“No, of course not. She moved here. She and Uncle Lenny have a house on the estate up in the Dells.”
He lowered his voice again. “Virtually under house arrest, I suppose.”
“I think she was at first, but now she’s allowed to visit her family in California and stuff like that.”
Aidan tried to imagine Emma voluntarily giving up her writing and allowing her existence to be monitored by the Were community. It would never happen, not in a million years.
“So much depends on the person involved and whether they’re adaptable,” Nadia said.
“Right.” He shook his head. “Let’s get off that depressing subject. There’s something else we need to talk about.”
She sighed. “My obnoxious little brother.”
“He’s fixated on Emma.”
“I know. He has all her books, and he boasts about how they’re friends.”
“They’re not.”
“Of course they’re not. Theo’s delusional. He moved into the city this summer, and he spends way too much time alone in his little apartment. I hate to say it, but I think he’s got some revolutionary ideas going on.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“He’s mentioned several times that Emma understands us and would want us to be free of what he calls ‘stupid restrictions.’ ”
Aidan groaned. “Oh, yeah. Let’s go back to the days of being hunted with torches. That would be lots of fun.”
“I’ve tried to tell my dad that we need to do something about Theo, but whenever I suggest that he could bring us down, my dad says all young alphas are high-spirited. Then he accuses me of being in competition with Theo because one of us will be in charge someday.” She shivered. “Having Theo in charge is one scary thought.”
“Obviously Theo needs an alpha male to set him straight. And soon, before he drags Emma into this and causes everybody a big problem.”
“My father should be the one to handle him, but I guarantee he’s not going to. I would if I could, but I can’t buck my dad on this.”
“Then it looks like it’ll have to be me.”
Emma looked up when she finished reading the passage from Night Shift. Aidan and Nadia still sat in the coffee shop, their heads close together as they carried on what was obviously an intense conversation. Aidan and Nadia. One name was the mirror image of the other. Their parents must have planned it that way.
She felt like a naive fool. From the beginning, she’d known Aidan was out of her league. He’d never pretended otherwise. She’d told him that some recreational sex would be just hunky-dory.
Except it wasn’t so hunky-dory now that she understood how fleeting that experience had been. No man had ever excited her as Aidan did. What if she never found another guy who triggered that kind of uninhibited response? Was she doomed to settle for second best?
“Miss Gavin?” A bookstore employee touched her on the elbow. “Are you ready to autograph books, now?”
“Oh!” A line had formed in front of the table, and because Emma also stood in front of the table, she was face-to-face with the first person in line, a grandmotherly woman dressed in purple sweats.
Emma smiled at her. “Hi, there.”
“Hi, yourself, sweetie. You looked so sad just now. I hope everything’s okay.”
“Everything’s wonderful. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just move around to the other side of the table so I can sit down and autograph your book for you.”
“Take your time. My name’s Sylvia. Say, I’m so excited about the party tonight. I didn’t make it last year, but I’ll be there this time. I’m coming in costume.”
“The party.” Emma had totally lost track of what she was supposed to be doing after the book event. Seeing Nadia had torpedoed her thoughts. Then she remembered. “Oh, the party.” She had one more radio interview this afternoon. Then from seven to ten tonight, she’d be the guest of honor at the monthly meeting of the Werewolves and Wine Club, which convened in a private room above a bar in downtown Chicago not far from the Palmer House. The members were all avid readers of anything werewolf related, and she was a popular author with the group.
She’d attended once before, and most everyone came in some sort of werewolf costume. Emma appreciated their enthusiasm, but she’d decided prior to her first visit to the club that she wouldn’t do the costume thing. Her decision had been the same this year, too.
“I’ll look forward to seeing you there, Sylvia.” She slid the autographed book back across the table.
“What are you wearing?”
“A black dress.”
Sylvia looked surprised. “No fur of any kind?”
“I want to make sure everyone knows who I am.”
“Oh, right. That makes perfect sense.” The woman reached over and patted Emma’s hand. “See you there. And for the record, I love the way you write sex scenes.”
