He was an uncle, though. He was the grandson of the man whose sperm had created the first Leo. Elijah Vanderale Demarcy and his wife had given birth to a daughter, then Elijah had turned his attention to the Genetics Council and creating his vision of the perfect son. After all, his wife had refused to bear more children, and as old Vanderale Demarcy had told Leo, a son meant everything. Elijah had been determined to sire a son unlike any other. No matter what it took.
His arrogance and sense of superiority had never been in question. His determination to have a son stronger, more intelligent and unique than any other, could have defined him as mad.
Elijah’s seed, genetically altered though it had been, had begun the process. Then he had set about creating an empire for his son. Vanderale Enterprises. A conglomerate of corporations headed by a supposed distant relative. His vision had been remarkably insightful toward the future. Electronics, weapons and specialized vehicles.
Dane shook his head at the old man’s vision. He had died not long after Leo’s escape from the labs, but he had died knowing he’d given his son freedom and that his son would always know security.
That had been more than sixty years before. Vanderale Enterprises was a thriving, worldwide force now, though the man behind it had always been careful to stay hidden.
Unfortunately, somehow the Alonzos had learned of old Elijah’s contribution to the Genetics Council, and his kinship to the Breeds. Poor gents, they were rather upset over it all.
“Leo is getting antsy,” Ryan murmured as he moved into the cafe booth across from him. “He wants an update on her. Now.”
Great. The old man wanted an update. That usually meant he was roaring from one end of the estate to the other and threatening to head to Broken Butte himself.
This was his fault, Dane admitted. The first time he had found Harmony, wounded, nearly broken, out of her mind with fever, he had taken her to his mother. Hell, he was no doctor. His mother had at one time been the foremost authority on Breed genetics and ailments. She had been the perfect answer.
Except, as Harmony lay in a fevered haze and cried as the child she was, it had been Leo who sat with her. Who cried with her. Now the old man thought of her as his own. And no one threatened what belonged to Leo Vanderale. If such a person lived, it was only so he could regret it.
He stared back at Ryan silently, narrowing his eyes chastisingly as he read the guilt on his friend’s face. Amusement lurked in Rye’s dark eyes as he pushed darker hair back from his forehead.
Ryan was considered quite attractive by the females. His features were well sculpted and slightly rough-hewn. His lips were a bit full, his blue eyes most often filled with laughter. And he had a horrible crush on the Leo’s fair mate, Dane’s mother.
Dane’s mother had called earlier, and rather than facing her inquisition, he had given Rye the phone to offer explanations instead. Bad choice. Ryan was so infatuated with the woman that it was all he could do not to stutter when he talked to her. He was always spilling their plans to the deceptively gentle, soft-spoken mate to the first Leo.
Dane turned his head and stared back out the window at the protestors in front of the Sheriff’s Department. Leo would never countenance taking Harmony from her mate. It was a good idea, and a workable one, but Dane knew his father. The old man would rupture a blood vessel.
Old man. He almost snorted at the thought. At ninety, Leo was still in his prime, as was his wife. And there was the crux of this little nightmare.
“Jonas has made his move,” Dane murmured. “He’ll try to bargain with her now. He may well accept the information she has if she refuses what he truly wants.”
He should have forced her to give it to him years ago, Dane thought. But protecting it, the thought of what would happen to the first Leo if the Council found him, had kept Harmony fighting to live. Her survival depended on her believing she was the only one who knew of Leo’s existence. Dane trusted her—even more, he knew her, as no one but her mate knew her. She had fought like a wildcat to hide and preserve what she had stolen from those labs. She had fought to live, and he had wanted to help. He had needed Harmony to live.
“He wants you,” Ryan reminded him.
Ahh yes. Elyiana’s report that Jonas was after the shadow that kept saving Harmony’s life. The old boy was biting off more than he could chew there. If by chance Jonas managed to capture Dane, he wouldn’t keep him long. If Leo was possessive over Harmony, then his feelings were downright obsessive where his only son was concerned.
Not that Dane intended to let himself get caught.
“He’s going to accuse her of the killings. He’ll pull Breed Law on her and pull her out any minute. Leo’s going to have a cow,” Rye reminded him.
Dane shook his head. “He’ll have an aneurysm. Not a cow.”
Ryan’s lips quirked.
As a partner, Ryan DeSalvo was the best a Breed could ask for. Especially a hybrid breed with the secrets Dane had. Admitting he was well over fifty years old would have shocked most people. Rye had taken it in stride.
“What’s the plan?” Ryan asked as Dane watched the protestors absently.
“Must we have a plan?” Dane leaned back in his seat and placed the smoking cigar between his teeth as he smiled slowly. “Let’s wing this one, my friend. I’m interested to see how far Jonas will take this little plan of his. Let’s see what he’s made of.”
Ryan stared at him in slack-faced amazement. “You’re kidding.”
Dane grinned. “Not hardly. I think it’s time I learned what my little half brother is made of, don’t you? The seed the Council preserved from the old man created Jonas. Let’s see if he has the same steely determination.”
Harmony was a product of another patriarchal Breed line, thankfully. Otherwise, the feelings he had for her would have gotten him killed years before. Leo wasn’t very understanding about breaking certain rules. That was one of them. If Dane fucked a Breed female, then he better damned well be one hundred percent certain what her patriarchal line was. Which meant his mother did a thorough genetic typing. Not exactly conducive to a good sex life for a man when his mother was vetting the prospective lover.
It had been bad enough when Leo learned Dane had taken Harmony to his bed. The old man had raged for months, furious that Dane had dared to take her without a mating.
“And the information she has?”
“Unfortunately, we have to secure the files she stole. We can no longer allow her to keep them.” Dane removed the cigar from his lips and blew a stream of smoke past his lips as his gaze wandered to the little waitress working across the room. A delectable little thing she was, and he had a need to relieve the tension growing inside him.
As she glanced over at him, he winked slowly and watched her pretty little blush.
“And how do you intend to do that?” Ryan asked suspiciously.
“I won’t.” He shrugged. “Harmony will. We’ll just follow along and relieve her of her bounty. And of course, Jonas will follow to protect her, and possibly apprehend myself. The latter we’ll just have to disappoint him in.”
“God, you’ve lost your mind.” Rye sat back in his seat slowly. “The old man is going to blow a gasket if he learns of this, Dane. He doesn’t like these games you keep playing with the Council and Jonas.”