Chapter Twenty-Three
“What was it you saidyou’d tell me once we were on the road?”Tania asked from the passenger seat of the SUV he’d borrowed from the club.He’d have to look into getting something they could put a car seat in.He’d love to have Tania at his back on his bike but there was no way he’d risk it this time of year.That would have to wait until spring, at least.
“There’s so much.Let’s start with Werner.Fletch sent over filled out divorce papers this morning.They’re for you and Werner, an uncontested divorce where you each take what you brought into the marriage and anything acquired during the marriage is split 50/50, with the exception of the terms of the prenup.”He winced, knowing he had to ask the next question.“Did you read the prenup before you signed it?”Smokey wasn’t sure how Hawkeye had gotten a copy of the document, probably hacked the attorney, but he figured it was better that he not ask.
“No.”Tania’s voice had gone soft.“Daddy told me he’d read it and it was to benefit and protect me.I didn’t understand that though, I don’t have anything to protect.”
Smokey wanted to let his head hang.He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her while he said what had to be said.
“Shell, you do.Did no one ever tell you about the inheritance?”
“What inheritance?”She stared at him, a crease between her brows.
“Shell, there’s a huge trust fund set aside for you.I don’t know where it came from or exactly how much is there, but what became available when you got married was three million.”
Her eyes went wide.
“Th-three mi-million?”Her jaw hung open for several seconds as she continued to stare at him.“But how?”
“I’m not sure.We’ll finish here, then we can go sit down with Hawkeye, maybe Dagger and see what we can figure out.I know I didn’t pick up on all the details, but they said that’s only a portion of the total, and that while some had been pulled out, most of the three million was still there.”
“Who?Who took it?”Tania’s voice shook as she shifted in her seat, turning to glance at the car seat where Carter sat talking to something Smokey couldn’t see.
His stomach churned.He knew this would hurt her and wished he could keep it from her, but she needed to know.
“Both your parents and your in-laws.”
“Rod?”
Smokey nodded.“From what I understand, yes.He received half of what the Werners received.”
“And my parents.They knew and they kept it from me.They never planned on giving it to me, or I would have known about it.”Smokey could tell from her tone that she was talking more to herself than to him.He stayed quiet and just listened, at least for now.“They needed the money.That’s why they pushed for me to get married so quickly.”She fell silent and he wished she would keep talking, if only so he had some idea of how she was doing.
She was quiet through the appointment at the lab, answering only when spoken to.She wasn’t sullen, but it was obvious, at least to him, she had a lot on her mind.The ride back to the Fallen Angel’s compound was the same.More silence.He wished he could take this from her, but knew she needed to work her way through it.
When they got back to the clubhouse, he carried Carter in while she went ahead of him.By the time he made it in, Taylynn was standing next to the door, hands out.
“Let me have that little angel.I need to get some practice in and I think your woman needs you and some time without having to worry about this one.”She took Carter as soon as Smokey got his jacket off, taking the diaper bag at the same time and heading over to the corner where the women had sat the night before.Then he went in search of his woman.
