Chapter Four
Clifford didn’t have huge grounds like a billionaire like Isaias Durant did, but his property was sizable enough. As night fell one day, he took Lori out to walk around. She was spending a lot of time stuffed into the house and it was clear that she was going just a little bit crazy. When they stepped outside, he could see her tension melt away.
“So…” Lori smiled at him. “Just how rich are you, really?”
“Rich enough.” Clifford winked in reply.
Lori arched a brow.
“A man needs some mystery. But I am very good at what I do. I have my own law firm, I am highly successful, and I take on more clients than just the clan. Actually, everything I do for the matriarch is pro bono. The clan isn’t very wealthy, not compared to me, and I—"
“Wait a second.” Lori frowned at him. Her head tilted to one side, and the way her cheeks puffed out as she tried to figure out whatever was confusing her was so adorable that Clifford had to fight not to kiss her. “Wait just a darned second. Serena is the matriarch’s granddaughter.”
“Yes.”
“And she is that way because your other brother married the matriarch’s daughter.”
Clifford opened his mouth to correct her, since shifters didn’t marry. They mated, which was a far more emotionally intimate connection than the piece of paper that humans bound themselves with. But it didn’t seem to be relevant at the moment, so he simply closed his mouth and nodded.
“But you’re the matriarch’s nephew. Did your brother marry his cousin?”
“What? No. Well… no. I’m not blood-related to the matriarch. However, since she adopted Mother and her children into the clan, we are thought of as her kin. She’s my aunt in the same sense as a godmother or godfather. It’s an honorific title and it was her obligation to help me and my siblings as we grew up. But we were never treated as though we were blood kin. After Jackson married Annamarie, we all grew much closer. The matriarch sent me through law school.”
Lori rubbed her temples. “This is confusing.”
“I suppose it can be when you’re not used to our culture.”
“You can say that again.” Lori shook her head. “I thought that my childhood was weird enough.” She snorted. “Okay. So maybe that’s not a great comparison. Your mom seems a bit silly, but she’s nothing like my mom was. Escaping a gang life… that’s badass.”
Clifford slipped his hand into hers. There was an underlying tone to her voice. Something sad and longing. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Her brow creased and her shoulders hunched. Had he said something wrong?
“Serena told me that her mother loved her but resented her because she was so young when she was born.”
Clifford nodded. Even at his relatively young age, he had been able to see that. Annamarie had only been twenty-two when she died. Serena had been seven, and Natasha had taken her in. But Natasha was older than Annamarie had been, and had gladly taken on the responsibility of caring for a child. She hadn’t had to, she had made the choice herself.
“My mother didn’t bother trying to love me. I don’t know why she even decided to keep me, if I’m honest. Maybe she was trying to have something to fit in, a trophy that she could wave in other women’s faces and state that she was part of the Feminine Gang too.” The sadness weighed heavier in Lori’s voice as her head bent. “She didn’t bother being a mom. As soon as Jasmine got her own place, she took me away from her. Never looked back. Jazz… she was too young, but she was determined. She wanted to give me the best life and she knew I wasn’t going to have it with our mom. And Mom? She never fought it.”
Clifford’s bear snarled. It was so surprising that Clifford actually jumped. His bear was a content beast. Usually, it didn’t make its presence known. He never had to repress it, simply because it was fine sitting in the shadows letting him do his own thing. That it reacted so strongly to Lori’s story made him lose focus for a moment.
“Do you want to see her?” the question burst from him before he could consider it. “Your sister, I mean. I know that you’ve been talking a lot and everything, but it’s not the same as seeing each other. I think it would help her, too. She’s not convinced that I didn’t kidnap you.”
Lori laughed softly. “That’s because you did kidnap me.”
Heat rushed to Clifford’s face, but he couldn’t help but laugh as well. Lori squeezed his hand and pulled her cellphone from her pocket. Within a few moments, she was promising Jasmine to see her soon. Moments after that, they were on their way into town. Jasmine was with her mate at the new clinic that had been built for the clan.
Dr. Eneko Alava, Jasmine’s mate, greeted them with a small smile before warning Clifford that Jasmine was furious with him. Clifford nodded his appreciation at the warning.
Seconds later, the jaguar had pushed her way into his face, and was shouting at the top of her lungs. Clifford wasn’t even certain what she was saying, she was speaking too loudly and quickly. She didn’t stop until Lori pushed her way between them and held out her hands.
“Jazz, stop that! I told you what’s going on, you need to calm down.”
