Talson Temptations 4: Talson's Match (13 page)

Stay back, Dad.

Rhenec froze too far away to be of any help.
Romy?

I’m really angry and not myself just now. Just keep out
of my range.

What?
Rhenec waited behind a cluster of containers
while Z joined him. They watched in astonishment as a nearby building burst into
flames. Lightning fell around the policemen, two of whom were struck by the
bolts and began to seize.

Z grinned in delight.
That little shit
.
I didn’t
know he could do that too.

Too?
Rhenec murmured, equally appreciative of his
younger son’s vast power.
Apparently my boys are keeping secrets from dear
old Dad.

Z squirmed.

Good to know he still intimidated his young.

Ah, I’m not really keeping anything from you, exactly.
Z
never could come up with a decent excuse on the fly.
It’s just, well…

Romy cut in.
Chastise him later, Dad. I’m a little busy
now, so could you do me a favor and find my
iriu
? Trotter’s got her.

Rhenec didn’t feel any fear or worry from his youngest, just
firm conviction that Romy’s
iriu
needed to be found.

No shit?
Zaret laughed out loud.
You’re married?
Who’s your
eda
?

Romy grinned through a split lip. Before one of the
policemen punched him.

Only Z kept Rhenec from attacking the lot of them.

I am.
Romy sent two of the rogue officers flying
through the air into the water some fifty feet away, leaving two left to deal
with.
And I’m saying that if you don’t want Trotter dead, you’ll want to
find him before I do.

A strange glint in Romy’s eyes told Rhenec his son had those
two well in hand.
Come on, Z. Let’s find that dickhead, Jonah. I’m looking
forward to having some words with him.
Rhenec pulled Zaret with him toward
what looked like an empty warehouse on the far side of the lot. But inside they
found several people.

A gunshot sounded from above them, and a man tied to a chair
groaned and rolled his neck. “Sean?” he said groggily, blinking eyes that
turned a deep, shining gray.

Rhenec noted two other Otra lying some distance away. One
bleeding from his belly while the other looked after him. And a dead man lay at
the feet of the Otra in the chair.

“Oh fuck.
Sean.
” Glaring up at Rhenec and Z with
murder in his eyes, the Otra growled, “I’m going to fucking rip the both of you
into pieces.” It was then Rhenec recognized him as Killer Drake, a boxer of
some renown.

Rhenec smelled burning rope, a telling sign Drake would soon
be free.

Zaret held up his hands in peace. “Buddy, we’re friends. We
just got here. I’m Zaret Talson, and this is Rhenec, my father. We came to
clean up the mess Trotter’s made.”
Dad, find Trotter and Romy’s wife, and
hurry. I’ve got these guys.

Rhenec took the stairs three at a time, glad he kept in good
enough shape that he’d be able to tear Jonah limb from limb as soon as he found
him. What he saw when he burst through the door at the top of the stairs left
him dumbfounded.

Two identical women stood on either side of the room. They
both held guns. Jonah Trotter lay on the floor cupping his crotch, trying to
stop the blood flowing freely.

Rhenec stepped farther into the room and stopped. One of
these creatures, these beautiful Otra, had to be his son’s
iriu
. His new
daughter. Pride and pleasure combined as he focused on her—on them.

Seeing him, they cocked their heads but didn’t lower their
guns. To his amazement, the one closest to him vanished.

“I know you, don’t I? Who are you?” the woman asked from the
opposite corner. She stood tall and straight, her voice even. Rhenec didn’t
know what to think.

Trotter glanced at him and groaned, closing his eyes. “Fuck
me.”

“You’re damn straight.” Rhenec wanted nothing more than to
kill the piece of trash lying on the floor. To think this man had once held his
trust… He turned back to the female. “I’m Rhenec Talson ’Or Fal. Your new
father-in-law by Earth custom, yes?”

That ruffled her composure. “Oh.” She cleared her throat and
pulled at the collar of her shirt, then gifted him with the sweetest of smiles,
her eyes a crystalline gray and shining with power. “I’m Tara Dra—Talson, I
guess. I’m new at being an
iriu
.”

Rhenec beamed. Looking at her with his
psychei
had
him taking a second look. She glowed with Romy’s energy, and something more
precious as well. “And new at being a mother. Congratulations.” He blinked
rapidly to clear his suddenly blurring vision.
Hot damn.
Two new
additions to the family, and both vibrating with love for his son.

