Contents

Cover Credit

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

About This Book

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

From the Author

About the Author

Cover Credit

Christopher Coyle

darkandstormyknight.com

Thank you for adorning my words so beautifully.

Your talent knows no bounds!

Sandra R Neeley

P. O. Box 127

Franklinton, LA 70438

authorsandrarneeley@gmail.com

Independently published

By Sandra R Neeley

42,489 words.

Safe On Base

— A Howls Romance

by Sandra R Neeley

Copyright © 2020 SANDRA R NEELEY

All rights reserved.

Thank you for purchasing and/or downloading this book. It is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and/or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes without express written permission from the author.

Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales, is purely coincidental. The characters are creations of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademarked ownership of all trademarks and word marks mentioned in this book.

For everyone out there who wakes up everyday willing to take a chance, just hoping it will all work out.

Safe On Base

— A Howls Romance

Basilio is the epitome of the rich, professional athlete overindulging in wine, women, and partying. He’s lived that life for so long he’s had more than his fill. All he wants is to find his mate. Basilio, or Base, as he’s known to all the baseball world, is a Primate shifter, a Silverback Gorilla to be exact. But none of the people in his inner circle know he’s anything other than human. He’s growing disenchanted quickly. Then, one day he literally runs into her, his mate, or she runs into him. She keeps her head down, working to clean their locker room, while doing her best to avoid the lewd, offensive remarks of some of his teammates. Turning on his teammates, Base defends her, but before he can catch up to his mate – she disappears, leaving him to run after her like a lovesick puppy…er, Gorilla.

Renata is a single mother struggling to survive. She’s got to do more than just make ends meet. She’s got to keep her head down, wary at all times to be sure she’s not noticed by anyone. Renata’s been on the run for almost four years now. The man she’s running from is her ex, her son’s father. He’s a shifter, and he’s determined to return Renata to his harem of females and to brutally raise her son to take his place as Prime of their troop. He hid his true nature from Renata until she’d delivered a male heir, but there’s no way in hell she’ll allow him to brutalize her sweet baby or herself. Now that she’s aware shifters exist and just how dangerous they are, she’ll never make that mistake again. So, she ran, and she keeps running. Every time anyone pays even the smallest bit of attention to her and her son, she’s off again.

A Major League pitcher accustomed to the limelight and a quiet, shy single mother, determined to stay out of it. Can they find a way to work out their differences and become what the other needs? Or will they end up torn apart and bleeding – possibly quite literally – as they struggle to survive the mating instinct?

Warning: Intended for mature audiences. This book contains violence, abuse both real and inferred, and sexual situations that may be disturbing for some readers. If you are offended by these subjects, please do not buy this book.

Chapter 1

Basilio Lyakhov smiled and waved as he jogged off the field toward the dugout to join the rest of his teammates who were already forming a line to shake hands with the other team. His dark, wavy hair, caramel-colored skin and perfect bright, white smile made him the ideal poster-boy for the Birmingham Beasts Major League Baseball Team. No sooner than he’d waved and smiled, had that very image been splayed across all the video screens in the stadium and every television tuned into the game across the country. He had it all, women wanted him and men wanted to be him. He had his choice any day of the week of bedmate or companion. Most of his teammates did as well, especially the circle of friends that always seemed to surround him. They were professional baseball players; it came with the territory. But there was a marked difference between him and his teammates. He was growing tired of the nightlife and the constant parties — while they showed no sign of slowing their pace. Basilio, or Base as he was known, had grown tired of that lifestyle. He wanted more, needed more. He was a different kind of male; he was a shifter — a primate shifter. He and his beast only ever agreed on one thing, they loved playing baseball. But now, they seemed to be more in sync. For the first time in his life, well almost the first time, he and his beast were focused on something other than baseball. They wanted to find their mate. Nothing less than their mate would do.

“Yo, Base! You coming tonight?” Squire called across the locker room.

Basilio thought about it, but it was the last thing he felt like doing. “No, man. I’m out,” he said, shaking his head and closing his locker to walk to the showers.

“Oh, come on! You know you’re the chick magnet. We need you there to increase our choices,” he said, laughing and high-fiving Will.

“You manage just fine without me. Ya’ll have fun,” Basilio said, disappearing into the shower room.

“And what are you going to do instead? There’s nothing you need to do that can’t wait ‘til tomorrow,” Squire insisted, pushing Basilio to come with them.

“I’m just not feeling it tonight,” Base insisted, turning his face up to the hot water blasting out of the shower-head.

“You will be!” Squire said, trading lewd hand motions with Will.

“You’re going to wish you’d come with us,” Will encouraged.

Base shook his head. “You guys have to grow up at some point, right?” he asked.

“Why?” Will asked.

“What the hell for?” Squire asked, seeming affronted that anyone would suggest such a thing.

“Because at some point the women, the liquor, the never-ending parties, it gets old. Don’t you want more? Someone to share your home? A place to just relax and be able to be yourself without all the fanfare?” Base asked.

“I got that!” Squire answered, grinning. “And a huge King Plus bed for me and as many women will fit at once. After they’re all worn out and snoozing, that’s my relax time.”

Base knew for a fact that most of Squire’s mouthiness was just that, mouthiness.

“I think maybe the reason you preach so much about all your women, is because just one won’t have your ass,” Base shot back at him.

“Fuck you!” Squire retorted.

“Naw, not interested,” Base answered, finishing his shower and stepping out to grab his towel.

~~~~~

Renata stood outside the locker room door, listening to the shouts, booms and crashes of the men inside, celebrating their latest win. She had to go in after them, clean up their mess and put the locker room back in order. She hated this part of her job and the harassment it subjected her to. Some of them were arrogant pricks. Not all were bad, in fact some were very good men, but not all of them. And no matter how long she waited, there always seemed to be a few players left inside. Those were the ones that treated women like notches on a bedpost. Those that didn’t comment on how much they’d like to handle her ample hips and curves, commented on how she should do more to hide her hips and curves. She hated it. But the job paid better than any other she could find, and they hired her on as a contract laborer which meant she didn’t have to give them a lot of information on her background. Despite the crazy hours, she needed a good paying job so she could stash away as much money as she could, so she counted herself lucky to have the job.

Renata was a single mom. She’d been on her own for a long time, just her and her son. She had to prepare for the future, to make a better life for her son. He had special needs. They hadn’t come to light yet, but they would, with puberty. She needed to be sure she could afford to get them out of this city, into a more accepting atmosphere where he would never be at risk. That’s what kept her coming back, kept her dealing with the arrogant attitudes of the men inside that room. She stood in the shadows after every game, waiting as they left the locker room in two’s and three’s, some headed home to families, others headed out to the bars where they’d choose their flavor of the evening.

Finally, after what seemed like forever the locker room grew quiet. Renata pushed the door open and went inside, wading through the mountains of towels, socks, empty drink bottles, and even an errant jock strap strewn about here and there. She pulled her laundry cart behind her, tossing anything that could be washed into it, and anything that couldn’t be washed into the garbage bag tied to the side of it. She made her way through the front half of the locker room, closing a few lockers and cleaning as she went. She still had to do the same in the back half of the locker room before she went into the showers and cleaned them as well. With that in mind Renata worked quickly, moving toward the back of the room on the other side of the half wall of lockers partially separating the room into two halves. As she got nearer that half wall, she could just make out male voices coming from the showers. The water was still going and she felt reasonably sure she could dart inside the main dressing area, pick up the rest of the towels and such and get them into the laundry down the hall. She’d come back after those still in the shower left and take care of the showers then. She grabbed the towels, the sock or two, a couple of t-shirts, turned to rush back to her laundry cart, and crashed head first into a huge, masculine chest, water droplets still clinging to the shiny black hairs of his chest and the happy trail leading beneath the towel he wore wrapped about his hips. She lost her balance and bounced off, but large, strong hands reached out for her, holding her by the waist to keep her from falling.

“Whoa! Watch it,” Base said. “You okay?”

Renata looked everywhere but at the behemoth holding her steady. His voice surrounded her in a warmth that she didn’t want to think about, and the accent he spoke with caused parts of her she’d thought long dead to flutter suddenly back to life.

With her arms loaded with dirty laundry, she couldn’t use her hands to push his away from her waist, so instead she took a step back, brushing at his hands with the backside of her wrists at the same time, trying not to let go of the laundry. “I’m sorry,” she answered very quietly. “I should have watched where I was going.”

“It’s alright, no harm done. You alright?” he pressed.

Renata nodded, sidestepping to go around him, her head still down, she’d not yet looked him in the eye.

“Hey, hold up,” he said, reluctant to let her slip away. This woman had his entire attention, he was captivated, but she wouldn’t even look at him so he could be sure of what he thought may be happening.

“Base! Dude! Why you hitting on the help, man?” Squire called as he walked into the dressing area with Will on his heels, rubbing his hair with a towel, but nothing wrapped around his waist. “Hell, the size of that one you’ll need both of us to help you,” he chuckled.

“What?” Base snapped at Squire, and shot him a look that said, ‘Shut the fuck up’.

Then he went after the woman making a beeline toward the exit of the locker room.

“Hey! Hold on. What’s your name? Can you wait a minute?” he shouted as he hurried toward her.

Renata paused momentarily as she shoved the laundry into the top of the cart and swung it around to wheel it out of the room. She’d been anxious to get the room cleaned so she could get home to her son at a decent time, but she’d been wrong — she should have waited and made sure that all the players had already gone home. She wouldn’t make this mistake again.

Just before she cleared the door, the big man she’d bounced off of earlier came rushing toward her. “There you are! I thought you’d beat me out the door!”

Renata stood frozen like a deer in the headlights, her hand on the door handle, waiting to see what he wanted. When he didn’t say anything else, she gave in and spoke first. “Is there something you need?”

Base, not used to women running from him, was not sure how to proceed. “Well, not really. I mean, I uh, I wanted to say hello. So… hello.” He shrugged, offering her his most brilliant smile, but she didn’t see it because she still wouldn’t meet his eyes. He didn’t like that — she should have been surer of herself than that. Whatever had her believing she couldn’t look him in the eye, definitely needed to prepare itself, because Base was coming after it.

Renata nodded her head, very slightly, just one time, almost whispering when she replied. “Hello.”

Squire and Will followed him to the front of the locker room, Squire still completely naked, hanging it all out proudly for the world to see.

“You don’t seem very impressed with my friend here, maybe you’d like a taste of me instead,” Squire said, hands on his hips, his junk at half-mast. “But, don’t be thinking you’ll get more than a taste, better yet, just a look, because you are most certainly not my type. Loose a few pounds and maybe I’ll let you really taste,” he added snidely, laughing, thinking himself funny, with Will laughing along.

Base lost it, he stalked toward his friends, a snarl on his lips. “Shut the fuck up! Don’t disrespect her like that, and cover your damn self.”

Base glanced at her, concerned for her feelings while he defended her from his friend’s remarks.

She was almost ready to step completely through the doorway and slip away, but when he defended her, it surprised her. She raised her eyes and stared into his eyes. Her own eyes locking with his just as he turned back to her after shutting up his friend.

While it made her feel a little better that Base defended her, Renata was angry for having placed herself in this position. She should have waited longer to be sure all the players had left the locker room. She was standing in the doorway, holding the door open while Basilio spoke to her. It was a simple matter to step out of the way, let the handle go and allow the door to close, separating them from her. But she couldn’t help but raise her eyes to Base’s when he defended her. He seemed shocked, taken aback when she’d met his gaze. Maybe he wasn’t as nice as she’d thought he was.

Renata stepped clear of the door, and let it close. She hurried down the hallway and ducked into the laundry facility for the stadium, praying none of them were fast enough to see which door she slipped into. While she processed the laundry she’d gathered from the locker room, her mind kept taking her back to Base’s reaction when his friends had insulted her. It was unexpected. While she planned to just fade back into anonymity, she didn’t think she’d ever forget his defense of her, or the look in his eyes when her gaze finally met his.

Base stood frozen in place. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He took a step toward the now closed door, and reached for the handle, fumbling to pull the damned thing open. He yanked the door open, hoping to catch the female and apologize for Squire’s behavior. But there was no trace of her, she’d run from them so fast it was like she’d never been there.

Before she’d gone, her eyes had locked with his. It’d only been for a second, but a second was all he needed. She was his mate. He’d just met the first female he’d cared to actually talk to in a long time, the only female he’d ever want again, and Squire had chased her away and ruined everything. Squire not only intruded on what may be his only chance to get her to talk to him, but actually thought he had a right to even speak to her, much less insult her in any way. Base’s beast was pissed off, indignant even, that his asshole of a friend would insult their mate in such a way.

His beast was calling for blood, and he wanted it now! Base turned away from the door and stalked back to Squire, a snarl on his face and in his throat. “You ever speak to her like that again, I’ll fuck you up!” he shouted at Squire. He stood there, daring Squire to defend his behavior, but Squire was too smart for that. He simply stood where he was watching Base.

Find ours! His beast insisted.

Where? Where do you want me to find her? Base thought at him.

Just then a group of girls pulled open the locker room door.

Base turned, hoping it was his mate coming back to him.

“Base! Looking good! Want us to help you get out of that towel?” one of them purred at him, letting her eyes rove up and down his body.

The offer that he’d have at one time considered, just irritated the hell out of him now. Irritated the hell out of beast, too. He didn’t answer them, just shot them a disgusted glare, punched Squire in the jaw on his way past where he and Will stood still watching Base, and hurried to his locker to get dressed. He had to go find his woman. Now that he knew for sure she existed, he’d stop at nothing until he held her.

Chapter 2

Unable to locate his mate, Basilio had finally given up finding her himself and gone home. The only place he wanted to be was with her, and since he couldn’t have that at the moment, home was the only option. But he couldn’t even relax once he got there, and took up the hope of finding his mate, now, tonight. He started with his coach. Coaches knew everything about the inner workings of the stadium and the people who supported the team. So that’s who he called.

Base paced through the living room of his penthouse apartment and gripped his cell phone as he did his best to make his coach understand. “You don’t get it,” he said into the phone. “I have to find her.”

“Base, I don’t have any control over housekeeping at the stadium. There is nothing we can do until the morning. Then you can reach out to corporate office. They’ll be able to tell you who they contracted housekeeping to this season. If I remember right, they broke it up between several companies. One got housekeeping, one got maintenance, one got food service, another got security. I’m sure they have payroll records, and it’s not like you’re a stranger off the street. They’ll help you find her.”

“I hope you’re right,” Basilio answered.

“Why’s it so important anyway? What did she do?” Coach asked.

“It’s personal. I’ll tell you when I’m ready,” Basilio said, refusing to tip his hand.

“Alright. Try to get some sleep. The team depends on you. Get your head together and everything will work out.”

“I’ll try,” Basilio said, knowing there was no way in hell he’d get any rest.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Basilio hung up without a word. He was beyond frustrated. He stalked through his home, subconsciously taking stock of all he had to offer a woman, the right woman — his woman. His home was a penthouse with two stories, white marble floors with silver and grey running through them. An open floor plan with cathedral ceilings and white and chrome furniture. He had fine art on the walls in chrome frames and as he turned and looked around the room, he took in the suspended circular staircase that seemed to just hover in place, leading to the upper floor and all its opulence.

Basilio had never had a woman spend the night in his home. He’d never had a date in his home. Sure, he’d had dinner parties, and hosted cocktails at the urging of his agent for publicity and invited the paparazzi and the big wigs from corporate. But he’d never allowed anything to occur between himself and a woman in his home. His home was for his mate. He didn’t want it tainted with another woman’s touch or scent. Everything he’d amassed, everything he’d built, was for her.

He sighed and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows and threw open the sliding glass doors mounted in the center of them. He walked out onto his terrace, also done in smooth, clean white cement with white and chrome terrace furniture for relaxation. Basilio looked around his terrace and shook his head. He had everything, except the one thing he wanted and needed. He walked over to the railing and looked out over the city, the lights flickering at him as he stood there like a king watching over his domain. He tried to take heart, at least he knew she existed now. He’d found her. His slight smile turned to a frown as he realized he’d lost her just as quickly. Basilio leaned on the railing and tried to look more closely at the city below him. “Where are you?” he shouted frustratedly.

~~~~~

Later that night Renata let herself into her run down, dingy, one-bedroom apartment. By the time she finished unlocking all the locks on her door, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Mrs. Friedrickson knew she was home and trying to enter.

Renata opened the door and stepped inside. Sure enough, there the woman sat, channel selector in one hand, cola in the other, watching the door and waiting for her to come in, rather than getting up to unlock the locks from the inside.

“You’re late tonight,” Mrs. Friedrickson said.

“I am. Sorry. I had to wait a little longer than usual for the locker room to clear out.”

“I hope this doesn’t happen often,” the woman mumbled, getting to her feet. She tossed the channel selector toward the couch, not moving to pick it up when it fell to the floor, and set the can of cola on the coffee table.

“I’m sure it’s not a usual thing. Thank you for staying with Kaiser until I got home.”

“It’s what you pay me to do,” Mrs. Friedrickson said, walking over to Renata and holding her hand out for her money.

Renata took the few steps to the kitchen and set her purse on the counter top separating the kitchenette from the tiny living room, so she could reach into her wallet. Of the sixty dollars she had in her purse, she counted out thirty dollars and handed it to the woman.

“Same time?” Mrs. Friedrickson asked.

“I’m not sure. I’m waiting for a call from food service since the team is out of the stadium for the next few weeks. As soon as I hear from them — hopefully hear from them — I’ll let you know what days and times.”

“I’ll need some notice, you know,” the woman grumbled, walking toward the door.

“I understand,” Renata answered, knowing full well the woman had nothing at all to do but sit in front of her own television and yell at the crime shows about how they were all fucking idiots, and she’d have solved the crime in just a couple hours, instead of weeks.

“Thank you again, I’ll let you know something as soon as I do,” Renata said, closing the door behind Mrs. Friedrickson and locking all the locks.

Renata checked the small window in the kitchen to be sure it was locked, too, moving all the wind chimes away from it to do so. Wind chimes inside were unusual, but she figured if anyone tried to come in through the window, even if they managed to move one or two wind chimes to get through it, they’d make some noise in doing so, and she’d at least get a warning.

She walked through the living room and took a left through an opening. It looked like it opened up into a hall, but instead, it was simply an open space within which to place a door, kind of like a small foyer, but off the living room, rather than the front door. To the left was the bedroom, to the right, the bathroom.

Renata opened the bedroom door and smiled when she saw Kaiser. The bed looked like he’d been trying to swim in it. The covers were knotted and strewn about, and his pillow had been tossed to the floor. She walked in quietly and picked up his pillow. She placed it on the bed and lifted him to lay him on it properly, then reached for the blankets, untangled them and tucked them around him.

She picked up his stuffed bear and placed it in reach of his searching little hands. Though he was asleep, he seized on it and immediately brought it up to his face, snuggling it against him and settling in again.

Renata smiled down at her little boy, smoothing his dark hair from his face. He scrunched up his nose and swatted her hand away. She chuckled and tickled his nose intentionally.

Kaiser’s chest rumbled in a sign of irritation.

Renata’s smile dropped. She was afraid this was much too young for the changes that would affect him. She’d thought she’d have more time to get him to a better place before that side of him started to emerge. He was four years old, and her whole world. From all she’d been able to learn which wasn’t much, he wouldn’t start shifting until puberty, but he’d just growled his irritation at her tickling his nose while he slept. Her stomach flip-flopped. Not out of fear of her son, she knew Kaiser would never hurt her. But out of fear for her son, and of what others may do to him if they found out what he truly was. Kaiser was still a baby really, and he wouldn’t understand keeping that part of himself secret.

She took a deep breath and patted his back gently before getting up and heading toward the shower. Standing beneath the tepid trickle of water that passed for a shower, she bathed her body and washed her hair quickly before it went ice cold. Her mind immediately took her back to the locker room and Basilio Lyakhov, the resident heartthrob and MVP of the professional baseball team centered at the stadium. He’d been defending her from the insulting remarks his friends had made. He was the kind of man that she could only ever dream of. But she never even allowed herself that much. Men like him were interested in Barbie doll cut outs of women and fast, non-stop partying. There was no way he’d ever even consider her as anything other than what she actually was — someone to clean up after him.

Irritated that she’d been thinking about a man, and especially an impossible to reach man, she shook herself subconsciously and redirected her thoughts. Kaiser was beginning to develop more of his father’s traits, and she needed to address those before it was too late for her to do anything to help him. She’d have to rethink her plan. She needed a rural life, someplace that Kaiser would have lots of room, and they’d have plenty of privacy for him to grow up safely. On her salary, though, and having to remain in hiding as she was… she just didn’t know how she’d do it. “The hell am I going to do?” she mumbled, wringing out her hair and shutting off the shower.

Renata wrapped her hair in a towel and headed to the kitchen to make herself a ramen noodle pack for dinner. She’d love something of substance — a pork chop, or even a burger for dinner, but she had very little money to spare because she saved every penny she could for their future. She had to cut corners. Food was one of those corners that got cut. She bought only enough meat and fresh vegetables for Kaiser to eat well. She existed on eggs, beans, and ramen noodles, while her son got the meat and veggies he needed to grow big and strong.

