She bared her teeth at him in a smiling snarl. Aileen took the oven mitt from her before Moira could bop him back. “Enough. Leo, let us know if you need help explaining things to her.”

Meaning, explain them soon, before you head back to D.C.

“Yes, Mum.”

Sean stood, and all eyes turned to him. Leo’s dad was one of the most easygoing men he knew, until one of his own was threatened. Leo had sensed the tremendous anger Sean was hiding the moment he’d stepped foot on his father’s land.

It was never, ever wise to piss off an earth sprite.

“I’ve got feelers out to all of my cousins in this country and Ireland, just to be safe,” Sean said. He’d planted his feet wide, his thumbs hooked into the loops on his jeans, his face stern. He looked like a warrior readying his troops for battle. “The earth spirits allied with us will keep me apprised of what’s going on. If he’s anywhere near one of them, they’ll let me know.”

“I’ve contacted some of the Sidhe who still speak with me, and they’ve assured me they’ve heard no mention of Shane.” Aileen’s face was calm and composed. Her hands were white-knuckled around her mug. She took a deep breath, her jaw determined, her eyes hard, and Leo was suddenly, inexplicably afraid.

“There’s someone who owes me a favor—”

“No, Aileen.”

The iron in his father’s voice surprised him. “Who?” His parents shared a long, unreadable look.

“Who owes you a favor, Mum? If they can find Shane, we should call them.”

“That favor may come at a price we’re not prepared to pay, Leo.”

Leo turned to his father, but Sean’s stern gaze never left Aileen.

“He owes me, Sean.”

“And he’ll turn that to his advantage.”

“He can find my baby, Sean Patrick! Let him find my baby!”

Aileen finally broke, tears running silently down her face. Sean’s eyes closed at the sight of his mate’s fear and pain. The helplessness he obviously felt in the face of her grief was something Leo hoped he’d never suffer through with Ruby. Bad enough his brother was missing. If it was his child, the child of his beloved mate? He didn’t know if he’d be in any better shape than his mother was in.

Leo huffed out a breath and exchanged his own glance with Moira. Who the hell was his mother talking about?

“You’ve called him?” Sean’s voice was weary.

“Aye.”

Sean nodded at his wife’s whispered response. “So be it, then.”

“Who are you two talking about?”

The sudden gust of wind heralded the advent of a tornado of power in the middle of the Dunne kitchen. Out of that tornado stepped a tall, slender man with waist length red hair and laughing blue eyes in a face that would have made Michelangelo weep. The tornado was dressed in a dark blue poet’s shirt that matched his eyes and tight leather pants that showcased a slim build. Knee-high leather boots completed the look.

Every hair on Leo’s body stood on end at the sight of that slender young man.

“Robin Goodfellow, for my sins,” the figure said, bowing extravagantly. He looked up from his bow, cocked his head at Sean, and laughed out loud.

“Shit. Shit. Robin-fucking-Goodfellow owes Mom a favor? ” Leo paced back and forth in the front yard, wiping at his face wearily.

“Ah, but I’m not fucking at the moment, dear fellow, although I might wish I was.”

Leo swung around and gulped. Robin Goodfellow was sitting on the hood of his Navigator, legs crossed Indian style, a leer on those boyish features. “You see, when I received that call from your absolutely ravishing mother, I was hip deep in a pool with a pair of Naiad twins. Alas and alack, I doubt the lovely ladies waited for my return.” With an exaggerated sigh, Robin brushed his long red hair back with an effeminate sweep of his hand. Leo noticed that the Hob’s nails were painted black. “Now, if I had a prime piece waiting in my bed for me the way you do, I doubt I’d be out here worrying about someone like me.”

“Stay away from Ruby.” Leo didn’t even recognize the growl that erupted from his throat.

Those brilliant blue eyes flashed completely green before auburn lashes drifted down, hiding them.

The leer turned into a smug smile. “Bonded, boy?”

“Not yet,” Leo forced out between clenched teeth. He’d never been more terrified in his life. He was insane. He’d practically challenged the Hob!

Bright blue eyes lifted up and studied him, all humor, all pretenses gone, and Leo realized he was seeing the true Hob, Oberon’s Blade, for the first time.

“Well, isn’t that a shame, seeing as you’re the reason Shane’s missing.”

“Damn. The marriage contract?”

The Hob nodded. “The marriage contract.”

Leo began swearing, a blend of Fae and English. “I thought that old contract was null and void, due to Mom bonding Dad. Why are they trying to enforce it now?”

“Power, Leo. Why else would a family like the Malmaynes do this?”

Leo stared at Robin, trying desperately to see past the unholy amusement in his deep blue eyes.

“You’re certain the Malmaynes have him?”

“Yes. When you turned down the match with the eldest daughter, they began plotting how to get you to change your mind. From what I was able to gather, their original target was Moira.” Leo’s hands clenched into fists. “When they couldn’t get to her, Shane was their next best target. You were too closely guarded, too into the human world for them to touch directly.” Leo turned away from the red-haired devil sitting on his SUV and stared up at his window. “The plan was to force your hand. Your Ruby will complicate things.”

“These contracts are usually considered null and void in the advent of a truebond.”

Robin’s expression turned icy. “When power is involved, sometimes these things can get…tricky.

And since it was Aileen’s family that wrote up the original contract…” The Hob shrugged. Leo paced, aware of the Hob’s eyes following him.

“Is Kaitlynn involved?”

“The Malmayne girl would rather have you willing than not.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

The devil grinned at him. “No. It’s not.”

Leo listened to the crickets and tried to unclench his hands. “Will they go after Ruby?”

One red brow lifted in thought. “Possibly. Until you complete the bonding the two of you are vulnerable. Sidhe like the Malmaynes won’t care that your bond is a True one, only that she stands in the way of their ambitions.” Robin shrugged. “No offence, but if your mother had followed through on her own contract instead of falling for the leprechaun none of this would have happened.”

“And Shane, Moira and I wouldn’t exist, and Mom would have been miserable.”

“So fighting for love is worth it, then?”

Leo glared at Robin. “If my mother feels for my father half of what I feel for Ruby, then yes. It’s more than worth it.”

That disconcerting flash of green appeared in Robin’s eyes again, and for a moment Leo was frozen in place. For one blinding second he knew exactly how the Hob felt.

Unbearable, unutterable, unending, envious. Alone.

Then those eyes were shuttered once again by a fall of auburn lashes and Leo was freed. “Then fight.”

A gust of wind blew by, blurring the edges of the Hob, blowing him away like a sand sculpture. “When the Malmaynes arrive, fight.”

“Any word on your brother?”

Ruby, half asleep, whispered those words as he crawled into bed. Leo winced. He’d hoped not to wake her. His kitten had been exhausted and needed her sleep. “Yeah. I’ll tell you about it in the morning.”

“It is morning.” She sounded more alert, damn it. He was so tired. “Do they know yet who has your brother?”

Leo took a deep breath, the events of the night before once again pushing to the forefront of his mind.

He could feel his muscles tensing and tried his best to get himself to relax. “Yeah. We know who has him.”