“We are forgetting something pretty important here,” Felipe said. “Javi. What the hell is his involvement? Why is he going for Maddy?”
“I think Javi and his clan are working for the royals,” I said. “This extended family of Edemas who have been hiding throughout the centuries and searching for any offspring. If what my father is saying is true, they surely heard the stories of the two escaped Edemas babies. They want that line dead.”
“But all this stuff happened back in, like, Europe or whatever. How does that get to America?” Felipe asked.
“Javi and his clan didn’t always live in Florida,” Dad said, grabbing our attention again. “He and his father got here back when I was a kid. I was maybe seven or eight. Javi was a few years older. I specifically remember that they had strange accents when they first got here. Those slowly disappeared over a couple years as they grew their pack and tried to fit in more. Now? You can’t even tell Javi isn’t a native. I think they came from the old countries. That could be how they’re connected.”
“Christ. We need to keep tabs on Javi,” I said, looking at Luis.
“On it. We’ll see what we can find. We’ll have someone watching his movements. I was already going to do that, but now it’s gonna need to be more intense.”
“Thanks for coming over so late, guys. Go on home, get some sleep,” I said, my own exhaustion starting to seep in.
The guys trickled out, eventually leaving me and Dad alone in the foyer. He wrapped me in a hug and pounded me on the back, then pulled away and looked at me. “If Maddy is your mate, I’m glad you’re the one who found her. No one would have taken care of her the way you have.” Dad winced and shook his head. “Your mother, though? Oof, she’s going to lose her shit.”
I groaned, knowing he was telling the truth. “Can you hold off on telling her? I know she’ll try to pressure us into something Maddy’s not ready for.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“We’ve got to make sure she’s safe before any talk of claiming happens.”
“Son, you don’t have to persuade me. I wholeheartedly agree. Some things need to come first. I understand that. Your mother, however?” He made a face that told me all I needed to know.
“Good night, Dad. I love you.”
“Love you, son,” he said as he walked down the porch steps. “Get some sleep. You may not get much for the next few weeks.”
I did get some sleep, which surprised me a little. I made my way down to the kitchen the next morning and started a pot of coffee. Before it was done brewing, Maddy’s door opened and closed at the top of the stairs. She came walking down, still in her bathrobe from the night before. She didn’t meet my eyes as she walked over and took a seat at the island, probably still trying to process everything that had happened the night before. I couldn’t blame her.
I poured her a cup and slid the mug across the counter top to her. She took it. “Thanks,” she mumbled. “Cream and sugar?”
I pulled a container of heavy cream from the fridge and a small jar of sugar out of the pantry, putting them beside her cup. “I need to go to work for a while.”
Maddy finally glanced up. “How come?”
“Stuff still needs to get done. I own a car shop in town. I’ve had the team taking care of most of the day-to-day stuff while I’ve been doing research and other things. I need to get in there and touch base. Sebastian will be stopping by. He’ll watch you most of the day. When I get back, I’d like to talk more about your adoption.”
When she looked into my eyes, it was like she was diving right into my soul. It was all I could do not to look away. “Have you found something?” she asked, her coffee forgotten.
“My dad and I think your birth parents may have known about their bloodline. It’s our opinion that they gave you up to protect you.”
“I guess that makes sense. If things were as dangerous for them as they seem to be for me, it might have been their only option.”
“Right. We may have a way to find the social worker, but I won’t know for sure until I talk to Luis. I’m going to have him drive out to Tampa this morning, do some digging.”
“Tampa? That’s where the orphanage was where I was found.”
“Exactly. Again, I don’t want to get too deep into it, but we’ll see where this goes.”
“Sebastian should be here soon. I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced, but you’ll recognize him when you see him,” I said. I knew what Maddy had been going through the last week. If anyone could lift her spirits, Sebastian was up to the task. “Even though he’s here, don’t hesitate to call me if you need me.”
She nodded, lowering her gaze to stare into her coffee cup and the steam rising off the cup. I couldn’t help myself. I moved around the counter and put a hand to her cheek, encouraging her to look at me again. She finally did, and I could see the fear in her eyes.
“I promise I won’t pressure you into anything. I’m sorry if…if me telling you about my feelings was too much. I apologize. It’s a lot, and I swear I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to.”
We looked into each other’s eyes for several seconds. The desire and need to kiss her was almost enough to break my will. My wolf was salivating and growling in lust and wanting. I fought off everything raging in my head, desperate to keep my word.
“Thank you,” Maddy whispered after a moment.
I slid my thumb across her cheek like I had the night before. This time, she was awake, and I could see the color rise in her cheeks at the action. Thankfully, the doorbell rang before anything else could happen.
“Hey, yo? Nico? I’m here,” Sebastian shouted from the entryway.
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