TATIANA: Book Three; The Trouble Sisters Saga Read online

  “Hell, no, Titus. You put clotheshorses like Ryker, Griffin, and me to shame. Would that any one of us could pull off that sheriff’s uniform with the panache that you do.” He added with a wink, “Especially at your advanced age.”

  Titus actually grinned, then leaned closer to Zane. “Okay, now that you’ve appropriately praised me and are back to your overbearing self, you’re free to turn to the business at hand.”

  A little startled, Zane pretended not to understand his reference. “And what might that be, Sheriff Trouble?”

  Titus glanced at the group at the end of the table that included Ryker, Griffin, and his three daughters. He nodded, then said sotto voce, “You have my permission to throw your hat in the ring. Just know that like every other arrogant asshole who thought he could triumph, your chances for success are minimal. Which is too bad, Zane, because against my better judgment, you just might have what it takes to blast Tatiana out of her shell.” He shrugged. “But then, like I said, many have tried; none have succeeded.”

  Zane tossed the sheriff a narrowed gaze and said curtly, “Yet, Sheriff Trouble, I agree. None have succeeded.” He softened his terse assertion with an engaging grin. “Yet.”

  Chapter 5

  Zane made his way to the end of the table where Ryker and Tanya were sitting and, not incidentally, where Tatiana was posed next to her sister. Seeing her avert her eyes when he approached, Zane slowed down. He was glad when Griffin caught his attention.

  “Welcome, Mr. District Attorney. Hell, man, I haven’t seen you since you helped Ryker and me close down the bar the other night. Which, as we all know, isn’t easy to do at the B n’ T. I’m glad that you could join us to fete the ‘old man.’ ”

  “Careful, Griff. As I was just telling the ‘old man,’ we should be so lucky to look half as good as he does when we reach the big five-oh.” Continuing around the group, he stopped by Tara’s chair and gave her a quick buss on her cheek. “Congratulations, Tara. I can only imagine how your father resisted this party. Clearly, you women are pretty damned persuasive. To get Titus Trouble to agree to be the center of attention like this is an accomplishment of gargantuan proportions.”

  Tara laughed. “Obviously, Zane, you know our father well. But remember we had some help from his soon-to-be sons-in-law. Griffin and Ryker pack a mighty punch when they set their minds to something.”

  “That is more than clear, Tara. Those two Delta buddies can be damned compelling when they’re focused on a challenging task, such as capturing two of the most formidable women it’s been my pleasure to meet.”

  Again, Tara laughed in delight. “My goodness, Zane, you’re in rare form tonight.” She leaned closer to him and said softly for his ears only, “Tell me, is the outrageous deputy sheriff just trying to stir up trouble, or are you actually brave enough to focus your considerable talents on my heavily armored middle sister?”

  “Hmm, you make my interest sound like an attack rather than a judicious inquiry.”

  “I dunno, Mr. District Attorney. In that I wasn’t kidding when I described her as heavily armored, I recommend that if you are serious, you best not hold back.”

  Zane didn’t hide his surprise. “Please, Tara, I’m all ears. Far be it from me to discount advice from the editor of the Sierra Vista Gazette and the woman who single-handedly shanghaied one of the most deservedly arrogant men I know.”

  Tara gave him a pert smile, then allowed a frown to cross her face.

  Seeing her pull back, Zane asked carefully, “What’s that about, Tara? Just when I thought you were cheering me on, hell, maybe even supporting my mission, you hesitated. Please, lovely lady, don’t renege now. I can use all the advice you’re willing to give me.”

  Tara was quiet for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay, hotshot, since you asked, my sister is one of the most vulnerable women I know. Which may surprise you given how strong and how focused she appears.”

  Zane shook his head, insisting she continue and not deviate from her troubling assertion. “Vulnerable how?”

  Tara shrugged. “Let me put it this way, Mr. Wilder. You are the first man Tatiana has so much as allowed within ten feet of her. I’ll be honest. I’m pleased to see that. If only I wasn’t concerned about who you are.”

  Zane forced his voice to be calm. “And who that might be, Tara?”

  She shrugged and met him eye to eye. “To put it succinctly, a man on the make. One who has more notches on his belt than even Tanya’s and my fiancé have—make that had. You know, those Special Ops buddies of yours who, until they ran into the Trouble sisters, had as profligate a reputation as you have.”

