‘That’s OK,’ the veterinarian said. ‘He’s working on his hunting skills.’
Alex tugged the ball away from the alert little pup and tossed it. The grey wolf chased and pounced so dramatically everyone laughed.
‘They’re so cute.’ Elena could hardly bear it. She scratched under the chin of the pup she was holding and tried not to squeeze it too tightly.
‘They’re six weeks old today and starting to wean.’ Dr Hoff signalled to Elena. ‘Could you bring the female over, please?’
She was careful as she sat the little pup on the scale. The assistant marked down her weight and picked up the tape measure. She measured the wolf’s length and the circumference of her chest. Throughout it all, Elena stroked the dark little fur ball. It seemed to trust her and kept wanting to cuddle close.
Alex walked over with her rambunctious brother. It was licking his chin and trying to bite his ear.
The titan of industry couldn’t have looked happier.
The medical team went on to do a thorough check of both babies’ health. They looked at their teeth and their vitals. Soon it was time to put them back in the box with their triplet. In the den, the alpha female was getting anxious to see her litter.
‘Just one last thing,’ the doctor said, snapping off her gloves. She tossed them into the trash and turned with a clipboard in her grip.
‘What’s that?’ Elena asked.
The veterinarian looked at Alex, but he nodded his head, smiling. ‘Go ahead.’
‘We had a public contest for the two males, but the female needs a name.’
Elena’s breath caught. ‘Alex,’ she said softly. ‘Really?’
‘Really.’
She melted on the inside. He’d wined and dined her, bought her an entire wardrobe, but this was a gift. It almost felt too important to accept. She knelt beside the box and stroked her little friend. The wolf rolled onto her side and offered up her stomach.
‘What do you think?’ he asked. He offered up the red ball. Finally feeling playful, the little girl batted at it with all four paws.
‘You name her,’ Elena insisted.
His grey gaze swung up to meet hers. ‘It’s why I brought you here.’
‘But she’s yours.’ He’d funded the exhibit. He was the one who’d given the wolves a home.
His grey gaze turned soft and intimate. ‘Her coat is the same colour as your hair.’
‘Not Elena,’ she whispered.
‘No,’ he agreed. He stroked his big hand over the small pup and twirled his finger around its tail. ‘How about Siren?’
Elena tilted her head. ‘I like it.’
Dr Hoff chuckled. ‘That’s perfect.’
They both looked at her, confused.
The woman rolled her eyes. ‘You should hear her howl.’
* * *
From there, the evening turned more sophisticated. A reception was held in the den viewing area. It was a cool underground space where the public could look in on the den through glass windows without bothering the mother and her litter. All the pups, including Siren, had been returned to the pack and seemed none the worse for their experience.
All around, champagne was served along with appetisers. Elena enjoyed herself immensely. She’d known Alex had a philanthropic bent, but she hadn’t known he’d contributed to something like this. From what she was able to learn, he’d funded the project years ago and it was finally coming to fruition.
It was nice to see the good that money could do, even if the zoo had had to deal with investigators.
She set her empty wine glass down on a passing waiter’s tray and waited for a break in the discussion Alex was having with a researcher before touching his arm. ‘I’ll be right back.’
Wandering down the path, she searched for the ladies’ room. The designers and construction team had really outdone themselves. She felt like she was in a cave out in the woods. She finally saw the familiar sign.
She used the facilities and freshened up. A smile was on her face as she smoothed her hair. There was a flush to her cheeks and a lightness in her mood.
‘Siren,’ she whispered.
Her heart squeezed. That man might have just taken it.
Eager to rejoin him, she left the restroom. She nearly bumped into a woman standing outside the door. ‘Oh, excuse me.’
‘Elena? Elena Bardot?’
Elena looked at the woman, trying to place her. She looked familiar. ‘Yes?’
A bright light suddenly turned on, blinding her. The woman lifted a microphone and grinned like a crocodile. ‘Caroline Woodward. WABC News.’
Elena took a step back and lifted her hand to shield her eyes. ‘Excuse me?’
