Theodore (Xavier's Hatchlings #2) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,20

them to court. That money will soon be in my bank account, and the land will be as well.”

“What about me?” Austin looked down his nose at his younger brother. “I should get some of that money too. I’m his son as much as you are.”

“Yes, but you can’t afford an attorney, while I, dear brother, can.” Austin laughed again, and when Theo joined him, Austin stopped laughing. “What do you find so funny, Mr. Manning? The fact that I’m smarter than you? Or is it because you just realized that you attached your horse to a broken-down piece of crap woman and a girl that doesn’t know enough to get in out of the rain?”

“You are certainly one for turning a phrase, aren’t you? And the respect that you pay your mother is astonishing. I’m going to let you in on a few things while we’re finishing up here. One, your mother is a smart woman. Smarter than I think you’ll ever be. Pem is a billionaire. Yes, you heard me right, billion. She had millions even before she…how did you put it? Oh, attached me to a person who doesn’t know to get out of the rain. Well, this is what you might like to call a storm of all storms raining down on your head. Not only do I have more money than you do since you’re running on an empty account right now, but I have a great deal of power to back it up with. Money power is the best thing ever, don’t you think?” MaryBeth watched both her sons as Theo continued. “The property and the house are sold. As of an hour ago, the house has been torn down, and construction has started on the new hospital. If you’re interested to know, it’s going to be called the Harold and MaryBeth Black Memorial. Also, this is something you should heed right away. You ever talk to my wife and grandmother like that again, I will not just ruin you, but I will kill you as well.”

If Austin was going to say something back to Theo, he was stopped by the officer coming into the room. He looked at them all, now standing, and asked to speak to Theo. Before she could ask the younger man what had happened, the door behind Theo was closed. A uniformed officer was now standing in front of the door, blocking anyone from following. Sitting down, she was terrified out of her mind, thinking of all the things that could have happened. Pem took her hand into hers and told her that Theo would tell her when he knew something.

~*~

“Theo, this is bad. Really bad.” Theo, his mind centered on the two people in the room upstairs, nodded. “We didn’t have any idea he was carrying. Who would have, I ask you?”

“I don’t know. But just remain calm when you talk to them. This isn’t going to go well, no matter who was at fault. I’m not saying it was you, but you have to remain calm, or that will go badly for the department. All right?” Captain Amos Shiller nodded and took in and let out two more breaths. “Are you ready to go in and talk to them? I’m going to talk to my wife and her grandmother while you—”

“No. Don’t leave me.” Theo just looked at him. “I’m sorry. But I don’t want to tell them on my own. I need you to be there with me for moral support. This is bad. Really bad.”

If he said that to him once more, he was going to knock his block off. This was bad. Any idiot could see it was a fucking mess. As they entered the room where his new family was, he went right to Pem and held her hand. He’d not been able to tell her anything through their link. He just didn’t know what to say. Captain Shiller asked them all to have a seat.

“We’ve had an incident downstairs in the bullpen—where the officers meet up for the day and the detectives get their notes gathered.” Theo cleared his throat. “Yes. All right. Officer Gray, one of my veteran men, was showing your sons around the office. They were headed back to the cells when a man was brought into the station. He was a little wild, and Officer Gray shielded the two boys with his body.”

“Good for him. If you expect me to be sorry if he was hurt doing that,