“Or you could stay with your pack.”
Grant gave her a look. “Don’t start.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Cliff has called a number of times. So has Taylor.”
Grant tensed. “What did you tell them?”
“I told them that Jeffrey was fine, and adjusting really well.”
His voice went harsh. “You work for me. I am paying you to help watch my son, not give out information about him when I asked you not to.”
She met his gaze icily. “You never asked me not to speak to your family. If my work is unsatisfactory, let me know and I’ll be out of here before you can blink. Good luck in court.” She turned and walked away.
“Grant.” Celeste looked at him reprovingly.
He stifled a growl. Jeffrey scowled at him and took Celeste’s hand. Celeste sighed.
“Jeffrey, I need to talk to Grant for a minute. Will you go with Pete and Reynaldo? Just to the end of the block.”
She watched him walk with the two lawyers and the rest of their pack members. He looked back over his shoulder and shot Grant an annoyed look.
She turned her attention back to Grant. “Don’t growl at me,” she snapped. “You’re throwing your family away and being an absolute dick to a woman who’s a very good friend to you. I have no doubt that if someone attacked Jeffrey, she’d die to protect him. That is not a small thing, and it’s not to be taken for granted.” She met his gaze, eyes blazing.
He threw his hands up in frustration. “I know. It’s not. But she shouldn’t have given any information about him to Cliff and Taylor. She shouldn’t speak to them at all. I’m trying to protect Jeffrey from a family that tried to kill him before he was even born and attempted to run you and my son off when you reached out to me for help.”
She shook her head. “First of all, they’re her friends. And secondly, I’m not completely convinced that Cliff was behind that. And I absolutely don’t believe Taylor was. They came with you to my motel as soon as they found out that Jeffrey really was yours, right?”
He snorted. “Damage control. Same reason the Reno Pack is here. None of us can afford for Jeffrey to be taken into custody.”
She sighed. “Look. I don’t know what Cliff did or didn’t do in the past. Yeah, my sister claimed that your family tried to make her get rid of Jeffrey. If that’s true, that’s absolutely godawful, and frankly, I’d hate them for it. But remember, my sister lied more frequently than she breathed. And also keep in mind the unique circumstances here. What if something happens to you? Wouldn’t Jeffrey need a pack to take him and protect him and raise him somewhere safe? Cliff and Taylor and those guys are his actual family, and they’re reaching out to you. Like it or not, you need them.”
He turned around and kicked a garbage can so hard it flew twenty feet across the parking lot, landing with a metallic clang.
“What the heck was that for?” Celeste demanded, exasperated.
“Because you’re right and I don’t want you to be!” Grant snarled, and she could see him shudder with the effort of keeping his beast under his skin.
But as they headed over to get Jeffrey, he smiled.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked.
“You think you’re no good at family. You just argued with me back there when I was being a real ass, and you stood your ground and made me see reason. Just remember that. Even if you decide to leave us…remember that.”
She tried to ignore the stabbing pain she felt at the thought of leaving. “Does that mean you’ll talk to Cliff and Taylor?”
“It means that after we leave here, I’ll contact my connections around the country to make sure that Jeffrey is protected and cared for no matter what, even if something does happen to me. And I will consider my former pack, as an absolute last resort.”
“And you will apologize to Mandy?”
“Yeah, I’ll apologize to her.”
“Now?” she prodded.
“Yes, Princess Nag-ella, now.” He made a quick cell phone call, but it went straight to voicemail. “I’m sorry,” he said with a scowl, and hung up.
* * * * *
The court hearing was every bit as excruciating as they’d expected.