Tiger Born by Tressie Lockwood Page A

endured, how small and weak she’d become. It was a living nightmare, and I felt like I couldn’t bear to see it another day. It had to be a million times worse for her. Do you think I would risk my child going through something like that if Spiderweb got their hands on him or her? No, I won’t risk it, and there is no way of knowing if we’ve stomped out that organization’s existence. Even you have said each time you destroyed a base of operations in one city, a new one popped up. No kids.”
    Ward shook his head. “In other words, this isn’t about whether Deja is your mate or not.”
    “Dad.”
    “Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to hear you and Abel and Aaron call me Dad. You can’t know what it means, how it feels. Yes, I would kill for any one of you. I would burn down the world if Spiderweb got a hold of any of my boys, but I would not go back and wish you never existed.”
    Heath shifted in his chair. He looked away from his father’s penetrating gaze.
    “You would rather lose her than give into her?”
    “If I lose her, she wasn’t mine to begin with.”
    “Ah, Heath, you’re just foolish enough to think you have a choice in this matter, and so is Deja.”
    Heath glared at the older man, but received only a grin for his pains. “Either way, these are not the times they were twenty or thirty years ago when the residents of Siberia were in hiding. We’re more exposed. If Carmine does know what we are, then all he has to do is make a call to Washington. Then we’re screwed.”
    “He’d have to have proof.”
    “Damn it, Ward, how easy is it to get proof? You know what happened just the other day. One of the children was almost taken.”
    Ward frowned at the use of his name. “We don’t know that wasn’t just some idiot humans. I’m having it looked into. That’s another reason I had to delay you leaving Siberia.”
    “I understand that, and you’re right. We don’t know who it was. It could have been particular humans, ones working for Carmine or some other branch of the government. If he or anyone gets word back to Washington about a possible town of shape-shifters, we’ll be descended on, and we don’t have the manpower to keep them out. If it was Spiderweb—”
    “If it was Spiderweb, they would be here by now.”
    Heath ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t help thinking they know about the cousin and that we’ll either walk into a trap or leave you and everyone else open to attack after we’re gone. We’re vulnerable. We have to close at least one of these gaps.”
    Ward’s gaze locked onto him. A sizzle of power crackled beneath the surface, making the hairs on Heath’s arms stand up. He had never gone up against Ward, and he hoped he would never have to.
    “What do you suggest, Heath?”
    He sat in silence a few moments, weighing the options. He knew what he wanted to do and that his reasons weren’t entirely for the sake of the people. “Carmine. He needs to be removed if he knows about us.”
    “Done.”
    Taken aback by his father’s rapid agreement, Heath narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”
    “I’ve long considered it. If you must know, Carmine and I go back years ago when I first met Coreen. She was all but engaged to him at the time.”
    Heath’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
    “No. I came along and swept her off her feet.” He flashed a self-satisfied grin. “We fell in love, and Carmine never had a chance. Oh, not the love I had with your mother, of course. Your mother was my mate, pure and simple. When she died, I felt my heart die with her. Yet, I lived on. Meeting Coreen sort of brought me back to life. Anyway, Carmine confronted Coreen, demanded she come back to him. He was foolish enough to touch her.”
    Heath understood immediately. He would strip the skin off of any man who touched Deja. No, she and I…I no longer have that right. He wondered how he could resist the instinct to kill if he ever saw it. He forced his focus back