Chapter 83

Logan

Emily and I sit inside of an empty conference room that is tucked away from the rest of the pack. Before we even entered inside of the room, I had Tony, my Beta, and one of the Delta's that I have assigned to protect Emily and myself to check the room for any listening or recording devices. Once it was clear, we entered inside and have been waiting for Dorothy, our lawyer, ever since.

The room is filled with the tent silence, yesterday's lazy day remaining in the past as our present and future takes place in front of us. I occasionally look over at Emily, staring at the side of her face to try and see what it is that she is exactly feeling in this moment, wanting her to simply be okay. She gives me no information, though, her face remaining stoic and neutral as the time takes away, the hands of the clock slowly moving in its fixed path.

My eyes turned to the mug on the wooden conference room table. A small plume of steam is released from the hot liquid, the tag from the teabag hanging over the edge of the mug. My eyes flicker to Emily, watching as she dissociates while staring at the clock.

I want to so desperately reach out for her, to take her hand in mine just as she did with me not so long ago. There has to be a lot on her mind, the copies of the documents that we have made sitting there as a reminder of what she has lost in her life and what she is about to rightfully gain back. It must feel so conflicting to sit here and wait as her future hangs in the balance.

I really can't imagine what must be going on inside of that head of hers. What I can imagine, though, is that Emily is surely devising a plan of action just in case the evidence is deemed not worthy enough by Dorothy once she comes and expects the paperwork for herself.

A quiet sigh leaves Emily’s lips. I suck in a breath when she does this, unsure if she is going to turn to me and confide her worries to me or if she wants to go back home. Whatever it is that she wants, I will go to the ends of the earth to give to her.

It is only right that I do so seeing how she will be my wife in a matter of weeks. It does not matter if she wishes to part once the contract is up. Even after our inevitable divorce — even though I will try everything in my power to keep her in my arms and life — I will be there for her to do whatever it is that she needs me to.

“I’m nervous,” Emily quietly speaks out.

The admission takes me by surprise. I did not know that she would actually confide in me, the way she speaks so softly in the silent room. It is like she does not want the walls to hear of her woes.

“It is okay to feel nervous,” I quietly respond back to her, “it’s natural to feel that way. This is a big deal…it’s only right that you feel that way.”

Emily slowly turns and looks at me. I can feel my expression soften.

There are no words that are said between us. We remain in the silence of the conference room. I slowly reach forward and placed my hand on top of her own, my calloused skin rough against her soft skin.

Suddenly, the door to the conference room opens. Tony steps inside with Dorothy following in after him. She gives him a slight nod before turning her attention to us as we stand from our seats at the table. She placed her leather briefcase onto the table and takes the seats at the head, sitting down. We follow suit.

“So,” Dorothy fills in the silence of the room, “you said that you have some information for our case?”

Emily looks at me. I say nothing, simply nodding, allowing her to take charge. I know that she wants to feel in control, to hold the reins of her life in her hands with no outside interference.

“Yes,” Emily breathes out, “we do.”

I sit back and watch as Emily goes over all of the evidence with Dorothy. She points out and set aside specific documents, citing that each piece of paper can help with a specific aspect of the case against her old family.

A sense of pride washes over my body as I watch Emily and Dorothy interact with one another. It is only when Emily goes quiet, allowing the lawyer to overlook the evidence in silence, that our eyes meet again.

I offer her a small and encouraging smile, a slight knot of my head to show her that I am proud of her for taking charge. She drops her hands below the surface of the table, placing them on top of her lap. I reach out and grab the arm rest of her chair. I gently pull her closer to me.

I rest my hand on top of my lap, my palm facing up towards the ceiling. I stare straight ahead, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that I have openly offered myself to her in this moment. Emily reaches over and leases her fingers into mine, our grip tightening on another.

We wait in the quiet room, the sound of rustling papers and pages filling in the absence of sound.

“Okay,” Dorothy says with a huff of air. Her gaze meets the two of ours, and she leans back in her chair, slight exhaustion in taking over her body. I don't blame her, it really is a lot to have to go through in a short period of time. “There is more than enough evidence that will help us win the case.”

“Really?” Emily’s demeanor immediately picks up, turning much brighter and airy than she has been in the past. It is so nice to be able to see this side of her, the side of her outside of the pack and her role as one of my assistants in the pack.

“Yes,” Dorothy responds with a smile. “We will show only the relevant parts to the other party right now and follow the law as required, but the other information I will only reveal once I figure out a way to have it serve only us and not them.”

Dorothy stands from the table and gathers her belongings as well as the copies that we have made for her, placing them inside of her briefcase. Emilie and I stand up, helping her towards the conference room door as she speaks about setting up another meeting with us before the court trial begins.

As soon as she steps through the door, I turned to look at Emily, who is already flinging herself into my arms. I catch her with ease and feel as she wraps her arms around my neck, the tips of her fingers grazing along the line of my spine as she puts her full weight into me.

My heart skips a beat. Nervousness suddenly takes over my body and I help lower her to the ground. Emily pulls away and looks up at me, her bright smile slightly faltering when she realizes what it is that she has done.

“I am so sorry,” she breathes out, “I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s okay,” I reassure her, “I…” I hesitate for a brief moment before opening my mouth once again, “you can do that whenever you want, Emily. It does not matter if you are happy or sad, I will always be here to hold you when you need it.”