M/M Romance – Author Kathi S Barton

Easton Forbidden Series Release Blitz & Giveaway

October 8, 2019November 2, 2019 Kathi BartonLeave a comment

The death of his sister and niece brought Easton back into town. He carried the guilt of not protecting her from that monster she was married to. Now she was dead, and that monster was in jail where he belonged. Easton would take his infant nephew Alex to raise as his own.

Wayne and Cara had come from the same wolf pack and had both lost their families when the new alpha took over. For years they had only had each other and loved each other like brother and sister. Wayne was gay, but he wanted a child. Cara agreed to be a surrogate and grant him his wish.

Easton had been waiting for the elevator when the doors opened. Cara was in labor and Wayne was doing his best to keep her calm as he pushed her off the elevator. When the wheelchair rolled past, Cara grabbed Easton’s hand like a lifeline when a pain hit her. In the confusion, Easton and Wayne touched hands and the connection was instant.

Easton had found his mate. Both men knew it as soon as they touched, but the past had a way of sneaking upon them. Both men had past baggage and Wayne had a secret he feared would tear them apart….

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Jake Winslow’s marriage to the money-grubbing shrew is over. Cutting off her funds, and the simple use of the word “no” sends her packing. When he comes home from work and finds his house empty of everything, including food, he feels—liberated.

Jake’s grandmother, Jenna, calls her friend and attorney, Forrest Stout, to handle Jake’s messy divorce. She can’t stand Jake’s soon-to-be ex-wife and is leaving nothing to chance. Only the best for her grandson and the best is Forrest.

Forrest is a Were Tiger, and he knows “who” he is. He is an oddity in his paranormal world because he is gay. His kind mate for life, and after a recent disastrous attempt to find companionship, he has given up hope of ever finding his life mate.

From the moment Forrest meets Jake for the first time, he knows that Jake is his lifemate, and he wants to run in the opposite direction because Jake isn’t gay. To claim and lose a mate would spell disaster for him. How can he ask a straight man—that he wants with every fiber of his being—to conform to his way of life? He can’t….

Ex-lovers and ex-wives can be a dangerous combination. Especially when neither are right in the head….

Henry Myers never kept his gender preferences a secret. His mother supported his choices and stood by his side even when his acting career tanked because of it. Now she was gone, and so was his career. Henry was at a loss.

Patrick Garrett, Paddy, was now in a bad place. He had worked at the precinct since he was in his early twenties, and now he could trust no one. Not his captain nor his partner it seemed. He was shot and bleeding, and it seemed the whole precinct was on the take.

Henry had been able to talk to ghosts since a near-death experience he had as a child. They had been following him around ever since. Now it seemed Paddy could see them as well. But when Wally, Henry’s ghostly companion referred to Paddy as Henry’s mate. Neither man was sure how to take that news.

Henry couldn’t deny the attraction to the rugged cop, and if the man didn’t put back on his shirt, he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to control himself.

Cameron knew it was a setup before he and his sister Caitlynn got there. It was supposed to be a hit to take Cattie out. Cam being there was just a bonus. Had they been entirely human, the explosion would have killed them both. With them both being critically injured, they were taken to a private clinic owned by Jake and Forrest. To the world they would appear to be dead, at least until Cattie could put together who was out to get them.

Rick wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be doing here. He’d been asked by his buddy and longtime friend, Forrest, to come by his house—he had a gig for him. Rick hadn’t had a gig of any kind for years now and getting a call from Forrest out of the blue, like it had been, couldn’t have come at a better time.

Cam had many abilities. One he felt was somewhat of a curse. He was so in tune to everyone else, like an empath he felt what they felt, so much so that he couldn’t separate his own feelings from theirs. Because of this, he avoided ever having a relationship.

Being an elite shifter, Rick wasn’t confused. As soon as his fingers brushed Cam’s at the kitchen table, he knew they were mates, and he was about the rock Cam’s world.

Dr. Brody Downs was ready for a fresh start for him and Jordan both. Filing for a divorce from Rachel was the most prudent thing to do under the circumstances. He had known Jordan wasn’t his son when he was born, but he couldn’t love the little guy more if he had been. Rachel wasn’t fit to raise the boy, and he’d fight her for custody if it came to that. Until that time, he was offered a new job in a small town in Ohio, he and Jordan would settle there and try to start anew.

Aaron Wright was aware of the kind doctor at the airport that helped his sister. Emmi had been at the airport to pick him up from his flight when security tackled her to the ground for being with the little boy. It was all a mistake, she was just trying to help the boy find his dad, but they discovered how severely beaten Emmi truly was. Now that Emmi was safe, Aaron was very aware of Dr. Downs, and that had him worried. Aaron wouldn’t consider himself gay. That thought had never crossed his mind—until now.

Brody was too focused on the woman and her injuries to notice the man with her. But now that things were settled, he noticed, and he was confused. Brody wasn’t gay or he didn’t think he was. But when Aaron took his hand, he didn’t want to let go….

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Easton watched the football game without really seeing it. Once in a while when the others would shout he’d tune into it, but for the most part, he wasn’t enjoying himself. He had a feeling that neither were the rest of them. Because he was there, Easton felt that he was stifling their fun. Getting up, Jake asked him if he was all right. “I’m going to take a little walk.” Jake then asked him if he wanted company. “No, thanks. I’m just going to take a walk and clear my head. I won’t be long.” He was just navigating the house to find the outside deck when he heard a familiar sound. Peeking into the room, he saw Jorden playing a video game. He didn’t look to be enjoying it either. Just as he tossed the controller to the floor, Easton asked him what the name of the game was. “I don’t know. Dad found it for me and said that it was for my age.” He looked at him and Easton smiled at him. “I don’t think Dad gets out much. I’m not a baby.” “How about I see if I can help you out with that?” Jorden told him that he wasn’t allowed to play violent games, nor ones with curse words in them yet. “That’s a good idea. Grow up a little before you start hearing that crap.” “I heard cursing all the time when my mom was alive. She sure had a mouth on her. Her boyfriend used to cuff me in the head too.” Easton sat down on the floor, pulling out his phone. “Whatcha doing there?” “I have my phone connected to my computer back at my home. This way when I have time I can work on projects that I have going. When I’m not coming up with programs for the company that I own, I dabble in making games for gaming systems.” Easton pulled up the game he’d been working on when the call came in about his sister. “This one is still in the works. You could help me out a lot by telling me what you think of it. Usually, I have to put it on the market to have people try it. This will be great.” “Wow, look at those cool looking monsters.”

Easton explained to Jorden that the way the game worked was, he’d have to find parts to the monsters by figuring out clues. “I’m pretty smart.” “I know you are.” Starting at the beginning of the game, Easton handed him the controller that he’d attached to his phone as well. “Okay, it doesn’t have a name, but I do have a place where you can make your own character. See him?” Easton noticed that a couple of people came into the room. But he and Jorden were having so much fun that he didn’t pay them any mind. He was getting something that he rarely got—firsthand information about a game while he was still developing it. “Dinner is ready, guys. Are you ready to eat?” Easton looked at his watch and couldn’t believe that hours had passed since he’d come into the media room to hang out with Jorden. Easton told Cameron how sorry he was. “For what? You were having fun, and Jorden looks like he was as well. I’m glad to see him having so much fun. I bet that Jake is glad too.”

He and Jorden talked about the game and the improvements that had yet to be made on it. The kid really was smart, and the fact that he’d been having so much fun made Easton feel much better about being there. Thanksgiving wasn’t anything that he normally celebrated. There hadn’t been anyone in his life but Todd, his deceased partner, for a very long time. Todd had family that he rarely saw, and the pack that they both belonged to wasn’t really all that friendly, so they didn’t go there often enough to get close with them. He hadn’t been able to see his sister. When he had, Wendell had made it hard on her, even when he’d been there when Peaches was born. Wendell had beaten Mary nearly to death a couple of days later. She had called him a week or so later, while still in the hospital, and begged him not to visit again, telling him that she was afraid Wendell would hurt her baby next. Easton hadn’t liked it, but he did stay away. He had stopped sending her money too, when all the envelopes that he’d sent with cash inside were returned to him. And now she was dead. He looked to his left when someone poked him. It was Cattie. “You’re going to be fine, Easton.” He nodded, and then passed the bowl that he’d been holding to her. “With all of us around you, you can’t help but be fine. We’ll make sure that justice is served, as well as have a lovely funeral for your sister and niece.” “She was only a baby too.” Cattie handed off the bowl and hugged him. He couldn’t help it, Easton cried on her shoulder as she held him tightly. When he was in control again, he told her that he was so sorry.

“I’ve only just realized how much I’ve missed by staying away.” “There isn’t much you can do about that now, young man.” He liked Willey and his new wife Ann. He was a direct speaker, and didn’t pull any punches. “You just let your heart hurt for a time. It’s the only way. People, they’ll tell you that this pain, it’ll fade. But it doesn’t. What it does is take up less of your heart and lets you live again. I know that pain. I’m sure just about anyone at this here table will tell you that they know it too.” Nodding, he tried to enjoy the rest of his meal without making too much of a fool of himself. Easton did find it difficult to wallow in his misery. There was so much going on at the table that he had a difficult time keeping up with the conversations. They not only talked over each other but when they had a point to make, usually nothing more than what kind of ice cream was the best, they were loud as well as loving about it. When he was ready to admit that he was as full as he’d ever been, Brody asked him what it was he did for a living. “I was just telling Jorden that I usually work on security systems for large companies. It’s not too hard for me, as I love working with computers and such. But in my spare time—once I can get a program up and running, I have a bit—I design video games. For all the systems.” Brody asked if the one that he and his son were playing was one. “It is. It’s still in the working stages, but it’s getting there, thanks a great deal to Jorden. He’s given me input that I rarely get from a focus group. I think it’s because we’ve been using the wrong sort of players.