  Zane forced his lips to curve into the semblance of a smile. “May I hope that since you are throwing my bad behavior in my face, perhaps you see the possibility of redemption? Given my interest in your beautiful sister, that I may be worthy of changing what I concede have been my ‘profligate ways’?”

  As if the gods of excess were out to get him, before Tara could answer, a tinkling voice sounded at his shoulder. Looking back on it, Zane was convinced that an amalgam of all the women he’d mistreated over an adult lifetime of bad behavior had ganged up to take him down.

  “There you are, Zane. I didn’t know if you got my message. I assumed that we would be going to this outrageous party together and that you would pick me up.” Before Zane could respond, his ADA and former go-to babe, Chloe Richards, was at his side. Make that draped possessively over his shoulder. A position that was unacceptable under any circumstances, but particularly because weeks ago he’d made it clear that their short-term fling was a thing of the past.

  Acknowledging that Chloe had underscored the point Tara and, likely, her sister Tanya were prepared to make, Zane shrugged and said carefully to his colleague, “I’m not sure why you thought that, Chloe, but I’m pleased that you could come. I wasn’t aware that you were an aficionado of the B n’ T or of birthday cake. But heck, the more the merrier, correct, Tara?”

  To his undying gratitude, Tara smiled at him and came to his partial aid. “Absolutely, Zane, we are thrilled to welcome all of my father’s fans even if they aren’t devotees of the B n’ T like you are. Good God, how many nights have you, Ryker, and Griffin spent in this place, haggling over the superiority of the Seals over the Delta Force? And of course my sisters and I have been pleased to tag along, at least partially amused that big boys like you guys are still playing ‘who is bigger’ games.”

  Tanya, who’d been off to the side with a stern-looking Ryker, joined the fray. Turning a cold eye on Chloe, she said, “I’m pleased to meet you. Did you say your name was Chloe? Zane has a number of ADAs, and I haven’t met them all. I’m Tanya Trouble—Deputy Trouble, that is. I presume you know my fiancé, Agent Ryker Thompson, and this is Tatiana Trouble, my sister.”

  Turning to Tatiana, who was now standing to the side, Chloe gave her a once-over, then said as if surprised, “You’re Tatiana Trouble, the owner of the Sanctuary?”

  When Tatiana just nodded, Chloe continued. “It’s nice to meet you. I have to tell you, I was surprised to see that you are the featured speaker at the Arizona Bar Association meeting in Tucson next week.”

  Tatiana breathed out a non-committal sigh and allowed a smile to tug at her lips. “Hmm, why were you surprised?”

  Chloe raised her impressive chest, shown to effect in her straining halter top, and tossed her head in a clearly practiced gesture that ensured her rope of long blonde hair would settle provocatively over one impudent shoulder. “I guess because apparently you plan to discuss battered women. While I’m sure in some circles there is interest in those kind of women, I was surprised that it was the subject of the keynote speech at an important legal symposium.”

  “Actually, my address is broader than a discussion of battered women—which is the way domestic violence used to be described. I’ll be discussing the legal consequences of domestic violence and domestic abuse—of which there are many. Ramifications that the legal profession are just
now beginning to acknowledge.”

  Chloe looked unconvinced. “Hmm, you may have a point, although I thought those issues had been settled long ago.” As a seeming afterthought, she added, “I can’t remember because I’ve barely looked at the program, but what exactly are your qualifications? You are a lawyer, aren’t you?”

  Tatiana looked at the smirking blonde who was doing her best to drape herself over the frowning district attorney and shrugged. “No, I’m not a lawyer. I’m a practitioner in the field.” She added with a soft smile, “To paraphrase Winston Churchill, ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat, toil, and tears.” As she turned to walk toward her frowning father who had come up to their end of the table, Tatiana said, “My hope is that you and your legal colleagues will find something of value in my experience and that of my clients. Perhaps even open your eyes to a national crisis that too many lawyers don’t know exists.”

