Page 83 of Knot for Sale

“Like when you need to bribe someone’s driver?” she asked archly.

“That, too,” I agreed.

I pulled past the iron gates leading to the old Russian consulate, driving around the back to the lower-level garage. I’d have to return to the East End later to drop it off and pick up the SUV, but it was worth the hassle if it meant this meeting could happen today.

When we were safely parked, I retrieved Clarabelle’s walker from the boot and winced as I helped her out of the passenger seat.

“I better warn you now—this place is only half-renovated, and it ain’t even close to being disability friendly. Sorry about that.”

She waved the words away like buzzing insects. “Just get me to my granddaughter, you great alpha oaf.”

I helped her to the kitchen since it was on the ground floor, and it wasn’t a total disaster area. “Stay here,” I said, seating her at the kitchen table. “I’ll go fetch Emma and be right back.”

I trotted upstairs and started checking rooms, finding Emma in Elijah’s bedroom. He was sprawled out on the bed with a book; she was sitting hunched against the headboard with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring at nothing.

They both startled when I poked my head in.

“Sorry,” I said. “Change of plan, sweetheart. I’ve got your gran downstairs, waiting in the kitchen. When she heard you were in trouble, she made me bring her straight here.”

Emma blinked huge gray eyes, their color so like Clarabelle’s. Her complexion paled, and she gave a hard swallow. “She’s... here now?”

“That’s what I said. You ready to talk to her?”

“Not really.” Emma uncurled and climbed off the bed.

Elijah had rolled into a sitting position, his book forgotten. “You want me to come with you?”

She wavered for a moment before nodding. “Please. Just... don’t hold it against me if she says something horrible about omegas? Or models, for that matter.”

“Don’t worry, dove,” Elijah said. “People were shooting at us a few days ago. I can handle a few insults.”

We trooped out of the room and headed downstairs. I debated peeling off to find Gabriel and Onyx, but I wanted to get a feel for how this meeting was going to go before I added Blondie to the mix. He’d probably noticed I’d swanned off on my own by now, and there was likely to be shouting involved.

Emma looked uncomfortably like someone heading for the executioner’s block, but she squared her shoulders and walked into the kitchen, me and Elijah following behind.

“Nan?” she said in a small voice.

Clarabelle turned in her seat to stare at the three of us framed in the doorway.

“Emma!” she said, in a tone of two parts exasperation and one part affection.

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