Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,139

with it somehow. Connor said, “I think we should take an extended break and reconvene in a few hours. New information has come to light and I would like to speak with my brother before this goes any further.”

The sleuth put up a fuss but the elders were able to make them agree to break. Cody had to think the elder stuff was all window dressing. The sleuth was looking for a fight. It was the only reason they could possibly have for bringing so many people.

Everyone started filing out of the room again and Connor raised an eyebrow at Cody and said, “You and me in my office. Right the hell now.”

51

Cody

Cody didn’t much like how he felt like he was being sent to the principal’s office but he followed Connor to his office where his brother sat on his desk and nodded at Cody, demanding he spill the beans.

But ten minutes later, Connor was smiling.

“You went grocery shopping?” Connor said wryly. “You made them spaghetti?” He shook his head and chuckled. “Wow, I didn’t know you had it in you. Look at you, the proud papa.”

“Yeah sure,” Cody muttered. “Proud papa. But what the hell do we do now? This is going to end in a fight. You know it.”

“I don’t know about that,” Connor said. “Some of those elders seemed potentially agreeable.”

“As if the sleuth really brought them to mediate?” Cody shook his head. “C’mon, man. That’s all for show. That’s just in case we want to go to war and then the sleuth can say we broke the orders of the elders. Then they could enlist other sleuths to fight us.”

“If anyone even follows those traditions anymore.” Connor seemed to consider that and stroked his beard. “That might be their intention but they could also be wrong to think anyone would even care. Maybe it’s in good faith-”

“Jessie told me how they treated those kids,” Cody snapped. “Nothing they do is in good faith.”

“You’ve admitted to being an accomplice now, you know,” Connor said. “For all we know, they could lock you up. If they decide Jessie is guilty of kidnapping, they’ll definitely lock her up somewhere-”

“Over my dead body.” Cody meant it too. He’d die first. “They will not take my mate, Connor. And they won’t take those cubs. I will die first. I’m not kidding.”

“You should have told me.” Connor fixed him with his most Alpha-like stare and stood up straight.

Cody did not back down. He straightened up too. Connor only had an inch and some bulk on him. It was enough but he wasn’t about to apologize for protecting Jessie or the cubs.

“Well, I’m telling you now.”

Connor nodded and blew air through his lips. He slapped Cody’s back so hard he stepped forward a little and rolled his eyes. “I’m proud of you,” Connor said. “I can pretend to be pissed but I would’ve done the same thing. I don’t know what happens next but I got your back. We all do, you know that. That includes Jessie and the kids.”

“Thanks, Connie.”

It was Connor’s childhood nickname and it always either made him a little sappy or annoyed. This time it just made him smirk. “Okay okay. I’m gonna send Nathan to go find Jessie. We should find somewhere to keep her safe before the meeting reconvenes. I don’t trust this sleuth as far as I can throw them. Go to the lounge, get a drink. Get the tension out. You get wound up any tighter, there’s going to be a fight.”

Cody didn’t much feel like getting a drink. He wanted to be the one to go find Jessie. But on the other hand, he had fully expected Connor to be pissed as hell. He supposed he could make a concession on this one small thing and go clear his head over a drink.

But he wasn’t going to be happy about it.

After a couple fingers of a very good whiskey, Cody was feeling a little better about things, or at least a little less edgy. He wondered if he was putting too much faith in the elders to manage the peace and make sure things didn’t get out of hand. The cubs were up at the cabin and Jessie somewhere in the lodge, probably cleaning and having no idea that one of her worst fears had been realized.

Cody was sitting at a booth in the lounge, slow jazz playing softly on the speakers. He took another sip of whiskey and it dulled the sharp