Six

The weather wasn’t much better in Virginia Beach, although Jay was glad to be battling it on the ground versus in the air. Don met them on the tarmac, shuffling him and Bridgett to the rental car under cover of a huge golf umbrella. Bridgett appeared to have endured the bumpy plane trip reasonably well. After she’d downed a few swigs of Scotch, she’d closed her eyes and seemed to meditate for the remainder of the flight, drawing from a reserve of inner strength he hadn’t known she possessed.

It was true—she had changed. The sweet-natured, bright-eyed activist was gone. Jay’s chest grew tight as he realized that perhaps that woman had never existed. Perhaps that version of Bridgett was all just a lie, like the rest of that long-ago summer. But her body had only improved with age and Jay was willing to ignore the twinges in the area where his heart used to be just to get her beneath him again. If there’d been one takeaway from that summer for Jay, it was to keep his heart out of the bedroom. He could have a sexual relationship with Bridgett and not get emotionally involved. After all, he’d been doing the same thing with other women for years.

“Ron is going to rent some hangar space while he waits for you to get back,” Don was saying. “The storm took a turn this morning and is projected to make landfall somewhere along the North Carolina coast later today.”

Bridgett’s eyes grew wide. “Will we be able to fly back?” It was hard to tell whether she was more panicked about getting back in the plane or potentially being stranded at the airport.

“We’ll drive back if we have to,” Jay said as he slid into the front seat. Don got behind the wheel and drove them out of the airpark. What he really wanted was a few minutes alone with the Blaze security chief so Don wouldn’t have to brief him in front of Bridgett, but the timing couldn’t be helped. “What did you learn?” he asked quietly.

Don’s eyes drifted to the rearview mirror briefly, but Jay nodded for him to speak. “Alesha Warren is divorced with two kids. Dad is on the list of deadbeats who don’t pay child support. It’s her own shingle out in front of her law firm. She’s well respected among the legal community down here, mostly as a public defender. It’s likely her stipend from the county for being a PD that’s covering the costs for this case, because her credit cards are all entirely maxed out.”

“You’re digging up trash on the opposing counsel?” Bridgett asked from the backseat.

Jay looked over his shoulder at her. She looked a little rumpled from the weather and the flight, but her face was incredulous.

“Yes,” he said. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Her eyes narrowed. “No, I don’t. I had Scott looking into her, too.” She let out a huff. “You were supposed to be coordinating with him.”

Don smiled at her in the rearview mirror. “It was my intention to send him a detailed e-mail, but I decided to wait since you’d be here.”

She leaned back against the seat with another little huff. “Fine. You can fill me in just as easily as he can.”

“Well, then, you better brace yourself back there, because here comes the stinger,” Don said as he pulled the car onto the highway. “Jennifer Knowles is Alesha’s sister-in-law. If she can’t get the money from the daddy, I’m guessing Alesha figured here was another way to get the money owed to her kids.”

All three were silent in the car for a moment before Bridgett spoke. “That’s quite a leap. It would be difficult to prove that kind of intent in court. It’s not unusual for a family member to represent another family member. I mean, a case could be made that I’m doing exactly the same thing.”

“Even if the two women haven’t spoken to one another in over five years?” Don asked.

“If you’re going to sue someone, why use an attorney you don’t like?” Jay asked. “Unless Alesha Warren was the one who came up with the idea in the first place and somehow co-opted her former sister-in-law to play along.” He didn’t bother to stop the slow grin that was spreading over his face. With luck, this case would never make it to the courtroom.

“That’s still all just conjecture, but it certainly gives us a place to start,” Bridgett said from the backseat.

The rain was falling harder by the time they arrived at a small office park. Don pulled up outside a brown brick building and the three of them hustled quickly into the lobby. Before they could board the elevator, though, Bridgett reached an arm out to stop them.

“You are not to say anything beyond ‘hello’ and ‘nice to meet you,’” she said to Jay. “Other than that, you’re to let me do all the talking. That’s what you hired me for. Is that clear?”

