“Damn it all to hell. I knew you’d take it badly but not like this. I thought I’d get it all fixed up and present it to you. Even had Allen make a list…are you all right?” She struggled and he let her up, but he didn’t sit down again. “I wanted to surprise you. I thought…I hoped it would be something you’d love. Your own company.”
“I can’t do this.” He nodded and sat down beside her again. “I don’t know the first thing about advertising. Well, I do, but not how to run a business. I’m just an okay artist. I have a talent for putting a pretty thing on paper with some words. Nothing more.”
“That’s sounds a great deal like an advertising firm.” He took her hand into his when she slapped his shoulder. “Slone said she’d help you get started. Jarrett told me that he’d come in and set you up to get your computers going. Graham and Ellis are going to help with getting everything set up the way you want, and Lee said he’d cook you food when you worked late. Hunter said that he had a few men and woman that would love to come in and do grunt work for you.”
“I don’t have money.” He told her they did. “I can’t use your money for a business that will more than likely fail in the first week. I just can’t do that.”
“Jack, you have to do this. And you have a client already. Sweet has called me several times to talk to you. I had no idea until you said so that he’d gotten our home number. But he is already willing to work with you and you’ve not even opened your doors.” He kissed her hand then turned it over and licked her palm. “And as for the Emerson name, that too was going to be something we talked about. I want you to marry me.”
The ring felt heavy in her palm. She stared at it for several seconds before he picked it up again and got down on his knee in front of her. As he slipped it up over her knuckle she watched his face, wondering if this was a cruel joke.
“I love you. And I think that I always have. No, that’s not right. My heart has been ready for you my entire life. Just waiting for you to come along and fill in the place. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and will forever be the most wondrous thing in the universe to me. I want to have children with you, watch you grow large with them. I can’t wait to see you have our child suckle at your breast, hold them to you in love. I need you in my life and want you to be my wife.” The ring slid over her finger to settle like it had been there her entire life on her ring finger. She looked up at him and he told her again he loved her. “Will you marry me?”
“I’m afraid.” He nodded. “I’ve never loved anyone before. Never even…there are so many things that you might find out you hate me for later. And if I say yes, it means forever.”
“To me as well.” She watched him as he waited, knowing that he did truly love her and her him, but would it be enough? As soon as she nodded, telling him yes, he stood up and pulled her into his arms. The kiss, a hungry consuming kiss, sealed the deal.
“I wish I didn’t have to go in.” She felt his cock as he rocked into her. “Christ, I want to lay you over this table and eat you. Then fuck you until you scream out my name.”
“Please.” He laughed and pulled back. “You’re not playing very fair. Getting me all wet and then leaving me hanging.”
His low growl made her laugh, and he moved back more when she reached for him. It occurred to her that she had a great deal of power over him, and wanted to see how far it would go. Just as she reached for him again, his cell phone rang. And she could tell by the tone it was Allen. Play would have to wait.
“I’m leaving now. Are they there?” Allen must have said no. “Good. Is everything set up? The tables and conference rooms ready?”
Luke pulled her to him for a quick and thorough kiss before turning and leaving her wanting. As soon as the door closed behind him, Audra came in and handed her the handset of the house phone. She nearly missed what the caller was saying, her mind was so fuzzy.
“I expect you to be here at noon and not a moment later.” She realized then it was her sire, the man she had been dreading talking to for days now. “And you’re going to get the notion out of your head right now that you can talk to me in a manner that you did when you left me. I will have you respect me, or so help me I’ll let that family know just what sort of person you really are.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that Luke knew. As did Hunter. When she’d told Luke that she’d killed a man, Hunter had been called in as well. She was still learning all the ins and outs of being in a pack, but Hunter told her she was going to be just fine. She hoped so.
“I can’t be there at noon. You’ll just have to change the time to a better one to suit me.” Which wasn’t true, but she wasn’t going to let him run over her. Not yet at any rate. But he was her father and he had a way about him that made her obey. “I can come there at one and I’ll be with someone. So either work with me or not, I don’t care.”
