Skin Walkers: Monroe (19 page)

Ignoring the elevator, he rushed up the stairs, taking them two at a time even as he fought the urge to shift.  He wanted this done so he could get back to his Eden to comfort her, to tell her what his stupid fucking pride had prevented him from telling her.  He loved her
! 

Grown out of admiration of her strong will, good nature, and willingness to give up her own life to protect Walker children that weren’t even hers, his respect had blossomed quickly into affection.
  She’d gladly die for her children; he knew she would…just as he’d die to protect her.  He was a fool!  How many times had he had the opportunity to tell her?  Now, she was threatening to leave him and to take his children away without ever having heard those three simple words that he’d been too much of a coward to utter. 

Why did he keep fucking up with her?  Every time he thought he’d done something to protect her or to guide her in the direction he wanted her to go, she wound up injured.  She’d been hurt when he’d tried to coerce her into staying at
StoneCrow of her own volition.  Micah had misunderstood and had attacked, but those physical wounds were nothing compared to the pain he’d scented when he’d informed her that he’d gone behind her back and located the children’s parents. 
WHY?
He snarled inwardly.  Why couldn’t he just be open and honest and give her what she needed and deserved, the decency of having a say.

He slammed into the Crow’s
Nest, the estate’s pub and eatery that rested on the penthouse floor.  He quickly eyed the patrons.  Three of his Sentries: Bronco, Moke, and Legion lounged at the bar but snapped to attention when Monroe entered, instantly scenting his urgency.

Without preamble he strode to the Sentries and began barking orders.
  “Pen!”  he demanded as he reached across the bar and jerked a napkin closer.

The bartender, Cindy
KillsPrettyEnemy, dashed to the far end of the bar and returned just as quickly before sliding a pen into Monroe’s outstretched hand.

“Legion,” he began, “
get to this address in the city.  The woman there is Lindsay Keys.  Ask her how much she wants to forget Peyton ever existed.”  He looked up, “Make it happen.  No matter the cost!”

Legion took the napkin and walked to the door.

“Moke, get in the air and monitor anyone coming and going from the estate.  GO!”  He didn’t put it past Eden to try to leave.  She’d been so damn angry he knew she’d be determined to teach him a lesson.

“Bronco…”  His words died as Legion, still standing by the door, cut him off.

“Monroe.”  Legion glanced at the napkin, “What if she won’t accept money?”  The Sentries were fully aware of Monroe’s claiming and his angel’s adopted children.  They knew the severity of the situation.

Without blinking, without even a second thought Monroe responded as if discussing
something as menial as the weather.  “If she won’t come to terms…erase her.”

Legion nodded before striding from the Crow’s Nest even as
RedKnife shoved his way through the door, his eyes narrowing on his angel.  No doubt, he’d sensed his angel’s distress through their bond.  Seeing that his mate was fine. RedKnife crossed to the CEO.

“I was summoned by King but sensed
my angel’s alarm.  What’s happening?”

Monroe ran a hand over his craggy features even as his blue eyes glittered with rage.  “I’ve offended the
Domina,” was his only reply as he focused on the wall to contact Legion through the mist. 
“How close are you?”

There was humor in Legion’s voice,
“I’m good, but not that good.  I’m only to Gap Road.  Making good time though.  I’ll contact you when I reach city limits.”

Monroe roared in impatience and his behavior had the few patrons of the pub that weren’t
Sentries forced into action.  They slid from their seats and booths to quickly exit the Crow’s Nest.

When Cindy approached with a rock’s glass filled with clear cubes and an amber liquid,
RedKnife took the glass from her hands and motioned with his head for her to get back.  He didn’t want her near the agitated CEO.

“Here,” he handed the glass to Monroe who frowned at it for long seconds before
heaving a great sigh, accepting the drink, and downing the contents in one swallow.

“I’ve offended my angel many times,”
RedKnife offered stoically.  “Apologize.  It works for me.”

Surprised that the Indigenous Walker would care enough to offer advice, Monroe nodded once.  Without much else to do he took a seat at the bar and slid the glass toward Cindy for a refill.  He knew Eden wanted him to personally fix what he’d done, but there was no way in hell he was leaving
StoneCrow while his mate was so enraged.  He knew from experience with his own kind that unchecked rage begot action.  He’d have Legion handle Peyton’s mother and when everything was settled, he’d find Eden and soothe her.

“Are you sure erasing
Peyton’s mother is the way to go on this one?” Cindy approached tentatively.  “I mean you have to think long term.  What if Peyton asks one day?”

Monroe
sighed, staring at his glass.  “I’d rather deal with that day when, and if, it comes than to bear the betrayal I scented on my mate tonight.”