Don coughed softly as Jay rocked back on his heels at the fierceness of her tone. “I’m just supposed to sit there?”

“I’d prefer you sit in the car, but since the odds of that happening are nil, I’ll take what I can get.”

This time Don didn’t bother hiding his laugh with a cough and Jay scowled at him over Bridgett’s head. “What about Don? Does he get to talk?”

She turned to Don with a serene smile on her face. “Don gets to charm them with his panty-melting grin,” she said. “But make sure you keep your gun out of view. It can be a bit intimidating.”

After punching the elevator button, she peered into the mirrored doors, patting a stray hair into place. Don exchanged a surprised look with Jay before adjusting his suit jacket to accommodate his holster. When they arrived at the lawyer’s office, Bridgett walked in like she owned the place. She cooed to the receptionist about how elegant the space was as if they were in Trump Tower and not some rental office space in an incubator building with furniture from Ikea. Bridgett raved about the tea she was offered despite the fact it was from a yellow box. She was laying it on thick and the staff was eating it up—until they got to Alesha Warren. A woman in her late thirties, she had flawless caramel skin and sleek, long black hair. Her long nails were bloodred, one of them adorned with a shiny stone. Ms. Warren wore her navy power suit well, but it was clearly not of the same quality as Bridgett’s soft plum-colored skirt and jacket.

Jay sized up the woman in an instant. Despite the bravado on her face, there was a hint of desperation in her eyes and around her tight smile. For the first time since he’d woken up this morning, he allowed himself to relax. Bridgett may be playing the charming sorority girl from Legally Blonde, but he knew from past experience that she could do an abrupt about-face when the need arose.

“Won’t Miss Knowles be joining us?” Bridgett asked.

The other woman’s chin jutted out. “Not today. If you want to speak to her, you’ll have to arrange a time for a deposition.”

Don shot forward in his chair. “She asked for this meeting,” he said. “She said she had something she wanted to discuss with us.”

Obviously his “panty-melting grin” wasn’t having any effect on the opposing counsel because the woman eyed Don smugly. “She does, but she’ll be doing all of her discussing through me.” She slid a piece of paper across the table toward Jay. He reached for it, but Bridgett was faster, snatching it up in her neatly manicured hand. “I’m sure you don’t want a lengthy court case, Mr. McManus,” Ms. Warren spoke directly to Jay. “This figure will ensure that we can resolve this today.”

While Jay would love to resolve this today, he was certain that whatever number the brash lawyer had scribbled on that piece of paper and the one in his head were light-years apart. Bridgett glanced at the paper before handing it to him, her face giving nothing away. Jay was careful not to give anything away, either, keeping his expression stoic while inside he seethed. Ten million dollars! The woman had a lot of nerve.

Bridgett made a great show of gathering up her tablet and pen and shoving them in her bag. “Well, thank you for your time, Ms. Warren. We’ll be in touch.”

“That offer only stands for twenty-four hours,” Ms. Warren said quickly.

“I’m sorry.” The air in the room seemed to still along with Bridgett as she eyed the other woman. “I didn’t realize that you’d made an offer. Instead, I think that you’ve made a demand. A rather outrageous one, in my opinion. I think a judge and jury may have a different number in mind once they get a look at the facts, as limited in scope as they are.”

Ms. Warren wasn’t as practiced with her poker face as Bridgett because a few beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. “See it however you’d like, Ms. Janik, but this time tomorrow, our willingness to cooperate and keep certain facts from being next week’s headlines disappears.”

Don slid forward in his chair, his aggravation barely leashed. “You mentioned these ‘facts’ when you set up this meeting, but so far all I’m hearing is a song and dance. How about we cut to the chase and you tell us what you really want.”

“Ten million dollars. It’s what my client and the rest of the class deserve.”

“Set up in a trust to be administered by you, I assume,” Bridgett asked.

“Through my firm, yes.”

