She sat staring at the screen while she tried to pull herself together. Then taking a moment to draw in a deep breath, she marched down the hall to Masterson’s office.
“I have to see him right away,” she told his secretary.
“You can just catch him before he leaves for a meeting.” The woman waved toward the office doorway.
Her boss was at his desk, head bent over something he was writing on his desk.
Angel stood rigid in front of him, trying to find the right words to say. To be professional. “I can’t work on the new case,” is what came out.
He looked up at her. “What?”
“The lawsuit you emailed me about. Engler Ranch versus Davis Feedlot. I can’t work on it.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not it. I won’t.”
Masterson sat back in his chair, his face expressionless. “I’m sure you don’t mean that, Angel. This is a pretty big lawsuit, and we were personally recommended to the client.”
“I do mean it.” She did her best to keep her voice level and even. “I’m sorry. I just have to step aside here.”
He picked up his pen and rolled it in his fingers. “I don’t think you understand, Angel. You don’t have a choice in these matters. You’re the top associate on this team. The best at what you do. When we have a case, I depend on you to be there for me as my right hand.”
“I understand that, sir, and I’m truly flattered. But there are other good junior litigators on the team,” she pointed out. “Any of them can take my place.”
“I don’t think so. You were given the transfer here from Dallas because of your skills. I specifically asked for you to lead my team. I can’t believe you’d let me down now.”
“You don’t understand. I know the people who own the feedlot. I can’t sue my friends. Wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest?”
He was silent again. “Possibly. But that just means I can adjust your role on the team. Put someone else in second chair. You could still help with gathering the facts and handling the depositions.”
She shook her head again. “No. I’m sorry, but I just can’t.”
He studied her carefully. “You know your name is at the top of the list for the next partnership slot. The partners will all be meeting about it later this month. I’d hate to see you go to the back of the line after all this time.”
Anger surged through Angel like a sour backwash. “Is that a threat of some kind?”
“Not at all.” He sat forward, dropping the pen on the desk, his voice suddenly soft and placating. “Just a reminder of something you need to think about. We all have friendships, Angel, that we sometimes have to temporarily step away from. Unless the Davis brothers are very special to you, I think that’s what you have to do here.” He gave her the patented Masterson smile. “Why don’t you take a day or two and think about it. I can parcel out some of the background work to others on the team and then we can discuss it again.”
He bent his head over his desk again, signaling that the meeting was over.
Angel wanted to pick up his letter opener and stick it in his black frozen heart. She headed back to her office in complete turmoil, her only hope being that Justin and Tucker didn’t know about this yet. That no papers had been served. Giving them advance warning would be a definite breach of client confidentiality. She had to figure some way out of this.
Yeah, right.
****
“My brother out there?” Justin asked into the phone connected to the barn.
“He’s talking to Joey about Golden Spur feed over by their herd,” the yard manager told him. “Want me to get him?”
Justin pushed back from his desk and stood up. A little exercise might help him. “No, I’ll do it myself. Thanks.”
He hung up, shut down his computer, and piled the papers scattered over his desk into a neat stack. They’d been at work since six that morning, and it was time to call it a day. Outside, he spotted Tucker in deep conversation with the worker who had prime responsibility under Tucker for the Golden Spur stock. It was hot as hell outside, and just a few minutes in the sun had sweat running down Tucker’s face and along his spine. The T-shirts both Tucker and Joey wore were already soaked through.
Sometimes I wonder if there’s a better way to make a living.
But when he looked at the undulating sea of black and brown and white hides and inhaled the heady mixture of cattle and hay, he knew there wasn’t any place else he’d rather be.
He made his way around the perimeter of the pens to the gate leading into the Golden Spur enclosure and stood waiting until Tucker was finished.
“Time to go home for the day,” he told him. “I need a break from compiling reports.”
Tucker nodded. “I could sure use a cold beer. It’s hotter than Hell out here.”
When they pulled into the parking area next to their house, they were both surprised to find Reece Halliday leaning against his truck, waiting for them.
“Come by for a drink?” Tucker asked. “I didn’t think that sweet little wife of yours let you out to play anymore.”
But Reece didn’t smile. His face was an unreadable mask.
“What’s up?” Justin asked, but the look on Reece’s face gave him a bad feeling.
They walked silently into the air-conditioned house. Reece waited until they were all seated in the family room before he spoke again. “I hope you’ve got a stock of bourbon, because you’re gonna need it after this.”
“What’s up?” Justin asked. “From the look on your face it can’t be anything good.”
Reece nodded. “I was in the bank and happened to overhear a conversation that probably wasn’t meant for my ears. I twisted an arm or two so I could verify what I heard.”
“Spit it out.” Justin’s voice was tight and harsh.
“Bart Engler’s planning on suing you.”
“What?” Tucker nearly shouted the word. “Is that true?”
“For a fact.”
“But why?” Justin wanted to know. “We’ve always taken good care of his stock.” He jumped up from his chair, shoved his hands in his pockets, and began pacing. “There must be some mistake. Maybe you heard wrong.”
