16. Hannah
Hannah
M y eyes are gritty and dry when I crack them open, groaning as I bury my face back into the blankets of my nest. Enzo had stayed for about an hour last night, going through the paperwork I was served.
I then, like any good omega, promptly cried myself to sleep, not even bothering to wash off my makeup from the night before.
My step-sisters are suing me. They're claiming I must have forged something, or influenced Nana in some way to make me the sole recipient of her will.
Well, minus the three dollars the Evil Step-Sisters got between the three of them.
That part might make me laugh if it didn't cause the three girls who never accepted me into their family to become enraged enough to fucking sue me.
Sniffing, I grab my phone from the charger and check my texts.
I had sent a message to both Cady and my brother after Enzo left last night, telling them about the paperwork, and while Kieran has sent me an appropriately enraged message telling me he'll see if Mom and Paul can do anything, Cady still hasn't answered.
Frowning, I check the time, and see that it's nine in the morning.
I guess it would make sense that she would want to sleep in.
And, I chide myself, she has her own pack now. She can't be watching her phone twenty-four seven on the off chance I might have something life-changing happen.
Then, as if summoned by my thoughts, a message from her pops up on my screen.
Cady
That lawyer I know can meet you at eleven at The Snug Mug.
A frown tugs at my lips as I stare at her text. That meeting was set up…suspiciously fast.
Me
That was quick. He doesn't have better things to do on a Sunday?
I mean, even I take Sundays off work.
Cady
Like I said, the guy owes me a favor. The power of being The Knotty Omega ??
Chuckling, I shake my head. The girl really has grown into her own the last three months.
The next hour is spent getting ready for the meeting. I opt for a smart blouse, silky but professional, and a pair of dark wash jeans. Taking my curls from last night, I pull back the sides to secure it in a half-up hairstyle.
Perfect.
Nothing can shake my confidence as I stride across the parking lot. That is, until I open the door to the little cafe and realize I have no idea who I'm looking for. Why didn't I ask Cady for a name? Or a description? Or something ?
My panic is short lived, however, when a vaguely-familiar, bland-looking alpha approaches me.
He's not in a suit and tie, like I might have thought, but a polo and jeans.
His brown hair is styled roughly, and he looks at me tentatively as he closes the distance between us.
His slightly leathery scent isn't unappealing, but he has nothing on Enzo.
"Hannah?" he asks, and I nod, shifting my purse on my shoulder. "I'm Brody. Brody—"
It all clicks into place. This bastard was part of the pack that tried to kidnap Cady. "Sheffield," I snarl, taking a step back. "Brody fucking Sheffield. You have a lot of nerve, you piece of—"
"Woah," Brody raises his hands like he's trying to calm a wild animal, "it's actually Benson, now. I left the pack when I realized what they were trying to do."
"Not soon enough," I mutter, giving him the evil eye as I take out my phone so I can rip Cady a new one. What the hell was she thinking, sending me to Brody Sheffield?
"I can't agree more," he says, surprising me. But then Cady answers the phone.
"Hannah? What—"
"Brody Sheffield ?" I practically growl into the phone. "The lawyer you know is Brody Sheffield?"
"Benson," Cady's voice sounds in my ear at the same time Brody gently corrects me.
"Listen," she continues, "he really didn't take part of any of the shit the Sheffield pack put me through, and he showed up that night, remember? The night they tried to take me? He brought the police."
She's right. I know she is. But the rest of the Sheffield pack is in jail, safely away from my fury, and this one is right here. Ready for an ass kicking.
"I don't like it," I tell her petulantly. Like a child who isn't getting what she wants.
"Babe, if I can move on, you can too. I was the wounded party. Besides, this is why he owes me a favor, and will continue to owe me as many favors as I want until the end of time." I eye Brody warily, but he doesn't seem to take offense to my hesitance.
"Fine," I snap, bringing the phone down to hit the end call button. Before I do though, I quickly bring the phone back up to my ear, not wanting my friend to think I'm mad at her. "Thanks for this, I really appreciate it. Okay, love you bye."
