The Finder (Wolves of the Northwoods Book 1)

by A J Manney

  “Emma,” she heard Garrett call her name quietly. She glanced up at him. He was staring at her intensely. “Did someone take the jacket?” he asked in a calm voice. Emma nodded miserably. “Did you try to get it back?” Emma nodded again. “Is that how you got hurt?” he asked, slowly and distinctly as if she were a child. Emma waited a moment, then nodded. She figured there was no way out of it now. An angry curse word flew out of his mouth. Emma glanced up at him. He dropped her arm and walked away from her and out of the shop. She watched him leave; then turned to Liam.

  Liam looked at her with a compassionate smile. “He’s not mad at you,” he said gently.

  Emma looked back the way Garrett had gone. “Uh, I think he’s very angry.”

  “He is,” Liam agreed. “Just not at you,” he said again. Emma looked at him skeptically but didn’t say anything. She sighed. “Come on,” Liam said. “You’re on your break. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  Emma turned to him. “Didn’t you just eat two cinnamon rolls?”

  “That was a snack,” he retorted. “Come on.” He nodded towards the door.

  “Um, I’m not sure if I should go with you,” Emma said.

  “You should,” Liam said, undeterred. “Come on. We’ll meet up with Garrett.”

  “Oh, no, no. That's not a good idea,” Emma said, even more sure this was a bad idea. “I don’t think he wants me around.”

  “Well, that just shows how little you know,” Liam said, confusing Emma, even more.

  “Fine,” Emma said, knowing arguing was futile.

  “Okay, grab your coat and let’s go.” Emma opened her mouth to argue but Liam cut her off. “You want Garrett to calm down? Wear the coat,” he said.

  Emma shook her head and went to get her coat from the back room. “Have fun,” Helen called out behind her as Emma left the shop. Emma turned and waved at her. She stepped out into the cool air and tied the belt around her tightly. She had to admit, it was warm; and it was nice not to be cold for a change.

  Emma turned and saw Garrett on the phone a little way down the block. She saw the guy that was always with him standing near him. “Let’s go,” Liam said. He began walking towards Garrett. Emma fell into step beside Liam. When they got closer, she could hear Garrett barking orders into his phone. She felt bad for the person on the other end. He ended the call and turned around. When he saw her in the coat, she swore he softened minutely. “We’re going to get some lunch,” Liam said. Garrett began shaking his head. “Emma’s hungry.” Garrett stopped whatever he was going to say and nodded. Emma turned to face Liam. He winked at her, and Emma rolled her eyes.

  Liam started walking, and Emma began to follow. Garrett fell into place next to her, but he had his phone out. So, he wasn’t talking to her. Emma noticed the other guy fell into place behind them. Liam led them to a restaurant. He held the door and Garrett ushered Emma in front of him. Stepping inside, Emma looked around. It was a lot nicer than she was expecting. She just figured they would grab something at a fast-food place or something. Of course, she glanced at the three men surrounding her. They were all dressed in designer suits, so yeah, maybe not.

  It was at this point that she realized she was way underdressed in her t-shirt that was a size or two too big, leggings, and sneakers. The only thing she had going for her was the dressy coat. The hostess approached with a big smile on her face. “Mr. Lozano, what a pleasure to see you. Would you care for your usual table?”

  “No, a table for four near the fireplace, please,” Garrett said in a no-nonsense tone.

  The woman’s demeanor fell slightly. “Of course. Right this way.” She picked up menus and started walking away.

  Emma put a hand on Garrett’s arm. “Um, I don’t think I’m going to stay. I’m not really dressed for something like this and...”

  “You’re staying,” Garrett interrupted her. He put his hand on her back and began propelling her through the restaurant. When they got to the table, Garrett pulled a chair out for her. She eased into the chair, trying to keep the grimace off her face. Garrett sat down in the seat beside her. Emma immediately felt dwarfed by his presence. He was so large and intimidating and so close. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen. Popping it open, he broke the seal and shook out two into his hand. He held them out to her. “Here,” he said.

