Page 104 of Lilacs and Leather

“So, I guess the best place to start is to explain that my maternal grandmother, MawMaw Anderson, absolutelyhatedmy mother. My mother is a piece of work, and MawMaw saw right through her even if my father absolutely did not. MawMaw and PawPaw had a cattle farm, and it was worth quite a lot. My mother had her sights set on the estate from the beginning, I guess. She made no secret of how much she hated MawMaw, but I loved her. She’s one of the few people I remember telling me that the church didn’t have all the answers,” I begin, picking at my nails.

“Is she the one who left you your college fund and trust?” Rhett asks, leaning on the counter next to me.

I nod. “Much to my mother’s chagrin. To this day, I still think God had a sense of humor when he brought MawMaw home. My mother was getting ready to ship her off to a home and seize control of the assets. But MawMaw died in her sleep the day before it was set to happen, heart attack. The lawyers told us that her will was the most airtight document they’ve ever seen.

“The long and short of it is that MawMaw made it so my mother would have to work extremely hard to get access to the trusts. It would unlock when I got married or bonded, graduated college, or turned twenty-five.”

“So why don’t you have your trust now? You’re twenty-six,” Alexandra prompts, leaning toward me with her brow set in concentration.

“MawMaw was the type of woman who hoped for the best and prepared for the worst. She put clauses in place that protect the fund if something were to happen to me. The relevant one here being the MIA clause. If I’m declared a missing person, then the fund freezes and no one can access it until such a time as my fate can be determined. If I die, my brothers split the fund. If I’m not dead, I get it,” I explain.

“But it can’t stay frozen forever. Eventually, the case would be classified as cold and shelved,” Mateo comments thoughtfully.

“Yep. After ten years, the fund unfreezes and my brothers get my money. Jason and I did a lot of digging shortly after I got away from my family. We weren’t fast enough to beat my mother, but we have gotten my brothers to agree that if they do end up with my trust, they’ll route their portions to Jace, who will get it to me. I would have thought someone would have blown their bullshit wide open by now, but I should know better than to underestimate Diane Anderson,” I say, ending with a resigned sigh.

“How much money are we talking about?” Lucas asks curious and incredulous in equal measure.

I shrug. “Seven, maybe eight figures, I think. It’s been growing since I was born. I can’t touch it without alerting my mother, so I haven’t checked it since I moved. I wanted to use it to start my own wedding planning business after college but…”

I trail off as my heart sinks. I haven’t thought about the dreams I used to have before my life blew up in my face nearly five years ago. I didn’t realize then how cruel people could truly be. I know better now, but I still wish I hadn’t had to learn the hard way.

“So, if you go back home, by hook or by crook, you’ll obviously be declared not missing and you’ll get your trust. Why haven’t you tried before?” Alexandra pushes after a moment of thoughtful silence.

“Because if I go home, there’s a good chance that my family will do everything in their power to force me to stay. I’ve been safe as long as my family couldn’t find me. Even now, I think they’re waiting for me to come home willingly, as kidnapping’s still a crime.”

“Holding you hostage is a crime, too, though,” Lucas adds.

I feel my shoulders tense as I try to find the courage to voice my worst fears. Mateo and Rhett move closer, the only ones who know how desperate Darren was to trap me, and the lengths he went to in his attempts. Their warmth and scents help to keep me grounded, and not fall into the roiling pit of anxiety in my stomach.

“Before I left, Darren tried to force my body into heat and bond with me. Based on everything I know and what you’ve said, I’m fairly certain my mother has him working with her to get my trust. Once I’m bonded, my assets also belong to my partner, and if Darren could make me his, then he’d get my money, and by extension, my mother would as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s still their plan.”

I force the words out, trying to keep my hands and voice from shaking. Rhett’s low snarl at the mention of harm coming to me settles something in my gut. But I’m surprised to hear Alexandra’s growl, to see the fury etched in harsh lines on her gorgeous face.

“Seth is just enough of a bastard to not care about the how or the why or the consequences, so long as he gets what he wants,” Mateo says, tone low and dark.

Mateo and Alexandra share a significant look, but I can’t tell what unspoken words fly between them. She looks to Rhett and then to Lucas, speaking with their eyes. Each moment that passes makes the typhoon of worry spin faster and grow wider. At long last, Alexandra looks to me, her hazel eyes searching my face for something. Whatever it is, she must find it as she nods a little to herself and squares her shoulders.

“When is your next heat cycle?” she asks, voice startlingly gentle.

I shake my head a little and blink in confusion. “Late October. Why?”

Alexandra lets out a long exhale before continuing. “The best protection we can offer you is a bond. Right now, Mat and I aren’t in a place where we could do that for you, but Rhett—”

My heart lurches, my mind almost not believing what I’m hearing. “No.”

She stops speaking at my firm interruption, brow knitting in confusion. “Why not?” she asks, sounding nearly as baffled as I feel.

I scoff, trying not to be offended. Alexandra and Mateo of all people should understand that bonds aren’t something to be taken lightly.

“First, we’ve known each other for less than six months. Rhett, I love you, but I’m just not ready,” I start, looking at him as I speak and squeezing his hand.

His blue eyes are bright, and even if his face says that he disagrees, he nods anyway. He’d do anything to protect me, and that knowledge alone gives me the confidence to continue.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t consider it in the future, but trying to bond right now would be extremely risky, and it’s not a chance I’m willing to take with the wedding being so close to the start of my heat,” I explain.

“What do you mean?” Lucas asks.

“With my birth control implant doing most of the work in regulating my cycle, I would need to get it taken out basically now so my body would have time enough to start producing the right hormones that would allow a bond to form in the first place. Darren had no qualms with trying to force my heat in the past, and I don’t want to take the risk of him actually succeeding.”

---