by T. L. Reeve
“Well, at least she still has the sassy bite to her,” Timothy teased, handing Dave a wad of tissue.
“Damn straight,” Kenny said, coming up beside her. He wrapped his arms around her. “Seriously though, none of us were easy on you. Are you okay?”
She gave him a tired nod. "Yes. I'm sure I'm going to be sore in the morning, however, it was worth it."
She snuggled into Kenny's embrace and felt the warmth of the blanket engulf her. "Good to hear." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "We're all going to be staying here tonight."
She yawned and her eyes drifted shut. “Okay.”
“Wow, she must really be satisfied, she’s so agreeable,” Edward said, joining them.
“Still kick your ass,” she said, slurring her words.
“I’d put money on it.” Timothy laid in front of her, while Edward was beside him, and Dave lay on the other side of Kenny.
“Second it,” Dave said.
She laughed. “You’re all assholes. Let me sleep.”
“As you wish, princess.”
Chapter Nine
“Oh, there you are,” Maisie said, coming into the breakroom. “I've been looking all over for you.”
If she had been, she'd have found Scarlett in her office, still trying to reconcile the books—which, not for nothing, would never be fixed. “I've been in my office all morning.”
It'd been two days since the guys bedded her and each one kept in contact with her either through text message or phone. Kenny and Edward spent their lunch with her while Timothy and Dave had dinner with her at night.
“Oh, right,” Maisie said, trying to smile. “Your office. Anyway, I thought I would let you know, I am taking a small trip. There is a juvenile lion in need of rehabilitation in Indiana. Some jackass used the cat as a sideshow attraction for his used car lot. Pathetic people.”
“Maisie, we don't have the room,” Scarlett said.
“We have forty acres plus.” Her sister motioned to the area surrounding them. “If we can’t house big cats in need, what's the point of being open?”
“Fine, let me rephrase it,” Scarlett said, squaring her shoulders. “Since we have another litter of cubs coming and the budgets have been cut, there isn't enough food or money to care for another lion you won't neuter.”
Rage crackled through Maisie's brown eyes. “What did you say to me?”
“I said, no more, Maisie. No more taking in animals I know you're going to breed and sell.” Scarlett crossed her arms. Her heart hammered and her breath came in soft pants. She trembled from head to toe, nervous about what could happen next, but she'd also been proud of herself for finally standing up to her sister.
“No.” Maisie shook her head. “I didn't ask your opinion, Scarlett.” Her sister snapped off the end of Scarlett's name as though she'd bitten her. “I'm telling you what I am doing. You don't have a say here anymore.” A triumphant smile finally filled Maisie's features. “While I am gone, you will be moved out of this building. You are no longer welcome here.”
Scarlett bit her tongue. No longer welcome there? Since she'd been ten, she hadn't felt welcome there, yet she stayed. She endured and now her sister wanted to lord over her, after everything Scarlett found out, hell no. “Fine.”
Maisie narrowed her eyes. “I thought you'd put up a fight for your precious lions and tigers.”
She snorted. “Then you don't know me at all.” More had rested on the tip of her tongue, but it wasn't worth it. She grabbed her cup of coffee off the counter beside the coffeemaker and headed back to her office. In a way, Maisie's announcement had lifted a weight off of Scarlett's shoulders, but also added it back on times a thousand. If she left like her sister wanted, the animals in their reserve would die, or worse, be sold off to the highest bidder.
“When I get back, you're done here, Scarlett,” her sister screamed.
“Yeah, heard you the first time.” Scarlett continued on her way and when she entered her office, she closed the door behind her, letting out a breath.
“Want to tell me what that was about?” Kenny asked, starling her.
Scarlett jumped spilling some of her coffee onto her hand. “Damn it. I'm going to start tying bells around all of your necks.”
Closing the distance between them, Kenny laughed. “Might be fun and kinky.” He took the cup from her then placed it on her desk. “Want to tell me what happened?”
“I'm sure you heard some of it,” she said, drying her handoff.
“I did, but I want to hear it from you.”
She sighed, dropping into her chair. “It's all bullshit, Kenny. You and I both know it. I should take her up on her offer and walk away.”
