Lauren’s hands shook as she drove back to the office. Darla instructed her to meet her there. The men kindly, and civilly, took her back to her car, then took off. Before she turned the car on, she broke down in tears. She put the car into gear and drove away slowly, to help prevent herself from crashing.
She pulled into the parking lot and looked over her shoulder as she entered the building. She didn’t feel safe until she was in her office with the door and the window blinds closed. After composing herself, she turned on her computer. She wanted to know who actually owned the Triumph Tower buildings. If the MC was on one end of the road, she wanted to know who was on the other end, and she needed to talk to Jasper again. Why hadn’t he told her about his affair with Lucas’ fiancée?
“Probably, because it wasn’t true.” She said the words to herself aloud as she ran various searches through the browser, until the phone rang. “Lauren Holden.”
“Lauren, it's Jasper. I need to see you. Can you come today? They’re going to kill me. I want you to know everything before they do it.” His voice sounded desperate, yet determined.
“Jasper! What the hell is going on? You need to tell me everything. I feel very unsafe right now, and I’m sure there’s more going on here than you’re letting on. Why didn’t you tell me about the affair with Jackson’s fiancée?” Her tone was hushed, irrationally concerned that someone might hear her through the walls.
“Lauren, just get down here. I will tell you everything. I promise. I didn’t tell you about the affair with Jackson’s fiancée, because there was no affair. I do not want to talk on the phone, just get down here, and we’ll discuss everything.”
Lauren sighed, feeling completely out of her league.
“Listen, I’ll be there as soon as I can. I have to wait for Darla. She wants to meet me after, probably to make sure I’m not going to sue the firm for getting thrown in a van, hooded and kind of kidnapped!”
“Shit … Lauren, she’s in on it. You need to lay low, and if you can, get off this case. It’s too dangerous.” He was having second thoughts, quickly, about getting her more involved. “Just get off the case if you can. I’ll figure it out on my own.” He hung up.
Lauren stared at the phone. He went from committing to telling her everything, to completely flipping out, wanting her off the case immediately. Jasper was in trouble, and she was going to help him, but she had to be smart about it.
Marta walked into the office, with a knock.
“Ms. Lovell called. She said she has to move the meeting until tomorrow morning, first thing. You are not to talk to anyone about the case. You are to come directly to her office. Tonight she wants you to stay here until you get all the Connor files prepared for your meeting with her in the morning. She said she’s going to go over everything with you again, and you’re not to make a mistake, like you did today, ever again.”
Lauren looked up at Marta completely confused. Why would Darla send the receptionist to give her this message? Why didn’t she just call Lauren herself?
“Sure. No problem. Marta, can you let me in her office? Some of the files are in there.”
Marta shrugged and motioned for her to follow her.
“I have to stand here while you get them. You understand, right? What kind of mistake did you make today?”
She unlocked the door for Lauren, letting her inside and watching from the door.
Lauren was quickly going through the files on Darla’s desk. She found a Connor’s file and another labeled ‘Triumph’. She grabbed both, and headed back to Marta.
“I was being an over-achiever. Almost pissed off a client.” Lauren fed Marta some gossip in return for letting her in the office. “Thanks, Marta. You’re a big help.”
*
Lauren stayed at the office for an hour. She wanted to get to the prison as soon as possible, but she still needed to get home and talk to Peter. She wanted to tell him what the Brass Bonds did to her, and see if he knew anything about them or Darla Lovell. She knew Peter knew her from the industry, but maybe he had information that could shed some light on things. She stuffed the files in her brief case and headed out.
She called Peter’s office on the way home. He wasn’t there. The receptionist said he was headed home to change for a late dinner meeting with clients.
“Perfect.” Lauren said to herself. She could meet Peter while he changed, and then head over to the prison to meet with Jasper. She’d bring the files, and go over them with him.
Quickly she pulled her Mini-Cooper into the lot, and took the parking lot elevator up to the lobby, then switched elevators at the lobby. One was open and waiting for her, as if it were fate. As she stepped into the elevator, she smelled a familiar scent that she couldn’t put her finger on. She had no time to rack her brain, searching for a memory. Within minutes, she was in the apartment, “Peter!”
