Devlin Dynasty 2: Fall Fury

FALL FURY

An Ellora’s Cave Publication, June 2004

Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

PO Box 787

Hudson, OH 44236-0787

ISBN MS Reader (LIT) ISBN # 1-84360-966-5

Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned):

Adobe (PDF), Rocketbook (RB), Mobipocket (PRC) & HTML

FALL FURY © 2004 JACI BURTON

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in partwithout permission.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, orplaces, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of theauthors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Edited by
 
Briana St. James.

Cover art by
 
Syneca.

Devlin Dynasty 2:

Fall Fury

Jaci Burton

Dedication

To my wonderful editor, Briana St. James, and to the publishers of Ellora’s Cave,for letting me write the stories that live in my heart, no matter what. I am forevergrateful that you allow my imagination to run free.

To Mel, Patti, Missy and Ani…who loved Max and Shannon’s story as much as Idid. Thank you for telling me I wasn’t crazy. Love and hugs to you all!

And to Charlie, my alpha male. The one who makes my blood run hot, my pulserace and my heart soar with a magic I had never known existed until we met. Ilove you.

Prologue

Early September

Boston, Massachusetts

Max Devlin heaved a sigh and opened the doors to his father’s library.

They were all in the room, gathered together for another family meeting. Healready knew the subject, knew what was going to be discussed, and how it wouldaffect him.

His parents smiled at him, and he smiled back, already feeling the strange senseof loss, even though it would be another few weeks before he left. Family waseverything. The pack wasn’t supposed to separate. But what James and Patricia Devlin ordered was law. As his parents and the prime leaders of their pack, noone would second guess their plans for the future. He knew it was as hard forthem to let go as it was for all of them to leave. They hadn’t made the decisionlightly, but the future of their kind rested on the Devlins and other families liketheirs.

“Hey everyone,” he said, forcing a smile that he didn’t feel.

Jason looked up and grinned, then put his arm around Kelsey, his fiancée. Shesmiled tentatively, still feeling her way around the Devlin brood. She wasn’t shy,which was a good thing with this family. But he sensed a hesitance about her,almost as if she wasn’t yet sure whether or not they’d all pounce on her at anygiven moment. Max smiled at the thought.

“Hi Max,” she said.

He stopped and kissed her cheek. “Settling in okay?”

She nodded. “Yes. Surprisingly. I thought it would be…”

“Weirder?” he offered in response.

Kelsey laughed, her face lighting up. It was easy to see why Jason had fallen inlove with her. “Yes, that’s a good enough word.”

“Let me tell you a secret. We
 
are
 
weird. Get used to it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She turned and winked at Jason, who grinned like an idiot. Max shook his head. What was it about men after they fell in love? They became giddy morons. Thank God he’d managed to escape so far.

But he knew his days were numbered. He just hoped when it happened hewouldn’t look as stupid as Jason did right now. Lovesick puppy was anunderstatement.

His younger brothers were there, too, currently shooting pool in the corner of theroom. Conner and Noah nodded and resumed playing their game.

“Where’s Chantal?”

“Upstairs on the phone,” his mother said, rolling her eyes. “That girl is all

business. She never seems to relax.”

Max laughed. “Chantal’s just driven, like the rest of us.”

“More so than the rest of us,” Jason added. “I’m always trying to get her to come

to D.C. and visit, but she claims to be ‘busy’.”

“Would you all knock off the ‘we’re worried about Chantal’ song and dance? I’m

fine.”

Max turned and grinned at his sister as she entered the room. “It’s because you’rethe baby of the family, Chantal. You know how we like to protect you.”

Chantal rolled her eyes, her raven hair pulled back, not a hair out of place asalways. Even in blue jeans and a T-shirt, she emitted class. She rolled her eyes at Max. “Puleez. I’m hardly a baby.”

A fact that wasn’t lost on any of her older brothers, which is what kicked in theirtendency to overprotect her. With Max nearly ready to depart for New Orleans,he’d worry even more.

“Quit obsessing over your sister,” his mother said. “She’s perfectly capable of

taking care of herself. She is, after all, a successful lawyer.”

“Shark is more like it,” Conner mumbled as he bent over the pool table.

“Screw you, Conner. I’m no more shark than you,” Chantal replied, sticking her

tongue out at her brother.

“Welcome to the family, Kelsey,” Max said as he walked by her on his way to the

bar. “Are you sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into?”

Kelsey grinned and leaned her head against Jason’s chest. “Yes, I think I do. Youall love each other, you just show it by fighting.”

“Like a snarling pack of wolves?” he offered.

Chantal snorted and Conner and Noah grinned.

“Something along those lines, yes,” Kelsey said, knowledge glimmering in her eyes. She knew, and she accepted. He wondered if he’d end up as lucky as Jason had.