That arrangement would net the woman a very nice salary while the settlement was being meted out, especially if her sister-in-law remained the only member of the Sparks cheerleading squad collecting. It was a ballsy move, but, based on the documents he’d already read, the woman didn’t have a case to warrant such a settlement. This meant there was something not in play yet and Jay wanted to know what she had. “There isn’t anything in the filing to warrant a ten-million-dollar award, so why don’t you tell us just exactly what you plan to lead with,” he demanded, unable to adhere to Bridgett’s command to sit there silently any longer. The tip of one of those dominatrix high heels of hers dug into the instep of his foot and he could have sworn he felt the heat of her bare calf through his pant leg. As arousing as that thought was, he couldn’t let it distract him from getting to the bottom of Alesha Warren’s legal ploy.

“I’m glad you asked,” the other lawyer said. “We’ll lead with evidence that the team’s owner knowingly fosters a climate of sexual harassment.”

Jay didn’t move an inch in spite of the fact he wanted to jump across the table and strangle the woman. Don fidgeted on the other side of Bridgett, but she appeared relaxed. “I assume you’ll have evidence to back up such an egregious claim?” she asked, coolly.

There isn’t any evidence, Jay wanted to scream. At least none that involved the Blaze.

Ms. Warren shrugged. “We wouldn’t be here today without it. Mr. McManus left a legacy of sexual harassment accusations at his former company, all of them settled out of court.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jay watched as Bridgett bristled slightly. Damn. He knew what she was thinking, but none of those cases was what Warren claimed.

“You can’t be serious,” Bridgett said. “I’ll get a judge to quash those before they even reach the court.”

Ms. Warren smiled then, her face seeming to relax as she reeled them in. “You know as well as I do that this won’t play out in a courtroom, but rather in the court of public opinion.” She glanced smugly at Jay. “The media will eat this up and women’s groups all over will demand you be forced to give up the team. It’s happened before. Is that what you want, Mr. McManus? To lose a billion-dollar gravy train like the Blaze over this?”

Don swore loudly. “You’re in cahoots with that damn blogger, aren’t you? You have no intention of proceeding legally in this case.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Jay said, deftly moving his foot so that Bridgett couldn’t spear him again, because this time he wasn’t sure it would feel so arousing. “This is blackmail. Pure and simple.”

“I figured that you’d recognize it for what it was.” Ms. Warren sat back in her chair, triumphantly crossing her arms over her chest. “Considering you’re so skilled in the art, Mr. McManus.”

Jay’s mind began to whir. He’d blackmailed many to get where he was today. Most of those involved were scoundrels who deserved to be brought down. But this smelled of retaliation. Barely thirty minutes ago, he’d been hopeful that this case wouldn’t be played out in the courtroom. Apparently, he might get his wish. Except it would get played out in the tabloids instead. Without so much as looking at his companions, he stood, startling Ms. Warren from her victorious posture. “We’re done here.” He reached down and dragged Bridgett’s chair back from the table as Don stood on the other side of her.

“Thank you for your time,” Bridgett said politely, and Jay had to hold back a manic laugh. The other lawyer was a thieving shyster who was bent on being a thorn in his side. He had another phrase besides thank you that he wouldn’t mind barking out as they departed, but good breeding kept him silent.

“Don’t forget, Ms. Janik,” Ms. Warren called after them. “I’ll expect to hear from you by noon tomorrow.”

The three of them quickly made their way back toward the elevator as Don muttered, “Don’t hold your breath.”

They rode the elevator down to the lobby in silence. Jay could only imagine what was going on in that gorgeous head of Bridgett’s. But he didn’t have the time or patience to plead his case to her right now. He needed Linc to start digging. Then Jay needed to make his own list. Someone out there had access to his most personal secrets. And if those came out, there would be serious collateral damage.

The rain was still coming down in sheets as they dashed to the car Don had parked in the visitor’s spot. With the wind swirling around them, Don opened the door for Bridgett, who quickly ducked into the backseat. Jay slid into the front passenger seat, his cell phone pressed up to his ear just as Linc answered the call.

“Hey, boss. I’ve got some bad news,” Linc began without much preamble. “Seymour is out for the season. Torn ACL.”

