My Brother's Keeper (23 page)

Colton tugged on Kendrick's sleeve and jerked his head toward the door. "We're running out for a bit, but we'll be right back." He announced to the women.

 Kendrick set his tea down and reluctantly followed the wolf shifter out into the foyer along with Gavriel and Darian. He noticed that most of the women were so out of it that they didn't even wave goodbye.

Aiden shut the front door, and when he turned around and saw them standing there, he frowned. "What do you all want?"

Colton brought a finger to his lips. "Shush, the women will hear."

"Hear what?" Aiden asked.

Colton pulled them into a huddle. "I have discovered something that is guaranteed to make the women happy, but we have to go to town."

The men were smiling as they looked at each other and then turned to stare at Kendrick. Aiden's smile was more like a smirk. "Well Kendrick, do you think you're ready to take on the Duck In?"

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Kendrick glared at Colton. "You're lying, there's no such thing."

Colton shook his finger at him. "Oh, ye of little faith. I am mated to a human so I have been reading up on them. Rheia herself told me about these tiny warriors; she said that they also bake and sell cookies that are--and I quote--'better than sex'."

"Maybe better than sex with you," Darian muttered.

Colton kicked the back of the seat, pushing Darian forward into the dash. Colton continued as Darian cussed. "As I was saying...They train these girls to be like tiny ninjas. They have to earn special badges for the survival skills that they learn, kinda like how we teach the cadets. Now to balance out all the weapons training and harshness of wilderness survival, they also teach them to bake cookies."

Aiden nodded. "Humans are impressive creatures. Do you think we should enroll Penny in one of their programs?"

Colton shook his head. "Rheia says that Penny would have to leave the city for meetings and she doesn't want to risk them getting attacked."

Darian frowned. "That's too bad; this ninja program sounds promising, especially for young females. Maybe we could talk to your mother about it, Aiden."

Aiden snapped his fingers. "She would love getting involved in a program like this."

Kendrick frowned. "How are we supposed to find these elusive ninjas?"

Colton beamed at them. "Evidently, this time of year they don't even practice subterfuge, they are out in the open so that civilians can see them. Rheia said that they set up stands outside of supermarkets and practice their interrogation techniques on those going into the store, to try and get them to buy their cookies."

Gavriel looked over at Colton. "Are we sure they are human?"

Colton nodded. "Yes, this is a human program. It's extremely popular; in fact, it's a nationwide program."

Aiden pulled into the parking lot of the Duck In and parked far away from the building so they could scope it out.

Colton pulled out a pair of binoculars. "I have a visual. They are kinda cute, though there's one with metal attached to all of her teeth that looks frightening. I think she may be the leader."

Aiden turned to Kendrick. "The Duck In can be frightening, but it's the only place close by that sells tampons to help keep women from bleeding to death and condoms to help create children."

Kendrick blinked. "Aiden, I don't think that's how it works."

Aiden held up his hand. "Trust me. I am an expert."

Right.

"Okay, so let's go." Kendrick leaned forward and grasped the door handle.

"Wait!" the men yelled in unison.

Kendrick jumped back. "What?"

Colton turned to Aiden. "We need a plan of action. I have a feeling these warriors only sell their valuable cookies to those who have proven themselves in battle."

Darian nodded. "That makes sense."

Kendrick shook his head. "No, seriously guys, I think we can just..."

Colton shook his head. "Quiet Kendrick. You're the new man on the team." He then turned to Aiden. "What kind of firepower are we keeping in the SUVs now?"

Kendrick's jaw dropped.

Gavriel bent over the back seat and lifted the lid on their arms cases. "We have two grenade launchers back here," he called.

Aiden nodded, smiling. "I think we should go big. The more impressive we look, the easier this will be."

Kendrick shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, it won't."

"Okay men. Mission is to negotiate with the ninjas, secure the cookies, and take them back to the women." Aiden met the eyes of each man in the SUV. "Remember, we don't leave our people behind. If one of us is outmaneuvered, fall back to the SUV."

"Yes, sir!" Colton, Darian, and Gavriel yelled.