I need kids that are just a little younger to show me what I can improve on. It really is amazing how much I got from him.” “You said security systems, correct?” He passed the pie plate that had several slices of different pies on it to Cattie. She simply set it down in front of her. Easton looked around the table and realized that was what they were all doing. Brody asked him again about the systems he developed. “Yes, that’s right. Well, not entirely right. There is security for the companies that I work with, but a lot of them are going lower-tech on some other things I can incorporate into the workings.” Cam asked him what that might be. “One company that I was just working with wanted to be able to shut down the parking garage at certain times of the evening. He wanted to make it so that his employees didn’t come back into work when they should have been enjoying their time off. He was very big on that. Another company wanted to make certain days for the vending machines to be free. That took some time, as I also had to add in that each badge only get one free thing a day. That made him a huge hit if you ask me.” “So you can pretty much program anything.” He nodded at Cattie when she asked, then shook his head. “You can’t or you won’t?”

“Won’t. There are things that I won’t mess with. Not much, but like patented things. That, I know, will land me in jail. Then there are times where the person who wants my help can’t—or again, won’t—explain to me what they actually want my work for.” Jake asked him what that might entail. “There are all kinds of monsters around, as you well know. I had this person who wanted me to come up with a device to open a door easier. It wasn’t until I was nearly finished with the door lock that I figured out that it would not only unlock doors that had electronic locks on them, but also ATM machines.” “Do you have that happen a lot?” He told Willey that he didn’t really because he didn’t do much in the way of outside work anymore. “Are you willing to work on a project for me?” Willey was about the nicest man he knew. Not only did he make him feel comfortable being a homosexual around him, he was accepting toward him. He also talked to him like he was one of his own grandchildren. Telling Willey that he’d do whatever he wanted was exactly what Easton meant—anything. “Tell me what you have in mind.” While he explained what he was thinking about, Easton was already working on a program in his mind to make it work. It wasn’t too terribly complicated either. “How many pounds to you think you might have to move with this thing?” It was based on the lift that was at most pools now, where a person in a wheelchair could be put into the water with a harness around them. It would not only keep them afloat, but it would also give them a good deal of movement, and they wouldn’t need someone keeping an eye on them so that they’d not slip under the water. He wanted something that would lift a person out of their bed and into their awaiting chair or even a bathtub that was a part of the wheelchair.

“I don’t know what that would entail. Is that important?” Easton said that he could work around that. “I know about counterweights and stuff like that. I’m thinking that something that could lift, say, a two or three hundred pound person would have to have stabilizers on it as well. Correct?” “The most trouble would be with the weight of the chair once the person is out of it. There would have to be weights under the wheelchair itself so that it wouldn’t topple. Yet light enough that it wouldn’t be too heavy for things like elevators, or even floorboards. It’s a great idea, however.” Willey explained how he had a friend that just wanted to be more independent. “I can understand that. Let me work on it a couple of days and I’ll see what I can come up with. It shouldn’t be too difficult to get things to balance out for it.” Easton was excited to have something that would keep his mind off what he was there for. He couldn’t bring Alex home for another few days. While he was healthy, Brody told him, he was still worried about the trauma of his birth. After dinner was over, he with the rest of them cleaned up the dining room and the kitchen. He loved to wash up pots and pans, and no one objected when he said that he’d help. Easton hadn’t any idea that they’d had things nearly finished up before he brought the first stack of plates in from the dining room. Everything was catered, so there weren’t any pans to wash up.

Sitting back in the really nice living room, he was happy to see that they were all settling down for a nap. He wanted one as well. Even as a wolf now, he knew that he could eat more and not gain any weight. But turkey and all the trimmings still had the same effect on him as it did as a human. He was exhausted. ~*~ Wendell wasn’t happy about the eating arrangements around here. Jail wasn’t a place that you were supposed to get a good meal anyway, but on Thanksgiving, he thought that there should have been just a little something special. Not even a cupcake or anything like that had graced his tray. When the man came back to get it, Wendell asked him if he could have a bit more. “Nope. You’re to have a meal three times a day. We don’t have the funds or the previsions to make everyone that comes in here extra.” Wendell pointed out that it was Thanksgiving. “I know. My wife, she brought us all in some leftovers so that we’d not have to miss a single bite of her cooking. Even brought us in some cider and pie. It sure is nice to have someone that loves you enough to care.” “Are you giving me shit about Mary? You know that I’d never kill her. You know that.” Picking up Wendell’s tray, the officer just looked at him. “She was going on about shit when I was trying my best to watch my show. Jesus H. Christ, she was bitching so much that I had to get her to shut up.” “Did you kill her?” Wendell wasn’t as stupid as they might think he was, so he just played dumb, telling the officer that he didn’t know what he was talking about. “Someone slit her throat and then wrapped her up on a rug. Then—I’m assuming after whoever was finished watching their show—someone took her out to County Road 40 and dumped her body there. Did you know that she was having a baby?”

“Nope.” He didn’t ask what the kid had been. When he’d dumped her into the ravine, obviously not far enough off the road, Mary had still been expecting. Hell, he knew it was impossible to have a kid while you were dead. “What the hell does that have to do with Thanksgiving anyway?” “To you? Nothing, I guess. They’re having a funeral for your wife and little girl in a few days.” Wendell settled back down on his little cot. Of course Mary would have birthed another fucking girl. That other one was always underfoot as it was. Until he’d put her in a cage, that was. Never had a kid whined so much about being hungry and cold all the time either. Once he found the dog cage out by the dump, he’d thought of the perfect plan to keep the kid from bothering him too much. Then he told Mary if she so much as touched that cage he’d put her in one too. Wendell had to stop eating at home after that. Stop doing anything at home, as a matter of fact. He knew that with the kid not able to get out of the cage, her taking a shit would smell up the house. But it got to be so bad that he wasn’t even able to sleep there without it gagging him.

Wendell did wonder how Mary had stood it, but he’d ended up locking her in the storage shed a couple of days after putting the kid in the cage and forgetting about them both for a couple of weeks while he was out with his buddies. When the cop came back a bit later, he asked him where the kids were. As soon as he turned to answer him, Wendell backed up from the doors. Christ, he looked pissed enough to come right through the bars and get to him. “I told you earlier that the little girl was gone.” Wendell said that he’d figured that it’d not survive after her momma was dead. “I don’t understand—the little girl that you had, Margaret, she was starved to death at your hand. The other child is a boy and he survived, no thanks to you, when his mom was murdered. Did you do it, Wendell? Kill his momma?” “I got me a son? Well, how do you like that? A little boy. I’d sure like to see him. Where is he? You bring him here and I’ll just be as quiet as a mouse for the rest of the night.” The officer asked him if he thought he was getting out soon. “Sure. I mean, you got really no reason to hold me here. I can understand overnight. I was a bit loud at the bar, but I’m not having any more issues with that. A little boy. Can you believe that?”

“You’re not in here for drunken behavior, Wendell. You’re in here for murder. Double murder. And I hope they hang you for it.” Wendell asked him what the hell he was talking about. “We got you on murdering your wife and little girl. I guess Doc Brody could see what you had done, and we found enough evidence around to charge you with—” “Murder? I didn’t do no such a thing. Whatever you’re thinking, you get that out of your head right now. I’m not no murderer.” The guard asked about his daughter Margaret. “Is that her name? Whatever it was, she was acting up and shit, and all I did was keep her out from under my feet. How the hell does that come to murdering her?” “She was found in the cage that you locked her in, starved to death, laying in her own fecal matter. Doc Brody seems to think she’d been put in there a lot over her tiny lifetime.” Wendell said he didn’t know what he was talking about. “Yeah, you go on thinking like that, Wendell, and see where it gets you. In the meantime, you’re going to be staying here until your trial.

After that, I’m hoping that you end up in the big house and someone takes exception to you killing a little girl and her momma.” After the cop left, Wendell sat down on his cot again. Did they really think that he’d killed his daughter? All he’d done was want some peace and quiet. What man in his own home wouldn’t have wanted the same thing? It was bad enough that his wife was forever complaining about shit that didn’t concern her. Like paying bills. Wendell hadn’t thought it was his problem to pay bills. Because his parents had left him the house, he figured that they should have made provisions for the bills to be paid for. A house wasn’t free if you had to keep paying on it month after month. Then there were the taxes. Why did he have to pay taxes on his house when he owned it? It wasn’t like he’d gone down to the store and picked his house up at the local Walmart so they could tax him. No, the government wanted him to pay to own his own home all the fucking time. For something that was none of their beeswax. He hated government people and their rules. He hated rules all around, Wendell figured. There were plenty of them too. You had to wear a shirt and shoes to go into most places. There were rules on when you could park on the main street of any town. His personal non-favorite was having to pay for doctor’s appointments. Again, because he owned his home. The government didn’t help those that had a house, nary a bit. His buddies tried to tell him not to take the house, to sell it off. But then he’d found out that they’d take that as some money coming in, and he’d not get anything that way either.

He just didn’t understand why they’d not just let him have one of them cards to get himself some steaks and shit like that. Thinking about the girl, Wendell had wondered off and on where it had gotten to. When he’d remember that she was in the basement in a cage, he always thought that he’d get back to it. He’d only think about her when he wanted her to fetch him a beer or something. But by the time he’d think about her again, the need for her to be helping her old man out had passed. But kill her? Nah, that couldn’t be right. Could it? Well, he thought, he supposed that he had. In an indirect way. Not that he’d meant to—no, not that. But she was just a girl, and he doubted very much that anyone was overly concerned about it. Besides, he thought she was addled too. Thinking on that, Wendell wondered whether if he’d have turned her in, the government would have given him some kind of kickback or something. Whatever, it was too late now. Killing Mary hadn’t been an accident—he’d wanted her to shut her trap. But all she’d been talking about all day was taking her someplace. Now that he thought on that a little, he remembered her saying that she was in labor. But he was too busy watching his game when she was complaining. Just as his team was starting to win, she’d come into the room and told him something about water. Telling her that he was busy didn’t seem to do much good. So finally, having enough of her shit, he smacked her a good one. Two minutes later he heard his car start up and she was pulling out of the drive, after he’d told her to drive herself to the hospital if she was in such a fired up need to go. But he’d not meant it.