Jay swore quietly. His premier cornerback had injured himself with a freaking dance move after sacking the quarterback in Sunday’s game. Now the Blaze would have to scramble to find a body to fill the secondary before Friday.

“Hank says he has some feelers out,” Linc continued. “But it won’t be cheap.”

Nothing ever was. Jay hesitated a minute. He knew he could trust Don to be discreet and Bridgett had to keep his confidences—she was his lawyer. But that didn’t mean he wanted his dirty laundry aired in front of either of them. “Hank can handle that right now, Linc. I need you to gather some data for me.”

“If it’s about Charlotte’s baby daddy, I’m still waiting on some intel from our sources in Europe,” Linc said.

Jay pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d forgotten all about his sister in the past thirty minutes, which just demonstrated how screwed up his life was. “No, Linc, I need you to redirect your efforts to something else right now. The other thing can wait.”

“Does that mean she’s not as far along as we thought?” Linc interrupted him. “Because if we know the conception date, it’ll be easier to rule some guys out.”

Linc made it sound as if his sister had slept with half of Europe’s male population, something Jay definitely didn’t want to think about. And no way was he asking his sister how far along she was. Not when choosing a breakfast cereal could reduce her to tears these days. “I haven’t got an answer to that one, Linc, but we need to move on. I need you to cull through the HR files from McManus Industries and pull out all the sexual harassment complaints. Particularly the ones involving me.”

For the first time in Jay’s memory, Linc was silent on the other end of the phone.

“Have them printed and ready for Ms. Janik by the time we arrive back in town this afternoon.”

“All of them, boss? Even the ones you settled?”

“All of them.”

Linc had the good sense not to argue. “Sure thing, boss.”

Bridgett let out an exasperated sigh as Jay ended the call. “Am I going to need a forklift?”

Jay glanced over his shoulder at her. Despite her expensive raincoat, she looked damp and rumpled. And pissed off. Well, she could just join the damn crowd because Jay was none too happy to have to open this can of worms again. The second part of his search would have to take place in Jay’s personal files. He didn’t dare share that information with anyone. But if his theory was correct, that was where he’d find who was behind this case.

“Your pilot says this weather system is hugging the coast and the tower won’t let him take off for another hour or so,” Don said. “There’s a diner next to the airfield. Maybe we should grab something and strategize what our next move is going to be. I for one would like to find Jennifer Knowles.”

Jay nodded his agreement just as his stomach growled. He wanted to get back to Baltimore as quickly as possible, but it wouldn’t be fair to make Bridgett endure another bumpy flight. Not when she looked like she wanted to lop his head off with a stick. Hopefully, they sold something stronger than coffee at the diner. They both were going to need it.

•   •   •

Bridgett glanced at herself in the tiny mirror of the diner’s ladies’ room. She looked a lot like she felt: wrung out. The roller-coaster plane ride followed by the even more turbulent meeting had done a number on her. She should have known there was more to this story. Despite Alesha Warren blindsiding her with her accusations about Jay, Bridgett couldn’t say she was surprised. And that disappointed her. Especially since she’d once loved the man.

Soaping up her hands, she ran them under the hot water to warm herself up. Clearly this wasn’t going to be an open-and-shut case, no matter what Jay and Hank Osbourne said. She needed to get a media specialist on board as soon as possible before things really got out of control. After drying her hands, she shot a text off to Stuart suggesting he begin interviewing potential candidates this afternoon. With nothing left to keep her in the bathroom, she headed back out to break bread with the Antichrist.

She didn’t get very far. Jay was leaning a broad shoulder against the wall next to the men’s room. He looked sexy and almost touchable with his hair all tousled from the wind and the rain. His suit jacket was missing and he’d rolled up his sleeves again to reveal his long, tanned hands. Hands that she knew were very capable of bringing a woman immense pleasure. The sight of him warmed her more quickly than the hot water from the tap had. She needed to get out of the close, dark confines of the hallway and back to their table, where Don would be the perfect buffer.

“Wow, is there a line for the men’s room? That has to be a first.”

He gave her a look as though he didn’t quite get the joke, but he didn’t move a muscle away from the wall.

