Duty & Death (Foster Family Book 3) Read online

  Duty & Death

  Foster Family #3

  Zavi James

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Epilogue

  Join The Family

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Mia

  Luc’s coffee cooled on the kitchen island as he soothed Link in his arms. Our cub exercised his lungs for most of the morning but had finally found some peace, rocked by his dad. Cerb followed Luc around the kitchen, brushing against his legs, making Luc cautious with every step he took. He carried the most precious cargo he’d ever been gifted with.

  “I don’t have to go,” I said, breaking the peaceful scene and walking towards them. “I’d much rather spend the day with the both of you.” Abandoning Luc, Cerb padded over to me and I scratched behind his ears. Our first baby still preferred me over Luc.

  Luc looked up and quirked an eyebrow. “And have Katia corner me about keeping you from wedding planning?” he asked as I straightened up. His free arm came around my waist and pulled me against his body. I leaned against him, peeking down at Link who yawned, tired from his tantrum. It had been wishful thinking that Link might have grown up with a gentle temperament when Luc and I both had a fiery streak. “There are easier ways to kill me, Mia,” Luc informed me before brushing his lips against mine.

  “Don’t even joke,” I said, resting my head against his chest. Luc, Link and Cerb were the ones that had kept me grounded. In the moments that I felt like I was losing myself, when the guilt became all consuming, I looked to my family and reminded myself that they were my reason to keep pushing through.

  “I’m not going anywhere, princess,” Luc told me, placing another kiss on the top of my head.

  “Morning!” Dante’s voice boomed through the house as he entered our kitchen. “Boss,” he addressed me. “Lurch was hanging around outside so I let him in, but say the word and I can toss him out again.”

  Franco took up the doorway to the kitchen, glaring at Dante’s back. No matter how much I’d have loved to have lost my surly shadow, he was a safer bet with us rather than back under Gabe’s thumb.

  “Are you ready?” he asked me sharply.

  I peeled myself away from Luc, but he caught my hand, pulling me back to him for a kiss. Never satisfied and always impatient, Luc could have had his own tagline. “Enjoy yourself,” he muttered against my lips. “I don’t want you worrying about Link.”

  “Behave yourself and I won’t,” I shot back. I placed a gentle kiss on Link’s forehead so as not to wake him from the nap he’d decided to take.

  “You go pick up something sexy that will help expand the family and let the boys be boys,” Dante said, biting into a pastry and sending crumbs down his shirt that he brushed off onto the floor without a second thought.

  My cheeks burnt as I shot him the middle finger. Franco moved aside to let me out of the kitchen, and I picked my bag up from the hallway. “Dom!” I called out. “We’re leaving now.”

  A few moments later, he appeared, dressed head-to-toe in black, to match Franco. There had been a slight shift in our dynamic, courtesy of Luc promoting Dom from handyman to security detail. A job he was more than qualified for. Our friendship played second to his new role. Dom was one of us and deeply trusted, and Luc had made it crystal clear that his life wouldn’t be worth living if anything happened to me. When I asked what Rodrigo had thought about it all, Dom simply replied with, “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” His husband had been discreetly left out of the loop where it was safest.

  Dom’s presence had eased my concerns over Franco. I still didn’t trust him, and he still hadn’t thawed towards me. My entire existence felt like it was beneath him.

  A thirty-minute drive into the city led us to a string of boutiques, one of which had Katia and Rosalie standing outside. I had debated on asking Vittoria to join us but after the revelation on New Year’s Eve, I felt uncertain around her. Dante had barely said a word on the matter, but Luc and I felt the same. She had known Xavier was leaving and made a point of not mentioning a word to Dante. It had made us question her loyalty and with that in mind, I’d fallen on the other women I’d grown close to.

  “I thought you were joking,” I said, flushing red for the second time that morning as I exchanged kisses with the pair.

  “Wedding night is just as important as the day,” Katia said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. She then looked past me with a wicked grin and added, “Don’t you agree, Franco?”

  Looking over my shoulder, I watched as he turned a violent shade of red, reminiscent of a beetroot. I didn’t think embarrassment was a feeling that registered on his emotional scale but apparently it was there and coaxed out by the mention of a passionate night and lingerie shopping.

  We walked into the store, Franco and Dom deciding that they would wait outside as we browsed. My fingers brushed against satin, silk and lace, savouring the textures against my skin. Bustiers, stockings and garters surrounded us, all designed intricately with the aim of making a bride as appetising as possible on her wedding night. My mind wandered back to the days before Luc and I had established what we were, just before Dom’s wedding when he’d tried to embarrass me when a retail assistant had asked if we were getting married. Who’d have thought that playful teasing would become a reality?

  “You should get something that matches your dress, Mia,” Rosalie said, looking over to me. In her hands was a beaded corset, cream with pale pink detailing and lace along the back to cinch the waist. I couldn’t help but think what a waste it would be to buy something so beautiful. Luc wouldn’t have the patience to unwrap me carefully. Enough of my clothes had met their maker, thanks to his primal desires. The thought made my cheeks heat again.