And when he saw her back into one of the trashcans on her way out, Wendell grabbed up the first thing he could touch and went out to teach her a lesson in taking things that didn’t belong to her. He’d cut her throat right there in their yard. Without thinking about anything but getting her out of sight, he’d gone to the front porch, where she’d made her some kind of place of her own, and grabbed up the rug that was cleaner than the one in the house, he remembered thinking. Knocking over her flowers that weren’t nothing but weeds, Wendell even managed to break a couple of her ugly assed treasures, as she’d called them. Then after wrapping her up, he put her in the backseat and took her to the next town over. Christ, it had been a mess. Now he was caught. If they made it out to his house, he’d hang for sure. There was enough blood on the yard that he was sure it looked like he’d slaughtered a hog. Now that he had time to think on it, he should have done something about that. But it was too late now. Having plenty of time, thinking of a reason that she was dead and for all the blood was something that he needed to work on, Wendell told himself. But as he sat there, feeling full for the first time in a while, and warm, another thing that he’d missed at home with the power off, he took himself a nap. A man like him, he deserved naps when he wanted them. Cuddling down on the bed with the blankets that smelled fresh as the sunshine, he closed his eyes. Wendell had a son. The world could go to hell now for all he cared—he had him a son. And he was gonna name him. Wendell James Bennet, Junior would be just exactly like him.

Brody Forbidden Series Release Day

February 4, 2019 Kathi Barton1 Comment

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Forrest is a Were-Tiger, and he knows “who” he is. He is an oddity in his paranormal world because he is gay. His kind mate for life, and after a recent disastrous attempt to find companionship, he has given up hope of ever finding his life mate.

From the moment Forrest meets Jake for the first time, he knows that Jake is his life mate, and he wants to run in the opposite direction because Jake isn’t gay. To claim and lose a mate would spell disaster for him. How can he ask a straight man—that he wants with every fiber of his being—to conform to his way of life? He can’t….

Ex-lovers and ex-wives can be a dangerous combination. Especially when neither are right in the head…

Henry had been able to talk to ghosts since a near death experience he had as a child. They had been following him around ever since. Now it seemed Paddy could see them as well. But when Wally, Henry’s ghostly companion referred to Paddy as Henry’s mate. Neither man was sure how to take that news.

Henry couldn’t deny the attraction to the rugged cop, and if the man didn’t put back on his shirt, he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to control himself.

Being an elite shifter, Rick wasn’t confused. As soon as his fingers brushed Cam’s at the kitchen table, he knew they were mates, and he was about the rock Cam’s world.

Recommended for 18+

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Brody was ready for his own bed. Well, one where a five-year-old wasn’t sleeping with him. Jordan, he’d come to realize, was a bed hog. Looking over at him, Brody fell deeper in love with the little boy. He was going to be his. On the third day of their vacation, he’d realized that Jordan had never asked about his mom. Not once did he wake in the middle of the night calling for her. And he’d never, when buying gifts for Grandma and Howie, as his butler liked to be called now, did he even suggest that he get anything for his mom. That, to Brody, was just sad. Jordan would answer questions about her when asked, mostly by strangers, but nothing about her otherwise. This was their last day, and he needed to talk to his son. Jordan, as usual, beat him to the draw. Like he knew. “Dad, are we going home today? I sure miss my bed. And you not sleeping in it.” They both laughed. “I can’t wait to give my gifts to Grandma and Howie.

But…Dad, will Mom be there?” His question was quite like he was almost afraid to ask it. Or, Brody thought, it could have just been him thinking that’s what Jordan was doing. Sitting down at the small table they had in their room, he handed Jordan his glass of orange juice. “No. She won’t be there. But I told you, we’re not going home.” He nodded. “Jordan, would you be upset if she didn’t come with us to the new house?” “No.” He looked at his dad, then back at his now empty glass. “She’s not nice. And she yells at me all the time. She says awful things about you and Grandma. And when she has her friends over, I have to stay in the kitchen with Howie all the time.” More and more things were coming out about his wife. Rachel had made Jordan take swimming lessons, the beginner classes so she could be in the pool with the younger mothers. Jordan was an advanced swimmer and had hated the way his mom acted. He never got to go out to eat with her—it was drive through or nothing. And then he wasn’t allowed to eat in the car. Little things, yes, but they’d mounted up heavily on the little boy. “I’m sorry about that. I’m glad that you’ve told me all these things, but I’m very sorry that she treated you this way, Jordan. You believe me, don’t you?”

He nodded and Brody took a deep breath before speaking again. “We’re getting a divorce, your mom and I. We’re not going to be living together anymore.” The hopeful look in Jordan’s eyes was there and gone so quickly, Brody was sure that he had mistaken it again. When Jordan started playing with his bowl of cereal, Brody decided it was time to tell him the truth about everything. But Jordan spoke before he could. “Dad, will I have to go and live with her? I don’t want to. I don’t even like her.” Brody didn’t know what to say, so said nothing. “I know you’re not my daddy. I wish you were all the time. But if you keep me and not give me to Mom, I will be the best boy in the entire world.”

“Oh, Jordan.” He held him tightly, tears filling his eyes even as Jordan sobbed on his chest. But what broke Brody’s heart more was how Jordan kept begging him not to make him go back to his mom. Never. “You won’t. I promise. And Jordan, you are a good boy. So good that I’m jealous I wasn’t that good when I was small. Grandma is going to be living with us in our new place, as well as Howie.” “You promise I won’t have to go to her?” He said that he did, on his life. Brody only hoped that Jake was a good enough attorney to make it happen. “I love you, Dad. Forever.” The rest of the morning was spent packing up their things. They didn’t have to leave until later today, but they could take their luggage to the airport and then not have to mess with it later. They had taken two bags each, and now had four bags each. Most of it was things that Jordan wanted for his new room. The walk around the city was nice. Brody knew that as soon as he was with Jake and the rest of his group that he’d have to settle down and get busy on this divorce. Talking to his mom nightly had helped—both he and Jordan, as a matter of fact.

So he was up-to-date on things that were going on at home. Brody knew that Rachel hadn’t shown up for her court date. And he knew why. She’d been in a jail cell—for not paying her bill to the hotel—since the morning she was to appear. He had to laugh every time he thought about her being taken out in handcuffs while trying her very best to sell off some of the things in the room. Rachel’s mother, Becky Sharp, had cooperated with the police. What with her husband David being in jail too, Becky had no choice except to get out of the house nicely. And when searched, she’d not taken anything. So Brody, even though he didn’t care for her husband or her daughter, paid for two weeks in a hotel for her, with food and room service included—as long as she didn’t try and steal anything or harbor her daughter. “You should have seen it, Brody. I tell you, Howie and I laughed for nearly two hours watching Rachel being pulled from the hotel. And there she was, screaming that she was going to get you. I don’t know how she figured that was going to happen, but she was. Then I think she saw the television crew.” He asked his mom why they were there. “Not for her, though I think they did film her. That boy we hired, Jake, and his partner Forrest, they’re making a name for themselves. I think you got the best of the best. But they were there for the unveiling of the plans for the new library addition.

It’s going to be nice. I think your boys had something to do with that too.” He hoped they were doing a good job. He would hate like hell to have to turn his son over to that monster. Brody hadn’t realized how much he’d had riding on this. There was his practice, his homes, money. Of course, she’d signed a prenup, but he knew that she was slick and would do just about anything for some money. But today was for Jordan. The phone was ringing as soon as they entered the hotel room. Jake was on the line, and he sounded like a man who was either really pissed off or holding back on something. When he finally burst out laughing, Brody couldn’t help but smile.
“Your soon to be ex-wife is on the line. Not with us at the moment, but as soon as I tell you a couple of things.” Jake laughed again. “My God, Brody, I think she’s more of a bitch than my ex-wife was. Does she by chance have any decorating skill?” He had heard about Jake’s wife.

“I was afraid to give her the chance. The house decorating was off limits to her at all times. What does she want, do you know?” “Smart man. She said that she wasn’t going to tell me, so I hung up on her. The second time she called, an officer was on the line. He asked me, politely, to let her talk to you so they could have some peace and quiet. I guess she’s putting up a great big hullaballoo. I love that word. I might have to use it more often.” Brody hadn’t heard that word in a while either, and laughed. “Yeah, my grandma would say that a great deal. Anyway, I’ll be on the line with the two of you. And since she’s calling you from the police station, there will be someone listening in on that end and recording it. So, keep your cool and don’t tell her anything that you’d not normally tell her if she didn’t ask you. For instance, you can tell her about the tests, but only if she asks.” When the line opened up, the police officer said what Jake had told him. Apparently, Rachel was listening as well, but her end was muted. They told him they were recording the conversation, and that Brody’s attorney was on the line as well. “This is bullshit.” The phone was muted when Rachel spoke; the small humming sound was all the notice that they got to clue them in on that. Then when she came back on the line, she wasn’t any happier about having to behave, Brody would bet. “Brody, honey, I want you to get your rectum down here and bail me out. Give me a key to the house and stop this nonsense with our son. You know as well as I do that you’re not going to go through with this. You need me.”

