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"Finally," I grumbled as the alpacas walked in the door of the airport's restaurant. Their private jet landed twenty minutes ago, and it didn't take that long to go from the tarmac to here.

It was only Juan and his father, Antelmo, accompanied with the infamous Pawqarqury. How the capybara managed to remain unseen when the FBI and police were crawling around the house they were staying at, I have no idea. He was one massive wall of muscle. He might rival Mikael, and I didn't know anyone could get as big as that otter.

The older Santiago found me while the capybara scanned the room and scowled. I'd wanted these meetings on the tarmac, drive the car by their jet, hand it over and have them leave, but Tom had rolled his eyes, brought up the airport's layout and pointed seven positions from which he could kill me without being seen. He demanded a public place, at a time when the place would be reasonably busy.

Hence this restaurant.

The capybara took a table by the door and the two Santiago headed for my table. I swallowed my anger at them and stood. Having had to deal with over a hundred elder who thought I was dirt and treated me that way had given me a lot of practice doing that over the last five months.

"Elder Santiago," I greeted the older one. I did not offer my hand. "Juan. I hope Louis is doing well."

The younger alpaca nodded. "He still does not sleep well, any creaking of trees can wake him in terror, and he will not walk in the jungle alone, but the doctor says he is making progress."

"I'm glad to hear that."

The older Santiago snorted.

I motioned for the chair opposite me. "Please take a seat."

"I am not here to eat," the older alpaca said. "I do not sit at a Rasia's table."

Juan spoke in Spanish and a short argument ensued. I fought the urge to listen to their minds, not that I'd understand them. They would think in Spanish. When it ended the older alpaca angrily pulled the chair and sat. Juan gave me a shrug as he sat, but stayed silent.

"Before we start, I'd like you to notice the badger seated at the bar. His name is Tom Marrows. I don't expect you know him, but the important thing for you to know is this. If I behave in any way that isn't me. If I start getting along with you, or if I start nodding off. Anything. His orders are to put a bullet in each of your head. He can do it from where he's seated so your capybara killer isn't going to be able to save you. Are we clear?"

The older alpaca growled, "the Cormoran Elder is here too."

"He's there, at the bar. Not seated at this table. This is my meeting. I told you to come, I will say what we talk about. The only reason he came is because he's concerned I might strangle you in spite of the shit that would cause me. Think of him as that nagging voice in the back of your head that tells you when you're about to fuck up, but that you happily ignore. You know, like when you arranged to have him commit murder in my city?" I indicated the capybara.

The older Santiago's face darkened, but he didn't deny it. That was going to be as close to a confession as I knew I'd get.

I took the memory out and offered it to the elder.

He glowered at it. "What is it?"

I threw it at him and the alpaca caught it before it fell off his chest. "You fucking know what it is. It's the memory containing all the secrets the Rasia accumulated on your family."

He held it with disdain. "A copy. You give it so I know how you can hurt me."

"It's the original."

He narrowed his eyes. "Then you have read it. Memorize it. This is a trick so I will think I am safe."

I closed my hands to keep from digging my claws into the nice tabletop. "The only thing I ran is a blind search to know whose family it was about. No one has seen its content. I don't want to know what's in it."

He scoffed. "You are a Rasia, you lie, you cheat. This is a trick."

I ground my teeth and shifted my gaze to Juan, both because if I kept looking at his father I might reach across the table and pound his head on the table and because I figure snubbing him for his son, who was a lot closer to my age would piss him off.

"Unless you've alienated every family out there, you know I've been returning their secret."

"For a price," the older Santiago snarled. Juan closed his eyes, pained.

I didn't look at the elder "No. I didn't attach any conditions. All I did is make an offer."

"To have one of them work for you," Juan said, his tone neutral.

"I have a security company. I need people, and I happen to believe it's fucking time we all started to work together instead of isolating each other in our own little world. No one is forced to send someone."

"And will you make this offer to us?" Juan asked.

I wasn't able to stop the bark of laughter. "You? After what your family did here?" I sobered. "No. You, the Saracen and the Lewiston are not welcome here."

"You spoke to the mules before me," the elder snarled.

"Yes, I did. At this very table. Elder [need Israeli name] wasn't happy about it. It's my understanding he'd never left his country before that, but he came. And they had the decency of looking ashamed for stealing from me."

"You told them what happened?" Juan asked.

"I was tempted, but no. And it isn't like I have to. They know the man they sent to steal the briefcase was murdered, and I'm certain they have agents who can work out the briefcase was found in the house where you were staying. Whatever trouble they give you, is of your own making, not mine."