‘As the daughter of former CFO Randolph Bardot, how do you feel about Wolfe Financial declaring bankruptcy?’
Elena didn’t know what was going on, but any mention of her father put her back up. She looked around for help. The restrooms were around the corner from the party. Nobody else was nearby but this reporter and her cameraman.
‘Shouldn’t the Wolfe family be trying to pay back the investors they swindled?’ the reporter demanded. Her eyes gleamed behind her black-rimmed eyeglasses. She’d caught the scent of fresh meat. ‘On that note, shouldn’t the Bardots?’
Elena tried to sidestep the duo, but the reporter blocked her way. She was trapped, and her heart began beating inside her chest like a snare drum. Flashing back, she remembered the reporter who’d trapped her in the stairwell of her building. ‘No comment,’ she said hoarsely.
The reporter smiled smugly, pulling the microphone back in for what would surely be another loaded question. Elena heard the clinking of glasses and the chatter of cocktail conversation. Dare she call out? Would that make things even worse?
‘You seem to be doing very well for yourself,’ Caroline said, rocking her head back and forth on her neck like a swivel. ‘How long have you and Alex Wolfe been seeing one another?’
‘No com –’
‘Was this your way of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps?’ The reporter bulldozed right over her, not waiting for an answer. ‘What are your mother’s feelings on the pairing?’
Elena’s mouth dropped open in shock. ‘I don’t think this is an appropriate discussion to be having.’
‘Not appropriate. I’d say that’s what most people are thinking about your relationship. The two of you have been seen all about town. Does Mr Wolfe feel no remorse? Have you no shame, eating at Jean-Georges while the common man is out there trying to rebuild his retirement portfolio?’
The common man. Elena didn’t know what to say. Technically, the majority of people affected by the Ponzi scheme had been high-end earners. She knew. She’d analysed the numbers. Bartholomew and her father hadn’t gone after chump change, but there was no way she could make that statement without seeming haughty and condescending. After all, her own mother had been a victim.
‘No comment?’ Caroline said saucily. ‘OK, what can you tell us about Bartholomew Wolfe? Has The Ax spoken about him at all? Are you aware of the man’s whereabouts?’
‘No, I don’t know anything about that.’
‘You haven’t asked?’ The cameraman panned to his partner and she gave an overly dramatic look of miscomprehension. ‘Do you think that the elder Wolfe is even alive?’
‘I –’ Elena’s brain froze. It was a low blow, and it took the wind right out of her.
Holding up her notebook, the reporter read off the facts. ‘Authorities have never found a flight manifest with Bartholomew Wolfe’s name in the days surrounding his disappearance. There hasn’t been any activity on his accounts. Do you give any credence to the long-held suspicion that he did not leave the country? And perhaps met the same fate as your father?’
Elena reached back to the wall for support. Revulsion was making her stomach churn.
The over-aggressive news reporter stepped into her space. Elena held up her hand to protect herself from the camera, but she couldn’t keep
them both at bay.
‘Alex Wolfe has a reputed black temper,’ Caroline said salaciously. ‘Is there –’
‘Yes, he does,’ Alex said, stepping into the middle of the confrontation. ‘Caroline.’
The way he said the woman’s name made Elena shiver. She reached for his hand, but he pushed her behind him, blocking both the camera and the reporter’s view. Rage radiated from him. The air resonated with the violence of his mood, practically humming.
The reporter’s eyes widened and the reaction was magnified by her lenses. She licked her lips. ‘Mr Wolfe, what would you like to say about your grandfather?’
‘Absolutely nothing,’ he growled.
Seeing she’d tweaked a nerve, the reporter smirked. ‘Back to your relationship with Ms Bardot, then. Did you seduce her, knowing the public would consider her a sympathetic figure? Were you trying to rehabilitate your reputation?’
He took a threatening step forward and Elena reached out. Settling her hand upon his, she wove their fingers together and clamped down tight. His fist bunched, but he gathered himself. She could feel him reining his temper in.
