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***Leah's POV***

When staring in the face of adversity, one must choose whether to hold their ground or run. What fun would running be? For me, the adventure is in the battle.

"I ask you again, who sent you?" At this point I am at my wits end. This maggot deserves death for even approaching my territory.

"As I have told you before, I will not reveal the source of my commands." The shit box looks to me as if I care who or what has sent her.

"Did you think that your presence would go unnoticed?" My question is punctuated with my arm around the throat of the smaller mammal.

"Well, honestly, I would have assumed that the child could hold your attention a bit better. It does not matter to me whether you have seen me or not. I do not need much more than confirmation that the boy is alive." Her words are cut off just as my claws scrape across her jugular. I am not intending to kill the piece of trash. I want her to know the gravity of the situation before she finds herself in a place that she will not be able to come back from.

"And what business is it of yours whether Josiah is alive or not?" I am irritated beyond reprieve.

"Is that what the little shit calls himself? I will have you know that we all have a vested interest when one of our own leaves the nest. I have every right to know what my nephew is doing. Since the unfortunate passing of his father, we have been searching for that child. It has been years since his mother has muttered a word. I am only attempting to bring solace to a grieving parent." I am shocked by the amount of hostility that seeps around the words that were meant to be dripping with grief. If I had to make a guess, this so called family is more interested in harming Josiah than bringing solace to a broken heart.

"With the promise that you will end this cat and mouse game for my best friend, I will let you live. However, if you choose to continue on your path, I will make sure that you have no breath in which to breathe the words that may or may not bring healing to a broken heart. It is your choice." As proof of my commitment, I tighten my hold on the lynx in my hands.

"I wish it was as easy as want. I do not even desire to be tracking down the fucking feline. But, a job is a job. Payment is all I seek." The distrustful sack of crap in my arms begins to wiggle free before I collapse atop of her in a mercy hold.

"If payment is all that you wish, maybe a large purse would suffice." I continue to pin the miniature cat below me in an effort to have her comprehend my offering.

"What price are you willing to part with?" Suddenly, a broken heart is no longer on the forefront of the demonic kitten's conscious. Honestly, I am positive that with a little persuasion, Tony and Christian would be willing to give anything to keep Josiah safe.

In an effort to assuage the greed of Josiah's family member, I run numbers in my head. I may not have the proper authority to offer financial means from my beloved, however I am willing to deal with the consequences once I am assured that Josiah will no longer be in harm's way. Christian will understand. I hope.

"Five thousand," I boldly announce.

"The child must be worth more than a mere five." The snickering from the lynx below me makes my arms automatically apply pressure across the pulsing vein in my captive's throat.

"Name a price. I have no need to bargain with you at all. Honestly, at this point your blood would be enough solace for me." Letting out a disdained growl, I throw the female cat across the smooth terrain outside of our territory. Without flinching, I prepare to pounce with a miniscule shift in my stance.

"I will accept fifty thousand, not a penny less." The audacity of this conniving woman is beyond me. I should have snapped her neck at the beginning of this charade.

"Meet me here after sun down. You shall have your bounty. You will also be required to sign a contract that you will refrain from making contact with my friend. Any breach of the terms will end with immediate death." I feel proud of myself as the last words slip from between my teeth in a hiss. I am not always so competent on the fly.

"His mother will be happy with the news." The lynx strolls away with a swish of her tail. I suppose a name would have helped. I am positive Christian will know who the hybrid is. I imagine Josie's lineage has been tracked over the many years he has occupied this manor.

After watching the bitch disappear behind the tree line, I make an about face to head home. I want to verify that Josiah is still safe. Beings who are willing to hunt down their own kin for a bounty are not usually straight forward. I would be disheartened to know that any more of Josiah's family were approaching our place of refuge, our home.

I transform back to my human form quickly before making the next leg of my journey.

The words of Josie's aunt make me ponder. I lull over the conversation as I make quick work of covering the terrain. As my feet skid to a holt at the front door, it becomes disgustingly clear to me that I assumed Josiah's mother was distraught to have lost her child. Thinking over the words spoken before me, the mother may just be happy with the news of financial gain over a child that she clearly did not keep safe. The idea of sacrificing your child for your partner or money makes my stomach twist. I would not say that I have a maternal instinct however, even I know that offspring are precious miracles. As a mother, you have a sole duty to protect your child.

"Where have you been?" I breathe a sigh of relief as my eyes meet the piercing blue of our sweet Josie. Without pause, I jump towards my friend. I land beside him wrapping my arms around his wiry form.

