Several hours later, they met in Titus’s office to discuss the takedown of Magnus and the resolution of the crime. Tanya and Tatiana stuck close to Tara, knowing how devastating the last couple of days had been. Ryker went to the door and welcomed Zane Wilder. “Hey, everyone, look who’s here. Christ, man, talk about the hero of the moment.”
Zane held up his hands in false modesty as everyone applauded.
Titus agreed. “Ryker is right, Zane. Tanya, Ryker, and I were struggling. We knew that Griffin was innocent, but we were walking a thin line. It was hard given that Magnus was doing everything he could to make Griffin’s actions appear suspect.”
Zane agreed as he accepted a glass of Macallan from the serious sheriff. “Fortunately, as often happens with guilty people, Magnus overplayed his hand. He came to me thinking that just because I’m a publicity hound, which I am, I’d overlook the evidence in order to land as big a fish as Griffin Black.” Flashing his engaging smile, he added, “What he didn’t know was that the worst publicity a DA can get is if he tries to convict the wrong guy. Fortunately, I’ve been around the ring several hundred times and know a charlatan when I see one.”
“I used to think that I did as well.” Clearly struggling, Griffin added, “Jesus, how could I have been so blind not to see the viper in my nest. Hell, the two vipers. It’s horseshit to talk ill of the dead, but I feel responsible for Jia’s death. I should have fired her long ago. She was an angry, troubled woman. But I felt I owed her something. She’d been there from the beginning. As had Magnus. I tried to ignore her dyspepsia, as I humorously called her temperament. I was wrong. She was a destructive woman, and I allowed that destruction to cause astronomical problems. As for Magnus, I never saw it.” He ran his hands through his hair and blew out a hard sigh. “Goddammit, and I think of myself as a good businessman.”
“And you clearly are,” Ryker said as he wrapped an arm around Griffin’s shoulders. “But, buddy, at base, you are a visionary, a doer. You believe in your people and they believe in you. I know what stokes us Special Ops guys. It’s the mission that drives us. It’s clear that your primary goal was the development, not the money you made.”
Griffin conceded. “Yeah, you’re right. In the beginning, I was determined to prove to my father-in-law, and I guess to me, that I also could make money. But soon the lure of the project took over. It was what drove me far more than the money.” He turned to Tara, who was standing next to him, their arms around each other’s waists. “I think that is why I was such an asshole to you in the beginning, Tara. I felt that you were writing me off as a rich, arrogant asshole.”
Tara nodded. “I was.”
When everyone laughed, Griffin added, “Don’t misunderstand. I like being wealthy, but not as an end goal. I like it because my wealth allows me to do what I want, do what drives me. And yes, Tara. You’re right. I was and am an arrogant asshole.”
Thinking about his plea that she try to see his development through his eyes, Tara looked up at him. “I did think you were a land-grabber out to rape our beautiful land, Griffin. But I admit, sitting with you on the ridge at the Shadow Peaks site, I began to see it through your eyes.” She quickly added, “Not that I agree with everything you said, it’s just that I saw a different side of you and different possibilities for the land.”
Tara looked up in time to see Tanya exchanging a glance with Tatiana and then with their father. She felt her cheeks heat, knowing that her family was likely glad she was stepping back somewhat from her carved-in-stone views opposing pristine land development.
At that moment, Griffin startled. Reaching for his phone and seeing the number on the caller ID, he blew out a hard sigh. He closed his eyes briefly, then reached for Tara’s hand. “Please excuse me, folks. This is the call I’ve been waiting for. To be honest, the one that I’ve been dreading. It’s from my other lawyer. The one who is doing his damnedest to help me get custody of my children.” He leaned down and kissed Tara on her cheek, then strode from the room.
For several moments, Ryker made a production of refilling everyone’s glasses, then stopped by Tara to give her a hug. The tension in the room was palpable.
In what seemed like eons but was minutes at the most, Tara turned to see Griffin striding toward her. He grabbed her hand and, to everyone’s surprise, dragged her with him over to the district attorney.
