The Dragon's Fate - Roxie Ray Page 0,54

of me, but this was the sort of thing I needed to tell her in person.

When she rushed in around four, she was breathless, and her face was pinched. “I’m sorry, I had to take Hayden to my parents’ before I came.”

“It’s okay. Come sit down, I’ve got to tell you something kind of upsetting.”

She looked at me like I was about to tell her I was dying. I walked into the living room with her on my heels. “Bri, this is Porter. He’s a lawyer from California, he’s visiting for a while.” I hadn’t told her yet that he was my brother. It hadn’t occurred to me to tell her that yet, not until I told her about being a dragon. It wasn’t that I was intentionally keeping it from her, but it seemed like the sort of thing that came after finding out about being a dragon.

“Briana, I was able to use my connections to get some information about your ex-husband. Jace asked me to look into him the last time he bothered you and your daughter.”

She shot me a glare. Maybe I should’ve told her that. I shrugged. “I’m glad I did.”

“He’s building a case against you to try to take Hayden. He’s trying to prove you an unfit mother.”

Her jaw dropped. “How?” she gasped. “What does that mean?” Then she glared at me. “How long have you known this?”

“Porter found out a hint of it a week or so ago, but he didn’t know anything for sure until today.”

She bristled. “You knew this was a possibility and you didn’t warn me?”

I didn’t know what to say. With no other explanation, I told her the truth. “I’ve been so focused on you and Hayden that I’d pushed it to the back of my mind. Plus, I hadn’t really expected him to be able to make any sort of actual case. I thought it was just a fleeting thing until I heard from Porter again.”

She stood stiff and glared at me.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted to make sure I had all my ducks in a row before worrying you. And to make sure I could have your back.”

Her voice came out low and furious. “Anything about my daughter should always be told to me as soon as possible. I could get past you looking into Damon without telling me, but not telling me when you found something out is unforgivable.”

She sucked in deep breaths. Porter leaned forward. “I don’t know the details. I don’t know if he has anything true or if he’s found someone to lie, but the judge I got to talk to me told me his case is compelling.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I should’ve hired someone to kill him years ago.”

Porter raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t hear that.” He handed Bri some papers. “This is all I know. I’m sorry to deliver such bad news, but I am glad to meet you. My brother has told me so much about you.”

She smiled tightly at him and opened her mouth to reply, but then what he said clicked. “Brother?” she asked.

Porter’s eyes widened and he looked at me. “You didn’t tell her that, either?”

Briana snatched the papers from Porter, then glared at me again. “You’re just full of secrets, aren’t you?” Her tone wasn’t at all playful.

I just knew that meant this went from bad to worse.

I prayed I hadn’t ruined everything by being an idiot.

19

Bri

I had a good mind to slap Jace. Just last night I’d been thinking about how much I was falling for him, and today I found out he’s got a brother he’d never mentioned, plus he knew that Damon was trying to steal Hayden from me. Did I know Jace at all?

It was odd that I didn’t know about his brother. Now that I thought about it, there was a lot I didn’t know, like his parents or anything about them. Or his friends. I knew he was friends with Anthony and a part of that cult that Skye didn’t like me calling a cult, but that was it. I hadn’t met his friends or family otherwise.

Porter told me all he knew, and we went through the papers. The accusations were vague, and all untrue. I found a paper in the documents he gave me that said he was claiming that I was the abusive one and that I had a massive drinking problem.

He had pictures of me going in and out of Jace’s bar. I didn’t