"It is a long story. I will have to repeat it several times. Would you mind waiting until our beloveds can join us?" Truthfully, I do not want to instill fear into Josiah without the comfort of knowing that Tony and Christian will be here to help protect him.

"Tony is upstairs. I assume Christian will be home momentarily. I can wait. Did you eat?" Josiah looks at me with his soft smile playing gently on his lips.

"I meant to." I shrug along with my words. This is not a lie. I had every intention of eating before I was approached by the lynx.

"I happen to have two sandwiches and lemonade set up in the kitchen." Josie stands up before grabbing my hand. I smile while I follow our little angel into the house. Josie waves at the other vampires as he makes his way to the table in the kitchen.

"Did you make this for yourself and Tony? I do not want to intrude." Suddenly, I realize that I may be interrupting an indoor picnic lunch that was meant for Josie's Sire.

"Tony isn't hungry. I had a hunch that you may be." Josie winks at me causing me to wonder if he had overheard the altercation that had recently taken place.

"Thank you," I choose to accept the food instead of satisfying my urge to find out how much that Josie may know.

"Later, we are supposed to be going car shopping." Josie picks up his sandwich, taking a large bite. I notice how his eyes roll as he chews the turkey club. I follow suit, eating my own club as we sit in companionable silence.

Once my lunch is nothing but crumbs on the glass plate, I drink my glass of lemonade before cleaning up my mess. I do recall that we are supposed to be car shopping. However, I have that one pesky cat to take care of before we can move along with our intended plans.

"Hello, Love." Christian's voice breaks me from my internal thoughts. I push my cheek to Christian's lips as he bends to welcome me sweetly. I cannot help the soft sigh that leaves my lips from the touch of his kiss.

"Afternoon," I gently whisper once Christian makes eye contact.

"Anything of particular interest happen today?" Tony breaks into my beloved's introduction as Christian turns his attention to his Sire.

"Leah has something that requires all of our attention." I look to Josie as he questions me post-remark. I give a nod of my head as confirmation that I appreciate him broaching the sensitive subject.

"Is this something we must deal with quickly? Should we postpone the car shopping?" Tony looks to me for the answers that he is seeking.

"Yes, we do have a time stamp on dealing with this situation. However, I do not believe it will be necessary to change our plans for later this evening." I move to Christian's side as Tony agrees silently with my assessment.

"Where would you like to discuss this situation?" Christian gives me the opportunity to change our venue. I do not believe that the rest of the house should be within earshot of what I must explain. The other vampires in our home are not nearly as clear-headed as the four of us. I am inclined to believe that giving them a reason to be aggressive would be inciteful. I do not wish to fuel the flames of their over-zealous nature.

"I would prefer a more secluded setting." That is all the direction that I choose to give. Christian understands without further instruction. I follow quietly as we make our way back through the house and towards Tony's truck. If we leave on foot, I do believe the other tenants will be more skeptical of our reasoning.

As we buckle in, I am amused when Josie chooses to clasp his arms around Tony's neck. Josie kisses all over his beloved as if they have been separated for far too long. Christian chuckles into my shoulder before placing a sweet kiss on my jaw line. We might as well be playful for the next few minutes. I imagine that our mood may sway in another direction once the boys get ahold of the information that I am temporarily withholding.

"Maybe we should drive." Tony pulls Josie away with a string of lip kisses before settling into the driver's seat to man the vehicle. Josie giggles causing all of us to relax as we start moving away from the driveway.

The banter continues for the length of our journey from the house to a remote area of the woods. Josie spent the entire ride blaring BTS from the oversized speakers within the truck. While I cannot fathom that Josie's enthusiasm for the international band is shared by Tony, I did not see an ounce of disagreement with the obnoxious sound that steadily blared through the tweeters.

As we park, I notice that we are farther North than I had been when adversity literally revealed itself. I feel confident that we won't be running into my earlier guest. With the safety of miles between our home and the threat, I prepare myself to deliver the news that I let my mouth write a check that I literally cannot cash. I am optimistic that I will not find an ounce of hesitancy from either Christian or Tony. Although, I am a tad bit concerned that I may have magnified the problem instead of reducing the threat. My lack of confidence in my quick decisions has me second guessing the choices that I made earlier.

We walk deep into the forest before Tony comes to a complete stand still. As Tony turns to me for conversation, I take a deep breath. This will either end without incident or I may find myself in hot water with my mate. Whichever outcome, I am happy that I took a stand against anyone that threatened to harm our sweet Josiah.

Here goes nothing.