stood up and started pacing. “I got rights, and one of them is not to be murdered in my own daughter’s house. You pay me off and I’ll never come back.”

“How do you kill Langley?”
She was thinking that her father was going to blow up at any moment and when he did, Kaleb might kill him regardless. “If you live forever, how does one kill an immortal?”

“I take it back.”
She looked at Langley when he started to struggle again. The things spewing from his mouth made her realize that he really did have no respect for anyone. His threats were clear and to the point. He was going to kill her as soon as he killed his brother. And he wasn’t going to have any remorse about it either.

“I want you two to just leave us alone.”
Thor looked at her father, who had stopped pacing and was pissed now. “Get the fuck off that there man and you let us go. I think about a grand each will keep us going. That way we’ll never come back here again. Right, kid?”

Langley moved so quickly that she was knocked to the floor. The power with which he came up off the couch took her breath away
. And when he shifted, she scrambled back to avoid getting hurt. Christ, he was huge and he was one pissed off bear.

His claws raked out toward her
, but she was either too far away or his aim was off. Just as she reached for her bear to fight back, a movement out of the corner of her eye had her still. Kaleb had shifted, too, but he didn’t waste time on being a bear. His large, sleek panther took her breath away.

“Get out of here.”
She nodded and started to stand up, but Langley took another swipe at her.
“Honey, get out before you get hurt. I’m going to take care of this piece of shit now. I love you.”

“I
love you, too, but I won’t leave you to get yourself hurt either.”
Kaleb growled at his brother when he moved toward him. That’s when she noticed her father.

He was dead
. She could see that even from where she stood. His head lay at an odd angle and his body was bloodied. Something welled up, but it was gone almost immediately. It wasn’t sorrow like she’d thought, but relief. He was dead. Her father would no longer be a problem to them or to anyone else in the world.

The room seemed to grow tight
, and she looked up when someone touched her arm. Phillip was looking at her with such terror that she thought the man was going to have a heart attack. Before she could tell him to get out, he lifted her up and jerked her along behind him. They were in the hall when the first loud scream sounded.

“I have to go back in there. He’ll kill him.”
Phillip stood in front of the door, and she started to knock him away. She stopped when she saw him shift ever so slightly. “What are you? You’re not human at all, are you?”

Phillip let all of him go. And when he did, he bowed before her.
When Ana came to stand beside him, she bowed as well before looking at their butler. She smiled when she came to light on her shoulder.

“This is his
other form. He is the Lord of the Wood. Lord Phillip came to ask if he could work for you until such time that he was satisfied that you’d cause no harm to any of us. I think you impressed him.” Phillip shifted back and stood as ramrod stiff as before.

“I have deemed this house one of safety. I shall allow the others to come here to work for you.”
Thor started to tell him that she would decide who would work for her and he’d just have to live with it when she heard another crash in the other room. “He will take back what should never have been given in the first place. And when he does, his lordship will know peace again.”

“You knew what he was?”
Phillip nodded at her. “And you knew what Langley was when he came here. What did you expect him to do? Give him what he wanted and put him out?”

“I did. He has done so many times before. His
lordship has loved his brother for many years, but has only recently known that his love was not returned.” Phillip looked at the closed door when another scream was heard. “I do believe this will be good for him as well. His lordship has needed to have closure for many years.”

“
To kill his own brother?” Again Phillip nodded. “So you’ve been watching him for a long time. Did you…I don’t know, did you know about me, too?”