Jasmine glared at Clifford. “You’ve told me what he’s told you, and—”
“Seriously?” Lori threw her hands into the air. “You’re really going to make me say it?”
Clifford tensed. What was she talking about?
Lori gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head. “Okay. So we didn’t know about the threats at the moment that he came and took me. But you weren’t supposed to be there. It’s embarrassing, but…” She slipped an arm around Clifford’s waist. “Jazz, you kind of interrupted our favorite role-playing game.”
Jasmine’s mouth opened and closed. A plethora of emotions flitted over her face. Clifford knew exactly how she felt. His face burned and he almost denied it all. To think that Lori would just make up something about their sex life like that? Embarrassment, irritation, but yet relief that Jasmine was no longer grilling him.
Lori’s arm tightened around his waist for a moment before she dropped it.
Suspicion flared in Jasmine’s eyes. “So, are you two together now? I don’t mean roleplaying. Are you going to get married? Are you going to raise the baby together?”
Clifford saw Lori tense. “Right now, we are concentrating on eliminating the threat that was made towards Lori and the baby.”
The decision to give up custody of the baby was a hard decision for her to make. Even now, he couldn’t shake the gut feeling that it was the wrong decision. Of course, he was overjoyed that Lori wanted him in the baby’s life. He would do everything he could to ensure that the baby grew up with everything it needed. But he could also see how heavily it weighed on Lori’s shoulders. He hadn’t brought it up again yet, but he felt that some sort of shared custody agreement would be far better than for her to give up all her parental rights.
Eneko cleared his throat, breaking the stalemate of sisterly glares. He smiled warmly at Lori. “Have you had a doctor’s appointment yet to see how your pregnancy is progressing?”
“Uh… no.” Lori’s eyes widened. “I haven’t even thought of it… I have to do that. Find somebody. Can you? I know you’re a general practitioner but you have pregnant patients, don’t you?”
Eneko’s smile remained calm and comforting. “I’m sure that you’ll be able to find an OBGYN for proper care, but if you want I can give you a quick exam. I have the equipment so we can hear the baby’s heartbeat.”
“It will have a heartbeat already?”
Eneko nodded. “You’re over two months, it should be a strong heartbeat by now.”
Lori nodded eagerly. “I’d love to hear its heartbeat!”
“You go on ahead.” Jasmine moved to block Clifford’s path. “I want to talk to Mr. Boone alone, if I can.”
“Jazz—”
Clifford interrupted. “It’s okay. Go on.”
Lori looked doubtful but nodded. Clifford smiled at her as she walked away, but the smile slipped off soon enough. As soon as she and Eneko were out of sight, Jasmine pointed a finger accusingly at him. Clifford spoke before she could, however. What he had to say was too important to wait.
“I can tell that you love your sister very deeply. I need your help.”
“My what?” Jasmine’s hand lowered and her eyes narrowed.
Clifford ran a hand through his hair. “The other day when we were talking, she told me that she wanted to give up her parental rights to the baby. That she wanted to give me full custody.”
Jasmine’s eyes widened. “What?”
“It’s because of how she was raised, I think. I’m not sure exactly. The point is that she made the choice thinking that it’s best for the baby. And I want to be in the baby’s life. I want to be a dad to it, during the hard times as well as the easy times. Part of me wants to have full custody, to have my child with me all the time. But I can see how much it’s crushing her. I don’t want her to be in pain.” Clifford took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So… I need you to find out why. Why she thinks that it’d be better for the baby to have it this way. I mean, I’m a lawyer. I can work these things out. And honestly from what I’ve seen, having it taken care of legally will help so much. I just don’t want her to do this if it will destroy her.”
Jasmine was silent for a long time. Eventually, she shook her head and turned away. Both hands pressed to her mouth as she moved to the desk and slumped onto it. “It’s my fault.”
Clifford’s brows shot straight up. He hadn’t been expecting that.
“Our mom might not have been there for Lori, but I… I messed up. I tried to protect her, but I was always nagging her. Telling her what she needed to do with her life. I’m the reason she thinks she’s not good enough.”
Clifford put a hand on Jasmine’s shoulder. “I doubt that. She thinks the world of you.”
“That doesn’t mean that this isn’t my fault.” Jasmine shook her head and turned back to him. “I’ll talk to her. It’s her choice in the end, though… Just…”
“I will never cut her out of the baby’s life.” Clifford’s gaze became steely. “And I won’t let anything happen to her. I promise you. Lori is going to be happy and safe. I will make sure that she is.”