"I do not understand how you can stand the smell."
"You get used to it after a while."
"I don't think I want to."
"You could always leave you know."
"Believe me I think I will! This is gross."
"I can't help but notice that you haven't left yet."
"…Shut"
Percy chuckled, as he finished mucking the last stall in the stable. It had been a few weeks since the storm that had snowed them into Percy's home. The storm had passed at some point in the night, and Percy had driven Isabella and a sleeping Cassidy back to Isabella's home. When Isabella had woken up the following day, she'd found her car in the driveway, and a small, hastily scribbled note from Percy telling her how much he'd enjoyed spending time with her and Cassidy and his hopes that they could do something similar again soon.
Isabella had been all too happy to accept the kind offer. Most days now found her meandering around Percy's farm, watching him work or helping him with some odd ends here and there. She didn't even really remember making a conscious decision to do it. It had just sort of…happened. She still conducted her own work, she now just found herself doing her work more and more frequently from the comfort of Percy's office, or from one of the stables as Percy worked.
It was…nice to have someone around while she worked. Someone to distract her a little and chat with.
The snow had finally melted, and the greens of late spring and early summer were finally starting to show. Percy had finally been able to get his horses out of the stables again, which was for the best, because apparently, they didn't do well being cooped up again for so long without time outdoors.
"You and Cass still planning on coming over tomorrow for her first lesson?" Percy asked as he put his equipment away, and began stripping free from his dirty boots and work clothes.
"Planning on it, she's been really excited about it. Hasn't stopped bragging to all of her friends for over a week now."
Isabella had been initially hesitant to agree to the lessons, but after seeing how well Percy had been with Cassidy, the decision seemed to have been made for her. Not that she was necessarily complaining.
Her phone began buzzing in her pocket, and she frowned. She hadn't been expecting any personal messages today, and she had purposely left her business phone in the office she was using. Digging her phone free from her jeans she nearly swore when she saw the name.
"Hang on a second Percy, I gotta take this."
"No problem, need to change into non shit-stained pants anyway."
Isabella crinkled her nose at him. Sometimes having an enhanced sense of smell was far more of a curse than a gift.
"Please do."
She stepped out of the stables, and put the phone to her ear.
"Speak," she ordered. A male voice on the other end answered.
"I'm sorry for calling directly boss," he apologized immediately.
"Save it," she snapped. "Whatever this is about had better warrant you calling my personal number."
"August is dead."
Isabella paused, her blood freezing.
"How?" Was all she managed to say.
"Shot inside his apartment last night. His girlfriend found him when he didn't show up to her place. We got the place cleaned and gutted before the normies got to it."
"And the cops?"
"Started an open investigation, but are so far looking at it as a robbery gone wrong."
Isabella chewed at her lip. That wasn't the worst-case scenario at any rate. She would need run cleanup before anything could be done with respect to finding August's murderer.
"Any word on the Feds poking around?"
"Saw an investigator poking around Gillespie's this morning, but none of us have been approached yet." "Good," nodded Isabella, "Talk no one. No one is to engage with the agent or interfere with their investigation. If any of our people get approached, they are not to speak without the presence of one of our lawyers."
"Isn't that only going to put them even more on our scent?"
"No more than they already are. And I would rather that they be suspicious without any evidence, than for one of our people to slip up and say some shit they shouldn't by mistake. Or worse, have one of those bastards sick an empath or something else on them."
"Got it boss."
"Anything else?"
The other end of the line was quiet for a moment, and Isabella felt her stomach drop even further.
"Michael was nearly hit two days ago, he got away before anything could happen but it was a near thing. And I've been hearing rumors that the Elmhurst's have been hit, but they've been quiet about the whole thing. Someone is making moves on the family boss. On all of the families. The Captains and Lieutenants are all talking, you need to get down here."
Isabella swore. She'd been worried about something like this happening. Things had been tense, lately. Rumors about some of the other families gathering members and arms, as though they were preparing for something. She glanced behind her, checking to make sure that Percy still wasn't there. Satisfied, she took another couple of steps away from the stables.
"I'll be there, I'll be bringing Cassidy with me so have her room prepared, and I'll want a full team surrounding her at all times."
"…are you sure that's wise boss? If someone is targeting the families, then wouldn't brining her here just put her in more danger?"
"I appreciate the concern, Andrew, but I am not going to leave her alone with some babysitter while I'm five-hundred miles away. I'd rather he be somewhere where I know she'll get the security she needs."
"I'll have the boys ready for your arrival," said Andrew, "Should we expect you here tonight?"
"Yes. Have a plane ready for us in Marquette by three. We'll probably be in late, but I expect a full briefing upon my arrival."