“Thank you.” Emma hoped she’d remember Sylvia by the time the party rolled around. But then again, maybe she wouldn’t recognize her in a werewolf suit.
Nearly an hour later, all the books were gone and Emma had signed several bookplates for those who weren’t able to buy a book. She’d chatted with the bookstore manager and expressed her gratitude. Time to wrap things up. As she signed one last bookplate for a latecomer, she became aware of Aidan and Nadia standing off to one side of the autograph table.
Nadia held a book in her hand. Well, that was classy of her, to buy a book even if she hadn’t arrived specifically for that purpose. Emma knew full well Nadia had come to see Aidan.
The two of them walked over to the table after the last autograph seeker left.
Aidan spoke first. “Emma Gavin, I’d like you to meet Nadia Henderson.”
Emma blinked. Theo’s last name was Henderson, but surely that was a coincidence. She held out her hand. “I’m happy to meet you, Nadia.”
“Same here. I hope you don’t mind signing one more book.” She laid a copy of Night Shift on the table.
“Not at all. Thanks for buying it.” Emma was determined to be gracious to this woman who seemingly had everything—looks, money, and a future with Aidan Wallace. Jealousy was a terrible emotion, and Emma wanted to be rid of it. She wanted to be, but she wasn’t. She longed to leap across the table and close her hands around Nadia’s lovely throat.
Instead she wrote, Enjoy the fantasy. Best wishes, Emma Gavin, in this cursed woman’s book. She wondered whether Nadia had slept with Aidan. Oh, hell, who was she kidding? Of course they’d had sex. Two people who looked as though they had and were pledged to marry someday? They’d certainly taken a test-spin and kicked the tires of their future marital ride.
Smiling so much her cheeks ached, Emma closed the cover of the book and nudged it back toward Nadia. “Too bad we can’t go out for a drink or something, but I have a radio interview in thirty minutes.”
“Of course! I need to be going, anyway. Work calls.”
Despite herself, Emma was curious. “I don’t think Aidan mentioned what you do.”
“I design organic clothing.”
“Oh. That’s terrific!” Well, that was the topper. Besides looks, money, and access to the world’s most eligible bachelor, Nadia ran a green business. Emma was in favor of green businesses. In another life, she might have bought clothes from Nadia Henderson. But she would go stark naked before she’d buy a single stitch from the woman who would bear Aidan’s children.
Yes, she was being petty and unfair, but she’d had a lot of caffeine, not enough sleep, and rock-star sex with a man who would never touch her again. A girl couldn’t be blamed for being a little irritable under those circumstances.
“So”—Emma stood and gathered her things—“we need to take off, Aidan.”
He nodded and pulled out his BlackBerry. “Let’s go. I’ll make sure Barry’s waiting in front.”
“I’ll just walk out with you.” Nadia fell into step beside Emma. “The bus stops only about half a block from the front entrance.”<
br />
Emma glanced over at her in shock. “You took a bus here?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Because you’re loaded. “I just thought you’d probably have a driver, like Aidan.”
“I can see the point of a driver for something like your book tour because you have to move quickly from place to place.”
“No, I mean Aidan always has a driver, even in New York.”
“Oh.” Nadia smiled. “I guess he hasn’t seen the light. Most of my family’s the same way, but I keep telling them that chauffeur thing is so last century. We need to make more conscious choices about our mode of transport.”
“Yes, we do.” Emma hated to find herself agreeing with Nadia about anything, but taking public transportation was one of her favorite causes. She glanced over at Nadia’s silver suit. “Is that suit organic?” She seriously doubted it.
“Yes. I realize that’s hard to believe with the metallic sheen of the fabric, but I’ve patented a special process to create that effect without using any toxic dyes. My mission is to make organic at least as stylish as haute couture.”
“Impressive.” Despite herself, Emma was impressed. It appeared that Aidan would end up with a wife who was intelligent and eco-conscious, in addition to being a knockout. No doubt they would be very happy together. Emma wanted to weep at the injustice of it all.