“What did she say?”
Scarlett gave him a droll stare. “She's bringing in a juvenile lion and in the same breath is throwing me out when she returns.”
“Good,” he replied. “Then she doesn't suspect a thing.”
“I guess not, considering we haven’t heard back from Marcus.” She knew he'd call when he had an answer, but the waiting game was killing her. Add in her sister's announcement and she fretted.
Hard.
“It's why I am here. We just got the call. Well, scratch that, Dave got the call. I'm just the messenger. We're a go. The warrant has been drawn up and signed by the judge and as soon as Marcus can, he'll be turning it over to the police department to have her picked up.”
It couldn't come soon enough. “She's leaving tomorrow.”
He nodded. “Heard. What if she's not leaving to find a lion but leaving to try to get away before the shit hits the fan? Remember she was supposed to get another loan.”
Scarlett waved him off. “Benji said they'd continue as if nothing had happened to keep the scent off Victory and Maisie. Only after my sister is arrested would the other come to light.”
“Never know with her though,” he replied.
“True. Again.” Scarlett deflated in her chair. “Maybe she is bluffing. Maybe this lion is an excuse so if something went down while she was gone, I'd be her alibi.”
“Or her scapegoat.”
“Well, we know what's coming. I guess one of us should call Dave and let him know the update.” She picked up her phone prepared to do it herself since Maisie had told her the plan, but Kenny stilled her.
“I'll do it. I'll call him. Why don't you go relax or something.” He winked at her. “We haven't been exactly easy with you over the last few days.”
He was right, they hadn't been. She hadn't received so much attention since her accident and even then, it'd been bad attention. Nonetheless, a nice soak in her tub and a nap would be amazing. The snowpack was sticking, and it caused a deep chill to settle in her bones. She couldn't get warm enough as it was unless she was snuggled deep within her blankets, between her men. “Sure. A bath sounds amazing right now.”
“I'll come get you after I talk to Dave and we figure everything out.” Kenny stepped away from her allowing, her to exit her office.
“You'll come get me.” She looked up at him.
“Of course.” He nodded. “Now get your sweet ass into your tub, missy. That's an order.”
Goosebumps spread across her skin at his tone. Of all four of them, he and Timothy had a startling command to their tones that demanded she follow everything they told her to do.
“Aye, aye captain.” She gave him a mock salute before hurrying to her apartment.
The minute she opened her door and saw the picture Samantha drew her the other day, the excitement of her lover's words, bled from her body. When Maisie was arrested, her niece would be left to pick up the pieces. The girl would be left parentless for an indeterminate amount of time and it broke something inside of Scarlett. She understood what it was like to be without parents and she never wanted Samantha to feel an ounce of shame or the inadequacies she did as a child then as a teen when her parents died. Of course, she had zero doubt, she wouldn't take Samantha in and protect her. Men or no men, Samantha deserved to grow
up in a loving, caring home. Scarlett would do the best she could to provide it. Still, with Maisie out of the picture, Samantha would need all the support she could get.
Scarlett spent one more minute staring at the smiling faces leaping off the page of her niece’s artwork then continued down the hall to her bathroom. In a few hours, maybe a day all of their lives were going to change. The turmoil of the trial might bring to light others in their small community who commit heinous crimes, especially in the wildlife refuge community. It might also have ill effects on the bank she used, due to Victory's mishandling of funds. She could list more complications from the pending indictments she was sure of it, but it wasn't here nor there. She only needed to worry about Samantha and Hearts and Paws. Nothing else.
When she stepped into her bathroom, she turned on the tub and began filling. She undressed and for the first, in a long time, stared at her body. Her face, she realized, later on, hadn't been the only place for scars. She had two on her side, full claw marks from Jager and one puncture wound near her heart. Later, she found out, after she woke in the hospital, the reason it'd been so hard for her to breathe had been due to her punctured lung, not the amount of blood filling her mouth. She spent several weeks in the hospital healing and relearning how to breathe and move again.
