Precarious Possessions (Maxwell Investigations) (4 page)

Troy leaned against his car and continued to frown at her.
Leigh’s sweet tooth was notorious. “What’s your point?”

“You have to make a choice.” Leigh’s eyes locked with Troy’s
and she could see the heartbreak in his. “Either let’s go back, or you have to
let her go. And I’m talking completely. No more PI’s trying to find out
information about her, no more trying to search her family. If she’s not crazy
with wanting to be with you, she deserves a clean break.”

His arms crossed over his chest, reminding Leigh of a child
in a temper. “What if I don’t want to let her go?”

“Then when you stand as an Alpha in your own right, I’ll
back you as one of your Lieutenants,” she said simply.
“If
your woman will let me.”

Troy looked up at the moon for one final time. There were
some things that he would have to take care of before he left. “Give me a
week,” he sighed before looking at Leigh. “And then we’ll head home.”

* * *
* *

Casper sat on the floor between the twin's beds exhausted.
Kayin and Aiden were bundles of energy that really did not know the meaning of
the word stop. He didn’t have a clue how Madison did it. After they came in for
cookies, Aiden wanted to play tag. While he was playing tag with Aiden, Kayin
was busy trying to feed Mrs. Dash to the fish. Then Kayin wanted juice and
Aiden wanted to climb up to the chandelier. Finally Casper managed to get both
boys in their pajamas and tightly bundled into their beds. If he was lucky, it
would take a miracle for them to get out of bed unassisted. “I’m too old for
this,” he muttered.

Kayin looked out of the widow and smiled when he saw the
full moon in the sky. “Big moon,” he cheered.

Aiden turned his eyes to Casper and tilted his head. “Can we
go see Mommy?” he asked.

Casper started to shake his head when Kayin jumped up and
started for the door.

Figures.

“Now boys, we talked about this,” he said reasonably. “Mommy’s
not feeling too great. That’s why we’re all just going to stay out of her way.”

Kayin frowned as he was picked up. “But Mommy always plays
for the big moon,” he protested.

Casper placed Kayin next to his brother and looked at the
pair. “What are you guys talking about?”

Before either could answer, the sound of a violin echoed
through the house. Casper turned and could only blink when he saw his father
standing at the door.

“Boys, go see to your mother,” Victor suggested.

Casper stood silent as both Kayin and Aiden jumped up and
ran off. After they cleared the door and were on the stairs, he ran his fingers
through his messy hair. “She’s taken the violin up again?” he asked.

Victor nodded. “She has taken up a lot of things again.” He
turned and started down the hall. When he heard Casper behind him, he
continued. “While she was pregnant, she started playing music again. Then after
she had the boys, she started fencing again. She has even taught Alex.”

Casper nodded slowly. “Is he any good?”

Victor caught the note in Casper’s voice. “He would have to
spend at least another eight years in France before he can be on par with her,
and another eighty before you.”

A chuckle left the younger Solomon. “Or he could just study
under me for three years and beat her then.”

Victor shook his head at his son’s competitiveness. “Are you
still sore about that one loss?” he asked tiredly.

Casper rolled his eyes. “She was fighting, not fencing,” he
grumbled. When Victor gave him a blank look, he caved. “Okay, yes. I’m still
pissed about that loss. You and Pan set me up.”

Victor fought a smile. “I would do no such thing,” he lied.

Casper read the lie for what it was and frowned as he opened
the door to the room where the music was coming from. He could only stand
frozen as Madison played. She sat on a window seat and faced both Kayin and
Aiden as they both curled up on the floor near her feet.

Victor walked to a near closet and pulled out a set of
pillows and blankets. He tossed them over toward the boys and watched as they
quickly made a pallet to lie on. His eyes then turned to his son. “This occurs
every month. We all have a system.”

Madison continued to play as they sat on the sofa. She often
ignored whoever was in the room with her as she played. It was just like when she
was a child. She would start playing and completely ignore anyone else. Madison
didn’t want to hear their ridicule if she messed up. She also didn’t want to
hear the mocking laughter she had been sure her brothers would taunt her with
if they ever found out. To this day Dylan had been the only Maxwell to ever
hear her play.

Casper watched quietly as she played. She still kept her
eyes closed and tapped her heel to keep time. A small smile crossed his face as
he remembered the sullen little girl she was when she was first forced to learn
to play.

“I’m
pretty sure Madison would not approve of your current thoughts,”
Victor told him mentally. When Casper looked at him, he smiled.

Casper rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to
Madison. She had grown into a capable woman, but when he peaked into her
thoughts he saw that she was still the fragile little girl he wanted as his
mate.

“And her wolf would not appreciate that,” Victor commented.

“I didn’t mean it like that and you know it,” Casper hissed
at his father.

Victor only smiled. His youngest son was so easy to rile up
when it came to his feelings for Madison. The boy had no clue that if it were
not for the fact that he could not feed from her, he would have made her his
mate.

“You can stop talking like I’m not in the room,” Madison
said softly. Her eyes opened and she glanced over at both Vampires. She then
looked at where her boys were curled up and sleeping. “Looking at them like
this, I can almost see them as puppies.”

Casper frowned at her.
“Why a Wolf
Madi
?”

She sat her violin next to her on the window sill and rubbed
the side of her neck. She couldn’t feel the Mate-mark Troy left on her, but she
knew it was there. It was actually a comfort during the full moon. “Because to
him, I was normal,” she confessed. She then frowned as she looked at Casper and
Victor. “I’m not going to keep going over this. It was my choice and my
mistake. And looking at the boys, it was a good mistake to make.” She picked up
her violin again and turned so that she was sitting fully in the window with
her back to both Vampires. “Now if you have to keep asking, you know where the
door is.”