Juan nodded. "Is there anything else you wish to tell us?"

"Just this." I pointed to the capybara. "Dump him. I don't know if you know his history, Everyone he killed before your father hired him, but he's an uncontrolled monster."

Juan stiffened. "He keeps my family safe."

"Yeah? From women who happen to walk alone at night? I have no problem believing your father is okay with everything he does, but you Juan strike me as a more reasonable man. You're going to inherit this family. You might want to start looking into exactly what it is. Who it employs, because he might be the worse of them, but he isn't the only one." I stood. "Tell Luis that I am sorry for the way I treated him. I'm not proud of it. I wasn't in a good place that night." I hesitated as they stood. "If he ever needs something from me, all he has to do is ask. I owe him at least that. Him, not you, not your father. My debt is to him. Don't try to use it in his stead."

The older alpaca stood and left the table.

Juan lingered. "You are not what I expected, elder Rasia. I hope that once I am elder, we can work toward... how do you say? Mending the fence between us?" He offered his hand.

I thought about batting it away. I didn't care about his words. After dealing with all the families and Elders, I knew they were empty. Pleasantries, at best. Outright lies more likely. But I swallowed my own distrust and shook it.

"We'll see what the future brings."

I watched them leave. Once the door closed, I put my hand on the table and let out a breath. There. That was done. If they were smart, I'd never have to see them again.

A shrill whistle made me jump. I spun to see Tom getting off the stool. "Alright people, job's over. You have the number to call to get paid."

Every customer seated stood and headed for the door. I looked at them, then Tom. The badger beamed.

"What the fuck is this?" I asked.

Tom patted my face. "Brislow, you have no idea how refreshing your naivete is. Did you really think I'd let you have these meetings without actual protection? Don't worry, they're being paid by my accountant, not yours."

It took me a few seconds to find my voice. "This was supposed to be a peaceful meeting! To show I trusted them at least enough to talk to them without everybody pointing guns at each other! What if they'd noticed?"

"Then they wouldn't have felt quite so smug about all the men they set up to storm the place." He showed me his phone. The scene was of outside the restaurant, the Santiago leaving. Men stood from where they'd been seated and fell in steps with them. Muscular, deadly serious, each with a briefcase of a duffel bag.

I cursed. Why was I even surprised?

"Did you know?" I ask Max.

"I expected them to do something like that. Which is why I told Mister Marrows."

"I mean about inside the restaurant?"

The cougar shook his head. "Mister Marrows has become quite adept as not broadcasting, over these last few months."

"Meditation," Tom said with a grin.

"And he's made sure I knew that reading his thoughts wasn't something I wanted to do."

"Tom," I growled.

"What?" he replied, innocently.

"No threats were made, Denton," Maximilian said. "He simply let me see what goes through the mind of a man like him. It isn't pleasant."

"You didn't do this with the Saracen," I said.

"Those guys are inoffensive. There's a reason they never leave their country. All they want is to be left in peace hand have sex. They must have been terrified of that briefcase to send one of them here for it."

"Everyone was terrified of the Rasia."

Tom's smile broadened. "But don't worry, when you have this meeting with that rat, I'm going to post armed men all around the room."

I ignored that comment. The Raphael wasn't someone I was looking forward to dealing with, even if it was for the last time. "At least they don't have to be scared anymore." I looked at the door. "Is it safe to leave?"

"This didn't might not have the result you're hoping for, Denton," Max said while Tom looked at his phone. "You've caused an uproar. They're all wondering what your plan is. Like Santiago, they are nervous wrecks, waiting for you to pull the trap they haven't been able to see."

I rubbed my forehead. "I am so fucking fed up with this distrust. At least enough of them sent me people I can cover any visiting family member."

"It's safe to leave. And you do know those guys are mainly here to spy on you, right?"

"I don't care!"

They both stared at me.

I calmed myself. "I'm not going to play into their game. And it isn't like I'm hiding anything. So I'm going to make sure those who need to be trained are and then fold them within the teams. If nothing else, it's going to get them used to dealing with ordinary people. I can't believe the number of them who were outrage at being around 'common folks'."

As soon as I was out of the restaurant, Tom stepped in front of me and wouldn't budge. At least he didn't look like he was guarding me.

"One more meeting like this," I sighed, "and then I'm done with this business of secrets forever."

"One?" Max asked. "So you are taking my advice about that other memory and destroying it?"

"No. But handing it to Arnold isn't going to be the mess all these meetings have been."

"Denton, the Orrs do not take well to having been spied on."

"And the other families did?"

