Page 127 of My Pleasure

“Holy shit, is that a real wolf?” Meryn asked, stepping into the kitchen.

Kiera nodded. “I think so.” She wiped her nose. “I know what else you forgot.”

Meryn tilted her head.

“We never updated my accounts at the bank.”

Around the room, the men all inhaled in surprise.

Kiera continued. “His plan was to kill the kids, their money comes to me, then kill me.” She laughed harshly. “He did give me the option of marrying him and transferring the money for our happily-ever-after.”

The men as one froze and turned to look at her.

“I beg your pardon?” Konstantine asked.

Hunter immediately began to check her from head to toe, rubbing his cheek across every inch of skin he could see.

Meryn’s face was scrunched up in disgust. “He did off your parents.”

Kiera wiped the never-ending stream of tears from her cheeks. “Paid off a drunk driver. It’s why the toxicology report was clear.”

“Did he say why he needed the money?” Meryn asked.

“No.”

Hunter pulled out his phone, and hit connect.

“Hunter?” a male voice that Kiera didn’t recognize called out.

“We’re in the city, you could have called us directly,” Augustus said. “You didn’t need to use the emergency chat line.”

“Ma, Dad and the kids were attacked. I need you home,” Hunter said, numbly.

“Hunter, is Aiden there?” the male asked.

Aiden stepped forward. “Graham, permission for leave granted. Grab your parents and Ewan and get here.”

And just like that, the lines disconnected.

Aiden pulled out his phone and made a call. “Darian, I need you to grab the Armstrongs from Lycaonia, Hunter’s family was attacked.”

“On it,” was the simple reply, as the King of the Fae, didn’t question for a moment helping out a fellow unit warrior.

Meryn waddled over to where Bryson’s body lay between the kitchen and the family room, Ryuu right behind her. She reached down and pulled a necklace from his body.

It wasn’t immediate, but after a few moments the sweet smell of decay filled the room.

She turned the necklace over in her hands. “It’s different than the others we’ve seen. The beads aren’t the same.”

Aiden took it from her and examined it closely. “You’re right.”

“Usually am,” she replied.

“Make way,” Heath yelled, coming into the kitchen. He looked at Hunter’s dazed expression and knew better than asking him to move. He carefully lifted Keran’s hand in his own. Both began to glow a faint blue color. Keran’s eyes fluttered.

Heath nodded in satisfaction. “If it’s just the gas, they should be fine.” He moved quickly from Keran to Nicol, then to Hunter’s parents. His parents didn’t wake. Heath pushed back Myra’s hair to reveal a bruise at her temple and blood at the base of her neck. Johann was the same. “Looks like they may have fought the gas and the perpetrators to protect the kids,” Heath said. “I want to stay the night with them, to keep them under observation.”

Hunter nodded. “Whatever you need.”