Peter was shaving in the bathroom.
“Lauren? What’s wrong?” He could see she was frantic. She dropped her briefcase, and went right into the bathroom with him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and hugged him. He turned in her arms, and wrapped them around her now sobbing shoulders.
“Princess, what happened? Tell me.”
Then she saw it. The light of the bathroom glinted off of it. It was the round, blue stone of a cocktail ring, sitting on the sink near the soap, and she remembered where she had smelled that scent that lingered in the elevator.
Lauren pulled herself from Peter and wiped her eyes sniffling.
“Oh nothing … I just had a bad day at work, and I was glad to see you. Just needed a hug.”
Peter reached out for her, and pulled her into a hug again.
“C’mere baby. Let me hold you a minute. You’re shaking. Tell me what happened to upset you so much.” He stroked her hair as he leaned against the sink, pulling her close.
Quick thinking, Lauren wrapped her arms around him, but she let one hand drift a bit. Her fingertips reached for Darla’s ring. Once she had it, she curled her hand around it, and let go of Peter. She shoved both hands in her pockets to hide the ring.
“No, it’s ok … you should get ready for your meeting. Noreen told me you have one tonight.”
“Yes, but I can cancel it if you need me to. I’ll reschedule and we can order in some pizza. You can tell me all about your day.” He locked his eyes on her. Lauren couldn’t tell if he already knew what happened to her, or not. Had Darla told him?
Lauren composed herself, smoothing her hands over her skirt.
“No, really, Peter. Please go. I’ll be fine. I have some files I need to go over for a meeting with Darla Lovell in the morning. Oh! Damnit! I just realized I left the files in my office. I’ll go back and get them.” She kissed his cheek and headed back out, “Don’t worry about me. I’m really going to be fine. Good luck at your meeting.” She was out the door before he could stop her.
*
Lauren never made it back to the office. Instead, she went to jail, directly to jail. Do not pass go. Georgie saw her and let her in. He knew exactly who she was, and she was more stunning than Jasper had once described her during one of their end-of-shift conversations. He opened the gate for her, and guided her to the interview room where Jasper was waiting. When she entered, she saw that Jasper’s face had changed. He was still incredibly handsome, but now he looked drained. He had a black eye and a fat lip. Lauren wanted to run to him, but she knew she couldn’t. She looked between Georgie and Jasper, since Georgie was still in the room,
“You do this to him? You rough him up?” Lauren was on fire.
Georgie shook his head.
“No way, lady.” He held his hands up defensively, and nearly laughed at how fired up she was.
Jasper motioned for her to sit. He wasn’t cuffed, and she noticed it.
“Georgie is actually a VERY good friend. He didn’t do it, but I’m happy to see my attorney is all over my potential brutality case.”
He grinned at her, and that bit of that charm she had noticed during their first meeting returned. He motioned, again, for her to sit.
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. Besides, you look almost worse than I do. What happened?” Lauren sat intently in the seat, and leaned in across the table. Georgie looked on suspiciously. The woman looked like she was on a top-secret mission.
She wouldn’t recount what happened. Not yet. Her hand was stuffed in her pocket. Her fingertip caressing that ring as it burned a hole in it. Jasper and Georgie looked at each other as they waited for her to speak.
“Jasper.” She stated his name as he looked on.
“Yes, Lauren? What is it?”
She inhaled. To Lauren, time seemed to stand still, as her mind raced about the events of the day, and quickly formed plan after plan, in a matter of minutes.
“I don’t believe you killed Lucas Jackson. I’m going to help get you out of here, but first, you’re going to do something for me.”
Jasper sat back in his chair, staring straight into her eyes. He considered, long and hard, what she could possibly want from him.
“Ok, then … what do you need, Lauren?”
Lauren pulled the ring from her pocket, and set it on the table, the gold band of the cocktail ring vibrating off the metal of the table.
“Tell me everything you know about Darla Lovell.”