Page 2 of Hear Me Roar

The dull buzz alerted us we were clear to pass through into the back, and as we sauntered past an irked and very defeated Sasha on the way to Karley’s office, I couldn’t help but giggle. Served herright.

“You're impossible,” Knox whisperedcandidly.

“She started it.” I hooked a shoulder. “I simply finishedit.”

“Wait till Karley hears aboutthis.”

“You're gonna tell her,” I squeaked, my hand squeezing around his like avice.

“I won't have to. Sasha will, forsure.”

“Seriously?”

“Without a doubt. She's been trying to get Karley to hook us up since she started here,” he explained, rapping his knuckles against the deep chestnutdoor.

Knock,knock!

“Come in!” Karley’s sweet voice called out from inside heroffice.

Knox turned the steel handle and pushed open the door, motioning for me to go in first. I shuffled into the chicly decorated room - again all black, white, and teal - and caught sight of my man’s sister sitting behind a massive, inky-colored desk with papers strewn about. The entire wall behind her was lined with books, mostly encyclopedias and law-related material. Karley smiled brightly and shot up to her feet, bounding toward me with an almost inaudible squeal. She wrapped me in her arms and I embraced her in return, smiling fondly as her now comforting scent enveloped me. The woman might have been Knox’s sister, but she'd become minetoo.

“How are you?” she asked, pulling away, same blue eyes as her brother’s shimmering in thelight.

“Nervous,” Iadmitted.

Now that we’d left Sasha behind, the anger that had taken place of disquietude in her presence swiftly fell away, leaving me in a newly-restored anxious state at the reminder of why we werehere.

“Don't be,” she beamed as Knox came up behind me and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Releasing me from her grasp, she motioned to the leather seats that faced her desk. “Sit, sit, so we can get started. I have a meeting with one of my clients in thirty, hence the mess, and I want to fill you incompletely.”

Shuffling around her desk, Knox and I dropped into the two chairs, his inked arm stretching out toward me, beckoning for my hand. I took it without hesitation, needing his touch to keep me grounded for what was tocome...

“So, I found Maya,”my sister said, leaning forward onto her elbows. “But I’m sure Knox already told youthat.”

Hazel nodded while squeezing the shit out of my hand. Somehow, in the short span of two minutes, she’d paled significantly and it was just now that I was realizing it, prompting me to squeeze her hand in a silent show of support. I couldn’t understand for the life of me why she was so nervous. If I put extensive thought into it, I guess it was almost like being adopted and finally receiving information that would allow you to meet your birth parents. Only in this case, Maya was the long-lost sister Hazel never thought she’d meet. Though Bernie hadn’t been her blood father, he’d loved her and treated her as one, making this whole situation with Maya more significant than just carrying out his finalwishes.

“She's been in New York,” my sister added, to which Hazel’s eyes slightly bugged out, Karley’s attention quickly turning on methereafter.

“How much did you tellher?”

I shrugged. “Just that you got in touch withMaya.”

Her face fell and she scoffed. “Gee, thanks, lil’bro.”

“What? I figured it’d be better for you tell her, seeing asyouspoke to the woman,” I countered, flashing her the finger and an exaggeratedsmile.

“You knew more, and all you told me was that she got in contact with Maya?” Hazel asked incredulously, her question hastily melting away said shit-eatinggrin.

Fuck.

I didn't know how to respond. I hadn’t kept the little I did know from her on purpose. I’d simply thought it was better for Karley to go through all this shit with her, rather than having to put her through it twice, but clearly that wasn't the brightest idea. Snapping my gaze to where my sister sat, I motioned towards Hazel and flashed her a pleading look forhelp.

Karley rolled her eyes and shot up out of her seat, coming around her desk to lean against it as she delivered the rest of theinformation.

“Did Bernie know Maya married a DimitriPetrova?”

“I believe so,” Hazel said quietly, instantly forgetting myoffense.

Thanks,sis.

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