Chapter 5

Ten minutes later Chrissy emerged from the elevator with Braedon and Nicholas to find Nate, Eli and Daniel waiting for them. As they approached them Chrissy turned to Braedon, “Who’s with Kasey?”

“Ewan stopped by and decided to stay with her while she has her final fitting. They were catching up and talking family when I left.”

Nicolas smiled then, “I also asked Christian and Trae to stand guard.”

Chrissy smiled, “I’m so happy Kase found her family it must be nice to have that.”

Nicolas quietly moved closer to her, wanting… needing to have her by his side. The others noticed and moved strategically so that she was between both their leaders as they exited the building.

The guy’s were in a good mood probably excited about the upcoming wedding. Their ‘happy’ lasted right up until they arrived at the tailors and they realised why they were there. Chrissy grinned at these big hunky macho men being poked and prodded and at times stuck with pins by the tailor.

The tailor was in seventh heaven having so many ‘god like’ bodies to work on and complimented each man on their physique and embarrassing the hell out of them. Chrissy rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh at just how awkward they all looked. She was so enjoying herself!

They took a break for lunch and Braedon made a few calls checking in with Jacob and keeping him up to speed on the situation in Sydney. Chrissy missed Jacob he was one of the good guys and Chrissy knew he’d stayed close to Kasey after she was shot. He’d worried about her as much as she had.

Nicolas didn’t push Chrissy about their being mates, something she was extremely grateful for. She was no way near ready to contemplate what being his mate would mean. Knowing about his world, about Kasey’s world was one thing but having to become a part of it was another. So she concentrated on finalising things for the wedding and refused to get into any kind of deep and meaningful with anyone.

Nicolas seemed back to himself, so Eli stepped down and let things be as they should. He was pleased to help short lived as it was but more pleased to see that Nicolas was able to retake the reins. The only time he saw Nicolas get edgy was when he was being fitted for his suit and Chrissy was surrounded by Enforcers. He gave an impression of calm though and tried not to let her see that he was not happy that she was enjoying their company.

At one stage Nicolas caught Chrissy looking at him a scowl on her face and realised that she was now able to sense a great deal about how he was feeling. He smiled at her apologetically and Eli, Nate and Daniel had to turn away so he wouldn’t see the laugher in their eyes. Even Braedon had to hide a smile or two at the way his brother was behaving.

Nicolas was not happy about the situation; he was used to being in control not just of himself but of many others. And here he was worried sick he might offend this slip of a girl that had somehow captured his heart.

That night Chrissy had dinner with Nicolas, Kasey and Braedon. She liked getting dressed up for dinner but was glad when she could go back to her room and kick her shoes off. As she entered her room she felt more than heard Nicolas follow her in. She turned and with her hands on her hips commenced to stare him down.

“There is no way you’re staying here tonight! You might have gotten away with it last night but that’s only because I was unconscious.” She could see he was about to tell her every reason he could come up with to support his staying with her but she smiled at him and he couldn’t manage to find his voice.

“I’ll be fine Nicolas; I’m sure there will be several of you guys haunting the hallways making sure of that. Besides you won’t be too far away and I can call to Kasey if I need help.”

He didn’t like it but she was right, “If you need anything Chrissy don’t hesitate to call me.”

She noticed he didn’t say call ‘us’, “So if I get hungry in the middle of the night you’ll go get me a burger huh?” she grinned letting him know she was teasing. This seemed to settle him some and when he left the room she was both relieved and a little lonesome for him.

Next morning everyone seemed to be up early. Chrissy had a feeling something was up and kept an ear open just in case. About half way through breakfast she heard Braedon mention Warwick’s name and her ears pricked up.

She looked at Braedon who ignored her then turned to Nicolas and keeping her eyes on him spoke to her friend, “Kase do you know what’s going on?” Kasey looked at her mate then at Nicolas and waited with Chrissy for an answer.

“I told you she’d find out,” laughed Braedon, “just tell her and deal with it.”