Without another word, she ended the call and stowed her phone away in her pocket. She sighed, rubbing at her temples with her hand.
"Should I assume that I should cancel tomorrow's lesson?"
She jumped. She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed Percy's scent grow closer and closer. She whirled around at him, panic swirling through her. Had he heard all of that? If so…that was a problem. A big one.
"How much of that did you hear?" She asked, doing her best to try and sound sheepish and quiet her hammering heartbeat.
"Enough to know that something is going on and you and Cassidy are heading out of town," shrugged Percy.
"I'm really sorry, Percy." She said, and she meant it.
"Hey," he smiled understandingly at her, "Life happens. believe me, I get it. We'll just reschedule for when you two get back." He frowned, "I just feel bad for Cassidy. She was really looking forward to this."
"I know," sighed Isabella, "But I'm just not comfortable leaving her here without me."
"No, no." Percy shook his, "Totally get that, that's super understandable."
"It is," agreed Isabella, "But try telling that to a temperamental eight-year-old."
Percy smiled ruefully. "That…sounds like a you problem."
"Ass," she giggled, slugging him in the shoulder. He made a show of yelping in pain and leaping away from her, but he was grinning.
"Be safe," Percy said, "And…I don't want to seem forward or overprotective or anything, but do you mind letting me know when you get there safe? You're like…my one friend in this town and I just worry and-"
"Percy," she smiled, "It's all right." It was really rather sweet of him, to be worried about their safety like that. Especially since she and Cassidy had only been in his life for a short time. Had it been anyone else, Isabella would have been suspicious of ulterior motivations behind the sense of concern. But after spending as much time as she had around the man in the last couple of weeks, she thought she had a good read on his personality. The man was little more than an overly grown golden retriever. Unnaturally cheerful and good-spirited, a little goofy, and more than a little thick-headed. But he was most certainly not predatory.
"I'll give you a call when I can. I have a meeting I have to attend the minute I get there, but I'll give you a call when I can…but it might be a little late."
"That's fine," said Percy, waving off the concern with a wave. "I'll probably be up anyway."
She smiled at him, and then hesitated for a moment. Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she strode forward and wrapped her arms around the man. He hesitated himself for a moment, and then he reciprocated the embrace. Wrapping his much larger arms around her slender frame. She leaned into him, and before she could think to stop herself, she was inhaling deeply. Committing the man's scent to memory.
She really hated some of her baser, more animalistic instincts at times.
"Thanks for being a good man, Percy." She said softly into his chest.
"Thanks for being a good friend." He said back, just as softly. She held him there for a few moments longer, before finally pulling herself free. She left her arms hooked around his shoulders for a moment. She was tempted, oh so tempted, to just lean up and capture his lips in hers. But she refrained herself. There was a chemistry between them, that much was fairly obvious, but she was hesitant to do much about it at the moment. She had more than her own feelings and lust to think about. Cassidy was her number one priority, and she still didn't know or trust the man nearly enough to let him into her daughter's life like that. Not until Isabella was certain that there wasn't a chance that her daughter could get hurt.
The last thing in the world Cassidy needed was to have a man in her life, only for Isabella and Percy not to work out and for him to abandon Cassidy like her father had.
Isabella wanted to trust Percy. She truly did. But she couldn't rush into a relationship with a man she'd known for all of a couple of weeks.
She knew deep down, that she was being overly cautious. That there was nothing sinister behind those kind sea-green eyes. But she needed to be sure. If not just for Cassidy's sake…
Then for her own as well.
But that didn't mean she couldn't let Percy know that she was interested. At least a little. She leaned up, planting a small kiss on his cheek. And if it was a little close to the corner of his mouth? Then that was surely just incidental.
"I'll see talk to you later Percy." She said, pulling herself free and spinning on her heels before she lost what was left of her dignity. She didn't look back until she had a hand on the door to her car. Only then, did she dare to look back at him.
He was still standing there. A dopey, delighted smile on his face.
She flushed, but didn't fight the smile that crawled onto her face.
Getting in the car, she began to pull away from the ranch. But her good mood, and sunny disposition only lasted until around the end of the driveway. A familiar police cruiser was parked across the street, and as soon Isabella turned onto the main road, its engine roared to life and began to pursue her down the street.
She groaned as the lights on the roof of the cruiser sprang to life. As much as she didn't want to, she slowed down and pulled the car up to the edge of the road. She knew who had pulled her over before he even got to the window.
"I am not in the mood for this today, Packard, so unless you have an actual reason for pulling me over today-"
"What the hell are you doing, spending so much time at that damned ranch?" Seethed Packard. His fingernails had already started to elongate, and there was a guttural growl to his speech.
