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I left Jax to his food and returned to my office. There were still a few things I needed to handle before calling it a night: a couple calls to make, a speech to finish. The weight of the tasks settled on my shoulders, but they had to be done.
Sitting back in the buttery leather desk chair, I dialed Mason's number. We’d spoken just that morning, but only for an update on the clubs. Since I’d taken over as alpha, Mason had handled pretty much everything in New York. I handled my end of the business here that I could, but overseeing the clubs was a pretty hands-on job.
“Evan, twice in one day.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Good news.” It was nice to say something positive for a change. While the trip to New York was precipitated by Tomas and his schemes, seeing my best friend was always a pleasure. “Mariah, Jax, and I are coming to New York. We’re driving up in a couple days, though our planned route will take a bit longer than usual.”
“That’s great.” There was a sharpness to his voice when he spoke again. “Is everything okay?”
Mason knew me so well. I told him the latest on what we’d uncovered about Tomas, and about Mariah’s mother.
“We’ll need somewhere to stay…” My penthouse was snatched up immediately when I put it on the rental market.
“Say no more,” Mason said. “You can stay at my place as long as you want. There’s plenty of room. I know Analise will be thrilled to see Mariah.”
I was sure she would, though perhaps less so when it came to me. Mariah’s best friend wasn’t my biggest fan. “I’ll let you know our ETA once we’re on the road. Thanks, Mason.”
“No thanks needed.”
With that, I hung up and took a deep breath. One more item ticked off my list. Next, I called Lucas, wanting to update him on my meeting with Kyle, and to inform him about the construction of the underground bunker.
“Is there anything you need? Anything else I can do before we go?” I asked him, hating that I was already placing the burden on his shoulders to act as alpha in my stead and ensure our people would be safe while I was away.
Lucas chuckled. “You do remember that I was raised to be alpha most of my life, right? I know how to do this, and I promise I won’t let you down, brother.”
Brother. The sincerity in his voice struck a chord. We’d missed out on so much of each other’s lives, but that bond of brotherhood still remained. I was grateful to call him mine.
“Thank you, Lucas. I mean it.”
“You just focus on keeping Mariah safe. I’ll handle things with Kyle and coordinate whatever needs to be done with the bunker. We’ll be here safe and sound when you get back.”
I spent the next hour reviewing my speech one last time, making some final changes before the clan gathering tomorrow, only stopping when I realized it was getting late. I still needed to do one more thing before I could call it a night. Shutting off the lights in my office, I went in search of Abi.
She was in her room, the grand suite she and Sebastian had shared on the second floor and on the opposite wing of the house. The scent of freshly steeped tea filled the air of the sitting room when she opened the door for me.
“Abi.” I stared at the woman who’d helped raise me—a mother in so many senses of the word—feeling like I hadn’t been there enough for her over the past months. Losing Sebastian had taken a toll I could see in the new lines etched in her face, but she smiled and wrapped me in a hug when she saw me, pulling me inside.
“What brings you here?” Abi sat on one of the sofas, a steaming teacup cradled between her hands.
“I wanted to update you on our plans,” I said, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to her. Lucas told her about our trip to New York, but I hadn’t seen her since. “We have a plan in place to keep Tomas in check while we're gone.”
She met my gaze, her eyes searching mine. “Tell me.”
The weight of responsibility pressed down again, of being everything I needed to be to fill Sebastian’s shoes. I told her of my meeting with Kyle, and of what we truly hoped to accomplish on this trip.
“Jax is sending out reports of false ‘sightings’ of Mariah. We’re hoping it’ll deter him from coming here, but if he does, we’re prepared. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure the clan is safe.”
“I’m so proud of you,” she said, her eyes soft when she reached over and patted my knee. “You’ve truly stepped up, Evan. You’re already an amazing alpha.”
I ducked my head and mumbled, “I don’t know about that. It’s not like I had much of a choice.”
“But you did.” She leaned forward. “You could have refused becoming alpha. Could have let it pass on to Lucas. It wasn’t what Sebastian wanted, but you could have done it just the same. You chose this. Because you were meant for it. I don’t doubt it for a second. Sebastian knew what he was doing making you his heir, and he’d be damn proud of who you’ve become.”
“Thank you, Abi,” I managed to say before I dropped my eyes, my throat stinging. When I met her gaze again, they were shimmering with tears.
“I miss him so much,” she breathed, her voice cracking.
Reaching for her, I wrapped her in my arms, my heart breaking at the sound of her choked sobs. But Abi was one of the strongest women I knew. It wasn’t a moment before she was pulling back, dabbing at her eyes, and composing herself.
