All It Takes

by Proby, Kristen

  “I found their marriage certificate. Did they have more kids?”

  “No, she was never able to get pregnant. She committed suicide ten years after they married.”

  “Good God, this is horrible.” I stare at Mom in horror. “What happened to Lawrence?”

  “I actually met him,” she replies. “When your father and I were dating, he was still alive. He passed just before we married.”

  “Did he ever get married again?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Well, that’s depressing,” Lou says, emptying the last of the wine in her glass. “We need more alcohol and happy stories.”

  “There’s more wine inside,” Mom says, but before she can stand, Quinn does.

  “I’ll go get it.”

  “Thank you, dear.”

  The door closes behind him and Mom smiles at me. “He’s wonderful, Sienna.”

  “I think so.”

  “If you get married, I want to help plan it,” Lou says. “I won’t even charge you.”

  “You’re too kind.” My voice is as dry as the desert, but I can’t help but laugh at her. “And you’d be hired, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He hasn’t asked. It’s only been a few weeks.”

  “I just have a very good feeling about this,” Mom says with a smug smile.

  “I wonder what’s taking him so long.” I frown and stand. “I’m just going to check on him.”

  I walk through the back door and hear voices in the kitchen. When I walk around the corner, it’s just Patrick and Quinn in the room, Patrick’s back is to me, and Quinn’s face is flat-out pissed.

  “Fuck off,” Quinn growls at Uncle Patrick, and then he sees me standing in the doorway.

  I’m stunned. What in the world could Uncle Patrick have said to warrant that response?

  “What the hell?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  ~Quinn~

  I’m enjoying all of them. Louis is fascinating to talk cars with, which gives us quite a lot in common, and the whole family has been inviting and gracious.

  Patrick hasn’t said much, but I’m fine with that. I already want to deck the asshole.

  I walk into the house, shut the door behind me, and walk into the kitchen, looking for another bottle of wine. I’m surprised that Patrick is in the kitchen alone.

  “The girls want more wine,” I say, spying a bottle on the countertop. I reach for it, and turn to leave, but Patrick is standing in my way of the door.

  “I’ve looked into you,” he begins and crosses his arms over his chest. “I know that you’re a good attorney.”

  “Okay.” I tilt my head, interested to see where this is going.

  “So color me surprised when I discovered that you and Sienna are working on the case together. I wouldn’t think you’d need to fuck her to win this case. Or is that your plan? It’ll be easier to comfort her when she loses?”

  “Fuck off,” I reply, my hand already fisted and ready to land in his face when I glance up and see Sienna standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with confusion.

  “What the hell?” She props her hands on her hips, glaring at me. “Why would you speak that way to my uncle?”

  “You must not have heard the part where he basically called you a whore,” I reply, my eyes returning to Patrick’s. But he shakes his head and turns to Sienna, his face transforming into a soft smile.

  “I did no such thing,” he says, his voice smoothing immediately. “You know I wouldn’t say something like that. I’ve already voiced my concerns to you, Sienna, about working so closely with the opposing counsel. I don’t think it’s appropriate.”

  “I’ve already told you that it’s none of your business,” she says, surprising me. “We aren’t doing anything wrong by working together to get to the bottom of a case that goes back a century. I don’t appreciate you cornering Quinn in the kitchen and grilling him.”

  “I’m looking out for your best interests.”

  Bullshit. He just admitted to me that he intends for Sienna to lose the case.

  “I think it’s time to go,” Sienna says. She turns and marches out the door and I’m close on her heels. “I’m sorry, everyone, but we have to go back to work.”

  “You work too hard, dear,” Sienna’s mom says, but we say our good-byes and are on our way back to my condo before Sienna will even speak to me.

  “I didn’t like hearing you speak that way to my uncle.”

  And I don’t like that your uncle is trying to fuck you over.

  “I can’t believe you’re close to that man,” I reply, my hands tightening almost painfully on the steering wheel. “You weren’t there to hear what he said before you came in.”

  “He’s not been himself lately,” she insists. “I told you that before. I don’t know what’s going on with him. Maybe he’s grieving, maybe he’s worried about the case.”

  Yeah, worried that you’ll find that last payment and he’ll be screwed.

  “I don’t buy it, Sienna. You just don’t say shit like that about your niece. I would cut off my own tongue before I said something like that about Gabby.”

  “Maybe he has something going on medically,” she argues. “We don’t know. But I do know that I’ve been close to him my whole life and I walked in on my boyfriend telling him to fuck off.”

  “Damn right I did, and I’m not apologizing for standing up for the woman I love, Sienna. He’s lucky I didn’t deck him. I’d like to go back and do exactly that.”

  “I can’t believe this,” she grumbles. “He may be too opinionated about how we’re handling the case, I don’t disagree with you there. But he also comes from another era, where he probably wouldn’t have worked with opposing counsel.”

  “Or a woman,” I mutter without being able to hold it in.

  “He encouraged me to go to law school,” she says. “Seriously, Quinn, I think you’re overreacting.”

  And I can’t fucking explain to her that I’m not. It’s the most frustrating situation I’ve ever been in.

  “I told you before that I don’t trust him, and he hasn’t changed my opinion.”