"Get ahold of yourself!" She hissed, glancing out the window and up and down the street. They weren't even a block away from Percy's, and they couldn't afford for Percy to see Packard shift into a four-foot-tall wolf.
"And what the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you getting all cozied up with the fucking norm that's dropped into town." He snarled. "What the hell are you thinking, associating yourself with the likes of him!"
"I don't see how it's any concern of yours who I do or do not associate myself with." She replied coolly. "And I certainly don't see how it's the business of your family. Does Alex know your bothering me about this crap?"
"Don't deflect!" Packard snapped, "You. Should not. Be. Associating. With. Him."
It was her turn to lose some semblance of control. Small tufts of hair sprung up along her arms, as her canines began to elongate and her fingernails turned into razor-sharp claws.
"You don't get to tell me who I do or do not associate with." She growled, her voice coming out low and gravely. "And who are you to take that tone with me? To tell ME, what to do, or whom I should or should not be spending my time with. You need to recognize your place on the pecking order Bradley."
"I'm just looking out for yours and Cassidy's safety!" Barked Packard, cowed slightly. "He's an unknown Ellie, he could be a threat. A plant by one of the others as they begin to make their moves."
"I am more than capable of deciding who should and should not be around my daughter, thanks." She said, "And I think I'll be asking Alex to keep you and your wild conspiracy theories away from me and my friends."
"Ellie-" He tried to say, "Listen to reason! We need to be looking out for another here! It's going to be you and me-"
Isabella had heard enough, and she needed to pack for both her and Cassidy for their trip. Throwing the car into gear, she slammed her foot down on the pedal, and Packard only just managed to leap out of the way as the car roared to life past him. She would pay for that later; she was sure of it. But at the moment, she didn't care. She had more important things on her mind.
As she had expected, Cassidy had not handled the sudden change of plans…particularly well. Her daughter had both Isabella's, and her fathers', temper. But after assuring her that Percy would be eagerly awaiting their return, and that she would still get her riding lessons, she eventually managed to calm down.
It was a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the Marquette airport from Paradise. They bypassed the regular security gates as they were directed towards the hangers reserved for the private flights. A comfortable Cessna Citation Mustang was already prepped and ready for them upon their arrival. It's large engines already spun up and ready for their boarding.
A pair of pretty young flight attendants met them at the jetway and took their luggage from them, before directing them up and into the plush and comfortable inside of the jet. Even with a private plane and without having to stop for a layover in another airport, it was still nearly a three-hour flight from spin up to touch down. The sun had set by the time that they landed. A large utility vehicle met them just off the concourse, and Isabella and Cassidy were quickly ushered inside.
There was only one other occupant in the car. A large, beast of a man. His enormous frame barely contained in the cramped backseat. His shaggy black hair was tied up in a messy bun. His dark brown eyes were hidden behind a pair of large sunglasses. Isabella's second, Andrew, nodded at her, but otherwise stayed silent. The car took off, and it was another hour before they were out of the city and into the outskirts where the family home was. It was an otherwise unassuming home, in a comfortable suburb just outside of the city. There were nearly half a dozen cars parked along the street. Isabella held back a violent cuss. She was telling them all the time to be discreet, but she should have known better when their kind got a little too skittish.
The garage door to the home opened, and their driver parked them inside. Cassidy, who was all but asleep in the chair beside Isabella, stirred as the car came to a stop.
"A-a-are we there?" She asked around a jaw-cracking yawn.
"We are," said Isabella soothingly, unbuckling her. The car door opened and Isabella was helped out of the car by another burly man, shortly followed by Cassidy. Guiding her daughter by the hand, she glanced over her shoulder at her Andrew.
"Tell them I'll be down in a minute; I just need to tuck her into bed."
Andrew nodded, and as Isabella led Cassidy into the home, he veered off down a separate hallway before disappearing behind a door.
Cassidy was nearly asleep by the time they got her undressed and ready for bed. A burble of guilt swelled up inside of Isabella, as she tucked her daughter into bed. These kinds of sudden departures were always hard on Cassidy. Isabella told herself that it was worth it. That she was giving her daughter a good and comfortable life, but she would be lying if she were to say that there were days that were a little more…normal. That she could offer her daughter a normal, comfortable life. To just be yet another family.
As Cassidy's light snores filled the room, Isabella sighed, tucking a strand of her daughter's bright red hair out of her eyes.
Then, with a heavy heart, Isabella steeled her determination and left the room. The time for being a mother was over for the time being.
Now it was time to be a leader.
AN: Shoutout to Double for helping me with this idea and for being the best beta on the planet. Check out the link in my channel for the discord server I'm in. My upload schedule is there and you can come hang out with me a bunch of other really awesome and talented authors. Thanks for all the love, and hope you're enjoying the ride thus far.
Love,
LilDB