The Werewolf Meets His Match (Nocturne Falls Book 2) (22 page)

“I am,” Ivy shouted back. “You’re never going to lay a hand on him again.”

Clemens laughed and walked into the yard to stand face to face with Hank. “You two still getting married?”

“As soon as we get back,” Hank answered.

Clemens shot a look at Charlie. “Good luck with that.”

Hank stood his ground. “You think you’re pulling one over on me. That I don’t know the truth about Charlie. But I do.”

Confusion clouded Clemens’ ugly mug. “And you’re still going to marry her?”

“Yes.”

“Damn, you Merrows are dumber than I thought. Suit yourself. You want that worthless kid, you can have—”

Hank’s fist closed Clemens’ mouth and knocked him to the ground. “He’s a
child
. He’s not worthless.”

Clemens propped himself up on one elbow and swiped at the blood trickling off his lip. Gold edged his pupils. “You think that’s a good idea? Coming on my property and laying hands on me? Son, you got no idea the world of hurt you just put yourself in.”

“Hank, don’t,” Ivy pleaded. “He’s not worth the trouble.”

Hank snarled. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill you. Cross me again and I might yet.”

Clemens pushed to his feet. “You dumb son of a—”

Hank punched him again.

“Hank!” Ivy’s sharp cry echoed through the surrounding woods.

Clemens rocked back on his heels and fell hard. He moaned and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, the gold was gone.

Hank pointed at him. “Stay down.” Then he snagged the chain attached to Clemens’ wallet and gave it a tug. A black leather billfold popped free of her father’s front pocket. Hank opened it, lifted a fat wad of cash out and handed it to Ivy. She took it, unsure what to do with it. Hank let the wallet fall onto the ground near Clemens. “That’s for the stipend you owe your daughter.”

Then Hank put his hand on Ivy’s back. “Let’s go.”

She tucked the money in her front pocket, walked around her father’s sprawled form and headed for the car, hugging Charlie tight.

Hank went ahead of them and opened the door to the back seat. “You two sit here until we get to the airport.”

“Thanks.” She couldn’t manage more and not break down. She put Charlie in the car and told him to scoot over, then climbed in beside him. Hank shut the door and went around the driver’s side just as Patsy came running out of the front of the house with a brown paper grocery sack.

Ivy opened the back door to see what she wanted, but kept one arm firmly wrapped around Charlie.

Patsy held out the bag. “I put some of his clothes in there for him.”

Ivy took the bag but said nothing. Patsy looked like she was on the verge of tears.
Good. Let her cry.
Ivy was tired of being the only one.

“I hope it helps,” Patsy mumbled. “I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” Ivy shut the door.

Clemens bellowed for Patsy again, and she went running to him.

Hank got in, started up the car and took off for the airport with the kind of speed Ivy appreciated. When they were clear of her parents’ property, he glanced at her and Charlie through the rearview mirror. “You okay? You want to stop for anything?”

“Nope.” She hugged Charlie tight and smiled at Hank. “I have everything I need.”

Despite Ivy’s answer, Hank stopped at a drive-through burger joint near the airport and placed a large order, making sure to get milkshakes. Charlie deserved one. And Hank wasn’t above using ice cream to get the kid to like him.

It was a good plan.

Charlie spent his first fifteen minutes on the plane devouring two cheeseburgers and a large order of fries with more ketchup than was probably healthy. After takeoff, he carried what was left of his milkshake around with him as he explored every inch of the plane, including the cockpit, which the pilot and co-pilot were nice enough to give him a tour of.

Ivy glowed with joy. She’d spent the first fifteen minutes in the car with Charlie checking him for other injuries and asking him a thousand times if he was okay. She leaned forward in her seat. “Charlie, don’t touch anything.”

“I’m not, Mom.”

The co-pilot gave them a wave. “We’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Thanks.” Ivy sat back as she turned to Hank and slipped her hand into his. “You shouldn’t have hit my father. I’m glad you did, but I worry what the repercussions will be.”

“There won’t be any. Not unless he wants to open this whole business up to pack scrutiny.”

“I hope you’re right.” Her mouth turned up in a half-smile. “I owe you more than I can repay you. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. And later, when Charlie’s asleep, I’m going to do my best to show you just how much I appreciate everything.”

“I’d say you don’t owe me anything and that repayment wasn’t necessary, but I’m not about to turn down an offer like that.” He definitely owed Hugh Ellingham, though. Without the plane, they’d still be on the road and Charlie would still be locked in the damn shed. Fresh anger welled up in him.

Then she leaned in and kissed him, and he forgot all about Clemens Kincaid. “I love you, Hank Merrow.”

He smiled and kissed her back. “I’m happy you’re happy. Charlie’s a great kid.” His smile flattened. There was only so long he could stop thinking about what Clemens had done. “Your father ought to be brought to tribunal for the way he’s abused Charlie.”

She frowned. “Good luck with that. He’s been alpha for almost fifty years. He’s too powerful.”

“He’s not above the law, pack or human. What he did to Charlie is inexcusable. I’m not going to let it slide.”

