Fuzzy shares how he met Helaena, and how she came to work at the compound with him.
Helaena.
It’s too bad she’s already with Fuzzy. She’s the first woman I’ve been attracted to since Jean died. I don’t know what I was thinking, kissing her hand like that before we left. I’m lucky Fuzzy didn’t deck me.
Really though, she’s probably around the same age as Roland, so too young for me anyway.
It seems that my time for love has passed, and I’ll just be content being a grandpa to whatever little ones Jo pops out. If they even want kids.
Before we know it, we’re ten minutes out from Leslie’s house. Fuzzy pulls off to the side of the road, handing a bulletproof vest to each of us.
I pull mine on with practiced efficiency, years of military and private sector work ingrained into my muscle memory. Fuzzy goes up front to call Declan, to make sure we’re clear to proceed.
Zipping up the jacket that covers my vest, I glance at Roland. He fumbles with the straps, clearly never having worn a bullet proof vest before. And really, he wouldn’t have ever needed to.
But at the sight of him growing more and more frustrated, something pulls in my chest.
“Here.” My voice comes out gruffer than I had intended, and I try not to stare at the slight blush that tinges his cheeks as I fix the vest for him, strapping the Velcro tight.
Something unlocks inside my alpha. Something that’s been long dormant, that went to sleep when I married my Jean, who had been a female alpha. She was the love of my life, to be sure. But she didn’t need me the same way an omega would. Part of me wonders if we should have found an omega together. I never could have loved another woman, but even this small act of caring for Roland…it soothes something that I never realized had been hurting.
Feeling needed.
Turns out, that desire doesn’t just disappear when your mate dies and your only child grows up and leaves you. It’s why it was so easy for Jo and Sam to convince me to come with them. I thrive when someone needs me.
“Thank you.” Roland’s voice is quiet, and I can’t bring myself to meet his eyes.
This man, who just wants his daughter back, doesn’t need me getting my alpha in a tizzy over him or the fact that his scent makes me want to wrap him up tight and protect him from the world.
A nod and a grunt are all I can muster as Fuzzy comes into the very back. “We’re clear. They’re waiting in the forest outside the asylum.”
“Let’s do this.” I leave Roland in the backseat to join Fuzzy up front. He gives me a questioning look, but I shake my head.
Shrugging, he starts the van back up, and ten minutes later, we’re parking two houses down from Leslie Perez’s house. Her nephew should be home, and Leslie said they have a special code word for when she has to have someone he doesn’t know pick him up or take him somewhere.
Pineapple Pizza.
Roland’s voice crackles in our ears. “Can you guys hear me?”
We both confirm that he’s coming through, and then we’re leaving the van. Fuzzy immediately crosses the street, and I stay on the sidewalk, making my way to the house.
“The guy parked on the curb across the street…is that the guy?” Roland asks, but then realizes we can’t answer him.
I pretend to not notice when Fuzzy, dressed as an electrical worker, knocks on the guy's window. He shouts through the window when the guy just looks at him. “Look, buddy, you gotta move. I gotta get up that telephone pole and you’re right below where I’ll be. It’s a liability issue—”
The guy rolls down his window. “I ain’t movin’, prick—”
Before he can finish his sentence, Fuzzy draws his dart gun and shoots the guy in the neck. His head slumps forward, and the alpha whistles to himself as he removes the dart and puts it in his pocket.
“Okay, I don’t see anyone else,” Roland says, sounding nervous.
So, as calmly as I can, I walk up the front steps and knock on the door. It takes a second, but then the door cracks open, a small head of curly blond hair poking out. “Who are you?” The kid narrows his eyes as he looks me up and down.
“We…your Aunt Leslie sent us, Hudson.” I try to smile as kindly as I can muster as Fuzzy comes up next to me. “We’ve come to take you to her work.”
He frowns and steps back, starting to close the door.
“Wait, um…what was the code word?” Fuzzy mutters.
