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Renee laughed and Max did too, but she turned back to him, putting a hand up. You don t get to
laugh. You re in big trouble with me right now. However, we ll table this for the time being because
it s vulgar to fight at the dinner table in front of others.
I didn t do anything wrong. We wanted to be sure, totally sure, before we said anything. I don t
want to see that look in your eyes any more often than is necessary. Max took her hand and while
she considered punching him, she chose not to. For the moment. Big, dumb butthead was being
sweet, even as he was being a pushy, bossy jerk. They ve hurt you both so much. I hate that. And I
hate that you have to finish this to get closure. But I know you do and I m right with you. You can t
ask me to not try and spare you more pain. I can t not protect your heart.
She let out a long breath, because she was totally defenseless against him. He cared about her and
risked her anger to protect her. Even though she knew it wouldn t do to let him get away with this
sort of thing, it still touched her. Did you practice that in front of the mirror?
He risked a smile, kissing her knuckles. It s the truth. I d die to protect you from the tears I see in
your eyes every time the subject comes up.
You re absurdly good at getting out of trouble, she muttered before kissing him. No wonder
you re a lawyer.
Renee was having her own heated discussion with Jack and Galen so Kendra took Max s jaw in her
hand, holding him in place. No more. I accept that you re nosy and pushy and in my business. I ac-
cept that you want to protect me and it means everything. This happened to me. To my mother and
my sister. I need to see it end. I need to be part of that. Keeping me away from it doesn t help the
way you think it does. It makes me feel out of control and I really need control here. It s the only
way I can manage to get through it.
She saw it in his eyes, when he d understood exactly why he had to share this sort of thing with her.
His sorrow that he d missed it. And his resolution to tell her. Oh, he d do this sort of thing again, it
was who he was. But on this particular issue, he d share everything. And what more could a girl ask
for from an alpha cat?
All this arguing is ruining my appetite so I think we should eat instead of fight. She looked to Re-
nee. Her sister had come through some rough times and Kendra hated that anything else would mar
the happily-ever-after she d achieved with her two men.
From now on, you will share with Kendra and me whenever you receive new information about
this situation. There was no question in Renee s statement and the men all nodded, agreeing. Fine.
Let s eat.
Gibson filled them in on the investigation. The information about the positive link had truly been
the only thing he d not told her, but it felt better to hear him lay it all out, complete with details
about her father s movements. What they d found, where they d found it and what it meant. He was
careful and methodical, not drawing any conclusions unless the evidence merited it.
You re telling me our father and his wife are working with the mages to steal magic. Specifically
the ones who ve targeted Renee and now me. Kendra sipped her coffee and thought.
Gibson nodded slowly. Yes. And they ve been a unit for quite a long time. From what we can put
together, your father and Susan have been together, at least working together, since the year Kendra
was born. Your mother may have been sure then and that s why she took you to your aunt s. Or she
just suspected but couldn t break away herself so she snuck you out.
Kendra tried not to dwell on it just then. She had a job to do. Mary told me about this magick, con-
cealment and protection magick for one person on behalf of another. If that s what my mother did, it
might have been that she stayed in place to make a sacrifice strong enough to keep me hidden and
Renee safe. It s just conjecture at this point, but the way everything happened doesn t make a whole
lot of sense so it s not that much crazier to think that. And it had felt true when they d discussed it.
That may be it. Gibson smiled briefly before continuing. We managed to uncover their trail.
From Gilroy to Santa Fe, where your stepmother read palms and ran crystal-healing seminars.
Kendra growled. She probably fleeced those who had true power, stealing their energies like a
pickpocket.
We ve found an arrest. A group of women filed assault charges against her. Said she d physically
harmed them during a reading. They let her go, but only after a full day in jail. My contacts in Santa
Fe tell me there d been a lot of suspicion toward Susan and your father the whole time you lived
there.
I can t believe I don t remember that. I have had dreams of deserts and mountains, but that s a
common dreamscape so who knows. Renee spooned up some of Amor s delicious meatball soup.
Your memories are beginning to fill in slowly. You ll get it all back, though I wish we could scrub
out the bad stuff first. Jack squeezed her hand.
Then they lived in New Orleans for a year, same sort of story, only this time they were run out of
town. I ve got investigators down there, seeing if we can t connect up with some of these mages.
Perhaps they d have a reason to give us information if they thought it might hurt your father.
Be careful, Gibson. I think it s important not to let these mages know how much power you have.
I d prefer it if you d keep your distance and let humans deal with the mages when you re poking
around.
I take the safety of my people seriously. When you brought up the possible risks, I spoke to them
about it to be sure they re using local law enforcement and other shifters to get the info to stay out
of the picture the best they can. I agree that it s best to keep how much magick we have on the down
low until you figure out how to handle this problem.
Kendra nodded. Thank you. So after New Orleans?
El Paso, Little Rock, and finally Boston where she opened her shop.
I imagine she s stolen magick and life essence from thousands over the years.
She s killed for it. Renee spoke, putting her spoon down. I know this, I saw it in her. Have al-
ways seen it in her. Not just our mother, but others.
Galen s cat shone in his eyes a moment. She wanted to kill you, and there s no reason for us not to
believe she wasn t part of selling you out to these other mages. Either way, she ll be dealt with.
They can t hide from wolves and cats. Not for long.
When we find them, we ll deal with them and end this threat.
And then she could truly begin her life. Free of the shadow her father had cast on her life for as long
as she could recall.
Revelation: De La Vega Cats, Book 2
Revelation: De La Vega Cats, Book 2
Chapter Fourteen
Nice control. Rosemary spoke from the other side of the room as Renee went through her paces
in the practice space.
Two weeks had passed since the dinner. Not a whole lot of movement in the investigation. It wasn t
stalled so much as garnering small bits of information in the wake of a deluge. Max and Gibson
both assured her it was a factor in narrowing down and focusing on the target. Gibson said it was
often like this right before he got that final piece that broke an investigation open wide.
In the meantime, she had classes to teach and classes to take and a new life to adjust to on several
levels. Max had been incredibly generous with his time and knowledge, answering every question,
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