“Well… he’s told me he’s around. I’ve been looking for him, using a private investigator, but he’s been lying low.”
What? “You’re using a private investigator to find your brother, who told you he’s around? Why? What on earth do you need to do that for?”
“He’s not… he’s not a safe person. He’s leaning heavily to try and get me to come back. Threatening any of the relationships I might be forming, because I shouldn’t be wasting time with humans, anyway.” Now he finally looked Tegan in the eyes, and there was a whole lot of guilt there. “He could be dangerous to you.”
Tegan absorbed the information as calmly as possible, though there was a slight chill creeping up her neck, making her whole spine shiver. “You really think so?”
“I didn’t want to tell you. I thought I’d be able to locate him myself. Deal with the problem before he became one.”
Tegan knew she should probably be angry that he withheld such important, vital information from her, but what she said instead was, “Do you think he’d kill me?” Though it felt like overreacting, saying that, Kieran winced.
“I don’t think it’s beyond him. Especially since we’re in such a remote place. I’m also… nervous that once he finds out you’re pregnant, it might push him to act. He might be content to watch me for a few months otherwise, until I figure out where he is and… handle him myself.”
All of this sounded fairly ominous. Some of the anger found its way inside. “You really, really could’ve told me about this earlier.”
He nodded, having nothing else to say. Something occurred to her, and the iciness spread.
“Do you—do you think he ruined my crops?”
“He would be my first guess for that. A warning to me. He knows you, where you go. He’s watching you.”
Watching me. Tegan felt a kick to her heart. “Emory got his number. She’s planning to meet him.”
Kieran cursed. “Tell Emory not to do so.”
Tegan raced for the phone, but the lack of response from Emory highly suggested she was out for the evening. Out to the bars. When she said this to Kieran, he grimaced.
“I’ll look for her,” he said. “You stay put.”
“Can you handle your brother? Will I be safe?” It came out as a soft plea.
“I’ll do my best.”
The fact that he didn’t give his word that she’d come to no harm made the doubts bloom. Made her angrier with him, for pushing her into this unseen danger, sitting on the knowledge for god knew how long.
“He’s my responsibility.” Kieran pulled on his black coat and strode out of the house, leaving Tegan alone and scared. Wondering just what kind of mess she’d gotten herself into.
Chapter Six – Kieran
Fuck. Kieran contacted Locke and his latest hire, Karen Macey, in a three-way call, imparting all the information he knew, even as he raced to one of the bars scattered around town.
“He’s already watching her, probably ruined her crops as a warning. I’m heading to the bars now to find her friend, who may be dating him.”
“You think this brother of yours would meet with her in a bar?” Karen said. “You said he dislikes humans.”
“Good point,” Locke growled. “He’d probably want somewhere quieter. I had a guy watching that allotment, but he’s not got back to me yet. Also have one watching her workplace, but that’s a bad idea to make a scene there.”
“Check in with that guy,” Kieran panted, trying to remember which bars were less crowded and slightly panicking that maybe Broxar had lured Emory away to somewhere a lot quieter. Though maybe he didn’t plan to strike yet, and would just lead Emory along, pump more information out of her… he couldn’t help but remember some of the victims of Broxar’s wrath. Those victims had been other shifters, located far enough away from human civilization for their deaths to never reach the news—but that was a death tally he’d been responsible for. Several people who crossed their family’s paths—all gone.
It started with their oldest brother dying and their father siccing him on those who killed his son, fair and square in one of their traditional duels. Maybe it started a lot earlier than that, but Kieran wasn’t aware of a circumstance that might correlate to that.
“If any of you do encounter him, please be careful. He’ll fuck you all up.”
“No need to tell us that. Lucky I have some dragonsbane bullets on me. Always fancied taking out somethin’ much more evil than myself without repercussion.” Locke sounded far too excited about the prospect.
Good idea. He kicked himself for not thinking of that before, because wrestling his brother one-on-one might not work out too well. Kieran didn’t use his dragon form enough to be truly comfortable in it.
“Just make sure you don’t shoot me accidentally.”
“I’ll try not to,” Macey responded. They exchanged a little more information and promised to hit the bars, since both were in town, and Kieran entered the first one he saw. Nothing.
Two bars later, he got a call from Locke, saying he’d located Emory—causing Kieran and Macey to converge on his point, a small dive bar on the outskirts of the snow-strewn town, more run down and falling apart than the others. Only two cars were parked nearby it, and Kieran loitered outside at Macey’s advice, waiting to bust in if any trouble occurred.
We don’t need him recognizing you, Locke had said, agreeing with the other investigator. Just stay outside in the shadows. Watch your back.
Standing outside in the freezing cold wasn’t really his idea of what he expected to happen. He thought he’d storm in there, see his brother, maybe yell a little, and hear some kooky threats before his brother slunk off smugly into the night.
Macey called him after a few minutes, as he shivered in the cold and the dark. “Don’t see your brother here. Looks like he might’ve stood her up.”
That didn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t his brother want to follow up on a juicy lead? Unless it wasn’t him. Unless Kieran was completely overreacting, making a perfectly innocent encounter more than it was.
“You’re certain?”
“She’s sulking. This one likes to have a good time, so her sulking in a ratty dive bar with three other people is a good indication. I’ll follow her if she moves around. Stay out there. Watch.”
Watch. So exciting. He felt more and more like he was just wasting his damn time here. For all he knew, Broxar had insider knowledge and was now approaching Tegan, left alone at the house…
He tried not to let it get to him. Emory left at a point, with Macey discreetly following her shortly afterward, and Locke emerged with a worried frown on his face, finding Kieran as he stepped out of the garden he’d taken refuge in.
“I’m not getting any word back from the boy I set to watching the allotment. Worried something’s happened to him. He was a loner, so I don’t think there’s anyone who’d call the police if he went missing.” He asked for Kieran to follow, and he did so reluctantly, trying to banish the visions of Tegan being in danger. Tegan being attacked by an angry, vicious dragon. Tegan and his child gone, because of him, because he was bold enough to fight against his family.