Downing a second glass of Scotch, the Dominant Walker frowned and it wasn’t from the taste of the high-end spirits he was consuming.  He realized that Eden made him proud, not just proud that she was his, but proud of all he’d accomplished.  His whole life he’d worked to create his Walker community, but even with it flourishing and with Walkers mating and procreating, it hadn’t felt complete.  Not until Eden and their children had come into his life had he felt like he’d finally done what he’d set out to do.  He’d made a home for his
Skin Walkers and while she’d only just come into his life he couldn’t help but feel like he’d done it all for her.  The appreciation he read in her eyes for what he’d created had bolstered his spirit and had somehow contorted his smug conceit into satisfied pride.  She did that with everything.  Every small part of him that he despised, she had somehow twisted into an admirable quality that he wasn’t ashamed of when he looked in the mirror.  Even charging Legion with eliminating Lindsay didn’t leave the typical distaste burning his tongue.  He would gladly erase one horrible drug addict from the face of the earth if it meant permitting his Eden to keep her beloved daughter. 

“CEO!
” 
Moke’s voice sounded worried as it carried to him through the mist.

Monroe plowed a hand through his hair.
  Now what? 
“Speak!”

“There’s a convoy leaving the
Highwoods.  A single Humvee, driven by Aries Drago is being ghosted by a team on the road with two more in the air.”

Monroe shot to his feet as
Moke continued.

“Seems like a hell of a parade for just Commander
Drago’s angel.” 
There was silence a moment then, “
Shit!  Make that two teams in the air and three on the ground.  Your family is on the move, Sir.”

Monroe roared in rage as he raced from the Crow’s Nest with
RedKnife fast on his heels.

Chapter 19

Eden had ordered Aries to take her and the children to the small town of Belt rather than the larger city of Great Falls because she knew it’d be where Monroe would assume she’d have gone.

As the
Humvee pulled up in front of the sleepy little Inn called the Bear’s Den, Eden felt drained.  She was emotionally exhausted, but with the children watching her, she plastered on a false smile.  She hadn’t been able to bring herself to set Peyton down since Monroe’s confession.  Reaching down, she zipped the sleeping child’s jacket higher to ward off any chill. 

Spring nights weren’t particularly warm in the state and were colder in areas closer to the mountains.  Thank
fully, there was no rain.  She wouldn’t have risked traveling with the children otherwise.  She touched a finger to Peyton’s mere smudge of a nose and smiled.  The poor babe’s afternoon nap had been cut short and the long drive to the town of Belt had, thankfully, rocked her to sleep.  Eden turned to glance at the moon.  Soon, the days would start getting longer and sun would stay up later than five.  God, how she loved a Montana summer. 

“We’re here,” she beamed
, her voice coming out too thin. 

“Why are we here,” Micah
eyed her, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.  “When are we going back to StoneCrow?”

“Yeah,” Cole pouted.  “I want daddy.”

“Me too!”  Ransum crossed his arms over his chest.

From the driver’s seat Aries cleared her throat, “I’ll get us checked in
, Domina.”  She exited the vehicle and disappeared into the small office.

“I told you,” Eden chimed.  “We’re
taking an adventure.  It’ll be fun!  She pointed at the picture of the dozing, cartoon-style, bear on the Inn’s sign.  “See!  This is where bears sleep.  Don’t you wanna go inside?”

Cole’s
shoulders slumped, “I guess,” but there was no enthusiasm in his tone.

“Come on,” Micah chimed in to Eden’s relief, “it’ll be cool.
”  His eyes darted to hers knowingly, “We can even see if there’s a hot tub.”  He exited the vehicle and both Cole and Ransum cheered up instantly.

“YES!”  Both boys were clambering from the vehicle when Aries exited the office holding up two sets of keys.

Eden didn’t miss they way the Walker woman’s eyes scanned the area or the way her hand reached to the back of her jacket to confirm that her pistol was still in place. 

“
Domina, I’ll get the children settled.”  She tucked a motel key into Eden’s pocket before reaching to take Peyton from Eden’s arms.

“I’ll keep her.  Just get the boys squared away and stay with them.”

Aries nodded, “We’re just next door.”

Eden carried Peyton to their room and deposited the sleeping child on the bed before dropping down beside her and pulling the
girl into her arms.  Silently, she hugged her baby and wept.  She’d never let Peyton go, no matter who wanted her.

After crying herself dry, Eden brushed her lips against Peyton’s forehead and sat up to gently remove
her baby’s jacket.  She peeled back the quilt on the bed to cover Peyton before crossing to toss the small jacket onto a chair that rested in the corner of the room near the door.  Monroe had purchased the article for Peyton and the girl had squealed with delight.  It was powder blue with green frogs dotting the expanse of the jacket.  When the hood flipped up it looked like a little frog’s head with two large eyes lumped on top.  It had been thoughtful, and Eden stared at the jacket for long moments wondering why Monroe would have gone looking for trouble by tracking the children’s parents.

Resignedly, she
turned and walked to the bathroom.  She left the door open, just a crack, in case Peyton roused from her sleep.  Eyeing her reflection in the mirror, she winced.  Her eyes were all puffy and red from crying and she looked tired.  Snatching a facecloth off the rack, she rinsed it under hot water before pressing it to her face and holding it there.  What had she done?  She’d let him in and he’d broken her heart.  Self-loathing was swift.

