Page 49 of Eat. Prey. Love.
“Good morning, Delores. Come in and we’ll start—” The spindly woman dressed in a silly looking Gothic-style dress blinks as she glares down her nose at my escort. “Excuse me, sir, but this is a private therapy session and you are not permitted to join Miss Drew.”
Giving her a smarmy grin, Skelly reaches for another one of his cards, handing it over. “Good morning, ma’am. As a fully contracted Legal Consultant for the McCoy & Associates team, I have both my client’s permission and a directive from my employer to observe this appointment. You’ll find if you contact your own attorney, the Headmaster, or any other source that I’m legally required entry based on those requests.”
Sniffing, Rockland looks from him to me, probably weighing the cost of arguing the point in the limited time she’s been grantedwith me. “Fine. But you will remain silent as an observer should be.”
I roll my eyes, following her and she does the awkward sashay to the office that I assume was meant to be sassy and sexy, but ends up looking like a knock-kneed stork swaying from foot to foot. This is going to be a painful hour, for sure.
The moment the door closes, Rockland looks up from her new desk, her hands adjusting the ridiculous decor on it for a second in a silent effort to command the power in the room. I stare back at her without a word, like Felix and Lucille have both taught me, waiting until she breaks. When she finally does, I notice a toothy smile from my bulky badger friend as he sits crammed into a stupidly small chair.
“Miss Drew, it seems you find yourself shunted to yet another institution under a cloud of scandal. I can’t imagine why Capital Prep would not welcome you back, though I suspect the property damage, scandalous sexual escapades, and anti-social personality disorder are likely part of that decision.”
Excuse, the fuck out of me?!
Before I can answer, Skelly holds his hand up for me to stop. “Miss Rockland, I’m afraid I must intervene on behalf of my client. This kind of rant is not only inaccurate, but unprofessional, slanderous, and legally actionable in terms of your ability to remain in your field. Perhaps you’d like to apologize and reconsider your words?”
“Isaidyou could observesilently!” she screeches as she jumps to her feet.”You willnotinterrupt my required sessions with your outrageous arrogance, Mr. McCoy.Iam in charge in this room, andIam the one who decides what is and is not appropriate for this delinquent. She has made her own bed with her trashy behavior and is no longer welcome at the tables of the discerning elite.”
Skelly stands, flexing his massive bulk as he gives her a slow, hungry look. His head tilts, studying her like all preds do their prey before he replies, “Carina Rockland, you are being officially warned. My client, Delores Diamond Drew, will no longer allow you to spew your petty jealousies and unfounded hatred for her in private or public arenas. Farley L. McCoy, Esquire, and his associates have served you with papers to that effect, but you seem incapable of respecting not only personal, but professional and legal boundaries. If you do not cease your abuse, libel, and slander in person and online, you will be sued to the fullest extent of civil law and when that’s done, we will pursue criminal cyberbullying and harassment charges in every country your poor judgment has been unleashed in. Do you understand?”
Holy fuck. This guy is terrifying. He looks like he’s going to fucking devour her whole.
“You work for a shady strip mall lawyer that defends druggies. I’m not afraid of his thugs.”
I wait for him to attack, but Skelly merely laughs at the hysterical woman. His voice is full of amusement as he shakes his head. “Apparently, you’re not only too lazy to come up with your own ideas, but you’re also too lazy to do research on the PredNet. The Boss didn’t attend your slanted shifter schools in preparation for leading the legal department of our multi-species, international corporation, you idiot. He attended ahumanundergraduate school in a Southern Ivy league school, then reputable law schools in both the human and the shifter realm before he took over the practice his branch of our family runs. He was one of the youngest people ever in both worlds to present and win a case in front of the human Supreme Court and the Council Adjudicators of Merit.”
“Well fuck,” I mutter. I didn’t know that, either.
“People often underestimate him because of his good ol’ boy charm and the product our family distributes—legally, of course.” Skelly smirks at me then turns to Rockland again. “But ifwewerealso in charge of a secret drug cartel, not a pharmaceutical company on the up-and-up… what kind of fucking moron would come at our lawyer full blast and expect to survive with limbs intact? Just food for thought.”
I’m too shocked by the blatant threat to even respond, so I just stare at the rat’s nest on Rockland’s head as thoughts go whirling through my mind.
“Miss Delores, let’s go. I will walk you to your next class. I believe Ms. Rockland has some serious thinking to do.”
I’ll just fucking bet she does, Skelly. Five goddamn stars to you, man.
YouNeed To Calm Down
“This girl is after her,Z. Keep your eyes on it.”
The lioness looks at me in amusement, leaning back in her chair in the girls’ Coach’s office with her hands stacked behind her head. Unlike last year at Cappie, she’s blinged out to the max here—it makes me wonder who she’s hoping to impress. Zhenga hasn’t been this obvious since our tenure at Apex, and I know she’s moved on from me, but who the fuck has she set her sights on since we arrived? It had better not be my asshole cousin—not because I’m jealous, but because Ilikeher when she’s notharassing me.
Asani will chew her up and spit her out without a second thought.
“Felix, you worry like an old nanny goat. Your girl is coming into her own, which means she can defend herself. Of course I’d interfere if it was over the line, but you alpha morons need to keep your dicks in your pants. Dolly is capable and willing to fight her own battles—something we both know may be important in the future.”
She’s right and it annoys the fuck out of me. It’s hard to explain how hard the tiger is riding me when it comes to the little family and friends we’ve gathered. It’smyresponsibilityas the Raj to keep them safe and it’s hard as hell when there are so many fucking enemies popping up out of nowhere. Our cheetah is keeping rigorous notes on them, but the amount of threats is becoming difficult to grasp simultaneously.
“I know she can, but that doesn’t mean I’m not worried,” I admit as I drop into the chair in front of her desk. I can’t say this shit to the others without looking weak, but Zhenga understands how frustrating it is to not be able to protect those you feel responsible for. The good parts of the Leonidas pride are constant targets because of her brother and father—and she can’t do a damn thing about it in exile. Being cut off from the evil families who spawned you is both a gift and curse that way.
She pushes forward, sitting up to put her elbows on her desk and look at me seriously. Again, I wonder who all the make-up and glam added to her coach gear is for, but I’m not going to ask if she doesn’t volunteer the info. Zhenga’s a grown woman and I’m not her keeper, just a friend. “You’d be a terrible fated mate if you didn’t, Khan. Even when you were a bourbon soaked dickwaffle, I knew you were a good man, and it’s why I pursued you. Not every eligible alpha leader is honorable and kind beneath their asshole exterior, you know.”
Well, I’ll be damned. She’s being real withme.
“Then I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that others of my family donothave the same inclination as Fitz, Chess, and me. Be careful, Z.”
Her eyes widen as realization spreads over her face and then she bursts out laughing hard enough to clutch her stomach. Tears are running down her cheeks as the amusement in her gets out, and it takes several minutes before she’s able to take a gasping breath and regain composure. “Oh, Felix, you idiot.”
“What?” I ask in puzzlement. I was pretty clear in my intent with that statement. Why is she acting like I told her to don a clown suit and give me a lap dance?