Page 70 of Dragon Daddy Protector

“I don’t know, Jax,” I said, but he waved away my concerns and opened the door to reveal Matthew standing in the hall.

He stared at Jax for a long moment, then warily looked my way. “Evan.”

My nostrils flared as I stared at him, concern for my newest clan member stronger than my use for this man right now. My dragon reared up again at the thought of Matthew discovering everything Jax had done. The idea of him locking my friend away for all his illegal activity was enough to make my gums and fingertips ache as my dragon continued to pace at the edge of my consciousness, fangs and claws ready to protrude at any moment.

“Matthew,” I practically growled, fighting to keep my voice controlled. “What are you doing here?”

He still stood in the doorway. I had half a mind to shut it in his face and read Jax the riot act, but Matthew was supposed to be our ally. Sebastian had trusted him. Hopefully I could, too.

“Come in,” Jax told him, and I clenched my teeth when he stepped inside.

“Did anyone see you arrive?” I demanded. “I’m sure the place is being watched.”

“I was careful. It’s my job to be discreet,” Matthew said, looking over my shoulder at Mariah. I took a step in front of her, instinct urging me to keep my mate safe, even though I was sure he wasn’t a threat to her now. “No one saw me.”

My fingers curled into fists, and I had to force myself to relax, but my concern for Jax’s wellbeing still drove me.

“Look.” Matthew held his hands up in surrender. “I can tell you’re worried, but I already told you your source would be granted full immunity if the information he provided was solid. Your friend here sent me quite the file of incriminating evidence. I can assure you what he has is beyond solid. You don’t have to worry.”

I still glared at Jax. We hadn’t agreed to send anything to the feds just yet. Jax had jumped the gun and hadn’t bothered to tell me.

Jax tensed, his jaw ticking. “I did what I felt I had to do. After what you told me about the call he made while you were on the road, it was obvious my father was going off the deep end with this serum. He’s clearly unhinged, Evan. I’ve been monitoring his activity, and that of his accounts. After that call, I discovered Tomas had listed the casino for sale. He’s trying to rid himself of ownership to protect himself.”

“That means he’s worried, then, right?” Mason was speaking up for the first time since Matthew arrived. “He knows you’ve got real dirt on him, so he’s making this move to cover his ass in any way he can.”

Jax nodded his agreement. “Exactly. I suspect he’s caught on that the feds might be on his trail, that they might be coming for him soon and trying to shut him down. He’s nervous. Scared. His actions are spiraling, which has me worried. I know my father. If he feels threatened, he'll go to any length.”

My fists clenched and unclenched as I fought to remain calm. A wild, irrational Tomas Hawthorne wasn’t something I wanted to deal with. Who knew what unexpected curveballs he might throw our way?

Mariah’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, and just her simple touch made my dragon settle down. “Hear him out, Evan.”

I nodded tersely as Jax continued.

“I blocked his ability to make any deals through his existing bank accounts, but I wouldn’t put it past him to make a deal under the table.”

Matthew cleared his throat, coming closer. “Evan, this was the right thing to do. If Hawthorne managed to transfer ownership of the casinos, it’d be a shitshow accessing any of the information. The man is smart. With Jax sending me this information now, it means we can make a move and act on it before it’s too late.”

“We can’t miss the chance to get him locked away, Evan,” Jax said, his eyes pleading for understanding. "That’s why I made the call without running this past you first. I’m sorry. I know you’re my alpha and I should have discussed it with you, but time is running out.”

It looked like everyone here was on the same page besides me. Maybe it was just the fierce protectiveness of an alpha looking out for a member of his clan that had me on edge, but even I could admit they had a good argument.

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “But I can’t stop thinking about my father getting his hands on Mariah again. I saw what he did to her, Evan.” His voice cracked. “And now she’s pregnant. The mere idea of him drugging her and draining her blood again… well, I don’t think the baby could survive that, and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”

My chest squeezed painfully, and I felt Mariah's echoing wave of fear.

“I know you want him dead,” Jax said. “But we can’t bank on that. I’d rather be sure he’s locked up where he can never get to Mariah again.”

I was trying to rein in my emotions, but all I could think about now was Tomas getting his hands on my mate again, and on my unborn child.

“I get it,” I finally growled, turning from Jax to Matthew and pointing a finger at him. “But I better be able to trust you. If you go back on your word—”

“Your source is safe, I swear.” Matthew’s heartbeat was steady and even, giving no indication that he wasn’t telling the truth. I’d always been able to tell if a person was lying. I’d just have to trust his word and my instincts on this.

I turned back to Jax, my anger beginning to dissipate. He’d acted out of a desperate need to protect those he cared about. Despite our differences on how this should be handled, ultimately we both wanted the same thing: to keep Mariah and our children safe.

“I understand why you did what you did,” I finally said. “We all want to stop Tomas and protect Mariah and the baby.” I glanced back at Mariah. One arm cradled Sofia to her chest while the other rested on her belly. Her fierce determination to protect both her babies shone in her eyes, and I knew she'd fight just as hard as any of us.

Matthew cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to him. “The situation with this serum is more serious than you might realize,” he said, his tone grave. "Not only does it pose a threat to your family and the shifter community, but it also has far-reaching consequences, both for national security and the safety of innocent humans.”

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