Bridgett sighed, motioning with her hands for him to get out of the way. “You’re quite the fire hazard here, Jay. Would you mind letting me pass?”

“We need to talk.”

“We certainly do, but I’d rather do this sitting down, preferably with a nice hot cup of tea in front of me.”

“Privately.”

Annoyance made her snap at him. “Out of earshot of Don, you mean? I already told you that any conversations we have from here on out are to be limited to the ongoing case. Anything else is inappropriate.”

She stepped forward to slide past him but he moved more quickly, his big body backing her into the ladies’ room.

“What the hell are you doing?” she snapped at him again.

“I’m invoking attorney-client privilege.” His mouth turned up on one side as though he thought his quip was very amusing.

“I already told you there won’t be any privileges between you and me, Jay. Especially not in the ladies’ room, where someone could walk in at any moment.”

He chuckled as he closed the door and turned the lock. “I like the way you think, Bridgett, but unfortunately we really need to talk about the case. And since there are only three other people who were foolish enough to venture out for lunch in this monsoon and all of them are male, I think we’ll get more privacy here than the hallway.”

Bridgett told herself that wasn’t disappointment swelling deep in her belly. Being ravaged by Jay in the ladies’ room was the last thing she needed to be doing. The quicker they had their “private” conversation, the better. She considered locking herself in the stall and speaking with him through the metal divider, but that would be childish. So, she took a step farther into the corner of the room, leaning a hip against the porcelain sink protruding from the wall.

“If this is about your string of sexual harassment complaints, save your breath,” she said. “Nothing you do anymore surprises me.”

His mouth grew hard and his eyes narrowed slightly. “None of those were legitimate.”

“That’s what they all say.”

Jay smiled then. It wasn’t a pretty one. “Women will do and say a lot of things to get ahead. I’m rich, good-looking, and I happen to appreciate what the opposite sex has to offer. Unfortunately, a few of those women got a little too attached to my money. Or maybe it was my body; I’m not sure.”

It was all she could do not to roll her eyes at him. “It definitely wasn’t your ego.”

She’d baited him one too many times. He moved away from the door, prowling toward her, stopping a scant few inches away from her. His body heat radiated off him, warming her damp shoes and body.

“What’s the matter, Bridgett? Still can’t figure out what women see in me? How a woman might desire me? Love me? Or do you have to constantly remind me that you’re the one woman who did walk away from me?”

Tears stung the back of her eyes. That was the one detail he always got wrong. The walking away part. Jay was the one who’d left her all those years ago.

“Again with the ego,” she whispered, not trusting her voice as he stirred up memories of their painful past. She didn’t have faith in her eyes, either, keeping them focused on the shiny silk of his silver tie.

“Dammit, Bridgett,” he whispered. His breath fanned the top of her head before he cupped her face in his warm hands and lifted her chin. Her eyes had no choice but to stare into his and what she saw briefly flickering within them made her breath catch at the back of her throat. “I don’t want to travel that road again.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I want you.” His lips descended, hovering just over hers, making her body tremble with desire. Damn him.

“No attorney-client privileges, remember?” She managed to force the words past her lips. As much as her body was screaming in protest, Bridgett was glad that her brain was still in control.

“Hmm,” he murmured. His eyes studied her face as if she held the secrets to the universe while his finger traced the line between her ear and her shoulder. “As much as I’d like to dissuade you of that dictate, we have something more important to discuss.”

Again the relief that coursed through her didn’t feel too much like a reprieve. “Can we get to it? I’m sure my tea is getting cold.”

His steely blue eyes went soft, as did his mouth. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m afraid that whoever is behind all this has the potential to hurt you, too.”

Bridgett was having trouble concentrating when his finger was caressing her neck. His statement confused her. “I don’t understand.”

“Whoever is doing this has access to my most private information.”

Nothing was making sense. Bridgett stared at him as she shrugged her shoulders in bewilderment.

Jay gave her a little shake. His voice was raspy when he spoke. “Bridgett, they’ll know about us. And they’ll know about Italy. And our baby.”