  “Well, I trust him,” she says, and my hands tighten on the wheel again. “There are three men in this world that I trust the most, and it’s you, my dad, and Uncle Patrick.”

  Slash to the heart.

  “So, even though you don’t trust him, I need you to trust me.”

  “I do trust you.” I peel my hand off the wheel and take her hand in mine, pulling it to my lips. “Implicitly.”

  “That’s all that matters.”

  I need to figure out a way to tell her that Patrick is a lying douchebag and not break the law. Because keeping it from her is killing me.

  I’m in my office the next morning, and rather than the work I’m supposed to be doing, I’m staring at a blank piece of paper, trying to think of ways to fill Sienna in.

  “I could ask Finn or Carter to tell her,” I mumble, but then immediately scratch that off the list. Technically, Bruce is their client, too, since he hired the firm, not just me.

  Damn it.

  I could take my notes home from that meeting with Bruce and leave them on the kitchen counter for her to accidentally see.

  The only problem with that is, she won’t read them. I know her, and she’s too principled to sneak a look at notes that don’t belong to her.

  God, I love her.

  I could send her an anonymous letter. I sit back in my chair, thinking it over. She checks her mail a couple times a week, so that could work. It might be the only way to do it and not have it come back on me.

  There’s a knock at my door and Sienna walks in with a smile on her face. She locks the door behind her.

  “I asked Kami if you were busy and she said no.”

  “She was right,” I reply, watching as she walks around my desk and leans against it next to me. I wrap my arm around her slim waist and scoop her into my lap. “What’s up, sweetheart?”

  “You
know, you look really sexy behind this desk.”

  “Is that right?”

  “I’ve thought so since the first time I saw this office. It’s big and masculine, and it fits you perfectly.”

  “I’m glad that you approve of my office.”

  She’s playing with the knot of my tie, touching my neck and chin, and fucking hell, I want her.

  Here.

  Now.

  “Sienna, I’m going to fuck you on my desk.”

  She grins, her blue eyes on fire with lust. “Oh, I hope so.”

  In one fluid motion, I boost her onto the desk and hike her skirt up around her hips.

  “We’re going to wrinkle your briefs,” she says with a laugh.

  “I’m not wearing briefs.”

  “I meant your legal briefs, ace.”

  “I know what you meant.” I bite the side of her neck and my cock strains against my pants at her soft moan. “And I don’t give a shit about anything but you right now.”

  “Every girl loves to hear that,” she whispers. Her fingers are fisted in my hair and my hand is gliding up her thigh to her core.

  “Jesus, you’re wet, honey.”

  “I’ve wanted this for a long time.” She scoots her ass closer to the edge of the desk and reaches for my pants, unfastens them, and sets my heavy cock free. “It’s something of a fantasy.”

  “You definitely should have said something earlier.” I reach for my wallet, thankful that I tucked a condom in there, and hurry to fill her, to feel her stiffen around me. “You fit me like a goddamn glove.”

  “So good,” she breathes. “God, Quinn.”

  My mouth is on hers as I push inside, absorbing her groans of pleasure. What started as frenzied and hurried quickly turns soft and intimate.

  I drag the backs of my knuckles down her cheek and kiss her nose, her eyes.

  “I’m in the deep end of this with you,” I whisper. “You’re mine, Sienna. This.” I press in balls deep and pin her hands to the desk. She’s panting, watching me with wide blue eyes. “Is mine. And this.” I kiss her chest, over her heart. “This is mine.”

  “All yours,” she confirms. “And you’re mine back.”

  I grin and kiss her, moving my hips in a steady rhythm that will send us both over the edge. She clamps her legs around my hips and tilts her pelvis, taking more of me and making my eyes cross.

  “Fuck yes,” I mutter, burying my face against her neck as I come apart. I don’t bother to muffle her moans as she follows me over. I don’t care who hears us.

  She’s mine.

  I want to shout it from the rooftops.

  I kiss her softly and help her into a sitting position before I walk into my private bath to flush the condom and tuck myself away. When I walk back out, she’s fixing her lipstick and looks as perfect as she did when she first walked in here.

  “We didn’t wrinkle your briefs too badly,” she says with a smug smile. “I actually came in here to let you know that I’m leaving for the afternoon. I have to go to my parents’ house.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I forgot my phone there yesterday. I think I’ll see if my mom wants to go to lunch.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you tonight?”

  “Of course. I’ll text you when I’m on my way back. I guess it’s good that we drove separately today.”

  She winks and saunters out of my office. Damn, I love her ass.

  We drove separately because I needed a couple of hours at the gym before work to try to burn off some of the aggression and anger I’m carrying about this case.

  I’m an attorney. Keeping secrets isn’t new to me.

  Keeping them from the woman I’m madly in love with? That’s a whole different story, and I’m not comfortable with it.

  The anonymous letter is the way to go.

  But before I can start to type it up, my phone rings.

  “This is Cavanaugh.”

  “It’s Bruce. This isn’t an easy phone call to make.”

  I frown and lean back in my chair. “What’s up?”

