Her Stepbrothers Are Werewolves Read online

  Duke lowered squirming Roman down and watched the small ones take off after Alex. “What’s wrong?” he asked his dad.

  “You take them right to the airport after the ice cream, don’t stop at Lucy’s house.” His father moved to Lucy, and took her hands into his. “Honey, I’m sorry, but someone has trashed your place. I don’t want you or the kids near it. I’ve called in a few friends from around here and they’re going to help me pack what we can save. I’m sorry,” his father told her.

  Lucy sat down hard onto the barstool at the kitchen counter. “How? He’s supposed to be in jail? He’s had to know where I’ve lived for a while now.” She rubbed her arms as Duke made it to her side at the same time his brother did, needing to comfort her and wanting to hunt those that were responsible.

  Chapter Seven

  Lucy sat there stunned. Henry, she shivered. Just thinking of his name made her shake. He had been watching her this whole time. Here Lucy thought she’d been safe, but all along it had been a farce. “All my training and precautions were for naught. He still found a way to get to me and the kids,” she whispered.

  Duke cupped her chin, applying pressure till she looked up at him. “No, you’ve done very well. He has help here Lucy, and we’ll find out how and who soon, but right now we need you to pull it together, because those two little ones will find out and they’re going to need their mom more than ever.” He leaned down, kissing her lips softly. “Now, the question is, do we tell them now or let them hear it from others?” Duke asked. “Because you know those two are smart.”

  Both Roman and Karla came running into the room with their toys to show her, but already Karla was looking around the room as if sensing something. There was no way to keep this from them, but God she hated to hurt them. “Come, sit over here Karla, Roman.” Lucy got up and went to the kitchen nook where she let the kids slid in first and then followed them.

  “I told you when I first started the process to adopt you two that I wouldn’t keep anything from you, so I’m going to be honest here. Henry has found out about the adoption and where my old home was. He called a few minutes ago,” she told the children, watching as Karla hugged herself, looking around.

  Duke slid in on the opposite side and wrapped his arms around Karla. “So we have decided to go to your new home early. This Henry won’t be able to get you three there. I have many men who will protect you.” He lowered his head and whispered to the two of them. “Do you really believe he could take the wolf?”

  Little Roman frowned, glancing at Nolan, who leaned next to her, and then up at Duke. “No,” he frowned. “Will they take us away from you?”

  Lucy hugged him, rubbing her cheek on his little head. “No Roman, you two are mine and we will face this together. I know it’s scary, but we can’t let him ruin our lives. So we’re not going to go back to the house, but we can still get ice cream and fly on that big plane,” she said.

  Roman and Karla smiled. “Do we still get our own room?” Karla asked.

  “Yes you do. I have my uncle right now getting your rooms ready,” Duke moaned. “They are so going to spoil you. I bet your room will be loaded with stuff when you get there.”

  “Really?” Roman asked.

  Nolan leaned down, reaching over and squeezing the boy’s arm. “Really, but I think we need to have the ice cream on the plane. We can watch it take off and eat the ice cream at the same time. After all, we do have a fridge on the plane.”

  Both kids smiled. “So, are we leaving now?” Karla asked. “Are we safe here?”

  Randy laughed. “You are safe, believe me. My father takes extra care,” Randy said, coming into the kitchen with two large suitcases.

  Her mom, Alex, moved to her and hugged her. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked with her husband sliding in behind her, hugging her.

  “I’m a big girl now and you two need some serious alone time. Plus, maybe this is what all three of us need to get away from this area.” Randy glanced at her. “We always talked about moving away so, now is that chance. Not to mention we have plenty of help from the alpha there.”

  Trevor glanced over at Duke. “You better keep the girls safe,” he looked down at his wife. “You know, we haven’t taken a trip up to that area in while. Why don’t we help Karen and Kirk with packing and we can meet the girls up there? If they decided to stay up there, we can bring more of Randy’s things up when we go.”

