McAllister Justice Series Box Set

by Reily Garrett

  Royden hung his head. His counterpart proved as stubborn as every other McAllister. “Abby, you shouldn’t be talking to Larrick.”

  “I-I’ll think about the private practice, Roy. But I can’t stop now, not in the middle of these big cases.”

  “The CEO’s wife has relocated. No doubt her family will recommend a local attorney. This pro bono case, you can take with you.”

  “I didn’t want to tell you until I got home, but I guess now’s as good as ever. I got a call from the CEO this morning. He said since I was already familiar with his holdings, he’d like me to work for him.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t blow a gasket. I told him no, that it was a conflict of interest. Hell, even through the phone line I could tell he was a shark. He was testing the waters.” Abby cocked her head to the side. “Which leads me to believe he either has inside information about what his wife is doing or knows about the theft from my office. Neither would surprise me.”

  “If someone else took the will, maybe it was for leverage or blackmail against you. Maybe someone wanted you to appear incompetent, either to your boss or to the client. Wearing two hats left Royden’s thoughts divided. It remained difficult to think like a lover and step into a potential criminal’s mind at the same time.

  “Without more information, who could say?”

  “C’mon, Abs. Be sensible. You need to take time off. I’ll take care of you. You’ll be on your feet in no time.”

  “I don’t want to be a kept woman. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am—or was. It takes time and lots of money to build an independent practice. And I’m already on my feet. And before you bring it up, I’m not standing aloof because of your ex. This is not about Charlotte. I need a modicum of independence.”

  “You’re still mad. I know it.”

  “I was hurt, yes, because you didn’t tell me. That’s not the same as being mad. I’ve already explained. I’m not going to marry someone for the sake of safety, and you shouldn’t push the issue because you’re afraid for me.”

  Remnants of their early morning discussion would haunt him forever, the hurt in her eyes before she rolled over in bed, declaring she needed more sleep.

  At present, the set of her jaw, one hand on her hip, and her toe’s steady tap on the concrete declared her mind set. Further conversation would alienate her to his cause.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Facing off with a street punk didn’t make Abby’s list of smartest career moves. For appearances’ sake, she’d tried to pull her courtroom façade over the thick veil of stark terror. From Lottie’s description of gang retribution, the street punk could’ve killed and left her body to rot where it fell with no more concern than if he’d squashed a roach.

  Had she not pointed out the video camera, the thug would’ve assaulted her. She’d seen the intent in his eyes. Circumstances raised the question of a new bull’s eye on her back.

  A deep breath and gazing out at work cubicles in the main area helped center her thoughts away from the new confrontational approach. Mitzie had buzzed her when she saw Bradley heading her way. How he kept his fingers in every pie, she hadn’t figured out.

  Abby smoothed her expression to cover the frustration of the micro-managing technique. Per his usual arrogance, he strode in and sat, as if she didn’t have a pile of work on her desk. A subtle cough before a sip of bottled water refocused her attention.

  “What can I do for you, Brad?” Abby clamped down on her anger.

  “You can tell me why the police are swarming in the garage worse than a locust’s new hatch.”

  Since the incident stemmed from her pro bono work, she didn’t want to give him more ammunition to wedge between her and the managing partners. “Two cops don’t make a swarm... A simple misunderstanding. That’s all.”

  “That’s not what I hear.” Brad laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back, one ankle resting on the opposite knee.

  Sharks had a friendlier approach. She matched his smile with a smirk and waited. She knew the game as well or better than her boss. The silence drew out until dawning crossed his features.

  “I spoke with Salsman. He agreed that you need some time off, though he’s not willing to force the issue just yet.”

  Abby grinned. “Not when I have trial next week and the client won’t accept a substitute.” Loyal clients were worth their weight in gold.

  “Frankly, I don’t care. Theodore Credlin is going to offer me a job, or so I hear. He called Salsman and asked about my credentials and performance.”

  “Well, well. Isn’t that odd. He called me direct this morning and asked if I would handle his personal affairs since I have knowledge of all his holdings.”

