Rake (Wolfes of Manhattan 4)

“I’ve noticed that as well. Would he say something like that to throw us off track?”

“Who the fuck knows what he’d do?” I scoffed. “Is Zee all right?”

“Moira’s taking care of her. They’re probably in her office. Zee was a little shaken. Moira was awesome. She became a beast in there.”

“Moira’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” I agreed. “I figured Zee would be comfortable with her. I’ll go check on her, but I only have a few minutes. I’m headed out to a meeting. Thanks for everything, Zach.”

“No problem. That’s what you pay me for.” Zach saluted and walked quickly toward his own office.

I headed to Moira’s office. The door was closed. I knocked softly.

“Yes?”

“It’s Reid.”

“Come in, Mr. Wolfe.”

I opened the door. Moira didn’t sit behind her desk. Instead, she was seated on her burgundy velvet couch next to Zee.

Zee smiled listlessly when she saw me.

“Hey,” I said. “You okay?”

She nodded, but I wasn’t convinced.

“Zach tells me you were kind of a pit bull in there, Moira,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem. That detective was way out of line.”

I met Zee’s gaze. “I have to go to a meeting. Do you want me to take you up to the apartment first?”

She shook her head. “I’ll be all right.”

“She can stay with me as long as she wants to. I have some paperwork to do.”

“She doesn’t need a babysitter, Moira.”

Zee laughed softly. “No, I don’t, but Moira seems to know how to calm me down.”

“You remind me of my daughter,” Moira said. “I think the two of you would like each other.”

I looked hurriedly at my watch. “You sure?”

Zee nodded. “I’ll stay here for a little while, since Moira doesn’t mind, and then I’ll ask Rock or Lacey to take me back to your place. Will that work?”

“As long as you’re comfortable. I don’t know how long I’ll be in the meeting, but if you need anything—I mean anything—you call or text me. Got it?”

Zee nodded again, her smile faltering a bit.

I couldn’t help myself. I reached forward and brushed my fingers over her soft cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

39

Zee

My cheek burned from Reid’s touch.

Moira, still sitting next to me, must have noticed. She’d have had to be blind not to.

“He’s a good man,” she said.

I nodded. “I really don’t know him very well.”

“By that blush on your cheek, I’d say you know him well enough.” She smiled.

“He… I like him a lot. But he looks so much like…”

“His father. Yes, he does. But Reid isn’t his father, Zee. He never was.”

“How long have you worked for the Wolfes?” I asked.

“About ten years,” Moira replied. “I was in private practice for twenty years, and this opportunity kind of stumbled into my lap.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. My daughter—the one you remind me of—did an internship here between her junior and senior year at Columbia. The Wolfes were expanding their legal department at the time, and she suggested I apply.”

“So you did.”

“I did.”

“You must be grateful to her.”

Moira laughed. “She was only an intern. I doubt she had anything to do with my getting hired. But she knew I was growing displeased with my firm and the decisions the partnership was making, and she knew a position here would pay well. I never thought they’d hire me.”

“Did Derek Wolfe hire you?”

She shook her head. “No. Lester Gardner did. He’s the chief counsel here. He runs the legal department.”

I nodded. I felt a lot better knowing Derek Wolfe hadn’t hired Moira. She was so nice.

“Tell me,” she said. “What made you decide to come here and tell your story?”

I inhaled and let the air out slowly. “I guess Reid did.”

She smiled. “I see.”

“I know in my heart he didn’t kill his father.”

“I believe that as well.”

“I don’t think the rest of them did, either.”

“Nor do I. The elder Mr. Wolfe had his share of enemies in the business world.” She sighed. “And in his personal world as well, I now know. I’m so sorry for what he put you through.”

I simply nodded. She was being so kind to me, and I was near tears.

“It’s okay.” She grabbed a box of tissues from the end table next to her and handed them to me. “You can cry if you want to.”

I took a tissue and wiped away a tear before it fell. “I’m trying to be strong.”

“I know you are. It’s a terrible thing, what he did to you. What he did to the others whose names we’ll never know.”

“That’s why I’m doing this. Not just for Reid and his brothers and sister, but for them. The others. Derek Wolfe is already dead, but if we can put Father Jim away…”

Moira’s countenance went rigid. “To think. All that nice stuff the father said about Derek during his memorial. It makes me sick.”

I didn’t even want to think about what Father Jim might have said at the service. At some point, if he was arrested, I’d have to come face-to-face with him at his trial.