Victor looked at his son for a long moment. “I told you not
to question her,” he whispered as she started to play. When Casper glared at
him, Victor stood and walked over to Madison. “I was thinking about going
abroad again,” he said. He stared into her eyes as she tilted her head, but
continued. “Would you and the boys like to come with me?” he asked simply.

Madison smiled as she saw what he was trying to do. “Trying
to get me out of the prying eyes of family?” she asked playfully.

Victor shook his head. “No my dear; I just want to make sure
you are happy and comfortable.”

Madison’s eyes lowered as she continued to play. That was something
one said to a terminally ill patient. She shook her head and stood. Without a
word she walked around the room.

Casper’s eyes followed her. “He didn’t mean it like that
Madi
,” he said looking into her mind. He then flinched when
he felt a sharp pain behind his eyes.

Eyes the color of blood glared at him from across the room.
“Stay out of my head,” she demanded. She continued to play for a moment before
she lowered her violin and bow. Her eyes turned to Victor. “They should be out
for the rest of the night now,” she said softly. “I’m going to take them to
their room.”

Victor shook his head. “I will handle the boys,” he said
simply. “You go and get some rest.”

Madison knew his tone. There was nothing she could say or do
to make him change his mind. With a roll of her eyes she walked over to her
window sill and placed her violin back into its case. “Fine, you’re better with
them anyway,” she said lowly. She then looked up at the moon. As always, a far
off look crossed her face. “He’s happier without us,” she whispered to herself.

“Then he’s a fucking moron,” Casper snapped as he stood.
When Madison turned to him, he hissed out a low breath and walked out of the
room.

Victor and Madison frowned at each other. Madison tucked a
lock of her hair behind her ear. “Is he going to be alright?” she asked.

“When he finds the right woman, yes,” Victor said simply.

Madison crossed her arms over her chest. It seemed as if
that was always the answer he gave her. “That isn’t what I mean and you know
it, Father. Is he going to cause a problem?” she asked quickly.

Victor looked at her before smiling. “No more of a problem
than Casper normally does.”

Letting out a vicious growl, Madison turned and left the
room. She wasn’t going to start an argument with Victor. While most would
accuse of her being reckless, she wasn’t stupid. Picking a fight with him was
asking for your ass-kicking.

Victor looked at the twins and felt a small smile cross his
face. Madison had been right. They were the best mistake she could have made.
And it was high time Troy Davenport knew it.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his daughter in law.
With Casper arriving, they had just run out of time. His more impetuous son
would do his best to convince Madison to take the boys and leave with him. While
Casper meant well, they all knew that could only end in disaster.

“Hello?” Dylan gasped into the phone.

“I am going to need you to go to California,” he said.

* * *
* *

Two figures stood in the park clearing. It was almost dawn
and the creatures of the night were all safe in their beds. This was the
perfect time for them to meet. Their project had been going on for decades and
the fruits of their labor were beginning to blossom.

That still did not mean they trusted each other.

Both men knew the other had guards scattered in the nearby
trees. Both also knew that the need for secrecy was paramount.

“You have been coddling them all,” the taller figure said
lowly.

The
smaller
of the pair laughed.
His youthful voice echoed in the moonlight. “But you forget the happier one is,
the more they have to lose.”

“I don’t care what she has to lose.”

Again, the smaller man laughed. “You have no concept of the
power those women are capable of. We have to go about this carefully. If we
want them in our control then we are going to have to be patient.”

“I still say we should grab the weaker links and use them as
incentive,” the first man hissed. It had been years and they were still no
closer to their goal than when they started.

“And that is why you are still merely an apprentice,” the
first man said happily. His voice then grew deadly serious. “If you want her,
leave her be. Once all that she loves has been stripped from her, and then you
can claim her. A second sooner, then you will have all of her fury.”

The taller man inhaled and tightened his hands into fists.
“You act like she is more powerful that I am,” he said barely holding back a
growl.

Serious brown eyes looked at him. If he would have known
that this man that held such promise would be such an idiot, he would have
never picked him up off the streets. “You act as if she isn’t.” They stood in
silence for a moment before the
older
of the pair
continued. “What you tend to forget is that she is a force of nature. If you go
after what she holds dear, then she will kill me, you and anyone else in her
way. We have to proceed carefully to prevent that.”

“What about her sister?
The Princess?”

“She is skilled in her own right. But we have to make
Madison our priority.”

The younger man scowled. “Fine, just make sure you keep an
eye on her.”

“That is no problem. She is in the care of the
Solomons
. Victor will let nothing happen to her.”

Troy looked at the Alpha in front of him and fought not to roll
his eyes. He hated all of the diplomatic crap he was forced to deal with. It
also didn’t help that both Dennis and Anthony were trying to groom him to
become an Alpha in his own right. “I have the right to go anywhere I want in
the country,” Troy said calmly.

Anthony looked at him and nodded slowly. The music from the
club pulsed through him as he regarded what could become a dangerous situation.
“That is true. But call me cautious. I want to know what members of my pack are
doing when in another’s territory.”

His idiocy had to stop. “I am not a member of your pack,”
Troy replied. When Anthony straightened, Troy braced himself and continued. “I
appreciate the hospitality that you have shown me, but it is time that I go
home.”