  Zane blew out a hard breath. As impressed as he was with Tatiana’s cultured put-down of Chloe’s snarky criticism, he was furious at the way his assistant had attempted to diminish her. That she’d only succeeded in making herself look small didn’t negate the fact that Chloe’s assault was intentional. Knowing that jealousy was at the root of her attack, he tried to figure out how the acerbic ADA could have known about his interest in Tatiana. The proverbial lightbulb flashed when he remembered that Chloe had tracked him down when he was visiting Tatiana at the Sanctuary.

  At that moment, Tara joined her sisters beside their father. She leaned up against him and said with a smile, “Okay, Dad. The moment has come that we all have been waiting for.”

  Titus laughed. “You mean we finally get to eat the cake?”

  Waiting until the laughter died down, Tara said, “No, Sheriff Trouble, the moment when several hundred of your admirers get to sing happy birthday to one of the finest men who has ever graced our lives.”

  In the middle of the applause and the ringing notes of the song feting the smiling sheriff, Zane leaned over and murmured to his aide, “Are you satisfied, Chloe? Now all of these people know what our staff knows only too well. That you are a green-eyed bitch who is coming damn close to losing her position in the district attorney’s office.”

  Ignoring Chloe’s angry snarl and determined not to let her assault compromise his plans for the evening, Zane waited until there was a break in the crowd surrounding the sheriff and his family. Moving toward Tatiana, he almost smiled when she leaned up against Ryker at his approach. Deciding the gods were with him given that Ryker was as close to an ally as he had, he brushed up against him and murmured loudly enough for Tatiana to hear, “C’mon, Agent Thompson. Fair is fair. I would think that even for a D-boy, one Trouble woman would be enough, particularly given the deputy sheriff’s reputation for cutting men down to size.”

  Ryker laughed, although Zane didn’t miss the gleam in his eyes confirming that he hadn’t missed Chloe’s frontal assault on Tatiana. Nor the way it had played into Zane’s reputation as a decadent womanizer. Not hiding the note of warning in his voice, Ryker gave a knowing shrug. “You’re right about that, Zane. It didn’t take Tanya long to convince me that she was more than enough woman even for a reprobate like me.”

  “Hey, man, even knowing that subtlety ain’t one of your strong suits, how about moving aside so that I can properly apologize to Tatiana for my ADA’s unacceptable tirade.”

  Surprisingly, Tatiana faced him head-on. “That isn’t necessary, Mr. Wilder. It’s hardly the first or last time a lawyer has said or done something to a woman they consider beneath them.”

  Zane shot her a narrowed gaze, then reached for her arm and tugged her next to him. “Actually, it is necessary, Ms. Trouble.” Nodding to Ryker, he murmured, “Clearly, Ms. Trouble was as offended by my subordinate as she should have been. I trust you’ll excuse us, Agent Thompson. Obviously, I have some ruptured fences to mend.”

  Chapter 6

  I meant what I said, Mr. Wilder. I don’t need or want an apology from you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I would like to enjoy my father’s fiftieth birthday party.”

  “As would I, Tatiana. Which we can both do once we’ve had the conversation that we’re about to have.” Tugging her next to him, he murmured, “Now, unless you want all of these curious people and your frowning father to think you don’t want to be with me, I suggest that you be a nice little girl and do as you are told.”

  Tatiana whirled on him, clearly shocked at his demeaning description of her. Before she could speak, Zane laughed. “Ah yes, the ever-so-polite, shy Trouble sister once again takes my bait. I have to tell you, Tatiana, you are a lot easier to get a rise out of than I first thought you’d be. I need to confess. As attracted as I am to your shyness, I’m more than a little intrigued by your sparks.” He tightened his grip on her arm, ignoring the daggers she was throwing at him. “How about you and I find a relatively quiet seat at the bar and discuss the Tucson conference. I admit that while a number of us in my office planned to attend, myself included in that I’m apparently going to kick it off with the opening-night dinner address, I haven’t seen the program. Now that I know who the keynote speaker is, I wouldn’t miss what promises to be a fascinating event.”

  “What would make it fascinating, Mr. Wilder? An opportunity for you and your lawyer friends to sneer at the uppity woman who thinks she might actually have something to say about a critical issue that all you legal eagles need to hear?”

