Page 45 of Corbin (Wild Wolf Pack from the world of Gallize Shifters #2)

Eirene stepped out of the ride-share car wearing khaki slacks, a long-sleeved peach-colored T-shirt, and comfortable walking shoes, all purchased from local retailers who served middle-income patrons.

Ivarson no longer had a front row seat to her every move. She’d terminated him after Leszek had shared details during an argument only her driver would have known. No wonder Ivarson hadn’t taken time off in recent years.

He made too much money by sticking to Eirene like glue and feeding information to Leszek.

She justified ridding herself of Ivarson to Leszek by saying her bodyguard could drive her. Leszek had liked that idea and acted as if she were finally coming around.

Funny how the bodyguard had gotten held up trying to get her sedan to start for the trip here.

Gremlins could be found in any engine if a person knew what they were doing.

She’d been ready to ask the nice man at the front door of her apartment building to call a car for her the minute her bodyguard lifted the hood to see if he could fix the problem.

She had given the bodyguard no trouble and acted meekly around him so he would not expect her to slip away.

She might not be a black ops ninja, but she had plenty of experience sneaking around.

Corbin would be proud of her.

She paused at the elevator inside Leszek’s building and breathed slowly to calm her nerves.

Every minute of the past five days had been hell, first waiting to see if Corbin had escaped, then signing the agreement that gave Leszek free rein over her forever to make SCIS leave Corbin alone, and now . .. today.

Five days of no Ares and no freedom , Pixie griped loudly inside her.

This whole thing had taken a toll on Eirene’s wolf. Her sweet Pixie had never been crabby, but she hadn’t shifted since escaping that Romanian. The bodyguard said Leszek would not allow her to shift every day. He expected her to act more like the humans whose world she lived in.

I know, Pixie. I’m doing my best today to fix all that.

Pixie made a sighing sound. I am not a friend today .

Yes, you are, but you’re just like me. You hurt. You could help me by staying quiet when I meet with Leszek.

I will.

A bell pinged, and the elevator door opened. Show time.

When she exited on Leszek’s floor, she slowed only long enough to tell Alexandria, “I’m going to see Leszek. You can tell him or not.”

His receptionist had half risen and stared at Eirene as if she’d spoken in tongues.

When she encountered Leszek’s true gatekeeper, Timothy, she brushed past his desk without a word. She heard his angry sputtering behind her as she opened the door to Leszek’s office and slapped it shut after stepping in.

Her trustee held up his mobile phone, speaking to someone. He slashed a furious glance at her and politely ended the call. Then he stood up and shouted, “What do you think you’re doing barging in here like that?” His gaze raked her from head to toe. “And what are you wearing?”

Ignoring his questions, she went forward hard with her first verbal assault. “You knew my father would be home waiting for me the day of his accident. You set it all up.”

“What the devil are you talking about?” Confident in the center of his empire, Leszek stood tall, ready to decimate her.

Regardless of what he threw at her, she would have her say. She’d practiced over and over at night when the bodyguard watched television, then slept on the sofa.

Clearing her throat, she said, “I found a photo of me and my father in the disaster the shifter made of our home after killing him. The scent on that photo and the rest of the house matched the one I smelled on my father’s body.

” Her heart crumpled every time she brought that awful image to mind, but she pushed it out of her thoughts.

She had one chance to nail this bastard, and it was slim.

Leszek crossed his arms, listening to her as a defense attorney would to a star witness.

“I’m thinking you didn’t expect the shifter you hired to go crazy after attacking my father and destroy the house.”

The eyes of her trustee shifted slightly, enough to know she’d surprised him.

He laughed dismissively. “You’re obviously suffering from emotional trauma, Eirene, by making up a story to soothe your guilt for leaving your father alone to have some time to yourself.”

Time and again, she’d regretted the week she’d taken off by herself with no guards. She’d raged at herself for not being home when a shifter broke in. The weight of that anguish eased once she’d realized her father’s death had been a foregone conclusion.

