Mutually Exclusive

by Charlotte Winston

  —A

  He read the words several times, trying to remember why he broke up with her in the first place, but the answers evaded him. All he knew was he continued to break the heart of a girl who’d reminded him this was the week she lost her father. The father who lied to her, who she never defended, even when she had the right to tell Roman to shove it up his ass. He clutched the envelope, with the keys to the house he’d desired since he was a teenager, but somehow the victory seemed shallow given all he’d lost.

  21

  Alexandra wanted to curl up in a ball and pretend like the past week and a half hadn’t happened after she left Roman. She’d cried over Roman Valentine for the last time, although this latest crying jag had more to do with her father than anything else. The following day was the anniversary of his death, and she tended to wear her heart on her sleeve every year around this time, so all the additional issues made it worse. Roman refused to listen to what she told him she wanted or needed. Her job was everything, yes, but recently her world seemed to revolve around one person—him.

  Her job meant nothing if he wasn’t in her life, especially given all the facts she’d learned about her father from Franklin and Roman. Some legacy she lived up to. Thank God the DNA test was negative; she couldn’t handle it if she found out Franklin was her dead father. It’d be like learning unicorns were real. But who was he then?

  Wiping her eyes, she flipped down the visor and grimaced at the current look she was rocking. She tried to fix herself as much as possible, raccoon eyes making way from what appeared to be badly botched smoky eyes. It’ll have to do, she thought, because she’d arrived at the rundown pizza parlor in the middle of downtown.

  It looked like a hometown pizza parlor had stood the test of time, just rough enough around the edges with customers coming in and out to clue someone in they served good pizza. Not enough to rob the place. If she wanted serious cash, it was clear this place wasn’t rolling in dough. Pun intended. The partners at the firm would disapprove if they knew she was there; hell, they’d wanted her to plead out the case in the first place. But she couldn’t get the look of Mr. Dominic’s face out of her mind when he told her more than he should. Detective Trajeo wasn’t taking her calls, big shocker, although the secretary who took her information promised he would call her back. She wasn’t holding her breath. The weak link was inside, Mr. Dominic, and he was the key to this bizarre case.

  “What can I get for you?” the fresh-faced teenager at the counter asked, grabbing an order pad.

  “Actually, I’m here to see Mr. Dominic.”

  The teenager narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “He know you’re coming?”

  She shook her head, smiling, hoping to put him at ease. “No, but I don’t think it will be a problem. I just have to ask him a couple questions, and he’s the only one who can help me.”

  “I’m about sick of you people coming in here and bothering him,” the kid muttered, moving toward the back.

  “Excuse me?” she stopped him. His reaction was a bit over the top considering she’d only asked to speak with the owner. “What do you mean by ‘you people’?”

  The kid stared, incredulous. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m sick of you slick lawyer-types. Been hounding him for months. My grandfather doesn’t have shit to do with what’s going on with my cousin. I tried to tell you guys, but you don’t want to hear it. Said my grandfather was important to my cousin, could make him see the error in his ways. What the hell did they know? Then his store gets robbed? And he’s threatened with jail because he refuses to testify about something he didn’t want to? It’s bullshit, and none of it is a damn coincidence, lady.”

  “No, I guess it’s not. I’m sorry if you felt I was insulting you by implying it was.”

  He nodded, but his eyes were defiant. “Let me get my grandfather, I’ve probably said too much as it is. The whole situation has pissed me off.”

  “I bet,” she said to his back. She took a seat, ignoring the curious stares from the other patrons. Show’s free, folks, she considered saying, but figured it’d make her seem like more of a bitch than they already thought she was. Bad circumstances all around, and she represented every problem they’d been having lately.

  “Ma’am.” The teenaged defender stopped at her table. “He told me to take you back to his office.” She followed him to the back, where the weathered wooden door appeared as though it wouldn’t shut, walking in behind him.

  “I knew you’d come.” Mr. Dominic sat behind the dingy metal desk with piles of paper everywhere. She sat in the tattered chair in front of him, ignoring the shutting door behind her.

  “Then you know why I’m here.”

  “I knew the minute those words slipped out of my mouth you weren’t going to let me get away. You were ready to tear into me like a hungry lion that got the first bite of his prey, and I knew you would be back here. I’m surprised you weren’t here sooner.” She wasn’t there to swap stories on the playground, but she needed his help since he had information she wasn’t privy to. She wasn’t going to get it from the detective, so Mr. Dominic was her only hope.

  “I had some personal issues I needed to take care of.”

  He raised a brow. “I saw you on the news.”

  “Oh.” She cleared her throat, trying to rid herself of the discomfort she felt before continuing. She felt she’d been chastised by her grandfather, though he didn’t say anything. “I’m not here to talk about my personal life, and I’m sorry if I insulted you on the stand. I was trying to ensure my innocent client didn’t go to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.” She stared at him, because he could have contributed to the conviction by perpetuating a lie.

