Precarious Possessions (Maxwell Investigations) (15 page)

It was Dylan’s turn to roll her eyes. “Don’t make it seem
like
Lacey’s
a little princess.”

Madison froze before looking into her sister’s eyes. “Do you
really want me to go there?”

Belle frowned for a moment before remembering. She turned to
Dylan. “You adopted Perry’s little girl,” she said softly.

Dylan nodded. “She’s an Alchemist, like me. So it made sense
that I be the one to take her in.”

Belle mused. She also remembered Perry’s advances on Dylan.
There was no other woman he would have wanted as the mother of his child. She
blinked when Dylan winced.

Dylan put a comforting hand on Belle’s shoulder. “Please
don’t think that around Crispin. He’s still a little jealous,” she said
quietly.

Madison inhaled as she stood on Belle’s other side. “Dylan
was changed into a vampire just over four years ago.”

Belle blinked as she looked at Dylan. “You’re a vampire?”
she asked. As Dylan nodded she slowly inhaled. Dylan’s virtual disappearance
made sense. So did the careful way she spoke and smiled. For some reason Belle
never thought a black woman would be a vampire.

“It’s the pale thing,” Dylan said easily. “Most black people
look ashy, not pale. And I don’t know about you, I think ashy is a complete
turn off. Fortunately, that’s only a myth.” She then smiled when she heard a
soft footfall by the door. “Crispin and Victor are pale as hell because they’re
European,” she added in a teasing tone.

Madison simply opened the door and smiled at Crisping and
Troy. “You boys having fun?” she asked.

Crispin frowned at his wife. “Loads,” he said stepping
around Madison. He went to Dylan’s side and tangled his hand in her hair. As he
looked into her playful eyes he found himself smiling. “European?” he asked.

Dylan gave him a quick kiss. “Would you rather I say it’s
because we just recently dragged you out of the dark ages?”

Madison looked at the floor before turning to leave the
room. She paused when she saw Troy standing in her way. “Yes, they’re naturally
this sickening,” she said seriously. Her eyes widened when he wrapped his arms
around her and pulled her close.

Troy buried his nose in her neck and just breathed her in
scent. “I’m about to head out,” he said softly.

She relaxed against him and took a slow breath. “So you
wanted your own sappy goodbye?” she asked in the same tone.

He chuckled and kissed the side of her neck. “I left dinner
for you downstairs. Your brother said it was romantic.” Troy looked into her
confused eyes and smiled. “I figured I’d come and get your scent before you
ran.”

Madison’s jaw fell for a moment. As he moved towards his
mother, Madison swallowed. The father of her sons or not, she knew she was
dangerously close to falling for him. Madison’s entire body stiffened as she
felt both Dylan and Crispin staring at her. “I’m
gonna
go get the boys,” she said before running out of the room.

Troy chuckled as both Dylan and Crispin quickly followed
her. He then looked at his mother. “She’s a little resistant, but I think I’m
wearing her down.”

Belle reached up and touched his cheek. “You really change
into a wolf, huh?” she asked.

He mused and sat on the edge of the bed. “It hurt like hell
the first time I changed,” he confessed. When she sat next to him, he held onto
her hand. “All of my bones break and reform. It’s not all that pretty.” He
looked into her eyes as she took a shaky breath. “But I’m still me inside.”

“Are you?” Belle asked.

He nodded. “I see everything in shades of grey. But for the
most part I know who’s around me.” He looked at her and gently squeezed her
hand. “I would never hurt you, Mom.”

Belle dropped his hand as she realized what really drove him
away from the family. “I’ve always been scared of dogs,” she whispered. She
looked into his face and felt her heart tear as he turned away from her.
“That’s why you left, isn’t it? You didn’t want me to find out and be scared of
you.”

Troy looked at her. “Dad and Dennis didn’t paint a good
picture of what happened,” he explained. “According to them, you had a nervous
breakdown. I didn’t want to trigger another one.”

