Threats?She once told me she’d ruin my career. A little late, but it sounded like she intended to make good on that promise. “I don’t know what you think—”
“I wonder what other secrets are about to come out and whose future they will destroy.” She pretended to think about her own question.
“I wonder if anyone would believe anything you had to say,” Lukas said. “After all, your word is a bit shaky around here. Most people think you’re a killer.”
“I guess we’ll know soon enough who is worthy of being believed.” She winked. “Excuse me. I need to go say hello to a blood relative who is very much alive.”
I watched her walk away, headed for Jeremy, both relieved to be out of her presence and on guard because she’d made it clear she was not done with us. “Hanna is going to kill her if she messes with Jeremy.”
“Aubrey needs to be careful or Hanna won’t be the only one in line to do the deed.”
I glanced around to make sure no one else heard Lukas’s inappropriate remark. He was supposed to have a meeting with the governor tomorrow about the judicial appointment. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hanna
Witnesses everywhere. Didn’t care. I would knock her flat on her bony ass.
The thought ran through my head as I watched Aubrey head straight for Jeremy. Head up, shoulders back. Ready for battle.
That made two of us.
“No.” I marched into her path, blocking her line of attack. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Don’t be that way, Hanna.” The ruthless edge to Aubrey’s fake sadness said it all. She thrived on causing trouble. “We’re related now. We share Jeremy.”
One more step and I would rip her apart with my bare hands. “Turn around and leave.”
Jeremy picked that moment to join me. “What’s going on?”
This is exactly what I didn’t want. He needed to keep being pissed off, to walk away, if only for his own protection. I tried to make it happen. “Nothing. We’re fine.”
“That’s not entirely true.” Aubrey treated Jeremy to a high-wattage smile. “I wanted to welcome you to the family. As my brother.”
“What are you talking about?” Jeremy managed to keep his tone even.
“You’re a Tanner. Congratulations!” Aubrey shouted the last part.
Everyone watched us now. Aubrey’s real goal. Even if her information was wrong, she had the stage and refused to cede it. The lead detective stepped closer. Police officers stopped their other duties to wait for the potential wrestling match to begin.
They all knew the truth about Xavier. About his real relationship to Jeremy. I’d been asked a bunch of questions today. Ones concerning Xavier’s estate choices led off the informal interrogation when everyone arrived at the house earlier. Not a surprise. The estate attorney said he’d filled them in, but the police wanted confirmation of Jeremy’s parentage from me as we stood on the edge of what was likely a Tanner family gravesite.
Xavier. Why...?
“My last name is Sato.” Jeremy stood taller, sounded older, than he had even a day ago.
Aubrey made an annoyingtsk-tsksound. “I don’t blame you for being reluctant. Not many Tanners survive into old age, after all.”
Every twisted word she said invited scrutiny. The press scurried about at what no longer felt like a safe distance. The detectives had spent hours every day trying to get to her. She’d refused to meet with them and continued that tradition when they cornered her today. Instead of conceding, she’d called her attorney and put him on the line.
I didn’t care who heard about my time with Xavier. Well, I did, but I really wanted to make one thing very clear. “Jeremy is not your brother.”
“Hanna, hon. Come on.”
The taunting voice. Aubrey had been gifted with it and used it from the time she could talk to twist circumstances to her advantage. The mouth spewing the crap now came from an older person who’d clearly never grown out of the need to poke and test.