  “I just got a call from Patrick Hendricks. He told me that he has the proof that the money was repaid in the loan for the property, and for one million dollars, he’d be happy to make it go away.”

  I hit mute on the phone so I can say, “Motherfucker,” then unmute. “What do you want me to do?”

  Bruce sighs. “I told both you and Sienna that I’m not a dick, I’m a businessman. I wasn’t lying. I’m a lot of things, but I don’t do shady shit like this, especially when I have no skin in the game. It’s not property that I paid for, and I don’t have plans for it yet.”

  Holy shit, Bruce is going to do the right thing.

  “I’m going to drop the case, Quinn. And I think it’s time for Sienna to know what’s going on.”

  Thank fuck.

  “I’m glad you’ve made this decision. I think it’s the right one. I’ll get the paperwork going.”

  “What’s going to happen to Patrick Hendricks?”

  “Well, he’s committed fraud, and bribery, so the city could press charges, but that will be up to them. I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime, do you have anything in writing?”

  “Just the note from Patrick that came with the letter. He called today, and I didn’t record it.”

  “That’s fine,” I say. “I think the important thing is that you’re dropping the case. I’ll get that in motion right away.”

  I end the call and drag my hand down my face. I’m relieved that I don’t have to keep lying to Sienna and worried about how she’s going to take the news.

  She doesn’t have her phone on her, but I call it anyway.

  When it goes to voice mail, I leave a message. “Hey, it’s me. I need you to call me right away. Right away, Sienna.”

  Then I send a text for good measure.

  Call me as soon as you get your phone. It’s urgent.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ~Sienna~

  I’m looking forward to lunch with my mom. I don’t know for sure that she’s home since I can’t call her, but I hope she is. I was reminded yesterday that I don’t see my family often enough, especially lately.

  But with our final court date being a week from today, things should go back to normal soon where my schedule is concerned, and I can look in on my parents more often.

  I park in the driveway, surprised to see my uncle Patrick’s car also parked out front. I never knock on my parents’ door. I tried once when I came home from college, and my mom lectured me on how this is still my house, and I don’t ever have to knock when I visit.

  So I walk through the door, but before I can peek into the living room, I overhear my name, stopping me in my tracks.

  “I don’t think Sienna knows,” Uncle Patrick says. “Bruce mentioned to me that Quinn does, but I guess hopping in bed with her doesn’t necessarily mean that he tells her everything.”

  “That’s what we were worried about,” Dad replies and every hair on my body stands on end. “So Quinn is a good lawyer.”

  “As is your daughter,” Uncle Patrick responds. “Better than we thought.”

  “It doesn’t matter how good she is,” Dad says, “if she doesn’t have the proof of the last payment.”

  “What were the odds that I’d find that journal in the boxes I took from Dad’s?” Uncle Patrick says, a huge smile in his voice. I can’t help but peek around the wall, to see them sitting, smiling and chatting as if they’re talking about a great golf game, rather than the fact that they’re trying to screw over our family.

  I’m stunned. Am I hearing what I think I’m hearing?

  “What did Bruce say when you told him you could make the proof go away?” Dad asks.

  “He said he’d have to think about it, but it’s a no-brainer. He pays us the million, I burn the journal and the letter, and he owns the property. It’s worth far more than one million dollars.”

  “Which is why I’m pissed that Dad left it to the city,�
� Dad replies. His voice is hard now. “He gave too much of the money to the girls and the fucking church, and all we get is his house? Along with a paltry amount of cash? It’s absurd.”

  I can’t stand it anymore. Every fiber of my being is vibrating with fury. I walk around the wall, plant my hands on my hips, and glare at the surprised men, the men I’ve always trusted my whole life, who I just discovered I don’t even know.

  “I can’t believe what I just heard.”

  “What did you hear, baby girl?” Dad asks.

  “Every fucking thing you said in the past five minutes.”

  Both men go pale and I spy the journal on the table, with a letter peeking out of the top. I swipe it up and tuck it under my arm.

  “Now, Sienna, you don’t know all the details and reasons that we had to do this,” Dad says as he stands, and I shake my head, backing away from him.

  “Do you know how many reasons would be valid? Zero. You didn’t own the property and you’re mad about it? You’re acting like spoiled children who didn’t get your way. Which is exactly what you are.”

  “You don’t know anything,” Uncle Patrick begins, but I hold my hand up to stop him.

  “I know that you offered to make this proof go away for a million dollars. I know that’s fraud and bribery, which are both illegal. I know that you’re fucking over your own family and community.”

  “You may be angry, but you’ll watch your language,” Dad says. I can only laugh humorlessly, staring at him as if he’s crazy.

  Because he just might be.

  “I’m taking this.” I hold the book up. “It’s part of Grandpa’s estate, and that’s part of evidence in an ongoing case.”

  “You can’t do that,” Dad insists, but Uncle Patrick shakes his head.

  “Yes, she can.”

  “Hello, everyone! Wow, there’s quite a party going on.” Mom walks in from the kitchen and stops short when she sees us all in our standoff. “What’s happening?”

  “Did you know?” I demand.

  “Did I know what?”

  “No,” Dad says with a heavy sigh. “She didn’t.”

  “Did I know what?” Mom asks again.