"Thatcher is my thirteen-year-old son, and we're in some trouble."
I didn't wait to see what Griffen and Royal thought about that. If Scarlett was ready to talk, I wanted to know everything. Crossing the room, I sat beside her, taking her trembling hands in mine. "Do you need some help?”
Scarlett's eyes went wide with hope tinged by fear. "I'm afraid to ask, but yes. I could definitely use some help.”
Apparently, that was all Griffen needed. Turning, he rotated the screen on the desk so it faced the seating area, essentially bringing Royal as close to the conversation as he could get. Taking a seat on the couch opposite Scarlett and me, Griffen said, "Hawk will be here in a minute. Hope is on her way down, and Savannah is bringing tea and something to eat. You look like you're about to pass out, Scarlett."
Scarlett's eyes fixed on her fingers twined with mine as she shook her head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now." She looked up at me, her eyes wet and tired. "It's a lot to have at stake, you know? I want to trust you. I do trust you, but it's my baby on the line."
I pulled my hand from hers. I needed more than holding her hand. So did she. Wrapping my arm around her, I drew her close, resting my chin on the top of her head. "We're going to figure this out. I promise."
Across from us, Griffen shook his head at me. He knew the same thing we all did. I couldn't make that promise. Not without knowing what the hell was going on. I didn't care. I was going to help Scarlett. Thatcher was going to be okay. I wouldn't accept another option, and neither would Scarlett.
Her voice small, she said, “It's just… he's never been away from me this long. And he's smart. He's so freaking smart, but he's thirteen. He's nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is."
She was killing me. I pressed my lips to her temple. I didn't have any more words of empty reassurance. Until we knew more, I wouldn't make any promises. I was optimistic. Not stupid.
It felt like it took an hour for everyone to assemble in Griffen's office. Hawk showed up first, lifting his chin at us and nodding at Scarlet before sitting on the other side of the couch from Griffen and pulling out his phone. He didn't acknowledge anyone except to send another nod in Hope's direction when she sat beside Griffen.
Savannah rolled in the tea cart and left without a word. When everyone had a drink, a snack, or both, we all turned to Scarlett.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
SCARLETT
I leaned into Tenn's arm, working up the courage to bare my secrets. I should have been terrified. I was terrified. I hadn't known these people long enough to trust them. That's what I kept telling myself.
You don't know the Sawyers. They have no reason to believe you. No reason to help you.
That was all true. Logical. What if I told them and they turned on me? It was a risk, no question. A huge risk.
Lately, I'd been thinking a lot about risk and listening to my gut. Most of my ill-fated marriage had been a war between my gut telling me to grab the kids and get the hell out and my common sense convincing me to stay. My common sense was lacking the sense part.
Since the day we met, I'd wanted to trust Tenn. I reached for him in my sleep. I looked to him when I laughed. Something about Tenn drew me, something I couldn't define, didn't even recognize, but it was there. Every day, I thought it would fade, and every day, it only got stronger. It was so much more than sex. I already knew I couldn't walk away.
Then there was Thatcher. I needed help. I had to take a chance on the Sawyers.
Taking a sip of tea, I put my thoughts in order. "Five months ago, your father sent a carved crystal bust of Roman Emperor Vitellius to an auction house I work with. Normally, I wouldn't be called in to appraise a piece like that. They have someone more qualified in-house, but she was called out of town on an emergency. They used another qualified appraiser, but they asked me to take an unofficial look while I was there appraising a glass vase. The bust of Vitellius went up for sale a week ago. It was stolen from inventory before the owner could pick it up."
Griffen leaned forward. "What was it worth?"
"It was appraised for $7,500 and went for a little less than that. It was the only item stolen. Everything else was untouched."
"Weird," Tenn murmured under his breath.
"Very,” I agreed.
"So, what does this have to do with your son?" Hope asked, her hand on the slight curve of her belly as she sipped her tea.