"But they knew it had happened. I didn't know your family--"

"They aren't my family!" why did I have to remind everyone of that? "I'm a Brislow."

"I didn't know the Rasia were brazen enough to spy on the Orr."

"Arnold might be an asshole, but he knows me. He'll understand this is a goodwill gesture." I hoped. "Which reminds me." I took my phone out and called him.

"What the fuck do you want?" Arnold snarled, sounding out of breath.

"I thought I'd get an update on your side of the search for your fathers and Stephan. Did you--"

"Call Royal, I've got more important things to deal with." The call disconnected.

I looked at the phone. Had Arnold sounded scared? Please let this not be another emergency? I'd like to get a few days rest now that this is almost over. I called his company.

"Royal Security, where we treat you like royalty."

"This is Denton Brislow, Can I speak to Ernest please?" Arnold had given me his name as the person to call if I couldn't reach him.

"Mister Brislow," a calm voice said. "How can I help you?"

"Arnold didn't have the time to speak, sounded like he was in the middle of an emergency, is everything okay?"

"One of the mothers is having a difficult time. Arnold and a few of his brothers are having a difficult time themselves dealing with the prospects and uncertainties of fatherhood."

"He--" he hadn't said anything about that in the handful of calls we'd had since Stephan had helped his fathers escape. "He's going to be a father?"

"They all are, but I expect this isn't why you called."

"No, it isn't. Did you have any luck find out where that book came from?"

"Aaron was able to convince his grandfather to tell us where the library was, but by the time we got there, it had been cleared. Two or three books were left behind, but I suspect they were forgotten in the haste, rather than purposely left. Brian Orr is adamant they were all there when they went to Belize, which would indicate that Donald and Daniel somehow got back to San Francisco and took them, but we haven't been able to find any indication they were here."

With Stephan's precognition ability at their disposal, avoiding detection would be simple. Damn it, Stephan, why? Why did you help them? There has to be more to it than because they made you a better businessman. You're not that shallow.

"Are you keeping those books? Or is Arnold sending them to Fred to study?"

"Mister Orr hasn't given instructions, but I expect he'll send them. He hasn't express interest in their content."

"Okay, thanks. Still nothing to report on our side. We've confirmed they were in New Orleans as of two weeks ago, but as usual we missed them. Other than the men they kill, we can't find any pattern to where they are going."

"I am confident you will find your friend again," The man said.

"Thanks. Tell Arnold I hope every goes well with the moms."

"I will."

The call ended.

"The tiger is going to be a father?" Tom asked.

"All of them, if I understood it right."

"That's going to be interesting to watch."

"I'd like to say that fatherhood can do wonders to a man's behavior," Max said, "but there are generations of previous Orrs to contradict me. I pity these children."

"Try not to do to them what every fucking family's done to me, Max. Judge them by what they do, not by what everyone else who came before did. Other than that first time, my dealings with Arnold and his brothers have not been the horror show everyone says it should be."

The cougar nodded.

Tom for in the driver's seat before I even thought about it, so I sat in the back, with Max.

I closed my eyes and tried to will the headache away as the Tom drove us away. When I opened my eyes Maximilian was looking at me with a smile.

"You know," he said. "Sex is a great remedy for headaches."

"Max, I told you, no."

"Your meeting with Santiago went off without anyone dying, I'd say this count as a success and should be celebrated."

I forced myself to glare at him. "Celebrations happen between the participant to the meeting. And I am not fucking a Santiago, ever. Happily I doubt either of them want to." I looked away before he saw the yearning I felt. I missed sex with the cougar elder. Not only was he hung, but he was great in bed, but I still didn't trust him to treat me as an equal. His insistence at coming to this meeting told me he still sought to protect me.

What I needed to do was find a way to get into a negotiation with him, unfortunately, when the guy was too fucking eager to agree with anything I said because he thought he'd failed my father. It made negotiating pointless.

"Will you two just kiss and fuck already?" Tom said. "This tension is getting hard to endure."

"Mister Marrows," Maximilian replied coldly. "Can I kindly suggest that you mind your fucking business?"

Tom grinned. "Fucking is my business, you know that."

"I thought your business was killing."

The badger's smile broadened. "Can't do that anymore, remember? Brislow's order. So now being fucked is what I do when I'm not busy keeping the cheetah alive."

"I've told you before, Tom. You don't need to do that."

"I like you, Brislow," Tom said, looking at me in the rearview mirror, "But you keep saying stupid things like that and I'll have to reconsider my attitude about you."

"And stop protecting me?"

"No. Locking you away in a tower without a door so you'll be safe in spite of all the stupid stuff you do."