“No.” She asked him what that meant. “No, I’m not going to go and bail you out. No, I’m not going to give you a key to my home, and I’m certainly not going to stop with the proceedings. I’m divorcing you, Rachel.” “And you think that just because you have all the money, you can do as you please? I’m your wife, you fucking dick shit—” The line went dead again, and Brody laughed. He wondered if Jake was laughing too when Rachel came back on the line. “I’m supposed to stop cursing. But I want you to know, Brody, that I’m calling you every name in the book in my head. Where is my son? I want you to make sure that when you go to court, or whatever the he…heck you think you’re doing, you know that you’re not going to raise him. He’s our son, and as his mother, I’m the one that should raise him. Everyone knows that the mother wins in this sort of thing. I’m thinking now about how much me having our son in my possession is going to cost you.” “He is your son. You have that right, Rachel. And you know as well as I do that he’s not my biological child. In fact, I found the list that you wrote on who could be his father.” Brody looked at Jordan as he continued. “But I could care less who he was fathered by. He’s my son, and I love him with all my heart.

And as for you raising him, that’s not going to happen either. You’re neither a good role model nor mother.” “You have never had a heart, and you’re abysmal in bed. Why is it you think I found other men to screw me? Because you might have a nice dick, but you hadn’t a clue how to use it.” Brody started to say that it might have been her, but he wasn’t lowering himself to her level.

“Don’t you have anything to say? I have plenty, but I have to be nice. You have no idea what you’re stepping into here by treating me this way. And tossing my parents out on their butts with nothing at all to fall back on.” “Perhaps you should have read the prenup better, Rachel. It stated that so long as we were married, I would provide your parents with a home to live in, as well as a car. The money allowance that I helped them out with was because, believe it or not, I’m a nice person.” She snorted. “Regardless. I’ve had enough. And since you’ve been stepping out on me since the day we married, I’m going to take back control of my life.” “Have you any idea how many men have fucked me in that big house of yours? Hundreds. Some days I’d take on two or three at the same time. It was so much fun, having men right under your nose.” Again, he could have said more, but he didn’t. “And with you all alone sleeping down the hall in your lonely little bed. Did you cry yourself to sleep, Brody? You pussy.” The line went dead, and Brody closed his phone when he heard a dial tone. It took everything that he had just to sit here and not hunt her down and strangle her. Then Jordan came to him and put his small arms around his neck. “Dad, she’s not worth it.” Brody told him he knew that. “She’s a mean person. And you are my dad. Can I tell you something?” “Yes, Jordan, anything.” Jordan walked to the little cabinet that held snacks. He’d never taken anything out, but he knew that Jordan had a small sweet tooth. When he took out a candy bar, Brody smiled at him as he ate it.

“I found my birth certificate in Mom’s purse when she took me to register for school a long time ago. I read it on the back too.” Brody asked him if he knew what it meant. “I didn’t. But I asked Clare, the girl next door. Dad, she has boobs and stuff. Anyway, she told me that my mom had been sleeping with other men, and you weren’t on the list. I had to ask Grandma what sleeping around meant. She told me. I don’t know why Mom would do that, do you? I just want you to know that I love you very much, Dad. And we’re going to be all right.” “I agree. Any reason you didn’t come to me with the question?” Jordan’s face turned red. “Are you afraid to talk to me about sex?” “Gosh no. I know you know about sex. Geeze, Dad.” They both laughed. “I wanted to ask someone that would tell me how it is. And boy oh boy, does Clare tell me like it is. But she said that I should ask you about it. I put my birth certificate in my baby book the day that we left the house. I wanted you to find it. I don’t know who those guys are, but Mom wrote their names on the back of it.” Brody thought of the things that his son was figuring out. Sex. Stepping out. He was going to have to talk to him about other things, he knew—and soon. But what he really wanted to do was let him know that he could come to him about anything. Even if it might embarrass them both. “Thank you.” Jordan threw the rest of the candy in the trash. Looking at his phone again when it rang, Brody realized that they had to get to the airport. It was Jake.

“We’re headed to the airport now, Jake. Do you think we can talk when I get there? I’m beat after that. And Jordan is as well.” “Yes, that’s a wonderful idea, Brody. I’m so sorry about all this. I know just what you’re going through.” He thanked him. “All right. I’ll see you, I guess, around seven tonight. Enjoy your flight, and remember, there will be a car at the airport for you when you arrive.” ~*~ Emmi watched the planes land and take off. Damn it, she wanted to go home and curl up on the couch, take some pain pills, and forget the world. Why Aaron had to come home right now was driving her nuts. But then, everything drove her nuts lately. Aaron had a good job, one that would take him all over the world one week then he’d be off for a while. And when he was off, if he could, he’d stay with her. Usually it wasn’t any trouble. But she knew as soon as he saw her body—because she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to hide her pain from him—he’d have a major shit fit, and then she’d have to explain things that she didn’t know. She saw that her brother’s plane was on time and would be landing in twenty minutes. Emmi sat back down in the chair, extremely careful of how she sat, and then leaned back. Then she began to think and wait again. Closing her eyes, she tried not to think of anything, to make the pain go away. Drawing—or painting, it mattered little to her. But she enjoyed it so much that sometimes she could forget about the world and the way that it had been shitting on her lately. Emmi remembered to check the flight times again and the gate where he’d be coming in. When she opened her eyes, however, a small boy was standing nearby. “Can you help me?” She was leery of the kid. Not just him, but all kids.

This was some sort of scam, she knew it. Looking around, she asked him where his parents were. “My mom is in jail and my dad and I are coming here to live.” Too real to be a lie, Emmi thought. But that didn’t mean she wholly trusted him yet. “Okay. And why are you not with him? I mean, you don’t look old enough to drive or anything yet. What gives?” He cocked his head and stared at her. “Kid, I don’t know what your deal is, but I don’t want to have to be dragged off to some sort of chamber and have someone kill me. Tell me what’s going on. And no lies. Okay? I’ve had a shitty day—well, month—and really, I just want to go home.” “My dad said that the car was going to be here to get us, but I had to go to the bathroom. Dad said that he did too, so we went inside.” He pointed to the men’s room right behind them. “Then when I was all done, I washed up my hands and came out to stand by the door. But he never came out. I think that my mom escaped and she’s killed him.” “Kid, you have a great imagination.” He told her his name. “All right, Jordan Downs.Let’s go see what we can find out. To be honest,Let’s go see what we can find out.

I got trapped in that bathroom crap too. It opens up on both ends. I came out on the wrong side and was lost for a bit. Come on, we’ll get this figured out.”
He took her hand into his and she froze up. Emmi didn’t care to be touched, especially when she was hurting as badly as she was at the moment. People terrified her, especially men. She supposed it was because of her husband when he found her. But knowing why she didn’t care for it didn’t make her any less unhappy about being touched. Emmi was married—or so she’d been led to believe. She didn’t remember the wedding, the man, or for that matter, what he looked like. But she was getting these summons—bills—that were apparently made by her husband that she had to pay. Not to mention, someone had changed her name on not just her mail box, but also her monthly bills, like rent and her utilities. No matter how much Emmi searched for some clue, she— “Are you all right, lady?” She told him she was fine and her name. “That’s a pretty name. I’m betting it’s short for something pretty too. Dad said he didn’t want me to have a nickname. He thought them to be confusing to little kids. People think sometimes I’m a girl. I’m not.”

“Yes, I can see that. There are all kinds of names that are gender neutral. You said that your dad had a car waiting for you? Do you know if it was a rental or a bigger car?” He told her. “I see. So, the person coming to get him might be at the gates with a sign for this limo. And if your dad is there, problem solved. If not, we’ll try out plan B, where we have to involve the airport security. And just between the two of us, I don’t think we’ll get too much help from them either.” She was hurting; trying to find the little boy’s dad was pulling on stitches and bruises that she had all over her body. The airport wasn’t that long, but there were a lot of people walking into them. Pay attention to your surroundings, she wanted to scream at people. But she— “You sure do walk fast.” Emmi slowed down. She had very long legs, and she’d forgotten for a few minutes that she was with a kid. “Thanks. Look over there. See those big signs?” “I do.” She was near to them when she was thrown to the floor and someone had her arms too far up her back. Airport security was screaming at her to get away from the boy. Emmi hadn’t a clue how that was to happen, as she had an elephant of a guard on her aching back. It was all she could do not to pass out. Not to puke where she lay. The man on her, because there was no doubt to her that it was a brute of a man, was telling her to not move, not to say a word. She was sick with the pain, and Jordan was screaming at them to let her go, that she was helping him. Before she could beg anyone for help, any kind of help, she was let go and yanked up to her feet. Emmi had to lean over until she not only caught her breath, but the pain was gone—which by her estimations, would be never. No longer able to hold onto the bile in her empty belly, she turned her head and dry heaved for a few minutes. The shoes in her view were expensive and polished. There was only one person that she knew who had shoes that shiny.

“Hello, Aaron. Don’t touch me yet.” Laughter had her peeking up at her brother. “I was only trying to help the kid. Now I have to go home. You’re on your own to get there. In fact, you should maybe go back to where you were for about ten years.” “I heard the kid. Christ, I think the entire place heard him telling them that you hadn’t done anything wrong. However, I did not know that you were in so much pain that you should have told your big brother.” She wanted to wipe at her nose and tears, but she hurt too much. “I’m going to find out what happened—you know that, don’t you? In the meantime, do you need something for the pain, Emmi?” “I’ll be all right. Just give me a minute. Could you help Jordan find his dad? He said he was getting a car.” Emmi couldn’t move, but she had to sit down. Trying to lower herself to a better position was making her sicker. “Aaron, I’m not going to be able to move without help. Can you sit me on the ground? There is a better place for me to die, I think.” “No dying, Emmi. I mean it. And so you know…. Well, that’s for later. Where can I touch you?”