“A mother?” Trotter cursed. “You were never worthy of me,
you whore.”

Romy appeared right next to Tara. After looking her up and
down, he returned his attention to Trotter. “Nice work,
veyou
.”

Hell. His son could teleport as well? What next? “Romy—”

“It’s okay, Dad. I know what I’m doing.”

Lighting struck Trotter several times from out of nowhere.
Like a mini storm in the center of a small room. Rhenec’s hair stood on end
while Trotter spasmed in what appeared to be painful jolts.

When he’d finally calmed, Romy lifted a hand and motioned to
the overlarge window overlooking the warehouse. Trotter flew through the glass
shrieking in fear, but Rhenec didn’t hear a thud of impact.

“I’m not going to heal him,” his son’s
iriu
said.

“I left him hovering over the floor just as he pissed
himself.” Who knew his son could look that dangerous when he smiled?

Tara gasped as she took a good look at Romy’s face. “Oh,
sweetie.” She kissed him over the myriad bruises and welts on his cheeks, which
faded with every caress.

Romy threw an arm around her shoulder. “She’s a healer.” He
cupped her belly tenderly. “My healer.”

Rhenec could only stare, seeing his son at peace as he
hadn’t been in a very long time. “It would seem so.”

“With her I’m one.”

“Well, it’s about time,” Z said from the doorway. “You made
my life and Val’s a living hell about finding a mate. Now you have your own.”
Zaret whistled. “What a looker.”

Romy chuckled and hugged Tara tight before she pulled away.
“
Mannie
.
”

Z nodded. “If you’re talking about the bruiser downstairs,
he’s fine. Nearly took my head off for stepping too close, but he’s good. Can’t
say the same about the guy at his feet though. Not a good scene.”

Rhenec saw a look pass between Romy and Tara before they
vanished.

“Holy shit. Where’d they go?” Z stared in astonishment.

Rhenec moved to the window. Down below them, he spotted Tara
tending to her brother, who continued to try to wake his deceased friend on the
ground. The other two men had vanished. “Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, the ability
to call lightning, persuasion, and now teleportation? All that and a mate. I
think your brother’s been holding out on us, Z.” Rhenec felt a sense of
completion. His sons had found women to love, lives to lead. All was right with
the world.

“That little jerk.” Z chuckled and slapped him on the back.
“Come on, Dad, let’s go help them. As powerful as Romy might think he is, his
iriu
has a giant of a brother who’s apparently been kept in the dark about their
mating. I think Romy’s going to need all the help he can get.”

Chapter Nine

Tara sat with Romy across from his family on Werfal 7 as
they enjoyed the evening meal. For the past several weeks, she and Romy had
spent time trying to clean up the mess Trotter had left in Port Chase. The
authorities had been through the warehouse from top to bottom, and every
individual linked to Trotter and his illegal smuggling and drug dealing had
been arrested. Min and Daket Yal, curiously enough, had vanished. Romy couldn’t
see them in any of his visions, and she knew he was dying to know what had
happened to the pair.

But after so much time working to make things right, they’d
agreed to return to his homeworld. Tara loved being back. Her brief
introduction to his family after the Trotter incident hadn’t given her nearly
enough time with the loving Otra. And now she was back and enjoying her stay.

The trip through space had been exciting as well as
aggravating, dealing with her stubborn brother who refused to let her go alone.
Even two months after the incident with Trotter, Mannie continued to frown at
Romy, as if not fully convinced he’d been as innocent in Trotter’s wrongdoings
as he’d said. She worried for her brother. Since Sean’s death, he’d been
withdrawn and sad. She had a feeling he and Sean had been much more than friends.

Adri, Z’s wife, smiled at Romy as she stopped one of her
children from climbing all over him. “Well, I for one am glad you’re back.
Tessa and Gaela have been dying for their Uncle Romy.”

Romy grinned, and to Tara’s relief, Mannie eased his frown
at the sight of the twin girls full of smiles for their uncle. Then they turned
their attention on him and stared hard.

“See, girls?” Tara smiled, excited at the thought of a baby.
“That’s
my
big brother. He may look mean, but he’s really a teddy bear
inside.”