  Emma looked up at him in surprise. “Thank you,” she said and she took the pills from him. She popped them in her mouth and drank a sip from the water glass on the table. When she was done, she glanced at Garrett. He was watching her in concern. Emma smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. He seemed to frown even more.

  Needing a distraction, Emma picked up the menu and nearly gasped at the prices. Everything was really expensive even for lunch. After skimming the menu, she decided on a cup of soup. It was the least expensive thing on the menu. Between that and the bread on the table, she would be fine. Her stomach started growling at the thought of food, and Emma felt her face flame. Liam chuckled from across the table. Garrett picked up the basket of bread and handed it to her. She felt her face flame even more, but she took a roll out. Maybe if she nibbled at it, it would keep her stomach quiet. Emma tore off a small piece of the roll. She noticed none of the guys had even cracked a menu. Garrett was looking at something on his phone. Emma looked at the other guy she always saw but didn’t know.

  “We haven’t been officially introduced yet. I’m Emma,” she said.

  “I’m Max,” he grunted back at her.

  Emma looked at him in surprise. He was worse than Garrett, and that was saying a lot. Emma took a sip of her water, trying to relax but failing miserably. Their waitress arrived soon after and Emma was relieved only long enough to take one look at her. She was young, probably a year or two older than Emma. She was beautiful, and she knew it. She had long blond hair, and a body to kill for. Her makeup was professional-grade, and her “assets” were on full display. Emma swallowed hard. She really didn’t belong here with these men in this fancy restaurant.

  Chapter 13

  “Mr. Lozano,” she practically crooned. “It’s so good to see you again. What can I get for you today?” she asked as she flipped her long hair over her shoulder, never taking her eyes off Garrett.

  Emma turned away, rolling her eyes. “She’ll go first,” he said, nodding his head towards Emma.

  Cold blue eyes met hers and Emma shivered at the animosity there. Miss beauty queen was not happy that she was with these men today. Emma glanced down at her menu, even though she already knew what she was getting. “I’ll take the French onion soup in a cup, please.” No less than three heads turned towards her. “What?” Emma asked.

  “That’s not enough food for a bird,” Liam scoffed.

  Garrett ignored him and turned to the waitress. “I’ll take the smothered chicken with mashed potatoes and the largest steak you have with broccoli and a baked potato.” Emma’s eyes widened at his order. Then Max and Liam both went on to order huge steaks as well.

  Emma sat back in her seat. It must be a guy thing or maybe a money thing, she thought to herself. Thankfully, the waitress left after she had taken their order, and Liam started a steady stream of conversation.

  After a lull in the conversation, Garrett turned to Emma. “So, what part of town do you live in?” he asked. Emma’s eyes widened. She glanced across the table at Liam for a moment. He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms and nodded at her. If she could have kicked him, she would have. He was leaving her to deal with this all on her own.

  She looked back at Garrett and realized he had missed nothing about the interaction between her and Liam. “Anything you want to tell me?” he asked Liam.

  Liam just shook his head. “Nope, boss.”

  Garrett turned his steely gaze back on hers, and Emma felt like squirming in her seat. “What about you, Emma. Anything you want to tell me?” he asked.

  “No, not particularly,” Emma said.

  “Just tell him,” Liam sa
id from across the table from her. “He’s going to find out anyway, and it will be better coming from you.”

  Emma glared at Liam from across the table. He just shrugged.

  “Will one of you tell me what’s going on before I lose it completely?” Garrett asked in anger.

  Emma glanced at him and noticed he was angry and annoyed. His arms were crossed over his massive chest and he was leaning against his chair, pinning Liam with a glare.

  “Fine,” Liam said. “I will, but not until after we eat. We don’t need you losing your cool in here and ruining lunch. Let's just eat lunch, and then we’ll talk about it.”

  Garrett didn’t look like he wanted to agree, but he eventually caved and agreed to wait until they were done eating. Thankfully, the waitress brought their food not too long after that. Emma started in on her soup. She closed her eyes after the first bite.