Aaron’s voice was so strong that she wanted to lean into it, much like she had as a child when she’d be taken to task about something made up by her parents that she’d done. But Aaron’s shoes didn’t move when she felt someone at her waist. “Don’t touch her until she tells us where we can.” “She’s bleeding.” She heard Aaron cursing and the man behind her breathing hard. “Emmi, is it? I’m going to help you down to the floor. But you have to tell me where I can touch you. I think your brother is pissed.” “He’s always pissed.” Sobbing now, the pain was getting the better of her. “Find a gun. Shoot me between the eyes and I’ll feel much better.” She heard Jordan tell them no. “I was kidding, Jordan. I just hurt too much right now to think of anything other than not being in pain. Just leave me here. I’ll move when I’m able.” There was a pinch at her arm. Before she could turn, if she could have, to see what had happened, the man behind her came into focus. He was rubbing a place where she was sure that he’d drugged her. Then, amazingly, she started to float away. Emmi was never one to be able to just take a pain pill or shot and be able to be pain-free. She was a redhead and all that came with it—freckles, pale and sensitive skin. If she was out on a beach for ten minutes, she’d be burnt to a crisp. Like she’d ever been to a beach, she thought with a smile. Then she heard Aaron tell whoever had shot her up that she was indeed a redhead, and she felt another pinch to her skin, then absolutely nothing. There were glitches in the things that she saw when she woke.

A giant cat—a tiger, she realized. Then there was a man, telling her she was all right. Over and over Emmi thought that she’d died only to wake a little to more pain. When she was finally able to focus on her surroundings, there was a man in the room with her doing a crossword puzzle. As she watched him, he cursed at the clues. “What the hell is a steam engine scoop? You’d think a man my age would have heard it all. Stupid puzzle.” Clearing her throat twice, she told him the answer. “Bucket, huh? Let me look. Yes, that’s it. Thank you. I would have given up had I not been assigned to watch over you. Though I must tell you, it’s not a bit of hardship on my part.”

“You’re babbling, and I hurt. Where am I?” The man stood and stretched. Her mouth went dry as the shirt he had on pulled up from his pants. Looking away, Emmi saw that she had an IV, as well as that her body was layered in gauze. She was in the hospital someplace. “Where is Aaron? I’d like to go home now.” “If you mean your brother—who is very scary by the way, even for me—he and a couple of other guys went to the cafeteria for something to eat. Do you need for me to get you something for pain?” Shaking her head, she closed her eyes. “Yes, well, you might want to talk to the doctor before you start moving around too much. Brody said you were a bitch to put back together. Who did this to you?” His voice had gone hard, and she turned to look at him again. There was something about him, something that made her think she knew him, but her head hurt too much to be able to remember. “You never said where I was. And who the hell is Brody?” He sat down, picking up the puzzle that he’d been working on. “Okay. Be a shit. I’m getting out of here.” When she sat up, costing her everything that she had in her, he growled low. It took her a moment to realize that he was growling at her. But for some reason, she wasn’t afraid of him—more like pissed off. So Emmi did what she wished she’d done to her dad every time he’d drawn back to hit her. She doubled up her fist and socked him right in the nose.

Cameron Forbidden: M/M LBGT Erotica Paranormal Romance Release Day and Giveaway

October 15, 2018October 28, 2018 Kathi BartonLeave a comment

Being an elite shifter, Rick wasn’t confused. As soon as his fingers brushed Cam’s at the kitchen table, he knew they were mates, and he was about the rock Cam’s world.

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Jake Winslow’s marriage to the money grubbing shrew is over. Cutting off her funds, and the simple use of the word “no” sends her packing. When he comes home from work and finds his house empty of everything, including food, he feels—liberated.

From the moment Forrest meets Jake for the first time, he knows that Jake is his life mate, and he wants to run in the opposite direction because Jake isn’t gay. To claim and lose a mate would spell disaster for him. How can he ask a straight man—that he wants with every fiber of his being—to conform to his way of life? He can’t….

Ex-lovers, and ex-wives can be a dangerous combination. Especially when neither are right in the head…

Henry couldn’t deny the attraction to the rugged cop, and if the man didn’t put back on his shirt, he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to control himself.

Recommended for 18+

Forbidden Series
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Happy Reading ,

Jake sat still and tried to read the paperwork that he’d gotten just this morning about the couple. The man lying on the bed in front of him had been hurt badly, so critically that it had taken the nursing staff and doctors here twelve hours before he had been put back together. His sister hadn’t fared any better, but she was resting comfortably while Cameron wasn’t. He seemed to be jerking uncontrollably and moaning in his pain most of the time.

Caitlynn, Cattie to her friends, was just down the hall in a private room all her own as well. The bullet that had hit her in the back of her head hadn’t been as serious as it could have been. They were still working on that, but the man that had brought them to the private hospital that they were both in said that he thought that Cameron, Cam to his friends, had called out to his sister and that had her ducking. The Hendersons had a great many people looking out for them, and none of them were human. “Where is my sister?” Jake stood up, completely forgetting about the paperwork that he’d been working on as it slid to the floor. “I don’t know you, do I? Where is Cattie, and my mom and dad?” “You’re at a private hospital for now.

Your sister is just down the hall, but I’m afraid she’s not able to come in here to see you as yet. As for your parents, your mother—a wonderful person, by the way—is in the cafeteria having a cup of tea with my mate, and your dad was called away. Something to do with his work.” The man nodded, then grabbed his head and cried out. “Yeah, they said that you might want to take it easy on moving around too much at first.” Jakes watched him struggle with the pain, and the very little that he’d given him in the way of answers to his questions. Jake himself still had plenty of questions, but he could wait.

Cam had been out for several days now, and it had been touch-and-go for both of them since Jake had been called away from his home to help them. Whatever favors had been pulled to keep these two alive had been more than a simple thing, like saving their lives. It had to be so much more than that, he thought, especially since Cam had been critical and Cattie in grave condition when they’d been brought to him. Now they were both on the mend, and it hadn’t been that long ago since their first diagnoses had been given to them. “What did you mean that Cattie isn’t able to come see me? They were supposed to keep her alive.” Jake told the man that the people who had brought her in had done all that they could. “If they’d done what I told them to do, then she’d be up and around and I’d be wherever she is. Where is Howard, anyway?” “The man that brought you to me?” Careful this time, Cam nodded. “He told us when we were notified to come and be with you and your sister that he had to take care of some loose ends. I didn’t think he was the sort of man who shared well, so I didn’t ask. Would you like to go and see your sister? Like I said, she’s doing better, but not as well as everyone hoped she would.”

“Yes. Can I be moved yet?” Jake told him that it was up to him, but he’d take a wheelchair until he was stronger. “All right. You said my mom was close? And with your mate? Is she capable of keeping my mom safe?” “He. And yes, he’s a tiger.” Cam said that he was sorry. “No need to be. It’s something that everyone does. Forrest, my mate, he said that they’re coming up now. And I’m to understand that you have the ability to talk to people, far reaching. I’ve been told to advise you to hold off on that for a while. They need to see who they can trust here.” “All right.”

The wheelchair was brought in and his mom and Forrest came in as well. Once they had Cam in the chair, which was not nearly as easy as it sounded, he was taken down the long hall to his sister’s room. The other couple came out of the room just as they got there. “Cam, these are friends of mine, Henry and Paddy. They’ve been keeping an eye on Cattie for you. Henry is a wolf.” Cam was rolled right up to the bed when they entered the room. No one said anything to him, but Jake had a feeling that the man was giving a bit of himself to his sister. Howard, the man that had brought them here, had said that Cam was very strong, and stubborn too. Just let him do what he felt that he needed. Jake looked at Forrest when he came to stand by him. He asked if he’d heard anything more. “Nothing as yet. I have been reading over the reports on the grocery store.” Cam turned to him and asked him what he’d heard.

“Just bits and pieces. And your friend Howard, he’s been giving us what he can. I’m not sure, but I think that he wanted to get permission from you before he told us too much.” “More than likely. What did he tell you about me?” Jake told him that there really hadn’t been much. He was an FBI agent, his sister was a cop. “Nothing about what I am? What I can do?” “No. Just enough to tell you not to reach out to people if you can help it. And that you are very powerful.” Jake watched him carefully. He didn’t want him to weaken himself more by being out of bed. But Howard had told them that if they took him right away to see her, he might rest easier. “What are you, if I can ask?” “I’m nothing that you’ve encountered before. I’m a little of everything. And some of that is pretty nasty shit. About twenty or so years ago, I was hit by a car. Completely my fault. The closest hospital was a clinic for shifters.

They sort of pumped me up with everything they had in their arsenal to save my life.” He didn’t say any more, just kept looking at his sister. “I’ve been on medical leave from the bureau for some time now. They’re trying to convince me to come back, but I just don’t have it in me anymore. It’s overwhelming, being what I am.” “My son is a good boy.” Cam smiled at his mom when she spoke. “Both my children are good people. And this thing that brought them here, I’m only just hearing about it. What would you like to know? I can tell you what I’ve heard from your father, but after that, he’ll have to tell you. The store that you were in, it was a set up. Not for you—you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But they wanted Cattie gone.”

“I figured as much.” Jake looked at Cam when he asked him why he’d thought that. “I’ve been reading over reports of the incident. Most of what I have, its things that not even your police have. A lot of it is from friends I have that can move in and out of places that no one else can. Or so I think. Anyway, Quincey, a vampire, has been looking around as well. He said that your sister, Cattie, knows him.” As soon as he said her name, she looked at him. She had the most beautiful eyes, the color of very old emeralds. Jake could see her pain—she wore it as if it were a second skin, one that she’d gladly strip out of. When she looked at Cam, he could see the resemblance and the love they had for each other. Trust too. Then something occurred to him. “You’re twins.” Cam nodded, and Cattie did as well. “You have a bond, too, that others in your situation don’t have, don’t you? This arsenal you talked about, some of it is in her as well.” “Yes. You’re very good. But yes, when I was on the bike, a regular bicycle, she was with me when I was hit. I went up and over the car that hit me and landed on my head. Cattie wasn’t hurt, but she didn’t leave my side. And because of the bond that we had before, she shared some, but not all of what I got.” Cam pushed his chair around so that he could face them.

