Lee: Emerson Wolves—Paranormal Erotic Wolf Shifter Romance (6 page)

She paused before going into his office. The grin on his face made her think he knew something. Bringing her cane down on his foot hard made him wince, but he said nothing. Nor did she.

“I want you to arrest my grandniece. She’s robbed me and I would like her brought in to face the consequences of her actions. I have the paperwork right here.” As the sheriff sat down, she noticed the man sitting on a smallish couch in the corner. “I do not need for others to hear my grievances, sir. I want him out of here now. I don’t know who hired you, but the sooner you figure out that I get what I want, the sooner we’ll get along just fine.”

“No. He’s with me and he stays.” The sheriff didn’t even bother looking up at her when he spoke. “He’s here on other business, and since you’re here with contracts, he might be more useful than you can imagine. By the way, I’m Max Rogers and this is Luke Emerson.”

She was perturbed when the sheriff handed the file to the other man. Emerson? The name sounded familiar, but she had no idea why at the moment. The longer he studied the file, the more upset she became. Kimberly was used to people just doing as she said.

Kimberly felt out of her element. There were no servants around to do her bidding. No one was bending over backward to do what she said. And the man behind the desk seemed more interested in the computer in front of him than he did having her in his office. Of all the nerve. She picked up her cane again, and that was when the Emerson man finally spoke. From the look on his face, she had an idea that he knew just what she was thinking to do with it.

“What is it that you’re claiming Miss Gray stole from you? All you’ve given me is a contract between the two of you, and neither of you have signed it.” She huffed. “Is this a copy and you have the signed copy elsewhere?”

“First of all, I did not give you anything. He did. And no, that is not a copy. She has refused to sign it. I have put it out on her dresser three times for her to sign, but she said that she would like a lawyer to read it over. There is no reason for her to waste more of my money on such a thing. I have it the way I want it, and she should just simply do as I say.” The man laughed. “You’re not to laugh at me, young man. I will have you fired from your job as well.”

“You had her fired from her job?” Kimberly tried to think how he’d gotten that information, but he started talking again. “You never said what she stole from you. And this contract? It’s a little one-sided, don’t you think? I mean, you are charging her fifty percent interest on this loan, as well as a monthly fee of two thousand dollars for room. Anything that she eats, you’re charging her for. If she brings in her own food, you’re charging her for storage. Laundry fees, even if she does her own, are being issued. If I were her, I’d have someone look this over too. And I would advise her not to sign it. Smart girl, your grandniece. I like her.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that you’re not her lawyer, isn’t it?” He tossed the file on the desk and smiled at her. Kimberly turned to the sheriff again. “He is not to speak to me again. Or I will go over your head to have this taken care of. I might yet. You have no idea of the power I can have with a simple phone call.”

“I’m sure you think you do. And as for you going over my head, he’s sitting right there. This is our mayor. If you wanna go over his head, then I’m thinking you’ll have to go to Sloan Emerson, his sister-in-law. She has more power than you will ever have…if you mean money, that is.” Kimberly knew the name Sloan. And she hated that woman as much as she did her grandniece. “I can see by the sour look on your face that you know Mrs. Emerson. Good, that will save us a great deal of time in this pissing contest that you’ve started.”

Kimberly didn’t care for the way he was speaking to her. And less so the way that the other man, this Emerson person, was smiling at her like he knew more than she did. No one did. She prided herself on knowing everything on everyone.

“I want my grandniece arrested for taking my money.” He asked her how much and when she noticed it was missing. “The amount is right there in the contract. She took it when I sent it to her.”

Both men looked at each other before Emerson spoke again. “You’re claiming that she took the money that you sent her to come home on? You do know that’s not stealing at all, not when you have given—”

“I have given her nothing. I have tried and tried to bring her to heel, and now that she’s here where I want her, she’s brought that brat with her. I will not tolerate having my rules broken. And she will heed my wishes or I will do more than just have her pay cut and her home robbed.” Kimberly knew the moment that she closed her mouth that she’d gone too far. “What I meant to say is, she has had her pay cut and her home vandalized.”

“No, I’m pretty sure you said it right the first time.” Emerson stood up and stretched. Kimberly wanted to back away from him, but the chair she was in blocked her from doing that. But she did want to get as far from the man as she could when he leaned into her, only inches from her face. “You’re to leave Kimber alone from now on. And if you as much as come near her little girl, I will harm you in ways that will make the beating you gave Kimber look tame.”

“I don’t…you have…what are you talking about?” He stood up and so did the sheriff. “You will not speak to me that way. I am Lady Kimberly Leta Schroeder, and I will have your respect.”