“No one ever cared how he treated me when I was kid.”

“I’m sorry about that, Ivy, I truly am. Did anyone ever try to do something about it?”

She shook her head sadly. “No.”

“So maybe this time it could be different.”

Charlie came racing back. “Mom, Mom, you can see the whole earth from the front windows.”

“That sounds pretty neat, baby.”

“It is.” The excitement left his face when he saw her and Hank cozied up. He studied them for a moment, his gaze lingering on Hank before turning curious. “Are you going to be my new dad? Grandpa says you won’t want to because I’m not a wolf. Are you a wolf?”

Hank tried not to let his amusement at Charlie’s questions show. He nodded seriously. “Yes, I am a wolf. And I would love to be your new dad, if that’s okay with you.”

Charlie’s little mouth bunched up like he was thinking it over. “Why did you punch my grandpa?”

“I was mad at him for what he did to you. But I would never hurt you or your mother. And just because you can’t turn into a wolf doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It just means you’re different. And that’s okay. You were born exactly the way you were supposed to be.”

Charlie frowned, hurt clear in his eyes. “Grandpa says it’s not okay. Grandpa says I’m no good.”

“Grandpa’s the one who’s no good.” Ivy put one hand on Hank’s arm and reached out to Charlie with the other. “And, baby, no one’s going to say mean things to you anymore. Your grandfather was wrong. He’s not a nice man and I’m so sorry you had to stay with him. So sorry. From the bottom of my heart. That’s never going to happen again. I promise, okay?”

Charlie nodded and climbed into her lap, turning so he could lean against her and see Hank at the same time.

Hank shifted in his seat. “You know, Charlie, the town where you’re going to live is pretty cool. We celebrate Halloween all year round. You can trick or treat every Friday night if you want to.”

Charlie’s body went taut with excitement, and he looked up at Ivy. “Really?”

She laughed and shot Hank a look before returning her attention to her son. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can eat candy all day long.”

“I
know
,” he replied with the kind of world-weary exasperation only a seven-year-old could manage.

Her head lifted, and she gazed at Hank. “I know we’ve got the wedding tomorrow night, but I have to get him to a doctor first thing. I need to know he’s all right.”

“There’s a walk-in clinic in town. You should be able to get in there. Then afterwards, Birdie can watch him if you need time to get ready for the wedding.”

“I don’t know.” She hated the thought of being away from Charlie again, but Birdie was a far cry from Clemens Kincard.

“Just warning you,” Hank said. “That woman will spoil him rotten. Charlie will be her first grandnephew.”

Ivy smiled. “That might be a nice change of pace for him. You sure you don’t need her at the station?”

Hank snorted. “I’ve
never
needed her at the station, trust me.” His gaze drifted down to Charlie. Hank smiled. “He’s asleep.”

She glanced down. Charlie’s eyes were closed, and his breathing had gone soft and even. “Poor thing. He’s exhausted.”

“He had a rough time.”

“A horrible time. He needs a shower and clean clothes and soft bed.” She bit her lip, fighting tears. “I feel like the world’s worst mother.”

“You did what you had to do in a situation where your choices were taken away, but it’s over. Put it behind you. There’s no point wasting time and energy on the past.”

“I know.”

But he also understood that was easier said than done. “Are you still worried about your father?”

She nodded. “There’s no way he won’t retaliate for you hitting him.”

“We’ll deal with him when and if he does something. Until then, we have bigger things to deal with.”

“You’re right.” She rested her chin on the top of Charlie’s head, closed her eyes and soon joined her son in sleep.

But Hank couldn’t get that relaxed. He knew Ivy was right. Clemens wasn’t about to let a physical confrontation go, not when Hank had made him look like a fool in front of his family. But if Clemens started something, he had to know Hank would bring to light his awful treatment of Charlie.

A tribunal wouldn’t care if Charlie could shift or not once they heard what Clemens had done to him.

But that would mean putting Charlie in front of the tribunal. He’d have to relive everything that had happened to him and tell his story. All while standing in the presence of the very man who’d tormented him. Hank couldn’t see putting Charlie through that.

Maybe some kind of special circumstance could be allowed for. Or maybe Ivy’s sworn testimony of her childhood would be enough to spare Charlie from having to testify.

Or maybe if Clemens attempted any kind of revenge, Hank would just deal with it off book. It wasn’t his preferred way, but then he’d never thought he’d have a kid to protect.

Ivy stared down at her son, now asleep in the guest room. She hadn’t had the heart to force him into a bath. Instead she’d stripped him down to his underwear and tucked him in. He’d been half asleep the whole time.

Hard to believe she’d gotten her wish. A new start for her and Charlie. Freedom from Clemens. A life with Hank, a man who wanted her
and
her son, despite the baggage they came with. She didn’t know how she’d gotten so fortunate, but she’d take it.

She just couldn’t help but pray there wasn’t another shoe waiting to drop.

She kissed Charlie on the head and pulled the cover over his narrow shoulders, then quietly picked her wedding dress off the floor and hung it up before tiptoeing out of the bedroom.