Wolf at Law by Heather Long (9 page)

“Hi,” the girl had to be younger than Tiffany, but she smiled, all sunshine and bright-eyed. “Your daughter is great.”

“Thank you,” she said, accepting the other woman’s hand for a brief shake. “I need to find a restroom and wash up.”

“Down the hall. Rory go with her.” Zane didn’t miss a beat. The hard face, and attitude should be off-putting, but he reminded Tiffany of the pastor of her local church. A hard man in a hard neighborhood, he was tough but fair. “And, ma’am? You did good getting away from that bastard. Don’t ever feel bad for it. You did the right thing.” With that, Zane folded his arms and leaned back against the wall.

How much did he and Collin know? Rory waited a moment, then motioned toward the hallway. Together they went toward the bathroom. It didn’t take Tiffany long to realize why the slender Amerasian girl was there. She checked the stalls and took a position by the door. The men would stand out in the areas clearly marked for women.

Lord, Ryan thought of everything.
 

She took care of business, then washed her hands and inspected the damage to her cosmetics. The faintest of outlines remained from that last punch she’d taken. She was careful to cover it up and never let Alexis see. It would take her some time to blend away discoloration not even her natural dark skin tone could disguise.

“You’re tough,” Rory said in the quiet.

Glancing over at her escort, she said. “Why do you say that?”

“You go toe to toe with Ryan. That makes you tough. To have Zane say what he just did… Do you have any idea how hard it is to earn his respect?” Rory shrugged. “Maybe you don’t, but you’ve got it, so you’re tough.”

The conversation bordered on surreal. “Thank you, I think.” Trying not to think about Alexis in the judge’s chambers, she finished touching up her cosmetics. “You seem awfully young to work for a law firm. Are you some kind of legal aide or intern?”

The question startled the younger woman, and she didn’t recover quickly. “No. I’m a student, sort of. I kind of do investigative work, I guess. I actually report to Zane. He’s in charge of me.” The last came out so weak, Tiffany frowned and turned to face her.

“Investigative work? Is he a professional bodyguard?” She hadn’t actually asked Ryan what Zane and Collin did. Yes, she got a kind of older brother younger brother vibe off of the pair when they were around, but she thought maybe they worked directly for Ryan’s law firm.

“You should probably ask Ryan.”

Confused, and a little concerned, Tiffany put away the compact and turned to face her fully. The Amerasian woman was Tiffany’s height, but where Tiffany had curves, this girl was one long, string bean. Unless she was some kind of secret ninja badass, a good stiff wind would snap her in two. “He’s busy, and I’m asking you.” Ryan didn’t work for Giles, which meant his people didn’t.

But did he know the people working for him?

The younger woman frowned, and her eyes flickered—for a split second they were gold. Tiffany’s heart slammed against her ribs. She’d seen Ryan’s eyes do that, but it was a trick of the light. No way it was the same here. They were standing in a bathroom, with its craptastic overhead lighting and ugly, institutional walls.

Rory blinked, then the door to the bathroom shoved open and Zane stood there. The quiet fury in his expression was easy to read. “Out,” he said, but his gaze was focused on the younger woman. When he looked at Tiffany, he seemed almost kind, but after the raw temper of the first exchange, she shivered. “Please.”

The request was to her, the order had been to Rory. The younger woman obeyed immediately and she all but ducked her head as she walked past him. Tiffany’s stomach sank. If the girl had possessed a tail, she would have tucked it between her legs as she slunk away.

What the hell was going on? She’d trusted these people with her daughter. Folding her arms, Tiffany stepped out of the bathroom, careful not to brush the man as she did. Down the hall, Rory waited, but she refused to meet Tiffany’s eyes. Disapproval radiated off of Zane as he followed her. The next ten minutes dragged interminably until Alexis bounced out of the judge’s office. She raced over and Tiffany scooped her up.

Ryan said something to the judge then he joined them. He paused, his attention on Alexis first, then on the three of them. “What happened?”

“I just want to go,” Tiffany said, refusing to discuss it right outside the judge’s chambers or with Alexis in her arms. They needed to go back to the hotel, and she wanted some distance from whatever was going on with Zane and Rory.

