Page 5 of Frenzy
I parked in my spot and took a deep breath. I had to leave my frustrations at the door, because like bees and wild animals, children could sense your emotions. They’d know if I was frustrated or angry, and then they’d be riled for the rest of the day.
As soon as I put my hand on the door, the call went up.
“Bonnie’s back!” someone shouted from the back of the house, and I could hear the tiny pounding of feet from all directions.
“Bonnie!” A tiny body slammed into my knees, and I grinned down at Duncan. Darius appeared in the doorway, a pout on his face.
“Sheesh, you’d think I was chopped liver. We were in the middle of a thrilling game of hide-and-seek, but that stops when Bonnie arrives,” he teased, shifting a toddler to his other hip. Only the little ones were here now, the rest at school next door for another hour.
I grinned and raised an eyebrow. “What can I say? I’m the only one who knows where the chocolate is hidden.”
Another tiny body plowed into me, and I laughed. “Come on, we’ll have some hot chocolate and watch a movie, Chicklettes.” I did a rough head count as they ran, or toddled, from the room. Except the toddler in Darius’s arms. He was more than happy to be snuggled into the chest of the sweet Omega.
Once the kids were out of earshot, he raised an eyebrow. “How’d it go?”
I huffed. “You know how it went.”
A low growl from Darius’s throat had the toddler wiggling in his arms to get down. Darius kissed the top of his curly head. “Sorry, Harry.” He put him on the ground and Harry took off down the hall after his friends.
Darius lifted half the bags from my arms, following me through the house. “Did you tell them how much you’re subsidizing this place?”
“And you,” I said softly.
“Hell, Old Trev too. And Luna at the bakery. Terra over at the school sends the kids home with new clothes all the time. We are all paying for these kids, except the people who should be.”
I looked over my shoulder at him. “Preaching to the choir, Darius. Radic said he’d pull some strings, and hell, maybe he can get the old bastards to just sign some paperwork without reading it.”
Darius sighed heavily. “Sometimes I wish Gatlin would just overthrow the Alpha General and take over. I know he wouldn’t let this shit stand.” Gatlin was a half-blood Manix too—the illegitimate offspring of the Alpha General. If anyone would be sympathetic to the plight of the Sanctum, it would be him.
I hushed Darius, in case there were any ears around to hear his near traitorous words, but secretly I agreed with him.
Something had to change soon, or we were looking down the black hole of extinction.
3
Courtland
“Ican shoot as well as Dom,” Rosa whined, and my Beta snorted.
I shook my head. “No, you can’t.”
Rosa huffed. “Well, he taught me, so maybe he's just a shitty teacher.”
Dominic continued checking out his semi-automatic and flipped her the finger absently. I shook my head at them both. “Irrespective of the fact, you aren’t coming on this raid.”
“This is just as much my fight as it is yours, Courtland. Theysoldme.”
I resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose, instead giving her my signature blank stare. “And I saved you. I’m not undoing all that good work by letting you walk into a highly dangerous situation, completely inexperienced. My answer is no, Rosa. I need you to stay here and pack up your siblings for a quick escape.”
All the fight left her, and she nodded tightly. The week before, I had sat them all down and told them that it was time to go. The children—though most of them were teens now, with only Marguerita still in her preteens—had taken it in their stride. Rosa had looked relieved, despite her arguments now. But Abuela had refused to leave, and it had cast a pall over the decision. To most of them, Abuela had been the only parent they’d known, and it was because she loved them that she insisted they come with me, rather than staying in the compound with her and the rest of my men.
My wards would come with me, wherever I went. Dominic too. I had a few men in my crew, the ones I really trusted, who would do this job with me and move up to the US. The kids would have good opportunities there, proper schooling and safe lives. Once we were settled, my men could come back down here, or I would help them disappear into the US or Canada. It was up to them. I was done being the Lord of this Castle.
Antonio poked his head through the door. “We are ready, Prince.”
“Coming.” I softened my face as I looked at Rosa. “I do not need another warrior, Rosa. I need you to be safe. All of you.”
She blew out a long breath. “Okay, Court. Go rescue some experiments. I’ll get everyone ready to go.”