Jake could see that he was mending quickly now, and so was Cattie. “By the time my parents were notified, I had been hurt for several hours. When they got to my side, the damage was already done. As in they had already changed me because of how close I was to dying. I’ve been laying low since I turned twenty-five. That was when the shit really kicked in.” “Cameron.” He apologized to his mom. “You should want to make a good first impression. There is no telling what might have happened to you had these people not stepped in to hide you. But as I was saying, from what we’ve been able to piece together, they were there to take out Cattie. For what, we just don’t know at the moment. But when Cam walked into the store, something that he hasn’t done in a while, they decided to take them both out—as far as we can understand, anyway. The robbery was just a ruse to get your sister to the scene.”

“I was specially called to hit the store. I was just going off duty when the call came in and my boss told me to go with them. That he’d cover the overtime.” Cattie looked at Jake, and he knew that she understood what he’d done. Jake had already seen and talked to the captain of the station through Henry, and his ability to talk to the dead. Shaking her head, she asked him to confirm what he was sure she already knew. “He’s dead, isn’t he?” “Yes. Quincey. He said that you’d understand.” Cattie nodded. She might understand, but he didn’t. “May I ask why they wanted either or both of you dead? I mean, I’ve been reading over some of the paperwork that was taken from the captain’s desk, and he seemed to think you were an all right person. He did have pressure from the higher ups, but that didn’t call for killing either of you. I can only assume, and I have a feeling that I’m right, they didn’t care for the number of cases that you close. With the help of Cam, I’m betting.”
“Yes, that’s right. But that was what you were supposed to find.” Quincey came in and kissed Cattie on the forehead and shook the hand of Cam. They were both getting better—the cuts on her face were nearly gone, and Cam was standing up now. Quincey handed him another thick file as he continued. “That is curtesy of his home. There is a room that no one found when they were searching his place after he was killed.

And to the public, so that you know, he committed suicide. But he’s been dirty since before he got out of the police academy. And more than likely before then.” “Why?” Everyone turned to Paddy when he asked the question. “I know a great deal about how a house is run and have even been in on a dirty one or two in my career. But this one, it seemed to be on the up and up without anyone on the take. And believe me when I tell you, I looked hard to find it. There just didn’t seem to be anything there.” “For the most part, most of the cops were on the up and up, as you called it. There were only a few, the captain for one, that were dirty. His dirt was going to take down the entire place, sadly. And we think, just from what we’ve found out recently, that he needed Cattie dead to get her out of the way of something coming soon. Or at least that’s what I’ve surmised so far.” Cattie got out of the bed and started stretching and moving round the room while Quincey continued. “But as to why they wanted her dead, I’ve not been able to find out much more than that she was the target in all this. Sadly, a lot of people lost their lives when the building blew. But their families are being well compensated.”

“So, let me get this straight, because this is just too much at once for me.” Jake smiled at Forrest when he winked at him. “So, this super cop, Cattie, is a target for some reason. These people, I’m assuming the ones that wanted her dead, are robbing a store to bring her on the scene. I’m assuming that they were going to kill her off, and make it look like she was shot in the line of duty. Then her brother shows up, another super person, and it all goes to shit. But, as far as the public is aware, both of them are dead as well. Correct so far?” “Yes, but you’re missing one important element. No one—no one on her force or the people that I worked with—is aware that I’m anything more than a man who had to take some time off to heal from a job gone south.” Jake could see the pain on Cam’s face. “I shot and killed a kid. Not that it was an accident—it was him or me, quite literally. When he pointed the gun at me and fired, I returned fire, and he was dead, and I was shot too. I’ve been healing since then. It’s been about eight months now. I have no intentions of going back.”

It was so final that no one said anything. Jake could understand it better than most, not wanting to go back to the same thing day after day. Going into partnership, both business and personally, with Forrest had given him a much better outlook on his whole life. And he loved Forrest for it. ~*~ Cam walked the halls of the place they were staying. He’d come to figure out that it wasn’t a hospital, at least not now it wasn’t. The place had been closed down years ago, but still operated quietly when it was needed. He’d have to ask Howard if they needed
any funding to keep it afloat. He knew that without this place, he and his sister would be dead. There were no other patients in the place but him and Cattie. The staff that was there—very few now—was all in some way involved with keeping the public in the dark about what sort of place it was. Quincey, he knew, now owned not only the building, but also about five hundred acres that surrounded it. Cam came to the conclusion that not only was it not known to the people that were nearby, but they didn’t know that there was even a building within the electrified fencing.

“I’ve been thinking.” He smiled at his sister when she came out of the room she’d been in. “Don’t say it. I’m really confused about what is going on with my job. I mean, who would want to go to this much trouble to see me dead?” “You mean besides me?” She punched him in the arm. “I’ve been thinking on that too. You said that your boss, Captain James, told you to go on this mission, even though you were supposed to be getting off. I wish I could have a long conversation with the bastard to see just how much money he made off of this. And see if hell takes that kind of currency.” “I think we can get that. But you’re right. It seemed strange to me, even when the call came in. I mean, we’re not cops, not the kind that goes out on this sort of thing. We’re the ones that go after the scum of the earth. Drug dealers, as well as prostitution and counterfeit shit.” She looked around to see if their mom was close. Even though they were both in their early thirties, they were terrified of their mom—with good reason. She was their mom, but she had a mean streak in her when they didn’t live up to her expectations. “Why did he think that I wouldn’t have questioned him about it?” “Did you?” She said that she had tried, but he was practically shoving her out the door. “I’ve been thinking on why I was there too. You know as well I do that I don’t go out unless it’s dire. I mean, being out of lettuce? I haven’t any idea why it was so urgent that I go out then. I was thinking that your nervousness of this, it called out to me in some way, and that’s how I ended up there. Even though you didn’t contact me, I still felt the need to be with you. I wasn’t even surprised that I’d walked into something. Understand?”

“Yes. And so you know, I did think about you while I was waiting on things to be set inside. I was worried about what you’d think of me being there.” He nodded and took the turn at the next left. He needed to regain his strength, and this was helping him. “So, this thing that we can do—I guess we can add being able to contact each other without contacting each other.” “I’ll put that on our to do list.” He moved down the hall, her beside him every step of the way. “Cattie, what do you think of the people that are here? The couples. Why them? I mean, it’s not like they’re anyone we’ve dealt with before. I’ve been wondering why Quincey, or even Howard for that matter, had them come to help us.” “Have you talked to Howard yet?” He said that he’d not. “Me either. I did remember seeing him there, when we were taken away. But not much before or after that. Quincey, he’s been telling me for a while now that I need to beef up my own security. I guess he was right.”
“Yes, I’d say that he was. By the way, you had a lovely funeral.

Did you see it on the television?” Cattie said that she’d purposely missed it. “The mayor had so many good things to say about you. He sort of glossed over me being killed too. I think that the bureau had asked him to do that. I’ve not tried reaching out to him yet. Have you contacted anyone?” “No. I’m trying to lay low.” They were picking up speed as they came down the next hallway, almost at a jog. “Cam, I have to say, I’m a little worried about Mom and Dad—especially Dad. Did you hear that he got called away last night? Why? The man has been retired for years. Why are they calling him out on jobs after all this time? I have a feeling that it’s not work, and he’s in trouble again.” He knew, but he didn’t want to tell Cattie just yet. Cam, too, had been laying low, but he was much better at searching minds than she was, so he had been picking brains for the last several hours. Cam turned the next corner and came to a sudden stop. There stood Howard. Cam hadn’t seen the man in weeks before he’d called to him to come for Cattie. He looked worried, overworked, and closer to his age.

The man was ancient, but you’d never know it to see him. The magic of being a vampire had kept him looking much younger than he really was. “I’ve some news for you both, but I’d rather wait until the troops are here to listen in too. Jake and Forrest, they’ve been taking good care of the two of you?” They both said that they had and asked when they were going to get out of there. “Not for a while yet. I like you both being presumed dead. I think in the long run it will keep you alive longer. What did the doc say about your noodle, Cam? Anything come up?” “Nope, just as brainy as ever.” He had hit his head in the bike accident, and it had been why the people at the clinic had poured all they had into him. His brain—unlike most people, Cam used every part of it. That was the magic that he’d gotten when he’d been hit by the car. “I do have a couple of questions for you concerning the others here. Not anything bad, but I would like to know why them. Why now?” “I can answer that one for you. You remember Jenna Winslow?” They both said that they did. “She was the long-lost daughter of Quincey. And Jake, he’s the grandchild of Jenna, and great-grandson of Quincey. The child that they’re raising is half-sister to Jake. The line of familiarity is why he trusts them more than he does even me. And we go back further than anyone I know. Forrest was her attorney and is the mate to Jake. The other two are good friends to them both. That’s the connection to all four of them.” “So, Quincey has them come here, taking care of us and making sure that—what? We’re not killed. Doesn’t that put them in harm’s way? I’d hate to see them hurt because of this crap.” He agreed with his sister, but Howard had more.

“They’re immortal? Because of their connection to Quincey? I guess that makes sense.” “Quincey told me that up until a few weeks ago, he’d been protecting his grandson, Jake. He kept him in the dark, and those around him, about the fact that he’s more vampire than human with some of his magic. As soon as Quincey removed the protection, right after Jenna was killed, he talked to him about it and then took the protection away. Jake has become good with the magic—a great deal of it, I guess—that
he inherited from Quincey, but he’s still getting used to it. Jake and Forrest both took it fairly well. And the baby sister, she’s not all human either.” Cam said that was a lot for anyone to take in. “You don’t know the half of it, I’m afraid. Jenna, if you recall, had been murdered by her son, father to Jake. Jacob has been sentenced to five life terms for his part in not just his mother’s death, but a few other things that had been unearthed by his son. It’s a long and terrible story, but you can see where the connection is now.” “Sounds too messy not to be true.