Having filled her stomach, Renata curled up on the old, faded couch that was in her apartment when she moved in. She turned on the television and slipped her kitchen knife under the couch cushion. She pulled her pillow from the back of the couch, tossed her threadbare throw over her feet and legs, and was asleep in minutes with visions of a beautiful man with dark, wavy hair and bright blue eyes taunting her in her dreams.

~~~~~

Early the next morning Basilio was even more on edge than he’d been the night before. He drove his black Camaro like a bat out of hell to his targeted destination. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. He squealed the tires as he tore into the parking lot of the downtown office building the Beasts had their headquarters in. He pulled right up to the front of the building, stopped the car directly outside the glass front entryway, and much to the dismay of several onlookers, got out, slammed the door and stalked into the lobby of the building, leaving the car blocking the entire entrance.

“Sir! Mr. Lyakhov! You can’t leave your car there, they’ll tow it!” the door man called after him.

“Let them tow it,” he called back without turning around.

Base smacked his hand against the button for the elevator and stood there waiting impatiently. His mind wandered back to the night before. After he’d gotten dressed, he’d spent more than an hour searching for his mate. He couldn’t find her. Didn’t know where she’d gone. He’d tried to track her through scent, but so much of those damned air fresheners and sanitizers were used on this level that he couldn’t smell anything other than them. In desperation he’d circled back to the locker room, and found that she’d been there in his absence. The room was spotless, everything in its place. The showers freshly scrubbed. Everything put to rights. While he’d been scouring every inch of the stadium, all its offices, storage rooms, restaurants and bathrooms looking for her — she’d been cleaning the locker room. He managed to find the laundering area of the stadium, where all their dirty laundry was cleaned, and even determined which cart was hers, but she was gone. Since this was the last home game for two weeks, he wouldn’t get a chance to track her down until they came back from their away games. That was unacceptable. So, here he was, on his way to human resources. Once he got there, they were going to tell him where he could find the woman who was now part of his every waking thought, or he was going to wreak havoc until they did.

He reached over, slapping the button once, then twice more. The building was so tall, the elevator so slow, and his patience so little that he wanted to rip the doors open. Instead, he spun on his heel and hit the stairs. He ran all the way up thirty-five flights, not even breaking a sweat. At least he had the presence of mind to pause at the water fountain, wetting his hands and sprinkling a bit of water across his brow and hairline so that he’d not draw attention for not even breaking a sweat after running up thirty-five flights of stairs.

No one, not one single person currently in his life knew of his true nature. He’d kept it a secret, even from his best friends. He wanted to be able to continue the life he’d become accustomed to, to be able to play baseball and to provide his mate with all the things that brought him. If others knew the truth about him, not only would he not be able to play, he’d most likely be locked away and picked to pieces if anyone found out shifters really did exist. He’d come across a few since he’d moved to America as a child, but not many. And not a single other like himself that wasn’t family.

Most were Wolves, Bears or Big Cats — he was Primate. When he shifted, it was to a huge, dangerous Silverback Lowland Gorilla. His mother, herself a shifter, had become pregnant with him and fled to her homeland of Greece before he was born. He lived there until he was a young child. Unfortunately, his father, the Prime Male of his troop, had tracked them down and brought them back to the United States. One did not conceive the only male child of a Prime Male and run away taking that child with them. As soon as his father had learned of Basilio’s existence, he’d set out to find them and bring them back. Which is how he came to live in the United States now. His mother always spoke to him in Greek, and he lived the first five years of his life in Greece, which is where he learned to speak, and why to this day, he had a slight Greek accent to his spoken English.

Base paused outside the human resources office, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, put his best self in place, then pushed the door open. The receptionist recognized him immediately, and began to flutter her eyes, “Mr. Lyakhov, welcome,” she smiled, rising from her place at the front desk. “What can I help you with today?”

Base smiled at her, blinking slowly, his long, black lashes lying briefly against his cheekbones as he spoke to her. “I need to find someone. Can you help me locate an employee?”

“Well, yes, of course,” she said, caught up in flirting with him. Then realized what she’d agreed to. All information on employees was confidential. “But I’m not supposed to share any employee information with anyone. I could lose my job.”

Base’s smile dropped — he’d not thought of that. “Is your manager here? I need to find this person, and soon.”

An older woman came out of a side office. “I’m the manager here, can I help you?”

“Yes, ma’am. I am Basilio Lyakhov. I met an employee last night at the stadium and now I must find her. Can you help me find her?”

The woman looked at him with a smirk on her face. “I’m sure you must. However, it is against corporate regulations. I can’t give you information on anyone.”

Base’s blood pressure was rising quickly. “You don’t understand, she’s very important to me. I have to locate her.”

Again, the manager tried to insist that she couldn’t help him. “Mr. Lyakhov, it is against…”

“I have to find her!” he shouted, losing patience.

The manager raised her voice. “Sir! What you are asking is not only against corporate policy, it is against the law. It seems to me if this woman was that important to you, you’d know where to find her. Furthermore, it is against the rules for our employees to consort with our athletes or other employees. If this has happened, she will lose her job.”

Base needed to find his mate, but he didn’t want to cause her to lose her job so he backed off, quickly coming up with a reason for him wanting to find her so badly. “Fine. She returned my wallet when it fell out of my bag, I wanted to thank her. I’ll just have to wait until I see her again.”

“I’m sure that is the best plan of action,” the manager agreed snootily.

He didn’t thank them — they’d pissed him off — and he did work for their organization so he didn’t let loose his fury at their unwillingness to help. He simply turned and left the office as quickly as possible.

He made his way back downstairs, got in his Camaro and sped away, feeling even more frustrated than he had when he arrived. This was going to be a long two weeks. He had no choice but to wait for her to come back to clean the locker room again. He’d live in the damned shower room if he had to until she finally showed up. Then he’d make sure he knew where to find her afterward.

Chapter 3

One moment Renata was sound asleep, the next… she could see. Through one eye — as it was held wide open and Kaiser leaned over her, peering down into it.

“You don’t have to wake up yet. But I’m hungry when you do,” he said.

Renata forced her eye to close, only for Kaiser to pry it open again.

Renata grinned at him. “What are you doing?” she asked, brushing his little hand away.

“Are you ‘wake’” he asked, smiling at her.

“I am definitely ‘wake’,” Renata answered, sitting up and swinging her legs off the couch and her feet to the floor.

“I’m hungry,” he repeated, climbing up into her lap. “Can we go play?” he asked hopefully.

Renata looked at her child. He was all things good in this life, and all he seemed to want was to spend time with her. “Yeah, we can go play today. You want to go to the park?” she asked.

Kaiser nodded and hugged her.

“I love you,” she told him, hugging him tightly.

“Moons and stars?” he asked.

“Yep, more than the moons and the stars,” she answered.

“Come on. Let’s get you something to eat,” she said, shifting his weight to her hip as she stood up.

“What do you want for breakfast?” she asked.

“Chicken nuggets,” he insisted.

“For breakfast? What about cereal, or eggs and toast, pancakes?” Renata asked.

“Chicken nuggets,” he insisted.

“Okay, chicken nuggets it is,” she finally relented. “And then, how about a picnic when we go to the park?” she asked.

“Yes!” he said, his little fists raised in the air excitedly.

An hour later Renata and Kaiser got in her old, beat-to-hell, thirty year old Corolla. She buckled Kaiser into his car seat in the back and tucked her plastic grocery bag stuffed with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a couple of bags of chips, a few cookies and two bottles of water into the passenger seat beside her. She placed a bottle of dollar store sunscreen that she’d already put on Kaiser once beside their lunch. She brought it with her so she could apply it to his skin again, even if she had to hold him down. He hated it, but she didn’t want him to burn in the sunshine. She turned the ignition and spoke to her car. “Come on, baby. Let’s get to the park,” she encouraged.

“Come on, baby!” Kaiser called out, holding up his beloved stuffed bear.

The engine finally turned over and the car came to life.

“Yay!” Renata sang.

“Yay!” Kaiser chanted.

“Park, here we come,” she said backing out, then pulling out of the parking lot and onto the service road that led to the apartment complex they lived in.

~~~~~

Basilio spent another restless night, and arrived at the airport just in time to rush aboard the private team plane. He was actually still stowing his carry on and taking a seat as the plane taxied down the runway.

“Almost missed it, Base,” Will told him.

“But I didn’t. I made it,” he said, his voice tired and rough.

“You okay?” Will asked.

“Fine,” he answered.

The coach stomped down the aisle. “Lyakhov, when I say 9:00 A.M., I mean 9:00 A.M.!”

“I know, Coach. Sorry. Couldn’t sleep last night and once I did fall asleep, didn’t hear the alarm,” Basilio explained.

“Maybe if you didn’t live your damn life in the bars, you could get some rest!” Coach barked.

“I wasn’t in the bars! I was home, just couldn’t sleep,” Basilio defended.

“You go out alone and get you a sweet thing to keep you company last night?” Squire asked. “You did, didn’t you? You dog! And left us on our own,” he said from the row across from him.

Irritated, Basilio raised his voice. “I was alone, Squire! No woman. Nobody. Just me.”

“Yeah, I bet you were…” Squire started.

“Drop it! I was alone, and that’s the only way I plan on being for the foreseeable future!” Basilio yelled.

“Fine. Damn,” Squire said. He glanced over at Will beside him. “Touchy much?” he asked.

Will nodded, watching Basilio slip his earbuds in and turn up the volume, making every effort to tune them all out.

Basilio closed his eyes and tried to lose himself in the loud music, ignoring everyone and everything around him. He didn’t want to be here. Didn’t want to deal with these people, and didn’t want to play baseball. All he wanted at this moment in time was to find his woman. He opened his eyes again and glanced around. His coach had taken a seat next to him.

“You okay, Lyakhov?” his coach asked.

Basilio pulled one ear bud out and looked at the man. “I’m fine.”

“Don’t look fine, son. Feel like I’m watching you start to spiral.”

Basilio shook his head as he glanced out of the window. “Just tired of the lifestyle. Had enough,” he admitted.

“Some of the guys have families. They don’t live it the way you have, the way some of the others do. Maybe rethink your choice of friends,” Coach offered.

Basilio nodded.

“You’re a good man, Base. Don’t let the wild side of this crazy ride take you down. Change your perspective. Rethink your choices and I think you’ll be just fine,” Coach encouraged.

“Trying,” was all he said. “It’d be easier if you could help at all with the little issue we spoke about the other night.”

“What? That housekeeping woman? I told you to go to corporate,” Coach said.

“I did! They won’t tell me a damn thing. And that cold-hearted bitch they have managing the offices… she wouldn’t budge. Not a damn inch,” Basilio complained.

“Your charm didn’t work on her, huh?” the Coach asked, chuckling. “Think they hired her because she’s not swayed in any way by any of us. Everything to her is by the book.”

“I have to locate the woman I told you about,” Basilio insisted.

“Not for the next two weeks you don’t. All you have to do is win some games. All the games preferably,” Coach answered.

Basilio just shook his head. How could he tell the coach that he didn’t even want to play anymore? All he could even think about was his mate.

Basilio put his ear bud back in and sat back closing his eyes again. This was going to be a long two weeks.

~~~~~

For the second day in a row Renata sat on the blanket with Kaiser at the park. When he woke up this morning and figured out that she was staying home with him again, the first thing he asked was to go back to the park. She simply couldn’t deny him. He was having a blast, they’d chased the ducks at the pond in the middle of the park, played football, climbed trees and played football some more. She’d convinced him to stop playing long enough for lunch and all the activity was finally catching up with him. He yawned a bit and took another bite of his sandwich.

Renata’s phone vibrated and she picked it up, hoping for news of work. She was not disappointed.

“Concert tomorrow, Nacho kiosk, 2:00 P.M. ‘til?” the message said.

“Yes! I’ll be there,” she messaged back quickly.

Since the team was out of town, she was temporarily out of a job. It was the nature of the position. It wasn’t necessary to clean the locker rooms and lower levels of the stadium that catered to the teams that played there until they returned. Which meant that Renata was out of work for two weeks, unless another crew at the stadium needed her. As luck would have it, there were also concerts and conventions held at the stadium. She’d given her name and number to the manager of the food service department in case they needed help. Thankfully, he’d called her.

Buoyed by the fact that she’d actually have a bit of an income while the team was away, she reached over and lightly pinched Kaiser’s leg. “I’ll race you,” she said, standing up.

Kaiser grinned at her. “Where?” he asked.

Renata pointed to a large oak in the distance. “That tree and back?” she asked.

Kaiser didn’t answer her, he just started running, laughing and squealing with every step.

~~~~~

Basilio stalked into the visitor’s locker room. He snatched off his batting gloves and tossed them on the bench outside the locker he was using. He pulled off his hat and threw it into the locker, then slammed the locker shut. He sat down on the bench and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands as he stared at the floor between his feet and tried to get a grip on the situation.

The locker room door opened and the rest of the team filed in. When the game ended, he’d simply turned and started for the locker room rather than join the line to shake hands with the opposing team. Over the last two weeks most of the team had figured out he required a wide berth at this point. They pretty much left him alone. His coach questioned him daily on what was wrong and how he could help him get back on track, and Squire and Will had become relentless. Their off-color remarks almost more than Base was willing to take. The one bright thing in all this? Tomorrow they flew home. Once home, he could find his woman — hopefully, then take a look at his life and decide what he wanted to do going forward, other than loving her.

“Lost another game,” Squire said, striding into the locker room.

Basilio glanced up and caught the snicker between Squire and Will.

“Got a problem, Squire?” Basilio asked.

“Me? Naw, see, I love to lose all the damn time. These other guys, though… they may have a problem with it.”

“That’s enough,” Coach said. “Everybody has good and bad days.”

“Do they have bad weeks?” Squire asked, indicating that Basilio had been off his mark for weeks versus a day.

Squire started for the showers and Coach came to a stop in front of Base. “You okay?”

“No! I’m not,” he almost shouted.

“You need to get it together, son,” Coach said.

“Got something I need to handle at home. Nothing will be back to normal until I get it addressed,” Basilio answered.

“Alright. Hope you’re right. You’re a hell of a player. Hate to lose you to some kind of bullshit that could have been helped.”

Base nodded. “I asked for help. You didn’t help me.”

“I tried! I called corporate yesterday. They said all the support personnel, including housekeeping are contracted through separate entities, just like I told you. We don’t employ her, someone else does. Nothing I can do,” Coach answered.

“Fine. I just need to get home.”

“Don’t be late for the airport. We’re taking off at 2:00 P.M. tomorrow afternoon.

~~~~~

Renata worked her final shift at the nacho counter with Basilio on her mind. She couldn’t help it. Every time she walked into the stadium these last few weeks, her thoughts turned to him. Tomorrow evening her regular shift would start again, with her cleaning the locker room, showers and doing the laundry after each practice and game. She felt sure she’d proven herself to the food manager as well, and hopefully she’d still get called in for shifts when the venue was in use for other reasons than just baseball games.

She’d had Basilio on her mind almost non-stop. The way he’d defended her to his friends. The sound of his voice, the feel and smell of his skin when she’d run into him, the way his hands had felt around her waist when he’d steadied her. The look in his eyes when the door had closed between them — and what had that been all about? She didn’t know. She really didn’t have the luxury of finding out. No matter what it meant, her son was her life, and everything she did was for his future. Allowing a man into her life, no matter who he was would only distract her from her purpose and that was just asking for trouble. But today would be stress free, she didn’t have to worry about running into him or his friends. Even when they came back, it wouldn’t be that bad, she’d just have to wait until late each game night to clean the locker room to be sure she ran into no one.

The crack of a ball on a metal bat brought a round of roaring and applause. The little league baseball championship playoffs were taking place this weekend and the stadium was filled with baseball fans. A man and his son walked up to the kiosk. “Hello,” she said, smiling welcomingly. “What can I get for you?”

The man picked his son up and held him high enough to see all the choices. “What do you want, bud?” the father asked.

“Nachos with chili,” the boy said.

“That’s it?” the father asked.

“And a root beer,” the boy replied.

“You got it,” the father said. Then he looked around. “Ya’ll got any of those blow-up bats or the big foam fingers here?” he asked.

“Yes, sir, but they’re a couple of kiosks down,” Renata replied, pointing to the left.

“Perfect. Thank you,” he said, handing Renata the money.

Renata made his change, then turned to their order. She handed it over and smiled watching the man and little boy stroll away, with the father pointing out different things in the walkway of the stadium. About five minutes later they walked back by with the little boy waving a blow up bat on his way past while the father held the food and drinks. She smiled sadly. This was what she wanted for Kaiser. A man who loved being his father, who enjoyed just spending time with him and loved him for who he was.

Chapter 4

The door to the meeting room opened and Squire nudged Will. “Man, look at him. He looks like he’s having a breakdown.”

Will looked up to find Base entering the room, his shoulders hunched, grim look on his face. He took his seat and waited for the meeting to start.

“Serves you right for treating us like you have,” Squire whispered in a hushed tone when Base leaned his head in his hands, rubbing his temples.

“What?” Basilio asked, half turning toward Squire.

“Your headache, the shape you’re in, losing all those games out there on the road. Serves you right. First you hit me, then you ghost us like we don’t mean nothing. Snapping at us no matter what we say to you. Serves you right. Friends don’t do that shit,” Squire said a little louder.

“You’re lucky I didn’t rip your fucking head off! You don’t disrespect my woman like that!” Base hissed at him.

“Your woman? She’s a fucking cleaning woman. And a fat one at that!” Squire said, voice rising.

Base stood, his fists at his side clenching and unclenching. “She’s not fat. She’s got curves, and she’s soft and pretty and smells like home. And there is no shame in an honest day’s work, no matter what it is.”

Squire didn’t get it, he truly didn’t, his face twisted up in confusion. “What can you possibly see in that? She’s not a hard body. She’s not slender and muscular, or tight. She’s round,” he said.

“Exactly!” Base said. “She’s a woman, not a girl. She’s got more beauty in her little finger than any of these girls running around flaunting what they got and just giving it away to the first one that looks their direction.”

“Hey, if you got it and you want to share it, what’s wrong with it?” Squire asked.

“If you’re doing it because you enjoy it, nothing — not a damn thing wrong with it — more power to you. If you’re doing it trying to catch you a ball player, or trap somebody into having to marry you, or pay you child support for the next eighteen years, there’s a lot wrong with it.”

Squire was irritated because Base had made perfect sense. “Least I won’t want to chew my arm off in the morning when I wake up. Least I won’t be lying next to something I wish I didn’t have to see in the daylight.”

Basilio advanced on Squire, his lips pressed together, a rumble in his chest. “Don’t insult her again. This is your only warning.”

Squire jumped to his feet and shuffled back a few steps.

“Hey! The hell is wrong with you guys? Settle down!” Coach yelled, walking into the meeting room.

Base glared at Squire. “It’s not finished,” he warned, then turned back around, giving Squire his back. It was the deepest of insults among his kind, though Squire didn’t know it. It gave Base immense satisfaction.

“We got a game the day after tomorrow. That’s all the time we have to get prepared. Get your head into it and stop fucking with each other,” Coach snapped.

After the meeting, Base went straight to the locker room, just in case his female had been there. Unfortunately there was no trace of her. Disappointed, he made his way to the laundry room, there was no trace of her there either.

Nothing to wash, his beast told him.

You’re right, no games, nothing to wash, he thought back at his Gorilla, looking around the laundry room and trying to figure out what his next move would be.

Some of the other guys on the team started filing into the locker room just a little way down the corridor. He could hear them talking and joking around as they went in. He let himself out of the laundry room and pulled the door closed behind himself. He walked back into the locker room, ignored everyone and went straight to his locker. He grabbed the notebook that he kept there for meetings and such, and ripped a page from it. He wrote a short note, then folded it and tucked it into his pocket. Basilio threw the notebook back into the locker, closed the small metal door and left the room. He went back to the laundry facilities and placed it neatly on top of the first washing machine, tucked behind the dial control to keep it in place. Then he left, heading home to spend what he hoped would be the last of his lonely nights waiting for her to call.

Squire watched Base go into the laundry room then come right back out, make his way out of the player’s entrance and presumably leave the stadium. He waited a few moments after Base left, then went in the laundry facility to see what Base found so interesting. He immediately saw the note and picked it up. He stood there reading it and laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of the entire situation.

“Dear Pretty Lady, I don’t even know your name, but I want to tell you how sorry I am that my former friend insulted you like he did. I won’t let him do it again. Or anybody else for that matter. Please call me so we can talk. I’m waiting to hear from you. Yours, Basilio Lyakhov.”

Still laughing he hurried to catch up with Will. “Will! Man, this is priceless! Base don’t even know that woman’s name.”

“What are you talking about?” Will asked him.

“That woman, the one he hit me over, he don’t even know her!”

“How do you know that?” Will asked.

“I followed him. I found a letter he left her in the laundry room down the hall from the locker room. He don’t even know her name. I’m going to find her. I’m gonna prove to him she ain’t nothing better than the others. They’re all alike.”

“Squire, man, he didn’t like it when you insulted her. Maybe you should leave her alone. She hasn’t done anything to you. Just let it go,” Will told him.

“I ain’t letting nothing go. He can’t treat us like that, we were his friends, and he’s gonna punch me over somebody he doesn’t even know. No! I ain’t letting it go,” Squire answered.

“You know what? I want nothing to do with it, I got a couple hotties lined up. I’m heading out, you’re on your own,” Will told him, walking away.

“But he can’t treat us like that,” Squire said again.

“Maybe he really likes this woman. Maybe he’s ready to settle down. Give the man a break! I’m out, I got hotties waiting!” Will said, turning around to deliver his words while still walking backward away from Squire.

Not one to pass up a night with young, sexy women, Squire decided to set his issues with Base aside for the night. “Wait for me, man. I’m going to grab my bag then I’ll meet you at the car. I’m coming with.”

Will had already turned his back to Squire and was well on his way down the corridor toward the player’s exit. He didn’t turn around but lifted a hand, waving over his head, signaling he heard and kept walking.

~~~~~

The next day at the game found Base in an even worse state than he’d been in at the meeting. He looked ragged. He played horribly, and the coach ended up benching him in the fourth inning.

“Look, you said you needed to handle something at home. We’re home. Handle it! You have this entire organization built around you. Do what the hell you’re paid to do. You have a contract, Lyakhov!” Coach yelled at him in the dugout.

“I’m trying! I thought it would be taken care of last night. I thought it was handled. I was wrong, alright? I’m no closer to a resolution than I was when I first asked for your help. Not that that made any difference at all!” Base yelled back at the coach.

“What do you want from me? I tried. So now what do I have to do to help you play like the Base we drafted again?” Coach begged.

“I don’t know,” Base answered, looking down at the ground.

“Just hit the damn showers for today. I’ll tell ‘em you’re sick. But if you plan to play here, you have to get your act together. You got me?” Coach asked.

“Yeah. I do,” Base replied, wasting no time leaving the dugout and heading back to the locker room. He pushed the door to the locker room open, and came to a halt. He could smell her, she’d been here. He followed his nose and found her scent went from the showers to the toilets and back out of the door again.

He didn’t think, he just followed his nose. He hurried down the corridor, taking the twists and turns just as she had hours earlier when she’d cleaned the locker room in preparation of them using it, and then headed to the nacho stand, to work a shift with the food service department.

Base paid no attention to the fans gawking at him as he rushed past, still dressed in his baseball uniform and cleats. He just ran, his beast urging him on, his heart near to bursting with anticipation. When he rounded the last corner, he lost her scent as his nostrils were filled with the smell of melted cheese and jalapenos. He stalked around a bit sniffing. Just as his irritation level began to rise, giving in to the desperation of losing her again, he gave the nacho stand a cursory glance and froze. Standing there behind the counter, counting out change to a customer, was his woman — his mate. When she smiled at the lady and wished her a good afternoon, she was so beautiful he thought himself the luckiest male on the planet. He made a beeline for her, not caring who or what got between him and his woman. He was not going to lose her this time.

He hurried to her, and realizing somewhere in his obsessed brain that she was at work, he slipped into line and stood patiently while she waited on the next customer. He was so focused on her he was completely unaware of the small crowd gathering around him.

Then she turned to him, the next customer in line, and smiled brightly at him before realizing who he was.

He smiled back, grinning ear-to-ear.

Her smile fell and she looked a little confused, but still he was a customer. “May I help you?” she asked.

He could have purred at the sound of her voice. “I hope so. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. What is your name?”

Renata looked around at the small crowd surrounding Basilio. “Aren’t you supposed to be out there?” she asked, pointing toward the inside of the stadium. Now that she saw that it was Basilio, she was almost speechless, and the way he was looking at her, made her very nervous. Men didn’t look at her that way. She wasn’t ugly, but she was curvy. While she was proud of her curves, men like Basilio usually chose the complete opposite for their women.

“Yes. No. I mean, I got sick so I went to the locker room. But then I found you. Now I’m here. What is your name?”

A look of concern came over her face. “Are you okay? If you’re too sick to be playing, aren’t you too sick to be out here? Should I call someone for you?”

He was about to lose his mind if she didn’t tell him her name. He walked around the side of the counter and stepped behind it with her. She startled when he took her face in his hands and turned it up to his own, but he didn’t let go. He had her wide eyed and her heart pounding. “I. Want. Your. Name.” He told her again slowly.

“I’m Renata,” she finally answered.

“Hello, Renata. I'm Basilio,” he told her.

“Of course, you are. Everyone knows who you are,” she said, trying to pull away.

“I’ve looked everywhere for you, Renata,” he told her, refusing to let her go, moving his hands down to her shoulders.

“You have?” she asked.

“I have,” he said, looking into her eyes, at her lips, her face, running his thumbs gently across her shoulders where his hands still held and caressed her.

“Why? Am I in trouble?” she asked.

“No. No trouble. Just needed to find you,” he told her smiling.

His beast was rumbling in his chest, his heart happy, all was right in his world. Until he realized there was a commotion going on around him. He looked up and found that the crowd had grown, people pushing and shoving, trying to get close to him. And now security was there, trying to dispel the crowd. A TV crew had found him, thanks to the attention the crowd had caused and it was all being filmed.

With a snarl, he turned on them while at the same time pushing Renata behind himself, stepping backward, pressing her against the rear cabinets of the nacho stand, placing himself between her and the crowd.

“Get back!” he shouted. “If you hurt my woman, you’ll all pay! Back off!” he shouted. The camera man got a little too close and Base shoved the man backwards, causing him to fall into others in the crowd. Yet still the man filmed, he got it all on film. All of it. The security guards trying to disperse the crowd, Base pushing the woman behind himself and Base reassuring her. He got every single word. “It’s okay, Renata. I got this, honey. You’re safe.”

After much negotiation, the security guards managed to convince Base that the only way the crowd would disperse was if he’d leave the area. But he couldn’t leave Renata alone. He’d just found her, and besides that, he refused to leave her unprotected. The crowd, unable to get to him directly had begun shouting questions at Renata — how long they’d been dating, if they were getting married, if they dated before she’d started working at the stadium?

Renata was clearly flustered. She didn’t answer any of the questions, just looked at him accusingly.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked her over the shouting around them.

“They think we’re dating,” she answered. Looking more and more worried. She looked at the camera and realized it was pointed right at her. “They’re filming me, they’ll put me on television. I can’t be on TV. He’ll find me!”

Base’s protective instincts kicked into high gear. “Who will find you?”

“Make them stop!” she pleaded.

Basilio turned on the camera man immediately. “Stop filming!” he snarled. He glanced over his shoulder to check on Renata, but she was in the process of gathering her things.

“Renata?” he shouted above the din of the crowd.

Renata didn’t answer, she spun on her heel, grabbed her purse from under the counter and ducked under the counter top, darting around the people milling about, and started running.

Base didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he knew that his woman was afraid. So, he did what any good mate would do, he destroyed what had frightened her. He rushed the camera man, snatched the camera from his hands and smashed it to the ground, effectively ending the taping.

“If you put any of that on TV, I will sue you, your children and your children’s children for the rest of all their lives. You got that?!” he shouted in the camera man’s face.

The camera man looked panicked, he stammered while trying to answer. “It…it’s live. There’s no tape, it’s live.”