She frowned as she thought back to the hazy returning
memories. “I had just found out I was pregnant and I was terrified for you.
What happened wasn’t the best way to find out werewolves really existed either.
I’ll admit I probably didn’t make the best decisions about everything that
happened.”

Troy put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.
“But having things ripped away and then given a new happy lie isn’t the best
thing either.”

Belle shook her head. “No, it’s not.” She leaned her head on
his shoulder and sighed. “I don’t think I can forgive either of them.”

“I’m not really expecting you to.” He hugged her and helped her
stand. “But I can ask around. I would like for you to talk to someone.” Troy
felt the way her shoulders tightened and sighed.
“Really,
Mom.
You guys are always saying how some therapy and talking things out
with a third party is beneficial in a lot of ways. Put your money where your
mouth is.”

Belle chuckled before she poked Troy in his side. “I don’t
care if you do change into God knows what, I’m still your mother.”

He guided her out of the room. “I know, Mom,” he said before
kissing her in the side of her head. “But really. We can talk to Victor. He
seems to know everyone. I’m sure he can find a safe therapist to talk to.”

She rolled her eyes as they made it to the top of the
stairs. “Alright, fine,” she conceded. She then looked at him. “But only if I
can see what you look like as a wolf.”

Troy frowned. “Mom, you’re not ready for that.” He then
winced when she poked him again. “Can you stop doing that?” he asked.

She looked at him with determined eyes. “No. I want to see
what you look like. You said that I don’t have to be scared of you. And if
that’s the reason why you ran away, then I want to see it.”

He looked at her for a long moment. From he could tell that
there was going to be no reasoning with her. His shoulders fell.
“Fine.
Let’s go and see Madison. I don’t want you to do it
alone.”

Barry sat at the kitchen table nursing a bottle of water.
Dylan had already told him about what happened after the zombie he created bit
him. He knew she wasn’t exaggerating when she repeated Mathias’s threats, but
he was a little stunned at Madison’s counter threat.

Madison walked into the kitchen and glanced at her brother.
“How’s the head?” she asked.

Barry shrugged. “Crispin said that it wasn’t anything some
aspirin won’t fix,” he said simply. When she nodded, he watched her. “Thanks
for covering for me,” he added.

Her eyes rolled. “Please, you’re embarrassing me.” She
turned to the oven and found a plate of chicken
marsala
served over a fettuccine.
 
She started to
blush as she remembered Troy telling her he left her a plate.

“Troy’s pretty okay,” Barry said before taking a sip of his
water. “At least I know that you and the boys won’t have to survive on your
cooking and drive thru windows.”

Madison looked at him as she grabbed a fork and knife. “Ha
ha
,” she said going over to the table. “I will have you
know, I am a damned fine cook.” She sat across from him and smiled. “I just
hate doing dishes.”

Barry chuckled. “So you have a house most people would kill
for, a bank roll that Trump could envy, and you have a kitchen full of paper
plates and plastic cups because you hate doing dishes?” he asked.

Madison laughed as she cut a piece of her food. “That’s it
in a nutshell.” She bit into her forkful of pasta and chicken and closed her
eyes. “He is so wasted at a bar,” she mumbled.

Barry continued to laugh. Madison looked like she had just
gone to heaven, all over a piece of chicken. “You could always tell him you
need him as a personal chef.”

She shook her head. “He’s
gonna
be
here anyway. You could hire him to give you lessons,” she suggested. When he
looked at her, she smiled. “Women of today adore a man that can cook. This way
we don’t have to.”

“So you’re just going to use him for his cooking skills?”
Barry asked.

Madison enjoyed another bite as she thought about her
answer. “No, I’m going to use him for his body,” she replied before shoving
some more food into her mouth. “This is just icing on the cake.”

Barry chuckled as he watched her eat. “Dylan told me what
happened with Mom and Mathias,” he said changing the subject. He saw the way
she slowed down her eating and ran his finger down the edge of his bottle. “You
didn’t have to threaten him like that.”