“Okay, let’s get serious,” his father said. “Jason obviously already has a stronghold in the nation’s capitol. Max, how are plans going for your move to New Orleans?”

With all their busy schedules, they hadn’t had a full family meeting in a longtime. Since Jason had brought Kelsey up for the weekend, his parents had calledfor one. “Plans are right on target. Just wrapping up some loose ends at the office. I’ll be out of here by the end of the month, ready to meet with the Storm familyabout their public relations program.”

“Good. And you know what else needs to be done.”

Like it hadn’t been drummed into his head for the past six months. “I’ve got itcovered, Dad.”

“Good. Chantal, have you looked into the San Francisco connections yet?”

“Yes, Dad. I’m working on it. So far it looks like I have a job lined up with one of

the firms in the financial district there.”

“Excellent. Now it’s just a matter of deciding on a location for Conner and

Noah.”

Max watched his brothers’ faces as they looked up from the pool table towardtheir father. Like all of them, they knew they’d go wherever their parents sentthem. The hard part was not knowing where and when.

Good thing they were all independent sorts, capable of managing out there ontheir own.

Eventually they’d all be leaving, because that was their destiny. The Devlins hadbig plans. Plans that would take them nationwide and eventually worldwide. Maxfelt at least a little comfort in knowing they’d soon all be in the same boat.

“I’ll miss you, even though you’re a huge pain,” Chantal said, approaching him at

the bar.

He fixed a drink for her and handed it to her, then kissed her on the cheek. “I’llmiss you too, little monster. Who will I pick on after I leave here?”

She laughed and threw her arms around him for a hug. “You’ll find someone. I’msure of that.”

He already had, but it was too early to mention anything to his family. Later, afterhe confirmed whether his instincts were right or not, he’d let them know. Rightnow he needed to concentrate on getting his life in order for his move to thesouth.

To the land of hell.

Max downed his whiskey in one gulp, dreading the coming trip, but knowing hisfuture was no longer in Boston.

It was in Louisiana, with Shannon Storm.

Chapter One

Late September

Louisiana

Max read the road sign looming ahead with a sense of finality.

Welcome to Louisiana.

Louisiana. Nothing like Boston. The pavement ahead shimmered, glowing withan unnatural wave of heat. It appeared as if he were driving right into anotherdimension.

Pretty damn close to it, at least in his mind.

Interstate Ten led all the way into New Orleans. He turned down the thermostat tocool things off as the heat pressed down on him. Maybe the shimmering waves ofhell outside had found a way into his SUV. What was up with the weather here? Itwas late September, but felt like mid-July. The heat was stifling, making himwish he’d worn shorts and a tank top instead of jeans and tight-fitting polo shirt.

And he had to move here. Permanently. Sometimes he wondered if the Devlinclan had a touch of insanity running through them.

He shook his head, the voices of his parents lingering in his mind.
 
Branch outinto the southern territories. Find and locate packs already established in thearea, if there are any. Take over. And while you’re at it, find a mate and start anew business
.

Easy for them to say. They got to stay in Boston while they sent their children tostrange places to start new.

His older brother, Jason, had succeeded in Washington, D.C. Not only was he asuccessful politician, but he’d also just landed himself a mate. He’d brought Kelsey up to Boston to meet them not more than two weeks ago. She was

beautiful and obviously head over heels in love with Jason. And despite being

human, she’d readily accepted their family and their…idiosyncrasies.

Now it was his turn, and he’d have to find his fate in New Orleans, of all places.

What a bunch of bullshit. Why couldn’t one of his brothers have come down hereinstead? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He already knew the answer. This was his destiny, orsome other such bullshit spouted by his mother and father. Sometimes that justsucked as an explanation, especially when faced with having to move to hell.

Max loved Boston. Everything about it. Not only were his people there, but allthat was familiar. Friends, bars, places to hang out. Seasons, even. Snow. Leaveschanging color in the fall. Damn, Louisiana was probably this hot in January. Andthey didn’t even have a professional baseball team. Well, not a major leagueteam, anyway. And anything lower than the majors just wasn’t baseball, in hisopinion. First thing he was going to do when he bought a house was have satelliteinstalled. He’d die without his Red Sox.

Before that happened, though, he’d have to get things set up at The Rising Storm,the hotel of the Storm family, his latest and greatest public relations venture. He’dhad several conversations with Logan Storm about their new casino venture. Hisfriend and fellow Bostonian, Melissa Cross, had fallen madly in love with one ofthe Storms and was in the process of making a permanent move.

At least he’d know one person in this humid abyss.

He cranked up the stereo, the driving beat helping to keep him awake after thelong trip. He wanted a shower, preferably a cold one, and then a nice, soft bed tocatch a few hours shuteye.