Now, they were pale, jagged lines contrasting her dark-brown skin though she still had a visceral reaction to them. When the tub was filled how she liked it, she slipped into it and moaned. Muscles she hadn't realized were tense and sore spasmed and released, relaxing her. She leaned her head back against the soft padded edge and closed her eyes. Kenny was right, she needed this.
“Scarlett! Wake up!”
She blinked several times. The water had gone cold and her fingertips were pale and pruned. How long have I been here? She glanced up at the form looming over her and frowned. Timothy? Why is he here?
“There you are.” He shook his head. “Only been trying to wake you for five minutes.”
“How long have I been asleep?” She ran her hand over her face and recoiled from the cold. “Can you give me a second to warm up?”
Timothy pointed to the shower. “One step ahead of you.”
“You're a Godsend.” She kissed him then and climbed out of the tub. “I guess I was more tired than I thought. What's going on?” She stepped under the heated spray and groaned. Slowly the numbness of the cold water washed away.
“They picked up your sister,” he said, handing her a towel when she stepped out. “She was on her way to the airport with her husband.”
“What?”
He nodded. “Yep, gets even better too.”
“Oh?” She knew Maisie was leaving but had she been spooked? “What's going on?”
“Seems Eduardo is also on the run. He's married and has two kids in Spain. His wife has been searching for him through the courts since he sold off her father's coffee-growing company and made billions of Euros.” Timothy grinned.
“Fuck me,” she whispered, sitting down on her small bed. “How the fuck did Maisie meet this guy.” She held up her hand. “Rhetorical question. It doesn't have to be answered.”
“Oh, I was going to say, my pleasure.” He knelt in front of her, his obsidian eyes swirled with heat, completely ignoring the second part of her statement. “I've only yet sampled your sweet little pussy and I want more.”
“Down boy,” she chuckled. “We don't have time to mess around.”
“Says who?” He untucked the tab of her towel, allowing it to fall around her. He groaned. “Perfect.”
“Hey, Mr. Perfect, Dave said to hurry your ass up, we have shit to do,” Edward said from the door of her room.
Timothy pressed his forehead to hers. “We'll continue this later.” He brushed his lips across hers then stood. The evidence of his arousal pressed against the front of his slacks as he turned to grab his jacket.
“Uh, sure.” She touched her bottom lip with her fingertips. “What else are we doing?”
“Dave is drafting a statement for you to make since Maisie's arrest is all over the news due to Eduardo's subsequent arrest as well.”
“A what now?” She didn't make the statements; she only ran the day to day operations. “I'm not sure me talking is a good idea.”
“Sure it is, princess,” Timothy answered. “Now get dressed. We need to leave in ten so we can head to Dave's office where the press conference will be.”
“Press conference? You're joking right?” She couldn't believe what he said.
“I don't joke about stuff like this. Quit stalling. I already laid something out for you.” He pointed to the bag hanging from her closet door. “Or well, picked it out should be the better word for it.”
She went to the bag, her forgotten towel lay in a heap on her bed and pulled the zipper down. The burnt gold dress hanging there took her breath away. It was conservative but sexy. It would come to her calves and had a slit in the back. The scoop neckline wasn't too revealing but also had a playful edge to it. She loved it and feared it at the same time.
“There should be a box at the bottom of it too. Hope you like Disney.” Timothy headed down the hall, leaving her to dress.
She pulled the gown from the bag, then retrieved the black box. Once she was dressed, she opened the box and found a small lion pendant necklace inside. The eyes were the same shade of amber as her eyes. She grinned. She loved it. She put it on then walked out to the living room. There on her couch and in her chair sat Timothy, Kenny, and Edward. “Can you finish zipping me?” She turned away from the guys to show them what she needed to have done.
“I've got you,” Kenny said, coming up behind her. “You're so fucking sexy. When Timothy showed us this, I thought he lost his eff'n mind.”
“Now?” She faced him when he finished.
“I think we're all lucky SOBs, Scar.” He turned her in the direction of her room. “Finish getting ready, we have to go soon.”
“Right. I’ll be done in a minute.”
****
When they arrived at Dave's law firm, the lobby was swarming with reporters and security. Barriers had been set up to keep clients safe while also keeping the media at bay. Scarlett checked in and the stoned-faced security guard led her down the hall away from Dave's office to one of the big conference rooms.
