Page 133 of The Wild Charge

Fox pulled out of his grip, but Abe hovered in front of him until Fox turned around and put his back to Devin. His pulse still throbbed, and that wasn’t helped when he caught sight of the peanut gallery watching him.

Eden had her fingertips pressed to her lips, eyes wide with shock.

Albie looked like he might be the next of them to take a run at Dear Old Dad.

Reese had met Devin before, in London, and clearly recognized him now, if the half-narrowed eyes and compressed lips were anything to go by.

Tenny had his hips and his head cocked, feigning lazy, but his gaze was sharp on their father. Fox wondered, absently, what his assessment was. Was he finding fault? Was he, like Fox, fighting a wave of revulsion?

Albie sucked in a breath, made a noise like an angry bull through his nose, and charged. It was that, more than anything, that finally screwed Fox’s head back on straight.

“Nope.” He caught Albie around the waist when he tried to rush past, and tilted forward to stop his momentum. Albie was so composed most of the time – with his furniture making and his sense of responsibility – that Fox tended to forget how strong he was.

“One swing,” Albie growled, struggling. “Just one.”

“No,” Fox said, firmly, and caught Reese’s gaze.

Reese stepped forward, hooked his hands under Albie’s arms, and helped Fox wrestle him back into the waiting, open elevator – Toly was holding the button down for them – while Albie cursed and struggled.

The doors closed with a soft ding, and Eden slapped the button for their floor.

“Can we let go now?” Fox asked.

“You’re one to talk,” Albie groused, but went lax in their hold.

He and Reese let go together, and Albie tugged at his shirt and smoothed his hair with a huff. He stalked the two strides across the elevator cab as it climbed. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

“Besides making things considerably worse?” Fox asked, digging out a fresh cigarette. He pretended his hands weren’t shaking as he lit it. “Fuck. He probably works for Abacus.”

“I don’t believe that,” Eden said. She lifted both hands in surrender when Fox and Albie sent her looks. “I hate him as much as you do.” She made a face. “Alright, well, not as much as you. But I agree that he’s a spineless worm. I don’t think he’s working for the enemy, though.”

“He’d work for the highest bidder,” Albie said with vehement disgust. “And never question what he was asked to do.”

“But he’s yourfather, boys. A terrible one, I’ll allow. But he isn’t…” She trailed off in the face of their glares. “It’s at least worth hearing what he has to say since he’s already here.”

“Fuck him,” Fox said, taking a deep drag…but he knew he would hear him out, and then hate himself for even bothering.

~*~

Tenny had never had a consistent handler the way Reese had – no constant, familiar threat of Marshall Hunter. His handlers had come and gone, a whole revolving door of them, on the principle that it was better if he never developed an attachment for anyone in particular. There had been concerns about his loyalty – he’d heard them discuss it in front of him, like a dog – but like a good pet, he’d thrived on praise, and food, and he’d come back to heel again and again, because he’d never known anything but sterile walls and hard cots and the strike of a baton when he failed.Again.

He had no concept of fathers. Aside from the possibility that Hunter was Reese’s, and he wanted to kill him for it.

Devin meant nothing to him because he’d neverbeenanything to him. But it was remarkable to watch the rest of his half-siblings fall apart in front of the man.

Devin and Abe came up in a second elevator, and Albie’s knuckles cracked as he flexed his fists and barely seemed to keep from rushing the man again.

Fox had himself well in-hand, but he was chain-smoking, an obvious tell.

Back in the suite, Ian and Alec donned matching quietly horrified expressions when they spotted Devin – expressions that turned to frowns when Devin snapped his fingers, pointed, and said, “Oh, you’re that fancy man.”

Axelle said, “Hoooooly fucking shit.”

Raven, coming into the room on her heels, froze for a moment. Her face stayed admirably blank, but she clicked two of her polished nails together.Click-click-click.

Devin spotted her. “Miss Raven. I forget sometimes how lovely you are, darling. Look at you. Pretty as a picture.”

She started forward – and then kept coming. Tenny didn’t notice her arm moving until she was delivering the slap that cracked like a gunshot against Devin’s cheek. She spun around, afterward, and stalked out of the room.

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