“Fuck!” Base shouted. “Take it off the air. Don’t let them rerun it!” he ordered, then he started running in the direction that Renata had gone, shouting over his shoulder. “Call whoever the fuck you have to, get it off the air, do NOT play it again!”

He didn’t turn around to see if the man did what he demanded, but he hoped that he did.

Base ran as best he could with people constantly getting in his way. When he finally made it to the parking lot, she was nowhere to be seen. He stopped, calmed himself and started trying to pick up her scent.

It worked, he found her, just as she backed out of her spot.

Chapter 5

Renata fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking, trying to get her car door unlocked. She had to hurry home, get rid of Mrs. Friedrickson, pack their stuff up, throw Kaiser in the car and go. She couldn’t take the chance that Kaiser’s father wouldn’t see her on television. She had to leave, and fast. Everything she’d planned, everything she’d worked for, was gone now. A complete waste of time, of money. She let out a sob as she threw her old, piece of crap car into gear and backed out of her parking spot. Something hit the back of her car and she shrieked in surprise — then she saw what it was. It was him. Base. It was all his fault that her life was disrupted. She’d have to let go of all her hopes, all her plans and start all over.

She couldn’t help herself — her instincts took over. She threw open her door, got out and started yelling at him.

“How could you? How? You’ve destroyed everything I planned for. Everything I hoped for, worked so hard for… just gone! And do you care? No, you don’t. Everything is just a damn game to you. You take no one seriously, no one means anything to you, and now our lives are turned upside down because why? You decided that you had to try to win me over because I’m the only woman that’s never fallen at your feet? Is that it? Well, I hope you’re happy now! What little life I’ve managed to carve out is destroyed!”

Base stood there, listening to her words, smelling the fear — no, the terror — wafting from her, not fully understanding what was happening, but knowing that he’d make it right, no matter what it was.

“Renata, please, honey, stop yelling for just a minute. I’ll fix this, you’ll see.”

“You can’t fix it! It’s too late, they put my picture on television because your big, stupid ass couldn’t leave me alone. Just leave me alone!” she screamed at him, turning to get back in the car.

She’s leaving! Beast yelled in his head.

Base did the only thing he could think of to do. She was too hysterical to listen to anything he had to say, and he didn’t know where to find her later, so he jumped over the trunk of the car, pulled open the car door and plopped himself in the passenger side.

Renata slammed on the brakes. “Get out!”

“No,” he answered calmly.

“Get out of my car! I have to leave. Now!” she screamed at him.

He looked at her, eyes filled with his feelings for her, hoping that somewhere inside she’d see it. “I’m not getting out. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here, with you. I’ll protect you from whatever it is you’re afraid of. I’ll not ever let anything hurt you.”

Renata’s emotions got the best of her and she dissolved into tears. “Please get out,” she begged.

“No. I can’t. I can’t take the chance that I won’t find you again. Tell me what you’re running from. Tell me what you’re afraid of. I’ll take care of it — of you.”

The tears were subsiding and the anger was back. “Really? You want me as a responsibility?”

“Always,” he immediately countered.

“Really? Okay. How about my son? Do you want to take on my son as well? Because if you want to take care of me, you have to take care of my son. We’re a package deal,” she said with attitude, sure in the belief that no one, especially a professional athlete with the reputation he had of multiple beautiful women every night, and each night a different group of them, would take on another man’s child.

His entire face changed and she thought finally she’d won, he’d get out of her car so she could go to her son, until he spoke, eyes wide, a genuine smile on his face. “We have a son?”

“What?” she asked, completely confused now. “No, I have a son,” she answered. “Get out!”

“What’s his name? When can I meet him?” he persisted, completely ignoring the fact that she’d repeatedly ordered him out of her car.

“Please,” she tried again, calmly, quietly, “I have to go get him. I have to pick him up, pack our things and go. I have to start again. I have to run, now before he finds me.” Then she looked at him, pleading with her eyes. “Get out, so I can go.”

Base shook his head. “No. I’m not going. Unless it’s with you.”

“Why?” she asked.

He looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “Because you’re mine. I knew it the moment our eyes met. I suspected it before, when you first ran into me, but when our eyes met, I knew for sure. You’re mine.”

“He’ll come for us. He’s dangerous. He could hurt you. Even if he can’t find us because we will be long gone, he could hurt you if you don’t tell him where we’ve gone.”

“Who, Renata? Tell me who he is?” Base said softly, reaching out to cover her hand where it was wrapped around the steering wheel with his own.

“Kaiser’s father. I ran from him. He’s going to find us now. It’s only a matter of time because they filmed my face. Eventually he’ll see it. He’ll see you protecting me, he’ll come for you even if he can’t find me.”

Base smiled evilly. “I hope he does. I hope he’s stupid enough to come after my mate or my son. I’ll kill him.” Then he looked at Renata’s astonished face, met her eyes. “He’s not ever seen anything like me, I’ll defend mine to the death. You have no reason to fear, Renata.”

Renata sat there, her mouth hanging open. In her mind’s eye she could see Base, jumping over the trunk of her car from a standing position — he’d cleared her car in one jump. She thought of his excellence on the baseball field, she thought of his sudden obsession with her, and of him speaking of her son as his. She thought of the fact that he’d just called her his mate. She sobbed once more. “You’re one of them,” she said, more statement than question.

“One of what, honey?” Base said.

“You’re like him.” Then she met his eyes. “You're a shifter. You’re like him. Oh, my God! What is wrong with me? Why do I keep finding you people? All I want is peace! Why can’t you all just leave me alone?” she cried.

“Renata?” he tried.

She didn’t answer.

“Renata!” Base said again, his voice raised.

She snapped out of her own head and looked at him.

“Why did you run?” he asked.

“Because I refuse to be one of many wives. I refuse! He lied to me, said he loved me, that we could have a family together, and as soon as Kaiser was born, he took us to a home, a compound, filled with other women and children. Told me that I was honored to be chosen and that my son would be raised to be Prime male, just as he was.”

She stopped shouting at him long enough to sob. “I’m not going to let him make Kaiser like him. He won’t turn my sweet baby into a heartless, cruel male like he is.” She looked up and met Basilio’s eyes. “He hurt me. I can’t let him hurt Kaiser. Please let me go.”

Basilio’s face had gone from soft and loving to one of stone. “What did he do to you?” he asked, a snarl in his voice.

Renata shook her head, and tried to do her best to get her tears and her emotions under control.

“Tell me. Please,” he repeated.

“Will you let me go so I can hide if I tell you?” she asked.

“I’ll help you hide,” he answered.

Renata took a deep breath to steady herself before launching into what he wanted to know. “I refused to submit, to accept being a part of whatever the hell he’d arranged for himself. He beat me, repeatedly. He raped me. He said that if it took keeping me pregnant and injured to make me submit, he had no problem with it. I knew that I could never live that life. I could never allow him to raise my child to think that that kind of life was acceptable. To turn my sweet boy into the cold, uncaring, manipulative male that he was. The first chance I got, I ran. I played the game long enough to make him and his people think I’d accepted it, then I ran.”

She turned to Base. “Then you put me on television! And you’re one of them!” she accused.

“No!” he hurried to assure her. “I am a shifter, but not like him. My mother lived the same kind of hell that it sounds like he had planned for you. I’ll never treat my mate that way. And did you notice I said, mate, not mates? I don’t ever want any other than the one meant for me. You’re her. You can trust me.”

Renata looked at him, about to scoff at his claim, but he silenced her with a heartfelt plea. “I’m yours, Renata. Please, give me a chance. I’ll prove it. I’ll die before I allow anyone, for any reason, to get near you or Kaiser. Please.”

Renata said nothing. Neither did he. It was a stalemate.

Finally, his mind started trying to find a compromise. Then it came to him. “Look, you’re afraid. I get that. You’re right, you can’t fight him alone. If he does find you, you can’t win.”

She looked at him, tears in her eyes, creases between her eyebrows from the strain.

He continued. “But I can. It sounds like he is Primate. Yes?” he asked.

“Yes,” she affirmed.

“So am I. I’m a Prime Male, Silverback. No one… NO ONE… will threaten mine! I’ll only ever have one — you. You and our children are my only family. Let me protect you. Nothing more. Let me protect you. If I’m lucky, maybe one day, you’ll love me a little.”

“How do I know you’re not lying to me, too?” Renata asked, looking at her hands now folded in her lap.

“You don’t. Not now, but you will. I’ll prove myself,” he answered.

“I’m just supposed to trust you until then? Trust you with my son, until then?” she asked.

“Yes. Tell you what… we’ll go to my bank. I’ll take out all the money I have there, or at least as much as they’ll give me at once. I’ll open another account in your name. Transfer the entire balance to you. I’ll give you all the cash they give me today. I’ll give it all to you. All of it. We’ll find a place to stay, a place to be off the grid. I’ll protect you both, you’ll see. It’ll be fine. You'll hold the money, all of it and if at any time, you decide you can’t trust me, you’ll have the money you need to leave. You decide where we are going. I don’t even care where, as long as I’m with you.”

“Don’t you understand that he’ll track me through it? You can’t put it in my name, he’ll find me even more quickly. And you can’t hide! You’ll just get us noticed more quickly. People will see you. They’ll know who you are. You are so recognizable. Women everywhere love you — they’ll know it’s you. There will be no hiding.”

“Then I’ll open another account in my name, you’ll be the only signer on the account and you’ll carry the debit card, not me. I’ll grow a beard. I’ll put streaks in my hair, hell, I’ll shave my head — anything it takes.”

Renata’s mind whirled, thinking that if he was telling her the truth, then at least she’d have protection, and she’d have the money she needed to escape if she had to. She wouldn’t have to find another job to work for endless months to save enough to get them to somewhere safe. She could find that somewhere safe now. “You promise? You give me your word?” she prodded.

“Renata, think about it, think about my reaction when you bumped into me. Think about my reaction to Squire insulting you. Think about that moment when our eyes met — didn't you feel the jolt? The pull? I know you’re not a shifter, but surely you felt something? I promise. I vow to you, I will protect you with my life, our son with my life. Though I’ve never met him, he’s a part of you, which makes him mine. He’s going to need help when he reaches puberty. I’ll guide him — help him find his way. And I’ll love you forever. Just give me the chance, Renata. Please,” he begged.

Renata took a deep breath, she was terrified. But this was the best chance she’d had so far to get Kaiser the life she wanted for him. She wouldn’t have to work for years to accumulate enough money to be able to afford a place in the country. She thought about the meme that she’d seen once on social media while researching the rumored shifter population in the United States. It said ‘That voice you hear, your conscience… that’s your soul, you can trust it’. She was hearing that voice now. It was telling her to trust him.

Renata turned in her seat, looking Basilio in the eye. “Fine. I’ll give you the chance. If you betray me, or hurt me or Kaiser in any way, I will kill you. It may take me a while, but at some point, you will go to sleep and I will kill you.”

Base smiled, his whole face lighting up. “Yeah? You’re going to give me my chance?”

“Did you not hear the part about me killing you?”

“Sure, I did. It’s irrelevant. I’m never going to hurt you.”

Renata momentarily questioned her sanity, then came to the same conclusion she had only minutes before — she could run further and faster with Base than without him. “Yes, I’m trusting you.”

Basilio took her hands in his, looking into her eyes. “Renata, I claim you. You’re my mate, my world, all that matters. I will protect you with my life. I am yours.” He leaned over kissing her hands, her palms, her wrists.

“Base…” she started.

But he cut her off. “My name is Basilio, honey. Not Base. That was a different life. I’m Basilio, your Basilio.”

She regarded him thoughtfully. “Okay. Basilio, we need to go. We need to pick up Kaiser and be gone before the morning.”

“My ‘vette is in the private player’s lot. We’ll go get Kaiser, that’s a killer name by the way, pack up your things and go to my house. It’s our house now, and we’ll make a plan. Drive us around to the player’s lot, honey. I’m here. Let’s go. I can’t wait to meet Kaiser.”

“Are you insane?” she shouted at him. “I have to leave the city. I have to leave the state. I can’t go to your home. And it’s not mine. It’s yours! Just get the hell out of my car!”

“It’s a penthouse. You can’t access it unless you can get past the doorman. It’s safe.”

“A doorman? You think a doorman is going to stop this male? Just get out of my car.”

“I’m not getting out.”

“A ‘vette? Kaiser won’t even fit in a damn Corvette with us. There are two seats! Two! Where are we going to put our belongings?”

“I didn’t think of that. We’ll take it to the house, then switch into the Mercedes. Then go get Kaiser,” he said smiling.

Renata shook her head. “You just don’t get it do you? I’m taking my car, and packing it with my belongings and my child, and I’m leaving. If you’d do me the favor of getting out of my car, out of my life, I’d appreciate it.”

“I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. I have a beautiful home. It’s a penthouse.”

“Yes, you said that.”

“It’s two story. Has a fantastic view of the city at night. I’ve got art on the walls, four bedrooms we could fill with more kids. I’ve got so much money if I never pitched another baseball, we’d still never want for anything. It’s all yours,” Basilio said.

Renata watched him telling her about all his belongings, his wealth, his home. None of it meant a thing to her, except the part about him helping her get away and start over. “I’m not going to your home, Basilio. I’m not taking you to switch to your Mercedes. I’m not raising a family with you in your penthouse surrounded by all your things. Those things mean nothing to me. I don’t need a mansion. I don’t need a lot of money — just enough to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I don’t want flashy or famous. I just want quiet, peaceful, and family. Family matters to me, not wealth. I want a man that will love Kaiser like he deserves to be loved. I want a man that will put us before all else. I want a man that I never, ever have to have second thoughts about and a place with a little land for Kaiser to run and play on, and learn how to grow into the male he’s meant to be, where people will leave us alone and not discover what he hides inside him. Do you understand?”

Basilio listened to Renata as she spoke to him. This female was different than any other he’d ever met. She wasn’t impressed by his money, or his home, or anything he could buy her. She wanted the simple things in life. The quiet, loving, faithful, sturdy things in life. All his flash and fame would never substitute for what her heart craved. He’d have to do something he’d never done before. He’d have to strip it all away, and speak for himself. Allow the male he was down deep inside to show and hope she found something she could believe in that male.

“Will we take your car, then?” Basilio asked.

“You’re not going to leave me alone are you?” she asked.

“No. I’ll always be at your side. But I understand about the fame and the flash. It’s not who I really am anyway.”

“Oh really? I guess your multiple dates a night were all lies,” she said.

Basilio wanted to tell her they were lies, but they weren’t. “I was living a different life then. Now I have you. I’m learning, Renata. Work with me here, honey. I’m not going anywhere. If you’re leaving town, and apparently, you are. I’m coming.”

Renata glared at him for what felt like hours. She finally gave in. She had no choice since he wasn’t getting out of her car. “If you’re coming, then you’re coming on my terms.”

“Deal.”

“Fine, but can you stop with the honey? We really don’t even know each other.”

Chapter 6

After a trip to the bank, then a quick trip to his apartment, where she’d refused to get out, so he’d snatched the keys to keep her from driving away without him, they finally pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. She saw Basilio looking around, taking in the trash thrown about, the small group of teens eyeing them suspiciously, and the faded, poorly maintained three story buildings that housed lower income families. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to — she could see the judgment on his face.

She picked a parking spot closer to her building and got out, locking the door before she closed it.

Basilio got out and walked to the back of the car, waiting for her to join him. “Which building is yours?” he asked.

“Middle one,” she answered, as she walked toward it with him right behind her.

After climbing the steps to her third-floor apartment, Renata painstakingly unlocked all five locks on her front door, while Basilio stood beside her without saying a word. She opened the door and stepped into her apartment.

“You’re home early — get fired?” Mrs. Friedrickson commented. “You still owe me the whole thirty dollars.”

“I know, Mrs. Friedrickson. It’s no problem. Where’s Kaiser?” Renata asked.

“Playing in his room,” the woman said, holding her hand out for the money Renata owed her.

Renata handed Mrs. Friedrickson the thirty dollars, then followed her to the door, waiting for her to leave. As soon as the woman was gone, Renata closed and locked the door. She looked over at Basilio and then nervously away.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’ve never introduced him to a man before. I don’t know how he’ll react. Please, just take it slowly with him, and be patient,” Renata said.

“Of course, I will, Renata. What do you take me for?” he asked, his feelings hurt.

“Well, let’s see. The second time you ever laid eyes on me, you brought me to the attention of your adoring fans and a news station who blasted my likeness all over the damn viewing area. Then you chased me down in the parking lot, told me I’m yours, and you’re mine, and professed undying love and loyalty forever.”

Basilio smiled and winked at her. “Romantic, wasn’t it?”

Renata rolled her eyes at him before she responded. “He’s four. He won’t understand if you rush things with him. He may not understand anyway,” Renata said.

“It’ll be okay, honey. I promise. I want him in my life as much as I do you. Contrary to what you may think, I’m perfectly capable of controlling myself.”

Renata took a deep breath. There was no way around it, she’d agreed to allow Basilio to help them get away and hide and to do that Kaiser would have to meet him. “Kaiser! Baby, are you awake?” she called.

“Mama!” he answered right away. Then they heard his footsteps as he ran to the living room. He came to a screeching halt as soon as he focused on Basilio.

Basilio smiled to himself as he watched the boy lift his nose in the air and his nostrils flare as he scented him.

“Guess what?” Renata said.

“What?” he answered, walking toward Renata and lifting his arms toward her to be picked up, all the while never taking his eyes off Basilio.

“We’re going on an adventure. We’re going to pack up all our favorite stuff, and we’re just going to drive and see where we want to live next.”

Kaiser smiled at her — his grin wide. “Can we get a house with a yard in it this time?” he asked.

“We can try,” Renata said at the same time Basilio spoke.

“We will. With lots of trees and green grass. And we’ll build a tree house in the biggest tree, too,” Basilio promised.

“Who are you?” Kaiser asked suspiciously.

“I’m Basilio. I’m going to help you and your mommy find a new place to live on your new adventure.”

Kaiser was still in his mother’s arms and looked from Basilio to his mother. “Is he your friend?” Kaiser asked.

“He is. He’s a nice man and he’s going to help us. Is that okay?” she asked.

Kaiser looked at Basilio again. “He’s like me,” Kaiser told her while still looking at Basilio.

“He is. But he’s a nice man like you,” Renata said.

“You said that if a man smelled like me, he was a bad man and to be careful and hide.”

“I did. But this is a nice man. He’s going to take care of us and help us find a new place to live.”

“With a yard just like you want. And I’ll never, ever allow anybody to scare you or hurt you,” Basilio said.

“Okay,” Kaiser said, squirming so his mother would put him down.

“Hey, if you remember me telling you that I said to hide when you saw a man that smells like you, why didn’t you hide?” Renata asked Kaiser.

“’Cause you wasn’t scared. If you was scared, I would have bit him, then I would go hide.”

“You’re not supposed to bite anybody, just hide,” Renata said, ruffling his hair.

“If you wanted me to hide, you shouldn’t ’a called me,” Kaiser said, walking toward his bedroom.

“Where you going?” Renata asked.

“To get Bear. He wants to come, too,” Kaiser answered.

An hour later with the trunk and half the backseat full of clothes and toys, they were on their way.

“I wish you’d let me go get one of my vehicles, or at least buy you another,” Basilio said as they drove down the interstate at a steady fifty miles an hour.

“Your vehicles can be traced to you through the titles and license plates. If you buy another vehicle, it can be traced to you through the title and license plates. If you buy me a vehicle, it can be traced to me through the title and license plates.”

“What stops this vehicle from being traced to you?” Basilio asked.

“I’ve never transferred it to my name. I bought it from one of the girls I met at work with cash, and I’ve never filed the bill of sale to get the title put in my name,” Renata answered.

They drove for a while longer before Basilio spoke again. “Renata, we’re going to have to buy a place to live. At some point one or both of our names will be a matter of public record. We can’t hide ourselves away forever.”

Renata’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Yes, I can.”

“No, you can’t. And Kaiser deserves a home that he doesn’t have to pack up and run from each time you think you may be found out.”

“I knew this was a mistake,” she said, getting upset. “I knew if I let you come with us, you’d just mess everything up. I’m getting off at the next exit. I’ll leave you at a truck stop, you can have a friend come get you.”

“I’m not getting out at a truck stop, and I’m not calling a friend. We’re in this together, it’s just time to start rethinking it.”

“You’ve been in it for three hours, and you want to rethink it?” she snapped.

“Yes, I do. I think we can do better than living on the run.”

“Oh really? And what exactly is your plan?”

“First, why don’t you tell me your plan?” Basilio asked. “Then we’ll come up with something together.”

Renata shook her head.

“You have to talk to me, Renata. Tell me what you had planned, and we’ll go from there.”

“What I had planned? What I had planned was to save enough money to buy a place somewhere out in the country and live there quietly. A place that Kaiser could thrive and grow without any scrutiny at all. But you shot that all to hell when you had me filmed and put on TV and I had to leave my job.”

“You were on TV, Mama?” Kaiser asked grinning. “Are you going to be on TV again? I wanna watch!” he said.

“No baby, Mama’s not going to be on TV again. It was an accident.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll buy us a place. You pick it. Wherever you want it to be is fine with me. Same plan, just sped up a bit because you can afford to buy it now, rather than later,” Basilio said.

“I was hoping to stay below the radar, you know, so no one could trace us,” she said irritatedly.

“That’s not going to happen. You can’t buy land without a deed, and a deed would have your name on it,” Basilio said patiently. “How were you planning to get around that?”

“I hadn’t gotten that far yet,” Renata answered defensively.

“Alright, look, I keep telling you I’ve got more money than I’ll spend in a lifetime. Several banks all over the country, and internationally. It’s yours now, too. What’s mine is yours and all that… Let’s find a place, buy it, and then prepare for if we’re located. We can’t run forever, it’s not fair,” he said, looking at her and motioning with his eyes toward the backseat where Kaiser sat safely strapped into his car seat, watching the scenery move past his window.

“I know that,” Renata whispered, a tear spilling over her lashes to run down her cheek. “Don’t you think I know that?”

Basilio waited, not pushing for the moment while she thought about all he’d said. His phone began to ring, and he glanced at it. “I gotta take this,” he said, swiping his thumb across the screen to accept the call. “Hello?” he said.

“The hell are you, Lyakhov?” his coach shouted.

“Headed out of town. A lot’s happened, Coach.”

“I suppose your contract and the little fact that you’ll be sued for walking out mid-season means nothing to you?” Coach snapped.

“I’m in mixed company, but I’ll try to explain as best I can,” Basilio said.

“You better have a damn good excuse.”

“I’m engaged to be married. She’s being stalked. I can’t leave her or our son to be alone for now,” Basilio said, trying to not say too much so he didn’t frighten Kaiser. “I’m taking them somewhere safe, and then I’ll reevaluate once the problem is solved.”

“Why didn’t you just hire security? Why don’t you call in the police? You just going off all half-cocked and hiding somewhere is not going to solve it!” Coach said.

“All very valid points. But I have my reasons, and so does she,” Basilio said.

“You planning on coming back?” Coach asked point blank.

“Honestly… I’m not sure. Maybe.”

“You know I go out of my way to look out for you. You know I’m responsible for you being a Beast, I snapped you up after your first walk-on try out. Put my reputation on the line for you because of your talent.”

“I know that, Coach. I appreciate it, and you. But this is something I have to see to. I don’t know how long it’s going to take. I’m not sure if I’m coming back,” Basilio admitted.

“I hate to lose you, son. You’re a good man and damned talented ball player. Let me think about it. I’ll call you,” Coach said. The line went dead before Basilio even had time to respond.

“It’s still not too late. I can drop you at the next exit,” Renata said.

“Not an option, honey,” Basilio answered.

“You’re giving up your career…” she started.

“I’m not giving up anything. I’m tired of the lifestyle. The only thing that bothers me is letting down Coach. I’ve got time left on my contract. I can buy myself out of it and still be well off, it’s the letting him down that gets me,” Basilio explained.

“Next exit?” Renata asked.

“Hell, no! Just keep driving, woman,” he said, smiling at her. “You’re stuck, already explained it all to you,” Basilio said, returning to his normal jovial self. “We’ll see what Coach says when he calls back and go from there.”

Renata risked a sideways glance, then made a point of staring straight ahead.

Kaiser’s little voice piped up from the back seat a few minutes later. “Are you my Daddy? I heard you tell that man I’m your son.”

Renata looked in the rear view and found Kaiser’s little face in a serious moue. “He’s not your Daddy, baby.”

“But I want to be,” Basilio hurried to add. “I want to be your Daddy, and always be there to take care of you and your Mama.”

“Why?” Kaiser asked.

