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“She’s already anchored? I thought she was near Gwyn’s age.”

“She is. Fortunately, my niece was her anchor. Those two took one look at each other and latched on.”

“Wow. I’m completely jealous, wish that’d happened for me. As you know, I was thirty when I finally met Lachlan.”

The front door opened and I twisted in the bar stool to see but I knew who it must be, of course. Donovan was through the door first, a bag in one hand, and he held it open for the man following him inside.

Wow, so this was Lachlan? Very handsome, was my first thought, much like a cover model for one of those Highland romance bodice rippers—honey kissed hair flowing around his shoulders, warm brown eyes, tanned skin from many hours in the sun, and a very strong build barely disguised by the white t-shirt and jeans he had on. He carried two swords in his left hand that he had a very interesting emotional bond with.

Then his eyes found Seiji and the wave of love that washed over this man was incredible, he turned pure antique gold. Wow, so these two were clearly head over heels for each other. Love like that was truly a delight to see.

Also, damn glad I’d put the sunglasses on. Lachlan rivaled Donovan in aura. Not the least bit surprised by that, either, based on what I’d heard of him. He was a protector by nature, and most people who fit that mold tended to be pretty damn bright.

Seiji immediately popped up to greet his fiancé with a hug and kiss, which Lachlan eagerly returned, and their cuteness about melted the cynicism right out of me.

Donovan came to me, giving them a moment, and after kissing me hi whispered near my ear, “Please tell me Lachlan is as good of a guy as I think he is.”

“Pretty sure he’s the Scottish branch of the Havilis,” I whispered back, grinning up at him.

“Wow, okay, that answered that.” Then his eyes went to the bowls on the island and he pouted. “You started without me?”

“Oh, stop, there’s plenty.”

Not appeased, frown still on his face, he chose to turn and address Lachlan. “Here, let me introduce you two, then you can dive in with us.”

“Appreciated, mate, I’m fuckin’ starved and the smell’s not helping.” He put swords and luggage to the side, balanced against the back of the couch, before coming in the rest of the way and offering a hand.

I rotated a bit further in my stool, taking his in a firm grip. He had calluses on calluses, which was no surprise considering the weapons he fights with. “Welcome to the South, Lachlan. Make yourself at home, please.”

“I thank you for the hospitality.” Lachlan’s eyes narrowed a little then he remarked to Seiji, “This one’s as bad as you.”

“Arguably worse,” Seiji agreed with a soft laugh. “Which we were just discussing, actually. Here, come sit, let me get you a bowl.”

“Bless you, love, I’m plum knackered.” He dropped onto the stool as if he was very low on energy. “Didn’t sleep a bloody wink on the plane, not with two kids taking turns crying. Felt more pity for the poor mum, though, she looked done in.”

Seiji sat a bowl in front of him, then a glass of water, and Lachlan happily dove into both. Donovan was right next in line, filling a bowl as well, but he was asking questions as he dipped. “I’m sorry I missed your reaction to meeting Jon. I bet with your eyes, that was an event.”

“Oh, it was an event, alright. Half of it unexpected.” Seiji calmly caught him up on the Limiter, and mine being as functional as a broken condom, wrapping up with, “And really, with his Limiter like that, he should be so out of control he can’t focus his talent at all. Instead, he’s somehow turned a disability into a superpower. I’m both impressed and confused as hell how he did so.”

Superpower? Eh, don’t know about that, but it was a little scary to realize that I could be worse off. At least I’d wrangled my ability partially under control. I didn’t even want to contemplate what I’d do if I couldn’t actually make use of this talent. My utility was the only reason why people professionally put up with me most days.

“I want to study you both,” Seiji put out there, glancing between the two of us, “As I think there might be a way to use your anchor bond to give him a bit more control. But I can’t make promises until I figure a few more things out.”

“I’m eager to hear any and all thoughts,” I promised him. Even that felt like an understatement of the century.

Lachlan took a pause in wolfing down stew to make eyes at the pot. “How much time we got before we need to head over to the site?”

“About an hour, max,” Donovan said. “I texted the lead detective while on the way to get you, he’s wrapping something up and then will meet us over there. Hopefully. Otherwise we go there without him, as he’s desperate to get that shit sorted. Yes, you have time for a second bowl.”

“See, you’re a man who knows how to answer the real questions. Love, you want a second bowl?”

“That was my second bowl and I don’t dare eat a third right now, I do not need to be in a food coma. Or risk nausea while in that gruesome horror show of a house.”

Seiji made a really good point there. I’d finish this bowl and stop for a while.

Speaking of the case, though, I had to ask, “Seiji, do you have an idea how to tackle the power bank?”

“I’m not a hundred percent sold on what I saw, so I have three different theories of what it is, an idea of how to tackle two of them, and a mentor on standby to help me. He’s seen more of the gnarly shit than I have. Decades of experience will do that.” Seiji blew out a breath and his stress was back full force. “I just hope I can do something about it that doesn’t involve ending multiple people’s lives.”