“You will not be with someone. This is a family meeting and you and I and that brother of yours will settle this thing up before we leave here. I’ve already stayed longer than I want. You’ll come alone.” She didn’t say anything. “Did you hear me, Daughter? I said you’ll be here at noon alone and you’ll not make me wait.”
She was nodding, her body doing what her mind was telling her not to do. But before she voiced her accession, she stiffened up and took a deep breath. It was high time she realized she was an adult and not his child.
“We’ll be there at one.” She hung up the phone and tried to think what she should do now. Going alone wasn’t something she really wanted to do, but she had no one she could ask. When the phone rang again, she squeaked at it before Audra picked it up, answering it for her.
“It’s Mrs. Emerson. She asked if you were busy.” When she shook her head, the phone was suddenly in her hand. Before she spoke, however, Audra took her chin in her hand and spoke low. “You’re a wolf. A she-wolf. A strong animal that hunts prey and kills what pisses it off. This man, your sire, is nothing to you unless you let him. Are you going to let him? Are you going to let him rule a life that he’s no part of?”
“He will hurt me.” She snorted. “I don’t want to leave here. I want…I want my own life. With all of you.”
Audra told her to talk to the alpha, the she-alpha on the phone. As soon as she took the phone off mute, she asked Slone if she’d have lunch with her father and her today.
“It won’t be pleasant. It might even be loud, but I have to meet him and I’m afraid I’m not strong enough to do it on my own.” Slone laughed and Jack wanted to cry. “I’m sorry. Why on earth would you want to have lunch with an idiot and a fool?” She started to hang up.
“I guess those are two words that I’d use to describe your father. But not you. Never you. And I’d love to have lunch with the two of you. Provided you let me record it if things get nasty. I will have to show Hunter and he will love it too. I was laughing because of what you said. You’re more than strong enough to take him on. Hell, I think you were even without your wolf. And yes, I’d love to. But you and I are going to see that building of yours first. I might need you for a few things, and I am going to be the first customer, not the dog food guy.”
“He wants to get in on the ground floor.” She looked at her ring as the light sparkled around the room. “I don’t know a thing about running a business. I’m not even sure what to call myself.”
“I was thinking on that too. Not a lot, mind you, but between throwing up this morning. I think you should call it something simple, something elegant that suits you. And a logo. A sharp drawing that shows you at your best.”
Jack picked up the pencil and started making notes, and drew a few pictures as they set up the time to meet. She was still drawing on the pad when Audra told her that she had another call.
“Howdy, girl. I heard tell through the wolf circle that you’re opening your own little shop.” She laughed when Max did. “You need yourself a nice little janitor? I find myself in need of a job, and my missus can’t stand me around the house we’re renting much longer. We have a bead on a house but nothing yet.”
“I’d love that. But I don’t know where to find you those sandwiches here. Do you?” He told her about the diner and that they had the best ones in the country. “Then it’s a deal. But you have to tell your wife that as part of your hiring package, you get a meal a day. All right?”
“Hell yeah, it’s all right.” She heard him shouting to someone, who must have been his wife. “She said to tell you thanks. I think she was ready to murder me and you saved my life.”
She talked to him for a few more minutes as she played with the note pad. Jack missed having her things around her all the time, and made a mental note to ask Luke if she could set up a room in their new house. She looked up when Audra cleared her throat.
“Time to get going, miss. It’s going on ten now.” Jack looked at the clock then at the pad of paper. “You do fine work there. My son, he loves to draw too. Says it’s relaxing. I think it works, because since he got out of school for the break, he sleeps later and later.”
Her voice said she was worried about her son. Jack had no idea why, but she found herself wanting to help them both. So before she left the big kitchen she told Audra to have her son Josh come by and talk to her. Maybe she could get him some work at her firm. Jack was moving up the stairs to get ready for her trip when it occurred to her that she was a business owner.