  “Have you decided on a design?” Katia asked.

  “We’ve barely started,” I admitted, groaning internally.

  “You must have some idea,” she said, eyes wide. “Every girl dreams of her wedding day.”

  Even if I had, my dreams had been a far cry from everything it was becoming. Having a gown designed for me had never once crossed my mind and yet that was what would happen. Certain parameters had already been put in place. Luc had told me that I could have flamingos as ushers for all he cared. His only request was that the service be held at the church so that my dress would have no deep cuts and seductively plunging necklines. I’d be in something more modest for the service as I played the role of a virgin bride. That wasn’t the reason I was dragging my feet with sending ideas over to the designer. It was the exorbitant price tag on a dre
ss that I’d wear for a single day.

  “Maybe we should go dress shopping. You could try some things on and see what you like. It might help,” Rosalie suggested.

  “Brilliant idea!” Katia beamed. “How are you fixed for the weekend?”

  “I’m free,” I told them both. My social calendar had been kept clear on purpose after Xavier’s unexpected business trip and the business with Amber. It felt safer to be at home. Less reckless than flaunting myself in public. This was my first outing since New Year’s Eve and the Amber incident.

  We wrapped up at the store, deciding against picking up anything until I’d settled on a dress design, and made a pitstop for brunch at a café.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t ask Tori to join us,” Rosalie said after the server had left us. “You guys are close.”

  The panic began to rise in my chest, but Katia cut in before I needed an excuse. “She’s probably busy trying to get Chastity up to speed.”

  “What’s she like?” I asked, hoping we could steer away from the fact that Vittoria was absent. “I saw her with Gabe after Christmas, but I didn’t get the chance to speak to her.” Chas had disappeared along with Gabe and I hadn’t seen either of them at the ball.

  The conversation took a momentary pause as coffee was brought to the table. Once we were left alone again, Rosalie’s tone was hushed as she said, “Chas is a little... strange.” She settled on a word eventually.

  “She’s a Perkins. Strange is a kind way of putting it.” Katia scoffed.

  “You’ll have to fill me in,” I said, taking a drink from my cappuccino. My dependence on coffee had significantly increased since becoming a mother. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of being introduced to the family.”

  “No surprise.” Katia surveyed me over the top of her latte. “Luc’s not going to want you anywhere near that mess.”

  My brow furrowed in confusion, and Rosalie clarified for me. “Silas murdered his wife when Chas was just a kid.”

  I felt like I might be sick at the revelation. “That can’t be true.”

  “She’s not here anymore, God rest her soul,” Katia said. “He was never convicted but let’s face it, we’re not known for doing a messy job. Chas has been flighty ever since. Everyone thinks college was her way of getting away from him for a bit.”

  If that was the case, then why had Chas thrown herself into the thick of it with Gabriel? She may not have known that he was about to slip into the top spot, but Chas would have known the Moretti name. In a search for answers, I’d come up with more questions.

  “I’m surprised Gabe brought her into the fold considering her family history,” Katia mused. “No one will do business with a Perkins anymore. No invites. No visits. Silas stopped coming to church. As if anything would be able to save his soul.”

  “Katia,” Rosalie hissed, but Katia just shrugged her shoulders.

  “I’m sure Gabe has his reasons,” I muttered, taking another drink.

  “Whatever the reasons, let’s just leave them to it.” Rosalie pushed the conversation away from Chas and her family, less eager to revel in gossip than Katia.

  Coffee drained and my tolerance for socialising well and truly maxed out, I watched as they both left me. Katia planted a kiss on both of my cheeks before walking away with a wiggle of her slender fingers.

  “Ready to go?” Dom asked, coming over to the table.

  “Mhm.” I hummed, fully prepared to head home to Luc, Link and whatever mess they’d caused. “Let me just grab the bill.”

  Once it was settled, I joined Dom and Franco at the front of the café. Through the glass pane of the door, I could see that the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Rain came down in large, fat droplets, bouncing off the sidewalk and people hurried to find cover. January was in an awful mood and I craved the milder, better behaved summer months.

  As I opened up my bag, Dom said, “I’ll bring the car around.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, looking up at him while my hand searched for an umbrella I was sure I’d packed. “You’ll get soaked.”

  “I’ll be five minutes. Are you good to stay with Franco?”

  I nodded my head and Dom opened the door to the café, inviting in the bitter January weather before running off down the street.

  My hand hit the umbrella at the bottom of my bag. Plucking it out, I wrenched open the door to call after Dom so he could try and save himself from becoming completely drenched.

  “Mia,” Franco warned me. His steps were on my heels as we left the shelter and warmth and stepped out onto the street.