“Because you both make me happy. I know I just met you, but you both make me feel like I’m supposed to be here and that everything is going to be okay,” Basilio said, turning around in his seat to look at Kaiser.

Kaiser was holding onto his stuffed bear and he pulled it in close for a hug.

Basilio realized it comforted Kaiser to have his stuffed bear close. “You know how when you are really tired, or angry, or scared, if you hug your bear it makes you feel better?” Basilio asked.

“Yeah,” Kaiser said suspiciously.

“That’s how I feel when I’m with your mom and you. I want you to feel that way about me, too.”

“You wanna be in our family?” Kaiser asked.

“I do. To me we already are a family.”

Kaiser didn’t say anything else, but he hugged his bear tighter and went back to looking out of the window.

Renata looked in the rear view again, and thinking Kaiser was distracted whispered to Basilio. “Great job. Now you can’t leave even if you wanted to. You can’t say those things then just leave!”

Basilio looked at her, his eyebrows raised. “Wasn’t planning on leaving, love. When are you going to accept that?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe when I’ve been with you for… let’s say, more than twenty-four hours?” she answered.

Chapter 7

Looking over his shoulder into the backseat, Basilio checked to be sure Kaiser was asleep before he spoke to Renata. “I think I have an idea,” he said.

“About what?” Renata asked.

“We’re just driving down the interstate with no destination in mind…”

“And?” Renata asked, waiting for him to continue.

“You want a place in the country with land and trees that’s off the beaten path,” he started.

“Yes, that’s my dream for me and Kaiser,” she said.

When Basilio didn’t say anything further, Renata glanced at him. He was watching her, his eyebrows raised, waiting for her to add to her last statement.

“What?” she asked.

“Just you and Kaiser?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Us. My dream for us,” she said, emphasis on the word us and waving her right hand between the three of them.

“Better,” Basilio said. “Anyway, at some point the men you’re running from will find us. When they do, if it’s just the Prime that comes to bring you and Kaiser back, it’s not a problem — I can protect you both. Even if he brings one or two with him, I’m not concerned. But if he sends a team — I’m just one. I’ll fight to the death, but while I’m fighting, what if he has someone grab you?”

“We just have to always be on guard,” Renata said quietly. She was frightened, he could feel it.

“There’s another way. I have an uncle that lives in Missouri. I know if we were near my uncle, he’d stand with me. I can beat three or four alone. I can’t beat seven or eight without risking you and Kaiser, and that’s something I’m not willing to do.”

“I don’t want to be a burden to anyone else. It’s bad enough you’re mixed up in the train wreck that is my life,” Renata said sincerely.

“It’s not a train wreck. You’ve done one hell of a job protecting yourself and Kaiser, but it’s time to accept a little help. Let me call him. He reached out to me not too long ago. He joined a new Pride, and that’s really saying something.”

“What do you mean?” Renata asked.

“He left our Troop when I was young for the same reasons I eventually did. He refused to be a part of the lifestyle my father enforced. He got away by joining the military. He wandered for a while after being released from active duty, and ended up stumbling on this Pride. For him to join another group of shifters, it’s gotta be something he respects and feels is a good thing. He left our Troop denouncing all that it was,” Basilio explained.

“And you don’t think waltzing into his life bringing along all the danger that follows me is a bad idea?” Renata asked.

“He was in black ops. There’s no danger here at home that even makes him do a double take. Besides, we’ll only be there for a little while until we can find our own place. Once we do, as long as it’s close enough by, I know I can depend on him to help me defend my family.”

“I don’t know, Basilio,” Renata hesitated.

Basilio felt strongly enough about his idea that he justified coercing her, though he knew it’d piss her off. “We can either do that, or we go back. I’ll hire professional security. When Kaiser’s father comes for the two of you, the security team will probably find out about shifters. Not just your ex coming for you, but me and Kaiser, too. Once they realize he’s your ex and Kaiser’s father, they’ll put two and two together and realize Kaiser’s a shifter, too. What happens after that is anybody’s guess, but it can’t be good.”

Renata’s brows drew together and she was working up to blasting him, so Basilio wrapped up before she could interrupt him. “That’s not even the point, Renata. You deserve better than this constant running,” he said. “Kaiser does, too. I’ve been trying to go along with whatever you felt you wanted so’s not to ruffle your feathers because I know you’re not too sure about me claiming you and this whole turn of events, but this is a good plan. I trust my uncle with my life. I know this is the right thing to do. And we’d be close enough to other shifters to have backup if we needed it.”

Renata was sitting ramrod straight in her seat, her hands squeezing her steering wheel. She thought about what he’d said, and unfortunately, he made perfect sense. “What kind of Pride is it? It is just another group of Primates under a different label?” she asked, through tight lips.

“No. It’s a Pride, like a Panther Pride. The Alpha is a Panther. He’s got other big cats in his Pride, a Bear, and my uncle. The Alpha’s mate is a Wolf shifter. There are even a few humans in the Pride. I’m telling you, it’s like nothing I’ve ever heard of before. My uncle loves it there, and he invited me to visit whenever I had the time.”

“Inviting you to visit versus showing up with me and Kaiser and all our baggage is not the same.”

“He won’t care. He’ll be happy I came to him for help. You’ll see,” Basilio assured her.

There was an uncomfortable silence while Renata rolled her options over and over in her head. It was exactly what she’d hoped for eventually — people like Kaiser that were kind and accepting and could help her. “Fine. Call him, but on speaker phone. If he’s not comfortable with us being there, then we make a new plan.” She glanced over at Basilio. “You have to tell him everything so he knows up front what he’s getting into. If he’s okay with it, then we’ll try it. If not, new plan. Deal?” she asked.

“Deal,” Basilio answered with a huge smile on his face. He reached for his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He pressed a number, waited ‘til it started ringing then placed it on speaker phone.

“Hello?” a very deep voice rumbled over the speaker.

“Uncle Roman?” Basilio asked.

“Basilio! How are you?” Roman said, with warmth in his voice.

“I’m good,” Basilio answered.

“What’s up?” Roman asked, with several voices in the background.

“I got a favor to ask,” Basilio said, holding his phone in his palm so Renata could hear every word. “If this is a bad time, I can call back.”

“No, we just hanging out by the pool, having a few beers. Ask away,” Roman said.

“I found my mate,” Basilio said.

“I saw that on television! Congratulations!” Roman’s voice boomed loudly, filling the small car.

“Thanks, thanks. But, there’s a problem.”

“What problem?” Roman asked, sobering.

“She has a son, which is the best damn thing. He’s a great kid and I’m already possessive as hell. He’s like us. Like you and me. Her ex lied to her, didn’t tell her what he was and when she gave birth to a son, he took them to his Troop and told her what their lives would be. There’s a lot more to it, but she ran from the Troop, been raising the baby on the run ever since.”

“And they put her on television the other day,” Roman finished.

“Yeah. They’re gonna find her. I’m with them, no way I could let them run again without me.”

“Bring ‘em. Come on,” Roman said. They could hear movement in the background, a rustling sound coming from Roman’s end of the connection.

“I need to be sure you understand, Uncle Roman. They’re going to come after Renata and Kaiser. I will not allow them to take either one from me. Neither will I allow them to be harmed. I’ll fight to the death if I have to. And anyone that’s found with us…”

“Basilio!” Roman said, his voice loud and forceful, sounding like he’d switched to speaker phone as well all of a sudden.

“Yes, sir,” Basilio answered, startled.

“Bring ‘em. Come on, we got you.”

“I’ve got this, I think. I just might need a little backup, if they bring more than I can handle on my own.

“I’m not saying you can’t handle it. I’m sure you can. I’m saying I got you, I’m your backup. Bring your family here,” Roman insisted.

“What about your Alpha? I don’t want to cause any trouble for you or your new Pride,” Basilio said, making sure everyone understood.

A voice he didn’t recognize spoke instead of his Uncle Roman. “My name is Riley Colter. I’m Alpha of this Pride. You, your mate, and your son are granted sanctuary. Roman is family. That makes you family. Come.”

“You hear that, Basilio?” Roman asked.

“I did. Tell me where in Missouri you are. We’re heading that way.”

“Hang up and I’ll text the address. No worries, Basilio. If you have to protect yours, you’re not fighting alone anymore.”

The call ended and Basilio looked at Renata. “We going?” he asked.

Renata looked at Basilio with tears running down her face. She nodded. “Yes. We are.”

“Why you crying, honey?” he asked.

“Because I finally feel like we have a chance. Like Kaiser will have a real chance. And it’s because of you.”

Basilio reached out for Renata’s right hand. She placed her hand in his and he lifted it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. “We’re going to be fine. One way or another, we’re going to be fine.”

Renata nodded. “I’m starting to think you might be right,” she answered.

Basilio’s phone beeped and he let go of her hand to pick it up. “Uncle Roman sent the address. I’m keying it into my maps app now.”

“Okay,” she said, using the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her face.

~~~~~

“Prime, we have eyes on the stadium. The moment she comes or goes, we’ll see her.”

A huge male, with thick silver streaks at his temples, and salt and pepper hair curling at his nape glanced with his eyes only from the female kneeling before him to the male speaking to him. “Have you located my female?” he asked, his voice a steady rumble.

“No, sir. But we’ve only just arrived. There were two teams originally, eight each. They’ve split into three teams. One at Lyakhov’s home, one at the stadium, and another is back at the hotel. The hotel team has their systems up and they’re coming online soon. It shouldn’t be long before they hack into the systems at the stadium, and the Beasts’ headquarters. We’ll search for your female’s information in the employee database and on Lyakhov as well. In the event we can’t get her home address from the database, the team at the stadium is watching for her. If she returns to the stadium, she will be seen immediately. The third team is watching Lyakhov’s home. They will be immediately aware of any activity. One way or the other, we’ll be led to her.”

“Very well. Proceed. The moment you have information on where she is, let me know.”

“I will, sir.”

“Do not forget this has to be handled with the utmost finesse. This has to be done discreetly. I do not want this sensationalized. We cannot just snatch them violently in front of everyone. It must be a secretive maneuver. Once they are returned to me, then the violence does not have to be so secretive. She will pay for humiliating me and for kidnapping the next Prime of this Troop. She will live, though. I will have her live to see my son assume his role, and look on her with disdain and resentment for daring to deny him his birthright.”

“And Lyakhov, sir?”

“It’s best if he can be left untouched. We do not need him in front of cameras claiming she’s been kidnapped. What we need is for him to believe she left him, running from him of her own accord. He should only be harmed if he attempts to stop me from reclaiming mine. I will deal with him later after any attention to their alluded to relationship has faded. He will answer for touching mine, but it will have to wait.”

“I understand, sir. Your instructions will be given. All will be as you wish it.”

“Of course, it will,” the Prime answered. He reached out cupping the jaw of the female before him. “Did I instruct you to stop servicing me?” he asked, pinching her jaw a little tighter than was necessary.

“No, Prime. I just thought that I shouldn’t distract you from important matters,” she answered in a barely audible voice.

“Is it your job to think?” he asked calmly, looking down at her.

“No, Prime,” she answered, leaning forward to take his hard cock in her mouth again.

He reached out wrapping her hair in his fist and stopping her forward movement. “What is your job?” he asked.

“To serve you and only you. To attend you in any way you need,” she answered, her face pointed to the ceiling as he held her immobile.

“And,” he prompted.

“To appreciate the opportunity to do so,” she finished.

“Do not forget it again,” he snapped, shoving her from him as he released her hair.

The female didn’t hesitate. She got back to her knees and hurriedly took him in her mouth again, taking him as deep as she possibly could and using her tongue and teeth just the way she knew he liked best. He’d not given her other instructions, so until he did, it was her job to continue to service him and she dared not defy him.

“You may use your hands to pleasure me as well,” he ordered.

The female didn’t give any indication she heard other than to immediately move her hands to his body to assist in pleasing him. She rolled his heavy balls in one hand gently and wrapped the fingers of her other hand around the base of his cock to stroke in conjunction with her mouth.

The Prime’s assistant, Spencer, waited silently beside him while the female brought the Prime to completion.

The Prime barely gave indication at all that he was near orgasm. He simply ground his teeth and his body tensed momentarily.

Only the sudden swallowing of the female and her change in posture to be sure she spilled absolutely none of her Prime’s seed were the only giveaway that the session was over.

“Why is it that none gives me the satisfaction she did?” he growled.

“Perhaps it is because she ran, Prime. Once she is returned, you may avail yourself of all her temptations endlessly and break the craving.”

The female let him fall from her mouth as he softened and he waved her away. “Leave us. Return to your quarters and wait there for other instructions. Clean yourself and be prepared,” he ordered.

“Yes, Prime,” the female answered.

“I will have Renata bow before me and service me at will, before I am finished,” he snarled.

“I have no doubt, Prime,” Spencer answered.

Chapter 8

“Renata, honey? You awake?” Basilio asked. His rich voice and enticing accent was a welcome wakeup call to her usual jump from the bed and go, even though they were driving in a car to an existence she wasn’t completely sure of.

Renata opened her eyes and looked around. They were driving down a two-lane highway surrounded on both sides by a bit of shoulder and hills of varying shapes and sizes, some covered with trees, others cleared for pasture land stretching as far as the eye could see.

“It’s beautiful here,” she said, yawning and trying to wake up.

“It is. Sorry to wake you, but we’re almost there,” Basilio said.

Renata looked in the backseat and found Kaiser sleeping soundly, his head back, his mouth open and his ever-present bear clutched tightly in his hands.

“He’s been so good on the drive,” Basilio said.

“Unfortunately, he’s become accustomed to moving often at the drop of a hat,” Renata confided.

“Well, no more. You don’t have to be afraid anymore,” Basilio told her, reaching out and patting her knee.

Renata nodded, not completely convinced her nightmare was over, or even near to being over.

“You can trust me. I will not let you down,” he said.

“I’m trying,” she answered, offering him a sincere smile.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“About 7:00 A.M.”

“It’s so early. I hate to wake up your uncle this early in the morning.”

“He knows we’re coming at some point. I don’t think he’ll mind,” Basilio answered, happily driving along, admiring the scenery, his mate at his side and his son safely asleep in the back seat.

They cleared a rise on the highway and up ahead could see signs of civilization.

“Hey, what’s that?” Renata asked, sitting up and trying to focus on the buildings in the distance.

“Not sure, but we’re getting real close to Uncle Roman’s,” Basilio said, glancing at his cell phone and the maps app.

“Looks like a gas station. Maybe they have a bathroom,” Renata said.

“We’ll pull in and see,” Basilio answered.

As they approached the gas station, and what looked like a diner attached, Basilio’s phone spoke to him, telling him they’d arrived. He slowed the car on the highway and glanced over at the mobile home park and then across the road at the large house protected by a security gate.

“Guess this is it,” he said, pointing at the mobile home park. “What do you say we have breakfast at the diner first, then go wake Uncle Roman?”

“That’s my vote,” Renata answered.

Basilio put his blinker on and slowly pulled off the highway and into the parking lot. He chose a parking spot in the middle of the lot that would allow him to drive either forward or backward as needed if he needed to get his mate to safety without warning. He got out of the car and looked around before leaning back down toward the inside of the car and speaking to Renata. “Leave the doors unlocked, just in case we need to get back into the car quickly.”

Renata looked up at Basilio through the open driver’s side door he was still standing just outside of. “Okay,” she said, realizing he was at least taking her need to be careful at all times seriously. Renata got out of the car then opened the back door, unstrapping Kaiser from his car seat and taking him in her arms.

Basilio came around behind her and reached in after she stepped away from the car and grabbed Kaiser’s bear.

Renata smiled to herself on seeing that Basilio was already so in tune with Kaiser’s needs.

They entered the diner and looked around.

“Hi! Welcome. Would you like to have breakfast or just a break for gas before getting back on the road?” a pleasant cashier greeted.

“Breakfast please, but a restroom first,” Renata answered.

“Of course, the restrooms are at the back, right behind me and to the right,” the cashier answered.

Renata glanced at the girl’s name tag so she could thank her properly. People always liked to be recognized individually, that much she’d learned from her own experience in the hospitality industry. “Thank you very much, Yvette.”

“You’re very welcome.”

“Here, honey, let me take Kaiser and you go to the restroom. We’ll get a table,” Basilio said, reaching out his arms.

“Okay, if he wakes and is looking for me, I’ll be right back.”

“We’ll be fine,” Basilio said, grinning at her while he took the little boy in his arms and propped him up on his shoulder, smoothing Kaiser’s back while he watched Renata go toward the bathrooms at the same time he tried to follow the cashier to where she was leading him into the diner.

“I’ll get you a booster seat for when he wakes up,” Yvette said, putting the menus on the table she’d just shown him to.

“Thanks,” Basilio answered, taking his seat and arranging Kaiser so that he’d be more comfortable on his lap with his head leaning on Basilio’s chest.

“He’s precious,” Yvette commented.

“Thank you,” Basilio said proudly, peeking down at Kaiser sleeping against him.

“You’re welcome. Your waitress will be here in just a second. We’re always busiest in the morning.”

“Not a problem,” Basilio answered.

Renata came around the corner and spotted them right away. As she walked toward them, Basilio glanced up from the menu and saw her coming. He lit up, and Renata couldn’t help but notice. She smiled shyly at first but by the time she reached the table and took her seat, she was grinning ear-to-ear.

“What are you smiling about?” he asked, still cradling Kaiser to his chest.

“You, smiling at me,” she answered, reaching for Kaiser. “Your turn” she said, taking her seat with Kaiser in her arms.

“Be right back. Don’t leave me,” he teased.

“I’m not leaving you,” she answered, rolling her eyes with a smirk on her face.

She reached for her menu, and glanced over it deciding she’d have the standard breakfast of eggs over easy, hash browns, bacon and toast.

“Good morning. You know what you want?” a waitress asked as she came to stand beside the table.

“I do, but my, um, friend, didn’t mention what he wants,” Renata said.

“Your um fiance’ is back, and he knows what he wants,” Basilio said, his eyebrow raised. He took his seat and reached for Kaiser again. “Friend, Renata?” he asked.

“Well, this is still all new, and I’m not quite sure I’m not sleeping and this is just my imagination. Too many good things happening. Gotta be a dream,” she ended on a mumble. “And I got him,” she said, shooing Basilio’s hands away.

The waitress giggled at the obviously new couple and waited patiently for them to let her know what they’d like to eat.

“What do you want, hon?” Basilio asked Renata.

“I’ll have the basic breakfast, two eggs over easy, hash browns, bacon and toast, please.”

“Want onions in your hash browns?” the waitress asked.

“Yes, please,” Renata answered.

“Want a pastry or something sweet to go with it? They’re made fresh every day. Donuts, too,” the waitress offered.

Renata thought about it. Finally, she shook her head. “I really shouldn’t,” she finally said.

“Course you should, and you will,” Basilio said. He looked at the waitress, ignoring Renata’s protests. “What would you recommend?”

“The glazed donuts are hot and fresh, still warm from the fryer, and the blueberry cake ones are so good, too. Or the apple fritters, they’re fried just enough to be crunchy on the edges and still soft and sweet in the middle.”

“Sold, we’ll take two apple fritters. And I’ll have the Pride Breakfast,” Basilio said.

“You want the three meats — bacon, sausage and ham, or you want three servings of the same thing?” she asked.

“I want all bacon please,” Basilio said.

“And your half a dozen eggs?” the waitress asked.

“Scrambled with onion, bell pepper and cheese please.”

“Hash browns and grits or double on one or the other?”

“Both please. And…” Basilio looked over at Kaiser still out cold in his mother’s arms. “What does Kaiser like?”

“He’ll want bacon and sausage, scrambled eggs and probably a couple of donuts, chocolate — one with sprinkles, one without,” Renata said. “And chocolate milk.”

“Got it,” the waitress said. “I’ll be right back, it shouldn’t take very long.”

Basilio, taking a page from Renata’s book, glanced at the waitress’s name tag. “Thank you, Libby.”

“You’re welcome,” she said, turning away to put their order in. “You know…” she said, turning back to the table. “You look so familiar.”

“I get that a lot,” he said. “Must look like somebody famous.”

“Maybe,” Libby said, smiling politely before going to put their order in.

“Told you,” Renata said.

“I know. But this is a small dot on the map, who’s she gonna tell? Besides, she wasn’t sure where I looked familiar from,” Basilio said.

Not even ten minutes later and the waitress was back, her serving tray laden with food. “Told you it would be quick,” she said, smiling as she placed plates of steaming food in front of them.

“You weren’t kidding,” Renata said, shifting Kaiser to her left side to be able to eat with her right hand.

“Why don’t you let me take him so you can eat?” Basilio said.

“Thank you, but that’s not necessary. It won’t be long now and he’ll be awake,” she said, pulling Kaiser’s plate closer to her and cutting up his sausage for him, before moving the plate back to the chair with the booster seat in it waiting for him.

“How do you know he’s going to wake up soon?” Basilio asked.

“Food. Soon as he realizes he’s smelling food, he’s up,” Renata said, chuckling. She picked up a piece of her bacon and waved it under his nose.

Kaiser shifted in her arms slightly.

Renata took a bite of the bacon and chewed happily. “I love crunchy bacon,” she said before taking another bite. She put the bacon on her plate and lifted her fork to break open the yolk on her eggs. She dipped a piece of toast into the yolk and took a bite, moaning at the flavor. “Breakfast food is my favorite. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

Basilio was eating his own food and smiled watching her enjoy her food. “Noted. If I end up in the doghouse, make a spectacular meal featuring breakfast foods and I will be forgiven,” he said jokingly.

“Hey, it just might work,” she agreed.

Kaiser shifted again, and his eyes blinked before he sat up and looked around. He focused on the food first, then on Basilio. He looked up at his mom and grinned. “I’m hungry,” he said.

“I knew you would be. That’s your plate,” she said, pointing to his breakfast. “But, do you need to go potty first?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, sliding off her lap and waiting for her to stand.

“We’ll be back in a second,” she said to Basilio, reaching down to take Kaiser by the hand.

Moments later they were back, Kaiser running ahead of her and climbing up in his chair while Basilio pulled it out for him and held the booster seat steady so he could get into it without falling.

“Thanks,” Kaiser said as he grabbed one of his donuts and started in on it before Basilio had even pushed him all the way to the table.

“You’re welcome,” Basilio said, watching Renata as she sat down.

He gestured toward her chair and she shook her head. “No need to help me sit. Thank you, though.”

Basilio sat down and together they enjoyed their breakfast, laughing at a story Basilio was telling them of when he was a kid and refused to come down out of a tree because his mother was making him eat his vegetables before she’d give him the cookies she’d promised.

The waitress came by to see if they needed more coffee or anything else, and Kaiser, who’d almost cleaned his plate nodded. “One of those,” he said, pointing at a little girl sitting at the corner table with her parents.

“A funnel cake,” the waitress said. Then she looked at Renata. “It’s made with pancake batter, so it’s really just a fancy pancake.”

“You really want that?” she asked Kaiser.

He nodded, pushing his empty plate toward his mom. “Yep,” he insisted.

“You want strawberries on it?” the waitress asked.

“Yep. And cream,” he said, eyeing the plate the little girl was eating from.

“Strawberries and whipped cream. Got it,” she said. Then she looked at Basilio. “I finally figured out why you look familiar to me,” she said.

“Oh, really?” Basilio asked, stiffening.

“Yeah. You look just like a very close friend of mine. Younger of course, but still, the resemblance is uncanny,” she said, smiling. “I’ll have to get a picture of you before you leave. Roman won’t believe how much you look like him.”

Basilio had been looking at Renata, sharing a thankful look she didn’t realize who he was. When she said Roman’s name, Basilio’s head snapped up and he looked at her with surprise. “You know Roman?” he asked.

“Well, yeah. Do you?” she asked, surprised.

“He’s my uncle. He’s expecting us, but we didn’t want to wake him too early so we stopped for breakfast,” Basilio explained.

“Well, he lives just right there,” the waitress said, pointing to the trailer park. “I’m Libby. Welcome,” she said, smiling brightly.

Chapter 9

Before Basilio could thank her for welcoming him, a large male with light brown hair streaked with golden highlights and piercing eyes rose from the table the little girl was seated at and came up behind Libby.

“Basilio?” the male asked.

Basilio looked at the male. He scented of a big cat, so he figured this must be a member of Roman’s Pride family.

“Yes,” Basilio said, standing.

The man stuck his hand out waiting for Basilio to take it and shake. “I’m Riley Colter. We’ve been waiting for you. Glad you made it.”

Basilio smiled wide, shaking the male’s hand, realizing this was the alpha that had offered them sanctuary. “Thank you, Alp… Riley,” he corrected, looking around the diner, not sure if the locals knew about Riley and his Pride.

“You’re welcome. And Libby’s right. You do bear a striking resemblance to Roman. Should have known it was you when you walked in.”

“Haven’t seen him in years. I was a kid when he went off to join the military, but I’m looking forward to seeing him today.”

Riley’s eyes glanced out of the window and he grinned. “Here he comes. Libby must have texted him to let him know you were here.”

Basilio turned and looked out of the window. His smile was huge as he watched his Uncle Roman jogging across the highway and turning toward the diner.

“Here ya go, little man,” Libby said, sliding a plate with Kaiser’s funnel cake on it in front of him.

“Thank you,” Kaiser said, wasting no time diving right in.

“I’m going to meet Uncle Roman,” Basilio said. “You mind?” he asked Renata.

“Not at all, go right ahead,” Renata answered.

He rushed out of the diner and straight toward Roman. They both wore huge smiles and embraced several times before they started for the diner together.

Renata smiled watching them, then turned to face Riley as he spoke to her, introducing himself.

“Hey, I’m Riley. Welcome,” Riley said to Renata.

“Hi. I’m Renata. This is Kaiser,” she said, reaching out to touch Kaiser’s shoulder, while he chomped on funnel cake, powered sugar already dusting his face.

“Welcome,” Riley said. “That’s my daughter’s favorite, too,” Riley said to Kaiser. Then he focused on Renata. “You have no more worries. Breathe easy.”

“I already am a little. Having Basilio at my side has been…” she hesitated, searching for the correct word, “interesting. But he’s also managed to make me feel at ease. Being here, though, I don’t want to cause anyone any stress or trouble,” Renata said.

“You’re not. We take care of our own. You and Basilio are part of Roman’s world, that makes you part of ours. You’ve got nothing to worry about anymore.”

Renata nodded and looked down, using her napkin to blot her mouth and disguise the fact that she’d begun to tear up.

“It’s okay,” Riley said, stepping closer to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I just know that at some point,” she glanced over at Kaiser, then up at Riley, “he’s going to track us down.”

“When he does, he’ll find a devoted male at your side waiting for him. And if your male needs backup, we’ll be there, too. There’s no excuse for what you’ve had to endure. It’s over now.” Riley looked up as Roman and Basilio came back into the diner.

Roman paused to hug the girl at the front register, then moved on into the diner. “Morning,” he said to Riley. Then he looked across the diner and called out to the cook, the waitress and what must have been the family of the alpha. Roman looked down at the table and realized Basilio and his family were in the middle of breakfast. “Ya’ll sit down and finish your meal. There’s no rush,” he said.

“Join us,” Basilio said, indicating the extra chair. “We could pull in extra chairs…” Basilio offered, looking up at Riley as he took his own seat.

“Naw, ya’ll go ahead and catch up. We’ll meet up in a little bit at Roman’s,” Riley said. “But for now, that there’s Richie, his woman Yvette is at the register. Libby’s your waitress. That’s my wife, Maia, and my little ones over in the booth. You’ll meet the rest later. This place is ours, so feel free to come in anytime you want. We all glad you here.”

Everyone waved and greeted them, and Basilio and Renata waved back.

“Thank you, Riley. I appreciate it more than you know,” Basilio said.

Riley smiled and nodded. “It’s not a problem,” he said, smiling warmly before he left them to go back to his table.

Roman sat down in the extra chair at the table, and Kaiser watched him suspiciously.

“I’m Roman,” he said, extending his hand to Renata.

“I’m Renata, and this is Kaiser,” she said. Then she looked at Kaiser. “Kaiser, baby, this is Mr. Basilio’s uncle, his name is Roman.”

Kaiser watched Roman, and took a bite of his funnel cake.

Roman chuckled. “He’s already protective and suspicious. You’re a strong boy,” Roman said.

“Yep. I am,” Kaiser agreed, munching on the last of his food while eyeing Roman.

“I thought so. Maybe later you can show me how to climb the tree out behind my house. I usually don’t have any problems with trees, but this one… I can’t get above the first branch,” Roman explained.

“I climb real good,” Kaiser answered. He thought about it for a minute then nodded. “I guess I could show you. If my mama and Silio say it’s okay.”

“Fine by me,” Basilio said, grinning proudly that Kaiser recognized him as being a part of him and his mother.

“If I can watch, then it’s okay,” Renata said, smiling at Roman. “Thank you so much for offering us shelter for the time being. It means more than you could ever know.”

Roman smiled pleasantly, but his eyes held a sadness. “Oh, I do know. I left the same Troop Basilio did, for the same reasons it sounds like you’re running from yours. Ain't no man got the right to treat a woman like property. And no man got the right to claim more than one and expect them to appreciate it or force them to do whatever he wants.”

“He comes after mine, there will be no mercy,” Basilio said, a low rumble sounded from his chest.

Roman looked at Basilio. “You made the right choice. If you need us, we got you,” he said.

Libby walked over and placed the same breakfast Basilio had ordered in front of Roman. “Must be a family thing. Same exact order,” Libby said, grinning. “He eats it every morning he comes in here,” she said to Basilio.

“Thanks, Libs,” Roman said, picking up his fork and digging in. He looked around to ask for coffee, but Libby was already behind him with cup and coffee pot in hand.

“You’re the best,” Roman said, smiling again.