  Brad shot out of his chair, fury burned in every line of his face. “You can’t do that. It’s a conflict of interest even if his wife drops you! The firm wouldn’t stand for how it would make them look.”

  “Which is what I told him.” Though her chances for a promotion dwindled with every beat of her heart, Abby held her head high, letting her confidence shine through her steadfast gaze.

  “And what did you offer him?” Brad’s dig at her ethics hit below the belt. He knew her standards and morals were solid.

  Abby’s retort died in her throat with the appearance of her friends, Lexi and Katt. Each walked through the open door as if they belonged.

  “Hi, Abby. How’s it going?” Lexi circled the desk and pulled up a chair beside her.

  Katt sat in the chair beside her supervisor. A once-over declared him equal to sludge. “Hi. Did I hear a slur against one of my best friends? You know—it’s not nice to smear someone’s character. Didn’t your mom teach you better manners?”

  “Who the hell are you? You can’t just walk in here like you own the place.” Brad retrieved his cell from his pocket.

  “Actually, Brad, we do belong here.” Lexi smiled at her accomplice.

  “How so?” Brad looked from Katt to Lexi, his jaw dropping when each pulled out a laptop.

  “Girls...” Abby’s soft warning went unheeded. The last thing she needed was for her friends to give the man a raging case of e-venereal disease.

  “Some guy named—oh yeah—Salsman wanted us to update your electronic security, starting with Ms. McAllister.” Lexi grinned at the man’s indignation.

  “That means you have to leave, per your boss.” Katt waved her fingers in a shooing motion. “Oh, and don’t forget to have a nice day. I hear smut magazines are on sale on the street corner.”

  Abby groaned.

  Before he could get out the door, Lexi spoke loud enough for all to hear. “What is meathead’s problem?”

  Brad turned, his gaze narrowed. “It’s a bad idea to make an enemy of your boss.” It was the first time he’d shown his true colors.

  “It’s also a bad idea to piss off digital prodigies, prick.” Lexi’s gaze didn’t rise above her computer screen, but the determined set of her body language indicated acceptance of a challenge.

  Abby waited until Brad stomped out. Maintaining a straight face when knowing her friend’s intentions equaled not smiling while delivering a decisive closing argument.

  “Katt, you will not subscribe him to every dirty magazine known to man.” Closing her eyes to find her center failed to wipe the grin from her face. “My yoga exercises aren’t working.”

  “Okay.” Lexi exchanged a measured look with Katt before a grin split her face.

  “Ladies, that’s my boss, well, one of them.”

  “He needs to learn some manners.” Katt snickered as she typed on her keyboard. “Thanks for the compliment, Lexi, but I know I haven’t reached prodigy status.”

  “You’ll get there, Katt. Besides, he doesn’t know that.” Lexi nodded in Katt’s direction. “Gay pornography?”

  “And fetish,” Katt replied.

  “Oh, no. No, no, no. You girls will not do this. Please?” Abby swallowed hard, trying not to laugh.

  “But if he has so much
time on his hands, we should give him something useful to do with them.” Katt’s innocent façade didn’t quite make it.

  “And don’t forget pleasurable,” Lexi added. “Damn, he’s not married.”

  “But he does appear to like the XXX sites.” Katt smiled, lacing her fingers, extending her arms, and flexing her hands. “Damn, I love my work.”

  Abby bit her bottom lip, torn between the mental images of Brad soon receiving countless gifts and the fact that either friend could digitally erase him from existence. Flashbacks of when Lexi met Ethan and sent anonymous flower and candy baskets with furred handcuffs and lacy unmentionables came to mind. It took him months to live it down, walking into the squad room to find one or the other dangling from the ceiling above his desk.

  “Did you guys really talk to the managing partner?” As much as she wanted them to wipe the floor with Brad, she subscribed to the notion of staying within certain boundaries. Legal if not moral ones. These were her friends, her family, and wanted to protect her in whatever fashion they could.

  “Yup. I contacted him first thing this morning and let him know of critical weaknesses in his firewall. Offered him a discount to fix them. He jumped at the chance after I told him I’m a consultant with PPD.” Lexi continued working without looking up.