“Mother fuck.” She sat on the steps with her head between her legs again as what had just happened seemed to wash over her. Then she got up and went to their room. She was Jack Emerson and she was a business owner and had people wanting her work. Her father was going to learn to live with her not bowing down before him, and the sooner the better.
Chapter 10
Luke handed over every file he could find. There had been a moment there when they despaired of finding anything but empty boxes in the big storage room in the basement, but Allen had remembered that payments were being made monthly to a storage rental firm and he got them the information. It had not just been packed with boxes of files, but they also found a large stash of weapons and ammo. The Feds took an immediate interest in those as well.
“We got a call today. From the chief of police.” The man, Bart Towers, didn’t look up from the mess in front of him as he spoke. “Said that we were to look out for you. Seemed to think that you and that young man that works for you are trying to frame him. I guess he got wind that we were looking into his businesses. I’m glad. I love it when they squirm around on a hook like that.”
“And did he tell you how I was going about this?” Towers just laughed. “I assure you, sir, that everything is on the up and up here. I’m working through a great mess I was left by my predecessor.”
“Conklin.” Luke nodded. “Yeah, I’m working on that one too. Seems that man has a great deal to say regarding the chief as well. And there’s not a lot of it nice. Mostly darn right nasty if you ask me. He has rolled over on a few men as a matter of fact. Do you know Osborne and his construction company?”
“I do. We’re looking into them as well here on a more local level. There have been some contracts handed out that we can’t seem to find any bids for.” Towers nodded. “You know about that as well?”
“We do. And I’d ask you not to look much more than you already have. We have…let’s just say we have someone on it now. She’ll contact you in a few days.” Towers looked up at him then. “Your father, Cash, he and I go way back. Did he tell you about me?”
“No.” Luke wanted to ask his dad now but knew that he was working on the tractor this morning. And he was afraid to distract him. His dad had volunteered to mow their back yard and was having the time of his life when he’d left this morning. “My dad is a good man.”
“He is. The best. And when you talk to him, tell him that I’m still married to her and that he’s to stay away.” Luke laughed. His father had a way with women. He’d never strayed when his mom was alive, but he flirted a great deal. Luke remembered his mom never saying anything, but being very tolerant of him. He supposed his father needed to flirt like people had to breathe, and she saw that in him.
“I’ll do that.” Towers nodded and looked back at the files. Luke had a feeling the man wanted to say more but was working up to it. Deciding that he’d find him when he was ready to talk, he moved to his office. Luke was just sitting down when Allen came into the room.
He’d only been back to work for a half day yesterday. He was still badly bruised up and he used a cane to walk. When Luke told him to rest, he told him that he needed to work, to show the men who had hurt him that he wasn’t going to let them take this from him. As soon as he sat down, Allen smiled.
“My father is in town.” Luke nodded. He’d meant to tell him before but forgot. “He’s demanded a meeting with me…and Jack, but she is going to meet him today. I’m supposed to tell you that she’s got company and that Slone…Mrs. Emerson…is recording it for us.”
“She’ll be fine.” Allen nodded and handed him some slips of paper. “There are nine calls from a man by the name of Pierce Grover. He’s trying to contact Jack. I didn’t tell him anything. Also, Granger called but I blew him off. He wants a meeting with you as man to man he said.”
“He’s going to make my wolf pissy if he keeps this up.” He looked over the phone calls and laid them on the desk. “She found out this morning. Sweet called her just like you said he would.”
“I figured he wouldn’t be put off much longer. And neither will Grover. Those men really want her to work with them.” Luke nodded. “I have the list from Max too. He said that as a man who does clean up, no one noticed him taking out her desk things. I’m glad he gave her list of clients to you as well.”
“She’s going to need the boost. When I left her this morning she was having doubts. I called in the troops.” Allen asked who. “Slone.”
“She frightens me just a little. I have no idea why but whenever I’m around her, I want to drop to the ground and bury my face in the dirt.” Luke laughed. “She’s a wonderful woman, but scares me all the same.”
