bring to him and his family.
Twenty
Karter Jenks arrived home that evening to the delightful scent of roasted meat and spices. After securing his service weapon in its lockbox, he strode into the kitchen where Jax was chopping vegetables for a salad. The sight of his mate—his tall, handsome, determined mate who’d overcome so many obstacles in his life—made Karter’s chest ache with old grief. Jax barely had time to put the knife down before Karter swept him into his arms. Pressed his face into Jax’s neck to inhale the man and his addictive floral scent.
Jax returned the hug, one hand drawing hearts on his back, as was his habit when he couldn’t directly ask why Karter was upset. Footsteps approached, then retreated. Karter thought he caught Jaxson’s scent but wasn’t sure. Jaxson and Jenson smelled pretty similar.
He held on, desperate for this comfort. He’d needed it ever since Hyatt’s minor flashback in his office earlier. Seeing the young omega that upset had reminded him so much of Jax during those first few months, from being rescued off the streets to the aftermath of the Udall kidnapping that had stolen so much of Jax’s sense of safety.
Karter’s love and the love of Jax’s friends had helped, but Jax was the one who’d done the work. Just like Hyatt was doing the work to move on with his own life. Karter hugged his mate until he could think straight again, then pulled back and kissed Jax softly on the mouth.
“Can you talk about it?”
Karter sighed. “I can talk about most of it, because only one part is related to an actual case. I’m just not really able to yet, because it’s a favor I’m doing for someone else, and we’re still gathering information.” Dorian hadn’t expressly asked Karter not to share today’s meeting with anyone else, but he also hadn’t given Karter permission. For now, he’d treat this like any other department investigation.
“It must be bad. I haven’t seen you like this since my transplant.”
“Well, it involves someone we know.” Before the worry in Jax’s eyes turned into anything too serious, he added, “They are not in any trouble. He just asked me to look in to something, and I found some things that happened a long time ago that…are disturbing.”
“But this person we know isn’t in any danger?”
“No, he isn’t. I think he’s as surprised and perplexed by this as I am. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long week.”
“Then how about a glass of bourbon with dinner? Take the edge off?”
“That sounds perfect, love, thank you.” Karter released his beloved mate long enough to fetch himself an old-fashioned glass. Jax got the bottle from the cabinet above the fridge—an old hiding place from when the boys were small, but even Jenson was tall enough now to reach it on his own—and poured Karter two fingers of the smoky liquid. “Everyone home for dinner tonight?”
“Yes, and Morgyn is over, too. He and Jaxson are upstairs working on a university project. Not sure what the other boys are up to.”
The other boys being Symon and Jenson. Symon really should know what was going on with the Fowler family. But Karter agreed it would be best to have more information to present to Symon before getting him involved. Symon had never once shown interest in forgiving Dustin Fowler, not even for Symon’s own peace of mind and ability to let go of his anger over the explosion and subsequent scars. And Karter would never push the young man into doing so. Symon had lost a lot in that explosion, and he was slowly building his self-confidence back up.
One step at a time was all any of them could really take.
Karter set the table while Jax moved the roast and vegetables to the dining room, along with a hastily finished salad. The kids all came down at once, moving like a herd of hungry beasts. Although Jenson, who’d just turned fifteen, was really the only one technically still a kid. Jaxson and Morgyn were both twenty, Symon twenty-one. Karson wasn’t there, but he was twenty-one and pregnant with his first child.
When did I get so old?
He still clearly remembered every detail of the day he first met Jax and Karson. The joy of discovering his bondmate; the anger when he realized his mate had been so horribly abused. Earning Jax’s trust through patience and love. The first time he held infant Karson and vowed to protect that angel from all harm.