Phillip: Lanning's Leap - Paranormal Erotic Romance (10 page)

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Phillip knew that things were coming to a head. He just wasn’t sure what else he could do to calm things. There were so many things going on right now that he felt the pressure. Not a bad sort of pressure, because he knew that everything would turn out all right. But he was still a little nervous about things. And there were a great many things to choose from, too.

The book was first on his list of shit that could hit the fan. It wasn’t talked about much and as far as he knew, no one had ever asked to see it. He’d never seen it, nor had Misha or the others. As far as he knew, the book was hidden away somewhere and safe. Or so he hoped. And if Welshouse and the others came to get it, he wasn’t sure what to expect when asked to get it, and he had no idea where it was. He’d be shot, that much was a given. But as for the rest, who knew?

Then there was Sonya. Kendra was still looking for her and her band of men. She had them too, according to Toby, and when she hit the castle with all of them, a great many people were going to die. Not to mention, if she succeeded—and he’d yet to get a solid answer from anyone if that was possible—then he and his family were in trouble as well. He didn’t want to think of how much destruction that someone magical could do to his family when they were just learning how to use their own magic.

Dottie was another concern. He knew that she’d been telling certain people, Welshouse included, that she had the book, or at least she knew where it was. Whether or not that was true, it was going to cause all of them problems if he came looking for it and she had lied. Not that he had any say in what happened to her, but he didn’t want it to come down on the rest of them when she was caught without it. Phillip had a feeling that she’d give them up to save her own ass. Not that it would do her any good if it came to that.

“I talked to her.” He looked up at Max, who had been coming over after classes to help out with some of the computer installations that he was having put in his and Charlie’s new home. The kid was going to graduate soon, and Phillip was looking forward to going to the ceremony. “Dottie. I asked Mom and Carter and they said it was okay, so I went and talked to her. She’s really down on her luck. Not that it’s not her own doing, but she’s hurting too.”

“She and her husband are thieves, nothing more than that.” Max said nothing. “I’m sorry. I’m a little…it’s a lot. I was just thinking about it, and it seems that in order for us to have a normal life, we’re going to have to do something. And soon. I’m just not sure what it would be.”

“Define normal.” Phillip nodded. It wasn’t exactly normal in anyone’s terms around here lately. “She isn’t any better off than you or Charlie. And so you know, she regrets hurting her too. But I think there is more to this than just the book and Welshouse. Sonya did things to them…horrific things even now are being done to them that will kill them both. She preyed on their health issues. And Uncle Nic and I think she might have made them ill to the point where they were desperate for help.”

“How so?” Max told him what he’d been able to find out, and then what was going on now. “That was nice of you to make sure that they have food. I’m sure…we need to get someone in there that can help them if they need it. Does this guy, Curtis…does he need insulin?”

“He should have it, but he won’t use it. He believes that he is cured, and no matter what is told to him or, for that matter, how sick he gets, he thinks he’s just fine. I think you’d call that having your head up your…butt. But I can ask Aunt Kendra if she has any medical personnel that can go in. A regular doctor might tell on them.” Max apparently didn’t have any more faith in humans than he did. “Also, I have someone watching over them. Two guards from the castle, so that if anything comes after them, and I’m sure they will, someone is there to defend them.”

“I’ve done the same with Welshouse. I’m to be informed if he comes this way. I have a feeling he’s going to sooner or later. That book means a great deal to a lot of people, I think.” Max nodded and leaned back from the computer he was working with. When he turned in his direction, it took Phillip a few seconds to figure out what he was looking at. “Where is this?”

The camera was looking into a back yard. The reason he knew it was the back of someone’s property was because he could see the pool and the pool house just to the right of the lens. Five people were there, and they looked to be talking, arguing about something, when a gun was brought out and four of the men were dead. The only one left standing was the one holding the gun.

“It’s the Welshouse house. I don’t know who they were, but I can only assume that it’s him.” Phillip nodded, but watched as a few people came out and started gathering up the bodies of the dead. “This was taken a few days ago, and those men were ones that he sent to find Charlie and the book. They failed him. This camera wasn’t set up by me but the police. They had surveillance on the house twenty-four seven. However….”

Phillip looked at Max as understanding came over him. “However, it does them little good if the people watching the cameras aren’t telling anyone what they see.” Max nodded. “Christ. Is anyone honest anymore?”

“I’m beginning to think not.” Max got up and went to the cabinet and took down two glasses as he continued. “There is more. Are you ready for it?”