  Alex smiled and turned to hug her husband. “Great idea. We can use this place as a winter retreat if we decide to move.”

  Randy rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’m never going to be left alone, am I?” she asked and for the first time Lucy relaxed, knowing it was going to be okay.

  “Okay, let’s get you two dressed and your stuff loaded up in the car,” Lucy looked over at Duke. “Is the plane ready?” she asked.

  Her stepfather, who had been silent the whole time, spoke. “The plane is already and I know for a fact they have at least four different kinds of ice cream on board. I believe they even have those cool ice creams with the gum ball in the bottom if you want it,” he told the kids, which had them squirming to get ready.

  She laughed as Roman slid under the table and ran to Kirk. “Do you think they have Ninja Turtle popsicles?” he asked. “I’ve always wanted to try one.”

  Kirk knelt down in front of Roman. “I will call and make sure they have them just for you.”

  Roman jumped and wrapped his arms around Kirk’s neck, squeezing him tight. “I’m glad you’re my grandpa now.”

  Lucy laughed and stood. “Okay, so let’s get changed. Come on you two, we can use Randy’s bedroom again,” she said.

  “Why don’t you let me take Roman? He can get changed with me and Nolan, while you girls get changed,” Duke suggested.

  Roman nodded. “Really?”

  Oh, her little boy needed some one on one time with the men. “Go get your clothes out of the bedroom, Roman,” she told him and watched him take off to get them.

  “I’ll run out and get ours,” Nolan said, squeezing her ass before leaving. “Go get ready baby, we’ll leave here in a few minutes.”

  * * *

  Duke watched Karla and Lucy follow Roman upstairs before turning to his father. “Keep a close eye on Karen. We don’t know if he’ll try to hurt Lucy through her mom,” he said and turned to see Trevor hissing and then an explosion shook the house.

  “Nolan,” he hissed, and ran for the door just as his brother came running towards him.

  “I’m fine, but her car is gone, along with her mom’s.” Nolan yelled throwing their pack on the counter before turning and running out the door.

  “Alex, take the girls and the children downstairs now,” Trevor snarled as Lucy came running with Roman in her arms and Karla holding onto her, with tears running down her face.

  “Go with Alex, now,” Duke yelled, before heading out the door with his father and brother. “Trevor, stay and protect them,” Duke yelled over his shoulder, knowing whoever did this was close. The wolf rose up and this time he didn’t keep it back, shifting as he lunged off the porch down onto the sand on four feet.

  He lifted his head and sniffed the wind. “To the left, three of them,” he sent to his father and brother as they took off, running towards their enemy. In a matter of minutes, they surrounded the three men, careful, watching their moves for weapons.

  One thing was for sure, her ex was not there among the three. Sirens could be heard in the distance, as the men stared at them. Duke shifted, shocking the men as they stepped back. The one with no teeth shook his head. “We were just told to scare her. We meant no harm.”

  “She took his kids!” the one with the bald head said.

  “And you are who?” he growled. “Is a child a whipping post for a grown man?” he snapped, as his brother nipped the man in question, making him jump.

  “My brother never touched those kids, they were just clumsy,” he yelled.

  “And you are just as stupid
if you believe that. I’ve seen the scars on your nephew and niece. They are not from falling. Do you know what a knife or a belt marking looks like?” he asked as the cops came running, along with Trevor, who threw him a pair of jeans.

  “Where is your brother?” Duke asked, slipping on his jeans while the cops handcuffed the men.

  “Where do you think?” he smirked as he was led away, but not before Duke’s father bit the side of his thigh.

  The cop jumped and looked at him. “It’s okay, he’s my father. He’s just worried about his grandchildren,” Duke told the police officer, who nodded. “Well, these three will be going away for a long time. No one messes with the district attorney’s family.”

  Duke looked at Trevor who just shrugged. “I had to do something to keep me busy,” he said and smiled. “Come on, I want to get you guys on that plane before something else happens,” Trevor said.