  He slumped his shoulders, defeat hanging in his next words. “I had nothing to do with any of this mess. Other than lying on the stand, which I will regret until my dying day, I was trying to protect my family. I saw your boy, with the pregnant girlfriend, and realized I’d be destroying another family if you weren’t tenacious. I’m done lying, so ask your questions. I’ll do my best to answer them.”

  “Thank you. I do have a couple of questions for you. But first, who or what are you trying to protect your family from? No offense, but this is not a place I would consider robbing if I needed some money.”

  “I know I said I’d answer your questions, and I will, but I have to know. Why do you care?”

  “Because my client was almost sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. I need to know why him. He’s a law-abiding citizen, so there was no reason to single him out.”

  “My grandson is involved in a trademark dispute with another company. They came to me for months, telling me I needed to get him to drop the suit, but what can I do?” He threw his hands up in frustration. “My grandson was adamant, and I support my family. Then my business gets robbed. We’ve been here forty years and never had a problem. All of a sudden, I need to install extra security?”

  Alexandra went back to his original statement, about his grandson being involved in a trademark lawsuit, because there was no way that was a coincidence. “I’m sorry, who’s your grandson?”

  “Jonathan Hawkeye.”

  She tried to swallow around the lump lodged in her throat. That sure as hell wasn’t a coincidence.

  “But his suit was already settled,” she said before she could catch herself.

  His brow wrinkled in suspicion. “How do you know Jonny’s case?”

  “Just the news.” She played it off. “Do you, by any chance, know who came to see you?”

  “No. Just a ‘concerned’ friend.” He stood up then, causing Alexandra to follow suit. “I don’t really know anything else about the situation, and I’m sure my grandson needs help out front.”

  “Of course.” She shook his hand and thanked him. She had a ton more questions, but wouldn’t risk alienating him while they were still on speaking terms. She wasn’t there on an official capacity, so there was no reason for him to even
talk to her, and she may need him for questions later.

  He escorted her out to the dining area, where the grandson nodded in a goodbye gesture, and then she was out the door. She headed straight to the office, ignoring the nausea that accompanied thoughts of Roman. If she was busy, she didn’t think about him but the minute she had downtime, he was on her mind. Traffic was so light it took her less than twenty minutes to get to the office. She wanted to ask her questions, figure out the status of her job, and go home. It was Tuesday, but she was taking this week off as well, regardless of the decision. Security waved her through, so that had to be a good sign, right? At least they weren’t dragging her out of the building by her hair.

  “I need to see Henry,” Alexandra said when she walked up to his assistant’s desk. The woman dialed her phone, turning away from Alexandra to speak in whispers. The office was silent as a tomb, depressing given her current state of affairs, but at least Henry was there. He walked out to greet her, giving her a hug although he’d never been demonstrative in the past. She pulled back, rubbing her neck while she watched Henry gush at her as though she was his long-lost daughter he’d spent hundreds of dollars searching for.

  “I need to talk to you.” She refused to waste time with pleasantries. If he was going to fire her, he needed to get on with it.

  “I know.” He grabbed her hand, patting it a couple times and leading her into his office. “I want to apologize for the way we left everything on Friday. I was crass, and didn’t mean to be so harsh with you.”

  Alexandra looked around, waiting for the candid camera person to pop out and say “Surprise!” but it never happened. Instead, Henry rattled off some half-assed apology and advised her job was safe, including the potential partnership she’d been eyeing.

  “Okay,” she said, shaking her head to clear it. “I’m sorry, but where is this coming from? When I saw you last week, you were ready to fire me on the spot. Now you’re laying out the red carpet. Did something happen I need to be made aware of, because I’m a little taken aback by all this.”

  “I understand,” he said, like he was soothing an errant animal as opposed to a real woman. “When I was able to go home and consider all that transpired, I realized I was wrong. Your business is your own, and I shouldn’t have interfered. You’re more than welcome to date Roman Valentine, with our complete support.”

  “Thank you? But as I told you last week, my relationship is not your business, and I couldn’t care less if you agree or approve.” Anger passed through his eyes, the flash so quick she thought she’d imagined it before he pasted on the smile again. She wasn’t losing her job, which was a blessing, but she had bigger fish to fry. “Did you know my trademark case was related to my robbery case?”

  “Huh.” Henry leaned back, rubbing his chin. “How do you figure?”

  “Well, the pizza parlor owner is the grandfather of the gentleman we defeated in the trademark suit,” she explained.

  “Really?” His eyes widened, feigning disbelief. He was hiding something, she could feel it. Cagey old bastard.

  “Yes, really. And the grandfather was approached with the offer of payment by a gentleman in a suit to get the grandson to drop the suit, although he never agreed.” The flash was there again before a cool demeanor overtook his face.

  “Does the grandfather know who approached him?”

  “No.”

  Henry clapped his hands together, leaning forward so he was halfway over the desk and in danger of invading her personal space. “Then it’s a non-issue. There’s no way to conclude the two are related. The cops did their investigating, and they apprehended a suspect, who you were able to prove was innocent. It’s a win for everyone.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. Your cases are over, and you won them both. It’s over. You’re digging into issues that no longer matter. It’s done.”