“No.” Max didn’t say anything but continued to pour tea for them both. Rocco had gone to see about setting up a home delivery of groceries weekly, and Charlie was with Hannah and his mom, figuring out what else they needed for the house. “What else is there?”

“Welshouse is already in the area. He’s been here since early yesterday morning. Whoever you had watching him is now on his payroll and you aren’t getting the truth. I would suggest that you be on your toes from now on.” Phillip reached for James, who had his men walking the area, and let him know to keep a sharper eye out. He told him that he was on it. “Also, Sonya is here, in this area, and her troops are not as many as she’s led others to believe. However, they are magical, but nothing compared to the family. She’s coming here in two days. And when she does, unless we’re very prepared for her, people, this family…not all of them will survive it.”

“Who? Can you tell me who gets hurt?” Max didn’t answer, and that scared him a great deal. “How do we get prepared? I’m assuming that you know how this is going to end.”

“Not entirely. I know what one outcome will be. But that is without us doing anything to get ready. And since I know that’s not going to happen, let’s just say that what I know stems on the idea that has us not getting ready for her.” It was confusing, but he thought he understood.

Phillip got up to look for something to eat. It wasn’t like him to eat when he was nervous, but right now he needed something sweet. He was able to unearth a box of cookies, not homemade, and set them between the two of them. After one bite, Max put his on the table, and it took Phillip two before he decided that they weren’t fit to eat. Max told him he had a favor to ask.

“Anything. You know that. I don’t know what I have that you need, but it’s yours. You and your mom are making Carter so happy I feel like I could give you a blank check and it wouldn’t be enough.”

Max smiled and pretended to consider it before he spoke again. “Nothing like that. But I can’t buy a building.” Phillip asked him why not. “I’m not eighteen and won’t be for six more years. I have the plans, but I need space. There is this building downtown that I’d like to purchase. It’s perfect for what I want it for. And if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not tell you just yet what I want it for.”

“All right. What do you want me to do? Buy it for you?” Max nodded. “I can do that. Have you seen it? I mean, all of it?”

“I have. They have an online showing of it, and I’ve looked it over a few times. Also, I’ve gone by it a few times on my way home from class and sort of snuck inside.” He’d bet anything that Max knew more about the building than the owners did. “Will you? I know you have to talk to Mom and all, but she won’t care. And she already knows, anyway, that I was going to ask, and while like you, she doesn’t know what I need it for, she said it was all right with her.”

“I do have to ask. Not that I don’t believe you, but I still want to ask. She might…well, you know your mom. She can be a bit on the protective side when it comes to you.” Max nodded and grinned. “How do you plan to make the payments for this place? I’m assuming you know how much it’s going to cost.”

“Oh yes. And I have the money for it now.” He told Phillip how much he had. “The building is part of the revamp downtown project, and they are selling the buildings cheap. Then you have one year to have a business in it and hire out ten people to work it. That won’t be a problem. Not for what I want it for anyway. You should invest. It’s a good deal, and you can get a return on it almost immediately after you get a business in the buildings.”

He asked him more about the buildings and which other ones he would recommend. Max had a list of four other buildings, and Phillip decided to see about getting them for himself. He didn’t really need the money, but it would help the downtown area and him as well. A project other than going out on rescues. He was seriously going to have to talk to Misha and the others about the other job. He wasn’t really enjoying it as much as he used to.

Max left just after one, but not before nearly cleaning out his cabinets of food. Growing boys, he’d told him, needed lots of calories. Not that Phillip cared. The computers were set up, and he had a direct line to the office computers as well should he want to work from home. Now he would be able to work here if he wanted and still get things caught up. Lately, especially since Charlie had come into his life, he’d been staying at home more and more.

When Rocco came in, he looked pleased with himself. Apparently not only had he been able to set up the grocery store deliveries, but he’d been able to hire a few more staff. The house really was too big for them, he supposed, but he did love it. Going out on the deck, he waited for the man to join him. Rocco said he had more news about Sonya.

“She has not been seen around her home, my lord. But there are others who have come across her. One such man—his wife is most unhappy with his hanging out with the woman—is said to have been spending nights there. He claims they are working, but he has been…the missus believes that she is beating the man. Did you know that Sonya has been in trouble with her magic for some years now?” Phillip said that Kendra had told him that. “Very good. And her army is based at the open field not far from here. Have it on good authority that she has as few as ten. The number is lessening daily because they are simply dying or running away.”

That sort of confirmed what Max had said. She had few working with her, but they were magical. He asked him how good his source was. He grinned and said that a mad wife revealed so much.