Chrissy waited not taking her eyes off Nicolas; she could see out of the corner of her eye that Braedon was trying hard not to grin at his brother. Finally Nicolas sighed ran a hand through his hair and turned to her.

“We’ve organised to meet with Warwick Drew later this morning. We have offices in the city and Braedon and I will speak with him regarding why he suddenly wishes to be reunited with his niece.”

Kasey spoke up not caring which one answered because she was miffed with them both, “I’ll be attending that meeting and now that Chrissy knows about it she will be as well!”

You made me a promise mate! You said you’d keep me in the loop, he is family and even if I don’t want anything to do with him I have a right to be there. And so does Chrissy after the way he treated her.

She glared at Braedon, daring him to try and prevent her from attending the meeting and she knew he would have if he thought he could get away with it. He would have argued with her, telling her he wanted to suss the man out first. He would have enjoyed the bantering back and forth knowing Kasey would eventually see he needed to see to her safety.

But he also realised that Kasey was right, she did have a right to be there and that was probably the only reason he caved.  “You will follow my lead at all times,” he turned to Chrissy, “both of you. Is that clear!” they both nodded in agreement and grabbed each other’s hands under the table in support.

Nicolas scowled and Chrissy sighed, “Nicky if you keep doing that you’re going to get wrinkles.” The look on his face was priceless! Braedon burst out laughing and tried to hide it by having a supposed coughing fit and Kasey hid her face in her napkin. Chrissy had a feeling a few other Were’s in the room were doing similar cover ups but she ignored them all.

She reached up and touched his face wanting to smooth out the scowl, he took one look at her and the scowl disappeared. She stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before grabbing Kasey’s hand and dragging her back to their suites, “What do you wear to this kind of meeting anyway? You’ll have to help me decide… do we have time to go shopping first?”

Nicolas rested his elbows on the table, put his face into his hands and shook his head from side to side, “Brae what the hell am I going to do?”

Braedon stood and gave him a manly slap on the shoulder, “You get used to it brother because you will soon realise you have no other choice.” Then he too left stating he had calls to make.

Nicolas sat there for a few minutes trying to get his thoughts in order before he went about his day. Then he suddenly realised that Chrissy had kissed him, he couldn’t help it he grinned from ear to ear. He sat there for a few more minutes enjoying the knowledge that his mate had indeed kissed him then sighed and thought about all he needed to do. He had to speak with David Benning to ensure everything was finalised for the meeting with Drew especially now he had the added worry of having both women there.

When Braedon got to his suite he called Jacob to see what news he had. He’d had a check done on Kasey’s family some time ago and didn’t like the way they did business or how they used family members to get what they wanted so both his and Nicolas’s concerns were valid.

“Jacob, how goes everything at the Compound?”

“All is well Brae things have been finalised and the ink is drying as we speak!”

“How did you manage that?”

“A breakfast meeting in that little café near the new gym. It has a very good breakfast menu and the coffee is almost as good as Henry’s. Shall I fax a copy of the contract to you?”

Braedon laughed, “Thank you Jacob. We’re meeting with Kasey’s Uncle this morning and I wanted things in place before then, fax a copy to David’s office. Though I dare say the man will have his own people keeping an eye on things. He may already know but I’m hoping not.”

He hung up feeling a great deal better about going into the meeting, he checked the time on his phone and spoke silently to Kasey, Kitten it’s almost time to leave are you both ready?

Yes, she responded, we’ll be out in a minute.

The drive to David’s office took a little longer than expected due to traffic and when they arrived Chrissy seemed a little quieter than usual, “Chrissy?” asked Kasey.

“Umm is there somewhere I can wait and maybe hear what happens in the meeting without actually being part of it?”

Eli who was familiar with the layout of the office spoke, “There’s a small room off the boardroom Chrissy could wait there and will be able to hear what takes place. He won’t know she’s there if she remains quiet.”

Both Braedon and Nicolas nodded and Chrissy was quietly whisked off to the room Eli had mentioned. Braedon, Kasey and Nicolas moved towards the boardroom Eli, Daniel and Nate following then positioning themselves around the room.