“Sure, that’s why they call him Killer Drake,” Romy
muttered, earning an elbow to the stomach.

The girls nodded, Romy now ignored in favor of the large
stranger looking uncomfortable under their twin stares.

“Pitty,” Tessa said, her lips pursed.
Pretty.

“Mine,” Gaela said with a nod, and the family burst out
laughing. Even Mannie crooked a grin and didn’t jump when the toddlers settled
in his lap clutching his large arms.

“Oh hell, Mannie, you might as well admit your sister’s
locked into this family.” Romy sighed. “Apparently, now you are as well.”

Mannie glanced from the girls to Romy. “I suppose. But I
still don’t like it that my sister didn’t have a proper wedding. I promised her
that when she was little.”

Tara blushed when all eyes centered on her. Rhenec and his
wife Shea, Z and Adri, Roarke and Jamie. Val and his wife Rowe were due in a
few hours. To have come from so few, just her and Mannie, to such a huge,
loving family made Tara want to cry.

She sniffed and smiled, and Romy hugged her, patting her
belly
again
.

“I don’t need a wedding to tell me I married the man of my
dreams,” she said with love in her heart.

Mannie’s eyes softened. “As long as he treats you right, I
won’t have to keep him in line.”

“Don’t worry, Mannie.” Rhenec chuckled. “Any woman that can
split in two and take Jonah Trotter out of the picture needs little help from
the rest of us.” Rhenec had taken great pride in regaling everyone with what
Tara had done to Trotter.

She still couldn’t believe how easy it had been to duplicate
herself. Using Romy’s guidance, she’d made herself a copy. And with his help,
she’d
pushed
him into shooting himself between the legs. With any luck,
he’d never procreate or sexually assault anyone again, not from a life sentence
in the worst prison imaginable.

“Yeah. Anyone can see Tara is in charge. She has my little
brother wrapped around her finger,” Z added with a chuckle.

“Oh?” Romy raised his brows. “And you don’t do whatever Adri
tells you to?”

“That’s different. She, ah…” Zaret floundered, and Tara
laughed at such a giant of a man kowtowing to his wife.

“Exactly.” Shea grinned, her humanity bubbling around her,
her aura pulsing with affection for her family. “But Mannie mentioned a
wedding, and that’s what we’ll have. With Tara’s input, of course, we can whip
one into shape in a few weeks. That’s the soonest we can get to it, I’m afraid.
So you’re going to have to stick around, Mannie.”

“I guess I could swing that.” Mannie’s aura grew bleak, even
though he tried to hide it behind a smile. “I’ve officially retired from the
fight circuit. I’m looking into some security work offplanet. Might as well
start looking here.”

Rhenec brightened. “Hell, why didn’t you say so? I know of
at least four different companies who are hiring. Not to mention we could use
you on board.”

Shea and Adri exchanged glances. Shea smiled. “And maybe we
can introduce you to some of our friends.”

She’s matchmaking. Should we tell Mannie?
Romy sent
Tara.

No way. After Sean, he won’t commit to anyone or
anything. I don’t know what to do for him.

Give him time. He’ll find his way. I like him, but don’t
tell him that. It’ll ruin our relationship,
Romy teased.

Very funny,
iriu
.
She looked at her brother
with concern.

“What?” he asked as he tickled Gaela and Tessa.

“I’m just glad you’re here.” To Romy, she sent,
Fine. But
if he doesn’t shake out of this depression soon, I’m interfering.

Romy answered.
We all will. My family has already adopted
him.
Her mate cleared his throat. “If I could say a few words? I just
wanted to thank my family for so much. For driving me crazy and out of this
house with talk of wives and babies.” Shea, Jamie and Adri grinned. “Thanks to
Roarke for dropping me near Port Chase and for not ratting me out to Dad for my
odd behavior.”

Roarke grinned, and Rhenec frowned at him.

“We’ll talk later,” Rhenec growled.

“And to Jonah Trotter,” Romy continued. “For giving me the
excuse to find my
iriu
, and my son as well. Without that fu—ah, idiot,”
he corrected, staring at the children around the table. “Tara and I might never
have come together.”

Rhenec cleared his throat. “And to thank
you
for
saving Talson Shipping from a huge mistake, I’m giving you what you asked for.
Control over Port Chase.”