“So she’s ratting her husband out with Sonya.” Rocco nodded. “Max said that she was going to attack the castle soon. Do you have any information on that?”

“No, but I will endeavor to find out. The queen, I hold her in high regard, my lord, and would do anything for her family.” Phillip nodded and sat down after Rocco said he was going to start dinner.

He contacted Misha and let him know what he’d found out. Misha, of course, was concerned about Hannah more than the castle, which was the way it should have been. Hannah was having his child soon, and Phillip knew that he’d do just about anything to protect her as well. Including giving up his life.

You have a few visitors. And I say that only because they are not invited. Or so I’m assuming
. James touched his mind not seconds after he closed the connection with Misha, and Phillip sat up straighter in his chair.
If I’m correct, and my wife seems to think that isn’t as often as I let others believe, it’s your man after the book. My people are watching his troops, but you have no worry about them
.

You’ve killed them
? James told him not as of yet, but they would more than likely be dead before too long.
Where is Welshouse now
?
I mean, he’s on the property then
?

One of those big monster four wheel drive things that men buy when they have no dick to speak of is coming up your drive now. I’m sorry about your guy in the gate house. He was gone before we knew they were on the property
. He’d had no idea that he’d had anyone in the gatehouse, but thanked James for letting him know.
He should be there soon. I’m contacting your brothers and the rest of the gang. I have also taken it upon myself to let that guy in your kitchen know. He is currently recording everything that is going on. Just to be on the safe side
.

When he heard the car pull in the drive, he didn’t bother moving. He’d wanted Charlie to join him on a run and was actually looking forward to it. But the man that cleared his throat had Phillip leaning back in his chair again and trying his best to look as if he had not a single care in the world. The gun pointed at him made Phillip stand up and lift his hands up with his palms out. Not that he was scared of getting shot, but he was pretty sure this man knew just how to kill him, thanks to Dottie.

Chapter 9

Ray told the younger man to have a seat. When he only stood there, staring at him, Ray told him who he was. He waited for the begging and was extremely disappointed when it didn’t happen.

“I know who you are, Welshouse. And you don’t scare me.” Which Ray could see that he did not. “How did you get past the guard? And so you know, if you hurt him, there will be hell to pay.”

“I’m afraid that he’s dead.” Young Lanning nodded, and Ray had a touch of fear. There was anger there, much more for the fact that he’d killed his man than him holding a gun on him. “Your roommate has something that belongs to me. I have come to retrieve it.”

“My wife.” Ray knew that, of course, but wanted to rile the man. Nothing was working on that end, and it took him a few minutes to realize that the man really wasn’t impressed. “And what is it you think she has of yours? I’m pretty sure that when I brought her here, all she had were her things.”

“Let’s not play around, shall we? I have things I must get back to, and this is not helping your cause. You do know that I have the upper hand, don’t you?” Phillip asked him how he figured that. “The gun, for one thing. And the fact that I’ve come prepared to take on your family if need be. I never come to one of these things alone. You will not get any help from anyone until I say so.”

“Yeah, about that. You came with six men, and four of them are already dead. My friends and family are a little bigger than yours, and a good deal meaner.” That startled Ray, and he was afraid that the man could see it. “What else do you have? Oh, and the gun? Not really a factor in this. I’m sure you have no idea what you’re dealing with, and unless you have another gun somewhere on your person, that’s not going to do you shit. There are rules of engagement with my kind, and you didn’t even come close to being as prepared as you might have thought you were.”

“What do you mean?” Ray leaned against the railing to steady himself. This man was much too confident and he didn’t care for it. As far as his men were concerned, there was no way that he’d been able to take care of four of them already. They were trained by the best. Warfare was nothing to them, as they could kill a man with their bare hands, just as he could. Ray was sure the man was lying. A good guess on the number of men, but there wasn’t any way he had people on the property that could outwit or out maneuver his men.

“What I mean is….”

Phillip sat down and leaned back in the chair. When he propped his feet up on the railing, Ray felt his temper move up. He prided himself on the control he had over himself, and this man wasn’t going to win out. He mentally counted to ten once, then twice, then again before letting out a slow, long breath that he felt the man could hear. Things were not going as he’d planned. Fear was an emotion he enjoyed as long as he wasn’t the one feeling it.

“What I mean is, you can shoot me full of holes, but it will do you little good. But if you don’t mind me asking, since when do big leaguers like you come to do your own dirty work? I mean, don’t you have minions for this sort of thing? Or do you like getting your hands dirty?”