They all turned to Kendrick. He sighed. "Yes, sir."

As they were climbing out, Aiden turned to him. "I'm not feeling the team spirit here."

Kendrick pointed to the men who were putting on every piece of tactical gear they owned. "We're about to go negotiate with ninjas in front of a supermarket; I'm not seeing this ending well."

Aiden smiled wide and clapped him on the shoulder. "Dealing with humans is my forte." Humming, he walked past Kendrick.

Didn't Meryn beat him with a toilet?

Kendrick walked behind the four men as the approached the tiny ninjas. Immediately, Kendrick got the feeling something was very wrong.

Aiden stepped forward. "We would like to negotiate."

The ninja with metal in her mouth looked up. "What's negotiate?"

Aiden leaned back and winked at him. "Evasive answering. They are professionals. Look, she has the most badges, she is clearly their leader."

He then leaned down and got right in the ninja's face. "We want your cookies."

That was when she and the three other ninjas began to cry.

Colton looked at Aiden and frowned. "Commander?"

Aiden held up his hand. "This is a negotiation technique, it's meant to evoke feelings of pity in their victims."

Colton brightened. "Oh."

We're going to jail.

"What in the Sam Hill is going on out here?" Kendrick looked up to see an older man shuffling toward them.

Aiden smiled. "Bart! Good to see you again, friend."

Bart looked at their group then over to Kendrick. Kendrick just shrugged, lifted his hand, and wiggled his fingers at him. Bart turned back to Aiden. "What is wrong with you boys?"

Aiden frowned. "Sir?"

"Why are you harassing these sweet angels?" Bart demanded.

Aiden snorted. "Sweet angels? Ha! They have you tricked, my friend. I will let you in on a secret." Aiden leaned in close to the old man. "They are actually ninjas."

Bart didn't say anything right away; he just stared at Aiden. "Son, did your wife hit you with that toilet again?"

Aiden shook his head. "No, sir."

Kendrick pushed his way between Aiden and Colton. "Sir, what I believe my well intentioned, well armed friends were trying to do was buy some cookies."

By this time, angry looking mothers were swooping in to stand by their daughters.

Darian leaned into Aiden. "Abort mission, sir, abort!"

Aiden shook his head. "No! We came here for cookies for the women."

"Bart, get these maniacs away from my daughter before I call the police!" one especially shrill woman demanded.

Kendrick watched as each man took in the scene in front of them.

Crying baby girls, check.

Murderous mothers, check.

Angry mob forming, check.

Slowly, each one began to pale.

Kendrick turned to the furious mothers. "We want to buy your cookies."

The women looked at each other. "How many?"

"All of them!" Aiden blurted out.

Good answer, Commander!

Kendrick watched anger slowly ebb away as cash began to exchange hands.

It took all five of them to carry the ninjas' entire stash of cookies to their car. Once inside the SUV, Colton wiped his brow. "Those women were grown ninjas; you could tell."

Gavriel glanced down at his orange and green boxes, looking a bit harried. "I do not ever want to face them again."

Aiden was in the driver's seat, drawing deep breaths. "Good job, men. Though it may look like we got away easily, we can't be too careful. Darian, I want you to watch behind us to see if they try and tail us."

Darian quickly crawled into the backseat. "Yes, sir!"

Colton looked a bit wild around the eyes. "She had metal in her mouth. Are they supposed to have metal in their mouths like that?"

Gavriel shuddered. "I am going to have nightmares tonight for sure."

Colton nodded.

Aiden gripped the steering wheel. "It was worth it, for the women."

All around him, the men nodded.

Kendrick stared out the window.

Keelan, how did you do this all the time?

*****

"Where do you think they went?" Elizabeth asked.

"No telling. Colton had that look in his eye." Rheia smiled.

"The one where he thinks he's being clever, but really he's being an idiot?" Meryn asked.

Rheia nodded. "Yup, that one. He's so adorable when he does that."

"Papa is silly," Penny chimed in from her mother's lap. After the startling revelations about the necklaces, Rheia went to command central to get Penny, she had been cuddling her ever since.

