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Trying to swallow past the dread in my throat, I hissed to Hayden, “Why do I need a lawyer? Hell, why do I need two lawyers?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” Hayden put a hand on my back, right between my shoulder blades, and nudged me forward. “Why don’t you take a seat?”
I didn’t want to take a seat. I wanted to know what was going on, why Hayden was being so cryptic, why Ezra needed lawyers as well, and why Lana had just been arrested. My heart felt like a trapped hummingbird; I swear, it was about to flutter itself to death against my ribcage.
But it seemed the quickest way to get any answers was to comply for the time being, so I nodded and took a seat next to Mike when Richard graciously pulled the chair out for me.
Hayden remained standing, murmuring something to Richard, and I glanced toward Mike’s tablet, but the screen was filled with words of legal jargon, nothing to give me any clue what was about to happen.
Then Brick flew into the room. He wore tattered jeans, a wrinkled T-shirt, and sneakers without the laces tied. His hair was a mess as if he’d just rolled out of bed, dragged on the first thing he saw, and raced straight here.
Already motioning a thumb over his shoulder and out the doorway, he immediately demanded of Hayden, “Am I seeing things, or did I just spot our mother being hauled away in the back of a fucking police car?”
Hayden merely glanced at him before nodding his head my way. “Why don’t you sit by Kaitlynn?”
Brick’s eyebrows furrowed with more confusion. “Kait—” He swiveled his attention my way, only to whirl back to Hayden. “What the fuck, bro? You left me like fifty messages this morning, telling me to get my ass to the office as soon as possible, and now all this? I want answers.”
Hayden clenched his teeth. “Like I told everyone else, I’m only explaining it once. Now take a seat until everyone’s here.”
Brick scowled, called his brother a name under his breath, but then prowled toward me, slumping into the chair next to mine before leaning my way and murmuring, “Any ideas on what’s going on?”
I shook my head. “None.”
He waved a finger between Mike and Richard. “Who’re these yahoos? They look like lawyers who get off serial killers or something.”
Mike glanced over, scowling.
I discreetly cleared my throat. “They’re my lawyers, apparently.” When Brick sent me a startled glance, I shrugged. “At least that’s what Hayden says.”
When Hayden took a seat next to Brick, and Richard sat beside him, leaving the entire left side of the conference table free, Brick motioned toward all the free seats. “So who else are we expecting?”
“Nash.”
Brick frowned at me. I shrugged. Brick turned his frown to his brother.
“I’m confused. Having the three of us here suggests some kind of family situation. But bringing Nash into the fray sounds more like it involves the company. So what’s all this about: personal or business?”
“Both,” was Hayden’s monotone answer.
I shook my head, growing even more confused.
“Well, joy,” Brick muttered grumpily, sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. “Can’t wait to learn what happened, you asshole. Thanks so much for keeping us all in the dark.”
I studied the tattoos on Brick’s arms. For some reason, that helped center and calm me. My gaze traced the most prominent feature on his forearm: a wolf face peering out from an ink splatter. The only colored part of the image were the wolf’s yellow-brown eyes that seemed to glow and stare right into me. I shuddered and turned my attention down to his wrist, where a silhouetted forest scene at night coated his skin with a full moon and a hooded figure walking among the trees. I could relate to that figure; it seemed totally lost and not sure where to go.
“So, how long are we supposed to wait?” Brick demanded, unfolding his arms so he could drum his fingers impatiently against the tabletop.
“As long as it takes for him to gather his own lawyers.”
Brick’s fingers stopped tapping. “So… Nash needs lawyers for whatever this is. Kaity needs lawyers. But we don’t need lawyers?” His gaze sought mine.
My lips parted, wondering what that meant, even as Hayden answered, “That’s right.”
Brick whirled to stare at me. “Then why—”
The appearance of Ezra in the doorway cut him off.
His gaze immediately found me, and his shoulders sank slightly as if he were relieved, only for his eyes to narrow when they landed on the four men seated around me.