After washing up, she ran her fingers through her hair and debated showering. 
No.
  She wouldn’t trust to leave Peyton alone that long.  She flipped off the light and exited the bathroom only to come to an abrupt stop just inside the room.

She knew she should have been shocked
to discover Monroe sitting on the chair in the corner watching her.  He was bent forward.  His elbows resting on his knees, his shoulders slumped.  For the first time since she’d met him he looked…defeated.

“What are you doing here?” She pushed her long hair over her shoulder
as her eyes darted to Peyton to ensure she slept peacefully.

“I’ll alway
s be where my family is angel, whether they want me there or not.”

She kept her voice pitched low. 
“I’m taking the children where they’re safe, where no one will attempt to take them from me.  I thought I’d found that with you.  I was wrong.”

Hurt flashed through her eyes and Monroe wished someone else had caused it so he could order them to be killed, but someone else hadn’t caused it…he had.

“You’re only looking at it from your point of view, Eden.  From the point of view of a mama grizzly protecting her young and I love that about you, but you have to step back, angel.”

“I
’ll never step back!”  She hissed as she crossed to stand in front of the bed, as if shielding Peyton with her body. “Not where my children are concerned.  Never!”

“
Step back and look at it from
their
point of view.  Not them now, but them as adults when they come to us and ask if we ever made any attempts on their behalf to find their parents.”

Dawning slammed into Eden so hard she actually grabbed her chest.

“One day, my love, they’ll want to know that you and I set aside our own selfish pride to do what was in their best interest.  That we tried to find their families and give them the opportunity to be whole.”

God,
he’s right! 
Her voice was a shaky whisper.  “Monroe?”  Had she been blinded by her own selfish need to keep something that wasn’t even hers to begin with?  She sank onto the mattress behind her, staring unseeing at the center of his chest.

He didn’t hesitate to drop
from the chair to crouch in front of her and clasp her hands. “I’d never let them go Eden, not them and not you. 
Ever
!  But for their sake I had to make it look like we tried.  Thankfully, my efforts failed with nearly all of them, but if they hadn’t,” he dipped his head and leaned forward until his forehead rested on her knee.  “So help me, angel, I’d have killed any of their parents that would have come forth and demanded their child be returned.  Lindsay will never even lay eyes on my Peyton.  She’ll accept the money I’ve offered or,” he wasn’t sure whether he should admit it or not, but he was done keeping secrets from her, “she’ll accept her fate.”

A single tear slipped free as Eden lifted a hand and buried it in Monroe’s hair.
  He’d protected them.  He’d made the sacrifice on their behalf as parents that she was both unable and unwilling to make and she loved him for it.

He lifted his head and
, as he only did with her, his emotions were unguarded.  In the beautiful blue depths of his eyes she saw truth, love, and more importantly…need.  He needed her to forgive him, to tell him that what he’d done had been right.

Sliding from the
bed she forced him to the floor before she settled in his lap even as his strong arms wrapped around her.  Keeping her gaze locked with his she looked at him, “Thank you for being strong for our family where I was not.”

She felt a rumble in his chest and it reminded her of the purr of a contented cat.

“We have to plan properly, my love, to keep them from ever having cause to hate us.”

“Me,” her lips tweaked in a regretful smile, “you mean me. 
I
should have done this.  I should have looked, but I was too selfish, too…”

“Stop,” he commanded.  “You’re the kindest
, most giving person I know.  Don’t ever doubt that, angel.”

Swallowing hard, she lifted a hand to his cheek.  “Take us home
, my Dominant.”

She’d never used the term before an
d the show of submission, the display of deferring to him had Monroe’s heart swelling and his cock jerking to life.  He growled again and stood effortlessly, taking her with him in the cradle of his arms.

The door to the hotel room was
opened before he reached it.  King and RedKnife silently filed into the room.  Without direction, King picked up Peyton, quilt and all, while RedKnife waited to follow the Chief of Security out of the room.  

Eyeing the
parking lot, Eden was shocked to see the area filled with Sentries.  They were watching the area, standing at the ready as if they expected an attack.  Ignoring them, Monroe carried Eden to a waiting Humvee as Leto opened the back door.

“The children,” Eden eyed the door next to the one they’d just exited.

“Already on their way back to StoneCrow,” Monroe smiled.

Shock was
brief as annoyance bunched her brows.  “And if I hadn’t forgiven you?”

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her briefly.  “I’d have stayed until you had
.  I refuse to lose you. 
I refuse!
”  Before settling Eden in the back seat of the Humvee, Monroe froze.  “I love you Eden.  I love you and I love our children, and I’d never do anything to harm any of you or to disrespect or degrade the honor of your love and trust.”

Tears flooded her eyes.  Even without the stunned gazes of several of the Sentries, she knew the outright display of affection and profession of love was rare for Monroe.  “I love you too.”  Her hand smoothed through his hair and she was excited to get back home so that she could make love to her Walker and wake in his arms.
  “Take me home.”

“Home,” he affirmed.