Enslaved in Shadows (26 page)

             
A small sniffle and Jes turned to see Faith waking up.
Her daughter searched around the room with her beautiful green eyes until they landed on Draven, who was still on the phone. She watched as Faith hopped off the bed and groggily walked over to her father.
She saw how his body stiffened when Faith laid her hands on his leg trying to get his attention.
He bent and picked her up, but continued talking.
He looked over the little girl’s head and smiled at her. They looked so good together. Jes smiled and headed for the bathroom.

             
The bathroom was small and stuffy.
The air was stagnant and she could tell this bathroom hadn’t seen a proper cleaning in months.
She looked in the shower and thought better of washing herself, she smelled like Draven and
sex,
and she had yuck mouth.
How fucking embarrassing was that shit? Everyone knew what they were doing. Jes cursed low under her breath, and turned on the faucet. They had bigger things to worry about than finishing what he’d started.
She needed to get her daughter to safety and they needed to retrieve the missing vampires. She cupped a mouthful of water and rinsed.
That will have to do.

             
“We aren’t going to have time for a shower.”
Draven’s voice whispered over her skin as he placed a soft kiss to her shoulder.

             
“I wouldn’t shower in this place anyway. When are we leaving?”
She turned in his arms and stiffened.
They were going back to headquarters, what would happen when they got back?

             
“Captain’s sending the jet to a rendezvous point so we need to leave now.”
She shook her head and tried to step past him but he pulled her back into his arms and gently squeezed her to his chest.
He had on the sweats Royce had given her and a gray long sleeve Henley.
All man and strength, she took a deep breath. She needed to decompress, regroup.
He squeezed her to him and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

             
“Once we land back at the headquarters, I want to talk to you. We need to make arrangements where Faith is concerned.”

             
“Yeah, sure arrangements.”

             
Draven pulled back to look down at her with a frown.
“What’s the matter? My mother Mara is going to want to keep her while we finish this assignment and we need to get her into school.”

             
“If you think I am going to let you take control of my daughter you have another thing coming.” She pushed against his chest until Draven let her go.
He had the nerve to have a hurt look on his face and she wasn’t having any of it. Panic would set in if she didn’t calm her nerves.
She was in control. Not him.

             
“Let’s go.” He said harshly.

             
Faith came rushing over when Jes came out of the restroom.
Her beautiful curls bouncing as she ran and leapt up into her mother’s arms.
She smelled just like a little girl should, sweet and warm.

             
“How are you cupcake?” Jesminda asked her daughter.

             
“Oh fine mama I was just talking to papa about meeting Nana.”
Jesminda gasped and almost choked on her tongue.
She’d never told her he was her father, never got the chance.
Jes looked over her shoulder at Draven and glared.
He had no right to do that.
It was something she was supposed to do.

             
“Is that right?” Jesminda said sweetly.

             
“Yup, and momma how come you never told me Mr. Stone was my papa wolf? I knew he was mine.”
Faith said happily.

             
“Uh huh, let’s get going okay. We’re gonna ride on a plane baby girl, isn’t that fun?”
She didn’t know what to say to her daughter.
The two of them needed to have a long talk without the influence of Draven and his antics.
He was trying to snowball her, push her into a corner so she couldn’t tell her daughter no.
Well she’d just have to prove him wrong.

             
“Ooh Auntie Bells, did you hear that? We’re gonna ride on a plane, a real live plane, like in them movies you and momma won’t let me watch.”
Faith hugged her so tight around her neck; she had to untangle her before she couldn’t breathe.

             
Draven plucked Faith out of her arms and placed a kiss on her cheek as he headed towards the door.
Royce and the others followed.
She’d deal with his actions later, because right now they needed to get back to headquarters.

             
Royce took the front seat and Solon took
shotgun
. Faith was sitting in between Draven and Bells when she finally made it out to the car. They were all waiting on her and she didn’t really care at the moment she was just a tad bit slow.
Her entire day had come to this
moment;
her and her daughter would be safe from Marcus. She knew she’d be safe from everything.

             
“Get your ass in the car; we have a plane to catch. Kick rocks.” Royce hollered over the sound of the engine.
Solon moved over, so she could get in.
She was sitting next to the
window, which
was fine with her, gave her time to think how she was going to handle Draven and his actions with her daughter.
Royce leaned over Solon to glare at her.
Then he hit the music on the radio and they pulled out.

Chapter 16

             
Dietrich was waiting for them at the agreed upon spot when Royce finally pulled the car into the garage.
The man’s chocolate skin held a pale glow to it.
Some people thought he was a shifter but Draven knew different.
Dietrich was a secretive bastard and everyone knew it. He took Dravaggio’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” clause to a whole new level of secrecy.
He always wore his shades, no matter the time of day.
He looked over the passengers and sneered.
He didn’t particularly care for woman and children and the man made it known to everyone.
Dietrich had about three inches on Draven and he used every piece of arsenal to his advantage.
Height, weight, H
ell even his shade-covered glare was deadly.

             
“You assholes are late, another minute and I would have left you here.”
Dietrich turned and headed towards the plane. He glided when he walked. Royce once told Dietrich he was smooth like butter. Dietrich’s response was to flip him the bird.
He had just made it to the stairs when Bells called out to him.