She held her chin high. “I’m not the one suffering from delusions. You are going to pay the price for killing my father as one of your criminal acts.”

He calmly asked, “If this were true, which it is not, how do you plan to prove it?” He shook his head and waved a hand at her.

“Get out of my office, little dog. Threaten me again, and your whole world comes down. I can have you put in my institution with one phone call. Even humans who adore you would believe you were merely another shifter who had snapped.”

No one was sending her away. “When I was a child, I thought you were a wonderful uncle. As I got older, I began to see your creepy ways. I wonder if my dad figured that out and that’s why you sent the shifter to kill him.

Maybe he opened his eyes after you suggested having him add you as the co-owner of my label so you could turn me into a superstar.

My dad had always respected my ability to sing and understood I didn’t want fame and fortune.

He knew I wanted to teach others to sing and perform for those who couldn’t afford tickets as well as those who would pay. ”

“You were always too stupid to think big,” he spewed in a nasty tone. “Your father wouldn’t push you. You both needed me. You should thank me for what I did to help you.”

“I will never thank a psychopath for killing the only family I had. My father was something you can’t comprehend. A decent man respected by all.”

Leszek started walking back and forth behind his desk.

She could hear his heart rate rise. Now for the next little bomb.

“I recently found out from my father’s attorney that my father had intended to change his will and replace you as trustee over my trust fund with his attorney.

To do this, he had hired an investigator to determine if your business dealings were above board and you were an upstanding citizen. ”

That stopped Leszek, who lifted an eyebrow. “All he learned was that my businesses and reputation with money are above reproach. That makes me the perfect candidate to be the trustee.”

“What they found out was that while your financial life shone, you brought young, underage women from third-world countries back to the States on your private jet. The first two disappeared without a trace, leaving no sign they were still alive. A third one was photographed through a window, bruised badly. That’s why he was going to remove you as trustee.

He feared for my life. I wish they’d gone to someone to save the woman in your house, but I can understand how his attorney feared crossing you after that shifter killed my dad. ”

“Again, you make wild accusations without any proof.” However, this time, Leszek’s words lacked confidence, and his fear stunk up the room.

Unable to stop her hands from fisting as she related all the sordid details, Eirene relaxed her fingers and slowed her breathing. She wasn’t done yet.

He had to be pushed harder.

“As for evidence, I have plenty. I may have been isolated from other shifters, but they have found me.”

“You mean that rogue wolf? One word from me, just one word, and SCIS will track him down. They’ll drag him to their prison and make an example of him. His death will be broadcast to prevent other shifters from making his mistake.”

Her throat tightened at Leszek’s warning. He’d held an iron fist over her head for so long that she could not easily ignore his threat.

Corbin had been through so much misery in his life.

Her words today could shatter the world he’d built with his pack. She suffered a moment of panic at not having broken through Leszek’s hard shell. She couldn’t stop halfway. “Do not threaten my mate. You have no idea of what terrifying power you’ll bring down on your head.”

Leszek’s hands shook like she’d never seen before. His skin paled, but he did not fold. He jabbed a long finger in her direction. “That’s it. You’ve made a huge mistake.”

She held her breath, hoping she’d stomped on his defiance enough for him to capitulate.

He stabbed a button on a polished mahogany box sitting on his desk.

The door lock audibly clicked behind her.

In the next second, he lifted his mobile phone and punched a button. “This is Dr. Moore. My ward is having a psychotic episode. I need you to pick her up and deliver her to my institute.”

Stunned silent, she stared at him.

When he placed the phone down, he explained, “Acting calm won’t work when security arrives from my clinic.” He raised a revolver. “This carries titanium bullets if you try to attack me or refuse to cooperate.”

She didn’t so much as flinch, but her blood pressure shot up like a geyser erupting.

She couldn’t back down. If she lost today, it wouldn’t be because she failed to throw everything in her arsenal at him.

“You’re done, Leszek. You won’t need a titanium bullet.

I wish I had it in me to kill someone like you, but I don’t. You will face justice, though.”