Page 83 of Claimed By the Cowboys
“Don’t worry, sunshine,” he crooned sweetly. “I’m here; there’s nothing to worry about, I got you now.”
Chapter 38
Montana
“Theywhat!?” Clayton blustered as Piper did her best to talk the rest of the pack through the bizarre and taxing events of the afternoon.
“I’m telling you, it was the strangest thing,” Piper sniffled from her place on the sofa, bracketed by Dakota and me. “One minute, I was finishing an ice cream sundae while waiting for Monty to get back, and the next, my horrible ex-boyfriends were sitting across from me, insulting me and threatening the ranch. Threatening our family.” Piper’s lower lip trembled as she shared details of the ordeal.
I could tell from the way he had practically worn a hole in the carpet that Clay would be happy to put all three of the boys from Pack Adamar six feet underground if he could.
If I hadn’t done so much work with meditation and deep breathing, I just might have been inclined to join him with a shovel and a few bags of lime.
“They’re lucky I wasn’t at that diner.” Clay growled, low and menacing, as he ran a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “Would have taught those city boys a thing or two aboutmanners.”
“The fact that they were so shitty was hardly surprising.” Piper sighed before she continued with concern. “I don’t know where Caroline’s been getting her gossip from, but they clearly don’t know we’ve bonded.”
“Uh, do they not have eyes?” Zeke ventured cautiously, his green eyes traveling over Piper’s very visible bonding bites and protruding belly beneath the fluttering skirts of her sundress.
“She was in one of Kota’s work hoodies at the diner with her hair down when I got there,” I chimed in.
Zeke’s eyes widened with understanding as Clay’s pacing came to an abrupt halt.
“Wait just a damn minute—are you saying those bastards didn’t figure out that you are…” Clay raised his eyebrows, reaching out to lay a hand tenderly over Piper’s pregnant belly.
“They made some kind of nasty comment about letting myself go.” As Piper’s shoulders sagged, Dakota and I rushed in to plant kisses on either cheek, just as all of us were quick to deny Pack Adamar’s claims.
“When they mentioned going to mediation, they seemed to think they’d be up against four single dads struggling to care for Maisie with the help of a nanny, not going up against a fully bonded pack with a sibling on the way for Maisie Rae,” Piper added, smiling softly through her fresh tears.
At that, a thick silence blanketed the room.
I waited a few tense moments, hoping that Clay might step in to break the quiet, but I was the one who finally spoke.
“That might give us the kind of edge we need. Piper’s former pack certainly has the financial means to be as litigious as they like.” I raked a hand back through my hair nervously. “For us, it’s going to be a considerably larger hardship. I’ve been researching some of the best pack and family lawyers in the area, and we’re looking at some pretty hefty price tags just toget started and cover a retainer—forget about what happens if Caroline and her backers don’t want to take the easy way out.”
“How large islarge?”Piper asked, her face white as a sheet.
“We’re talking somewhere in the neighborhood of ten grandjustfor the legal fees.” I laughed coldly. “That’s assuming she’d be willing to disappear with another payout, without trying to take the ranch.”
“Fifty grand last time, right?” Dakota let out a low whistle and winced. “And you know her gold-diggin’ ass is going to be looking for more this time,” he added before he sank into a facepalm.
Piper looked as if she were about to explode into hysterics—the last thing we needed for our pregnant omega.
“Let’s not put the cart before the horse,” Clay cut in, moving forward to cup Piper’s chin in one of his big hands and kiss her lightly. “Don’t you go worryin’ about the money for the lawyer. That’s all arranged for, and taken care of.”
I wasn’t sure what Clay was playing at, since I had made no such arrangements. I hadn’t been sure how real Caroline’s threats over the phone had been. Even though Clay handled a great many things, he hadn’t concerned himself with administrative tasks in years.
It seemed that, more likely than not, Clay was simply stepping in to ease Piper’s nerves.
“But what about the bonding bites? What about the baby?” Piper sniffled as Dakota scooted down the sofa to allow Clay a seat next to her.
“I’ll confirm with our lawyer, but I think that we just let them come to the table with their offer without clarifying our situation.” Clayton draped one of his large arms over Piper’s shoulder.
I let go of my hold around her waist as Clay pulled Piper against him protectively.
“You don’t even have to be there if you don’t want to, duchess. You aren’t on any of the ranch paperwork yet, so as far as Caroline and her legal team are concerned, you aren’t involved.”
“I know we’ve been angry and showing it here at home, behind closed doors, but we’ll play nice for the lawyers. No nasty words from us, just a reasonable offer for a final payout on the condition that Caroline relinquishes any claims she has on Maisie or the ranch. She can decide to take it or leave it.” Clay rocks Piper gently against him.