“You really are a surprising son of a bitch, Wilder.” Shaking his head in mock exasperation, Griffin said, “Let’s just say, Mr. Wilder, any man who comes up against you should be warned to guard his fucking jewels. But then, Magnus could have told us that. And, hell, according to Ryker, you’re a frogman.” Grabbing both of Zane’s hands in his, he said, “Thank you, man, I’m as grateful as a Delta Force guy can be to a Seal. Which is to say from the bottom of my heart.”
Zane put up his hands and said in explanation to the surprised group, “Yeah, it just so happens that the Manhattan district attorney is also a Seal. Like you D-boys, we have each other’s backs.”
Tara asked hesitantly, “Are you saying, Griffin, that—”
He interrupted her. “Yes, Tara. Apparently, Zane was able to get to his pal to put a bug in Judge Gaynor’s ear. Told him about the miscarriage of justice that almost took place here.” He shook his head as if in disbelief. “It looks like I’m flying to New York as soon as my Gulfstream is ready.” Not bothering to scrub at the tears on his cheeks, he added, “And it appears that I won’t be coming back alone.”
The excited cheers from the group almost drowned out Tara’s happy sobs.
After Griffin left and the joyful group had made toast after toast to one another, Zane Wilder approached Tatiana, who was by herself, preparing to leave. She stepped back at the approach of the imposing man.
When Wilder stepped in front of her, she shoved at her shyness and said, “Thank you, Mr. Wilder. You were a true hero today. On behalf of my family and especially Tara and Griffin, I thank you.”
Continuing to block her exit, Wilder said in a facetious tone, “Hey, all in a day’s work.” He contradicted himself with a disarming smile. “In truth, would that every day comes anywhere near what happened today.” As she turned toward the door, he reached for her arm. “I understand that you are expanding your women’s center, Tatiana. I’m glad to hear it. It’s good to know that we have a place to refer abuse victims. Unfortunately, we seem to have more of them every year.” When Tatiana just nodded nervously, not sure why the district attorney was interested in her center, he added, “I don’t know if you give tours, but I’d like to see your operation up close and personal.”
Tatiana stepped back, not able to hide her surprise. “I . . . of course, Mr. Wilder. I would be pleased to show you the Sanctuary.” She hesitated and then added, “It’s just that . . . well, to be honest, a lot of our clients have had challenging experiences with the judicial system, but . . . ” She let her voice trail off, not sure how to respond to the formidable district attorney without insulting him.
To her surprise, he smiled at her, his riveting eyes flashing with amusement. Putting up his hands, he said, “I promise, I won’t bring handcuffs or leg-irons with me.” Knowing he was amused at her concerns and that he surely saw her embarrassed flush, Tatiana glanced longingly at the door. His smile widened and he winked at her. Taking hold of her arm, he said, “Oh, and by the way, Tatiana, the name is Zane. The only people who call me Mister Wilder are miscreants or their lawyers. May I presume, Tatiana, that you are neither?”
Overhearing the exchange, Ryker sidled up next to Titus. “Uh-oh, Papa Bear. Methinks there might be another interloper sniffing around your territory.”
Titus shrugged and sighed in mock despair. “What is it about my daughters that attracts arrogant, commanding men?”
Ryker laughed. “Perhaps because those are the only men who are courageous enough to take on the Sheriff of Cochise County.”
Titus nodded but couldn’t hide the twinkle in his eyes. “You may be right about that, Ryker. But as you discovered, their father doesn’t hold a candle to the sheriff’s imposing daughters when it comes to putting arrogant men in their places.”
“Well said, Sheriff. As any guy with a brain in his head knows, taking on the Trouble family is a fool’s errand unless he’s one of the cockiest sons of bitches who walked the earth.”
****
The following night, Tara sank down on a bar stool at the Bitter n’ Twisted. She nodded in agreement when Dante, the longtime bartender, asked, “The usual, sweet cheeks?” Tara smiled at him as the bartender shuffled off to make one of his infamous porn star martinis. Over his shoulder, he quipped, “You steppin’ out on the big man, Tara?”
