CHAPTER 1
“Five lawyersfor every thousand people in Illinois, and we still can’t find one who can tie his own goddamn shoes.” Marina Fuentes threw the stack of files on her desk, not caring that four of them slid off and onto the floor, nor that her assistant, Lucy, hurried to pick them up. “How am I supposed to deal with that moron as co-chair? He had mustard spilled down his shirt, for fuck’s sake. In front of Judge Gillian, no less, who thinks we should all be paragons of angelic virtue and show up with fucking wings on.”
Lucy set the files neatly on Marina’s desk. “I’m sure he didn’t mean?—”
“Defend him, and I swear I will put charcoal in your coffee tomorrow morning.” Marina pointed at her and then sat down, taking a deep, steadying breath. “Get me the Carrington case files.”
Lucy hurried from the room, and Marina closed her eyes.Breathe the corners of the box. In for four, out for four.Pulse sufficiently steadied so she didn’t throw something through the window of the thirty-eighth-floor office and decapitate some hapless tourist staring at their distorted image in the reflectionof the Bean, she opened the file on top and began to make notes on the legal pad in her leather binder.
“Latte. Decaf, because none of us need you to have any more energy and because putting a sedative in it would be legally questionable.” Rob set the tall cup down on her desk. “And the Carrington file, because your poor assistant is worried you’ll turn into a monster and eat her sweet little soul.”
“It would be too sugary to digest.” Marina took a long sip and nodded. “I need a new assistant. One with some salt in her veins.”
Rob crossed his legs at the ankle as he reclined on the leather sofa. “What you need is a vacation. And to get laid. And not necessarily in that order.”
They both looked over when someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Rob stood, tilting his cup toward Marina. “And that’s my cue.” He sidled past Montgomery Shubert with a brief smile.
“This is a surprise. I thought maybe you’d started living on the fortieth floor since no one ever sees you come down.” Marina smiled, hoping it looked genuine. A visit from the head partner didn’t feel like a good thing.
He came in and closed the door behind him, then sat opposite her, as relaxed as a statue in a church. “I have a private elevator. One of the perks of being on the top floor.”
“Oh, right.” Marina nodded, unsure what else to say to that.
“You handled the Orsan Commercial case.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve read through the trial notes. On paper, you shouldn’t have won. Every precedent was against you, community sentiment was against you, and even the judge was known to come down more often than not on the side of small business.” His eyes narrowed a little, like he was trying to see through her. “And yet you prevailed.”
Again, he didn’t seem to be asking a question, and she wasn’t sure what to say. “Thank you?”
His lips pursed. “You’re a good lawyer. Quite possibly one of the best we have. To that end, I want you to take on a new client who is having some issues that may require a deft touch like the one you exhibited on Orsan.”
“Great. I’d be happy to.” It was baffling, though, why he hadn’t had any of the other hundred attorneys, clerks, paralegals, or even janitors tell her this. “Who is it?”
“Black Pinnacle.” He dropped it like a tiny bomb, his eyes narrowing.
She stared at him for a moment too long as she tried to take in air.
“If it’s too big for you, I can hand it off to someone else?—”
“No! No, I’m just… You’re giving me one of the biggest real estate developers on the East Coast?” That kind of client could be a fast track to partner.Hello, fortieth-floor private elevator.
“I am. Sheila Black will be here on Saturday, and I want you to join us for dinner at Alinea at seven.” He rose and looked down at her. “I trust that you’ll be available.”
She stood and held out her hand, which felt stupid, but she couldn’t pull it back. “Thank you. I won’t let you down.”
He looked at her hand and then back at her face before turning away. “I’m aware.” He left, and people scuttled out of his way, though he probably didn’t notice them anyway.
Rob ducked in as soon as Montgomery was out of sight. “Well? Did he fire you? Ask you to clean his office in a maid’s outfit? Make you his new dominatrix? Get your recipe for chicken enchiladas?” He flopped back onto the couch.
Marina sipped at her latte, her mind whirring. “He asked me to take on a new client. Black Pinnacle.”
Rob leaned forward, his brown eyes widening. “Holy shit.”
“Yeah. Holy shit.” Slowly, she began to smile, and within seconds it was so big it hurt. “Holy shit!”
He jumped up and pulled out his phone. “I’m making us reservations at Carrera’s tonight. We’re going to celebrate hard, because I’ll never see you again once you’re at their beck and call.” He walked out as he made the reservation, leaving her to her thoughts.
I need a new team.Her paralegal had quit a month ago, and she’d been sharing someone else’s, and her assistant… Lucy was nice, but Marina needed someone with a little more steel in their spine, someone who wouldn’t cry every time she threw a stapler. She fired off a message to HR with a request that it happen fast. Only then did she notice her hands were shaking.
She stood and paced her office and then caught sight of the files on her desk. She’d need to hand them off to some junior attorney who wanted to prove themselves. She’d keep some of her smaller, less demanding clients for the times when Pinnacle didn’t need her.
