AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My little emo-goth princess.” Mack hugged her. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Not since this morning.” Lacey hugged him back. “I love you too, Dad.”
After that, they worked together on the rooms while Lacey rambled about the ideas Barry, her wedding planner, had for the flowers. With anyone else, he’d be miserable, but there were very few things he enjoyed more than listening to his daughter. She had always been open with him, but after Darren died, he and Lacey had grown even closer. She told him everything, whether he liked it or not.
By late afternoon, the house was as clean as it had ever been. Lacey left for home, and Mack took a moment to check in at the station. It had been a long time since he’d taken a day off. He trusted his people and tried not to micromanage them, but he was used to being in control.
His phone beeped, and he read a text from Cain. They were almost to the house.
Mack went outside to wait on the porch. The neighborhood was in the center of town, lined with older, well-kept houses. He had lived there for over thirty years and loved his home. It was an old Victorian with gray-blue shaker siding and white trim. The front yard was small but neat, and he had a larger fenced-in backyard. Perfect for the family he didn’t have anymore.
A large black SUV pulled into the driveway, coming to a stop in front of Mack’s detached garage. The driver got out and went straight to the back, opening the hatch and grabbing luggage. Mack went to help but paused as another SUV pulled in behind the first, and a man got out.
The man’s scent carried on the breeze and screamed “omega.” The man was in his late forties, and he had wide shoulders and a nice build, but that wasn’t what grabbed Mack’s attention. The man’s smile was warm and open, and his dark-brown eyes were kind. He also had two black eyes and a bandaged nose.
“Are you Mack?” he asked, coming forward, hand extended. The walking boot made his stride a little awkward, but he still somehow managed to appear graceful.
Mack cleared his throat and gathered himself. “Ian McKenzie. Roland Dorsey?”
The man wrinkled his nose. “Roland was my grandfather. Rally was my dad. I’m just Roe.”
“Roe,” Mack said, smiling. “Suits you.”
“Hey, Sheriff McKenzie.” Cain strode toward him, carrying a few suitcases. “Thanks for helping out. No, Roe, don’t grab that. You shouldn’t be doing any heavy lifting for at least a week, and you really need to stay off your ankle.”
Roe groaned and set the suitcase he had grabbed back down. “You’re worse than Wally. I feel just fine.”
Cain had said Roe had been in an accident recently. He was likely stiff from the ride and in pain.
“Come inside and sit down, Roe,” Mack said, hand slipping to the omega’s lower back to guide him toward the house.
Roe flushed and coughed. “That sounds good, but I need to get Benji. He fell asleep.”
“Go on in.” Mack patted his back. “I’ll bring your son in.”
“Are you sure?” Roe suddenly looked exhausted. “I don’t want to impose.”
“Come on, Roe.” Cain shooed him toward the house. “Mack doesn’t mind.”
Shaking his head, Mack smiled and went to the SUV. He should probably mind Cain volunteering him, but he liked being useful. Roe needed a break, and Mack was in a position to help. Simple as that.
He stopped at the second SUV, noticing for the first time that two teens were helping the large bald man with the luggage. The boy was an omega in his late teens, and the girl was younger, maybe fourteen or fifteen. With dark-brown hair, olive skin, and kind eyes, both looked a lot like their dad.
The little boy in the backseat, on the other hand, had dark-red hair and freckled golden skin. He lay with his head back, a bit of drool dripping down his chin.
Mack quickly unstrapped Benji and gently picked him up. The little boy barely stirred, and he settled his head on Mack’s shoulder.
“They’re good people,” the bodyguard told him, voice soft. “I’m Wally, by the way.”
“Mack,” he said, nodding a greeting. “Honestly, it’ll be nice to have the company.”
“How do you feel about cats?” The teen boy came toward them, holding a fluffy white cat up for inspection. It stared at him with serene green eyes.
He rubbed his chin and took his time looking the cat over. Hiding his smile, he finally nodded. “This cat will do.”
The teenager snorted a laugh. “This is Mmrr, and I’m Tris. That’s Daphne there.”
Daphne carried a corgi to them. “This is Fergie. The vet said he’s okay, but he’s in a little pain, so we’re not letting him run around like he wants.”