~~~~~

“I’ve already spoken to the teams at Lyakhov’s house and the stadium. There’s no trace of them. That’s why I’m calling you. How much longer until you are in the payroll system and get us a home address for Renata and the boy, and bank account numbers for both of them so we can track any activity?” Spencer snapped into the phone.

“We’re doing our best, but this isn’t just some little privately owned business that has minimal security that’s available to everyone on the web. This is a huge conglomerate. They’ve got multiple security measures in place. It may take us a couple of days to clear through them all.”

“If they’ve gone and you cause us to lose their trail,” Spencer started.

“Then we’ll find it while they access money from the pitcher’s account. They most likely haven’t left. They’re probably hunkered down at her place, waiting to make sure it’s safe to come out again.”

“You’d better hope they are,” Spencer warned. “Otherwise you will explain to Prime why you lost his female and his heir.”

“We are doing the best we can. It shouldn’t be much longer.”

“Fine, I expect an update shortly,” Spencer said, ending the call without waiting for a response.

“No progress?” the Prime asked from behind him.

Spencer jolted, startled at the Prime moving up behind him without a sound. “They are making progress, it’s just slow going due to the magnitude of the security the team has in place for its online programs. I’ve been assured it shouldn’t be much longer, Prime.”

“Very well. If you don’t hear of further progress by this evening, let me know.”

“I will, Prime.”

The Prime turned to leave the room, but paused at the door. “I am losing patience, Spencer. You know this is not a good thing.”

“Yes, Prime. I understand. I will push them harder.”

The Prime inclined his head and left the room, trusting his assistant to handle it.

~~~~~

Roman opened the front door of his home. He pushed it wide and stood back, waiting for his nephew and his nephew’s mate to enter ahead of him. “This is home,” Roman said, following them inside.

“Thank you for opening your home to us, Roman,” Renata said.

“Stop with the thank yous. You don’t have to thank me, you don’t owe me a single thing. Family takes care of family. Took me a long time to figure that out, but I have, thanks to Riley and Maia. They took me in, showed me about taking care of people you love. No way in hell I’m turning my nephew and his mate away.”

Basilio was standing next to Roman and hugged him spontaneously after that remark.

“Now, only two bedrooms, but you’re welcome to them both if you want and I’ll bunk on the couch.”

“No! That’s not necessary. We can share a room, and Kaiser loves his sleeping bag because he thinks it feels like he’s camping, so he can bunk on the floor,” Renata said.

“Yay!” Kaiser said, jumping in the air.

“Got some extra blankets and stuff. Can make it soft for him,” Roman said.

“That’s perfect,” Renata answered, looking bashfully at Basilio.

“Ya’ll sure that’ll work?” Roman asked.

“Oh, yeah. We’ll be fine. We’re very happy to be here,” Basilio said.

“Well, make yourselves at home, go on and get settled and we’ll sit down and figure out all the details,” Roman said.

“Thanks,” Renata added.

Roman looked at her with a corner of his mouth barely tilted up threatening to smile and his eyebrow raised. “I mean, sounds good,” she said, grinning at him. “No thanks offered.”

Roman nodded and went into the kitchen to put away his dishes from the previous night while Basilio and Renata put their things in his extra bedroom. He smiled thinking about Basilio being there with him. It had been a long, long time since he’d seen or spoken to anyone from his old Troop. He thought of his sister. He’d never had the chance to say goodbye, but that’s how they both knew it had to be as long as she insisted on staying. She’d encouraged him to go and make his way in the world, so he did. Now she was gone, and Basilio was here with him.

“You got any chips?” a little voice asked from behind him.

Roman turned around and grinned at Kaiser. “I do. But you just ate breakfast. You hungry already?” Roman asked.

“I could eat,” Kaiser said.

Roman chuckled as he went to the pantry to get some chips. He remembered growing up how he was always hungry. Shifters’ metabolisms constantly burn twice the calories of a human, add to that a little kid whose body is trying to grow and develop into the predator it housed, and the hunger can gnaw at you if you don’t eat almost constantly. It was many a night he went to sleep hungry — his Prime refusing to feed him or allow others to because his sister wasn’t behaving as was expected. He didn’t want this kid to ever feel hungry or helpless like he had growing up.

Roman took two bags of chips out of the pantry and opened them both placing them on the table. “Here, little man, eat as much as you want. You want some dip, too?” Roman asked.

“Yes, please,” Kaiser answered, climbing up into the chair and sitting on his knees as he bit into a chip. Roman put out salsa, and onion dip for him to choose from, then opened a can of cola before thinking to ask if Kaiser could have it or not. “Ya’ll mind if Kaiser has cola?” he shouted out in general to the whole house.

“That’s fine,” Renata answered from the bedroom where they were organizing their things.

“Good deal,” Roman said. “Here ya go. Want anything else?” he asked.

“No, thank you,” Kaiser said, scooping up onion dip on his chip and munching it happily.

“You’re a very polite little man,” Roman said.

“Yep. My mama says no reason you can’t be polite,” Kaiser said.

Renata placed Kaiser’s sleeping bag in the corner of the room, then looked around as Basilio brought her duffle bag and Kaiser’s small backpack. “Want me to help you put the clothes in these away?” he offered.

“No, thank you. I’m not unpacking. I have to be ready,” she said, opening the closet door and placing the two bags in the closet.

Basilio came up behind her, blocking her from being able to retreat from him. “Not anymore you don’t,” he said.

Renata looked up at Basilio as he looked down into her eyes. He raised his hands and gently wrapped them around her upper arms to hold her to him. “You’re safer now than you’ve been in a long, long time.”

Renata nodded slightly. “I know that. I do. But it’s been a long while since I’ve felt safe. It’ll take some getting used to,” she said.

“Baby steps,” Basilio suggested.

“Yes, baby steps,” Renata answered. She looked up into his eyes again, and he brushed her jaw with his fingertips.

“No more worries,” he said, looking into her eyes, then at her lips and finally smiling at her. “I’m more at peace than I can ever remember,” Basilio said.

“I’m trying,” Renata answered. “I wasn’t at first, I just wanted to get away, but I’m trying now. I really am,” she said. “Please be patient with me. It’s just been me and Kaiser for so long.”

“I know. No rush,” Basilio said, slowly lowering his head. Before she realized it, his lips were pressed against hers. He kissed her once, twice, just an innocent, gentle press of his lips to hers. “I’m not going anywhere. Ever. Take all the time you need.”

Renata’s heart was pounding. She looked up at Basilio as though she were in a trance. She’d been surprised when he kissed her, and even more surprised at her response to it.

He smiled down at her. “You feel it, don’t you?” he asked.

“I…” she tried to answer, but wasn’t sure what exactly ‘it’ felt like. “I feel something,” she finally admitted.

“It’ll only get stronger, honey. You’ll see,” he said, kissing her forehead.

They heard a knock on the front door of Roman’s home and then heard Roman holler to whoever it was. “Hold on. I’m coming!”

“I’m guessing that’s Riley, let’s go get better acquainted,” Basilio said.

“Okay,” she answered, and didn’t even object when he took her hand in his and led her into the living room.

Chapter 10

Roman opened the door just as Basilio and Renata entered the room.

“Hey, heard your nephew arrived,” a male voice said.

“Yeah, they here,” Roman answered. “Come on in,” he said, walking away from the door and leaving it open.

Two males entered, one very large, almost as big as Roman and Basilio, the second was obviously powerful, and he gave off a dangerous aura, but he wasn’t the size of the Gorilla shifters. He was closer to the size of the cook they’d met that morning in the diner, though a little shorter.

“Hey,” Basilio said, letting go of Renata’s hand long enough to shake hands with the males.

“Hey,” the first one replied. “I’m Lucas, this is Lazarus. Heard you made it in so stopped by to say hello and welcome.”

“Thank you, appreciate it. I’m Basilio and this is my mate Renata.”

“And me!” Kaiser shouted from the kitchen.

“And that’s our son, Kaiser,” Basilio finished. “I was getting to you, boy!” Basilio yelled back to Kaiser with a grin on his face.

“I know you,” Lazarus said. “Base, right?” he asked.

Basilio wasn’t as alarmed as he’d have been if Lazarus hadn’t been in Riley’s Pride. “Used to be,” Basilio answered.

“Heard you were on injured reserve so you’d be out a while seeking treatment,” Lazarus added.

“You did?” Basilio asked, looking puzzled.

“Yep. On Sports Network this morning,” Lazarus said.

“Okay, then,” Basilio said. “Guess I’m on injured reserve.”

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. Proud to stand with your mate if needed,” Lucas said.

“I got this. Nobody is going to threaten mine and get away with it. Just need to know there’s a little backup to watch over Renata and Kaiser if they bring more than a few,” Basilio snarled.

“We’ll be there,” Lucas said, while Lazarus nodded.

“Thank you both very much,” Renata answered. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“Don’t have to repay anybody. It’s what we do,” Lucas said. He glanced over into the kitchen where Kaiser was busily stuffing himself with chips and dip. “Hey! I want some of that,” he said, walking toward the kitchen.

“I’m so sorry,” Renata said, following Lucas to the kitchen. “Kaiser, stop eating all Roman’s snacks, baby.”

“He offered,” Kaiser objected.

“Renata, no, let him have all he wants. It’s not a big deal,” Roman said as kindly as possible.

“It’s already too much that you’re opening your home to us. We’re not going to eat all your food, too,” she said.

“Of course, you are,” Roman replied. He walked over to Renata and looked down at her. “I know what it’s like to be a boy his age and not be able to appease the hunger that rides you all the time. If he’s hungry and he’s at my house, he’s eating. I’d be offended if you didn’t let me feed him.”

“Are you sure?” Renata asked.

“Very. It’s hard when your body’s trying to grow and no matter how much you eat, you just can’t get full. Even harder when you’re not allowed to eat. Let the boy eat,” Roman said quietly to her.

Renata’s heart hurt for this gentle giant. Was he telling her that he’d been starved intentionally as a child? “Okay, I just don’t want to impose,” she said, not wanting Roman to have to confide any additional painful memories to her than necessary.

Roman smiled at her and winked. Then he turned to Kaiser. “How about some brownies?”

“You got brownies?!” Kaiser asked, sitting up straight.

“I do. And I’ll let you have some,” Roman answered.

The front door opened and Riley stuck his head in. “Anybody home?” he asked, grinning because he could hear them all from outside the door and knew they were home.

“Naw, we gone, boss,” Lucas answered, grinning.

“Smart ass,” Riley responded, cuffing him playfully on the side of the head when he passed him, walking toward the kitchen leading Cristie by the hand.

“Hey, Kaiser,” Riley said.

“Hi,” Kaiser answered, his eyes wide while he watched Roman cutting into a pan of brownies.

“This is my daughter, Cristie,” Riley explained, introducing the kids.

Kaiser looked over at Cristie, then the brownies again before doing a double take at Cristie. “Hi,” Kaiser said, offering a little wave.

“You gonna have brownies?” Cristie asked.

“Yeah. You want one? Roman said I can have two, but I’ll share with you,” Kaiser offered. “My name is Kaiser.”

“I like that name,” Cristie said, walking over to the table and climbing up into a chair next to Kaiser.

“Thanks. I like yours, too,” Kaiser answered.

Roman put a plate in front of Kaiser with two big squares of brownies on it. Then he turned back to the pan to cut more for Cristie. When he turned back around with Cristie’s plate, he smiled when he saw that Kaiser had given the larger of the two pieces he’d been given to Cristie. Roman put the plate in front of Cristie, and sure enough she did the same, choosing the largest piece and offering it to Kaiser, who took it with appreciation.

“Think they buddies now,” Riley said.

“I think so,” Renata agreed.

“Thought maybe we could sit for a bit and talk about what brings you to us,” Riley said.

“Of course,” Renata answered. She reached out and took Basilio’s hand without even looking up at him.

Basilio squeezed her hand and led her to the couch.

Roman poured the kids some milk, then joined everybody in the living room.

“As you know I offered sanctuary, and it stands. I just want to be sure we understand exactly what the threat is so that we can be ready just in case it’s necessary.”

“I understand,” Renata replied. “I’m not sure where to start,” she said, wringing her hands. She glanced over at Kaiser and lowered her voice. “I met his father when I was eighteen. I easily fell for everything he told me, and swallowed it, hook, line and sinker. Next thing I knew, I was pregnant. He promised…” she said before pausing and looking up at Kaiser.

Riley realized she was trying to choose her words carefully in front of her son. “You know what? Constance is right next door. If it’s okay with you, why don’t I ask if she’d mind taking the kids swimming? It’ll give us a chance to talk in private without little ears.”

“Where? Where would they go swimming?” Renata asked, her nerves obviously rising a level.

“My house. Right across the street in the back yard. Nobody can see the pool from the street. It’s safe, and lots of floaties and rafts for them to play on. Cristie swims every day. Only reason she’s not now is my mate is napping with the baby. She’s still trying to get the baby on a daytime schedule. Little one still likes the nighttime better.”

“I guess, I mean…” Renata said, trailing off.

“Can we meet Constance?” Basilio asked.

“Absolutely. She’s Richie’s mom. Richie’s the one you met cooking at the diner. He’s my number two,” Riley explained, taking out his phone and pressing in a few numbers. “Hey, Constance, you busy?” he asked. He waited a moment while she spoke before talking again. “Aw, good. Listen, would you mind taking Cristie and Roman’s great nephew swimming at the house? We got a little talking to do and little ears… if you know what I mean. I wouldn’t ask but Maia’s taking a nap while the baby’s napping.” He listened to Constance’s reply, then wrapped up the call. “Thank you so much. We over at Roman’s. See you in a minute,” Riley said, before hanging up.

“She’ll be right here. She’s in the mobile home up front to the right if you’re facing the trailer park.”

Only a few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Lucas opened the door and let Constance in. “Hi, everybody,” Constance called as she entered the house.

“Hey, Constance. Thanks for coming. This is Basilio, his mate Renata and their son, Kaiser.”

“Hello,” Constance said. Instead of just greeting them, she took the time to hug both Renata and Basilio. “I’m so glad you’re here. I know Roman was worried about you making it safely,” she said. “And he’s already got enough on his mind.” She let go of Basilio and stood back, smiling at him. “I’d know you were Roman’s family even if I’d never been introduced to you. You look just like him.”

Basilio shook her hand gently. “Thank you. I think.”

“Oh, yes. He’s quite handsome,” Constance said. “You know, I was about to go swimming across the street at Riley’s house. But I hate to go alone. I was wondering if anyone would like to go with me.”

“I’ll go!” Kaiser shouted, shoving his arm in the air, raising his hand to be noticed.

“Me, too!” Cristie said, mimicking Kaiser.

“That would be wonderful,” Constance said. “Come along now. I’m anxious to get to the pool. Bring your brownies if you must and let’s get there before everyone else.”

“I been there before,” Cristie said, sliding out of the chair with her brownie in her hand.

“You have?” Kaiser asked.

“Yep. It’s my house. I swim every day.”

“Oh. Cool,” he said.

“Cool?” Renata repeated, looking at Basilio.

“What?” he said, grinning at her.

“Where’d he get cool from?” she asked.

“Who knows?” Basilio answered.

“Mama, I can go right? To Cristie’s house and swim?” Kaiser asked, leaning against her leg with his arms around her neck.

“If you promise to be very, very good. And you promise to obey all the rules, and remember all our rules, too,” she answered, hugging him to her and kissing his temple.

“I know. If somebody that smells like me comes, I have to hide right away and don’t come out no matter what.”

“Be very good, baby. Please?” she asked.

“I will, Mama. Where’s my bathing suit?” he asked, looking down at his shorts.

“It’s packed. Just swim in your shorts and I’ll find the bathing suit later,” Renata said.

“Okay,” he agreed.

“Everyone ready?” Constance asked, opening the door and waiting while the children went down the stairs in front of her. “We’ll see you all later,” she said, before closing the door.

“They’ll be fine and we’ll be there with them shortly,” Riley said, sensing the nervousness pouring off Renata.

“Tell me what’s happening,” Riley said.

“He lied to me. Spun all these beautiful tales of him and me and the baby and how perfect our life would be. I believed him. He worked a lot, but was at every doctor’s appointment, at every ultrasound. He was attentive and loving. When Kaiser was born, I felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. Then he said that it was time we moved in with him. I gave no objection, he was Kaiser’s father and we were in a loving, committed relationship.

The moment we arrived, I knew I’d made a mistake. I was given a suite, with an adjoining nursery. I wasn’t allowed to leave my suite without an escort, and guards were placed outside my room. He came to me later that night. I was upset, but he said that there’d been an attempt on his life and the additional security was necessary for the time being. I believed him. A few days later one of his females managed to gain access to my suite. She made it quite clear that not only was I not wanted, but that if I thought to replace her as first mate, I’d die before that ever happened.

He came to me again that night and when I told him what I’d learned, he became furious. He dragged me out of the suite and through the house to another wing. He burst through the door and dragged me behind him the whole way. There were a lot of other women there. He introduced me as his first mate. Told them I’d supplied him with his first-born son. The son that would one day be Prime. That they were to stay away from my suite, they were to treat me respectfully, and they were to stay far away from my son.

Then he explained to me that they were his women. He said they were the other females required to keep him satisfied. He said they were not loved and revered as I was. They were simply a harem — a luxury allowed to all men of his stature and that I would come to appreciate them as family. He said they’d help raise my child in the way he wanted, leaving me free to follow whatever hobby he approved of me taking up.

I asked if they were all his wives. He told me only I would be his wife, they were his harem. He got angry because he had to repeat himself. I asked if he’d be sleeping with these women. He said no. He only had sex with them. Then he’d return to my quarters where I’d clean him and he’d then satisfy my needs and there he’d sleep.

I told him there was no way in hell I’d live under those conditions. I was taking my son and leaving. He laughed at me and before I realized what was happening, he’d struck me so hard it knocked me down.

He leaned over me and told me in no uncertain terms that I’d live whatever way he chose, and if I didn’t, there were plenty of other females under his roof willing to raise my child in my absence. Then he dragged me out into the corridor and down the stairs where there were a number of his men gathered, and he, he…”

A steady rumble could be heard around the room, the entire time she was speaking. Basilio was doing his best not to shift, but most of the rumble was his and the more she spoke, the more he wanted to kill the fucker that had hurt his woman.

“It’s okay. There’s no need to tell us anything too personal,” Riley said softly.

Renata nodded. Her voice trembled when she started speaking again. “He said I would learn my place just as the others had, or he’d do it again every single day until I learned to be humble and appreciative.” Renata stopped talking for a moment, looking down at her clasped hands in her lap. Basilio put his arm around her shoulders and held her to his side to offer encouragement.

“I fought it for as long as I could. Every day he’d drag me down those stairs, some days stripping me before hand, and beating me almost senseless. Then he laid me out and… and it didn’t matter how many watched. After a very short while I figured out if I ever wanted to escape, I’d have to play his game. So, I did. I waited for him in the evenings. He’d show up and go straight to the shower where I’d bathe him, then he’d insist we have sex, and then he’d spend the night in my bed.” Renata looked up to meet Riley’s eyes. “But at least we no longer had an audience, and I was no longer being beaten.

I played the part well, and when Kaiser was nine months old, I finally got my chance. He went out of town on business, with strict instructions that I was to remain in my suite, and meals would be delivered with the exception of going to the kitchens to prepare Kaiser’s meals. It was much simpler than I thought. I simply opened my door and walked down the hallway to the service elevator with Kaiser in my arms. When it came to a stop, it opened in the kitchen on the ground floor. There was no one there because all the servants were in bed or given the night off after tending to me because he wasn’t there. I walked out of the door and never looked back.”

“You’ve been running since,” Riley said.

Renata nodded. “He’s come close to finding me several times. I’ve managed to get away each time, learning from my mistakes as I went. The last time I got away, I did not open a bank account, I did not buy a car in my name, and the apartment I rented… I showed the title of the car as proof of my name — it still has the girl’s name I bought it from. I’m a contract worker at the stadium so I was paid cash each night, rather than on their payroll. There was no way for him to trace me and Kaiser until Basilio attracted attention to me and the TV station filmed the whole thing.”

“And now you’re here,” Riley finished for her.

“Yes. After he wouldn’t go away,” she said, thumbing at Basilio, “and wouldn’t get out of my car and wouldn’t stop calling me honey, I finally relented and let him ride along, thinking at some point this big-shot, professional baseball player would get bored with the chunky, single mother and simply drift away,” Renata confessed. “And he’s a shifter! Just like the one who decided I needed to be in his collection of women before. Yeah, that’s what I need in my life. Another one!” she finished on a high note.

“I’m not going away,” Basilio all but growled. “And you are perfect, curvy.”

“Hell yeah, she is,” Lucas contributed.

Basilio glanced at Lucas who raised his hands palms out toward Basilio. “Just an observation, dude, everybody knows she’s yours.”

“Shifters ain't bad,” Lazarus said. “At least not all of us. Some need to be put down at birth, but the rest of us are just like everybody else pretty much. Leave us alone, we leave you alone.”

“I’m sorry, I meant no offense to shifters in general. I just only have so much to go on. I knew at some point, I would need to find someone who was a shifter to help Kaiser as he grew, but when I realized Basilio was a shifter and he kept insisting I was his, it scared me,” Renata explained.

“You are mine,” Basilio said in her ear, barely restraining himself after hearing her story in more detail. “I will not ever treat you as he did. I want you happy, not imprisoned. There will be no other. And that sonofabitch will die. He will die by my hand.”

“I know,” Renata answered quietly, though she still didn’t meet his eyes. “I just don’t want you hurt either.”

“You don’t want him to go away now, do you?” Roman asked, watching, waiting to see what she’d say.

“This is all so new for me. I’ve learned to shut everyone out and hide myself and Kaiser away. I don’t rely on anyone, and the male every single woman who even glances at him wants, wants me. It just seems too good to be true. Just like it did last time.”

“But, do you want him to go away?” Roman pressed.

“I’m afraid. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. But, no. I don’t. I don’t want Basilio to go away anymore. He got us to safety. He brought me to a place that could possibly lead to exactly where I’ve worked to be these last three years. And I like the way I feel when he’s near. I don’t want him to go. And all of a sudden, maybe I don’t have to do it alone anymore,” Renata said.

“Never alone,” Basilio growled into her ear.

“Tell me about your ex,” Riley said.

“He’s older than I am. Very accomplished, successful in business.”

“What business?” Lucas asked.

“I don’t know. He said he was in sales. He said he left the country regularly for meetings to arrange imports and exports of fine goods. After he moved me into his home, all communication stopped, so I never learned anything else about him.

“What’s his name?” Lucas asked.

“Erick Konrad.”

“Do you believe he’s dangerous?” Riley asked.

“Yes. Two of the women threatened to drown Kaiser so that Erick’s heir would be gone and he’d get rid of me, allowing them to retake their spot as first and second mates. One evening I told him that earlier in the day while I was waiting for my escort to take me to the kitchen to make Kaiser’s formula, they threatened Kaiser and me in the hallway. He was furious and left me to take care of it immediately.”

“Why did you insist on making Kaiser’s formula and food yourself?” Riley asked out of curiosity. “You mentioned he had servants, why not just allow them to prepare it?”

“I’d have been afraid to feed him anything anyone else prepared. The other females were almost as dangerous to me as he was, at least I knew he wouldn’t kill his own child. I was very careful about everything I ate, but Kaiser being a baby, all it would take was one sip or bite that had been tainted and it may have killed him. It took a little while, but he finally agreed to let me get Kaiser’s formula ready because I convinced him it was a matter of pride for a woman to prepare food for her own child.”

“Very smart,” Riley said, nodding. “What about the women who threatened you? What did he do to them?” Riley asked.

Renata swallowed visibly, then met Riley’s eyes. “He gave them to his men. The only requirement from the men was that when they were through, they be killed.”

“Was it carried out?” Riley asked.

“I don’t know. I heard screaming and begging when Erick first stormed from my suite when I told him about it. But the sounds faded as they moved down the stairs and away from my suite. I never saw them again. And another thing, all of his men, men like ya’ll, big strapping men, bowed to him in fear. I can’t believe he achieved that level of submission through mutual respect and kindness,” Renata said, her hands shaking now, her lip quivering as she became visibly shaken while telling her story.

Chapter 11

“Take your time, Renata. I’m sorry to make you go through all that again, but I needed to know what kind of male we’re up against if he finds you,” Riley explained.

“He’s mine,” Basilio said and his tone brooked no argument. “I don’t mean any disrespect, but he assaulted my mate. He’s hunting my mate. I kill him.”

Riley nodded. “I understand. If you need backup, you’ve got it. In the meantime, you’ve got a place to relax and unwind. Try to make a new start if you like, or just lay low for a while.”

“Appreciate it,” Basilio said.

“Once you’re ready, come on over and join the kids in the pool,” Riley said, smiling at them both. He got up and shook Basilio’s hand, then walked over to the door. “Don’t worry a single moment about it, Renata. I have no doubt your male can handle this. If needed, we’ve taken care of just as bad, if not worse. Males like that don’t deserve to breathe the same air the rest of us do. He won’t get to you or to Kaiser.”

“Thank you,” Renata said, still sitting beside Basilio with his arms around her.

“Just out of curiosity. What exactly is it you worked toward all these years? Where is it that you see yourself?” Riley asked.

Renata shrugged. She didn’t want to offend Riley by telling him she didn’t want to belong to an organized group of shifters.

“Go on, hon, tell him,” Basilio urged.

“I wanted to find a piece of land somewhere out in the country where Kaiser would have room to run and play without fear of being discovered by anyone who’d be threatened by what he is. I hoped to be able to find someone who could help him at puberty and afterward as he learns the other side of himself. I will be of no help to him in that area. All I know is what Erick told me. For all I know, he made that up, too.”

“What did he tell you?” Basilio asked.

“That at puberty Kaiser would begin to shift. That he’d need a strong male to help him through it. That if I didn’t stay with him and allow him to guide his child into being the next Prime of his organization, Kaiser would never forgive me and I’d lose him anyway.”

“He’s a real fucking dick, isn’t he?” Lucas announced.

Renata laughed through her tears. “Yes, he really is.”

“First, you have a strong male at your side, already calling Kaiser his. Second, his great uncle is one of the strongest, most honorable males I’ve ever known, and he’s sitting right there. Third, there’s all of us. That boy is going to be strong and independent and honest and reliable. There is no reason for worry there. You’re not alone anymore. Basilio has brought you into the middle of a family of shifters. We’re Panthers, Wolves, Bears and Gorillas. Hell, we even have a close friend that’s a Tiger shifter — you know how rare those are?” Riley asked. “Your boy will have plenty of guidance. As for some land, far enough out for him to run on and grow on without being discovered… we’re out in the country, surrounded by acres and acres of available land for sale. Not mine, mind you, but there’s no shortage of it nearby. Maybe me and Basilio will see what we can do about that. The rest is already covered.”

“Thank you,” Renata said, watching Riley where he stood in the doorway.

“You’re welcome. Now, put on a swimsuit and come get in the water with your boy. Let him see you happy instead of worried for a change,” Riley said, grinning at her before leaving Roman’s house.

A sharp whistle sounded outside, and Lucas and Lazarus got to their feet and headed toward the door. “We coming, boss,” Lucas said as they headed down the stairs following Riley.

Roman went to the door and stuck his head out. “I’m cleaning the kitchen, then I gotta make a phone call. I’ll be there.”

“Alright, but don’t forget we waiting on you,” they heard Riley say from outside.

Basilio sat there, his arms around Renata, holding her close to his chest now that she’d turned into him rather than facing Riley while he was speaking to the others. He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner,” he whispered.

“You couldn’t have stopped it, Basilio. Don’t even let yourself go there. It is what it is and all I can do is go forward and protect Kaiser with all that I am.”

“I know you don’t believe me yet. But I love you. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Basilio said soothingly.

Renata didn’t answer, but she pressed herself into Basilio and held him as tightly as he did her, feeling safe for the first time in a very long time. Then it occurred to her she should tell him exactly that. “You make me feel safe.”

He tilted his head back to get a better look at her face when she looked up at him. “Good. I want to make you feel loved, too. Because you are.” Basilio stopped talking and canted his head slightly toward the front wall of the trailer. It was obvious he was listening to something. He was quiet for only a few moments, then he smiled.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Lucas just informed Riley he needed to dig a grave or six, because whichever ones I didn't kill, he planned on taking out because of the way you were treated,” Basilio said.

“Oh my gosh, he doesn’t have to kill them. I don’t want anyone in trouble or risking themselves or their futures for me.”

“You don’t have to worry about it, love. I can promise you Lucas won’t kill them.”

“Are you sure you can stop him?” Renata asked.

“Absolutely,” Basilio answered.

“How?” she asked.

“Because I’m going to kill them,” Basilio said.

“No, I’m going to kill them,” Roman said, coming out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel.

“Nobody’s going to kill them. I don’t want anyone to end up punished or having to pay for protecting me. I just want them to leave us alone,” Renata said.

“You don’t understand how we work, Renata. We’re human, but we’ve never bred out that wildness. You hurt ours, you pay. He’s racked up a hell of a bill,” Roman explained.

“Besides, what makes you think he’s just going to stop chasing you and leave you to your life? If you don’t want to know, I’ll make it so you never know what happened or when. Make no mistake about it, he’s going to pay, so will anybody he brings with him. Your safety is the only thing I care about. The end of that bastard is the only thing that guarantees that. Understand?” Basilio explained.

As much as she hated it, Renata did understand. “I do.”

“Good, now go put on your suit and let’s join the party. Kaiser is waiting for you, I’m sure,” Basilio said.

“Yep, I’m going to put mine on, and then I gotta make a quick call and we can head over,” Roman said, walking toward his bedroom.

“This is all just surreal,” Renata said as she allowed Basilio to lead her to the bedroom they were staying in.