” Howard nodded at him. “All right. That explains that. But how much longer are we going to have to be hidden away? While I like it here because there aren’t a lot of people, I’m going just a little stir crazy. I know that Cattie is as well.” “We need to keep you dead, as I said, for just a little longer. But you’ll be happy to know that as of yesterday, there is a track that Quincey had put in for the two of you to run on. And there is equipment that you can use to get some of your strength back in the lower levels.” Cam thanked Howard. “Don’t thank me, it was Jake. He said that he knew that you two were getting antsy.” By the time Jake and Forrest got there, he and his sister had ordered their lunch. The kitchen here was five-star, Howard told them, and to order whatever they wanted. The magic again, he was told, would get them just about anything they wanted. Cam took them up on that offer and ordered a thick steak and all the trimmings. Cattie did the same, but she ordered pie too. His sister loved pie. He thought that she might like it better than she did him at times.

They were sitting at one of the large tables in the dining room when Howard came in to have a talk with them all. He had news, none of it good, but it was things that they had to hear. His dad showed up about an hour after the meeting started, and he looked broken. Instead of asking him what had happened, he touched his mind to see what else their father was hiding from them. His dad had been in trouble before—a great deal of it. While he loved the man very much, he didn’t really trust him, and hadn’t for a long time. It was just after Cam’s last day of work, all those months ago, that he’d begun to see his father in a different light.

And had it not been for Cam’s intervention, they would have lost their family home, Mom would have been out on the streets, and Dad would have been in prison. When Dad looked at him, Cam let him. He didn’t hide the fact that he didn’t want his father around him. He knew that he should have talked to Cattie about him, let her know what he was up to now. But he’d been putting it off for some time now. Cam supposed that he hoped that his father would change. He had, but not in a good way. Orval Henderson was in way over his head, and it was going to get him killed if he didn’t get his shit together. And Cam knew that it was going to be next to impossible for him to pay off the debts that he’d racked up, gambling on everything this time— including his children’s lives. His dad figured that Cam had gotten him out of it once, and that he’d continue to do so. But he wouldn’t. Not again.

Henry Forbidden Series Release Day & Giveaway

February 4, 2018 Kathi BartonLeave a comment

Recommended for 18+ Forbidden Series M/M LBGT Erotica Paranormal Romance

Henry couldn’t deny the attraction to the rugged cop, and if the man didn’t put back on his shirt, he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to control himself.

Forbidden Series
M/M LBGT Erotica Paranormal Romance

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From the moment Forrest meets Jake for the first time, he knows that Jake is his life mate, and he wants to run in the opposite direction because Jake isn’t gay. To claim and lose a mate would spell disaster for him. How can he ask a straight man—that he wants with every fiber of his being—to conform to his way of life? He can’t….

Ex-lovers, and ex-wives can be a dangerous combination. Especially when neither are right in the head….

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Scott sat at the bar and watched the other men and women. He didn’t care for beer, not the kind that was served here, but he ordered it so that they’d not run him off. Not that they could, for the most part, but people—humans—had a way of making life difficult when they wanted. It mattered little to them who or what they were up against. Waiting for the man to come in that was to meet him here, Fred, Scott thought of his life so far. He had not a pot to piss in; not even a pot of any kind, really. And that was the way he liked it. He had money, a great deal of it, but no house, no car, not even a real paying job. He liked his life like it was, without attachments or any kind of strings. It was why he moved from one place to the other without having any roots. The door opened behind him and he knew that it was Fred. He had an odor about him that even humans could smell. Scott thought him positively repugnant…not just his smell, but everything about him. Even his teeth were a shade of green that made him want to ask if he’d been eating a field. “I have a handle on her.” Scott asked him what sort of handle he had. “The mother is in the hospital now. And when she has the brat, the nurse is going to call me and let me come in. Things are working out much better than you thought they would.” “Doubtful. It’s been my experience, and I have a great deal more than you ever will, that once things start to look good, you should look over your shoulder for the next bad vibe. What hospital is she in?” “Mercy. She’s been brought in to be induced, or some shit like that. Something about the kid being a little larger than they thought for her size. That made no sense to me whatsoever. Women get fat when they’re having a kid. Even I know that.” Scott told Fred what they meant. “Oh. Well, why don’t they just say she’s having a fat kid and that she’s too little to do it on her own? You know what that means, don’t you? The dick that planted him there was a little one.” And again, Fred’s logic wasn’t anything that he understood. The man was a wonder, saying things that were so off the wall that Scott wondered if he even knew what they meant. But Scott started thinking about the hospital. “Mercy Hospital is the one that takes in degenerates, correct? I know that place. At one time, the land that it sits on was farmland that belonged to a man who raised cows.” “There ain’t no cows there now.” Scott said nothing as he took a sip of his now warm beer. “There are a lot of cops hanging around though. I didn’t think about all the crime in that place when I was there. Sure can get a man hurt looking for information.” “You’ve been paid enough.” He thought about the baby he was about to take, and what he was to do with it once he had it. Scott had no qualms at all about killing people, but a baby was something way different. He wasn’t to drink from it either. Just kill it and be done with it. “Wonder what they want this kid out of the way for. You heard anything?”

“Nope. Just snatch it and bring it to you. I’m guessing you have your orders too.” Scott nodded. “I thought so. You’ve always been close mouthed, ain’t you?” Fred Hogan was anything but close mouthed. Scott would bet money on the fact, too, that the nurse helping him take the little boy knew all about why he needed it done. And most of that would be lies. Fred knew less than he did, and Scott knew very little at all. The people that wanted the kid taken and killed had only told him that it was a half breed. Nothing more…not even a half breed of what two creatures. They wanted it killed because those kinds of creatures out there would make a bad name for them. He hadn’t any idea why that would bother anyone…he was a made vampire himself. But he’d do what he was told, when he was told, and reap the rewards that came along with it. Fred was being paid, yes, but Scott was to get him to leave town as soon as he had the child. It would keep him safe and hopefully away from Devon’s fury. “I’m gonna go out and enjoy the night. I’m thinking that when that nurse calls me, I should be close by. That way I can get it and get back to you before anyone is the wiser. Oh yeah, I forgot. Did you know that the momma isn’t taking the kid? She’s putting it up for some kind of private thing.” Scott knew that as well. That was why he’d been called in instead of just killing the mom when she was out and about. She was going to live simply because she didn’t want the kid. There were all kinds of people around her all the time now, he’d noticed. It had taken him the better part of a month to figure out where they’d taken her when she’d disappeared. One day, when he’d gone by the apartment where she was living, she was just gone. And not only that, every bit of her place had been devoid of even her scent. And that was what had Scott worried the most. Someone had a lot of pull in this thing, and he was afraid of who that might be. Scott figured that there were any number of vampires out there that would want a child. And it would matter little to them if it were something else too. Some of them were with humans that weren’t their mates, and needed to have their nests filled up. Like having a child in the house would make anyone happy. It had him at one time, but no more. Shuddering at the thought of a little kid around, he thought of the two kids he’d fathered of his own. Both long dead, but that didn’t lessen what they’d made him feel like…a man of the world. Scott had been a good man, or so he thought. He was also a husband and father that had provided well for his family. However, he didn’t find out until later that he’d been a failure at that, to his wife. So one night, in a fit of stupidity, he’d gotten himself turned around on the road and ended up at a party. A bloodletting, he’d figured out later, and he was dinner. They hadn’t killed him, mores the pity, but they had changed him into what he was today. He’d gone back to see his wife and children, spying on them all during the night. But for the most part he left them to assume, as did everyone around, that he’d fallen off a cliff and was dead. But that didn’t mean that he left them on their own.

He provided for them as best he could. Giving them what money he could steal or earn, he’d leave it on the stoop. And sometimes he’d kill a deer or some other big game and leave it as well. They were well fed, his family, and when he heard that his son was sick, he went to the window to see if he could help him. His wife, Margaret, was there waiting on him. “I knew it was you.” He stared at her from the darkness and said nothing. “You’ve been the one leaving us food and money, haven’t you? Do you have yourself a new whore, Scott? Someone to warm your bed? I hope so.” He moved out of the darkness and stood before her. “So you’re one of them? The night monsters? I should have known you’d not leave us to our own. Why didn’t you just die, Scott? You never do what I need you to do, do you? I had hoped that you’d die from their treatment of you. But I guess I can’t be that lucky, can I?” “You wanted me dead?” She told him how she’d told the vampires that they could have whatever came across them, and to not let it get to her. And that he was to be found, no matter what. “You murdered me? You set them upon me?” “I did. And I’d do it again if I could have.” He asked her why she’d do such a thing. “You think I was supposed to live like this? That I wasn’t to have two coins to rub together? To have children that I can no more stand than I could you? Nay, Scott. I don’t love you. Never did. You were just a means for me to leave my home. And once I was here, I had plans all along to kill you in your sleep.” He had staggered back then, his body just too shocked to do much more than let himself fall to the ground. “Come here no more. I will not have you around, and don’t be leaving any food either. I’ll not take it from you now that I know that it is from you.” “What of our children? You are nearly starved now.” She said that she hoped that they’d die first so that she could leave them in their beds and not return. “You cannot mean that, Margaret. They’re just children, small boys that had no part in you and me coming together.” “Had I had the coin, Scott, there would have been no children born at all.” She looked at him then, and he could see the hatred that he’d never seen before. “Now, go on your way and don’t bother us again. I had no use for you then, and not now either. Be gone.” He left her then, but kept a close eye on the house. After several days he went back to see why there was no smoke curling from the fires. No scents of meat searing in the air. But what he’d seen there had left him broken. His wife hadn’t waited for the boys to starve, she’d killed them herself. Scott had taken their small bodies to the yard that night. After wrapping them in a thick blanket that his own mother had made for them, Scott buried them deep in the ground, and even made a marker for them both. His sons were not yet seven and five, and they were dead by their own mother’s hand. It took him nearly a week to find her. He wasn’t surprised to find her in bed with another man. What had surprised him was who it was. He knew as surely as he saw them together that he was his sire. And since he already knew that Margaret had set him up to be killed by them, Scott had had no trouble at all in murdering them both.

