Rebel (Wolfes of Manhattan 1)

“But—”

“Am I under arrest?”

“No, but—”

I stood, walked to my door, and opened it. “Then good day, Detective.”

That finally got him. He stood and walked toward me. “This isn’t over.”

“It is for now.”

As soon as he was out the door, I shut it, and then slid down the wood panel until I was sitting, my back against the door. My head continued to pound. I pulled my hair out of its ponytail and massaged my scalp, to no avail.

Never again was I drinking bourbon.

I understood why the police wanted to talk to me. I would be considered a “person of interest” in the case, since I’d had contact with the victim in the days right before his murder. I’d written his will. I had no problem being questioned. But in my current state, I wasn’t about to answer anything without an attorney present. In fact, I’d be talking to Dane as soon as he was available to make sure he could attend any further meetings I had with Detective Morgan.

I made my way back to my desk and buzzed Charlie. I didn’t usually ask her to do personal stuff for me, but today I needed it. “I need a spa day,” I said. “Book me for the afternoon anywhere that’s available.”27RockAfter getting Reid’s call while I was still at Lacey’s, I ran back to my hotel for a shower and barely made it to an impromptu meeting with marketing.

After that, I had an appointment with Dieter in my office. One suit was ready—money definitely talked—so that would be my uniform until the rest of my clothes were complete.

Oddly, there was a full-length mirror in my father’s—my—office. Derek Wolfe must have spent a lot of time looking at his own reflection. Narcissus himself. The man was so busy being in love with himself that he couldn’t see that the rest of the world hated him. I didn’t envy Detective Morgan. Figuring out who might have offed my father wouldn’t be like looking for a needle in a haystack. More like a needle in a landfill.

I stared at myself in my new and custom-tailored gray pinstripe.

It was no leather vest and chaps, but I didn’t look half bad.

I walked toward my desk when my door opened abruptly.

I rolled my eyes when I saw who it was. “Hello, Mother.”

“We need to talk, Rock.”

“How did you get past Carla and Jarrod?”

“I ignored them, as I always have.”

“From now on, you won’t ignore them. This is my office.”

“Only because your father insisted you be in charge. I have no idea why.”

“Neither does anyone else, but you’ll give me the same respect he commanded. You’ll go through Carla or Jarrod the next time, or I’ll have you banned from the building.”

My mother smiled, and saccharine oozed from her lips. “I’m your mother. You won’t ban me.”

“My mother? In a biological sense only, Connie. You stopped being my mother the day I found out you were letting Derek Wolfe molest your only daughter. Your baby daughter.”

“I never knew anything about that. Rock, whatever you think you saw—”

“What I know I saw,” I said icily. What I also overheard. Apparently she wasn’t aware of the latter.

“Whatever you think you saw,” she repeated. “But the man was a bastard. You’ll get no argument from me.”

“Don’t come in here all high and mighty and act like you don’t know what went on. Why I got sent away. You not only sold out your only daughter, you sold out your oldest son.”

Saccharine smile again. “Please, Rock. I didn’t come here to argue with you.”

Of course she hadn’t. I already knew why she was here. Money. Her gravy train had ended with my father’s death. “Spit it out, Connie. How much will it cost to get you out of my hair?”

“Really, do you think—”

“How fucking much?” I said through gritted teeth.

She sighed. “Half a million a month. I deserve no less for putting up with that man as long as I did.”

I rolled my eyes. Well worth it not to have to deal with the one and only Mrs. Wolfe. “I’ll have to run it by Reid and Roy.”

“You’re in charge here. Not them.”

“Really? They like you a lot more than I do, Connie. I’d think you’d want their input.”

The wheels were cranking in her head. I could almost see the cogs interlocking and then disengaging.

“Actually, Rock, I’d rather Reid and Roy didn’t know about this arrangement.”

I cocked my head. Interesting. “All right. Then why should I consent to give you anything? This business belongs equally to them and to Riley.”

“I’m not asking for you to pay me out of business assets.”

I lifted my eyebrows. “So this is to be between you and me. It’s not Derek’s money you want at all, is it? It’s mine.”

She smiled. Again with the saccharine. “Why should I care where the money comes from? Green is green. It all spends the same.”