“My minions, as you called them, are there to make my job easier. No one would dare interrupt me when I’m…what did you call it? Oh yes, getting my hands dirty. But I have discovered that if you want a job done right the first time, you never send in minions to do it for you. It’s something that my father taught me.” Phillip nodded and smiled. Ray had to let out a slow, even breath again, trying his best to control the hold on his temper that was slowly deteriorating. “What if I told you that I have your wife and that she’s tied up in one of my many locations right now?”

“You don’t.” Ray finally had to sit down. If he didn’t, he was going to shoot this kid and leave the book behind. His temper had never been so tested before. “If you had her, you would have started off with that. Besides, I’m pretty sure that if you did try to take her, one of the people she’s with would have killed you. Or she would have. I’m not sure if you’ve ever met my wife, but she can be vicious when she needs to be. Killer instinct and all. And since that didn’t happen, well, you’re lying again.”

Ray didn’t even bother with that line of reasoning. He didn’t have her, and he was pissed the man didn’t believe him. What’s more, he was sure the man was not going to do a damned thing for him.

Then Ray turned when he heard a low growl. Whatever he had expected, staring at the biggest leopard he’d ever seen was not even close to the list of shit that he had in his head.

“That would be my brother, Rider. Misha is the cat behind him, and the others are around the property looking for…wait, nope, they found your men, all of them, and are on their way here. I do think that Misha might be a tad pissy because he wasn’t able to take care of your minions, but our good friend and wolf, he took care of them for us. Good guy James…you’d do well not to piss him off either. More than you already have, anyway.” Ray didn’t know what to do. In fact, he was pretty sure if he did anything, the cat was going to tear his throat out. When the cat moved one more step in his direction, Ray thought he was going to soil himself. “You should put the gun down now and sit your ass on the floor. The chair isn’t working for them.”

He did it. Ray wasn’t sure how he’d sat down so quickly, but found himself staring into the big teeth of the biggest leopard he’d ever seen. And Phillip had his gun on the table in front of him. It was…he had no idea what to think about any of this but he was terrified.

“Now, we’re going to talk and you’re going to answer me. If you lie to me about anything, Rider is going to eat a part of you. Show him, Rider.” The big cat moved to his foot and put his massive mouth over it. He was biting down when Ray realized he was really going to do it.

“Don’t. For Christ’s sake, don’t do it. Please don’t eat my foot.” The cat looked at Phillip but didn’t let him go. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. But please have him let me go. I won’t lie. I’ll tell you everything.”

The other cat, this one monstrous compared to the other one, just sat down next to him. Ray had a feeling that he was being sized up. The cat was actually looking at his throat to see if he could snap his jaws around him and take off his head. Phillip laughed, and he looked at him.

“You should know that I can also read your mind. I should have said that earlier, but I had to stall long enough for my family to come here. And also, your men aren’t really dead, but they aren’t going anywhere. The police will be called in a bit and then you all will go off merrily to jail. And if you tell them what has happened here today, you’re going to be locked up with a big man named Bert. And Bert will make you…well, I hope you’ve registered somewhere for wedding gifts.” When Phillip sat up in his chair again, Ray whimpered. “I’m not going to hurt you. They might, but I’m not. Like I said, I want to talk to you. For now.”

“How did you train those cats to do as you wanted? There is no way I’m going to believe that they’re men.” Phillip only nodded and said nothing. “You have the upper hand now, but you won’t always. I’m a man with great resources. As for this Bert person, if I ever see the inside of a prison, which I will not, then no one will dare touch me.”

“You keep telling yourself that, if it makes you sleep better. And as for having the upper hand, I’m the man with the cats. And the book and gun. What is it about this book that would have you risk your life to come after it? I mean, there is a lot of code in it from what I understand, but not much in the way of information.” Ray had seen several pages of the book. And he knew the kid was lying to him. “Ah, so Dottie sent you some of it. Oh well, I tried. But you should know that you’re not the only one that thinks to come here for the book and kill my family.”

“But I’m the one that is going to get it.” The big cat at his head yawned, and Ray felt his balls tighten to his body. Christ, those teeth had to be three inches long and sharp as razors. “Tell them to back the fuck off.”

Instead of doing that, the big cat laid his head on his lap. Ray knew that he had understood him and when he stretched out his paws, claws as big as his hand seemed to sprout from the ends. Ray closed his eyes and tried to think his way out of this. He wasn’t sure there was a way out when Phillip spoke again.

