CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Grayson

The past, a year ago…

“She won’t answer her phone,” I say, standing at the window of Eric’s office, the sun dipping beneath the skyline.

He steps to my side. “You yanked her off her case, Grayson,” he says. “You didn’t warn her. You didn’t even talk to her first.”

“I’m quite aware of what I did, and you know why. The lead council on the case was fired because the feds are breathing down our throats over this case and apparently for good reason.”

“I get it. We had a lead council playing dirty with a dirty client. You didn’t want Mia anywhere near that shit, but you should have warned her.”

“If I’d have warned her, she’d have looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes and told me why she should stay on the case.”

“Because she’s got a perfect, clean record that represents us well. There’s logic there.” I open my mouth to lay into him and he holds up his hands. “But it’s a danger to Mia. I get it. She’d still be dealing with a mobster, defending a mobster. She’d still end up with that reputation of aligning herself with that man.”

“Not to mention my father and his damn rule. You lose your first lead case, you’re out. And we’re going to lose this case.”

“The future mother of his grandchildren? Surely not.”

“You’ve known my father since we were both at Harvard. You know his mentality, so yes, even Mia. who he loves, hell, more so because he loves her. He calls it tough love. And let’s face it. If she was made an exception, that would ruin her here at the firm. She’d be my woman and nothing more, and that’s not what she is or what she wants. It’s not what I want for her.”

“You gave the case to Becky. She hates Becky. They’re rivals.”

“I handed that decision to Mitch. He’s the lead partner over the associates. I didn’t take that decision from him, nor did I make it for him, but yes, I approved his choice. Becky is cutthroat and disposable. Mia is not.”

“A choice that’s not in your favor with Mia.”

He’s right. I don’t want him to be, but he is. I scrub my jaw, glancing at my watch, and tick off the four hours since Mia left the office furious. It’s seven now and so far the doorman hasn’t seen her at the apartment, which means she has to be at her best friend Courtney’s house or her father’s place. “I need to find her, but I have a conference call with the Lugo corporation in fifteen minutes.”

“I can handle Lugo,” Eric says. “I got it. You go.”

And because this is Eric, who I trust like a brother, I take his offer. I head for the door and waste no time making my way to my private office. Once I’m inside, I step behind my desk with the intent of gathering my work to take home with me when Becky steps into my office. “I need to talk to you about the case you put me on.” She shuts the door and flattens herself against it, her blouse cut low, her red hair free of the clip she normally wears it in and I don’t like it any more than I do her style of sexual manipulation. “I heard you’re the reason I got the lead on the Pitts case.”

“Don’t come into my office and shut the door without my permission. Open it.”

“I need to talk about this case in private.”

“I’m not your supervisor. Mitch Rivers is. Talk to him about who, where, why, and what case. I have someplace to be.”

“This case is tricky.” She races forward and stops in front of my desk. “The client involved is a mobster.”

I do not have time for this woman right now. “If you’re over your head Becky, talk to Mitch.”

“I’m not over my head and I appreciate you believing in me. I can handle this case. I’m not backing out.”

The phone on my desk rings. “Open the fucking door,” I say, and hoping the call is from Mia and that she’s back in her office, I grab the line without even looking at the extension. “Davis says he needs to see you before you leave,” Eric says. “It’s urgent.”

I give Becky my back. “Define urgent.”

“He says the feds want documents you aren’t going to want to give them.”

My jaw sets hard. “What documents?”

“Do you really want to talk about this on the phone?” Eric asks.

“I’ll be right there.” I hang up and when I set the receiver back on the desk, I realize that my door is still shut but Becky is no longer in front of my desk.

I rotate to my right to find her on my side of the desk, naked from the waist up. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Thanking you for the case.” She steps into me and I grab her arms, holding her back. “Get dressed. Now.” I set her back from me.

My door opens and Mia gasps. “Oh my God,” she whispers, and my heart is thundering in my ears, adrenaline surging through me. “It’s not what it looks like, Mia. I swear.” I release Becky and the stupid bitch wraps her arms around me and presses her breasts to my chest. “Fuck. Get off me.” I shove her back and rotate toward the door, but Mia is already turning away. “Mia! Fuck. Mia.” Becky comes back at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Get the fuck off of me, Becky.” I untangle her from my body and I’m around the desk in a blink, chasing after Mia, and I don’t give a fuck who knows.

“Mia!” I shout watching her round a corner and damn it, I pray the elevator is shut and slow to reach her.

I race in her direction, but I’m too late. She’s in the elevator and I reach the doors right before they close; just in time to see the stricken look on her face, in time to look into her eyes and see the pain, but unable to get to her. “It’s not what it looks like!” I call out as the doors shut and immediately head for the stairs. I’m in the stairwell in another blink and I start the run down thirty flights. I exit to the lobby and search for Mia, but she’s not there. I charge for the front door and burst onto the street and again, she’s not fucking there. I head back inside and scan my surroundings before going back outside. Nothing. I grab my phone from my pocket and I dial Mia.

“Answer, baby. Answer the damn call.” But she doesn’t answer. I dial again. I send her a text: It’s not what it looked like. I turned my back and she undressed. I swear to God, Mia. It was not what it looked like. She flung herself at me. I love you. You’re everything to me.

I pace the lobby and call the security for our building. “If Mia gets there, I don’t care what it takes, you call me, and you keep her there. There’s a thousand dollars in it for you. No, five. Five thousand dollars.” I hang up and anger takes over the panic.

I walk to the elevator and punch the button, dialing Eric while I wait. “Meet me in Becky’s office with the security guard in three minutes.” I don’t give him time to respond. I hang up and step into the car.

Once I’m inside, I inhale and force out a breath, forcing myself to calm. The floors tick by and I exit, entering the office lobby, but I don’t stop. I cut left and walk past the bullpen of cubicles to an office on the right where Eric and the guard are waiting. “Is she in there?” I ask.

“She is,” Eric says.

I start forward, step inside and Eric and the guard flank me, then step to my side. Becky is behind her desk, her hair now neatly pulled back at her nape, a look of shock crosses her face, rocketing her to her feet. “What is this?” she demands.

“Pack up and leave,” I say. “You’re fired.”

She blanches. “What? No. You can’t fire me.” Her voice lifts and takes on a desperate quality. “I’ll claim sexual harassment.”

I lean on the desk, my fists on the wooden surface. “If you just made me lose Mia, I’ll destroy you and enjoy it. Hell, I’ll destroy you and enjoy it just for making her feel what she’s feeling right now. So you want to sue me? Bring it the fuck on, but get out.”