  Liam laughed. “That good, huh?” Emma just shook her head and went back to eating her soup. Emma was thoroughly enjoying her soup, but she couldn’t help but glance enviously at the plate of chicken and mashed potatoes Garrett had ordered. He hadn’t touched it, and it looked amazing. She’d always been a fan of mashed potatoes. As if hearing her thoughts, Garrett slid the plate over in front of her.

  “That’s for you,” he said quietly.

  Emma looked up at him in surprise. “But I got soup.”

  “Eat it,” he ordered.

  “I’m not going to eat your food,” Emma protested.

  “I ordered it for you,” he said.

  “But—” Emma tried to protest.

  “Stop arguing with me and eat your meal,” Garrett said in anger.

  “Yes, Dad,” Emma mumbled under her breath. She heard a choking sound from across the table and looked up to see Liam trying not to laugh and Max’s eyes wide with surprise.

  “I told you,” Liam said to Max.

  Emma ignored them and started eating. She took the first bite of mashed potatoes and moaned. “These are so good.” When nobody said anything, she glanced up. All three of them were staring at her. “What? They’re really good.”

  Liam grinned and opened his mouth, but a stern look from Garrett made him smirk and shut his mouth. Emma decided to just ignore them all and enjoy her food. She wasn’t sure when she would get another meal like this. When she felt she couldn't take another bite, she sat back. When the waitress asked if they wanted dessert, Garrett turned to her. Emma shook her head. Garrett turned back to the waitress. “Whatever you have that’s chocolate and a coffee for me.”

  “Coffee for me,” Liam said. Max ordered one too.

  Garrett turned to her again. “Coffee?” he asked. Emma shook her head.

  It only took a few minutes and the waitress was back with three cups of coffee and a plate of the largest piece of chocolate cake Emma had ever seen. The waitress slid the cake in front of Garrett, and Garrett slid it over to Emma. Emma looked up at him. “It’s for you,” he said.

  Emma picked up her fork. Before she could get a bite, Liam stopped her. “You’re not going to argue with Garrett about it first?” he asked with a smirk.

  Emma took a huge bite and stuffed it in her mouth. Liam laughed out loud. Emma closed her eyes and shook her head as a breathy moan escaped her. It was quite possibly the best thing she had ever tasted in her life. She ate a few more bites and moaned again. It was sooo good.

  Garrett shifted close to her and bent down to her ear. “You need to stop making sounds like that in public,” he said. “Or I’m going to have to kill every guy that is close enough to hear you.”

  Emma felt her face go dark red, and she choked on the bite of cake in her mouth. She heard a coughing noise from across the table again that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, embarrassed. “I won’t do it again.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t want to hear it again, just not in public,” he said in a low voice.

  Emma looked up into his eyes, confused, and was met with a look in his eyes she couldn’t interpret. His eyes bored into hers. Then, without losing eye contact, he reached up slowly and touched the corner of her mouth with his finger. He sucked that finger into his mouth. “You’re right. It’s delicious,” he said in a deep, gritty voice.

  Emma didn’t think it was possible for her face to get any redder, but it did in that moment. She wanted to crawl under the table. She pushed the cake away from her, fuller than she had been in a long time. “I can’t eat anymore,” she said.

  She had hardly gotten the words out before Liam dragged the plate in front of him and finished the piece in three large bites. Emma laughed. “That was impressive,” she said. He grinned. She caught Garrett looking at her out of the corner of her eye, but she didn’t look his way.

  When their waitress came back, she bent over to pick up their plates and cups, giving the men an eyeful. Emma glared at her. Thankfully, none of the men seemed to notice her. “Was everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yes, thank you,” Garrett said dismissively. Emma couldn’t help but grin. The grin was wiped off her face a moment later when Garrett looked at Liam. “All right. Let’s have it.”

  It felt like a rock settled in Emma’s stomach. Suddenly, she wished she hadn’t eaten so much. “What time is it?” she interjected. “I need to get back to work.”