“Yes I did.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped at her mouth.
“Mathias thinks he can just come in and force everyone to his will. It doesn’t
work like that.” Her eyes flashed and she focused her eyes to her plate. “Just
because I was kicked out by Mom and Dad doesn’t mean that I have to turn
against all of you.”

Barry reached out and touched her hand. “And that’s why I
have to say thanks,” he said. When she looked at him, he smiled. “You’re a
bigger woman than Mom.”

Madison smirked. “Not helping your cause Barrence,” she said
in a sing-song voice.

He laughed at her tone. Her size was always a sore spot with
her. “Alright, you’re a better person than she is,” he amended. As she went
back to eating, he leaned back in his chair. “After half of the crap she’s said
no one would really blame you if you cut ties with the lot of us.”

“Very true.
But
why cut off my nose to spite my face?” Madison looked at Barry. “Just because
Tina is insufferably ignorant doesn’t mean there’s no hope for you boys.” She
couldn’t help but smile at his confused look. “You all make awesome uncles for
the twins. I wouldn’t cheat them of that.” Madison turned back to her plate and
laughed darkly. “Besides, me being close to you all
pisses
her off to no end. It’s win/win from where I sit.” Madison leaned back in her
own chair as she heard feet running down the hall.

“Mommy, can we go running with
Grandpup
?”
Kayin asked.

 
Aiden easily climbed
up into Madison’s lap. “Daddy’s going too,” he added. He looked into Madison’s
eyes. “We want Man-Time.”

Madison had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from laughing.
Her boys were always trying to be so adult, but looked smaller with each try.
“I’ll talk with Daddy and
Grandpup
,” she said in a
reasonable tone. “If you go, you’ll have to dress warm. And you’ll miss me
playing for the moon.”

Barry frowned. “Playing for the moon?” he asked.

Kayin smiled at his uncle. “Every big moon, Mommy plays her
violin for us,” he answered.

Madison waved off Barry’s confused look. “It’s no big deal,”
she said. She moved Aiden on her leg and ate another forkful of food. She then
picked up some and offered both of her boys. As expected, Aiden shook his head
and Kayin quickly ate what was on the fork.

“It’s no big deal that my sister knows how to play a violin
and I don’t know?” Barry leaned back and ran his hand down his face. “You know,
I kind of expected something like this.” He continued to watch as Madison put
Aiden down and stood with her plate. “Since Victor basically raised you, it
would make sense that you know how to be a prim and proper lady.”

Madison looked at Barry and mused. “You’re lucky that my
kids are here.”

Barry smiled. “Does that mean you were taught embroidery
too?” he teased.

“Madison’s lessons included art, music, and fencing,” Victor
replied as he walked into the kitchen. He then gave Barry a stern look. “No, I
do not mean the selling of illegal goods.”

Barry raised his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t going to go
there,” he said shaking his head.

Victor simply nodded his head once and turned his focus on
the twins. “
Grandpup
and your father are about to go
on their run. You two will have to stay here to get to know your grandmother.”
When the boys frowned at him, he easily slipped into their minds.
“Grandmothers enjoy giving cookies,”
he
told them.

Madison fought to hide a smile as both boys looked at each
other and ran out of the kitchen. “You told them she’ll give them cookies,
didn’t you?” she asked. When Barry looked at her in confusion, Madison could
only laugh. “Father has a sweet-tooth a dentist could go rich over,” she
explained. “With the boys, he quickly discovered that they adore cookies almost
as much as he likes éclairs.”

“So you bribed them with cookies?” Barry asked the former
monarch. When Victor simply shrugged, Barry laughed. “I would think that would
be below someone of your station,” he said lowly. When Victor turned to glare
at him, he sipped at his bottle of water. “But then, Madison has an addiction
to Jolly Ranchers and rock candy that we could never account for.”