  Alexandra would wager her fortune there was more to it, but Henry was no help. She agreed, but she’d be damned if she was going to let this go. She was determined to get to the bottom of it. Henry was a setback, but there was no reason for him to believe she’d keep searching or he’d be on her ass with so much work she wouldn’t know what to do. “Of course. I was just a little zealous.”

  “Happens to the best of us.” He chuckled.

  She tapped her fingers on the side of the chair. “I guess I got caught up. I wasn’t going to mention it, but with everything going on, I’m going to need to take the rest of the week off.”

  His head cocked to the side, studying her. “Why?”

  “Well, it’s the anniversary of my father’s death this week—”

  “Say no more. Take the week, spend it with your family, and come back on Monday.”

  “Thank you.” She stood up, wanting to get out of the Twilight Zone the office had become. Henry nodded, going back to his computer, dismissing her. Alexandra had less than a week to try and get to the bottom of what was going on before her workload became unmanageable again.

  She gathered the rest of the files she needed from her office, throat tightening when she caught sight of the too-familiar picture. Relieved she was still going to fulfill her goal, the cold pain of regret he wasn’t there to witness it still settled like an ache on her chest. Grief was an old friend who came to visit and always overstayed his welcome, yet she opened her heart to him whenever he came knocking. Her father was flawed, yes, but he was still one of her greatest heroes.

  ***

  Roman dragged himself into his favorite restaurant to meet his family for drinks the night after his final blow-up with Alexandra, defeated and out of sorts. His mother’s eyebrows hit the top of her head when she spotted him before concern filled her eyes.

  “Well, you look like shit.” His dad wasted no time telling his opinion. Thank you, Captain Obvious. He raised his finger for the waiter to bring him his favorite whiskey. Too bad he’d be reminded of staring in Alexandra’s eyes while he drank it.

  “It was a long day,” he defended himself.

  “Too long to shave or put on a decent suit?” his dad scoffed. Roman rubbed a hand over the day-old scruff, considering his wrinkled shirt and khakis. He loathed looking unkempt. He resembled a frat boy who just came off a three-day bender.

  “I’ve been busy.” He downed the drink in one gulp, gesturing for another.

  Not satisfied with Roman’s response, his father continued to lay into him. “If you’re here to get drunk, we’re leaving. You won the damn case, so what the hell is your problem? You’ve been ignoring us for days, you didn’t come and see me last week, and now you’re throwing back drinks like it’s free alcohol night at the local club.”

  His mother stared disapprovingly, folding her hands on the table, the whites of her knuckles apparent from the strength of her grip.

  Roman rubbed the back of his neck, willing the tension away. He’d been tight for days, ever since he’d left Alexandra, and it’d only gotten worse since yesterday’s argument. It was probably his penance for breaking up with her, the pain a welcome addition to the ache in his chest. “Clearly I’m not the company you guys want tonight, so I’ll be happy to go.”

  “Is this about them exposing your relationship? You guys handled it well, and it died down quickly enough,” his sister asked.

  Quinn slapped his back, causing him to jerk, before he pulled him closer for a bear hug. “It can’t be about his relationship, because this dumbass broke up with her.”

  “Oh, Roman,” his mother exhaled. “Tell me you didn’t break up with her.” His mother never met Alexandra, something Roman had considered remedying before they parted ways.

  “He did,” Quinn answered before he could. “Told her she was too good for him because he dragged her into his mess.”

  Roman felt flushed, and his pulse beat rapidly in time with the pounding in his forehead. “Why don’t you mind your own damn business? Nobody asked you.”

  “Boys,” his mother interrupted. “You will not fight like children in th
is restaurant while we’re sitting here as adults. Remember when they used to go at it like a bunch of damn cats and dogs?” she asked her husband, who agreed. “Besides, Roman needs to take a walk with me.”

  “I do?” he asked as the same time his brother asked, “He does?”

  “Yes.” She held out her hand. “Come on.” Roman grabbed her hand, allowing her to lead him out on the terrace where you could view the city skyline the restaurant was known for. It was one of the main reasons they loved the place. They could relax and enjoy the view and each other’s company long after they finished eating.

  “Tell me what happened.”

  So Roman told her about the events that led to the breakup, sparing some details because this was his mother and she didn’t need to know he’d been sleeping with Alexandra for months. She listened, interrupting every now and then with a question, but allowed him to talk freely.

  “Does this have anything to do with my sister?”

  “No.”

  “Did you think I wouldn’t know the connection? I’m not going to pretend to know what you went through with your mother being unstable during that time, but are you sure this is about Alexandra and not your past?”

  He didn’t tell his mother about the house. She’d level him with her look of disappointment and make him feel like a heel. “Yeah. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me, but we had worked through those issues. This part was all us.”

  “So, why do you think you’re not good enough for her?”

  “I was sure the other night I needed to let her go. She’s an amazing lawyer, Mom, and she deserves to be partner. I potentially jeopardized that opportunity because of Club Valentine. Her boss all but fired her.”

  “Does she have a problem with the club?”