“I’m not. And you have no problem doing that when you work for your family.”
“Really. You’re going there?” I get to my feet and walk around the board table.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. There is a lot I could say right now but I choose to give him the benefit of the doubt. I’ve known Harry along time, he gave me my start here, and he’s always greased the wheels when it came to the MC.
I’m not trying to convince a judge to take our side. That is something I would never do. I’ve walked a fine line in the past but I’ve never stepped over it and broken any laws or rules. I’ve never bribed anyone or done anything to make anyone think they would get something in return if they did me a favor.
Judge Mercure is a straight shooter. He’d fight to have me charged or worse if I even attempted to bribe him.
“What’s going on?” I ask, after a moment of tense silence. “This isn’t you, Harry.”
He stares at the desk, then jolts and gathers up his papers. “We’re all stressed with our workload. I had a momentary lapse of good judgment. You would never do that. And with you on our side on this, we’ll get the result we want.”
Before I can question him further, he walks out of the room, leaving me staring at the empty doorway. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this case has him rattled too. I don’t know if it’s for the same reason as me.
I don’t want anything more to do with this, but my curiosity has got the better of me. I want to see the amended complaint. When I get back to my office, Laura says she has the document, but it’s seventy-six pages long. I decide to at least skim it before I head out and sit down at my computer to read what I can. An hour and a half later and I’m too deep in the total mess this is becoming.
We need to file motions to dismiss and cut it off at the knees before it gets out of control. If I’m staying on this case, I have to harden my heart and my head. Vance is right about one thing, we don’t know if these women are genuine complainants or they’ve been added to try to bolster up his Cara’s case, or have us running in circles while they bring in a real problem.
It’s my job to predict worse case scenarios and get out in front of it.
Rubbing my tired eyes, I glance at the clock. It’s later than I thought but still early enough that I can go home and get a nice hot bath and polish off a bottle of wine. I vaguely recall Laura saying goodbye earlier but I can’t remember what time that was.
Security wish me good night as I leave the building. It’s dark, and the street and security lights are on. My car is in the lot directly outside,one of the perks of my position means I have a reserved slot, there is no need to worry about getting there safely given it’s only a few steps away.
Only there is someone standing right in front of the car, blocking the driver’s side door forcing me to stop in my tracks.
Anyone else and he’d be smirking at the way I stall, surprised, then annoyed.
Not Eli. He studies me, with that look of understanding he affects so well. His bike is parked in the empty space beside my car. I guess he doesn’t need to worry about getting moved on given the lot is mostly empty now.
And the fact he is a biker, in a leather vest, looking like the kind of guy you do not want to tangle with. There is only one reason he is standing here looking at me like I’m some damsel in distress.
“I’m going to kill her.”
Something flashes over his face, but he wipes it away and straightens taking a step closer.
“Don’t go jumping to conclusions,” he says in that seductive southern drawl of his.
It makes my stomach swoop. Then I remember I’m mad. “What does that mean? Tell me you didn’t come here off your own back, Eli.”
“Not that either.”
“Then what?”
“King wants to see you.”
That’s odd. I take out my phone to check, but there are no missed calls. “Why didn’t he call me?”
“I go where they tell me.”
“You could have called too,” I give him a knowing look.
He doesn’t respond to that and we stare at each other in silence. There isn’t another soul in sight. This is the first time I’ve been really alone with him since our night together. Usually we’re around other people.
“I’m really tired,” I say, dropping my phone in my purse. “Do you know what it’s about?”
Eli frowns in a way that says he does, but he doesn’t want to tell me. Excitement swirls through me. What if something has happened Kingneeds me for which will take me away from the office? Harry knows the MC comes first. King made sure of it.