He let out a sharp whistle. ‘Security.’
The reporter’s energy turned frenzied. She knew her exclusive interview was coming to an end. ‘Or perhaps your relationship with Ms Bardot goes back further than that. We’ve learned from classmates that she’s followed in her father’s footsteps and is somewhat of an economics savant. Was she complicit in the Ponzi scheme?’
Vasquez and Hanson converged on the scene. One went for the reporter and the other went for the camera. Vasquez planted himself like a wall in front of the video guy, and the man lost coverage. He tried to come from another angle, but everywhere he turned, he was hindered. Vasquez wasn’t that much bigger, but he was stronger and he was faster.
‘Back away from my client,’ Hanson ordered. Using a move that was deceptively simple and amazingly effective, he used his mass to bully the reporter away.
‘Don’t you touch me!’ she snapped.
He held up his hands. He hadn’t put a finger on her, but it was clear he would if she didn’t stand down.
The bulldog reporter went up on her toes. ‘Elena! Do you know where those hundreds of millions of dollars went?’
Elena hung her head. She was about to make a break for the bathroom again, because she felt sick. Such a wonderful event had been ruined. People were starting to come around the corner to stare. She’d learned to be oblivious to the whispers and finger-pointing they received at the restaurants they visited, but this was entirely different. Their supposed crimes were being shouted out so everyone could hear, but none of it was true.
‘Do you really want to talk scandals, Caroline? Underhanded schemes?’
Alex stepped forward, dropping Elena’s hand. She reached for him, but the tables had turned. Hanson was now keeping his client away from the reporter. He’d planted his heels into the ground and was pressing his shoulders back into Alex’s chest to keep him off the nasty little journalist.
‘Is it true that you slept with the sixty-year-old station manager in Buffalo to get an anchor spot?’
The look of glee on the reporter’s face froze.
Vasquez had his cellphone out and was making his own documentation of the confrontation.
‘Alex,’ Elena breathed. She didn’t want to go down this road. They had to take the higher ground. She’d been dragged through the muck for too long. They both had. She hated what this was going to do to him. She knew how reporters twisted things around.
His voice dropped to a cutting tone. Ax, indeed. ‘I have it on good authority that you’re doing the same here. Is that how you plan to get to the top, Caroline?’
‘Cut,’ the woman hissed at her cameraman. She made a slashing motion across her throat. ‘Stop filming.’
The man merely stood there, gaping at her. Anger flooded his face and his brow crumpled. From his response, there might be some truth to Alex’s angry words.
Elena caught Vasquez by the back of his jacket. They didn’t need to stick around to see any more. ‘Go,’ she ordered. ‘Get us out of here. Now!’
Chapter Fourteen
Back at the penthouse, Elena thanked the bodyguards. They’d showed why Alex had hired them. They’d whisked them out of the zoo so fast, she barely remembered riding in the golf cart again. James had been waiting with the car running at the gate. They’d all executed their jobs with the utmost of skill, and she was grateful they’d been there.
But it was time for them to go.
She politely shooed them out of the penthouse and into the elevator lobby. Vasquez hesitated. He didn’t say anything, but he did lift an eyebrow.
‘I’ll be fine,’ she assured him.
Alex was inside the apartment and at the bar. He’d already knocked back one shot of whiskey. He was still steaming from the reporter’s ambush – not of him, but of her – and he wasn’t in good shape.
‘Will he?’ the bodyguard asked.
She nodded. ‘I’ve got him.’
She’d take care of him. All he’d been doing since they’d returned to the city was try to take care of her.
Vasquez nodded. ‘I’d like to post one man here and another downstairs.’
He lifted his hand when she started to protest. ‘In case any reporter tries to use the stairwell.’
She rolled her eyes. She hadn’t even considered the idea. It would be a long haul, but after tonight, there wasn’t much she’d put past the media.
‘OK. Thank you for everything.’ The security detail hadn’t only protected them physically. Vasquez had forwarded his recording of the incident to both Alex’s lawyers and his PR team during the ride home.