“I don’t care if you’re the fucking president of the United States. You harm my family again and there will be hell to pay.” He paused before leaving the office. “And the ‘Lady’ part? Yeah, you made that up. You’re no more a lady of any kind than I am. I have my ways of looking into everything and everyone too. And stay the hell away from my family.” The door didn’t slam, but it sounded loud in the quiet of the room.

Kimberly tried to think what he’d meant. Not just the lady part. He’d been right about that. She’d gone to England one summer and had come back with that title. Not given to her, but she’d given it to herself. What did that matter to him anyway? But the family part was something she didn’t understand. As much as she hated to do it, she demanded that the sheriff tell her what he’d meant.

“Since you asked so nicely and all, I’ll tell you. Kimber is going to marry his brother. She’s living with him now, so I don’t think it will be long before he weds her.”

Kimberly sat there. When she found her tongue, she glared at him.

“She will not be marrying anyone that I don’t say that she can. She’s mine.” He laughed. Not just a small one, but a laugh that rang through the room and bounced back at her. “She is my ward. And she will listen to me, or I will make her life not worth living.”

“Is that a threat toward her?” Her entire body froze up. His humor was gone now and he looked…he looked murderous. “Because if it is, I’m going to come after you and make sure that you know the meaning of a pissed off wolf if you do anything to anyone from now on.”

A wolf. This man was a wolf. As she rose up, leaving the office, all she could think about was he was a wolf. A wolf that did not like her, nor did he feel the least bit intimidated by her money and name.

Kimberly was in her living room, not having a clue as to how she’d gotten there, when she realized something. Not only was the sheriff a wolf, but she was pretty sure that Emerson was as well. Even that bitch Sloan.

“Oh, I’ve stepped in it now,” she said to the empty room, and wondered what to do to have things the way she’d wanted from the moment she figured out that Kimber’s mother had gone against her wishes with her will. She had to get her grandniece here. That was important for the rest of her plan to go through. Things were too far along now to try and do anything else. Not that she would, but there was a well laid out plan, and they were going to follow it or else. Also…as much as she hated to do it, she’d have to contact Sloan Emerson. That woman would be able to convince this other rabble what she wanted was right. And if not right, perhaps she could convince her that Kimber marrying into her family was a bad idea. Kimberly would make their life, if they deemed to have one, worse than the one that Kimber had had in France all this time.

Control. It all came down to controlling someone. She’d had to work as best she could while Kimber had been in that other country, but that had been a complete failure. The school had been first. Then there was the man that Kimberly had made sure Kimber dated. He had paid dearly for his mistake, and the child, his child, should never have been. But now that she was here, home, Kimber would do as she was told or there would be hell to pay. Just as the Emerson man had said. First things first, she’d have to call Sloan and demand her help. Whatever happened after that was…well, things were going to go her way or she’d know the reason why.

Chapter 6

Lee loved the way everything was turning out. He kept an eye on Kimber, but he knew that she was in good hands. And Hannah was having a good time too, he’d noticed every time he’d gone into his office to put a box in there. Kelly was helping her with the names of all the other children.

“Mr. Lee?” He looked up when Hannah said his name. “I have something I need to ask you. It’s really important. But I don’t want Mommy to know.”

“Okay. But just so you know, your mom will have to know if it’s something that will get us into trouble.” Hannah crawled up into his lap and he looked at Hunter, who was taking a break with him on the back deck. His brother just laughed and asked Hannah if he could be there too.

“Yes. I need to talk to you too. But Mr. Lee is first.” Lee nodded and told her to just call him Lee. “Oh, no. I can’t do that yet. You and Mommy aren’t a person.”

“Person?” She nodded and explained what she meant. “Oh, an item. But we are. You are a part of our item too. I’d like for the two of you to live here.”

“Yeah, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Kelly told me that he has his own room with his stuff. I don’t have anything. Not here. There’s no bed for me, and I don’t have any clean clothes. I know how to wash, but I don’t have anything to wear while I do them up. Will I have to go to the…Mommy said I can’t call her bitch, but I won’t have to go there at nights, will I? She’s not nice, and I can’t have my reader when she’s around.”

“Why not? I mean, why won’t she let you have your reader when you’re there? As for your things, we’ll figure something out. And I’ve ordered you a bed. I hope you don’t mind, but I got one that you can grow into. Your room is pretty big.” He wasn’t going to touch her calling her aunt a bitch. For one reason, he agreed with her description, and second, he wasn’t sure how to correct her if her mom already had.

“She said that it’s not fitting that I have something like that when I owe her so much money. I tried to tell her that it wasn’t costing her anything and I was just reading it, and she took it from me. She just threw it in the fireplace and melted it all up. Why would she do that to my things and she don’t have to replace them, but I have to replace my food?” Lee looked at Hunter, who sat up. “Mommy bought that for me with the last of our furniture money so I could be special.”