Cady's laughter is still echoing on the line when I finally hit that red "hang up" button, and I turn, facing Brody fully. This is the guy that's going to help me sort out Nana's will. I can't afford to piss him off.
Taking a deep breath, I nod once. "Sorry. I was just…surprised."
"Completely understandable," he says, motioning towards a nearby table. "Cady's not the only omega I've failed over the years, but I'm hoping she'll be the last."
My brows raise in surprise at his confession. In my experience, which is pretty limited, alphas don't normally admit when they're wrong.
We take a seat at one of the smaller, round tables, and a waitress comes by to take our order. Once that's out of the way, he gives me a kind smile, folding his hands in front of him. "Before we dig into why we're here, I'd like to tell you a little bit about me, if that's okay?"
Swallowing roughly, I nod. "Sure."
"Great." He leans forward slightly, making sure to meet my eyes.
It's not anything besides professional. He's not sizing me up, or raking his gaze over me.
He wants to make sure I hear him. "I originally specialized in corporate law.
Yes, it's just as boring as it sounds." He gives a small chuckle.
"But, admittedly, it was what the rest of my then-pack was doing, so wouldn't it make sense for me to join them?
" He shrugs. "I know I've spent a lot of my life not seeing the everyday struggles that other designations go through, mainly omegas.
That I've, whether unknowingly or not, contributed to those struggles in some ways.
Six months ago, my…ex-pack gave the omega we were courting an ultimatum.
One that I didn't agree with…" He shakes his head, then focuses back on me.
"But I didn't stand up to them. I let them drive her away.
Then, I sat back while my pack put Cady De Lucca through the worst first date in history. "
"You're not exactly endearing yourself to me, you know." I mutter, then smile and thank the waitress as she brings my iced caramel macchiato and Brody's vanilla latte.
"It's part of what brought me to where I am," he says simply. "I've found that being honest about my shortcomings drives omegas to trust me more quickly."
My brow furrows. "Why would you need omegas specifically to trust you?"
"Because that's what I do now." He doesn't look proud, only repentant.
"I put my trust fund money to good use, against the behest of my parents.
I am now the founder of the Omega's Legal Council.
Free, pro-bono representation for omegas in rough spots.
Cady is lucky that she had the financial backing of the De Lucca name to represent her during the trial.
Otherwise she might have had to depend on a court-appointed attorney.
One that could have been paid off by the pack themselves.
The fact that part of that would have been my fault, does not sit right with me.
I won't sit back and watch the way things unfold anymore, Hannah.
I want you to know that I'm doing everything in my power to make sure what happened to Cady, never happens to anyone again. "
Wow. That's…a hell of a lot to take in.
"It's a lot, I know," Brody says gently, reading my mind. "But I just wanted to let you know where I was coming from before we dove into things."
"I appreciate it," I tell him truthfully. I had been so angry when I first saw him, but now I'm seeing that he actually cares . He left his cushy corporate law job to start a company that helps omegas? For free?
"Now." He smiles, taking a sip of his latte. "Do you have the paperwork that they served you with?"
"I do." I grab the manila folder out of my bag, passing it to him. "My…my alpha went through it with me last night. It looks like my step-sisters are suing me for the entirety of my Nana's estate."
A hissed curse leaves him when he reads the envelope, and my brows shoot up. "Sorry." He shakes his head. "It's…Herman & Sons. They're ruthless bastards. It'll be fine though," he says quickly, taking in my alarmed expression.
My mouth is dry when I nod, and I sit in silence for a moment, drinking my coffee while he looks through the stack of papers.
His brow furrows deeper the longer he's reading, and five minutes later, my foot is bouncing, my fingers are tapping, and anxiety is threatening to burst out of my chest like a damn hurricane.
He sighs, setting the papers down and rubbing his eyes. "So…how bad is it?" I ask, my voice cracking slightly.
"That depends," he says gently.
"On what?"
"On your side of the story. Can you tell me why your step-grandmother would leave you everything, save three dollars?"