  “Which means you’ll spend it all on dirty magazines and devices sent to Brad’s office.” Abby groaned at the thought of daily deliveries, along with a few not-so-subtle toys in conspicuously marked boxes deposited on the front desk for Brad.

  “Abby?” Mitzie padded into the office and stopped. The assistant’s appearance earned her a minute of quiet speculation from the hackers.

  “Hi, I’m Lexi, the new IT consultant. This is Katt.” Lexi nodded to her colleague. “You must be Maria? Abby’s assistant?”

  “Yes, but call me Mitzie.” Turning to Abby, she continued. “Do you want the files on Jameson now?”

  Abby side glanced at her guests. Giving them any information at all was dangerous, despite their good intentions. “No. That can wait for a bit.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t go with you when you walked Lottie out. I should have. That creep probably wouldn’t have bothered you if there were three of us.”

  “Nonsense, Mitzie. I’m fine. He wasn’t going to hurt me. Not once I pointed out the video cameras.”

  “It seems we attract the worst of the worse. Are you sure you don’t need to take a break from—all this?” She held her hands out to indicate the outer office.

  “What a great idea. Why don’t we have a night out on the town?” Lexi nodded to Mitzie. “You up for it?”

  “Absolutely. My friends and roommate were going to the Irish pub down on third and Clover tonight. Wanna join us?”

  Katt nodded her acceptance, as did Lexi before Abby could think of a reason to refuse. Knowing her family, they’d have numbers rivaling the National Guard surrounding them.

  A NOW-FAMILIAR itch pricked the skin between Abby’s shoulder blades, yet no faces appeared familiar in the dimly lit bar. She searched among the room’s patrons, certain her brothers and Royden had stacked the deck by placing several undercover or off duty officers among the crowd. Arriving a little early with Lexi and Katt, she waited for Mitzie and her friends to arrive.

  “What’s up, Abby? You look nervous.” Lexi’s gaze scanned the throng of young professionals before returning to the can of soda before her. If the server had thought the request for an unopened can strange, she’d given no indication.

  Abby sat between Katt and Lexi. Upon arrival, her friends directed her to a table at the back where they’d face the room with a wall at their backs. Both girls were street savvy and self-sufficient.

  “Nothing, well, I keep getting the vibe somebody’s watching me.”

  “You mean besides Dereck in the corner?” Katt nodded toward the young off duty officer. “Don’t worry. He’s harmless. He asked me out several times but gave up when I told him I was with Matt.”

  “Royden says this used to be his favorite watering hole during his college years.” She needed a distraction. It wasn’t just in the bar Abby felt like a specimen squeezed between two slides under a microscope, but tonight, the demons on her left shoulder had stepped it up a notch. Her gut twisted with the need to define the threat.

  “You two don’t go to bars much now, though.” Lexi’s question came out as a statement.

  “No, I’d rather spend my time in physical pursuits than finding the bottom of a bottle.”

  “Lexi, wasn’t Ethan pissed at you for coming out tonight?” Katt twirled the straw in her fruity drink. She’d yet to take a sip. A casual eye would suspect the little PI had not a care in the world.

  Abby knew better. Katt was every bit as sharp as her brothers and Royden. She’d probably stored a mental picture of everyone in the pub if she wasn’t wearing a body camera.

  “Yeah, until I told him I had a private investigator to watch my back.” Lexi held her hand up for a high five.

  The light slap earned the attention of two men at the next table. Each had watched the three women enter and settle. Heated interest kept their gazes locked onto the new arrivals. Their smirk detailed a lesson on how not to pick up a woman.

  “Matt thinks Abby’s trying to draw out the stalker tonight.” Katt caught the eye of a server in passing. “Can we place an order for snacks, please? Also, I’d like a bottle of water.”

  Abby turned to her friends. “I know damn well each of my brothers and Roy are lurking very close. It’s the only reason I’m not handcuffed to my bed.”

  Lexi sputtered her soda and grabbed a napkin. “O-kay. That was unexpected. I guess we really don’t know you as well as we think. Maybe there’s hope for Royden after all.” Palm up, she waved her fingers in a tell-all motion.

