Passages (The Kings of Guardian Book 13) Read online

  Passages

  The Kings of Guardian Book Thirteen

  Kris Michaels

  Contents

  Cast of The Kings of Guardian

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Also by Kris Michaels

  About the Author

  Cast of The Kings of Guardian

  Patriarch & Matriarch of the Marshall-King Family:

  Frank Marshall is the widowed father of Victoria and Keelee Marshall. Amanda King is the widowed mother of Joseph, Justin, Jasmine, Jade, Jason, Jewell, Jared and Jacob King. She and Frank are now married to each other. She is now Amanda King-Marshall.

  Marshall & King Children

  Jacob King is married to Victoria (Marshall) King. They have four sons, Talon, Trace, Tanner, and the baby, Tristan.

  Joseph King is married to Ember (Harris) King. They have one son, Blake King.

  Doctor Adam Cassidy is married to Keelee (Marshall) Cassidy. They have one daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Cassidy.

  Jason King is married to Faith (Collins) King. They have two sons, Reece and Royce King.

  Jared King is married to Christian (Koehler) King. They have one son, Marcus.

  Jasmine King is married to Chad Nelson. They have one daughter, Chloe Nelson.

  Jewell King is married to Zane Reynolds.

  Jade King is married with Nicolas DeMarco.

  Justin King is married to Danielle (Dani) Grant.

  Drake (Simmons) Marshall, is married to Doctor Jillian (Law) Marshall.

  Dixon (Simmons) Marshall is married to Joy (Moriah) Marshall.

  Mike White Cloud (Chief) is married to Tatyana (Taty) Petrov.

  Kaeden Lang (Anubis) is married to Sky Meyers-Lang. They have a daughter, Kadey Lang.

  Isaac Cooper (Asp) is involved with Lyric Gadson.

  Ryan Wolf (Lycos) is married to Bethanie Clark. They have one son, Ethan. (Dixon and Drake's half-brother.)

  The founder of “Guardian” and boss of most of the people mentioned above:

  Gabriel Alexander (David Xavier) is married to Anna. They have four children, Gabrielle (Gabrielle Jacqueline), the oldest daughter, twin sons Deacon and Ronan (David Ronan), and Charlotte (Charlotte Jacqueline).

  Happy Reading!

  Kris

  Chapter 1

  Joy Marshall sat back in the deep cushions of the leather sofa at the Marshall Ranch. The fact that it was December and damn close to Christmas was blatantly obvious. She leaned slightly to her right and whispered, “Does this shit happen all the time?”

  Tatyana’s head rolled toward her and shrugged her good shoulder. “During the holidays, yes. Thanksgiving wasn’t as bad, but… You'll get used to it. Family, you know.”

  Joy rolled her eyes. She wasn't actually part of the family. Dixon and Drake Simmons had been adopted by Frank Marshall. They'd changed their last name to Marshall this year, and who could blame them? Their biological father, the bastard, was dead. Thank God. Dixon had asked her to change her name with him. Like she cared? What was in a name anyway? Nothing. She changed names like most people changed clothes. Names weren't important. The person behind the name, that was important.

  Her attention switched from person to person, assessing the consequences of the mayhem visited upon the huge living area of the Marshall ranch house. A cyclone of human disorder erupted in spectacular fashion. An array of boxes scattered haphazardly across the great room. Children darted between adults. Strings of lights draped between pairs of grown-ups. Laughter echoed as they attempted to untangle the mess of wires. Others unpacked garlands or set up nativity scenes, while a handful unpacked ornaments and hunted for missing wire hooks to hang the beautiful blown glass orbs.

  A box of tinsel erupted, sending the silver strands fluttering to the floor. With squeals of delight, at least six children scurried to the mess and grabbed at the shiny strips. One girl wore a handful as a wig. No, make that two girls. Several boys flung it into the air and danced under it as it fell. Parents sidestepped the miniature humans and attempted to make order out of chaos. Good luck.