“You are special, darling.” Hunter looked in the yard as he spoke in a low but tense voice. Lee could tell he was trying his best not to upset Hannah, but she was already there so he tousled her hair for her. “See that man over there? The older one making everyone listen to his dumb jokes? Go on over there and call him Grandda. I’m sure if you do, and tell him about your reader, you’ll have one before tomorrow.”

“Really? But that’s cheating and not nice, isn’t it? I think Mommy said that it’s…manipulation. I think.” Hunter told her that he was going to be her grandda as soon as her mommy and Lee were an item. “Really? I’ll have a grandda? The same one that Kelly has?”

After she left them, Lee tried to wrap his mind around harming a child like this woman had. And even though she’d not done so physically, she had hurt her. When Hunter stood up and started to pace, Lee watched him. Hunter was scary upset about this too.

“She needs to break ties with this woman. Now.” Lee said he knew that too. “Luke is on his way here. He said that he had a run in with her, this Schroeder woman. She went to the station and wanted to press charges against Kimber for the money she loaned her to come back here.”

“I’ll pay it.” Hunter nodded and then shook his head. “You’re not paying it, Hunter. I know that you think that you should for some reason, but Kimber and Hannah are my responsibility.”

“I agree, but that’s not what I meant. I don’t think you should pay shit until we figure out what’s going on. I have a feeling that there is more here than we think. Maybe even more than Kimber knows.” Lee nodded and stood up. Break time was over. But Hunter stopped him before he moved off the deck. “I’m going to have some extra patrols for a while. I don’t think she’ll come here, but you never know. And when Kimber goes to work, have Mabel watch out for her. I’m worried that…something isn’t right about this.”

When Sloan came out of the house with her phone to her ear, she smiled at Lee. But it was tight and he knew that something had happened. When she sat down and pointed to his chair, he and Hunter both sat. He smiled when she winked at him.

“Oh no, Mrs. Schroeder. I think I understand what you’re saying to me. You think you have to have her under control. Why is that?” The phone was laid on the table and put on speaker. There wasn’t anyone around them, but he knew that Schroeder would be able to hear if anyone came up on the deck. “Now, what was it you were telling me again? I guess being as far gone as I am with this baby, I’ve missed a few things.”

“Baby? Oh, you poor thing. Why on earth women let men do that sort of thing to them is…well, I’m very sorry that you’re in that way. If you need someone to help you rid yourself of it, just let me know. Lord knows I have a lot of friends that find themselves in some situation or another that need my help.” Schroeder laughed and it sounded manic and forced. “I was saying that I demand that Kimber come back here. I’ve heard some rumors that have her staying with one of your husband’s family members. That just won’t do. She’s my ward, and I have taken it upon myself to make sure that she’s well cared for.”

“I’m pretty sure that Lee will care for her very well, but I thought that when someone was your ward it was only until a person reached a certain age. I’m not sure, but I think that Kimber is well beyond that by now.” There was silence at the other end. “Besides, Kimber has her own child to care for and she’s doing a good job of that. Such a wonderful little—”

“That issue should never have been born.” Lee started to reach for the phone, but Sloan smacked his hand. “I told him only to pretend to fall in love with her. Darn it. Does everyone have to do things just the opposite of what I pay them to do? I simply told him to make sure that he had her in his life, then to bring her home. But he called me months later, just when I was ready to have her back here, and told me he was going to marry her, of all things. That was not what I wanted. Do you see what I’m up against? Now not only do I have to take care to bring Kimber to heel, but I have to contend with that brat as well. He was very careful not to tell me about that…that thing until it was too late for me to do anything about it.”

Lee heard a slight noise and turned to see Kimber standing just on the steps to the deck, and Hannah was with her. Before he could move to hold her, she put up her hand and he stopped. Sloan started speaking as he watched Kimber.

“I have no idea what sort of plans you had in mind, but I want you to know right now that you’re on my shit list. You were before, but now you’re right at the top. And that is not a place to be. About the brat, as you have called her? She is very precious and wonderful. As is her mother. So you know, if you want to take me on about them, then by all means, try me.” Sloan stood up, her belly nearly taking her back to the chair again, but she held onto the table and leaned into the phone. “Kimberly Schroeder, you have just fucked yourself royally over this. And I’m going to make you rue the day that you tried to hurt one of mine.” The phone was not just closed, it was tossed into the yard. Lee thought if she could have, Sloan would have leapt over the deck railing and torn it up as well.

When Lee pulled them both into his arms, lifting Hannah up to his shoulder, he knew that Kimber was close to losing it. Hannah started crying first, her tears burning into his skin as badly as her pain tore at his heart.

“I had no idea….”

Lee held Kimber when she started to cry too. Taking them both into the house, he had no idea where to go. There were more people in his house right now than he had seen in months. Moving to the pantry, he closed the door behind him and turned on the light. Kimber clung to him as she sobbed hard.