“Oh, before I forget, Slone has a place for you. It’s not huge, but it’s nice. Dan and Ellis are working on it now. The roof needed to be repaired and carpet replaced, so you’ll be able to move in soon.” Allen looked away. “I told you I would find you someplace safe. And this is on pack land so you’ll have wolves, both wild and like me, all over the place.”
“I don’t know how to…I have very little money. I’m making payments to some of my older bills that I incurred when I was younger.” Luke knew about those and some other things that Allen was working to take care of. Like the car loan that he no longer had the car for, the restitution he was making to someone he’d hurt while he’d been high, and the money he was paying out of his own pocket to have his mom’s grave cared for. Jack was doing the same thing, though her money was for the funeral costs.
“You should know now that if you make a single threat of a payment to her she will have your face-planted in the dirt forever. Slone is doing this because she feels she owes you. And if you tell her no, she will hurt you.” Allen nodded and looked away. He was the most tenderhearted man he knew.
“My sister…did she tell you what Father has over her?” Luke nodded. “He’ll tear her down with it. Hurt her in ways that will be hard to see. She never meant to…Father forced her hand.”
“She told me.” Allen stood up and so did Luke. “I’m going to take care of her. And you if you’ll let me. I owe you more than I can ever repay you.”
“Don’t hurt her. And don’t let her be hurt. It’s all the payment I’ll ever need.” Allen left his office and shut the door behind him. Luke sat there for several minutes before he got to work. He’d never hurt either of them. But he was touched that Allen had so much confidence in the fact that Luke would protect her.
As noon came and went Luke worked on getting the budget ready for the monthly meeting. He found a few things on it that he needed to look into and made notes. As he was finishing up the budget he saw a file on his desk marked Library Project in Slone’s neat handwriting. Opening it, he looked at the proposal and the cost of each part of the project. Then at the bottom a grand total of four million seven hundred dollars, all paid from the Giles/Emerson foundation.
The bids were listed on the second sheet. There were only seven names on the list and each of them had put in a bid of well over the cost of the project. Osborne was listed as well, and at his name was the word “whatever.” He stared at it for several seconds as he tried to understand. Then he got up and went to the rooms where the Feds were. He handed it to Towers.
“Hey. I just found this and thought you might like to see it.” Towers took it and looked it over, going over each sheet in the file. “I had Allen pull all the things from the big cabinet in my office. Most of it was crap but I’ve been going through it. This was in it. I didn’t even see it until now.”
“Is this a copy?” Luke had no idea and said so. “If this is the original—and I’ve no doubt that it might be—then this is what we’ve been looking for. It says a lot for what was going on here. And the fucking
whatever
is enough to have all of them convicted.”
When Towers picked up his phone, Luke went back to his office. Allen was on the phone so he bypassed him for his own office. As soon as he sat down he felt Jack’s anger. Luke was grabbing up his jacket when she spoke.
I might be in jail soon.
He leaned against his desk and asked her why.
Because my father is going to make me kill him. He’s all up in arms about Slone. I swear to you, I want to be just like her someday. She is awesome.
That she is. Do you need me to come down there and show you how awesome I am?
She giggled and he relaxed.
Or when we get home we could go play in the woods and I could chase you down for a good fuck.
A good long fuck would be nice.
He felt his cock lengthen and had to adjust himself.
Do you have any idea how much I love having sex with you? Having you eat me and fuck me like you do?
You’re killing me right now.
She laughed.
You shouldn’t be doing this to me like this. I have Feds in the other room, and I’m pretty sure if you get too aroused, Slone will know it.
She told me about that. Not that she could smell me but that you could. I’m learning all sorts of things from her. And about whelping a child.
He sat down and thought again about her with his baby.
Do you mind if we wait for a few months before I get pregnant? It seems my husband to be has gotten me a job.
Whatever you need, love. And you need this. We both need it. If for nothing else than to have a place where I can run across the street to see you.