  Tucked in the corner, she and Tatyana melded into the shadows of the room, practically invisible, which suited her. She relaxed into the warm leather seat and watched the loud, boisterous crowd. Laughter, goodhearted ribbing, and tight family bonds seem to permeate the mass of people and pandemonium of strewn... stuff. Wow.

  Last year, her Christmas with Dixon had been vastly different. The anemic tree she had purchased on Christmas Eve seemed like a lifetime ago. The sad excuse for a twig she'd purchased paled in comparison to the twenty-five-foot evergreen currently under siege. But that damn twig and strand of lights with the dollar store star represented her rebirth. That scrawny piece of kindling? Best fucking Christmas tree in the history of Christmas.

  So much had changed in three hundred sixty some odd days. Last year she had been a different person. This year? Well, change was good. Sometimes. Mostly. Hell, that was her story and she’d stick to it until someone blasted her fucking happy bubble to smithereens.

  “Huh.” Sensory overload didn’t come close to describing the pandemonium she witnessed.

  Tatyana chuckled, but didn’t reply. She and Taty had formed a tight relationship. Well, tight-ish. Joy recognized Taty as a kindred soul. The ever-present reserved expression in Tatyana’s eyes was eerily familiar because it was reflected back in her mirror every morning.

  They’d both seen things, and done things, that most people couldn’t imagine or understand. She didn’t know the specifics of Tatyana’s past. Then again, she didn’t need to know and would never ask. Tatyana extended her the same courtesy. It was just nice to be able to sit quietly in the company of someone who had walked some of the same tainted paths she’d traversed.

  Traversed? No. Still traveled. As a Shadow, she still provided her services to Guardian. However, she was more selective in how she carried out those missions. She no longer put herself at risk unless it was absolutely necessary. She had a husband she loved, a safe home, and although nobody in her previous life would have believed it, friends. She even had a fucking dog that liked her.

  Several people she’d never seen before moved through the crowd. Which was plausible. During the last year, assignments for Guardian had consumed several months. Her work, and travelling to Arizona with Dixon, Drake, and Jillian, had kept her away from the Marshall ranch. Plus, she wasn’t exactly social. Her eyes tracked the unknown people as they mingled with the crowd.

  “That one, the one holding the star, who is she?” Joy motioned with her chin to the woman who’d been fishing in a box for quite some time. She straightened, smiled and handed off the tree topper to one of the King brothers. She hadn’t been introduced to him, but he was a King. Family resemblance ran strong.

  “Her name is Danielle; she goes by Dani. She and Justin were married this June in Tuscany. You were… away.”

  “Huh.” Yeah, all of June had been taken up on a mission. The longest single stretch she’d been away from the ranch this year. Dixon stayed at the ranch while everyone else traveled overseas for that wedding. He’d said he didn't want to go if she wasn't with him. She gave a mental shrug. Her husband was sentimental like that. Besides, it wasn’t like she didn’t hear about the wedding. Jillian had reported ever
y detail. Twice. She rolled her shoulders, trying to dislodge tension that resided between her shoulder blades.

  The Tuscany wedding must have been… crowded. It didn’t really bother her that she missed the gathering. That many people… This many people made her itch. However, she'd promised to love, honor, and cherish. Her eyes found Dixon, who suddenly darted after one of the older boys. The child’s shriek of laughter turned everyone’s heads. She watched as her man scooped up the boy and hung him upside down, tickling his belly. He would make a fantastic father someday. Now if she could just figure out how the hell to be a mother. She could do it. Dinner on the table and baths before bed. If she put her mind to it, she could decipher that shit. Probably. Maybe. Fuck…

  “Justin is the one with the restaurants.” Tatyana tacked on.

  She nodded. Yes, she’d heard the man was a business genius. He was also a stealthy motherfucker if the rumors were correct. Information extraction specialist, indeed. A thief by any other name is a still a thief. The man moved with presence, not as overtly dangerous as the others, but still, if she’d seen him on an assignment, he would trip her instincts as one who bore watching.

