Bonding With the Beast Read online

  “Wine? I don’t want your fucking wine!” her ex snarled. “I want my life back. Do you know I lost my job because of you, you little cunt? I spent all my sick time trying to find you and then I spent my personal days and then they fired me. They fired me—and all because of you!”

  “I’m sorry, Mitch—what do you want me to say?” she asked desperately. “I…I was afraid. You’re making me afraid now.”

  “Oh, am I scaring you sweetheart? After you ruined an entire year of my life and lost me my job?” he snapped. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Can’t we just talk about this?” Isobel asked pleadingly. “I know you’ve missed us. We…we’ve missed you too.” It was a big fat lie but she hoped Mitch couldn’t tell that. She would have said anything at that point—anything to calm him and get him to put down the gun.

  “There’s no more talking in this family!” Mitch declared. “This is what we’re going to do—you two are going to pack your bags and come back home with me to California where you belong. You—” he pointed at Isobel, “Are going to be a stay at home mom from now on. Keeping you at home ought to keep you out of trouble. And you won’t have a car to drive either. We’ll sell the one you have and if you want to go anywhere—anywhere at all—I’ll fucking drive you myself. That ought to keep you where you belong.”

  “Mitch—” she began but he kept talking.

  “Now Mr. Brandon over there…” He motioned with the gun at her son in a way that made Isobel’s heart lurch in her chest. “Is going to go back to school and act normal for once in his fucking life. That’s right, buddy,” he added, when Brandon stuck his head out from behind Isobel to look at him with wide, frightened eyes. “We’re going to get you signed up for Little League, maybe Peewee football too. And no more of this ‘special’ treatment at school. You’re going to make it on your own with good old fashioned work, just like I did when I was your age.”

  “Mitch—” Isobel began again but her ex wasn’t done yet.

  “Oh, I know what you’re going to say…” He made his voice high and mincing, “Poor little Brandon’s too delicate. He has special needs.” He glared at her. “Well no more of that shit. I’ve had enough of you coddling my son. From now on we’re doing things my way.” He gave a too-hearty laugh that sent a chill down Isobel’s spine. “Hell, the little shit’ll probably turn out to be the fucking star quarterback of the team by the time I’m done with him.”

  “But I don’t want to play football.” Brandon spoke up for the first time, poking his head out from behind Isobel again.

  “Brandon, hush!” She tried to push him back with her elbow. Above all, she didn’t want her ex husband to turn his attention—and his anger—against her son.

  “But I don’t,” Brandon protested. He glared at his father. “And you can’t make us go with you. Commander Hail won’t let you take us.”

  “What?” Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “Commander who did you say?”

  “Nobody,” Isobel said quickly. “He’s a Kindred officer we met the other day and Brandon took a liking to him, that’s all.”

  “And is he the only one who took a liking to him?” Mitch demanded. He waved the gun at her menacingly. “Tell me, Isobel—have you been cheating on me?”

  “Mitch, please—I never—”

  “Commander Hail is going to be my new dad,” Brandon announced with what had to be the worst timing in the world, Isobel thought.

  “He what?” Mitch’s small, piggy eyes blazed with fury. “What did you say you little shit?” he roared, pointing the gun at Brandon.

  “Brandon, get back—get back!” Isobel shoved him desperately behind her, trying to shield her son with her own body. “He’s just talking,” she told Mitch desperately. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

  “Well, I know what he’s saying—he’s saying you’ve been fucking around on me, you slut!” Mitch roared. “Both of you have—you found a new husband and Brandon thinks he found himself a new dad. Well, I have news for you, sweetheart…” He leveled the gun right at Isobel’s face. “If I can’t have you, no one can.”

  Isobel screamed and leaned backwards and to the side, trying to shield Brandon and keep them both out of the line of fire at the same time. There was deafening roar of the handgun going off and she felt something hot slice through her upper left arm.

  “Hold still, sweetheart,” Mitch shouted, that maniacal grin on his face again. “I’m not done with you yet. But don’t worry—I have plenty of bullets, enough for all three of us!”

  A terrible headline flashed through Isobel’s mind, Murder suicide shocks quiet, residential district in Tampa suburb.

  Mitch was really going to do it—he was going to kill first her and Brandon and then himself. From the wild look in his eyes, Isobel suspected that had been his plan all along. Somehow he had gone crazy when she left him—crazy with anger and grief—and now he intended to make her and Brandon pay for his insanity with their lives.

  “Mitch, no!” she cried. She could feel her son trembling under her, his thin frame quaking with fear. She wondered wildly if her body could stop a bullet that was aimed at both of them—if Brandon could survive this even if she didn’t. But then who would take care of him? Who would advocate for him and love him and understand him. “Please…please don’t!” she begged. Her left arm felt numb but she raised her right hand in a pleading gesture.

  But her pleas were falling on deaf ears. Mitch had a wild, crazy look of determination on his face and she knew he had no intention of stopping until she and Brandon were both dead.

  “Hold still!” he snarled again, aiming the gun at her a second time. “I’m gonna—”

  The front door banged open and his eyes jerked up in surprise. Isobel looked too and saw Hail standing there, a look of fury on his stern features.

  “Get away from them!” Hail’s voice was a thundering roar. “If you feel the need to shoot someone—fucking shoot me!”

  Mitch’s eyes widened, then narrowed.

  “You,” he breathed. “You’re the one who stole them from me!”

  He leveled the gun at Hail’s broad chest and Isobel heard herself screaming. Then there was another deafening crack and the big Kindred staggered back—but only for an instant.

  He straightened up and began to change.

  * * * * *

  It shouldn’t have been possible because he hadn’t changed the settings on his emotion damper but it happened anyway—Hail could feel his beast coming out.

  Though he had sworn never to let it surface again, he was glad. He needed the darker side of himself now—needed it to combat this threat against the woman he loved and her son, whom he cared for. He would not allow this evil, jealous bastard to harm or kill them—not while he still drew breath.

  Roaring, he lunged for the male who was menacing Isobel and Brandon. He was big for a human, but nothing compared to Hail’s beast. The male had a shocked look on his face as Hail snatched the gun from him and squeezed the barrel in one big fist, crumpling it into a useless hunk of metal.

  He tried to run but Hail grabbed him by the throat, hoisting him over his head.

  “You dare to touch them?” he growled in his beast’s voice. “They are mine! Mine to cherish and protect! You will never approach them again—do you understand?” He shook the male, who was getting red in the face. “Do you?”

  “Yes!” the male choked. “Yes, I…I swear. I’ll leave them alone!”

  “If you ever come near them again, I’ll kill you.” Hail shook him again. “I should kill you now but the boy does not need to see his father die in front of him, no matter how much you deserve death.”

  “I…I…” The male made choking sounds but Hail was done with him.

  He dropped Mitch like the sack of garbage he was. There was a thunk as the male’s head hit the floor and his eyes rolled up in his head. Out cold—good, now Hail could concentrate on what was really important.

  He turned to Isobel. “Are you all right? You