She shook her head. What really had been said between Blake and Emma? She thought again of the note she’d received in the willow wreath this morning, so much subtler than whatever had occurred between Blake and Emma. No, the coy notes had much more finesse, a secret little smug quality that wasn’t the Carrera brothers’ style. She remembered her meeting on the treadmills with Brian. An upfront and in-your-face kind of intimidation.
Hearing a double set of footsteps in the hallways, Andi braced herself for the inevitable showdown. Carter drew a breath and Luke grew very still as they all turned to the door.
Scott and Mimi Quade appeared in the conference room doorway.
“What the fuck?” Carter said.
“We need to settle this,” Scott stated coldly, his gaze taking in Andi and Luke. He frowned, clearly not liking what he saw. Mimi seemed to curl in upon herself. Her baby bump was still in evidence. Scott threw out his chest and declared to Carter, “We’ve got a problem. Your problem.”
Mimi whimpered and Scott grabbed her arm, as if willing some starch into her spine.
“There is no problem,” Luke said before Carter could really get going. “Because there is no pregnancy.”
Scott stayed focused on Carter. “Mimi’s having Greg’s baby,” he insisted.
“Luke found you out,” Carter said calmly.
Scott blinked, but went on, “Your brother knocked up my sister.”
Luke said, “Why don’t we ask Mimi?”
They all looked at Mimi, who started shaking as if an earthquake had hit.
She broke down in sobs. Yanking her hand away, she backed up and blubbered, “I loved him so much. None of you care. He was everything to me.”
“Everything but the father of your child,” Carter said in disgust.
Andi ached for Mimi. She should be furious with her, but she just felt sorry for her. “Mimi,” she began.
“I was pregnant,” Mimi cried. “I wanted that baby so much. But I lost it.” Mimi had started hiccupping then, nearly hyperventilating.
“See what you’ve done!” Scott raged, his face beet red. He turned to his sister. “It’ll be okay, sweetheart. We’ll take these bastards to court. They’ll have to take care of you.”
“But . . . but I just want Greg.”
“You’ve lost, Quade,” Carter said with a certain amount of satisfaction. “Now, take your pregnant sister out of here. We have business to do.”
“You Wrens are going to make things right,” Scott declared. “I know things about you people.” His eyes glittered as he took in the lot of them. “All of you. You’re no saints. This is no goddamned ivory tower. And Greg, that lying bastard. He was as bad as the rest of you.”
“Get out,” Carter said through his teeth, but Scott didn’t back down. “You know he didn’t just drive off a cliff, don’t you? That was no accident up there on the ridge.”
Andi stared at him. First Emma, now Scott.
Carter walked around the edge of the table. “We’ve already heard the theories.”
Beside Andi, Lucas rose to his feet.
“You all have blood on your hands.” Scott grabbed a blubbering Mimi by the arm and marched her toward the door. As he passed out of the room, he snarled, “You goddamned Wrens. Always thinking you own the world. I haven’t forgotten, you know!”
A few minutes later they heard the elevator bell ding once more, and then Mimi’s sobs grew more distant.
“What was that all about?” Andi asked.
“Extortion.” Carter straightened his tie and looked at Luke. “Thank you for finding out she was faking it.”
“She miscarried,” Luke corrected him.
Carter threw him a dark look. “Then she faked it.”
“She did love Greg,” Andi said.
“Yeah, let’s all feel bad for poor Mimi,” Carter snapped. “Where the fuck are the Carreras?”
Carter’s words were still floating in the air when the elevator bell sounded again. Andi stiffened her spine, and two minutes later Blake Carrera strode through the door. Carter, already on his feet, strode the distance between them and stuck out his hand, a welcoming smile on his face.
“Sorry I’m late,” Blake said without any emotion.
“And your brother?”
“Ran into car trouble. Can’t make it. No problem. I can handle everything.” His eyes skimmed across the table to Andi and Luke, then back to Carter. “Where’s your sister?”
“She had to leave. Something came up.”
One dark eyebrow cocked and Blake’s scar became more visible. “What?”
“Personal stuff. Come on in, sit down.” Carter was pulling out a chair for him.
“Don’t bother,” Andi said. Despite her innate fear of the man, she screwed up her courage. “Nothing’s changed. Emma and I aren’t going to sign any papers today or any other day. We’ve decided it would be in Wren’s best interests to forge ahead on our own.”
Carrera regarded her silently as Carter started to bluster, but Andi went on, “No amount of coercing or bribing or threatening is going to change our minds. You can’t intimidate me or Emma. She told us you called her and tried to strong-arm her some way.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he asked, his eyes cold.
“We’re not doing business with you,” Andi assured him with a lot more confidence than she felt.