  She again scanned the people in the room. While a smile didn’t visibly form, a bubble of happiness appeared inside her and had taken up permanent residence. Anubis and Asp had found a home. Kaeden and Isaac. She reminded herself yet again of the name change. A group of men laughed along with Chief. Tatyana’s man was the overall director of Guardian’s complex. Chief’s eyes sought the darker corner where they sat. The endearing smile shared between Chief and Tatyana reinforced her opinion of the man. She liked Chief. His approach to communication mimicked hers. Talking just to talk wasted breath. She liked that he got it.

  Her newly-minted father-in-law was the best, though. She could sit with him for hours and just… be. She glanced at Frank Marshall. He’d lost some weight and wore his hair in a buzz cut now, but all-in-all he looked good. Strong. Thank goodness. Losing him would decimate this family. Frank and Amanda acted as the foundation that supported the melded families.

  Her eyes stopped at Fury. Alive, with a family. The concept was foreign and, for some reason, her brain couldn't connect those two dots. Not the fact that Fury had magically lived through that shit show in Mexico, but that he had a family. Yeah… no. Fury + family. Does not compute.

  One of the smaller children let out a frustrated wail, and her attention turned toward Faith, Archangel’s wife. She oozed maternal charm as she picked her baby son, Royce, out of the portable crib tucked in the opposite corner of the massive room. Archangel, her boss, assessed the situation before he continued his conversation with his brother Jared and Jared’s husband, Christian. A special memory involving those two brought a shadow of a smile to her lips.

  A young boy started doing summersaults, which resulted in a host of legs, arms, tumbles, and kids shouting for parents to “look”.

  “How many children do you think are in this house at this moment?” She’d tried to count, but the constant movement made it difficult and rather scary. She liked kids. Even wanted one, someday. One being the operative word.

  Tatyana chuckled. “It’s easy to do the math. I’ll list them; you count.”

  She chuckled, “I had to ask, didn’t I?” But she seriously wanted to know, because trying to count the little buggers was like trying to corral cats while a rabid Doberman chased them across a waxed floor. That shit wasn't going to happen

  “Yes, yes, you did. So, to begin. Jacob’s kids are Talon, Trace, Tanner, and Tristen. Jason and Faith have Reece and now Royce. Jared and Christian’s son, Marcus, is probably asleep upstairs. Keelee and Doc have Elizabeth. Kaeden and Skye's little girl is Kadey. Jasmine and Chad have Chloe. Joseph and Ember’s son, Blake, is over there. So, what is that? Ten or Eleven?”

  “Eleven.” Joy surveyed the room again. Yeah, no. She watched Jacob make his way through the crowd. Why was he wearing an oversized sweater? She glanced at the fireplace, which stretched across almost the entire back wall of the ranch house. It was warm in the house. Borderline tropical. Her eyes zeroed in on a slight bulge under his right arm. It was the wrong shape for a weapon, but he was hiding something. Not very well, but…

  Tatyana nudged her and nodded at Jacob. Yes, she and Taty had similar backgrounds. Moments like these validated that fact. They both tracked the big man and noticed when he caught Doc’s attention. Doc gave a subtle nod and bent back down to the ornament box. He placed the glass ball he’d extracted back in its cushioned container. Several minutes later, he slipped quietly through the crowd, and out of the room, following Jacob.

  Joy evaluated the scene. Fury, Anubis, ASP, and the crazy one, Jade, all noticed their departure. Archangel did too. None followed. She wanted to follow the men. The urge to trail them and find a place in the shadows to learn what was happening danced like ants on her skin.

  She glanced at Tatyana. The woman’s mouth ticked up in a tiny smile. Ahh… it would seem Taty wanted to know what was going on, too. “Any ideas?”

  “Something to do with presents, I assume. This family goes overboard. Last year there was a surprise wedding. We weren’t here, but I heard it was quite the event.” Tatyana’s eyes skimmed the crowd as she spoke.