“Misha said that if you piss on him he’s going to be very mad at you. And I’ve seen him pissy. It’s not something that I’d want to see again. Especially since you’re just a human. Now, back to the book and what it means to you.” Ray wanted to get up and kill the lot of them. The leopard put his paw on his thigh, and Ray felt the claws bite deeply into his flesh. “He said to answer me or lose the leg.”

“I owed Murphy a few favors. Big ones that he was to collect on in the future. He told me about the book once. How it had all the information that anyone would ever need to bring not just me down, but hundreds of men just like me. When I heard about his death and that there was no mention of the book, I thought about collecting it, but had no idea who had it or where the bastard had even kept it. Then I heard from Dottie.” The cats seemed to stand up as one, and he felt his bladder loosen just a little. Ray looked at the beautiful woman as she came onto the deck, and wondered what the fuck she was going to do to him.

“Hello, Ray.” He nodded, not sure who the hell she was, but nearly knocked himself out when she reached out and tosseled his hair. “I’m Charleston Lanning.”

“So?” The big cat growled at him, and when the woman went to sit on the lap of Phillip, something nudged at his mind. “Charleston Grant? You’re a man.”

“Obviously not.” He moved to slap her, and the cat growled again. “Misha is pissed off enough. If I were you, I’d just sit still until the police get here. They have a few questions too. Like who is responsible for our man at the gate. Someone—I’m assuming it was you, or you know who did it—killed him. Shame on you for that. Did you think perhaps maybe asking to come up would have been nicer?”

Ray wasn’t worried about the cops. He was glad now that he’d made a little side trip before coming here, and talked to the head man in the courthouse. Ray had the entire police department of this podunk town in his pocket. And a lot of the Feds, too, that were close. A single phone call and he’d be a free man. It was amazing how a little money could be flashed around in these small towns and still get you what you wanted. When Charleston laughed, he smiled at her as well. Having things set gave him the confidence that he should have had all along.

“You have fucked with the wrong man, Lanning. I mean, you don’t think I got this far in my business dealings by being stupid enough to let one family and a backwater kind of police force get in my way, do you? Sure, you have the cats and my gun, but what else do you have? Nothing. Maybe you can get me on trespassing and carrying a gun, but nothing more. Neither of you were harmed. The man in the gatehouse, he was dead when I got here. I only came here to…to warn you of his death. As for the men you claim to have? Not mine. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Arrest them, I don’t really care.” Phillip said nothing but held his wife. “When I’m finished here, you’re going to regret ever knowing me.”

“I already do. And so you know, the backwater police, as you’ve called them, aren’t the only ones coming here. There are some Feds, but none that you have paid off. And thank you for that, by the way. That list of names you have in your head is going to go a long way to cleaning up that office too.” Phillip listed two of the men that Ray had just recently spoken to, and Ray knew that he was fucked and tried his best not to show it. “You really are fucked, Ray. So badly have I wanted to see you rot in a prison cell, I never thought how happy I’d be to know that you’ll never see the inside of one.”

“Do you think you can kill me?” Phillip shook his head. “Yeah, I thought not. I’m a bigger man than you are, kid, and as I said, when I get out of this, and never doubt that I will, you are going to pay. All of you.”

He heard the crunch of gravel in the driveway but didn’t move, not that he could as yet. He either knew the men coming or not. Either way, he wasn’t going to go anywhere but to his plane to regroup and to plan their deaths. And die they would.

As soon as the first man came around the corner, he felt better. A face he knew. But when he was shoved to the floor where he was, Ray noticed the cuffs at his back. The next two men he’d never met before. This was not going to go well after all.

“Raymond Welshouse? You’re under arrest for attempted murder, murder, carrying a gun—”

Ray had to think quickly and knew that what he had in his head was the only thing that could save his ass. “I’d like to make a deal.” No one moved in his direction as Phillip shook hands with the men in suits. No one, it seemed, cared one bit for anything he might have to say. “I know some things that you’re going to want to hear. I can give it all to you for a price. My freedom and a promise not to bother these people again. You have my word on it.”

“Your word means shit, so you know. And we already know about the shipments, the drugs, and all the money you have stashed away in your house. By the time we got to your house this morning…well, let’s just say that the staff you had working for you was more than willing to tell us everything you know. You should do a better background check next time, if there is one, Ray. A couple of those people working for you, work for me. Nice that, you letting them gather all the information we needed to make this stick. You—and this thrills me to no end to say—you are going away for a very long time.” Ray asked the man in the suit how that was possible. “Well, boy, it’s because we had a tip a few days ago that you just might try something stupid like this. Misha Lanning and his family knew you’d be here, and damned if they weren’t right on the money.”