Basil turned to Noah. "So Tezuka really does like Yuri, he's just pretending not to?"

Noah nodded and passed him the bowl of popcorn. "He thinks he is protecting him."

Basil looked confused. "But isn't he hurting Yuri by denying their love?"

Anne leaned forward. "Ahhh. That is the crux of most anime. Hurting the one you love by denying them, so that others don't hurt them, finding out that you were hurting them all along, leaving them, causing them more hurt and then almost dying."

Meryn frowned. "Wasn't that
Twilight
?"

Elizabeth laughed and threw popcorn at her friend.

They heard the door open and close, and they all turned to see who had come in. Seconds later, Lily and Marshall came into view.

"Well, the Committee is now dedicated to finding out who cast the perimeter spell and used black magic. Kendrick did such an amazing job refuting their allegations, they have given up altogether. Though to be honest, if they had just walked through the city, they would never have wasted their time. The people absolutely adore you and your mate, Meryn."

Meryn bobbed her head. "They are good peeps."

Lily sat down with Marshall and looked at the television. "What are we watching?"

"One of my new favorite shows," Amelia answered.

Lily smiled. "Well, they certainly are handsome."

The women all sighed.

About an hour later, they heard the men return.

"Hold the door Aiden!" Anne heard Darian yell.

The women all looked at each other.

"Need any help?" Anne called.

"No!" The men shouted.

A few minutes later, the men walked in and began passing out brightly colored boxes.

Kendrick passed her two. She looked down mint and peanut butter cookies? She dropped the boxes to the floor and threw herself at him. "My favorites! How did you know?"

Kendrick chuckled. "I didn't, I guessed. I hope you know how difficult these were to obtain."

Anne kissed him soundly then immediately picked up her treat and tore into the box of mint cookies. Around the room, the other women were reacting in much the same manner. As each woman took their first bite, blissful sighs filled the room.

Colton eyed the cookies Rheia and Penny were eating. Rheia rolled her eyes and gave him his own sleeve. Shrugging, he opened the package and popped one in his mouth. His eyes widened and he began to chew faster. He quickly finished his pack and then hopped up to go get two more boxes.

Seeing Colton's reaction, the men scattered, each grabbing their own boxes. Anne lay back on the sofa and watched her favorite anime. She snuggled close to Kendrick, who had also broken down and was indulging in the sweet treats.

Around the room, everyone was floating in a happy sugar haze, deliberately trying to forget the ugliness of that afternoon. Ryuu clucked his tongue at their food choices and began carting in pots of tea and sandwiches for dinner in an effort to get them to eat something substantial.

"Oh dear! An elevator cable snapped in Spain; thirty people plunged to their deaths!" Amelia exclaimed, looking at her phone.

Darian plucked her phone from her hands. "We're doing happy time now."

Amelia buried her face in his chest. "Sorry, you're right. Happy time. I was just doing something for Meryn."

"How do you fit thirty people in an elevator?" Meryn and Kendrick asked at the exact same time.

Anne hid her smile at Amelia's incredulous expression. "That's what caught your attention?"

Meryn nodded. "Well, yeah. I mean how big was the elevator? Maybe it was a freight elevator," she suggested, looking at Kendrick.

Kendrick frowned. "If it was meant for freight why were thirty people in it?"

Aiden popped a cookie in his mouth. "You know, having Kendrick here makes me worry less about Meryn."

"It doesn't worry you that we now have two people who have a skewed sense of reality?" Colton asked.

Aiden shook his head. "No, because they're on our side."

Colton brightened. "Oh, yeah."

Anne tilted her head back and kissed Kendrick's cheek. "I love the way you think."

Kendrick leaned down. "You'd love it even more if you could see what I was thinking," he teased. 

She laughed and hugged him tighter.

"Amelia, did you help me out like I asked?" Meryn said with a mouth full of cookie.

Amelia sighed. "Of course I did, though I don't know how you've leveled up so much in such a short amount of time."

"My furries on Facebook help me." Meryn popped another cookie in her mouth and tapped away on her phone.