A few minutes later a young woman entered the room to inform them that Mr Drew had arrived. Braedon asked her to show him in and she left to do so. She returned and was about to enter the room when the man abruptly pushed past her seeming to want to be in the lead.

There were a few low growls at the way he had treated this woman but a look from their Alpha quietened their reactions. Warwick moved directly to Braedon without hesitation, something that didn’t sit well with Nicolas.

As the man entered the room Braedon stood to put himself between him and his mate. He needn’t have been concerned though as the man totally ignored Kasey and moved directly to him. This felt wrong he was Kasey’s Uncle and he hadn’t even looked her way.

Warwick held out a hand a fake smile on his face. Braedon sighed, If only the fool knew I sensed his tension. That I know he’s not what he’s trying to give the impression of being.

They shook hands and made their introductions before sitting. Kasey remained seated taking in her Uncle and his behaviour. When he looked across the table and saw Kasey he seemed almost surprised, became somewhat flustered and didn’t quite know what to say.

“Kasey I… I wasn’t sure if you’d be here. I expected to be meeting only with your fiancé then perhaps with you at another time.”

He smiled and tried to give the impression he was in control. “It is of course wonderful to finally meet you.” He remained seated not offering his hand or wanting any physical contact with her at all. And this was her Uncle?

Kasey looked at him in a noncommittal way, “Why do you want to meet with me after all this time?”

He looked at Braedon and everyone could see he didn’t want to have this conversation. “We truly had no idea you were even out there my dear, if we had we would have welcomed you into our home. As it is my parents wish to give you a wedding gift to welcome you back into the fold.”

Kasey raised a brow and waited to see if he had anything else to say, “My parents have had a great deal to do with the church and would like to arrange for your wedding to take place at St Mary’s Cathedral. From what I’ve been told most women dream of being married there. I need only call with a date and it will be arranged.”

He smiled at everyone but Kasey saw the smugness behind it. He and the rest of his family were trying to buy her into the family and giving her St Mary’s Cathedral was their way of telling her they had a certain amount of power.

“Kitten is this true, would you rather the Cathedral?”

“No Braedon, I’m perfectly happy with the church we’ve already picked.” She turned to her Uncle, “Thank you for your generous offer but it’s not necessary.”

He didn’t look too happy with Kasey’s rejection but nodded and remained silent as if gathering his thoughts. “I am here on behave of the family to welcome you both to the family and to also discuss a possible business alliance. We have been in negotiations regarding a good sized piece of property up north. As it turns out it sits right along one side of the land you already own.”

“The area you speak of also backs into the national park, its rain forest and is home to several species indigenous to the area; some of which are on the endangered species list.” Braedon looked at man. “The land is no longer available Mr Drew.”

Drew sat forward surprised at what he’d heard, “What do you mean its unavailable our lawyers are meeting to finalise contracts this afternoon?”

Braedon ignored the man and as if on cue the young woman who had showed Drew into the room handed him a manila folder. They all knew Drew wasn’t there for Kasey he was there on family business. Kasey was a means of obtaining a foothold in the community they intended to buy into. They had no interest in Kasey other than that.

Braedon took Kasey’s hand he could feel her sadness at finally seeing for herself that her mother’s family didn’t really want to know her. She sighed, it’s okay Brae let’s just get this over with so we can go. He gave her a slight nod.

“Kitten I’ve yet to give you your wedding gift and I believe you will be happy with my choice. I know how much you love living up north and how you have been concerned about too much forest being cleared for development.”

He paused for effect and looked not at Kasey but at Drew. He opened the folder in front of him and handed her the fax that Jacob had sent them. “I have had Jacob working overtime and he was able to secure the land that your Uncle mentioned. It is yours kitten to do with as you wish.”

Kasey took the fax and pretended to read it carefully then hugged him, “Braedon thank you so much. This is the best gift you could have given me!” she hugged him and gave him a kiss, “I’ll thank you properly later okay,” then she blushed before turning to look at her Uncle.