A few minutes later, there was a brief knock at the door. He told them to go away, but his dad said that he’d like to talk to Hannah. Lee didn’t want to let her go, but Dad said he had to talk to her. When Hannah left them, climbing into his dad’s arms much like he had when he was a child and hurt, the door was closed again.

“She hates us. Hates…how could she do that to us? Why? I never did a thing to her other than…just to come here. I hated to call her. I had no idea that she knew James. And he worked for her?” Lee let her babble and held her. “When I had Hannah, all alone because he had been…Lee? Do you think she had anything to do with his death? I wouldn’t put anything past her now. She is evil.”

“I don’t know, love. But she went to the station today and Luke was there. I guess she was going to press charges against you for stealing from her.” Kimber said she’d never taken a thing from her. “The money that she lent you to come here on. She said you stole it. Luke is coming here and he’ll explain things better.”

Kimber pulled away from him and started to pace the tiny room. “She said our rent would be two grand a month. And there would be a fifty dollar a week fee for my laundry. Not that she was going to have it done, but she was going to charge me for it anyway. And our food. I could eat with the kitchen staff, but that would cost me seventy-five dollars per meal. But if I wanted to have my own food that I would cook for Hannah and I, that would cost me more. Storage fees were ninety dollars a day, use of kitchen was fifty per meal, and then there was the cost of our part of the electric and water. I would never have been able to save to move out on our own. I think that she had planned it that way. To keep me…she wanted me to never leave, yet she hates me.”

“I don’t know, Kimber, but we’ll figure this out. I promise.” Kimber nodded, and Lee felt his wolf run along his skin. He was pissed off and wanted to hunt the older woman down. “I don’t want to piss you off more, but when you got here, Hunter had some things investigated. Not just you, but your work too.”

“I’m sure that was enlightening to him.” He nodded. “What did he find out? I’m sure that it wasn’t all that good now that I know a few things about my aunt.”

“Not all, no. Your checks where you worked, you were only getting half of what you were to be paid. The other half went to your aunt here in the States. Also, your rent was doubled where you lived, as was most other things that you had bills for.”

Kimber sat down on the floor and he went to her. Picking her up, he sat her on his lap while she sat quietly. He was worried about her now. He knew that perhaps he should have told her in a better way, but he liked it straight up and didn’t think to soften the blow.

Hunter told him Luke was here. Lee told him he needed a few minutes, and Hunter told him to take his time.

“She made it difficult for us. There were months when it was pay the electric or the rent. I had to go without food for days sometimes so that Hannah could eat. I tried so hard, Lee. I wanted a better life for us than…my mother was a good woman, but she was so terrified of my aunt.” He held her while she cried again, and was wondering if he could have the pack go and murder the fucking bitch when Kimber started talking again. “When Mom told me that I could go to Europe to study, it was a dream come true. After a few weeks there, my aunt called and told me to come home. Demanded that I do as I was told and to get back home. My mother called a short time later and said not to, begged me not to. Not ever. And I had no intentions of ever coming back. Even when Mom died, I nearly did, but then I got a call from Mom’s attorney. He said that my mother’s wishes were for me to stay away. Forever, if I could. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

“She was trying to save you.” At Kimber’s nod he pulled her face to look at his. “I’m sorry, love. I truly am. And so you know, neither you nor Hannah will ever be hurt by her again. I promise you this with all my heart.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Several ideas came to mind, but he didn’t voice them. Marrying him was one. Another was to let him take care of this. But he knew that she had to do this on her own. Not to mention, if he tried to do this for her, his sisters-in-law would kick his ass. Smiling, he turned her head to see him.

“What do you think about going out there and running all the family and friends off? Then I take you upstairs and ravish you until you can’t move. Then for good measure, I do it again, just in case I missed something.” She laughed a little. “Are you a screamer? We might have to put our room just a little further away from Hannah’s if you are. I don’t want her to think I’m hurting you when you come down my throat.”

“Does this always work for you? Seducing women with your charm?” He told her he hadn’t ever tried it before. “You expect me to believe that you’ve never tried to charm a woman into bed with you?”

“No. I’ve never had to seduce a woman into bed with me.” Kimber smacked him hard on the shoulder. “Well, I haven’t. Is it working with you? Because I have to tell you, I’m hard as a rock and need to be inside of you in the worst kind of way.”

To prove his point, he pulled her around so that she was facing him and rocked up into her. Kimber put her hands on his chest. He was sure it was to stop him, but he cupped her ass and brought her closer to him until she was riding him.

~~~

Kimber wanted to stand up, but she also wanted to continue what she was doing. When he put both his hands on her ass and pulled her to him tighter, she moaned at the sensations of having his cock so close to her pussy.