  “You have time,” Garrett said.

  Emma wasn’t really sure if that meant she still had time left for her break or if it meant he didn’t really care what time it was. Either way, she was stuck here until they decided she could leave.

  Emma looked at Liam, and he nodded at her. Emma closed her eyes. This was all on her. She was on her own. She looked at Garrett, who was watching her intently.

  “All right. So here’s the thing. I may have misled you with more than just the car,” she said wincing.

  His eyes narrowed at her, and Emma rushed on so she could get it out then deal with the fallout. “I don’t have a house,” she said.

  Garrett frowned at her. “An apartment?” he asked.

  “Well, um, close, it’s sort of like that. You see I—”

  “Emma,” Liam cut her off. Liam looked at Garrett. “She’s staying at Hope House,” he said, shooting straight.

  She watched Garrett’s expression carefully. She could see she had completely surprised him. He didn’t say a word. He stood to his feet, pulled out his wallet, and put two hundred-dollar bills down on the table. Emma's eyes widened at that, but she didn’t have a chance to focus on it. Suddenly, Garrett was standing next to her with his hand out. “Let’s go.“

  She put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Even though he was angry, he was incredibly gentle with her. “Are the pain pills kicking in?” he asked. Emma nodded. When Emma stood, he released her hand and put his hand on her elbow and began leading her through the restaurant. When they got outside, he led her down the street a little way and turned a corner into an alley.

  “Why, Emma?” he demanded.

  Emma looked up at him in confusion. “Why what?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were staying in a homeless shelter?” he was so angry he could barely get the words out.

  Emma started to get her back up. “I don’t know. Maybe because it never came up in conversation. Hi, I’m Emma, and I live in a homeless shelter.”

  Garrett closed his eyes and blew out a frustrated breath. “Is that where someone took the jacket from you?” he asked.

  Emma nodded. “My roommate did,” she said quietly. “She keeps taking my stuff. I tried hiding it, but she found it and took it. I tried to get it back, but she said she sold it.”

  “Is she the one who hurt you?” he asked in a low, controlled voice.

  Emma nodded. “I took her headphones off her head when she wouldn’t listen to me. That made her snap. She got mad and kicked me a few times... with her boots on.” She looked up and saw the fury on Garrett’s face. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I will get the money and repay you.
I know it was really valuable.”

  Garrett nearly exploded. “I don’t care about the coat. I care that you got hurt over it.”

  “Oh, I’m okay,” Emma said.

  “You’re not okay,” Garrett said.

  “It’s totally fine,” Emma said.

  Garrett crossed her arms. “Show me your stomach.”

  “What?” Emma asked.

  “Let me see your stomach,” he ordered again.

  “No,” Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  He softened his approach. “Just let me check the bruising to see if you need to get checked out at the hospital.”

  “It’s fine,” Emma argued.

  “Emma,” Garrett said in a warning voice.

  “No, this is stupid. It’s fine.”

  Garrett stepped closer. “Please, Emma. Please let me just look and make sure you’re okay. I’m not going to do anything inappropriate to you.”

  “I know,” Emma said nervously.

  “Please,” he said again.

  Emma finally relented. One thing she was learning the more she spent time with this man, he always got his way eventually, and it was exhausting to fight with him. She was already tired from the emotions of the day, and the pain in her stomach.

  Chapter 14

  She sighed and stepped back from him. She untied the belt on her coat and let it fall open. Then she slowly pulled her shirt up almost to her bra. Garrett bent down in front of her. A curse exploded from his mouth when he saw her stomach. Emma cringed; she hadn’t looked at it yet because she knew that would just make the pain seem worse. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his fingers on her stomach. Instinct made her muscles jump, and she made a small sound of pain. Garrett looked up at her. She could see the anger in his eyes. He gently pulled her shirt back down and stood up. He stepped close to her. “I’m so sorry that I inevitably caused that.”

  Emma shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”