Barry had pulled up outside in a no-parking zone, but the Wallace flag flew from the rear bumper, so Emma knew the town car was golden. She turned to Nadia and held out her hand. “It’s been a pleasure. I wish you and Aidan all the luck in the world, although you won’t need it, I’m sure.”
“Thank you.” Nadia’s grip was firm. “Just so you know, he thinks you’re very special.”
A lump formed in Emma’s throat. “I think he’s special, too.”
Nadia held her hand for a moment longer. “Take care of yourself, Emma Gavin.”
“I will.” She turned and climbed into the car as Barry held the door open for her.
“Give me a second, Barry,” Aidan said. “I need to double-check a couple of things with Nadia. You can go ahead and start the car.
“You’ve got it.” Leaving the back door open for Aidan, Barry walked around and slid in behind the wheel of the town car.
“I still can’t get used to hanging out in illegal parking spaces, Barry,” Emma said.
“Me, either. But apparently the Wallaces have a connection with the Hendersons, and the Hendersons are big medicine in Chicago. That flag on the back is all we need for the royal treatment.”
“That woman Aidan’s talking to is Nadia Henderson.”
“Is it, really? I wondered. I’ve seen pictures of her and thought it might be her. Too bad about her brother, though.”
A cold chill slid down Emma’s spine. No, the last name wasn’t some weird coincidence. She kept her tone casual. “You mean Theo?”
“That’s the one. Aidan told me we needed to watch out for him. What the hey. Every family has at least one bad egg.”
“Yes, I suppose they do.” And Aidan had known all about this bad seed from the beginning. No wonder he’d wanted to handle this problem personally. Emma reached in the pocket of her dress and pulled out the card Nadia had given her. Then she crumpled it into a ball and deliberately tossed it on the floor of the town car.
Littering wasn’t something she normally did, but she felt like breaking a few rules, getting a little rowdy. Without knowing it, she’d been a pawn in a game played by the very wealthy. And she was no longer willing to play, at least not by their rules.
Chapter 15
Aidan wasn’t surprised that Emma didn’t make conversation on the way to the radio station or during the drive back to the hotel. He couldn’t expect to be her favorite person after he’d asked Nadia to the book event and forced Emma to confront the harsh reality of his situation. His heart ached for her, and also for himself if he was honest, although he loathed the concept of self-pity.
For a moment there in the coffee shop, when Nadia had mentioned her uncle Lenny, he’d wondered whether he’d been foolish to reject Emma so completely. But once he’d heard the full story and had figured out that Emma would never go for the same deal as Nadia’s aunt Trixi, he’d fallen into despair.
He never should have agreed to have sex with Emma, but he’d been weak and she’d been ... irresistible. She still was, and he wasn’t convinced he’d ever get over her. Roarke had been right all along. Aidan should have sent someone else to handle this assignment.
Too late for regrets, though. He had to see this mess through to the end and protect Emma from whatever gonzo plan Theo had dreamed up. In the process, he’d shut Theo down. Theo might have been a troublemaker, but he was also a pack animal who obeyed pack rules. When a bigger and stronger alpha subdued him, he’d be forced to give up his revolutionary plans, at least while that alpha lived. Aidan expected to live a very long time, and he would be reminding Theo of his presence on a regular basis.
In the meantime, he and Emma needed to eat something before they headed out to the next event. He’d noted with some concern that it was a werewolf costume party. He hoped to hell Theo hadn’t heard about it.
As they neared the hotel, Aidan turned to Emma. “Would you rather stop for something to eat or order room service?”
“Room service is fine.” Her tone was prim.
Her prim tone and room service for dinner both suited him. Sitting across from her in stony silence in a restaurant wouldn’t be a barrel of laughs.
When they reached the hotel, Emma got out of the car, thanked Barry, and informed him they’d walk to the party, so he was free until the next morning.
As Aidan followed Emma out, Barry glanced at him, obviously wanting confirmation for that plan of action.
