listening for her?”
“No problem.” Collin’s smile was evident in his voice. He had a bit of a crush on Tiffany, but he also had his orders. It hadn’t taken Ryan long to sniff out the interest and he’d told Collin to look, to protect, but no touching and absolutely no flirting.
The younger wolf obeyed without hesitation, though he hadn’t cared for the order.
“Huston,” he said by way of answer.
“It’s Zane. Taglioni knows Tiffany and Alexis are gone.” Why the hell was he following Taglioni? “The guy—I’m assuming the dirtbag is her husband—was at the attorney’s office this morning. Caught the tail end of his conversation with his attorney as they were leaving. He went home last night, and now he’s got men out looking for them.”
Seven days. It had taken the bastard seven days to even notice.
“Understood.” Tiffany had reached his door and knocked. “Stay with the attorney.”
“What about the dirt bag?” the hunter growled. He liked Tiffany and Alexis fine, but he’d also picked up on the abuse. Like Ryan, it offended his every sensibility that the bastard treated her so badly.
“Leave him for me. He’s not getting anywhere near her.” It went without saying, but the repeated information mollified the other wolf.
Conversation over, the hunter ended the call. Crossing the room to the door, he opened it to let Tiffany in. “Good afternoon.”
She leaned against the doorframe, her expression soft and unguarded, a half smile curving her lips. “Are you busy?”
“Not at all,” he said. He would never be too busy for her. He swept his arm toward the room. “Come in.”
The sweet scent of her shampoo, fruit and spice, lingered in the air as she passed him. Tiffany walked slowly, rubbing her arms and not quite settling. Nervousness swirled around her. She studied the layout of his suite as though curious, but since it was identical to her own, he let her find her footing.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Yes,” she said, then paused and shook her head. “No. I’ve had about twelve cups of coffee today, so more coffee probably isn’t a good idea.” She paced the room and he leaned against the arm of the sofa, tracking her restless actions with his gaze. “But if you want something, I could get it for you. I guess. Well, maybe, unless we have to call down for it.”
The nervous babble wasn’t her. Nor was the way she pulled at her hands. She went from wringing them together to rubbing her arms, then finally fidgeted with her skirt. “Tiffany…”
“I know. Okay, maybe you do want something. I can use a phone.” She walked over to the desk he used and reached for the phone. The petition for her divorce sat on the top along with hospital photos. Zane had ‘retrieved’ other evidence, including statements from two emergency room doctors.
She froze, staring at the words on the page. The urge to scoop her up and hold her until her fear passed surged through him. It was a violent need, to take care of this woman who could be his mate. The wolf clawed at him, demanding he go to her, but the man waited. For years, her control had been utterly usurped. If his mate was to heal, to become the powerful woman he’d glimpsed in her eyes, she had to face this part of her past.
Face it and accept it.
As much as it sickened him to think in those terms, she needed to forgive herself for it. She saw herself as a victim, a pitiful creature who should have done more, instead of the beautiful survivor who’d protected her daughter and made the decision to choose a better life for herself.
“How did you get these?” The falsetto trembling in her words betrayed her emotion, as did the downturn in her scent. Shame and embarrassment vied with her pain. The wolf struggled against him, but Ryan remained rooted in place. Touching her when the wolf vied for control was not an option.
“I have connections. I made some calls. In cases such as yours, the social workers will
“No problem.” Collin’s smile was evident in his voice. He had a bit of a crush on Tiffany, but he also had his orders. It hadn’t taken Ryan long to sniff out the interest and he’d told Collin to look, to protect, but no touching and absolutely no flirting.
The younger wolf obeyed without hesitation, though he hadn’t cared for the order.
“Huston,” he said by way of answer.
“It’s Zane. Taglioni knows Tiffany and Alexis are gone.” Why the hell was he following Taglioni? “The guy—I’m assuming the dirtbag is her husband—was at the attorney’s office this morning. Caught the tail end of his conversation with his attorney as they were leaving. He went home last night, and now he’s got men out looking for them.”
Seven days. It had taken the bastard seven days to even notice.
“Understood.” Tiffany had reached his door and knocked. “Stay with the attorney.”
“What about the dirt bag?” the hunter growled. He liked Tiffany and Alexis fine, but he’d also picked up on the abuse. Like Ryan, it offended his every sensibility that the bastard treated her so badly.
“Leave him for me. He’s not getting anywhere near her.” It went without saying, but the repeated information mollified the other wolf.
Conversation over, the hunter ended the call. Crossing the room to the door, he opened it to let Tiffany in. “Good afternoon.”
She leaned against the doorframe, her expression soft and unguarded, a half smile curving her lips. “Are you busy?”
“Not at all,” he said. He would never be too busy for her. He swept his arm toward the room. “Come in.”
The sweet scent of her shampoo, fruit and spice, lingered in the air as she passed him. Tiffany walked slowly, rubbing her arms and not quite settling. Nervousness swirled around her. She studied the layout of his suite as though curious, but since it was identical to her own, he let her find her footing.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Yes,” she said, then paused and shook her head. “No. I’ve had about twelve cups of coffee today, so more coffee probably isn’t a good idea.” She paced the room and he leaned against the arm of the sofa, tracking her restless actions with his gaze. “But if you want something, I could get it for you. I guess. Well, maybe, unless we have to call down for it.”
The nervous babble wasn’t her. Nor was the way she pulled at her hands. She went from wringing them together to rubbing her arms, then finally fidgeted with her skirt. “Tiffany…”
“I know. Okay, maybe you do want something. I can use a phone.” She walked over to the desk he used and reached for the phone. The petition for her divorce sat on the top along with hospital photos. Zane had ‘retrieved’ other evidence, including statements from two emergency room doctors.
She froze, staring at the words on the page. The urge to scoop her up and hold her until her fear passed surged through him. It was a violent need, to take care of this woman who could be his mate. The wolf clawed at him, demanding he go to her, but the man waited. For years, her control had been utterly usurped. If his mate was to heal, to become the powerful woman he’d glimpsed in her eyes, she had to face this part of her past.
Face it and accept it.
As much as it sickened him to think in those terms, she needed to forgive herself for it. She saw herself as a victim, a pitiful creature who should have done more, instead of the beautiful survivor who’d protected her daughter and made the decision to choose a better life for herself.
“How did you get these?” The falsetto trembling in her words betrayed her emotion, as did the downturn in her scent. Shame and embarrassment vied with her pain. The wolf struggled against him, but Ryan remained rooted in place. Touching her when the wolf vied for control was not an option.
“I have connections. I made some calls. In cases such as yours, the social workers will
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