‘You’re welcome, Miss.’
She waited until the elevators closed before she went into the penthouse. She shut and locked the door behind her. Leaning back against it, she considered her options. Alex wasn’t at the bar any more. He was pacing across the living room like a wolf locked up in an enclosure that was too small.
He dragged a hand through his hair and shot her a look. ‘I knew I should have stayed away from you.’
She flinched.
His eyes held a wild cast, but he knew exactly what was going on. He knew the security personnel had left. He was on top of everything, but he’d lost the key with which he usually locked down his emotions.
‘Why?’ she asked, bracing herself.
‘Because I’m no good for you. I’ve dragged you back into this mess, when you’d nearly crawled your way out.’
She let out a breath, but her tension didn’t ease.
‘I had some part in the decision.’ As rapidly as he was pacing, she was holding just as still.
He pulled off his jacket and tossed it on the sofa as he strode past. ‘They’re never going to give up. They’re going to keep coming after me until –’
Elena pushed away from the door, her heart nearly stopping. Until what? Until he couldn’t take it any more?
He stopped abruptly, swore and pivoted in the other direction. ‘The only thing that might satisfy them is for me to repay the investors. I’ve tried to find a way to do that, but I can’t. I won’t sacrifice my own company. I won’t bastardise it, and I won’t jeopardise my people.
‘Damn him.’ He swept up the empty shot glass on the bar and slammed it down. ‘Damn them both.’
Elena cried out when the thick glass broke. ‘Alex.’
She rushed over so fast, she didn’t feel her feet touching the ground.
‘Careful,’ he warned, holding up his hand to keep her away.
‘You be careful.’ She caught his wrist and made him open his hand. ‘Are you cut? Did it get you?’
Amazingly, she saw no traces of red. Instead of shattering, the thick glass had cracked, and the web had widened near the lip. She dragged him around the bar, turned on the faucet and made him wash away any splinters that might remain. She threw the broken glass in the trash and patted his hand dry wit
h a bar towel.
She let out a long breath when she finally assured herself he wasn’t injured. ‘Don’t scare me like that. None of this is worth it.’
‘But you are.’ He looked straight down at her. That muscle in his jaw was going strong.
She trembled, adrenalin and emotion pushing her to the brink, too. ‘You can’t let these things bottle up. The only way for it to come out is in an explosion.’
‘I can keep it contained if it’s just me, but they came after you.’ He cupped her face with shaking hands. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner. I didn’t know that news crews could even get on the premises. It’s a public place, but the party was private.’
‘It’s OK.’ She laid both hands on his chest. It was one of the only ways she knew to soothe him, and he was further gone than she’d seen him in a long time.
Because of her.
She’d known she was the weak link, and tonight had proved it. That vindictive reporter had separated her from the group and gone after her with teeth bared. As calm as she was trying to make him, Elena felt her own hands balling into fists. ‘I’m OK,’ she insisted. ‘I’m not that thin-skinned. I’m angrier about the things the woman said about you.’
The wildness in him practically clawed at the surface. ‘You’re not OK.’
Gripping her by the waist, he lifted her and planted her on the bar. Bracing his hands flat by her hips, he leaned in so they were eye-to-eye. ‘After that stunt, that witch won’t work in this town again. My lawyers are already on it.’
‘The things she said about you and your grandfather!’ Elena smacked her hand on the countertop. ‘I wanted to claw her eyes out.’
The sound sliced through the air, and Alex paled. ‘The glass.’
Catching her wrist, he turned her hand to see. It wasn’t cut, but it might be bruised. She hadn’t realised how hard she’d hit the granite. Cursing the reporter’s name, he kissed her hand gently. He wiped the countertop down and braced himself again.
His weight was held on his arms, and all his emotions were right there on his face. His walls had crumbled and his defences were laid flat. The ferocity was still in his eyes as he looked at her, and the expression was raw. ‘They can say whatever they want about me, but I can’t deal with them going after you.’
Solace in Scandal Page 21