Warwick had a stunned expression on his face and all the colour seemed to drain from his cheeks. He looked from one to the other not quite sure what to say so sat quietly hoping Braedon would tell him he was pulling his leg.

Braedon smiled at his little mate then turned back to Warwick, “As you can see the property you spoke of is no longer available. It will be held in trust by Kasey and passed on to our children with specific instructions that it is not to be developed.”

Warwick looked around the room trying to stay calm and controlled. He saw the men standing in the background and recognises at least two of them, “She put you up to this didn’t she! That bitch would say anything to get back at me for dumping her!” he shook his head his face getting red with anger, “I swear to god when I get hold of her…”

Kasey stood; she’d had enough of this man who was supposed to be her family. She would not sit quietly and let him talk about Chrissy the way he was, “If you are referring to Chrissy then you are mistaken. There was no need for her to tell us anything. Your reputation unfortunately or perhaps fortunately for us, precedes you.

And just so you know Chrissy is more than a friend, she’s family so if and I do mean ‘if’ you and your family ever expect to have any kind of relationship with me or mine then you had better keep that in mind!”

Every man in the room stood rigidly waiting for Warwick to apologise. Braedon put an arm around Kasey and he could feel her relax slightly. They waited all watching the man seated opposite them.

Warwick was fuming not only did he not get what he wanted, an alliance between his illegitimate niece and her wealthy husband; he now had to deal with the mess his anger had created. He had no idea Chrissy was so close to these people. He sighed and got to his feet.

“Kasey I apologise for my outburst it was said in anger. You see we… that is our family was depending on obtaining that piece of land. Chrissy and I had dated a few times and she wasn’t too happy when I ended it. I thought perhaps she may have said something to make you believe I am less that trustworthy.”

Kasey shook her head and laughed and not in a happy way. She looked up at Braedon to reassure him that she was alright, “As I said your reputation preceded you ‘Uncle’! I doubt there will be any chance of a business alliance. That is all you and ‘your’ family wanted isn’t it!”

He knew he’d screwed up and badly but he was a Drew he would regroup and go after what he wanted. But for now he would walk away and let them believe they had won. He turned to Braedon ignoring Kasey, “It would seem our meeting has come to an end,” then he turned and left never once looking at his niece.

Braedon turned Kasey to him and as he lifted her head he wiped away a stray tear. That she was able to shed even a single tear for the loss of the imbecile that had just left showed how big her heart was. He held her close and a moment later Chrissy was pulling her away from Braedon and into her arms.

“Kase I’m so sorry. That man has no sense of what a real family should be and it’s his loss not knowing you.” She hugged her tight and both ended up shedding a few tears before they turned to face the others.

Braedon led Kasey out of the room and towards the elevator, Chrissy hung back needing a little space and not exactly sure why. She walked over to the windows and looked out at the city and its people. This was her home, well a very small part of it was, but the city belonged to everyone and it was people like the Drew’s that made her feel ashamed that she either hadn’t or couldn’t do something to prevent them from hurting her best friend.

She lowered her head feeling tears close not wanting anyone to see her but just then she felt strong arms surround her and in seconds she was pulled into them and held close.

“This was not your fault Chrissy. That man and his family don’t deserve to have either of you in their lives. Kasey knew this was the likely outcome. She’s strong Chrissy, she might be upset for a while, but she’ll be fine.”

“Nicolas,” she began without turning to look at him, “I… I umm…”

“I know little one, I know. He was saying whatever he could to make us believe he was the injured party not you. Just promise me one thing and if you promise you had better not break it.”

Chrissy turned to him curious at what he’d said. There was anger in his voice but she sense it wasn’t aimed at her. “Promise me you will never seek him out, that you will never speak to him unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

She looked at him closely and saw fear in his eyes. He knew the kind of man Warwick was, knew that he may well be capable of harming her given half a chance. It scared her to see Nicolas this way.

“I promise Nicolas, I won’t ever go looking for him. I don’t want anything to do with him. The bastard can rot in hell for all I care!”

“Good,” he all but whispered in her ear. “Come they will be waiting for us.” They made their way to the others and were soon on their way back to the hotel.