I turned and leaned against the counter, pressing my hands against the cool linoleum to keep them from shaking. Even if I could Change there was very little chance I could hold my own against two enforcers.
Felis didn’t kill Felis.
But we could beat up on each other something bad.
The scars on my back began to throb.
“Where are the kids?” Eddie asked. The unspoken threat lay under the surface of his words.
I smiled.
It was either that or scream and I didn’t have the energy for that. My legs were shaky enough, I couldn’t withstand a prolonged run or chase.
“Where are they?” Eddie repeated.
I said nothing.
He spread his hands with an answering grin. “Plenty of time for us to talk. We ain’t going nowhere.”
The kettle whistled for attention. I went back to making tea, filling the Brown Betty teapot to the top before adding three mugs and a small pourer of milk to the tray.
Common courtesy told me to be a good hostess and at least provide tea for my visitors.
I wasn’t making the bastards toast.
Nathan watched me as I brought the tray out and placed it on the table. My eyes strayed to the discolored patch of hardwood floor. I hadn’t gotten a throw rug to hide the bloodstains.
I went to the old wooden chair reserved for clients, placed in front of my desk. It took a second to turn it around and sit down but it gave my back some support and allowed me to view the two men with the wall behind me. I wasn’t going to give them a chance to get behind me if possible.
Eddie positioned himself in the cushioned chair opposite Nathan on the couch—both of them between me and the front door.
As if I was going to be chased out of my own house.
“I assume you both drink tea?” The strength in my voice surprised me.
It was my first full view of Nathan McCallister, other than the shadow that smashed into me. He was thin and tall, a man who probably used a safety line in the shower to avoid slipping down the drain. His dark hair was neatly pulled back in a ponytail and his eyes darted everywhere, constantly updating himself on what was around him. He wore a black T-shirt and black jeans, muscles taut and tight. A large bruise on the left side of his face showed he hadn’t walked away from the park unscathed.
He smelled of trouble. This was a man you did not bring home to mother, unless your mother was a major-league badass biker mama.
Eddie was wearing the same outfit from the hospital. I guessed he hadn’t slept much either.
He crossed his legs as I poured tea out into the three mugs. “You’re being very polite, given the circumstances.”
“My mom raised me properly.” I passed him a cup. “And it’s been a long night.”
“Got that right,” Nathan growled. He didn’t take the mug.
I put it on the table facing him.
Eddie sat back in his chair, cradling his mug in both hands without fearing the heat. “Let me spell this out. You know where the kids are. We know where you are. Just tell us where the kids are or bring them in and we’re all done here.”
I waggled my hand at the two men. “Since when do you two play with each other?” I allowed myself a smirk. “And do you let others watch?”
Nathan crossed his arms and glared at Eddie. “I want Evan. He wants Lisa. You’ve got them both. Simple enough. Double the trouble.”
Eddie gave a half-hearted shrug. “It’s the nature of the business. Enemy of my enemy and all that.”
“I’m not your enemy.” The left side of my body started to ache, the fresh skin from the scar on my arm burning. “We’re all family here.”
Nathan let out something between a snort and a cough.
“We is and we aren’t,” Eddie said. He leaned forward. “Look, this is something beyond what you signed on for. This is why I came to you in the hospital, trying to let you know this wasn’t going to work out. We want to take it off your hands before it becomes something you can’t handle.”
I sipped tea before responding. “Seems I’m handling it quite well, considering where we stand right now. Or do you not want to go back to your bosses with your tails between your legs?”
The two hunters exchanged glances and Nathan’s lips curled away from his teeth. He wasn’t used to verbally jousting with anyone.
Eddie put his mug down on the table. “Look, just hand over the kids and no one needs to get hurt.” He glanced at Nathan, a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. “Well, any more hurt.”
Nathan snorted. “I’m not apologizing for doing my job.”
“Well maybe if you hadn’t slammed her into the wall we wouldn’t be sitting here,” Eddie responded.
Nathan uncrossed his arms. “At least I’m not playing nice guy waiting to screw her over if given the chance.” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t be putting the moves on her if she weren’t outcast. Get into her bed and get what you want without throwing a punch.” He leered at me. “Unless that’s how she likes it.”
Someone cleared his throat.
It wasn’t either of the enforcers.
Bran stood in the doorway. He looked more tired and pissed-off than I’d ever seen him, his flushed face almost matching his hair. His right hand was tucked behind him, hiding something.
“Oh look—it’s the boy toy.” Nathan snorted. “About time you got here.”
Bran’s hand appeared. The baseball bat was worn and stained in places.
I had no idea where it’d come from.
“Get. Out,” Bran rasped.
“We’re not finished talking to your girlfriend. When we’re done we’ll leave.” Nathan turned back to me, ignoring Bran. “We were talking about you handing the kids over to us.” He smiled. “Before anyone gets hurt again.”
Eddie shifted in his chair. He studied Bran for a minute then looked away, speaking to me. “Look, the kids are going to turn eighteen in a few days. Best thing for them is to go home and figure out what they want with family. Let us take them back and we’ll all be done.”
Bran began to walk over, his lips pressed into a tight, thin line. Neither Felis paid much attention to him, focusing on forcing me to give up the two runaways.
That was about to be a big, big mistake.
“Kind of odd, isn’t it—these two having birthdays so close to each other. Reaching the age of maturity within the same short period.” I threw out the small talk trying not to stare at Bran. “Sort of a cosmic coincidence.”
Nathan shrugged. “What of it?”
I shifted in my seat. “Maybe it’s a sign of some sort. Like they’re supposed to be healing the families instead of continuing this silly feud.”
Eddie’s nostrils flared. “It’s not silly.” His voice dropped an octave. “Death is never silly.”
Bran strolled behind me and stopped at my desk. He placed the bat on the cluttered surface and opened a drawer, making quite the noise as he rummaged around.
“You still got munchies stashed in here? I’m starved.”
Both men wasted a second watching and assessing him before turning their attention back to me.
“Anyone want a candy?” He unwrapped and popped a hard caramel in his mouth from my stash, making a big deal of fussing with the thin plastic wrapper.
The two men ignored him.
“A woman smacks her head during a challenge and now you’ve got people beating each other senseless for generations?” I shook my head. “Madness.”
A snarl worked its way up from Eddie’s throat. “The Chandlers chose the field. They knew Laura would have a better chance of winning ’cause she knew it was full of holes.”