She told him she and Slone had seen it this morning
. What do you think? Can you work there?
I can. The only thing I can see is that it’s going to be expensive. I mean, just the lighting alone will be horrendous. And don’t tell me its fine. I need to show a profit at some point, and too much overhead isn’t going to make that happen.
He didn’t say anything, knowing she was right. They chatted a little more and then he closed the connection, asking for her promise that if she had to go to jail, she’d call him first. She said she’d try. Luke sat at his desk again and got to work. The sooner he was finished here, the sooner he could go home to his future wife.
~~~
“This meeting is private.” Mark tried for the third time to get rid of the other woman. It was bad enough that he had to meet with the daughter, but to have this woman here was too much. “Should you like to wait in the car? I’m sure we won’t be long.”
“I’m not going anywhere, so get on with it.” Mark wanted to slap her…just reach across the table and smack that look off her face. But he didn’t want to make a scene. And he was pretty sure that she’d try to hit him back. “I’m here because we have plans after this meeting. And I’m hungry.”
Mark looked at his daughter. She was smiling at the woman as if she were the greatest thing in the world, and that pissed him off. He slammed his fist onto the table and made her look at him. It had worked when she’d been younger…had her cowering in the chair afraid for her life. And she well should have been now. But she looked at him as if she were bored, and more than that, she looked as if she didn’t care what he had to say. This insolence was going to end right now.
“You’re going to stop this foolishness and bring that brother of yours to heel. I want you both home now. I’ve given you enough to hang yourself on, and now that you’re unemployed and homeless, I’ll take you back.” She shook her head and he felt his temper rise. “Daughter, I’ve had enough of this. Do as I say.”
“It’s Jack. Or Jacklyn if you want. You can say it if you want. But it will not change the fact that I’m an adult and I have been making decisions on my own for a great many years. And so you know, not only am I not unemployed, but I have my own business. A man who loves me too. You, however, can go right to hell. I’m through with you as of the moment you threatened my friend.” He curled his hand into a fist and was lifting it from the table when she spoke again. “You even draw that back, it will be the last of many horrible decisions you’ve made regarding me. I will guarantee it.”
“You’ll not take that tone with me.” Mark was afraid, terrified of her all of a sudden, but he knew to show fear would be the end of this and his plans. “I will not tell you again that you’re to do as I say. I don’t care how old you are. If you do not listen to me, I will tell the world what you really are.”
She said nothing. Mark looked over at the other woman and smiled. He knew that he had her, that his daughter would bow before his wishes and be home before he had to resort to doing as he’d threatened to do for years. Going to the paper. Not that he’d do it, but it was a lovely way to make her bend to his will. To have it public would bring in investigators and that would not do. Not for his daughter, but for him. He was the guilty party in all that had happened.
“Did she tell you that she killed a man? That in cold blood she killed a friend of mine as he sat in my kitchen drinking a fine glass of wine?” The woman only stared at him, so he knew that she was interested. “Dave and I were school hood chums. We’d been having dinner together for years and years. And then one night, in a fit of rage, she cuts open his throat and kills him.”
“Oh my.” The woman looked aghast and Mark smiled hugely. “What did the police say when they got there? I mean, it was murder, wasn’t it? I’d think she’d still be in prison for it.”
“Oh, we didn’t call them. It was better that way. Her mother had been ill for a very long time, and the thought of losing Daughter to prison in such a manner was too much for me. I know now that I should have done things differently, but, well….” Mark leaned back in his chair. “So we buried him. Hid his body away so that her instability would never be questioned. And now I must insist that she come back to our home so that I can keep an eye on her. You never know what will set her off.”
“No, I don’t think you could.” Mark looked at his daughter, who was staring at him with so much hatred that he wanted to bask in it. When the woman spoke again, he looked at her and waited for her to tell him that she would help her pack his daughter up. “I would guess that the fact that you sold her to the man, this childhood friend of yours, for a hundred bucks would be something that would make her murder him. I would have murdered you both, but she was young.”