Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
The lawyer who is looking to be complete trouble?
I’ll handle her, too.
14
Skye
Papers are signed, and I’ve cross-checked everything as I raise my hand to knock on Trent Aldridge’s office door.
“Come on in, Lawyer Lady,” Trent hollers through the closed door. I look up to find the camera, but I can’t see one easily. Are all these guys’ offices guarded like a Swiss bank?
“I brought back the signed stack for you,” I practically singsong as I walk through the door.
“Still can’t believe the bastard made you schlep all the way back yourself. I mean, come on, this is the easy stuff.”
“Yeah, well, I’m getting used to being dragged all over the place at Tobias’s side with zero notice given. It’s kind of his MO.”
“Tobias’s side. Never thought I’d see the day he had a woman as hard as nails next to him. We all need one, though.”
“A woman lawyer?” I ask, confused by his statement.
“No, a woman to put up with us and fall in love.”
“Whoa. Um. No. Trent. I can call you Trent, right? I’ve known Tobias for a total of five seconds, give or take. There’s no love talk on the table. I barely tolerate the man, and I’m ready for him to retire so I can get back to my other clients.”
“So, you talk back to him and force him to do things on Day One. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“And he didn’t pull out a gun, shoot you on sight, and dump the body in the East River.”
“Noooo.”
“Well, in this world, that’s one step away from him being in love with you, Lawyer Lady.”
I huff. Genuine laughter bursts out of him.
“I gotta get back to my office. Let me know if you have anything else that needs to be reviewed for my client.” I purposely over-enunciate those last two words.
“Sure. Sure, I will. Oh, and when you see him, tell him I secured the teddy bears for Lorenzo, so that’s one thing off the list for ‘Client Tobias,’” he air quotes.
“Teddy bears?”
“Yeah, he’ll know what they are for. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Okay, have a good day. Oh, and I thought I introduced myself yesterday, but in case you forgot, my name is Skye Matthews.”
“I remember your name, Skye. I think I’ll stick with Lawyer Lady, though, just to piss Tobias off.”
I chuckle as I walk out of his office. Just a five-minute conversation with Trent Aldridge has my head spinning again. I’m off to find out what Tobias wants and whether I can keep my wits about me with him next to me.
Time goes by fast when you’re overworked. It’s been almost two weeks since this man has employed me, and my nerves have yet to subside. I’m not sure what to expect today. Days keep passing, and he keeps dragging me along with him. I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve also gotten used to returning home at the end of the day bone-tired. My mind is mush.
I have worked hard before, but this is something entirely different. It is as if I am completely on edge all the time. My sensory system is on overload. I want to hate him. But really, he hasn’t done anything other than tow me around to every business meeting he could have in the greater tri-state area. I’ve met his finance guy, security teams, brokers, and warehouse and shipping managers. I think I am missing a maid or two and possibly a gardener.
He doesn’t know I need to get back to my other clients. He has no clue there is a bigger objective for me. Felix.
That’s the goal.
From what I have seen and heard, Felix is responsible for a string of violent incidents. One of the incidents could very well be the one where my parents were killed.
My boss thinks I’m here to better my career, but that’s not the whole story. I’m here for one reason, and that’s only to fill in the blanks of my past.
My father—adoptive father—closes down every time I ask questions. He thinks I’m over asking about that day and the details he has patched together over the years, but I’m not. I need to know.
I feel like pieces are missing, and I want to connect the dots and understand what happened. There’s no one left to ask but Felix himself. I certainly can’t ask him directly, but if I have access to his computer . . . there has to be something in his files that will answer my questions.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to closely examine what I took from my father’s house, but I believe those papers, coupled with anything I can grab from Felix, will help clear things up for me. It’s not a well-thought-out plan, but it’s the only one I have.
Walking into my bathroom, I stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is blown out already; I just need a little makeup before I go. A dusting of blush and mascara is enough. Once I do that, I run my hands down my skirt and make sure I look put together.