~~~~~

A week later…

“That’s impossible. They can’t have vanished into thin air,” Spencer said, talking loud enough to be clearly heard via the Bluetooth speaker set sitting in the center of the large conference table.

“I know. I can’t explain it, but there’s been no activity coming or going to or from the stadium, or Lyakhov’s home. We still aren’t sure where Renata lived, but we’re close. We believe we’ve got it narrowed down. We’ve been watching Lyakhov’s bank accounts for any activity, as well. There has been none.”

“Renata’s employers can give no information?”

“It appears she was a contract worker, paid in cash, and worked only on a day-to-day basis if they needed her. It makes tracing her more difficult.”

“What about Lyakhov’s vehicles? Is one missing?” Spencer asked.

“No, sir. They are all accounted for. Three at his home, one at the stadium.”

Erick sat at the head of the conference table, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his forefinger. “Then he was apparently picked up from the stadium. It’s been a week. While I’m sure he spends a good bit of time there, he cannot live there. Has anyone bothered to review security footage to see what manner of conveyance arrived at the stadium to collect him?” Erick demanded, his voice getting louder with each word spoken.

There was silence on the other end of the line, before finally a hesitant voice answered. “No, sir. We’ve not reviewed security footage.”

“Are you, or are you not linked into their computers?” Erick demanded.

“We are, sir.”

“Then use your damned brains. Access their security feed and determine how he left the facility!” Erick bellowed.

“Yes, sir! Right away, sir!”

“Do not hang up!” Spencer ordered.

“We’re here, sir,” a voice answered.

“What date are you looking into bank transactions?” Spencer asked.

“From the date you notified us you first saw her on television, sir.”

Erick and Spencer shared a look. Then Erick spoke the words that had been playing on his mind since this phone call began. “They’re idiots, and far too inefficient to be a part of my organization. They have twenty-four hours, or they’ll be replaced with IT people who can perform as requested.”

“We can complete the job, Prime!” a voice was brave enough to respond.

Erick gave a single nod to Spencer.

Spencer nodded back. “The first time we saw Renata via the footage we sent you was a rerun. It was not live footage. Go back to the original day of the broadcast and review records from the day before until now.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone. “On it right away. Our apologies for the inefficiency. We’ll be in touch before the end of the day.”

“See that you are,” Spencer directed.

~~~~~

Renata and Kaiser took their time walking through the trees, collecting leaves and blades of grass, little stones and sticks as they spent a relaxing morning wandering through the woods over the rise behind the trailer park. From time to time they’d stop so Kaiser could try to climb a tree, but Renata only let him get so high before she’d call him back down.

They’d just made it to the private stream tucked away behind a thicket of really dense shrubbery and undergrowth, when they heard Basilio calling out to them. “Renata? It’s me, love,” he said, announcing himself so he’d not startle them. Moments later the dense foliage at the opposite end of the little secret oasis was brushed aside as his arm pushed small branches out of the way so he could enter.

“Did I startle you? I tried to let you know I was here,” Basilio said.

“I knew you were coming already,” Renata answered, smiling at him.

“I told Mama you were following us,” Kaiser said proudly. “I could smell ya,” he finished on a grin.

“Maybe I should stop wearing aftershave,” Basilio mumbled.

“I’d still smell ya,” Kaiser said, sitting down on the small bank of land beside the creek to take his tennis shoes off so he could wade in the creek.

“Is there a problem?” Renata asked, her ability to tell when he had something on his mind at full force. It unnerved him, that though she was human, she could read him that well.

“No, not a problem, just…” he stumbled on his words, not sure how to say what he wanted to say.

“What is it?” Renata asked, walking toward Basilio.

“Couple of things. I spoke to Coach. He fed the media and the bigwigs at corporate the story that I’m injured and recovering. It bought us a little time, three months or so.”

“That’s good, right?” Renata asked.

“It is. But I still have the rest of the season on contract. The way my contract reads is that if I miss any extended period of time, I have to make it up during the next season and see that season through to the finish.”

Renata thought about what he’d said. “So, even though you’re excused for at least the next three months, you will have to go back and finish out the season, then instead of it being your last, you’ll have to complete next season, too.”

“Exactly.”

“How do you feel about that?” Renata asked.

“I’m not sure. I love baseball, always have. But I know you aren’t interested in being part of that world, and I don’t want to be away from you. You and Kaiser are my world now.”

“I like baseball. I think I should get to play,” Kaiser announced, standing at the edge of the trickling stream and dipping his toes into the cool water.

Basilio smiled at the little boy that had come to represent so much to him. “We can see if we can find you a team,” Basilio promised.

“Really?” Kaiser asked, looking up with a huge smile on his face, his eyebrows raised and nothing but hope all over his face.

“Really,” Basilio answered.

“Well, we need to decide where we’re going to live first. Maybe the county will have a local ball park or something for baseball or tee ball,” Renata added.

“That’s the other thing,” Basilio said.

“What’s the other thing?” Renata asked.

“I have something I want to show you both. If you don’t mind cutting your morning short and coming with me, that is,” Basilio said.

“Am I gonna like it?” Kaiser asked.

“I think you will. I hope you will,” Basilio answered.

“Will I?” Renata asked, watching Basilio suspiciously.

“I certainly hope so,” Basilio said sincerely.

“Do I have to put my shoes back on?” Kaiser said, still standing in the water, wiggling his chubby little toes.

“Nope. In fact, you don’t have to walk at all. How about,” Basilio said, striding toward Kaiser where he stood in the stream, “you ride the whole way back?” he said, sweeping Kaiser up to sit on his shoulders.

Kaiser squealed and laughed when Basilio jogged a few steps, intentionally jostling Kaiser as he gripped Basilio’s hair to keep his balance on Basilio’s shoulders. “Okay! Let’s go see what you want to show us,” Kaiser agreed, still laughing.

Basilio started toward the shrubbery he’d come through to get to the stream he knew Renata and Kaiser were headed to as he tracked them. He realized that Renata hadn’t moved from the spot she’d been in. He turned and looked at her and found her standing there watching him with a smile on her face and her eyes wet and teary. “Renata?” he asked, taking a step toward her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, clearly concerned.

Renata shook her head. “Nothing. Not a single thing,” she answered, walking toward them with her smile still in place. When she reached Basilio, she reached out, placing her hand on Basilio’s stomach, then ran her hand up to his chest and smiled up at him.

Basilio looked down at her, finally leaning over just enough to press his lips to hers while using his right hand to hold Kaiser in place on his shoulders.

Renata cupped Basilio’s jaw tenderly and kissed him again.

“You ready?”

“I am,” Renata said, reaching up and patting Kaiser’s leg. “You happy, buddy?” she asked.

“Yep. I like ‘Silio,” Kaiser answered.

“Me, too,” Renata agreed, following Basilio back through the underbrush, then through the woods back to Roman’s house.

Chapter 12

“Where are we going?” Kaiser asked, sitting in his car seat, strapped in nice and safe.

“I’m showing you something, remember?” Basilio asked.

“Yeah, but where is it?” Kaiser persisted.

“I can’t tell you. It would give away the surprise,” Basilio said, chuckling.

“It’s really pretty out here,” Renata said, sitting in the passenger seat, watching all the farmland and trees go by.

“It is. I love the way the land rolls,” Basilio said, reaching for her hand and moving it over to his leg to hold it there. A while later he slowed the car and put on his blinker.

Renata looked to the right, not sure where they could be going. There was an expanse of green grassy land, a white gravel road leading into some trees, and not much else could be seen from the old two lane road they were on.

“Where are we going?” Renata asked.

“Now you sound like Kaiser,” Basilio said. “Trust me.”

“Where are we going?” Kaiser immediately piped up from the back seat.

Basilio glanced at Renata and grinned. “You see what you did?” he teased.

Renata chuckled, then returned her attention to the trees they were approaching as they followed the unmarked white gravel driveway. As soon as they drove past the tree line, the road turned first to the right, then the left. About one hundred feet later the trees began to thin, exposing the fact that the road was actually a driveway that led to a house. Renata leaned forward looking left and right, trying to see everything she could at once. There were huge oak trees so big she and Basilio couldn’t have reached around them to join their hands together if they tried, dotting the landscape to the left and the right. There were several of them toward the back of the property as well, and just after where they stood, the tree line began to get thick again far behind the house. There was a huge pond in the middle of the property. The house sat on the top of the highest rise to the left of the pond, and what she thought was a barn sat on a rise to the right of the pond, which sat between the two rises in a natural low spot between the two rises.

“This is so beautiful,” Renata said reverently, as Basilio drove them up the meandering white gravel drive toward the house.

He brought the car to stop on what looked like a parking pad just in front of the house and got out.

Renata opened her door and slowly got out of the car, her attention still on the house, the trees, the pond.

Kaiser released the harness on his own car seat and went into Basilio’s arms the minute Basilio opened the back door to get him. He looked around just like his mother did — almost spellbound by the feel of the place.

“Listen, Mama. You hear the birds?” he asked.

Sure enough, the air was filled with an array of birds calling, toads croaking, the breeze blowing through the trees.

“What do you think?” Basilio asked, walking toward the pond with Renata following him.

“It’s gorgeous here. And the feeling I get just being here… It’s so peaceful,” Renata said.

“Look at that frog!” Kaiser shouted. “Let me down so I can catch him!” he insisted.

“You don’t have shoes on!” Renata chided him.

“So?” he answered, still struggling to get down.

Basilio was carrying him, and turned Kaiser to face him. “Listen to me. I’ll let you down, but if you get one toe in that pond, one toe, you will wait in the car for your Mom and me. You understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Kaiser answered dejectedly.

“He’s okay, it’s soft grass, and it’s been cut recently, no little beasties hiding in it. Okay?” Basilio asked, looking at Renata.

“Okay,” she answered. Then her attention drifted over to the house. It was an older two-story farmhouse, but meticulously well maintained from the looks of it. It was painted pale yellow with white trim and shutters, and a wraparound porch that encircled the entire house.

“I love that house. I can just imagine the happy memories that it’s seen.”

“And will see,” Basilio added.

Renata nodded, then turned in a circle taking the whole place in, while Basilio watched her.

She actually seemed to breathe easier here.

“Riley told me about this place, so me and Roman came to see it the other day when we were out. It was so beautiful and just had such a feel about it, I had to bring you back to see it. To see if you felt the same standing here as I did,” Basilio explained.

“It’s beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here. It’s this kind of place, with exactly this peaceful feeling that I hope to have in our own place someday,” Renata answered.

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Basilio admitted.

“Why’s that?” she asked, smiling as Kaiser picked up small pebbles at the edge of the pond and tossed them.

“Because I bought it,” Basilio answered.

Renata spun and looked at him. “You what?” she asked.

“I bought it. It’s ours. This is our home, Renata. This land, the pond, the trees, all of it from the main highway all the way back to the fence line around the perimeter and the same to the left and right.

Renata was speechless, she just looked at him with her mouth hanging open.

“Say something, honey,” Basilio encouraged. “Isn’t this exactly the place you described? It’s what you wanted, right?” he asked.

“Yes, but…” she said, feeling all kinds of conflicting emotions. The turmoil inside her was keeping her from putting sentences together.

“Don’t you like it? You said how beautiful it is, how peaceful it is,” Basilio said.

“But… I…” she struggled to make him understand what she was feeling, though even she herself wasn’t sure. “I don’t need fancy and flash, I told you that.”

“This is not fancy and flash. This is an investment in our future. It’s not tossing our money around and making a statement to try to impress anybody or show that we’ve made it one way or another. It’s home. It’s where Kaiser can run and play without having to worry about anyone seeing him. It’s where I can shift and run with him without worrying about anything at all other than seeing our son smile and become the young man he’s meant to be. It’s where we can raise our family, fill that house with kids, invite our friends for birthday parties and barbecues, put in a pool like Riley’s and spend the days swimming and loving and laughing.

It’s close enough to Roman and Riley that if we need them, they can be here in about twenty minutes. It’s also far enough away that we’ve got our privacy. It’s home, Renata, it’s not to impress anyone. It’s different than that. I thought that I had to flaunt those things and accumulate those things to impress my mate when I found her. I had no idea that all I had to do was look into my heart and let her do the same. That’s all this. A reflection of the life I want with you and with Kaiser.”

“And my frog!” Kaiser yelled, poking at a huge frog with a stick he’d managed to find.

Basilio and Renata both laughed. “And Kaiser’s frog,” Basilio added.

“Can I have a horse?” Kaiser asked. “We got a barn already,” he said, pointing his stick at the barn.

Renata stood there, her eyes glued to Basilio’s, and he stood perfectly still, not looking away from her, waiting for her to respond. Finally, she walked toward him, and took his face in her hands. She pulled him down to her level and pressed her lips against his. “I love you,” she whispered, between peppered kisses to his lips.

“I love you, too,” he said, pulling her in and holding her tightly.

“I can’t believe you did this,” she said, squeezing him as tightly as he did her.

“Had to, my woman wanted country living, so I’m getting us country living,” he said.

Basilio put her back on her feet and took her hand as they began to stroll around the place while he told her about it. “It’s twenty-three acres, all fenced in at the perimeter. I’m adding security to that fencing, and we’re going to place a security gate just inside the tree line out of sight of the road, so no one will even guess anything of any value is back here. It’ll be the highest technology available, not a single bird will fly onto our property without us knowing it. The house is dead center of the place, four bedrooms, three baths. The barn has a couple stalls in it, but I figure mainly we’ll use it to store the tractor and four wheelers and such. The pond is half an acre and we can fish in it. It’s fully stocked. We can put the pool wherever you want, out here in front of the house, or behind it. It’s already ours. I’ve submitted the bid in both our names, and submitted a check for the down payment. All we have to do is close on it tomorrow morning, and it’s ours.”

Renata stopped walking and looked up at Basilio, a worried look in her eyes.

“I know what you’re thinking. But we can’t let him stop us from living our lives. I’ve requested the purchase of the land and the deed be kept confidential and sealed. Because of who I am, they’ve agreed due to what I explained as required privacy despite public interest.”

“You think the realtor will keep it quiet?” she asked.

“Hope so. They say they will. If not, I’ll deal with whatever comes our way. I will protect you. Nothing will touch you or Kaiser.”

Renata chewed on her lip as she nodded and looked away.

“Trust me, Renata,” Basilio begged.

“I do. I really do. I trust you,” she said, hugging him tight.

Basilio held her tightly against him and kissed the top of her head. “It’s time, love. It’s time to move on with our lives.”

“You’re right,” she answered, looking up at him. “I still can’t believe this place is ours.”

“It is. You want to see your house?” he asked, clearly excited to show it to her.

“Yes!” she answered.

“Kaiser, come on, buddy. Let’s go see our new house,” Renata called.

“Okay. I’m coming,” he answered, trudging toward them with pond mud between his toes.

“You got in the water?” Basilio asked, looking down at him. “After I said not to.”

“No. I didn’t. The mud just oozed up by my toes while I was getting to know my frog. I did not get in the water. I got in the mud,” Kaiser explained.

Basilio shook his head. He looked at Renata who was doing her best not to laugh. “Fine. Just drag your feet in the grass to try to clean them off before we get to the house.”

“I’ll try,” Kaiser answered, making a big show of wiping the mud off his feet and onto the grass he walked on.