             
“Dietrich Johnson?” Bells walked up to him and Dietrich recoiled back as if she hurt him. He didn’t really acknowledge her as his head ducked inside.

             
“You’re going to act like you don’t know who I am?”
Bells followed him on board as the rest of them took the stairs.
Bells knowing D was a shock to everyone.
The entire team thought he was pulled off the streets by Dravaggio.

             
“I don’t know you.” Dietrich turned sharply cornering Bells against the wall of the jet. “Seeing you once or twice doesn’t make us friends female.”
He walked further into the plane towards the pit and opened the cockpit door. Bells didn’t seem to care about his disposition and followed him towards the front. The door to the pit slammed in her face, hard. It shook the plane on its wheels. Draven led Jes and Faith over to their seats.
Solon and Royce followed closely behind.

             
The seats inside the cabin were big enough the men could stretch their legs. He should be tired, but he was hyper-aware. He wanted to watch all things, be prepared.
He sat next to Jesminda and Faith, his little angel was all smiles. Solon took the seat across the aisle from them. Royce and Belinda sat across from Solon.
They were strapping in when the light dinged overhead signaling they should buckle their seat belts.

             
“This is not your fucking captain speaking.” Dietrich’s voice squawked over the intercom.
“Don’t fucking bother me. If you can’t locate the exits, well you’re shit out of luck. Head’s in the rear of the plane and I didn’t pack shit for you motherfucker's to eat so deal with it.
This flight will take approximately one hour.
Don’t make me crash the fucking plane. Cause I will if I deem it necessary.”

             
Faith stared wide-eyed and in shock. The women were angry and Royce attempted to hold back his laughter until Bells popped him in the chest.
After his announcement was
finished,
the loud speaker began to pump music into the cabin.
It was Commons, “I Use
to
Love Her.”
Dietrich was a walking talking contradiction.
As the plane took a turn to hit the runway
,
everyone sat back and let out a collective breath.
Things were coming to a close.
Soon they’d be back at headquarters. Solon would get questioned again by the captain. Jes and Faith would be safe and sound at his parents place, and they could make their move on Marcus. Faith’s hand slowly crept its way into Draven’s, it was a comforting gesture. Were’s constantly need touch for reassurance, comfort and love.
Body language was their key communication as well as their sense of smell.
His daughter was comforting him and her mother at the same time.
Her instincts may have been hindered by being raised in such close quarters with humans, but her wolf side was still very strong.
His little girl was smart. She’d have no problem adapting; her mother was an entirely different story.

             
When the plane finally lifted off, Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” played over the loud speaker. Faith was bobbing her head to the beat of the music and Bells and Royce had their heads bent in conversation. He couldn’t really talk to Jes because Dietrich’s ass had the music playing loud enough to make him deaf. Faith was sitting on her lap and holding his hand and he didn’t want to ruin it.
She connected them on all levels.
Her strength was pouring into the both of them as they sat on the plane.
Jesminda was calm and content. She kept kissing the side of her daughter’s hand, kissing the tip of her nose. Maybe she knew more about Faith’s wolf
than
she let on. Or maybe it was her maternal instinct. Draven felt the vibe of her affections through their daughter.
It was enough for now.

             
He placed his hand over Jes and Faith’s hands and rubbed them both.
Jes stiffened when he twined his fingers with theirs. It was a perfect combination of love
,
he thought.
Two adult hands with one small one, interwoven together to make them whole
. I
t was home for him. She would eventually understand he was someone she could trust not to hurt her, or lead her on a path of destruction. He was the man he was supposed to be with her.
She was it for him. Anyone else paled in comparison.
He brought their fingers to his mouth and first kissed Faith’s tiny fingers and then Jes’s slender ones. This was his family.

             
He tried to reassure her with his eyes everything was going to be fine.
He had plans for his mate and his daughter and all of them ended with them coming to live with him.
He wasn’t going to ask her. There was no reason to. She was his and that was that.
Moron. Talk to her.
As his lips lingered on their entwined
fingers,
he flipped their hands over to expose her wrist and placed another kiss just over her pulse. He could feel the rapid beating of her heart.
She was just as affected as he was and once this dirty business with Marcus and the missing vampires was over; he was going to spend the rest of his life showing her how much she meant to him.
Hopefully, watch her belly swell at least three or four more times with his young. As he lifted his
head,
their eyes met.
Faith was there in the middle looking between them and smiling, showing her perfect dimples.
His heart warmed. He loved them both and they were his beginning,
middle,
and end. Life would cease to exist without them.

             
He couldn’t wait for his mother and father to meet her.
Mara was a kind soul and his father, well; Draven could handle the old man.
It wouldn’t sit well with his father or the pack. Faith hadn’t been properly introduced. Protocol was everything to their kind. He knew Mara would see to all the details of the ceremony. His father was Alpha and
naturally,
he was next to guide the pack’s next generation of offspring.
Melissa was officially out of the picture.
Jes wouldn’t like the new developments, but he’d find the time to explain everything he could.
She was human and their traditions were different. He was expected to run the pack when the time came.
Pack politics were knee deep in their tradition. Human matings were not un-heard of, but were greatly frowned upon. His father’s council would have tons to say in that regard. He cringed. Dietrich and his fucking music wouldn’t let him think!