United with the Family - Cherie Benjamin (book reader for pc txt) 📗

family business and began their training, Kane asked him to be by his side, stating that he trusted him with his life.  Like Nazario, his father was also a Dominant. As he researched and did some soul searching, he realized that he also had the traits of a Dominant.

Nazario had sent Kane to Peter, Uriel’s older brother, when it came time for his training as a Dominant, while Uriel went to Alistair, who was also a family member.  He taught him how to be a strong, yet loving Dominant. That, in the end, it was not about his pleasure, but that of the submissive. Like Kane, he’d had several subs and, after the fiasco with Ann Marie, he did not think he would ever find the one that would complete him.  He wanted a relationship like his parents had. He was at the club the night that Rosa was holding one of her beginning submissive classes, and, as he was doing a walk-through of the club, the door opened and in walked a goddess. That was the night he met Katrina Henderson and fell head over heels in love.  After a few months, she introduced him to her roommate and best friend, Ara White. As soon as they met, Uriel saw Ara as the sister he never had and felt protective of her. The last week, though, fucking everything changed.

He had wanted to help Ara out by giving her a job, then, after he found out she was a submissive, he wondered if there was any chemistry between her and Kane.  It was as if an atomic bomb went off when they met. One second, Kane was saving her from Kurtus, and in the next, they were moving in together. Now….bam, they are getting married. Uriel did not know why, but it bothered him.  Kane was like a brother to him; he knew in his heart that he would always take care of Ara.  Then, it hit him, he was jealous. Not romantic jealousy, but jealous that Kane had taken his life by the horns and was getting everything in order.  This is what Uriel had planned to do with Katrina, but was too afraid to ask. Yes, he was jealous of the direction that Kane’s life was taking, and felt he, himself, was becoming stagnant, and resentful of being left behind.

"Kane, I'm sorry.  I know that is not enough, but I am."

"What the fuck is going on?"

"I'm jealous."

He was fucking jealous? He wanted Ara.  Oh hell no! Rearing back again, he hit Uriel hard in the nose; he felt fucking amazing when he heard bones cracking and saw blood squirting out.

"Damn, Kane, you broke my fucking nose."  Uriel moaned, holding his nose.

"What the fuck do you mean you're jealous?  Ara is mine and you, motherfucker, can't have her."

"Kane, I'm not in love with Ara; I'm jealous of you.  You have, and are doing, everything I want and should be doing."

Kane stepped back and looked at his friend. His partner in crime was jealous of him.  "Fuck, Uriel, there is nothing to be jealous of, you just need to take your balls out of the drawer and ask Katrina to marry you."

"I know, but I'm scared."

"Uriel I have seen you take a man out with your bare hands. Are you really that scared to ask a woman to marry you?"

"Yes."

Kane then began to laugh, slapping his hand on his legs.

After a few moments, Uriel joined him, knowing that Kane was right; he needed to man up and ask Katrina.  He needed to stop whining about it or trying to sabotage his best friend's relationship.

After their laughter died down, the silence was broken by a sudden muffled pop and a whooshing noise.  Uriel glanced at Kane just as the left side of his shoulder was violently pushed back.

 

Kane's widened eyes stared at Uriel as he began to feel a burning sensation in his upper arm.

"Fuck, I've been hit!"  Kane yelled.

Uriel, who was still on the ground, looked out across the yard to see where the shot came from and saw a shadow down by the boathouse.  Quickly looking over to Kane, he saw he had his gun out, but the blood was beginning to seep through his bright white dress shirt, indicating that he had definitely been hit.

"I see him."  Uriel whispered.  "Are you okay if I leave you?"

"Go, get the motherfucker now and bring him to me.  Alive, Uriel, I want him alive."

Uriel tore off across the grounds toward the boathouse.

Kane leaned up against a tree and kept an eye on Uriel as he quickly but quietly moved across the yard.  He pulled out his phone and pressed the speed dial number for security. Years ago, they set up a network, so that, if any of the family was in trouble, they simply had to press a button on their phone, and it would send a signal out and security would track the family member in distress by their phone signal.

 

Roaland was listening to the lively conversation concerning the upcoming wedding of Kane and Ara.  He was happy that neither Iezekiel nor Kate let on that they heard Uriel's statement and he was also happy that Kane had taken Uriel out to have a serious conversation with him.  He may be his son, but he had also taken on the responsibility of being Kane's Capo and, in doing so, he needed to protect him and his family. Roaland could remember some hard conversations that Nazario had with him over the years, but they were worth it.  He was a rich man and was surrounded by many people who loved and cared for him and his family.

Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw that the emergency code had been sent; the location was directly outside the house.

"CODE RED!"  He yelled, pulling his gun, and looking at Nazario, who also had pulled his gun and was positioning himself in front of the table in protection mode.  Roaland then took off through the room with several guards behind him.

Erik jumped to his feet and positioned himself in front of Ara.

"Erik, Iezekiel, take the women to the room."  Nazario barked as he surveyed the room. Pulling out his phone, he looked to see who had called the emergency and when it saw it was Kane, he was immediately concerned.  Shit, this was bad, very bad.

Rosa held onto Ara's hand as she followed Erik down the hall to the door that lead to the secure room.

"Rosa, what is going on?"  Ara cried.

"Ara, I'll explain everything once we get into the room."

"Where is Kane?"

"I don't know, but I promise we will find out."  Rosa assured her.

Erik opened the door and Rosa, Ara, Kate and Di walked in.  The room had no windows, the walls were made of concrete, and it had its own electrical line, as well as private phone and internet lines.  Rosa went over to the control panel and checked to see who had sounded the alarm. When she saw the name, she gasped. Her son. Looking up at Ara, she knew it was going to be difficult to make her stay in this room.

"Rosa, what is it?"  Ara questioned, seeing Rosa's worried expression.

"Ara, dear, we have a security system set up within the family that if one of the family members are in danger, they only have to push the speed dial a code, and a code is sent to all the members' phones."

"Okay."  Ara responded hesitantly.  She understood, but where was Rosa going with this if all of the family members were here.

"Ara, Kane is the one who sent the code."

Ara eyes went wide and tears formed.  Kane was in trouble. She turned and rushed to the door, but was quickly grabbed by Erik.

"Let me go!"  Ara yelled, as she began punching at Erik, trying to free herself from his restrictive arms.

"No can do."  Erik said, holding on to her, while she tried to break his grip.

"Erik, let me go.  I need to find Kane."

"Ara, you are not going anywhere."

"But, Erik, he needs me!"  Ara cried, as tears poured down her face.  "I need him."

"Ara, look at me."  Erik pleaded.

Ara looked up at Erik.  She began to feel numb, pushing the fear to the back of her mind.  She needed to make him understand that she needed to get to Kane.

"Kane can take care of himself, but if you go out there, you will be a distraction and he needs to keep his mind on the danger at hand."

Ara quit struggling, and fell to the floor.  Her life, the reason for every breath, every beat of her heart was hurt, and she couldn't do a damn thing to help.

 

Chapter 22

 

As soon as Roaland received Kane’s alert, he ran out the back of the house and was met by the members of the security detail, whom Kane had dismissed earlier, coming around from the side of the house.

"Where the hell were you?" Roaland demanded.

They came to a screeching halt, facing Roaland, hands on their guns from being startled.  "Kane told us to leave him and Uriel alone, Sir." One of them murmured.

"Fuck, we need to find Kane now!"   Roaland ordered, while he and the guards cautiously walked out onto the lawn. The quiet of the night was suddenly shattered with the sound of a gunshot in the distance.

Roaland quickly turned and ordered the detail ahead to investigate, "Go and find out what the fuck is going on down there."  Three of the guards took off across the lawn, while Roaland continued using the homing device on his phone to help him in his search for Kane.  As he came around a section of rose bushes next to a large tree, he saw a pair of legs sprawled across the lawn. Rushing over, he found Kane propped up against the base of the tree. His face was very pale, and his white shirt was soaked in blood.  Dropping to his knees, he saw that Kane was conscious, and grasped his face between his hands, "Kane...Kane...How are you doing?" Roaland pleaded, praying he was coherent enough to respond.

"Never fucking better."  Kane moaned, suddenly looking around him.  "Did Uriel get the guy?"

"I don't know.  I sent several guards down toward the boathouse when we heard the gunshot."

"Good.  No one, and I mean no one, is to touch the fucker until I get a chance to talk to him," he winced.

"Your orders will be followed; I will make sure of it.  Do you think you can stand?" Roaland asked, hoping to get him back into the house.

"I think so.  Shit! Wait, where is Ara?"

"She is in the security room with your mother and the rest of the wives."

"Does she know what happened?"  Kane asked, attempting to stand on his own two feet.

"I don't know, but Erik is with her.  Come on, let's get you inside, and have David look at you."  Roaland put Kane’s good arm around his shoulders, supporting him as they made their way up the lawn into the house.

                                                        ~~~~~~*~~~~~

Dr. David Mallos was a third-generation doctor whose family had faithfully taken care of the members of