~~~~~

Spencer was overseeing an internal audit of their accounts when his phone rang. He reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled it out, looking at the number to see who it was before he answered.

Pleasantly surprised at the speediness with which the newly appointed head of IT and Security was reporting in, he actually smiled as he answered the call. “Spencer,” he said, identifying himself.

“We’ve found them, sir.”

“Are you sure?” Spencer asked, walking quickly out of the conference room where all their books were spread out for the audit, to the largest office at the end of the hallway. He knocked twice, then waited for the invitation to enter. Soon as it was received, he opened the door and walked in.

“Can you repeat that, please?” he asked the caller, switching his cell phone to speaker mode.

“Yes, sir. We’ve found them. For the most part anyway. They are in Missouri. We’ve traced several transactions through bank accounts related to Mr. Lyakhov. We are in route now. Once we’ve pinned down an address, we’ll be in touch.”

“Excellent work,” Erick growled.

“Thank you, sir,” the caller answered. “I won’t keep you any longer. We’ll be in touch in a few days with an address.”

“We’ll wait for your call,” Spencer said, ending the call.

“Have the plane fueled and waiting. Have the basement cell prepared and ready. The moment they call, we’re going to get them. I myself will bring her home where she belongs. She will wake every day of her life regretting her decision to run from me.”

“And the child?” Spencer asked.

“Will be Prime. He does not have time to be a child. His life will be filled with all the training necessary to accept the mantle of responsibility,” Erick growled. “He will not even have the opportunity to consider his mother again, and if he does, he will resent her for denying him his birthright.”

“He’s not seen you since he was a baby, Prime. He most likely will not remember you. He may be upset and in want of his mother.”

“No child of mine is that weak. If he is, I will force him to be strong. Weakness is not to be tolerated.”

“I understand. I’ll see to the preparations,” Spencer said.

Chapter 13

Kaiser was out cold before Renata even finished tucking him in. They’d spent the day swimming, and swimming always wore him out.

She looked up to find Basilio leaning against the door jamb, watching her as she tucked him in. “What?” she asked.

“Just watching you tuck Kaiser in,” he replied.

“He’s exhausted,” Renata said, tucking the blankets just a bit more before straightening and walking toward Basilio.

“He swam all day long,” Basilio remarked.

“He loves it here,” Renata said, going into his arms when he opened them toward her.

“I love watching him run and explore,” Basilio admitted.

“Me, too,” she agreed. “I love it here, too. It still gives me that peaceful feeling I first got when we drove onto it that first day.”

“I feel it, too. It’s like it was just sitting here, waiting for us,” Basilio said, placing his finger beneath her chin to raise her face to his for a kiss. “You know what else still gives me the same feeling every single time?” he asked, pulling her hips in to press against his.

“Hmm, when I make you pancakes in the mornings?” she teased.

“Nope, but I do love pancakes,” he answered.

Renata tapped her chin with two fingers. “Let me think… falling into bed after a long day of driving the tractor around in circles while Kaiser yells that you missed a spot while you were mowing?”

“Woman!” he said, trying his best to keep his voice low so he wouldn’t wake Kaiser. “You know what I mean!” he said, swatting her bottom affectionately.

“Oh, that,” she said, waving her hand as though it was no big deal. “Yeah, I guess it’s alright,” she teased.

“Alright?” he asked. “Alright?!” he repeated.

“Maybe I’m not remembering clearly,” she said, pulling free from his hold and sashaying away from him and down the hall toward their bedroom. “Maybe you could… I don’t know… remind me?” she said, pulling her shirt off and tossing it over her head in his direction, as she disappeared into their room.

Basilio wasted no time. He rushed down the hallway, pausing just inside their bedroom to arm the alarm he’d had installed. The exterior property alarms and those set every three feet within the tree lines surrounding their home were always armed and sent a subtle tone to their cell phones as well as their main console in the house any time the beams were broken, so they’d be aware of anyone approaching their home.

The barn was armed the same. Every three feet a beam was shot from one point and landed in its corresponding receiver on the opposite side of the building. The house they only armed if they were all three inside, rather than going in and out as they usually did. They’d added three safe-rooms to the home as well. One downstairs behind the pantry, just like Riley had in his home. One in the master bedroom, and one halfway between the top of the stairs and the master bedroom which laid at the end of the upstairs hallway. He was willing to take no chances on the safety of his family.

Once the alarm panel flashed red to indicate the entire property was armed and online, he closed the bedroom door and stalked the female who held his heart. She knelt in the middle of their bed, completely nude, her eyes downcast as she peeked at him through her lashes.

A rumble started in his chest as he tore his shirt off and dropped it indiscriminately. His finger went to the button on his jeans, and he made short work of it and his zipper, shoving them down his legs and kicking them off as he never once took his eyes off his mate. “Gonna make you scream,” he promised.

Renata’s eyes met his and she shivered. “Think you can?” she taunted, watching him place first one hand, then the other on the bed as he began the crawl across their bed to her.

“Absolutely,” he growled. His eyes shifted from blue to gold as his Gorilla looked out at her. “Gonna make you scream and pant and beg,” he promised, sitting on his heels and gently pushing her to her back as he carefully laid her down so he could grab her by the ankles to pull her toward him.

Renata gasped as she suddenly went from sitting to being dragged across their super-king bed toward Basilio. Her heart was pounding and she could feel her body already preparing itself for him.

Basilio pulled her so close to him that her rounded bottom was pressed against his thighs, then he splayed her legs as far apart as he could without hurting her and looked down at his treasure. “Ready for me already,” he commented, letting go of one of her ankles and sliding a finger through her wet folds.

He brought his finger to his mouth and sucked it clean. “Need more,” he said, his voice so gravelly it was hard to understand. He kicked his legs out behind himself, and using his arms to hold his upper body just above her, slowly lowered his face to her soft, sensitive flesh, keeping eye contact with her every inch of the way. “Don’t move your legs,” he instructed. Then he kissed the inside of her thigh before biting just enough to make her cry out.

He waited for her to look at him again, refusing to go any further until she did. “Mine,” he snarled, when she finally met his eyes.

Renata said nothing, just watched him through her splayed legs as his mouth hovered just inches above where she wanted him most.

“Say it,” he ordered, followed by a series of growls.

Renata bit her bottom lip but didn’t say a word.

Basilio shifted all his weight to his left arm and lifted his right hand, sliding his thumb up her slit to her clit. He pressed his thumb tightly against her little bundle of nerves, not moving at all, just waiting.

She tried to lift her hips to get him to move his finger and give her some relief, but he leaned over nipping the inside of her thigh, wordlessly warning her not to move.

“I need you to move your thumb. Make me come,” she begged.

“Give me what I need,” he rumbled at her. His hips rocked of their own accord. He could barely contain himself. He was rock hard, leaking from denying himself even for this short period of time. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. He loved it when she teased him, baited him to the point he could barely control himself, finally falling on her with a primitive need no one but her could ever satisfy.

Renata’s eyes, heavy with lust sparkled with delight at the game they played. “What is it you want?”

“Mine!” he insisted.

“Will you give me what I want if I agree?” she asked.

“Always,” he vowed, his beast looking through his eyes at their beloved mate.

Renata reached down to place her fingers on his thumb where it still pressed against her clit. “I’m always yours. Have never belonged to anyone but you. And you are mine, Basilio. Forever,” she promised, moving his thumb over her clit with her own fingers controlling the motion. “Show me, love, show me how much you want me,” she whispered.

Basilio shoved her hand out of the way, covering her with his mouth. Touching and teasing every part of her with his tongue and teeth, eagerly losing himself in his mate. He didn’t stop until she was writhing beneath his ministrations, her head thrown back panting, and her hands clutching at his hair. He licked her and suckled her clit until she came on his tongue, throwing her head to the side and biting her pillow to keep from screaming his name aloud.

Basilio paused only long enough to climb up her body, line himself up and thrust himself inside her.

Renata gasped as he buried himself deeply inside her, then balanced her feet on the outside of his hips and pulled his face to her, kissing and tightening her fingers in his hair. Still breathing hard, she raised her head to look at him as he raised his upper body up off her. “Fast, hard,” she pleaded.

Basilio got to his knees and pulled her hands from his hair to allow him to tower above her. Then he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her toward him, slamming into her at the same time. She cried out and reached for the bed sheets to hold onto while he found his rhythm, thrusting into her so fast and hard she was sure she’d pass out from the pleasure.

Basilio looked down at his mate while he rode her hard. He couldn’t help it — she teased this side out of him almost every night. He watched her face as she did her best to hold on and meet his thrusts. She found his eyes and smiled at him. “Love you,” she barely managed to get out before her body seized around his, tightening around him and convulsing as she came, her entire body quivering with the pleasure he gave her.

“Mine,” he answered, throwing his head back and snarling while the muscles in his own body locked up, causing him to arch his back and rock his hips ever so slightly against her as he filled her with every drop he had to offer. He was a slave to the ecstasy riding his body as stream after stream of his essence filled his mate. They remained that way, locked together until he could move again. Still buried deep inside her, he leaned forward, kissing her neck and face until she turned toward him, pressing her lips against him, searching for a kiss.

“I love you, Renata,” he promised, his voice hoarse from his exertion.

“I love you, Basilio,” she answered, her hands smoothing up and over his biceps.

“I want more,” he whispered, tugging on her ear gently with his teeth.

“Me, too,” she answered, grinning.

“Want to watch you on top,” he whispered.

She pressed on his chest to signal he should turn over.

Basilio slipped a hand beneath her to hold her to him, then rolled them both, placing her on top. He looked up into her eyes as she leaned over him. “So fucking beautiful,” he murmured.

Renata smiled. No one had ever made her feel like Basilio did. He made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman on earth. “Gonna make you scream,” she promised, mimicking his words.

Hours later they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, sound asleep and fully exhausted. A soft tone sounded in the room, and Basilio opened his eyes. The tone sounded again and he slipped out of bed and went to the alarm panel. He didn’t pause to put clothes on, instead he hurried to Kaiser’s room, gathered Kaiser to him and lifted both him and his stuffed bear from the bed, then went back to his and Renata’s bedroom. He stood beside the bed. “Renata, love, wake up,” he said urgently.

Renata’s eyes sleepily opened. “Hmm? What’s wrong?” she asked.

“They found us. Get in the safe room. Now!” he insisted.

Renata sat up, panic clear in her eyes, and got out of bed. She grabbed the clothes she’d taken off earlier in the evening and then took Kaiser from Basilio. “Do not open the door. Only Roman, Riley and his men know where the safe rooms are. Do not open it for anyone else. No matter what they say or threaten. You understand?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered with tears in her eyes, standing just inside the cement safe room hidden behind some of their clothes behind a false wall in their walk-in closet.

“Basilio…”

“I love you,” he said, closing the door and sealing her and Kaiser inside. He hurried to his bedside table and grabbed his cell phone, dialing a number as he walked back to the control panel and pressed buttons to see where exactly on the property the trespassers were, while he listened to the ringing on the line.

“What’s wrong?” Roman answered.

“They found us,” Basilio said. “I have seven, maybe eight minutes.”

“On our way,” Roman said, ending the call while shoving his legs into his jeans. He placed a call while he ran through his trailer, and outside to Lucas’s. He pounded on the door while he waited for an answer to his call.

“Hello?” a sleepy voice answered.

“Go to Basilio’s. You’re closer. He said he’s got maybe seven or eight minutes. They found him. We’re on our way.”

“Leaving now,” was the only response, then the call ended.

Lucas had opened the door and heard what Roman said into his phone. He’d grabbed his own and dialed Riley.

“What’s up?” Riley answered.

“They found Basilio,” Lucas said.

“Get everybody up, I’m coming,” Riley answered.

Roman ran toward the work truck they all shared and pulled the driver’s side door opened, jumped in and started it up. While he backed out and angled the truck toward the front of the trailer park, Lucas ran to Lazarus’s trailer, then Richie’s, banging on the doors and letting them know.

By the time Roman was approaching the front of the park to get out on the highway, Riley was driving toward them up his own driveway and paused to wait for his front gate to open and let him out. Lucas ran over to the passenger side and jumped in the truck with Roman. “Let’s go, they can ride with Riley,” Lucas said, thumbing toward the two males coming toward them. Roman didn’t need to be told twice. He pressed the gas and they flew out of the parking lot like Satan himself was on their tails.

Riley watched them go, then pulled up idling on the highway just in front of the trailer park. He paused only long enough for Richie and Lazarus to jump in the truck, then he was off in the same direction Roman and Lucas had gone.

“Ya’ll be ready, no idea what we’ll find when we get there,” Riley said with a growl in his voice.

“Been ready,” Richie said. “Fuckers better not touch Kaiser or Renata,” he rumbled.

“I’m just killing people. Fuck ‘em. They come after a male just minding his own business. I’m killing ‘em,” Lazarus said simply. “They hurt any of them, I just kill ‘em slower,” he said, shrugging.

Chapter 14

Basilio moved silently out of his house, locked it behind him and shifted. His Gorilla knew every inch of his home. He often roamed it in his beast form. He moved quickly off the porch and down the front steps, hurrying over to the pond, where he silently slipped into the water and submerged himself, to just eye level, keeping an eye on his home and his mate hidden safely away inside.

He watched as two males, fully shifted — both Gorillas, but neither of them Silverbacks, emerged from the trees two acres behind his house. Almost at the same time, he saw five more males emerge from the tree line almost an equal distance from the front of his house. They were shifted also, two of them were Silverbacks — one of them huge, about the same size as Basilio and obviously older — the other a little smaller, more the same size as the other Gorillas.

He watched as the largest Silverback, the one that he figured must be Erick Konrad, signaled for the four with him in the front to stay back while he approached the house. The two behind the house took up defensive positions on either side of the yard behind the home. Basilio growled low and deadly as he watched the males approach his home. His eyes scanned the tree lines and saw no one else. This was what he needed to know, the whole reason he’d gone into the water was to watch undetected to see what exactly he was up against. Now that he knew, he moved quietly to the edge of the pond and walked up and out of it, a rumble in his chest announcing his presence as he emerged dripping from the pond.

The largest Silverback, Erick, was moving toward Basilio’s home when he caught the sound, and then movement out of the corner of his eye and turned toward Basilio. He seemed surprised at first, then adjusted his path toward Basilio. Both groups of males began to move toward Basilio as they followed their Prime. Basilio’s Gorilla was going nuts in his mind. He wanted to charge toward Erick’s Gorilla, tear him apart and start working his way through the rest of them. Basilio thought about being smarter than that. But what was he going to do? Ask them to wait until his uncle and friends arrived. He hardly thought they'd do that. Besides, he felt a need deep down in his bones to kill these fuckers personally.

This male coming toward him, Erick, was without a doubt the one that had abused his mate. And that fucker needed to die. Basilio’s Gorilla pulled back his lips, displaying his sharp teeth and fangs. He pounded on his chest, letting loose a roar that made a couple of the smaller Gorillas advancing toward him stop in their tracks.

No mercy, his Gorilla thought at him.

No mercy, he answered. Basilio handed control over to his Gorilla and launched himself at Erick at the same time Erick launched himself at Basilio.

They slashed, punched, and bit each other in battle relentlessly. At one point Basilio had the upper hand, then a few minutes later Erick did. Basilio sent his Gorilla an image of Renata at Erick’s mercy and it drove him over the edge into a rage, taking back control.

When Erick felt himself losing ground, he emitted a call to his males to join in. The first two stayed reasonably close to the house, not advancing any further. The four remaining from the first group, those that had arrived with Erick, started toward Basilio. One of them broke away from the others and charged him where he still fought Erick. Basilio saw him coming and braced for impact but refused to let go of Erick.

Only impact never occurred. In fact, of the three remaining males that had begun to move toward him, two had actually taken a few steps back leaving the smaller Silverback standing alone, and the other, the one that charged toward him had disappeared from Basilio’s view altogether. There was an inordinate amount of snarling going on around him but Basilio didn’t even notice, he was so focused on Erick. Erick threw all his weight against Basilio, and Basilio used it against him, letting the momentum carry through and help Basilio toss him over his shoulders and onto his back on the ground. Basilio went with him, landing on the male, no pause in the attack at all, even when Basilio’s eyes focused on a Tiger, a huge Tiger, standing on a Gorilla, tearing him to shreds as the Gorilla tried unsuccessfully to get away from the Tiger.

Basilio didn’t stop to think about it. All he knew was there was a three-legged Tiger helping him. The only three-legged Tiger he knew of was his Uncle Roman’s friend, Travis. Basilio took heart that at least he had someone to watch his back. It gave him a renewed energy as he snarled and attacked Erick again.

Then he heard it. The call of a pissed off Silverback Gorilla, loud and terrifying, accompanied by the roar of a Bear — both headed his way. Uncle Roman had arrived.

Of the Gorillas nearest him, two turned at the sound of the advancing new players and started toward where the incoming beasts sounded their warning battle cries. The two behind Basilio’s house moved in closer to those moving to intercept Roman and Lucas, planning on making a united front. The remaining Silverback snarled and moved toward Basilio and Erick, where the battle raged on. Basilio heard a roar behind himself and managed to glimpse the Tiger standing near him and Erick, dripping blood, and snarling a deadly warning to the Silverback that had decided to help his Prime in the fight.

The Tiger took one lunge toward the lone Silverback, taunting him, trying to lure him into a fight, but the Silverback hung back, watching Basilio and Erick battling to the death, yet not willing to risk his own hide with the Tiger.

Basilio and Erick were still grappling for control, and at one point, Erick was able to get one hand up and around Basilio’s neck, squeezing as hard as he could. Basilio managed to turn his head toward that arm enough to get his mouth near it. He opened as wide as he could and bit down on Erick’s bicep, causing the male to scream in pain.

It was at just that point that Roman’s Silverback and Lucas’s Kodiak Bear came barreling out of the tree line snarling and foaming at the mouth, attacking the two Gorillas closest to them. The remaining two Gorillas joined in attempting to save their friends. Basilio and Erick continued to slash and rip each other, and Travis stood watch to insure that none of the Gorillas aided Erick.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, three very large Panthers, two golden and one black, roared into the thick of the battle. Basilio had no idea how long the battle raged. All that he knew was that his Gorilla had lost all sense of humanity. All he saw were flashes of his female beneath this male, enduring his assault, enduring all he’d put her through and it kept him in a full rage. Basilio’s Gorilla had slipped into savagery, and until he realized the male beneath him was finally dead, there was no way anybody, Roman included, was going to even try to stop him.

At one point, Basilio was pounding on Erick’s unmoving chest, trying to get the male to fight back, when he realized that a group of males stood watching him. They’d shifted back, and were nude, all were bleeding, one a little more than the rest, and they had one male on his knees before them, also nude and bleeding. Basilio looked down at Erick still in his Silverback form, unresponsive though Basilio’d been trying to rouse him to beat him again. He realized Erick was dead. Still filled with so much rage and vengeance, he focused on the only other living Gorilla that had come uninvited to his home this night to take his mate.

Basilio’s Gorilla charged, growling as viciously as he could, knuckling on his fists as he ran toward the male, every muscle in his body rippling with the power his beast contained.

Riley and Roman had been standing behind the male, controlling him, subduing him since he’d surrendered when he realized he was likely going to be killed.

When Basilio charged, it was clear Basilio’s Gorilla was completely disconnected from Basilio and out for vengeance. Roman raised his eyebrows and glanced at Riley. Riley glanced at Roman, then both looked at Basilio barreling down on the lone surviving Gorilla. He was the smaller Silverback Basilio had seen arrive with Erick.

“Oh fuck,” Riley said.

“Step aside,” Roman yelled, moving away from the male as quickly as he could. Richie and Lazarus went with him, Lucas and Riley and Travis went the other direction.

Basilio focused solely on the lone male, now standing to shift and meet him and didn’t even notice his friends moving aside as he attacked. His feet left the ground and his body soared through the air, making contact with the smaller Silverback and gripping his head in both hands as his massive body twisted in the air, spinning and taking the male’s head off his shoulders.

Riley and his males stood there watching as the Gorilla’s body remained standing, headless before finally dropping in a bloody heap exactly where it’d been standing before Basilio decapitated it.

Basilio landed on the ground, rolling on impact rather than smashing into the ground. He jumped to his feet roaring and smashing the head onto the ground, spinning and looking for another target.

Roman raised his hands in the air. “Basilio!” he said urgently, trying to calm his nephew down. “They’re gone. That’s it. He was the last one.”

Basilio whirled around, focusing on Roman, his eyes narrowing.

“They’re all dead. They’re gone. Your mate is safe,” Roman said.

Basilio looked around at the bodies. The pieces, the blood. His chest heaved. He ground his teeth together, and took a step toward his home, then stopped, looking back around his property again.

“We’ll help you clean it up,” Riley said.

Basilio glanced over to Riley.

“Yeah, it’ll go quick with all of us helping,” Lucas commented.

“You alright?” Roman asked him. “You in there?” he asked.

Basilio was still breathing heavy, and he was cut and bleeding in various places on his body, but he was beginning to come back to himself.

“You can’t go see your woman like that,” Roman said. “She don’t need to see this either,” Roman indicated the body parts.

Basilio took a deep breath, held it for a minute then did it again. Slowly he began to regain more and more control. A few minutes later, he was able to shift back, though his eyes were still wild and his jaw still clenched.

“You good?” Roman asked.

Basilio gave a single nod. He took a moment meeting the eyes of the men who stood around him. Some more injured than others and nodded. “I owe each of you,” he said, his voice gravelly and his words choppy.

“No, you don’t. It’s what family does,” Riley said. “Told you already, you’re Roman’s family. Makes you our family.”

Basilio stalked toward Travis who’d had his back before the others had arrived.

Travis saw him coming, and though he kept a hand on Riley’s shoulder to keep his balance, he straightened and raised his chin.

“You kept me from being mauled from behind. I will never, ever forget that. I am always here for you, no matter what the need is,” Basilio said, holding out his hand to shake Travis’s.

Travis nodded one single time and put his hand in Basilio’s. Then Basilio turned and looked at Roman, Riley and the rest of the Pride. “Everybody okay?” Basilio asked.

“Yeah, more or less,” Lazarus answered, leaning on Lucas, and holding his stomach with one hand.

“You need a hospital,” Basilio said. “I’ll pay for your medical care.”

“Naw, he just needs Alex,” Riley said.

“In more ways than one,” Richie added.

“You ain’t lying,” Travis added.

“Yeah, like you have any room to talk, old man,” Lazarus snapped at Travis.

“Alex?” Basilio asked.

“His mate. She’s had to doctor him before. Saved his damn life once. Still won’t mate the woman,” Lucas said.

“Somebody call Alex and get him to her, the rest of you… let’s get this cleaned up and buried, so Basilio can go to his woman. If she sees this, she’ll never look at her home the same way,” Riley said.

“I’m gonna have to run back to the truck for a cell phone,” Lucas said, sitting Lazarus on the ground.

“You can use the house phone,” Basilio said, walking toward his home.

Lucas started to follow, and stepped over the head that Basilio had removed from the last Gorilla’s body. “At least we don’t have to figure out what to do with the only survivor,” he said.

Richie nodded. “Did take care of that problem, didn’t he? What’d he say his name was?”

“Spence or some shit. I can still hear him, whining like a damn baby, ‘Please don’t kill me, my name is Spence, I beg for mercy,’” Lazarus said, still holding his stomach.

“I think he said Spencer,” Roman corrected.

“Anyway, it doesn’t really matter. They all came here with the same thought in mind. Kill Basilio, take Kaiser back to become Prime, and Lord knows what they were going to do with Renata. They didn’t want to die they shouldn't have come after Basilio and his family,” Travis said.

“True,” Riley agreed, dragging bodies toward the tree line furthest from the house out behind the barn. “I’ll be back in a minute with your prosthetic, Travis. Where’d you leave it?”

“Other side of the barn. Came in from the back,” Travis answered.