  “Ah, yeah… there were several surprise weddings in the last year." Joy gulped, hard, and admitted, “I’ve never exchanged gifts for Christmas.” Stalk and kill a monster. No problem. Learn to be sociable? Working on it. Figure out family and the maternal thing? Meh… she was trying. But Christmas presents? Oh, fuck, no. What if she blew it? What if Dixon didn’t like what she’d done? She rolled her shoulders again. Seriously, when had she become that woman? The little wifey who worried about Christmas presents and another’s reaction to stupid emotional overtures. Her eyes traveled to her husband. A slow smile spread across her face. She knew exactly where and when she became that woman. About a week after she'd been assigned to watch over him. An assassin acting as a guardian angel. Instead, Dixon had saved her.

  “Chief and I exchange one small gift on Christmas Eve. I’ve never celebrated the holiday. Before he joined Guardian, he hadn’t either. The team he was part of exchanged a gift at Christmas. He said it was usually something like good whiskey. We agreed if we ever have a family, we would expand our tradition, but a simple gift, given from the heart, is enough for us. Of course, I bought a present for Frank and Amanda. They are Mike’s family.”

  Joy nodded in agreement. Frank had officially adopted Dixon and Drake. Frank and Mike had a special relationship, too, although the dynamics were a bit different. Thank-fucking-fully Dixon had taken the gift buying lead for Frank and Amanda. Hell, she could have done up one beauty of a care package. Throwing stars, knives, a vial of poison—you know, simple things from the heart. Yeah, that would have gone over well. Or not. Fuck, she had no clue, so when Jillian had come to her with an idea, she jumped on it. She hoped like hell the whole... thing... didn't backfire. There was a very real possibility of a massive back draft, but it was too late now. The wheels were in motion. Literally.

  Stacks of brightly wrapped gifts already sat along the far wall of the room out of the way of the controlled chaos. This family really got into the Santa mode. Amanda, Jasmine, and Jewell entered carrying trays laden with Christmas goodies. Jasmine effectively led the small horde of children to a low table erected for the holiday. It was remarkable how well behaved those kids acted. Talon and Reese, the oldest of the gaggle, took charge of the younger children, marshaling them onto pillows scattered around the table. Jasmine ensured everyone had a cookie, sippy cup, or drink. It took a special person to be able to wrangle that many kids. She made a mental note to scrutinize Jasmine and Miss Amanda when they were around the children. Reconnaissance was key if she wanted to figure the parental thing out. She surveilled the room. Tori and her sister would be other legitimate sources of information. The effortless way they handled all of the demands, questions, and needs of the little humans was amazing. The crazy o
ne? No need to observe her. That sister, well, she understood and sympathized with that one, immediately. Jade was more like her then the other women. One on one, they could handle a kid... for the most part. More than that, and they both looked for a parental unit. One kid, that was cool, almost manageable. Two? That stretched her nerves way too tight. Recognition of her limitations… it was a thing.

  Dixon and Chief sauntered over to their corner, each holding two cups. Ah, the spiked hot cider. She’d heard about the beverage and was looking forward to trying it. She smiled and let her eyes appreciate her husband. She liked the way Quick Draw moved. He’d worked his way up to a nine on her sex scale last night. He was inventive, and wow, did he have stamina–she’d give him that.

  She accepted the steaming mug and a kiss before she glanced at the door from which Jacob and Adam had left.

  "What are you doing?" Dixon sat down beside her and pulled her into his side.

  "Watching."

  "Anything in particular?" He turned his head to scope out the angle of her stare.

  "Jacob and Adam."

  "Oh. Why?"

  She sipped the steaming cup of spiced, and obviously spiked, cider. "Damn, that's good."

  "Yep. Why?" Dixon popped the question again.

  She recited the peculiarities, "Bulky sweater, bulge under his right arm. Not a conventional weapon, more of a box shape."

  Dixon took a sip of his cider. "Huh. Probably trying to sneak Tori's present upstairs."

  "Told you." Taty whispered.

  "That hallway leads to the kitchen, Frank's den, and a back stairway to the upstairs." Dixon tipped his head toward the door she was watching.