Glancing between Zane and Rory then over to her, Ryan’s frown deepened. Zane dropped his chin and Rory seemed to slump further into herself. The air practically crackled with the unsaid and the more she saw, the more uncomfortable Tiffany grew. It was like the three could communicate without words.

“Are you okay, baby?” Tiffany asked, lowering her voice for her daughter while still fighting for some sense of normalcy.

“Uh huh. The judge was funny. She used really big words, but she believed me, Momma.”

Ryan focused on her. “She granted the petitions,” he told her, then held out his arm as though not quite certain she wanted him to touch her. Preferring Ryan to the other two, she let him guide them from the courthouse. “The papers will be filed and delivered tomorrow.” They went down a back staircase, Zane striding ahead of them while Rory trailed behind.

The whole dynamic left Tiffany unsettled. She was getting what she wanted—a restraining order, emergency temporary custody and filing for divorce on the same day. Yet she couldn’t shake the horrible feeling of doom. Was Zane abusing Rory? Was there something darker and more twisted?

Had she pulled her daughter out of the frying pan to jump into the fire?

“Tiffany,” Ryan said as they arrived at the car. “I’ve rented a house outside the city. I want to take you and Alexis there right now. We’ll get you both settled, then you and I can talk.”

Outside the city?
“I thought you said she granted the petition.” They had to keep the conversation light. Alexis had been exposed to too much.

“She did, but we have secrets to share and a yard for Alexis to play in. It’s safe, I promise you.” The resolve in his voice and the last three words did a great deal to calm her down. Ryan hadn’t lied to her yet, and he’d made good on every promise.

Without looking at the other two as they arrived at the car, she tried whisper. “Do they have to come with us?”

“Yes,” Ryan said gently. “But it will all right. Trust me a little longer, sweetheart. I will tell you everything.”

For the second time that day, her stomach bottomed out.
Everything?

Why did that sound bad?

Worse, why the hell did she get in the car and agree to it? Ryan touched her cheek and her panic quieted.
Because he’s Ryan…
He’d earned her trust so far.

“Okay,” she said. “A little longer.”

His smile sent her pulse rocketing. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted to make him happy, and it wasn’t out of fear.
Please let this be the right decision.
 

Please.
 

After tucking Alexis and her mother into the car, Ryan walked to the driver’s side and glared at Zane. The hunter shrugged, his body language stating he couldn’t change the facts, but his lowered gaze offered an apology. The tension around Rory didn’t diminish an ounce. He’d exited the judge’s chambers with great news only to be greeted by Tiffany’s rising anxiety and the threat level between the young hunter apprentice and her teacher climbing exponentially.

“I didn’t mean to let anything slip,” Rory said in a sub vocal apology. “I lost it a little when she challenged me.”

He raised his eyebrows. Tiffany was hardly that dominant. While she still possessed her sense of self, it had been so eroded by her life with Taglioni. So much so, in fact, that only her daughter had given her the impetus to fight to survive. Rory shied away from meeting his gaze, and he flicked a look at Zane. The hunter nodded.

“I’ll take care of it. Collin will bring their things, including the little bit’s pillow.” The precious pillow—soft, blue and fuzzy—Alexis needed it to sleep.

Accepting their word, he murmured a quiet thank you before sliding into the driver’s seat. Tiffany’s tension and continued upset perfumed the interior of the vehicle. Clenching his teeth, he counted down to some patience. She had every right to be upset. Rory had somehow made the situation worse. The woman who had left him with her child to protect was not the same woman sitting in the backseat of the car with one arm protectively wrapped around her little girl.

Telling Tiffany the truth had always been on his agenda. He could hardly claim her as a mate if she didn’t know because she would have to accept and choose him in return. His passengers were silent as he navigated out of the courthouse parking garage and onto a main road to head to the highway. The heavy traffic in the city meant he rarely drove if he could help it, but for once he found himself grateful for the time.

Catching Tiffany’s concerned look in the rearview mirror, he gave her a small smile. “Are you two hungry?”

“No,” Tiffany said, but Alexis perked up.

“I’m starving. The judge didn’t have any candy. She said I deserved a treat for being so honest, but she didn’t give me one.”