  “He is a shrink. Bet he can anticipate everything she needs,” Katt agreed.

  Heat twined up Abby’s neck. “I’m not talking sex with you guys, simply because I know the facts will eventually make their way back to my brothers. Can you imagine how that would—” Abby covered her mouth, realizing she’d need a big distraction to alter the course of conversation.

  A deep breath prepared for the verbal onslaught to come. It wasn’t an exaggeration to toy with the ring on her necklace. The back and forth motion soothed her nerves.

  “Ohmygod! Is that a diamond, Abby? Katt bolted to her feet to examine the ring.

  “Oh, yes. It is,” Lexi confirmed.

  “Hey, sorry we’re late.” Mitzie pulled up a chair with her back to the room. “This is Jenna and Linda,” indicating her friends who also took a seat. “The place is busy tonight—holy shit, Abby. Royden gave you an engagement ring? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because we haven’t set a date yet. However, Royden insisted we fill out the marriage application.”

  “But it’s only good for...” Mitzie tilted her head in confusion.

  “Sixty days. Congratulations. Where is your guy?” Jenna’s upper body swayed to the beat of the music. Long blonde hair brushed her bare arms as she swiveled her chair to see the room at large.

  “Not here tonight. He doesn’t want to see us all get blitzed.” Katt shook her head.

  “I hope you cleaned your toilet before we came since you may be hugging it later,” Lexi replied.

  Jenna squinted in the dim light and leaned forward to see better. “Wow. That’s nice. Lucky lady.”

  “Then why aren’t you wearing it?” Lexi slid her fingers under the chain to dangle the ring for all to examine. “Is it because of Charlotte?”

  Conversations stopped when the server took the new order and returned with drinks.

  “How do you guys know about Charlotte?” Abby’s defenses rose, but she couldn’t stop from showing her pain, even if obscurely. She briefly closed her eyes to get a handle on her emotions.

  “McAllister grapevine, of course. Ya know, you really don’t have anything to worry about from Royden.” Katt chimed in to add support.


  “I know she’s an ex and he’s long since over her, but you didn’t see the determination in her eyes. She wants him back. I don’t know enough about her to fight it, but I don’t want to start a marriage with that or any other threat over my head.”

  “Then let’s relax tonight and deal with the rest later.” Lexi held her soda up for a toast. Mitzie, Linda, and Jenna raised their glasses in agreement.

  “Here’s to new beginnings and a future filled with laughter and love.” Katt had as much to celebrate as Lexi if Royden’s assessment of her brothers’ intentions were correct.

  “Mitzie says you’re an attorney?” Removing the elastic from the messy bun, Linda shook her head as her long hair draped to her waist. She appeared every bit the twenty-something roommate out for a good time. The deep V of her snug t-shirt revealed an ample amount of cleavage.

  “Yes. I work for Salsman and Fernandez, family law.” Abby took a sip of her drink and relaxed. There were too many people for an assassin to make his move. “Mitzie said you’re employed as a Virtual Travel Agent. How does that even work?”

  “Oh, it’s great money and with fantastic perks. I get to take advantage of the discounts and travel when I like. Not the dream job I hoped for out of college, but it pays the bills and has nice benefits.”

  Linda’s gaze roamed the room until landing on the young officer Katt pointed out earlier. Speculation and a certain come-hither smile stretched her lips wide. “Nice pickings tonight, yes?” Hiking her brows up several times, she chuckled and glanced at Jenna. “I call dibs on him later.”

  “What kind of work do you do, Jenna?” Katt smiled but her gaze remained on her cell as she continued to fiddle with it.

  Abby sighed, knowing her friends had good intentions. She’s recording conversations.

  Jenna brushed her curly blonde hair off her shoulder. A little more sophisticated, she turned to face Katt. “I’m a magazine freelancer. Once I got my foot in the door with American Outdoorsman, I got acceptance letters for other jobs. It’s a great way to travel and have your own schedule. My parents did a lot of traveling, so I guess that helped.”