Even the Council, newly formed back then, had justified his killing of the man who had changed him, without permission. After that, Scott had wandered around for a long time…several decades as a matter of fact. He had very little use for coin, but would hire himself out as a mercenary when he was approached. It had made him good money, enough that he could do what he wanted, and he had a hell of a reputation. Anyone and everyone that wanted something done that they were squeamish about, he was the man to call. But even that had grown to be boring. He didn’t want to join a nest—he hated people too much—and vampires for the most part were a whiney group of beings. They had to show off their abilities and dress like they had not a care in the world what people thought of them. When in reality, they were the vainest people ever made. He looked to his left when the door opened again. Quincey was the only vampire that he knew that was more well-known than him. When Quincey stared at him, looking at Scott like he knew he was up to something and what it was, Scott felt his balls tighten up and his blood run cold. “You should go home and forget this.” He said he was a man of his word. “Sure you are, Scott. But with this, you’d be better off just going back to your lair and leaving it alone.” “What business is it of yours?” Quincey said nothing, but moved down the bar. “I asked you a question—” He was at Scott’s throat before he could even finish the statement, holding him up from the floor without the use of his hands. Scott looked around. He’d get no help from any of the patrons of this place. They were not seeing what was going on. When he was set back down on his feet, Scott sat back on the bar stool and waited. “Do not presume that you might ask me questions, or that you might demand anything of me, Scott Huff. I will not just end your miserable life, but I will make you suffer in ways that even you, with all your deeds, cannot fathom.” Scott believed him. Not only that, but he knew that he’d not just make him suffer, but would do so over a long period of time. “Leave the child where it is. Nothing good will come to you should you take it.” “What makes this child so special is that I was paid a large sum of money to snatch it, then kill it?” Quincey nodded, and Scott felt the compulsion ride over his skin when asked who he worked for. “I don’t know his name or that of the firm that paid me. It’s a front.” “Good to know.” Quincey walked away again, and Scott wanted to run. Not just run but to meet the sun, he was that afraid. “Leave here. Don’t return, Scott, or so help me, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.” Scott left the bar. He didn’t know where to go, but there wasn’t any way that he could pass this up. It wasn’t just the money he was going to receive, but the man who had him doing it, he had a marker of Scott’s. That made it impossible to refuse. Several hundred years ago, Scott had thought himself so powerful that he’d given tokens to those that helped him. Coins really, that had been marked with his sword. All a person had to do to use it was to give it to him. And then, whatever he was asked to

do, he’d have no choice but to do it. The magic, the powerful magic that he’d had put on the coins, was as strong as any that he’d ever used since then, or even before. He’d been a fool to do such a thing, he knew that now. When Fred found him, just beyond the bar, he looked pale. It wasn’t until he was right atop him that Scott could smell the blood. Fred didn’t just fall, but fell on him. As soon as he saw the knife in his belly, a scalpel, Scott knew that this was much larger than he’d been told. “She’s had the brat.” He asked him where it was. “Don’t know. Two men, they come in and took it. They were ready too. Had all the stuff to take it away.” “What does that mean?” Fred coughed, and blood poured from his mouth. “Fred, who did this to you? Who killed you?” “I don’t know…a man that was sent by someone. He said to tell you his name, but I plum forgot it. You should run.” Another cough and more blood, this time thick and dark. “He said to tell you that he’s watching you. Am I really dying?” “You’re as good as dead. When did you see him? Fred, when did you see this man?” Scott wished he’d made Fred stay in the bar with him. He’d be alive had he thought of that. Fred didn’t answer him. There was nothing more he could do for the man, so he left him where he laid. Scott pulled shadows around him tightly and walked quickly to his lair. He was going to get answers, and he was going to get them fast. This shit was going to get someone killed, and he thought it might be him. ~~~ Jake sat in the back seat with the baby in the car seat while Forrest drove them home. He’d taken the back roads instead of the highway, and Jake had to laugh at the slow speed he was going. He asked him if he thought they’d get home before she was old enough to vote. “You drive then, so I can be back there with her. Christ, she’s beautiful, don’t you think?” He did, and touched his finger gently to her fine cheek. “Her mom, we’ll have to tell her about her, don’t you think? I mean, the baby’s father was your dad, so I’m not sure what you’d say about that. But we’re going to make sure that she’s well loved, right?” “Yes. I wasn’t sure what to do when they said that her mom died on the table. Do you suppose Stacy just gave up? The last time we spoke to her, she seemed really down.” Jake looked at his baby sister. “Forrest, we’ll have to keep her safe too. You heard what Quincey told us.” “Yes, I did. And even if he’d not told us about others trying to find her, we’d still care for her.” Jake nodded and looked where they were at being home. “We’re almost there. To be honest with you, Jake, I was afraid to go straight home. After that man was stabbed in the hallway right outside the delivery room, I just didn’t think the straightest route was the best.” “I agree. While I have no idea what that was about, I don’t want to take any more chances with her than you do.” He wanted to take her out of the seat and hold her in his arms. Just to be assured that she was really theirs.

They had found Stacy about three months ago. She’d been living in a shelter then, her parents having thrown her out when they found out that she was going to have a baby. The poor little thing was younger than him, and scared out of her mind that the baby’s father would come after her. It had taken them several trips to see her before she confessed who the father was, and what he’d done to her. As she sat there, sobbing out the story, Jake had held her hand and told her how sorry he was. Then he told her who he was. That nearly got him and Forrest arrested. It wasn’t until he’d had his attorney talk to her that she began to see that he was nothing like the bastard that had raped her, repeatedly, over a two-day period. They had set her up in a nice apartment, furnished with all the things that she wanted. Stacy wasn’t greedy, nor did she want much in the way of money. Just enough to keep her fed and healthy. Her plans for after the baby was born were something they could never get her to share with them. Now, Jake thought he knew why. “Do you suppose we should name her after her mom?” Forrest just looked at him in the mirror in the car. “I mean, it would be nice, don’t you think?” “I don’t know. There were people there looking for her. Calling the baby Stacy might give them a clue as to who she is.” That was very true. “I think we should name her Jenna Beck Winslow, just like we decided.” “I miss her; my grandma was the best there was. She’d be over the moon with her, don’t you think?” Forrest nodded, both of them still raw about his grandma being killed a few months ago. “My dad goes up for trial soon. You think that is what got her spooked?” “No, that’s not it. Can we talk about it when we get home? I want to tell you what I know. And to be face to face when we do it.” He asked if it was bad. “Yes, some of it. But we’ll get through it. I’ve called a couple of buddies of mine to come help us. They’re going to be here soon enough.” “I hope they know more about babies then we do. I know we took those classes, but I think this is going to be much harder than we thought.” Forrest laughed and said he knew it was going to be. “At least we have those books. Not that I think they’re much help either. But we have them.” “Mary said she’d help us too. I know she has a lot of experience with babies.” The woman had seven children, ten grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. If anyone had experience, it would be her. “And I’m really glad that you went shopping yesterday for diapers and such. We’ll be set for a while. Doubtful anyone would come snooping around thinking the two of us had a kid.” It had been in the papers that he and Forrest had opened a practice together. And in the same article, it mentioned not only that Jake’s ex-wife had been a murderer, having killed her own mother, but that he was gay. Nothing much had been said about it, and because of it, they had a lot more work than they could handle at times. The gay community was supporting them in a big way. Mary, their housekeeper, met them at the door. She was so excited for them too, and when they’d moved into his grandma’s house just after the funeral, she had asked

to come with them. The other staff, much older than he had realized, all retired except for Thomas, Grandma’s butler and good friend. After getting Jenna settled in her crib, the two of them fussed in the nursery. Jake knew what they were doing…waiting for her to wake up and need them. And they wanted to be the first to help her. But Mary came in, shooed them out, and told them to find something to do. He and Forrest went to the living room but took the monitor with them. They would not let her down. “Okay, what I know. Or heard. Quincey is keeping an eye out on things for us. And the reason might surprise you. I know it did me. You have a younger half-brother.” Jake leaned back on the couch and asked how old he was. “Just a few years younger than you. He’s been notified of your father’s arrest, and that your grandma left it all to you. He wants his share.” “And Jenna? What does she have to do with this?” He didn’t answer him when Thomas brought them in some scones and tea. Jake wasn’t ready to enjoy them just yet. When what was happening and why occurred to him, he didn’t even wait for Thomas to leave but blurted it out. “He wants her murdered, then he’ll come after me. For the money.” “Yes, that’s it.” Forrest played with his cup but didn’t drink either. “I guess your father’s name isn’t on the birth certificate. But this guy has had tests done to prove who he is to him. Your father was a real fucker, just in the event you didn’t know that. Anyway, your grandma found out about this bastard son before she was murdered. And it wasn’t until this morning that I was told about it.” Jake wasn’t sure what to say. Or even to do. Protecting his sister was going to be something that he’d devote his life to, but to have his own flesh and blood out to murder them both, her only an infant not even a day old, was almost too much. It made him think that the man was more like his father than he ever wanted to be. “Do you have anything on him? His name?” Right then, the monitor went off and they both stood up. “You go. I need to digest this information. If you bring her down, that’ll be good too. Just…I don’t know what to think at the moment.” “All right. But here is what I have on him. And it’s not pretty.” Forrest started out of the room and stopped. “We’ll be all right, Jake. I have friends coming to help us out with this mess.” Jake certainly hoped so. Right now all he could think about was how his life had been full of murderers and murderesses, and he’d been the only sane one in the bunch. Besides his grandma and Forrest, of course. “Oh, Grandma, I miss you more and more every day. What am I going to do now? What are we going to do now?”