“That won’t work, Emma.” Aidan sensed a fight coming and hoped he was wrong. “I’m not opposed to a walk, but for security purposes we need to take the car.”
She turned to him. “Be honest with me for once, Aidan. How much security do we really need to deal with a spoiled rich boy? Or is all this elaborate security primarily designed to protect your girlfriend’s family name?”
Aidan sighed. “So you made the connection.”
“Actually, no, I didn’t. Chicago’s a huge city, and I was sure it was some strange coincidence that Nadia and Theo had the same last name. While you were talking to Nadia on the curb this afternoon, Barry mentioned something to me about the Henderson’s problem child, and then it all clicked.”
Aidan glanced at Barry, who looked stricken. “It’s okay,” Aidan said. “I didn’t tell you to keep it quiet. It’s never been a secret.”
“But it was news to me!” Emma crossed her arms and glared at him. “I would have appreciated knowing this factoid when you knew it, Aidan. I’m assuming you found out the night you traced Theo’s e-mail and decided you had to come along on this jaunt.”
“Yes.”
“So instead of being all about protecting me, this is all about protecting the Henderson family—who will someday be your in-laws—from public embarrassment.”
“No. My top priority is your protection. It always has been.”
“Considering the fact that you hid your connection to Theo’s family, I’m not sure I can believe you.”
“I didn’t hide it. I just didn’t mention it.”
“Same thing.”
“No, it’s not. If I’d been determined to hide it, I wouldn’t have said anything to Barry. And I damned sure wouldn’t have invited Nadia to your book event.”
“Does she know her brother is the reason you came to Chicago?”
“She does now.”
Emma threw up her hands. “Situation solved. That’s one savvy woman. She’ll get her brother by the ear and make sure he behaves himself. She has a lot more to lose if he becomes tabloid fodder than you do.”
“He won’t listen to her.” Aidan couldn’t very well explain pack hierarchy, but Nadia, clever and accomplished as
she might have been, couldn’t confront Theo against her father’s wishes. He was the pack alpha, and Nadia had to obey him.
“He has parents, then.” Emma’s breath made clouds in the cold air. “Nadia can call in her parents. Hell, you can call in the parents! Why hasn’t anyone done that? Why are we all tiptoeing around the problem with this kid?”
Aidan scrubbed a hand through his hair. He would rather not have this argument within hearing distance of the hotel doorman, but he and Emma needed to come to some sort of understanding. “His parents don’t believe there’s anything wrong with Theo, other than youthful high spirits.”
“I’ve known families like that,” Barry said. He seemed eager to be a peacemaker. “The kid is hell on wheels, and the parents don’t want to see it. They keep thinking their son or daughter will grow out of it. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t.”
Emma glanced at Barry. Then she studied the sidewalk and tapped her foot. Finally she looked at Aidan. “Okay, we’ll take the car.”
“Good.”
Her expression contained sympathy. Not a lot, but some. “You placed yourself in an awkward position by coming to Chicago with me, didn’t you?”
“To say the least.”
“Bet you wish you’d sent somebody else.”
“Devoutly.”
A hint of a smile touched her mouth. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.”
“You are?” He was stunned. “Why?”
Her smile broadened. “Research.”
Emma shared a light dinner with Aidan in the penthouse. They agreed that the long dining table felt too formal, so they ate in the living room in front of the gas fire. As if by mutual consent, they talked about everything except Theo. They discussed the interviews she’d done, the turnout at the bookstore, even the weather.
She could see no point in dragging out the subject of Theo again. There wasn’t anything more to say, anyway. She wouldn’t say she felt sorry for Aidan, exactly. He was the engineer of his own complicated scheme and deserved whatever grief came of this weekend. But still, he’d bitten off way more than anyone could possibly chew. He’d signed on to handle what might be an impossible task—protecting her from his future brother-in-law while keeping the problem from becoming public. Apparently, he couldn’t expect support from his future mother-in-law or father-in-law. His future wife was supportive but unable to control her brother.
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