  The rain hit my skin and made me shiver. Dom’s stride hadn’t rounded the corner yet and I called his name. “Dom!” He turned around and I waved the umbrella at him. Dom shot me a smile and walked back towards me. As I went to extend the umbrella, a shot rang clear and the glass panel in the door we’d just walked through shattered from the impact.

  “Mia!” Dom’s cry was clear over the traffic and the panic that erupted from people nearby.

  Another shot cut through the noise, I was shoved roughly, and my body slammed against the concrete, umbrella straying from my hand as pain consumed me. Dom’s feet came into view and I pushed myself to look at him, panic coiling itself in my chest. “Are you okay?” I asked him. He nodded his head, and I turned my attention to Franco to check on him, and my blood ran cold.

  Franco was doubled over, leaning against the brick wall of the building, hands clasped over the side of his abdomen. From the floor, I watched as he peeled his hands away from himself to reveal the unmistakable red stains of blood.

  Chapter Two

  Lucas

  Mia had been reluctant to leave for the shopping trip. She’d barely spent any time away from Link since he was born, but it would be good for her to spend time with friends. In quiet moments, I’d caught her almost drifting away from us, tangled in her thoughts about our current predicament. She worried enough for all of us, and I hoped that some company and wedding planning would give her something else to focus her attention on. Something that would bring the glow back to my ray of sunshine.

  The moment Dom’s name appeared on the screen of my phone I felt the world drop away from beneath me. There would be no reason for him to call me unless something was wrong. I’d hardly heard the explanation, blood thundering in my ears as I grabbed my keys and took Link to the car. Dante’s questions were left unanswered as he followed us blindly to the hospital.

  It was only the sight of Mia, sitting on the hospital bed, looking paler than usual that brought my heart from my throat back into my chest. My muscles refused to uncoil as I took up my position by her side, leaving little space. Personal bubbles be fucked.

  “I’m fine,” she said, looking up at me as the doctor continued her assessment. She blinked rapidly to rid herself of the tears that built, choking out, “Franco—”

  “Will be fine,” I told her firmly. Link wriggled in my arms as if he sensed all the discomfort in the room. “You focus on yourself.”

  She didn’t argue, letting the doctor finish their work. Nothing more than some nasty bruising on her wrists where she’d met the sidewalk. I was amazed and relieved that she’d walked away from the incident relatively unscathed.

  “You told them everything?” I asked as she slipped from the bed and held her arms out for our son. Handing Link over, Mia buried her face against his, taking in a deep breath. My hand rested on the small of her back, needing her close by, and she trembled under my touch. “Mia.”

  “I’m fine. I promise.”

  Physically, I had no doubt, but this had shaken her, and I was determined to find out who took the shot. From everything Dom told me, it was no accident. I had a pretty good idea of just who would have orchestrated a job like this one. Only one family would be out to get Mia and aim for her as a direct target.

  “We’re getting you home.”

  She nodded and let me lead her from the room. As we exited, Dante pushed himself away from th
e wall he leaned against, looking up momentarily from his phone. “No lasting damage?” he asked, taking her in.

  "Take Mia home," I instructed him, keeping up my pace. “And I want everything that you and Dom can find on who was around the area when it happened.”

  "Where are you going?" Mia asked, practically jogging with Link to keep up with me as I continued to stride down the hallway.

  "Paying Gabriel a visit."

  “I’m coming with you,” she told me.

  I rounded on her so quickly that she had to stop herself from bumping into me. Mia’s fire was admirable. She never quite knew when to quit, and it was equal parts frustrating and fascinating. This tiny woman sometimes unleashed an attitude that made you think she was a foot taller and several pounds heavier than she was. Usually, I’d indulge her, let her push the boundaries because I was curious to know how far she could go but not this time. There wasn’t time for her to test the waters when it had been her life on the line.

  “Luc,” Dante warned me gently, sensing my mood. He wanted to keep this contained while we were in public.

  My hand went to the back of Mia’s neck, keeping my anger pressed down so as not to hurt her. She took two small steps towards me and I leaned down as I spoke to her. “Dante is going to take you home,” I said, voice dangerously low. “And I’m going to do my job.” I hadn’t been this close to the wire with her since she’d first moved into the house. Mia held my gaze and my patience teetered on the edge. If she was about to argue with me then she had picked the wrong battle.

  I could almost see the cogs turning as her brain ticked over the bind she found herself in. Mia worked in a different way from the rest of us. For every ounce of brawn and uninhibited sliver of darkness we allowed to consume us, Mia was quicker and sharper in mind. Where I was reactive, she was restrained. She was trying to find a way to stop me from confronting Gabe. Anything that would keep me with her and stop the situation from escalating any further. “You have no proof,” she said eventually.

  That small sentence spiked my rage. As if I gave a shit about concrete evidence. “You want to tell me who else would pull a stunt like this?” Even if there was a list, there was a sure bet as to which family would top it.