“He can find my baby, Sean Patrick! Let him find my baby!”
Aileen finally broke, tears running silently down her face. Sean’s eyes closed at the sight of his mate’s fear and pain. The helplessness he obviously felt in the face of her grief was something Leo hoped he’d never suffer through with Ruby. Bad enough his brother was missing. If it was his child, the child of his beloved mate? He didn’t know if he’d be in any better shape than his mother was in.
Leo huffed out a breath and exchanged his own glance with Moira. Who the hell was his mother talking about?
“You’ve called him?” Sean’s voice was weary.
“Aye.”
Sean nodded at his wife’s whispered response. “So be it, then.”
“Who are you two talking about?”
The sudden gust of wind heralded the advent of a tornado of power in the middle of the Dunne kitchen. Out of that tornado stepped a tall, slender man with waist length red hair and laughing blue eyes in a face that would have made Michelangelo weep. The tornado was dressed in a dark blue poet’s shirt that matched his eyes and tight leather pants that showcased a slim build. Knee-high leather boots completed the look.
Every hair on Leo’s body stood on end at the sight of that slender young man.
“Robin Goodfellow, for my sins,” the figure said, bowing extravagantly. He looked up from his bow, cocked his head at Sean, and laughed out loud.
“Shit. Shit. Robin-fucking-Goodfellow owes Mom a favor? ” Leo paced back and forth in the front yard, wiping at his face wearily.
“Ah, but I’m not fucking at the moment, dear fellow, although I might wish I was.”
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45
Dana Marie Bell
Leo swung around and gulped. Robin Goodfellow was sitting on the hood of his Navigator, legs crossed Indian style, a leer on those boyish features. “You see, when I received that call from your absolutely ravishing mother, I was hip deep in a pool with a pair of Naiad twins. Alas and alack, I doubt the lovely ladies waited for my return.” With an exaggerated sigh, Robin brushed his long red hair back with an effeminate sweep of his hand. Leo noticed that the Hob’s nails were painted black. “Now, if I had a prime piece waiting in my bed for me the way you do, I doubt I’d be out here worrying about someone like me.”
“Stay away from Ruby.” Leo didn’t even recognize the growl that erupted from his throat.
Those brilliant blue eyes flashed completely green before auburn lashes drifted down, hiding them.
The leer turned into a smug smile. “Bonded, boy?”
“Not yet,” Leo forced out between clenched teeth. He’d never been more terrified in his life. He was insane. He’d practically challenged the Hob!
Bright blue eyes lifted up and studied him, all humor, all pretenses gone, and Leo realized he was seeing the true Hob, Oberon’s Blade, for the first time.
“Well, isn’t that a shame, seeing as you’re the reason Shane’s missing.”
“Damn. The marriage contract?”
The Hob nodded. “The marriage contract.”
Leo began swearing, a blend of Fae and English. “I thought that old contract was null and void, due to Mom bonding Dad. Why are they trying to enforce it now?”
“Power, Leo. Why else would a family like the Malmaynes do this?”
Leo stared at Robin, trying desperately to see past the unholy amusement in his deep blue eyes.
“You’re certain the Malmaynes have him?”
“Yes. When you turned down the match with the eldest daughter, they began plotting how to get you to change your mind. From what I was able to gather, their original target was Moira.” Leo’s hands clenched into fists. “When they couldn’t get to her, Shane was their next best target. You were too closely guarded, too into the human world for them to touch directly.” Leo turned away from the red-haired devil sitting on his SUV and stared up at his window. “The plan was to force your hand. Your Ruby will complicate things.”
“These contracts are usually considered null and void in the advent of a truebond.”
Robin’s expression turned icy. “When power is involved, sometimes these things can get…tricky.
And since it was Aileen’s family that wrote up the original contract…” The Hob shrugged. Leo paced, aware of the Hob’s eyes following him.
“Is Kaitlynn involved?”
“The Malmayne girl would rather have you willing than not.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
46
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Dare to Believe
The devil grinned at him. “No. It’s not.”
Leo listened to the crickets and tried to unclench his hands. “Will they go after Ruby?”