“You should know,” the security guard said. “This place is a madhouse.”
“Kind of figured it out from everyone in the lobby,” Scarlett replied.
He snorted. “This is ten times worse.”
How much worse could it get? As soon as the thought entered her mind, she chided herself for even thinking it. The security guard opened the door for her, and her breath hitched. The folding doors at the end of the room had been pushed open allowing more access to those who might need it and, in this case, it was for the press overflow. Shutters snapped and the bright light of flashes, momentarily stunned her. When the guys said press conference, she thought maybe local people, not this.
“I don't think I can do this,” she said between clenched teeth.
“We've got you Scar, we're right here with you.” Kenny pressed his hand to the small of her back and urged her forward.
“There are so many people,” she muttered moving toward the desk in the front where Dave sat. In front of him were two mic stands and a notebook. He glanced up the minute he caught sight of her and grinned.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Scarlett Leon, youngest daughter to Margaret and Stephen Leon,” Dave said.
A murmur ran through the crowd and the old sense of paranoia roared to life within her. They were talking about her scars. How gross they were. How deep they were. How they couldn't understand how a parent would let her out looking as she did.
“Don't do it,” Kenny murmured in her ear. “They're not here to create a monster out of you, they're here to hear what you have to say, so go tell them the truth.”
She joined Dave at the table, her heart lodged in her throat and her stomach tied in knots
. She tried to smile at everyone but failed miserably, she could tell. She tried to be polite and say hello but even her voice failed her at the most inopportune time. Scarlett cleared her throat and tried again. “Hello. Thank you for coming on such short notice.” Her voice wobbled and she placed a hand to her chest, trying to settle herself. “You'll have to forgive me. I've never done this before.”
Dave opened the folder for her. Inside sat the prepared statement. “At this time, Miss Leon will only be making a statement. She won't be answering any questions, however, if you'd like to leave them with my secretary, I can make sure she answers them so you can run your stories at a later time.” He glanced at Scarlett. “Whenever you're ready.”
She nodded and let out a breath. “Thanks.” Scarlett looked at the statement and grinned. She couldn't have said it better if she tried. “When my grandfather opened the gates to Hearts and Paws to help injured and abused big cats, he didn't understand the impact he'd have on the animal kingdom or in Colorado Springs. Over the years, we have strived to care for all those big cats who might be sick or dying or those felines who have been kept in cages only released once a day to perform. Though time has passed, situations don't change and today, I am pleased to say, our forty-acre plot of land is being used to its fullest potential. In the last twenty years, we have rehabilitated over fifteen big cats along with rehomed three of those felines into local and national zoos. Those who have been here for their last days have been treated with compassion and love and knew they were wanted at the very end.”
Dave handed her a kleenex, surprising her. Surely she hadn't been crying already? Yet, when she dabbed her eye, she found it wet. “Thanks.”
“Not a problem.” He urged her to continue.
“You see this scar and you're reminded of a time when I'd been too young and too naive. I love these beasties with all my heart and to see one suffer, I couldn't take it. Well, that's why I am here today. As I've said, these cats are my legacy. They are who my family has fought for and will continue to fight for, for as long as God will give me the chance to. Effective immediately, Maisie Velazquez-Cruz has been removed from the business. She has been arrested for fraud, forgery, and embezzlement and, as of this moment, I have become the sole owner of Hearts and Paws.” She turned to Dave and gave him a curious look. They hadn't talked about how they'd fix the situation with her and Maisie, except for getting her sister out of the business. “Also, effective immediately all remaining charity events have been canceled due to extenuating circumstances. When the dust has settled and things have returned to normal, the charity faction of Hearts and Paws will return.” She glanced up at the crowd of reporters and noticed they all sat forward, hanging on to her every word. It was weird and made her uncomfortable, but also strong and confident. “In closing, Hearts and Paws will always remain committed to caring for any sick or injured animal that may cross our path. If you know of any animal, big or small in need of help, please call us at 1-888-BIG-HART that's 1-888-244-2372.” She closed the notebook and stood; Dave was right at her side.