“No, Dante. I’m expecting Tanya and Ryker.” She added, “I’m sure you’ve heard that Griffin came back today with his children. It was a glorious sight. They are absolutely adorable children and so very vulnerable.” She shook her head in dismay. “God, Dante, they’ve been through as much hell as Griffin has with that hideous custody circus. All I can say is that we all have an angel on our shoulders, especially those two children, to have a father like Griffin.”
“You ought to know, Tara. There ain’t a better father walking this earth than Titus Theseus Trouble.”
Tara raised her glass and said with a heartfelt sigh, “I’ll drink to that, Dante.”
As she was explaining why she was alone, Tara came to grips with how her world had changed. Even though she and Griffin had been together for three weeks at the most, he was the center of her universe and she was his. Or, she reminded herself, she had been until he came back with his children. She admonished herself for her selfish thoughts, remembering seeing Brooke and Hunter for the first time. She was startled by how much they looked like Griffin. She smiled, thinking how furious their mother must have been when both children were blessed with dark, almost-black hair and startling green eyes. It would be hard for anyone to deny their parentage. She thought back to the scene at the airport when she had first met the children. Her stomach lurched, remembering Brooke staring at her while Hunter hovered behind his sister, clinging to her arm. In minutes, it was clear that Brooke had lived a lot of life in her ten years. She’d studied Tara for several long moments, then to Tara’s surprise, asked, “Do you love my father?”
Completely taken aback, Tara managed to say in a firm voice, “Yes, I do. Very much.” The wise-beyond-her-years young girl nodded and said sagaciously, “That’s good, because he loves you.” Tara continued to meet her gaze, although she desperately wanted to look up at the tall man standing behind the two waif-like children to see how he was reacting to this strange conversation. She was glad she hadn’t looked away when Hunter asked in a quavering voice, “Do you think that you can love me and Brooke?”
Tara smiled through her tears as she reached for both of them. “Yes. Not only do I think I can, I already do.”
****
Now, hours later, sitting at the bar by herself, Tara was struck by her whirlwind of a life. God, she and Griffin barely knew each other and now not only was she in love with the most powerful man she’d ever met, she was also apparently a stepmother figure to his two children. As she was cogitating over the craziness of her life, a man sank onto the stool beside her. She didn’t need to see Dante’s disgusted grimace or smell the sodden stink to know that he was one of Sledge Perkin’s ne’er-do-wells.
Determined to ignore him, she focused on her drink. Unfortunately, the degenerate had other ideas.
“Well, well, well, if it ain’t the blonde Trouble sister. The one with the big tits and sweet ass. Although both of your sisters have those too. It’s just that I’m partial to blondes. You know, the all-American types.”
When she continued to ignore him, the obviously drunken reprobate snarled, “Come on, sweet tits. If you’re sitting at the bar all by your lonesome on a Saturday night, I can think of a hundred things to spice up your life. Cuz I gotta tell you, those knockers and that sweet ass of yours is wasted on this bar stool. And, honey, you can’t begin to imagine what a guy with a tongue like mine can do to those righteous titties of yours and that puckered asshole.”
Tara shuddered and pulled away from the sickening man. She’d taken the first breath she had since the pervert sat down when Griffin wrapped his hand around her hair and jerked her up next to him.
His voice was low. If it weren’t so contorted with danger, it would have been almost laconic. Tugging her closer to him, Griffin said, “Hmm, it seems I can’t let you out of my sight for more than a couple of hours, Tara, without some dickless asshole coming on to you.”
The disgusting man lurched to attention. Barely managing to keep from falling off the stool in his drunken outrage, he barked, “Hey, buddy, who the fuck you callin’ dickless?”
“I don’t know what else you call an asshole whose dick has been chopped off and shoved down his throat. Which is what’s going to happen to you if I ever see you within ten feet of my woman.”
Hoisting her from the bar stool, Griffin said, “I can see that I can’t leave you alone, Tara. But then, why would I want to? Let’s go, sweetheart; it’s clear we have some catching up to do.”