“Mike isn’t your own, though. Your pack stepped in for him when my pack wouldn’t have.”
“As long as Mike is a part of your life, he is a part of mine. My pack owes me. This was their down payment.”
“Owes you for what?”
Travis sighed. This was as good a time as any. The rut would pass within the day, and she would be able to think a little more clearly. She would be able to make a choice about him without it being clouded by her body’s need for his. The best way was just to spit it out.
“I was in prison.”
Kat’s eyes widened, but she said nothing for a moment. Finally, she managed two words.
“For what?”
“Gun running. Some of the guys in my pack decided it was a promising idea to make some money selling untraceable guns to some local thugs. It made money, but it wasn’t a good idea, and I got busted for it.”
“Just you?”
“Yes. I took all the blame to protect them.”
“How long were you in prison?”
“Five years. It could have well been longer, but there were some issues with the chain of evidence and witnesses.”
“I see.”
“I wanted to tell you, but we hardly knew one another, and it didn’t seem like something I should reveal so early on. Then, things just went into overdrive. I’m telling you now, before it goes any further, so you can decide if you really want to be involved with an ex-con.”
“Well, it’s not exactly something I’m thrilled to hear. Are you still into that sort of thing?”
“No. Absolutely not, and neither are they. Our Alpha read the riot act to them after I went down for it, and I was only allowed back in when I came out because I had protected my pack.”
“Okay. Anything else I need to know?”
“I got fired today.”
“What?” she gasped. “Why?”
Travis told her what had happened, including the last bit about Vivianne’s health. She nodded solemnly. He could tell it touched her as it had him.
“Okay. I can live with that,” she said finally.
Travis breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m glad. I don’t want to think about living life without you.”
“I guess we best enjoy this hotel room while we can. We’re going to be on a tight budget with just my income from massages.”
“Well, that’s the best part. We have the room until the end of the week, and I got a hefty severance package. I can go ahead and get a head start on my plans, plus have enough left over to help you if you still need it.”
“No. I’ve got the money for Mike covered. It’s sitting in my account.”
“That’s good. Hopefully, it can stay there, or you can just give it back to pay off your loan.”
“Oh, no. Mom covered it. It’s Mike’s unused college fund.”
“Your dad agreed to that?”
“No,” she said.
“Yikes.”
“Pretty much.”
“Alright, let’s get your wayward brother and check on my guys. You can see my house and how miserably I have lived without you.”
“A real palace, huh?”
“Ah, it’s not terrible. It’s my mom’s old place, but it could stand some freshening up, perhaps a woman’s touch.”
“This sounds interesting.”
“Oh, the interesting has only just begun,” he said with a smile.
Travis couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this happy. It felt fantastic. They still had a long while to go, but this was good. This was really good. Even the discussion about prison had gone way better than he had expected. He had no doubt she’d have questions later, but she hadn’t freaked out over it or anything, so that was a positive.
They made their way to his place and found Mike sitting at his kitchen table, playing cards with the pack members that had replaced the ones who had brought him there. They all jumped up when he entered. Mike broke out in a broad smile when he saw Kat appear through the door behind him.
“Katerina!”
“Thank God you’re okay,” she groaned, walking over and hugging him. Immediately, she pulled back and punched him in the arm, catching everyone, including him, off guard.
“Ouch! What was that for?”
“Everything. You broke Mom and Dad’s house and then ran off. I visited almost every sleazy neighborhood drug dealer in the county looking for you, and then I get a call that you owe some thugs thousands of dollars or they are going to end you.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry about that. Thank fuck these guys came for me.”
“You can thank Travis for that,” she told him.
“I will. Thank you, Travis,” he said, looking over her shoulder.
“It looks like you got lucky this time. They saved you from whatever those bears would have done to you when I couldn’t come up with so much money on a Sunday, and, so far, the rest of their pack don’t seem terribly upset by the loss.”
“You should have seen it, Kat. These guys went in there and tore into them before they even had a chance to know what was happening. I was just as freaked out as they were. I thought it was some sort of rival gang action.”