Page 23 of Cruel Revenge
But I can’t trust it’s not just my own fear of losing her to her human mother. Her real mother.
“You don’t like it. Dad would hate it. I’m worried he won’t let me actually talk to her.”
Would he be wrong about that?
“When does she want to meet you?”
“She said if I give her twenty-four hours, she can fly here and meet me in Dallas or Tyler. She doesn’t want to come to Jacksonville… I don’t blame her for that.”
“Of course. She’s brushed elbows with too many supernaturals to foolishly walk into my town,” I said, nodding.
“Can I give her a time and place for tomorrow?” Carey asked in a tiny voice, one that made me think of an eleven-year-old, not the sixteen-year-old in front of me.
“Carey, I really don’t like this.”
“If Dad gets upset, I’ll take all the blame,” she pleaded, coming closer, until she was practically hovering over me at the desk. “Please, Jacky. We can take all the werewolves, haveeveryone on guard. I’ll do whatever you want for security. Let me do this. Let me finally meet her and talk to her. Just this once.”
My heart was being ripped out of my chest, and I could barely breathe, but I couldn’t let her know any of that. I wasn’t going to show this bright young woman I watched grow up any of that. It wasn’t her fault that I was secretly jealous of her biological mother for having that prior claim, for being the one who brought this amazing girl into the world. I could be Carey’s protector, I could be her friend, and I could be her stepmother, but I could never beat the woman who carried her for months and brought her into the world.
But none of that was Carey’s fault, so I wasn’t going to make it her problem.
“I want to choose the place,” I said, making my decision and hating the words even as they came out. “I want to make sure it’s clear of everyone else. It will only be me, you, and her as patrons. I’ll make sure of that. It will be Tyler, not Dallas. Dallas is too far from home.” I took a deep breath. If I tried to do this while Zuri was here, I’d have back up, someone who could hug me and let me know it was going to be okay, but I risked Heath putting a stop to it if I got more people involved. Zuri could tell him and I would rather ask for forgiveness than permission.
Carey deserves the chance to talk to her real mother. She deserves the answers and the possibility of a relationship.
“Okay. And when do you think we can do this?”
“Tomorrow,” I said, taking a deep breath as I made my choice. “Tomorrow dinner, in Tyler. Restaurant to be decided. Let her know.”
“Thank you, Jacky,” Carey said, coming around the desk to launch into me with a hug. I wanted to hold her for a long time, but she was clearly distracted. There was some excitement in her scent and nerves. There was love, which was for me at that moment, and it was the only thing that eased my nerves.
I can do this for her. I can make sure she has a chance to meet her mother. This is a good thing. She deserves this.
I released her, and she immediately started texting on her phone, definitely to that woman. I knew Heath had files on her.
Dirk would have access to them, but would he tell Heath about this? Heath could order him to, but perhaps he won’t think to. Dirk is my werewolf, after all.
I considered whether I knew enough to find those files myself. I got up slowly and started walking, heading straight for the packhouse. I texted the group chat between me and the werewolves to let them know I was coming over to get something, and I wanted privacy. Stacy waved at me as I passed the security building, and I frowned.
“We decided we’d always have someone here just in case you needed to leave the house. It’s my shift right now. You don’t need to worry.”
“Thank you,” I said softly, trying to appreciate the thoughtfulness of the young werewolf, but it was hard while I was trying to hide how shellshocked I was by Carey’s request and my new mission.
When I reached the packhouse, I realized my mistake. Heath was going to smell me if I went into his office and started looking through his files. I never did that, so he would have questions. He would know if I lied. He’d find out, then Carey would lose her chance.
Maybe he wouldn’t stop her. He’s not heartless. This is her mother. Maybe if I give him a good security plan for it, it would be fine.
Groaning, I rubbed my face, unable to make a decision. She wasn’t my daughter. She was in my heart. I was her legal guardian if Heath and Landon weren’t available, but I wasn’t her mother.
I have to tell him. I do. I’ll tell him tonight when he asks about me going through the files. I’ll just draw the line for Carey, so she has a chance to do this.
I went into Heath’s office, the rest of my day consumed by this task. A gift to Carey. Letting her meet her mother for the first time in her life.
10
CHAPTER TEN
Ifound everything I needed in Heath’s office. I knew everything about Courtney Lane, a name most refused to say in my presence or even Heath’s. I knew what she looked like. I knew what sort of jobs she’s held over the years. She was recently married to a wealthy businessman. She didn’t have any known connections to the supernatural world. She’d never gone deeper than werewolves, and that was mostly her sleeping with Heath.
