Jeff closed his eyes. He knew who she meant. “Dad would have been pretty much the same, I think. Still making Mom moan and groan. Still kicking our asses when we were stupid.”

“Yeah.” The brush kept going in smooth, careful strokes even as Jamie’s voice choked up. “Yeah, he would have.”

Travis handed Fen a mug. “Here. How’s he doing?”

“In pain. Exhausted. Grieving.” Fen shook his head. “I can’t lose him.” He’d follow Jeff to Hel, or wherever the gods took his mate. Living without him now was no longer an option.

“I know.” Travis stared toward the closed door of the bedroom. “When Jamie was hurt I could barely bring myself to leave her long enough to pee, and only if someone I trusted was with her.” The torment in Travis’s eyes matched the agony in Fen’s heart.

Fen nodded. He knew exactly what Travis meant. He could barely keep himself from checking on them, and it had been less than five minutes since Jamie had entered the bedroom. “When do you think Jordan will be here?”

The front door slammed open, propelled by one pissed off pregnant lady.

“I’d guess now.” Travis nodded to Jordan. “Hey, Jordan.”

Jordan nodded briefly and went straight into Fen’s bedroom. She too looked like she’d been through the ringer. Her long, dark hair was limp, her eyes redrimmed. Kir and Logan were right on her ass up until she slammed the bedroom door shut in their faces.

“Is she pissed at you two?” Travis frowned at the door, his expression confused.

“Yup.” Logan ran his fingers through his hair. “I think she blames us for Fred’s death.”

Jordan’s voice suddenly rang out from the bedroom. “Ow! Not the brush, not the brush! Shit, Jamie!”

“Jamie doesn’t agree, apparently.” Travis grinned, but compared to his usual expression it was weak at best. “Has your father shown you how to make French toast yet?”

Fen tilted his head. “French what?”

“C’mon, kiddo. I have the feeling this might take awhile.” Logan threw his arm over Fen’s shoulder. “Besides, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Right, Blondie?”

“Right. Which is why we’re ordering pizza for lunch.” Kir smiled, but it was half-hearted. His blue eyes still had clouds dancing through them. Out the window, rain fell in thick sheets as the sky cried for the lost god.

“Hey.” Logan took Kir’s face between his palms. “We’ll get him, I swear it.”

“Soon, Logan.” Kir’s voice took on a deep, resonant timber that had Fen bending knee before him. “Before anyone else dies.” Kir leaned in for a kiss from his lover. “Especially you.”

“Nik’s the one who’s supposed to kill me.” Logan shivered. “I still don’t know which side that bastard’s going to come down on.”

“His own.” Travis grimaced. “Even when I ruled the Vanir he was a secretive son of a bitch.”

Logan frowned. “He is Dökk Alfar, right?”

Travis opened his mouth, then frowned himself. “You know? I’m not entirely sure.”

The four of them exchanged glances. Kir broke the silence first. “Fen?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you scent the differences between Lios and Dökk Alfar?”

Fen’s brows rose. “I didn’t know many of either, but I might be able to.”

Jordan stomped back through the bedroom door and into another room, the one Jeff used as an office. She came back quickly with Jeff’s laptop and once more slammed the bedroom door shut.

“Shit. She’s still pissed.” Logan sighed. “I’m not entirely sure I blame her.”

“Blame the hormones.” Travis leaned against the kitchen counter. “I do.”

Fen shook his head. “She’s grieving, and she needs her pack.”

Kir, Travis, Fen and Logan exchanged another long look. Logan grinned and headed for the bedroom. “He’s right.”

Without another word the other three followed him. If the Grimm children needed their pack, then by the gods they’d get their pack. All of them.

“Oh, Vincente.”

“Oh, my stomach,” Jordan groaned. The laptop had been placed on the bed near Jeff’s head, the two ladies hovering over him as they watched the action on the screen.

“Shh! This is the best part.” Jamie’s gaze was glued to the screen, her green eyes shimmering with excitement.

“Whatever shall we do? Sylvia refuses to grant your divorce, my love!”

“Miranda, my darling, we shall survive.”

Fen blinked and moved so that he too could see what was going on. Two people, both dark haired, were kissing ravenously. It looked like the man was trying to eat the woman’s face from the inside out. The lip-smacking noise that came from the tiny computer speakers was revolting.

Eventually the pair’s lips pulled apart with an audible smack. “My darling Vincente.”

“Oh, Miranda.”

Fen shook his head. This was Vincente?

“Hell. He’s wearing the gold lamé briefs.” Jordan got out of bed, careful of her brother’s wounds. “I’ve gotta barf now.” She shook her finger at the twins.

“My children will be warped for life.”

Jamie giggled, the sound high and sweet and oh, so welcome. If Jamie was feeling well enough to giggle, then Jeff must be feeling better as well.

“I swear if their first word is Vincente you two are toast.”

Jeff’s shoulders were shaking. “But he’s so hot!”

“I’m thinking of naming my first son Vincente.” Jamie batted her lashes at Travis.

“Oh hell no.” Travis was shaking his head in horror. “No fucking way.

You’re cute, but you’re not that cute.”

Kir was laughing, the storm clouds in his eyes lightening at the sight of his wife’s smiling face. Outside the rain eased up, still there but not nearly as ferocious.

“Hell, Jamie, you can’t name a kid Vicente. That’s skanky. I’d never be able to moan his name again without thinking…ew.” Jeff shuddered, trying to hide his wince of pain.

Jamie sniffed. “Then keep your pervy fantasies to yourself.”

Fen growled. The man on the screen was Jeff’s fantasy man?

Jeff turned his head slowly and caught Fen’s eye. He winked as soon as he saw he had Fen’s undivided attention. “Then don’t name the kid Vincente.”

Fen relaxed. The man on the screen might be a fantasy, but Fen was Jeff’s reality.

He could live with that.

Chapter Eight

“Stay still, elskede.” Fen carefully carried his mate to Logan’s condo. “We’ll be there soon.”

Jeff shivered in his arms. With his injuries he should still be in bed, but Jeff had insisted on going to Logan’s when word reached them that Jeanne Grimm had arrived. He hadn’t wanted to wait even a single second before checking on his mother. Fen had given in the moment Jeff threatened to crawl there if he had to. Fen knew the man was stubborn enough to do it. “God. Mom’s gotta be pissed.”

“What do you want me to do?” Fen would do anything to get that look off Jeff’s face. The visit from his siblings had eased him somewhat, but the raw grief and pain were still there in the dull eyes and lackluster smile. “I will do whatever you wish, love.”

Jeff winced as Fen shifted him. “Don’t drop me.”

Fen smiled as best he could. “I promise.”

The door to his father’s condo opened. Kir winced as he saw how pale and sweaty Jeff looked. Sharing blood hadn’t healed his beautiful redhead, and neither had a visit from Toni. Fen was at his wits’ end. Fen could hear the sound of quiet sobbing coming from the room behind Kir. “C’mon in, you two.”

Fen carried Jeff in. The cry from Jeanne Grimm as she got her first look at her battered son tore at him. “Oh my God.” She raced forward, but Fen moved, keeping her from touching Jeff in any way. He growled, warning her away before she could inadvertently hurt Jeff further.

“Shh.” Jeff reached up with a shaking hand and caressed Fen’s cheek. “It’s okay. She won’t hurt me.”

Fen closed his eyes and tried to get himself back under control. Just the thought that someone could hurt Jeff sent him into a murderous rage. His jaw clenched and it took him a moment before he could speak, a moment where Jeanne watched him warily. “Be careful. He’s hurt badly.”