  As soon as they stepped into the house, Lucy looked up and sighed, but didn’t say anything since she was on the phone. “No judge, all the papers are gone including their birth certificates, so if you could send me a new packet to the address Duke gave you, I’d appreciate it.” She got up and moved towards him. “Here he is. The judge would like to know what you found out?” Lucy said, handing him her cell phone.

  He took the phone and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Go finish getting ready. We have to leave now before anyone else comes.”

  “Come on you two, we have to hurry and get ready.” Roman looked at Duke, then at Lucy, but didn’t say anything.

  Duke glanced at his brother who was already moving to go with them. He lifted Roman up and threw him in the air. “Come on, little guy. It’s you and me,” he said, snatching his clothes he had brought in earlier off the counter.

  Talking with the judge and explaining things, made them both realize they couldn’t risk the children or Lucy just in case another family member decided to step up. It seemed most of Henry’s brothers were either wanted by the police or behind bars.

  Duke quickly dressed and came out to see Alex holding a bag for them. “There are a few DVD’s and games for you to help keep the kids busy. I’ve thrown in my tablet for Lucy because I know she loves to read, since she has lost hers. There are a few other things for her till she can hit the store. We’ll be right behind you as soon as we help your parents.”

  “Thank you, I promise nothing will happen to them once we get there,” he said, heading towards the hall to call for them, when he saw Lucy and Karla coming down the stairs, followed by his brother and Roman. “We ready?”

  Karla nodded, but didn’t say much, holding tight to Lucy. Both looked totally exhausted and scared. “Have you two ridden in a limo before?” he asked.

  Both shook their heads and said nothing. “Did you know that it even has a fridge in it?” he tried again. “And on top of that, it is bulletproof.”

  He took Karla’s other hand and guided them out front of Trevor’s home where the limo waited for them. He lifted his head and looked at the two SUV limos waiting along with the other cars.

  “I’ve called in a few men, they’ll follow and make sure you get to the plane okay,” Trevor said and his wife snorted.

  “He did more than that. Randy, be prepared to see your grandparents, seems they are going to meet your plane once it lands,” Alex told her daughter.

  “What? How could you?” Randy glared at her father, who threw up his hands.

  “Your grandfather called me and knew something was going on. He knows how close your friends are to you and there was no way I could stop them,” Trevor said and looked at Duke. “Sorry.”

  “Why?” Duke asked almost afraid to hear the answer.

  “Because my father has kind of a lot of pull among my people.” Trevor said.

  “Kind of? His father is a damn prince and Randy is his first granddaughter. Be prepared for a whole lot of help,” Alex said. “Well at least I know you’ll be safe.” her mom said and backed away as Randy, Lucy, and the children climbed into the limo.

  His father patted him on the shoulder. “I’m glad I’m not in your shoes. Call me when you get everyone settled. Karen will worry till she hears from you or Lucy.”

  He nodded and got into the limo, following his brother and wondering what kind of mess was going to be waiting for them when they got home.

  Chapter Eight

  Lucy couldn’t help but smile as Duke paced back and forth on the plane. She leaned over to Randy and whispered. “You really should have told us about your family.”

  “That is one thing I hated and, believe me, I would have if I could, but dad made me promise. If I broke that promise, we would have been forced to move and I didn’t want to lose you two,” Randy told her, looking to Scotty who shook her head.

  “Of course all this crap has to happen when I leave to get my things. Oh, I did quit my job, because I realized while packing that there wasn’t really anyone in town. You two are the only family I have and I am not going to let go of you,” Scotty said, reaching over and squeezing Lucy’s and Randy’s hands. “The three ladies will stay together no matter what.”

  Lucy laughed taking a quick glance over to her right as Karla and Roman ate their ice cream while watching a movie. They were finally relaxing.

  “They’ll be fine, once they are settled in their own new rooms and have something stable,” Randy said and squeezed her arm.

  “I know, but I worry about them. How are they going to get along with the children of the pack? I don’t want them to be singled out because they are human.” She looked up to see Duke staring at her, while he was still on the phone. But it was obvious he had heard her words with his stupid superb hearing.