“What a coincidence. Exactly where I’m dragging these fuckers. I’ll be right back,” Riley said, walking off into the darkness.

Basilio disarmed the alarm in his home. Lucas followed him inside and he pointed out the phone in the kitchen. “There’s the phone. I’m going to let Renata know everything is okay, but not to come out yet.”

“Alright. I’m gonna call Alex, she’s a veterinarian. She’ll sew him up. I’m going to tell her to come pick him up. He just needs stitches. Then head back out to help bury everything,” Lucas said.

Basilio was moving toward the staircase but he stopped on hearing the word bury. He walked back into the kitchen and took a key off a hook hanging beside a bulletin board there. “Here, this is the key to the tractor. It’ll make burying much easier. Has a front loader on it for digging deep,” he said, holding it out to Lucas. “I’ll be back out soon as I let Renata know it’s safe, but to stay inside the safe room until I come for her.”

“Alright. Do what you got to,” Lucas said, dialing Alex’s number.

Basilio hurried up the stairs and into his bedroom. He went into the closet and called out to Renata. “Do not open the door, Renata, you hear me, honey? Everything is fine. There’s no more threat. Uncle Roman and Riley and all his Pride are here. We took care of it. You’re safe, but please stay in there for a little while. It’s not pretty out here at the moment. Okay?”

“Are you hurt?” she asked, her voice muffled by the thickness of the walls in the safe room.

“No. I’m fine. I’ll come back in a little while for you, okay?” he asked.

“Okay,” she answered.

“Love you,” he said, then turned and headed back downstairs, catching the end of Lucas’s phone call.

“Naw, he ain’t dying. It’s not as bad as last time, but he could use some stitches,” Lucas said.

“I know. You’re right. He’s a jackass, but he can’t help how he is. It’s probably the reason he’s survived all this time. And he’s been wandering lost since you left.”

There was a pause while Lucas listened to Alex on the other end of the call.

Then, “Yeah, I know. I appreciate it. We’ll be here for a few more hours at least. I can bring him to you if you want…”

Another pause.

Then, “Alright then, we’ll see you in a bit. Just honk the horn at the gate and I’ll bring him out to you. Thanks, Alex.”

Lucas hung up and looked at Basilio waiting for him. “Lazarus better treat that woman right. She could just let his stubborn ass bleed out,” Lucas said.

“You said she’s a vet? Shouldn’t we get him a doctor?” Basilio asked.

“No, she can handle it. And I knew a doctor that once said, he’d go to any vet over a human doctor because a vet’s patients can’t tell ‘em where it hurts, they have to figure it out. Makes them more attuned to their patients. And this female is very attuned to her patients. Slept on the floor of Lazarus’s bedroom for more than a week when he almost died. She’s awesome. We call her when we need a doctor for injuries because you never know who’s gonna shift into their beast without planning to if the injury is bad enough. Regular things like the flu or the measles, we go to the regular doctor,” Lucas explained. Then he walked over toward Basilio and tossed the key in his hand up and caught it before tossing it up again. “You going to let me drive the tractor?” Lucas asked.

“Sure thing. You came to help me protect mine. You can drive it whenever you want,” Basilio answered.

“Hell yeah, let’s get to it,” Lucas said as they headed outside.

An hour and half later they stood at the edge of a very, very deep hole they’d dug, filled, then covered up again. It was almost five acres from the house and practically touching the tree line that ran behind the barn.

Basilio stood there, looking down at the fresh earth that was the only indication there had ever been a hole there. “Such a senseless waste,” he mumbled.

“No, do not even go there. You didn’t ask for this,” Riley said.

“Riley’s right,” Roman added. “They brought this to your house. They were going to take your family from you, subject them to abuse and unspoken horrors. You were content to mind your own and live in peace. They did this to themselves.”

Basilio nodded. “I know you're right. Just hard to wrap my mind around.”

“Be proud. You defended yours against the enemy. You won. We all did. We saved who knows how many females out there from suffering at their hands. They obviously had no regard or respect for women.”

Basilio nodded again, this time meaning it. “You’re right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“For a while. Then you let it go and realize how lucky we all are,” Roman said.

The dawn was just breaking over the tops of the trees, deep purples and reds, not quite morning yet, with thunder rolling not too far away.

“There’s your sign from the gods that all’s as it should be. Sending a storm to wash away all traces from your land,” Riley said.

Basilio looked up at the sky as the first drops of rain began to fall.

“We heading out. You need to get yourself cleaned up and let your woman know she can come out of the safe room now,” Riley said.

“I’ll be back a little later,” Roman said, embracing Basilio. “Thought I’d keep ya’ll company for a while.”

“Alright. Be glad to have you,” Basilio answered.

“I love ya, boy. Damn glad you’re okay,” Roman said, patting Basilio before turning and walking through the sprinkling rain drops back toward where they left the trucks.

“Me, too, Uncle Roman,” Basilio called.

Roman waved without turning around, he hadn’t had a lot of love in his life. It was hard for him to show affection.

“I’m headed off through here,” Travis said, stepping toward the tree line right behind them.

“Thank you for coming, Travis. You didn’t even hesitate. Much respect and thanks,” Basilio said.

“Back at ‘cha, Base,” Travis said, winking at Basilio and giving the first indication that he actually knew Base from his Major League career. “Let me know if you’re ever in need again.”

“Same. I’m here for whatever you need,” Basilio said, watching the Tiger shifter walk into the woods on his property.

Basilio smiled at Riley. “Thank you, Riley. Richie, and Lucas,” he said looking over at Richie and Lucas. “I don’t know what I’d have done if ya’ll hadn’t come when I needed you.”

“Don’t need to wonder what if, it didn’t happen,” Riley answered. “We gone, you get some rest and take care of your woman.”

“She doesn’t need to know any of this,” Basilio said, waving toward the spot in the distance behind the barn.

“No, she does not,” Riley agreed as they walked toward the house together. Riley, Richie and Lucas broke off from Basilio and headed toward the drive where they’d left their truck just as the bottom fell out and the rain fell so hard it distorted everything not right in front of you. Basilio looked up at the sky as the rain fell on him, washing away all the blood and gore from the night’s battles. He took Riley’s advice and took it as a sign that the good Lord was washing away all the evil that had converged upon him and his family, restoring their home to the peaceful place it had always been.

He made his way up the steps and onto the porch. He walked inside his home, once again setting the alarm and going upstairs. He went to the closet in his bedroom, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a teeshirt, then knocked on the door of the safe room.

“You can come out now, love,” he said.

He heard the electronic code being entered from inside the room, then the door sprung open about two inches when the hydraulic bar released it. Then it was pushed open and Renata was in his arms, her face stained with tears.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. Everyone is fine, love,” he said, kissing her lips and holding her face in his hands to look down into her eyes. He glanced inside the safe room and saw Kaiser, still sound asleep, all curled up and hugging his bear. “Did he ever wake up?” Basilio asked.

“Not at all,” Renata answered, laughing through her tears.

Basilio looked into her eyes and kissed her again. “It’s over,” he said. “No more threat, Renata. It’s over. You’re free, Kaiser is free.”

Renata nodded and then the real tears began — tears of relief.

“Let’s get Kaiser out of there and get some sleep,” he said, still holding her close while she cried.

“Okay,” she agreed.

Basilio lifted Kaiser and his bear from the safe room and placed him in bed with them. Then he got in bed and held Renata against him as they both fell asleep.

Chapter 15

~Two months later and one week to go before Basilio had to let his coach know his final decision on returning to the team.~

Riley stood on the makeshift pitcher’s mound on the homemade baseball diamond out to the left of Basilio and Renata’s house. He very gently threw the ball to Libby, who stepped into the pitch and hit it with no problem. She ran to first base, where Travis did his semi-best to tag her out.

“Aw, come on!” Lazarus called from third base. “That ain’t fair! You know he could have tagged her out.”

Travis just grinned and made a lewd gesture at Lazarus from across the homemade baseball diamond they were playing on.

Maia whistled from the batter’s box where she waited her turn at bat. “Hey! Ya’ll gonna play ball or whine like a bunch of…” she paused for effect and smiled evilly when she finally finished her sentence, “pussy-cats?”

“That is wrong!” Riley added to the mix. “That is so wrong,” he insisted.

Maia snickered and got into her stance, waiting for her chance to hit the ball.

“I was going to take it easy on you, but no more! You going down, baby!” Riley shouted competitively.

They’d been lounging around enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon at Basilio and Renata’s house, eating barbecue and fishing in the pond — but not for Kaiser’s bullfrog — when someone came up with the idea of a baseball game. A quick baseball diamond layout later, and they were playing. The Cats against the Rest.

Riley was team captain of the Cats, which consisted of Richie, Lazarus, Travis, and Yvette, since they were all feline shifters. Travis was a Tiger, the rest of them Panthers. Maia was team captain of the Rest, which consisted of Basilio, Lucas, Roman, and Libby. Maia was a Wolf shifter, Basilio and Roman were Primates — Silverback to be exact, and Libby was human, but athletic as all get out.

Constance, Richie’s mother, with help from her beau, Moe, was watching over Kaiser and Cristie who were determined to catch a fish.

Renata was content to walk around the property, showing Riley and Maia’s little one all the pretty flowers and the leaves blowing in the wind. Alex kept Renata company while she strolled around the yard.

“Mom!” Kaiser screamed, running toward her.

Renata turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Isn’t the ice cream ready yet?” he asked. “It’s been going for like a week!” he complained.

“It’s been forty-five minutes!” Renata said, laughing. “It has not been a week!”

“Feels like it,” Kaiser mumbled.

“Here, let me take the baby and you go check on the ice cream,” Alex offered.

“You don’t mind?” Renata asked.

“Of course not. I’d love to take care of the baby. We’ll head that way in a few minutes,” Alex said, cuddling Riley and Maia’s little one.

“Wanna race?” Kaiser asked his mom.

“Race? I will beat you there with time to spare,” Renata said.

“One, two, three, go!” Kaiser yelled over his shoulder as he was already running toward the front porch of the house.

Renata took off running after him. “You cheated!” she yelled after him.

“Did not!” he screamed, laughing while he didn’t even break stride to look back at her — he just kept running.

Riley pitched the ball to Roman, who smacked the ball so hard it echoed all around the yard.

Roman took his time jogging the bases, knowing that Yvette, who was playing outfield, would have to go after his ball so he had plenty of time to run.

Basilio stopped paying attention to the game. He was watching his mate and his son laughing and running after each other, their laughter and giggles infectious.

Lucas turned around to see what Basilio was looking at and realized Renata was checking the four ice cream makers they had going on the porch. “Is it ready?” he shouted.

Moments later Renata turned and faced them from the porch, licking the spoon in her hand. “Ice cream’s ready!”

“Hell yeah!” Lucas said, dropping the bat in his hands to the ground and hurrying toward the house.

“What about the game?” Riley asked.

“Called on account of ice cream,” Basilio answered as he jogged toward the porch and the ice cream makers his mate was switching off.

Just a few minutes later and all the chairs, love seats, and swings placed around the expansive porch were taken as everyone enjoyed their ice cream.

“Alex? Come give me the baby so you can get some ice cream,” Maia called, getting up from the pallet she’d laid out on the porch once she had Cristie and Riley situated with their own bowls of strawberry ice cream.

“We’re coming. We’re just having a good time looking at the pretty things outside, aren’t we?” Alex called back to Maia, snuggling the baby in her arms.

“Everybody have some?” Renata asked, scooping ice cream out of the third ice cream maker. ‘Yes’s’ and ‘yeps’ answered her inquiry from all directions. Renata looked around as everyone but Lazarus answered. He was standing still watching Alex walking toward them slowly as she pointed out a bright yellow butterfly to Riley’s and Maia’s little one as she held the baby close, then pressed her lips against the baby’s forehead.

Lazarus had a silly smile on his face as Lucas stepped up beside him. “Alex looks good with a baby in her arms.”

“Yeah, she does,” Lazarus answered, still smiling.

“Female ought to have one of her own,” Lucas said.

“Yeah,” Lazarus said, still smiling and watching Alex. Then he realized what he’d said, and what Lucas had said. “Wait, what?! No. I can’t be mating females and making babies!”

“Oh, I didn’t mean you. You ain’t male enough to mate her and give her what she needs, somebody will. Go on, keep dragging your feet, Laz,” Lucas said.

Lazarus glared at Lucas.

Lucas smiled at him and handed him two bowls. “One for you and one for your woman,” Lucas said, before walking away to get his own bowl.

Kaiser took his bowl of ice cream and went straight for Basilio. He climbed up on the porch swing beside him and scooted his little self over until he was plastered against Basilio’s side. “Hi, Dad,” Kaiser said, eating a spoonful of his ice cream and smiling up at Basilio. It was clear he adored the male.

“Is it good?” Basilio asked, stroking Kaiser’s hair out of his face and pressing a kiss to the boy’s sweaty head.

“Yep. I got chocolate,” Kaiser answered. “What kind are you going to get?”

“I’m not sure. Mom said she’d bring me a bowl,” Basilio answered, watching Renata serving up two bowls for herself and Basilio, after she’d made sure everyone else was served.

“Vanilla,” Renata said, walking over and holding out a bowl to Basilio.

“My favorite,” he said.

“Me, too,” she admitted, taking a bite. “I could eat this stuff every single day,” she said moaning at the taste. “Nothing better than homemade vanilla ice cream,” she said.

“Sure there is,” Basilio said as he and Kaiser moved over to make room for her to squeeze in next to him.

“There’s playing ball with your friends on your homemade baseball field. There’s watching your mate and your son racing across the yard screaming and laughing. There’s realizing that the people that you’ve surrounded yourself with are not just friends, they’re family, and they will always have your back, just like you have theirs. Nothing better than realizing you’ve found your home, and your people,” Basilio said.

“You’re right. I’ve never been happier,” Renata agreed, settling back against him.

“Me, either,” Kaiser added, happily licking his spoon.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Later that evening after all of their friends and family had gone home, Basilio’s Silverback sat perched in the top of an oak tree perfectly still, watching the birds and squirrels flitter about. Slowly he lifted an arm and pointed at a small red fox trotting out of the tree line opposite them and slinking over to the pond to take a drink before running back toward the trees.

The little boy sitting in his lap looked up at him wide eyed and amazed. Kaiser couldn’t shift yet, but that didn’t mean that Basilio couldn’t begin to teach him all about becoming one with his beast. Kaiser loved that he had a daddy that understood exactly what it felt like to share your mind with a beast that sometimes thought he was the boss.

The front door of their house opened and Renata walked out onto the porch, a dish rag in her hand as she dried her hands. “Kaiser? Basilio?” she shouted.

Basilio turned Kaiser around to face him and held the boy tight. Then he simply stood and stepped off the thick branch they’d been sitting on, landing gracefully on the ground beneath the tree.

Renata waved then stepped forward, letting the screen door slam shut behind her as she walked to the edge of the porch to wait for them.

Basilio set Kaiser on the ground, then shifted back.

“That is so cool,” Kaiser said excitedly. “When can I do that?” he asked.

“When you get a little older. And I’ll be here to walk you through all of it,” Basilio promised. “But for now, let’s go see what Mom wants.”

Once they got a little closer to the house, Kaiser started running and talking to Renata at the top of his lungs the whole time he ran. “Did you see that? That is so cool! I wanna do that! Dad says when I get a little older, I can do that, too!”

“I’m sure you will, baby. I’m excited for you. Can’t wait to see your Gorilla.”

“Think he’ll be a Silverback like Basilio?” Kaiser asked.

“Whaaat?!” Basilio asked, coming up behind them and grabbing his sweats off the porch to slip on. “Like he’ll be anything else!”

“I’m thirsty. I’m going to get a drink,” Kaiser said, going into the house.

“What’s up, love?” Basilio asked. “You feeling okay? Today wasn’t too much was it?” he asked, going up the steps to place a hand lovingly on her belly.

“Oh, no, I love having our friends over. I’m fine,” she said, putting her hand over his where he caressed their newly conceived addition to the family. “I just spoke to your coach. He asked if you could call him today.”

Basilio’s mood deflated a little. “I’ll try to remember,” he said.

“Hey, what’s the problem?” Renata asked, taking a seat on the metal glider love seat a few feet away on the porch. She patted the seat beside her.

Basilio walked over and sat beside her.

“Tell me why you haven’t called him. You’ve said you would the last three times he’s called, but you always seem to manage to forget,” she said.

Basilio looked out across their front lawn and curled his hand around hers when she placed it on his thigh.

His thumb leisurely stroked back and forth across the back of her hand as he thought about how to explain what he was feeling. Finally, he decided to just go for it. He looked at her and just let it all spill out.

“What should I do, Renata? I don’t know how to make everybody happy. There are too many things that have to be addressed and I just can’t possibly satisfy everyone,” Basilio said. “Something’s got to give, and it’s not going to be my family.”

“Instead of trying to make everything work at once, why don’t you tell me what you want. What does your heart tell you?” Renata asked.

“This is my home. You and Kaiser are everything to me,” he immediately answered.

“I know that, Basilio. What I’m asking is, if we weren’t a consideration. If you knew that no matter what you chose, we’d be right there beside you, what would you choose?” she pressed, looking lovingly into his eyes with a soft smile on her lips.

Basilio thought about it for a moment, then quietly he began to speak. “I’d take you and Kaiser with me, and I’d go back and finish the season for Coach, and for my teammates. Then I’d play out next season as I’m supposed to, and then make a retirement announcement, do it the right way with all the fanfare and make it all official. Then I’d come back here and never have to leave again.”

“What happens to our home if we’re in Birmingham?” Renata asked.

“We won’t be there the entire time. During the season, yes, quite a bit. When it’s off season we’d be here, and if we had a few days off for whatever reason, we’d come home and just go back the evening before I had to report back for practice.”

“Okay. And for the time during the season that we would have to be away indefinitely?”

“We could have Uncle Roman check in on it a couple times a week. We could even ask him to stay here from time to time. We could ask Riley, too, so Uncle Roman could get a break from having to come by so often if he wanted one. I’m sure Riley could have whoever was headed out this way just swing by and check it all out. We could pay them to keep the property bush-hogged and pick up our mail and all. Keep the pond clean and the weeds out of it.”

“And feed my frog,” Kaiser added, coming to sit beside Renata.

“Where would we stay in Birmingham?” Renata asked, smoothing Kaiser’s sweaty hair from his face.

“Our home there?” Basilio asked shrugging. “I put it on the market because I know it’s not where we want to be, not where we want to raise our family, but it hasn’t sold yet. We could hold onto it and stay there when we’re in town until my retirement from the team, then sell it.”

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s get it done,” Renata said, standing up.

“Wait, what?” Basilio said, looking up at her while she grinned at him.

“Call your coach. Tell him your plan. Let him announce whatever he has to. Call the realtor, tell him to take it off the market for now. And let’s get packed. You’ve got a team waiting on you.”

Basilio jumped to his feet. “Really? You wouldn’t mind going back for a little while?”

Renata slipped her arms around his waist. “I ran from there because I was hiding. You sacrificed everything to make sure I was safe, and to make me yours. I love you, Basilio. I want you to be as happy as you’ve made me. I’ve got nothing to hide from any longer. And while this is our dream home and where I want to raise Kaiser and the baby, it doesn’t mean we can’t go support you in the things you want to do as well. Even if you decided you didn’t want to retire quite so early, if you wanted several more seasons, do it. Follow your heart and we’ll follow you.”

“Really? We’re going to watch Daddy play baseball?” Kaiser screeched happily.

“Really,” Renata answered.

Basilio hugged Renata to his chest. “I love you so much, honey. You make me so happy.”

“You make me happy, too,” Renata said. “Thank you for loving me, for refusing to give up on me.”

Basilio kissed her deeply, pouring all he felt for her into his kiss.

When he finally released her, she blinked a few times to regain her composure before reaching behind him and slapping his tight, athlete’s ass as hard as she could. “Get it moving, Base! We have a family to move back to Birmingham. The Beasts are waiting!”

Epilogue

Kaiser stood with his nose pressed against the huge glass windows of the club suite. The baseball game was in full swing, and the noise from the crowd roaring their excitement and stomping their feet was deafening as Basilio walked into the batter’s box. Basilio lifted his hand and kissed three fingers, then held them out toward the club suite where he knew his wife, son, and baby daughter waited for him. He got into his stance and the opposing team’s pitcher threw the ball toward him.

Basilio swung as hard as he could, sending the ball over the far wall. The crowd went wild, the club suite went wild. And Kaiser screamed his excitement as he jumped up and down. “That’s my Dad! That’s my Dad!” he shouted as Basilio ran the bases at a relaxed pace, knowing his hit was a homerun and he had all the time in the world.

The announcer’s voice could just barely be heard over the noise and celebration as Basilio won the game, securing their place in the World Series. “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we call him Base.”

Renata stood at the window beside Kaiser, holding Summer to her as they all clapped and cheered on Basilio. He touched home plate as he crossed it, then turned and looked up at the wall of windows his family was watching from. His eyes met hers and his happiness was infectious. He mouthed, ‘I love you,’ to her and she mouthed it back. Then she watched proudly as his coach ran toward him out ahead of all his teammates and piled on top of him. Then she choked back happy tears as they lifted him from the ground and carried him off the field.

She looked down at Kaiser who was doing his happy dance. “Daddy won the game, Summer!” he told his baby sister, before he went back to his happy dance. Kaiser was happy, Summer was happy, she was happy and Basilio was happy. And now so was every baseball fan in Birmingham. Best decision she’d ever made was to give a loud, flashy, playboy of a Major Leaguer a chance. Renata chuckled, as the crowd chanted. ‘Base, Base, Base, Base!’ they repeated over and over.

Who’d have ever dreamed he’d end up being her home Base? For the rest of her life she’d always be safe on Base.

Thank you for reading ‘Safe On Base’.

If you enjoyed this book and would like to read more about Riley and his mixed Pride of shifters and humans, join us over at Riley’s Pride. My Riley’s Pride series is available at Amazon and on KU. My Amazon link that will take you to all my worlds and characters is https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sandra+r+neeley

Happy Reading!

From The Author

Thank you for purchasing this book. I hope that my stories make you smile and give you a small escape from the daily same ole/same ole. I write for me, simply for the joy of it, but if someone else also smiles as a result, even better. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you liked this story, please remember to leave a review wherever you bought it, so that more people can find my books. Each review is important, no matter how short or long it may be.

See you in the pages of the next one!

Sandra R Neeley

Other books by this author:

Avaleigh’s Boys series

I’m Not A Dragon’s Mate!, Book 1

Bane’s Heart, Book 2

Kaid’s Queen, Book 3

Maverik’s Ashes, Book 4

Bam’s Ever, Book 5

Vince’s Place, Book 6

Whispers From the Bayou series

Carnage, Book 1

Destroy, Book 2

Enthrall, Book 3

Lore, Book 4

Murder, Book 5

Haven series

Haven 1: Ascend

Haven 2: Redemption

Riley’s Pride

Riley’s Pride, Book 1

Richie’s Promise, Book 2

Standalone Novels

WINGS

Short Stories

CAT

Novellas

Only Fools Walk Free

About the Author

My name is Sandra R Neeley. I write Paranormal, SciFi, and Fantasy Romances. Why? Because normal is highly overrated. I’m 56, I have two kids, one 34 and one 14(yes, God does have a sense of humor), one grandchild, one husband and a menagerie of animals. I love to cook, and was a voracious reader, though since I started writing I don’t get as much time to read as I once did. I’m a homebody and prefer my writing/reading time to a crowd. I have had stories and fictional characters wandering around in my head for as long as I can remember. I’m a self-published author and I like it that way because I can decide what and when to write. I tend to follow my muse — the louder the voice, the greater the chance that voice’s story is next.

I am by no means a formal, polished, properly structured individual and neither are my stories. But people seem to love the easy emotion and passion that flow from them. A bit of a warning though, there are some “triggers” in them that certain people should avoid. I’m a firm believer that you cannot have light without the dark. You cannot fully embrace the joy and elation that my people eventually find if you do not bear witness to their darkest hours as well. So please read the warnings supplied with each of the synopses about my books before you buy them. I’ve got four series published at this time, Avaleigh’s Boys - PNR, Whispers From the Bayou - Fantasy PNR, Haven - SciFi Romance, and Riley’s Pride - PNR, a couple of standalone novels, several short stories, and much, much more to come. I’m always glad to hear from my readers, so feel free to look me up and say hello.

You can find me at any of these places:

authorsandrarneeley@gmail.com

https://www.sneeleywrites.com

https://www.sneeleywrites.com/contact

https://www.sneeleywrites.com/blog

https://www.facebook.com/authorsandrarneeley/

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