  Zane quirked a brow and smiled at her. “Instead of taking a page from Winston Churchill as you so gracefully did, I’ll rely on humor and quote my favorite lawyer line from Will Rogers, who said, ‘Wanna make crime pay, become a lawyer.’ I can only hope that in your worldview not all lawyers are pompous assholes or jealous women. Some of them even have a sense of humor.”

  When Tatiana just looked away, gnawing on her bottom lip, Zane walked her to the bar and signaled the bartender. “How about a couple of porn star martinis for Ms. Trouble and me, Dante? I could use some liquid courage as I try to convince this beautiful woman that not all lawyers are snake-tongued reprobates. Some of us are actually good ole boys.”

  Dante snorted as he filled their pint-sized glasses with bubbling liquid. “Good luck with that one, Zane. In case no one warned you, the last thing you wanna do is try to bullshit one of the Trouble sisters, especially the sister who’s supposed to be the quiet one.”

  Zane tossed the barkeep a grin along with a C-note. At Dante’s raised brow, Zane shrugged. “I appreciate the advice and also the heck of a party you’re putting on here tonight. The sheriff deserves it.”

  Helping her onto the nearest stool, Zane stood beside her, then leaned casually against the bar and waited until Tatiana looked up at him. Seeing how flushed she was, he hoped that at least a little of the scarlet heating her cheeks was due to more than anger. Perhaps even a little uncertainty at his obvious closeness. Picking up his glass, he raised it to her. “How about it, Ms. Trouble? Think we could toast to our mutual dislike of pompous assholes and jealous women?”

  Visibly swallowing, Tatiana tossed her head and raised her glass to his. “As long as you know that at least in my eyes you haven’t completely worked your way out of the pompous asshole category.”

  Zane grinned at her as he clicked her glass. “Hey, I’ll settle for progress no matter how minimal.” He waited until she took a tentative sip of the potent alcohol and then said seriously, “I apologize for my assistant, Tatiana. Chloe Richards is an ambitious young lawyer with the accent on both young and ambitious. She clearly has a bug up her butt regarding you. I intend to make it clear to her that what she said was unprofessional and won’t be tolerated.”

  Tatiana was quiet for a moment, then pressed her lips together in a thoughtful frown. Glancing up at him, she gave a dismissive shrug. “As I said before, that isn’t necessary from my perspective. Besides, I imagine it’s challenging for all your young, ambitious assistants to figure out where they stand in the pecking order. You might want to con
sider giving them numbers so they don’t fall all over each other trying to claim the top spot at the moment.”

  Not sure how he kept from jerking her off the bar stool, Zane grasped her arm firmly and stood her up next to him. Over his shoulder, he said to a clearly surprised Dante, “The porn stars are as righteous as ever, man, but Ms. Trouble and I need to get a little air. Please excuse us.”

  Not waiting for Dante to answer and ignoring Tatiana’s surprise, he anchored her next to him with a strong grip and headed for the exit. Knowing that he would need to explain their departure to her father and sisters, he did his best to keep his expression as unthreatening as possible. Which was a challenge in that he couldn’t remember when he’d been angrier.

  When they stepped out into the dark night, Tatiana tried to pull away but gave up when he tightened his grip. She walked beside him, doing her best to keep up with him until she realized that he was heading toward his expensive automobile at the corner of the lot. Knowing that the last thing she would do was get in his car, she managed to jerk free.

  “I don’t know where you are going, Zane, but know that I’m not leaving now. Moreover, I’m not going anywhere with you at any time.”

  Zane stopped, then reached for her arm and pulled her up next to him. Making an obvious effort to control his anger, he said, “The choice is yours, Tatiana. You can decide where you want to have this conversation. We can have it in the middle of the parking lot, or we can have it more privately in my car. As I said, the choice is yours. Just know that you aren’t going to get away with a throwing an insult like the one you lobbed at me without explaining what the hell you meant by it.”

  Tatiana fought to control her voice. She was determined not to make a bigger fool out of herself than she already had. She couldn’t believe what she had said to him, but then, she hadn’t understood how angry she was. Taking a deep breath, she spoke as calmly as she could. “First, in my mind, it takes two people to have a conversation. Since I’m not going to participate, the location of this non-conversation is a moot point. Now if you would please let go of my arm. I want to return to my father’s party.”