The corners of his mouth kicked up. “She said
you
were a treat, Alexis. Not that you deserved one.”

“But I told the truth. I was very clear, and I answered her questions.” She twisted to look at her mom. “I even told her when I didn’t know. I thought about making something up, but you say the truth is always better, right, Momma?”

Gaze locking with his in the rearview mirror, Tiffany said, “Yes, the truth is always better.”

“I agree,” he told her, not willing to let the moment pass. “Sometimes the truth is harder to share than we want to admit, but telling the truth is vital to trust. You gave the judge a beautiful display of how much you love your mother. Even better, how much she loves you.”

“I’m cool.” Alexis declared. “Cause my mommy is the best mommy.”

With a tremulous smile, the spike in Tiffany’s anxiety broke and she sagged in the seat. Gathering her daughter close, she hugged her tight. “I have the best daughter.”

And I have the best girls.

“When will we get to the new house?” Alexis asked into the settling quiet.

“It’s about an hour. What would you like for food, little bit? I can stop for takeout.”

“Mommy says takeout isn’t good for you.”

His mate’s wince spoke volumes. “Well, it’s not great for you, but we can get something today because it’s special.” They began the debate of what to get and settled on tacos, so he found a place along the route. Zane and Rory got food for themselves as well. He even coaxed Tiffany into ordering something.

An hour later, he pulled up to the gated yard of the private house they were staying in. It actually belonged to the pack via one of the companies Ryan had set up. The hunters and other traveling members could use it as needed. For now, Ryan claimed it and concentrated on keeping the mood even while he answered all of Alexis’ questions about the house.

“It’s huge!” Alexis declared when they stepped out of the car. It wasn’t that large, but Tiffany wasn’t fast enough to stop her daughter from darting ahead.

“Alexis,” Ryan said, letting command fill his tone. The four year old skidded to a halt and glanced back. “Your mother didn’t say you could go in. Listen to her.”

Rebellion filled her eyes, and her nose scrunched, but Alexis still marched back to her mom and glanced up. “Can I go exploring? Zane and Rory can watch me, and then you can eat and talk to Mr. Ryan. Please?”

Clearly not caring for the idea, Tiffany glanced from her daughter to the others. They’d formed almost a loose circle, and Ryan gave Zane a singular look. The hunter backed off a pace and Rory did likewise. He needed time to talk to Tiffany, time to soothe her, and to keep her calm. That began and ended with her daughter.

“Don’t touch anything,” Tiffany finally relented. “And don’t break anything.”

“I won’t!” Alexis danced in a circle then ran to the door. “Come on, Zane. I bet I can beat you up the stairs.” She vanished into the house. Zane waited a beat for Ryan to nod, then he followed her at a far more sedate pace. Rory mumbled something about taking a walk, leaving him and Tiffany alone.

Arms folded, she wasted no time turning to face him. “I’m not setting a foot in that house until you tell me what’s going on.”

“It would be better if we did go inside, but if you insist—” He gestured to the garden. The house sat on five prime acres which gave them the illusion of privacy, but they needed to be behind the house to make sure no one from the road could use binoculars to spot them.

Leaving the keys with the car, he walked with Tiffany. Despite the growth of flowers and the damp must of an earlier rain, all he could truly scent was the anxiety pinning a darker undertone to the richness of Tiffany’s scent.
Cupcakes
. That’s what she reminded him of—sweet vanilla with layers of nutmeg, cinnamon and something altogether her.

He’d never been that fond of sweet things before. Now he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to get enough.

How did one begin this topic? He considered all the angles he could approach from, since the earlier plan to earn her trust had been dragooned by the incident at the courthouse.

“Are you some kind of mafia boss?” The question, so far out of left field, stunned him.

“What?”

“You have a secret house, unlimited wealth, personal bodyguards and they obey you when you just look at them. It’s got that Godfather feel to it. You know the movie.”

Having seen the movie, he wasn’t sure he liked being compared to Brando or Pacino.

“I know you think I’m foolish because I trusted my husband, but I think I always knew he had more ties to criminal activity than I wanted to admit.” She folded her arms, hugging herself. He wanted to hug her, pull her close and tell her it would be all right. “So I get it, but I don’t want to be pawn in a war between your family and his.”