  “I think we need to get both of your men ear plugs so we can talk in peace without them hearing everything we say,” Scotty said, glaring up at Nolan who made his way towards them.

  “But then how could we make sure you three are happy and taken care of, if we can’t hear you?” Nolan said, handing them all drinks. “The children will be fine. One thing that my brother and I have noticed is that both of them are fighters.” He ran a finger down Lucy’s cheek before moving over and joining the children in question.

  “I have to say, you sure as hell made out in the men department, plus you have two,” Scotty said, leaning back and sighing.

  Lucy looked up just as Duke tucked he phone in his pants, making his way towards them. His gaze moved from her to Randy.

  Coming over to her seat, he lifted her up as if she didn’t weigh over 200 pounds. He took her seat and placed her in his lap. “I just got off the phone with my uncle. When your mother said prince, she wasn’t kidding. Already his guards have shown up. Since we don’t know if your grandparents are staying, I’ve set them up in the guest house behind ours.”

  Randy sighed. “I’m sorry. The last time they showed up, it was a zoo. If it’s any consolation, they usually don’t stay long. I think the longest they’ve stayed was about a week and that time dad was ready to kill grandpa.” Randy smiled. “They do like to spoil me a little.”

  Both she and Scotty snorted, staring at their friend. “Really? A Little?” Scotty said.

  Randy laughed and threw a pencil at Scotty. “Fine, a lot.” Randy looked over at Duke. “Their last visit they handed me keys to a condo in England. They had found out that it’s one of my favorite places to travel. So I can just imagine what they’ll have waiting for me,” she sighed.

  “Well, we could use a place of our own,” Scotty said. “I mean Lucy needs time with her men, as do the children,” Scotty said.

  Lucy started to protest, but Duke patted her hand. “Scotty, both my brother and I would prefer you two stay with us till we make sure this mess is cleared up. You two mean the world to Lucy and to us and that means you are family.” Duke said his hand rubbing Lucy’s back.

  “Did you hear anything yet? How did he get hold of my number and get hold of a phone in jail?” Lucy asked.

  “No, the judge is on his way
to the prison to find out what is going on. Lucy, I’m afraid the kid’s rooms you set up for them took the worse hit in your home. He destroyed everything you had in that room,” Duke told her.

  She sat there stunned. Lucy thought he would have gone after her belongings, but to attack his own children… Tears filled her eyes as she glanced over to see the kids laughing at the movie they were watching. Nolan looked over his shoulder at her as if sensing her pain.

  He mouthed. “They’re safe.”

  “Nothing will happen to them,” Duke pulled her back against him. “This man is truly sick and he’ll never get out of prison, you have to believe this.”

  “But what if he hires someone to hurt them again?” Lucy said. “You don’t know what he did to Karla alone. I didn’t even know till the caseworker told me.”

  “Look at me, Lucy,” Duke said, pulling her back so he could look into her eyes. “He won’t see another year, I can promise you that.” Duke’s eyes were almost glowing. Lucy could see how furious he was too.

  “Thank you. I just want to give them the best simple life. They have had nothing and they enjoy the little things,” Lucy said and smiled. “They loved the zoo so much. I’d like to do so much with them.”

  “All of us will. Matter of fact, I know my uncle is planning a nice big cook out by the lake tomorrow. This way the kids can meet other pack children. The sooner they meet a few other children, the sooner they will feel more at home.” Duke told her.

  * * *

  To say Duke was furious was an understatement. Oh, he had learned that Henry had weaseled his way into an office to hire these thugs and call Lucy and that was unacceptable. The pictures his father had sent him of the children’s room had set his blood to boil.

  This man should never have had children and it was obvious he wasn’t going to stop till his heart stopped beating, which was now being arranged. Even in jail there were ways to get to a man, but he would wait to see what this judge could do. But if Duke didn’t think the solution was good enough, the man would die, and soon.