“Davis Feedlot has been handling Engler Ranch cattle for more than five years,” Tucker put in. “Bart’s always seemed very happy with the results.”
Justin frowned. “Yeah, but remember we couldn’t understand why he didn’t renew his contract this year? We thought maybe he was just trimming his budget and planning to feed his cattle himself.”
“We were going to talk to him about it,” Tucker said to Reece. “But we haven’t been able to get hold of him.”
“Here’s what I know.” Reece looked from one brother to the other. “According to scuttlebutt, he’s saying his cattle sold for less than expected last year. He’s claiming they were underweight because y’all skimped on the feed. He’s planning to sue Davis Feedlot to recoup what he thinks he lost on the sale.”
“Damn.” Justin scratched his head. “Bart ought to know we’d never do a thing like that. All a feedlot’s really got going for it is its reputation.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Tucker’s face was grim. “And every year before that he made good money. But you know what happens when money gets tight. People always look for someone else to blame.”
“Meanwhile it’s our necks—and our reputations—on the line,” Justin pointed out. “Reece, we’ll never be able to thank you enough for this heads up.”
“We’ve got records to prove everything, right?” Tucker cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit that drove Justin nuts, but this wasn’t the time to bitch about it.
He nodded. “You bet. On the computer and in online backup storage. But we’re going to need legal representation when this happens. You can bet Engler won’t just want a friendly sit-down. Reece, do you know who his attorneys are?”
Reece shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but—”
&nb
sp; “Stop.” Justin got a sick feeling in his stomach. “Don’t tell me it’s Davis and Martinez.”
Reece sighed. “Got it in one.”
“Well fucking shit,” Tucker spat. “Nice of her to tell us.”
“Time to get real, Tuck.” Justin’s voice had a hard edge to it. “You know how important her career is to her. She wants it so bad, she’ll probably just run right over us. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.”
“You mean, your old saying ‘When something’s too good to be true, it usually is’? Maybe she doesn’t know about it yet.”
Justin hated the hopeful note in Tucker’s voice. “Hardly,” he snorted. He started to say something else, but at that precise moment, they heard gravel spinning in the drive. He looked out the window. “Well, well.” His voice was tight with anger. “Guess who’s here. And she’s running toward the house like her tail’s on fire.”
“I’ll be on my way.” Reece pushed himself out of the chair. “Call me and we can do some brainstorming about a lawyer. Sooner rather than later.” He opened the door to leave, and Angel nearly ran headlong into him.
She stared up at him, then peered over his shoulder at the inside. “Are Justin and Tucker here? I tried the office first, but when they weren’t there, I figured they’d gone home already.” Both brothers stood up as she stepped into the house. It was obvious she was nervous.
“Funny you should show up at this particular moment,” Justin commented in a tight voice.
“We have to talk.” Her voice shook just a little.
“You bet we do,” Justin said. “And right now. Reece, we’ll give you a call.”
“Justin.” Tucker’s voice carried a warning, but Justin was too angry to pay attention.
“Not this time, Tucker,” Justin spat out. “No soft pedaling or rethinking this time.” Anger and resentment and a sense of betrayal all boiled up inside him in a lethal combination.
Angel dragged in a deep breath “I have something I have to talk to you about.”
“What a coincidence,” Justin said, unable to hold back the sarcasm. His hands tightened into fists as he fought for control. “There’s something we want to talk to you about.”
She held up a hand. “Me, first.” She took in another long breath and let it out, then brushed her hair back from her face in a nervous gesture. “Okay. Okay. You guys are about to have a problem.”
“We know.” Justin exchanged a glance with his brother. “You’re a little late getting to us with it, aren’t you?”
“B-but…but…” She looked at the two of them, bewildered. “I just found out about it myself? How could you know already? Who could have told you?”
“Apparently,” Justin spat, “the word got out on the street faster than it did to you. That fancy law firm of yours must not think all that much of you.” He shook off Tucker’s hand on his arm. “Our friends are concerned about us.”
“Justin.” Tucker’s mild voice again. “Give her a chance to say what she came here for.”
“You bet.” He barely had himself pulled together. The past was like a devil’s pitchfork poking its hot tines into him. Just when he thought he’d buried the past and killed the last of the pain, here it was again, biting him in the ass. He saw history repeating itself, just as he’d expected. “I’m damned interested in what she has to say.”
The silence that dropped over the room was as thick as a rug.
“I shouldn’t even be here talking to you.” Her voice was firm, even though her hands shook. “My firm is representing Bart Engler and my boss is the lead attorney on the case. I could get fired for telling you anything about the case.”
“Then why are you here?” Justin demanded. “Shouldn’t you be back at your office, sucking up to your boss?”
“Jesus, bro.” Justin could feel Tucker’s disapproval, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.
“My first thought was to let you know so you could retain counsel as quickly as possible.” Angel clasped her hands together tightly, an obvious effort at self-control. Her gaze moved from Justin to Tucker and back to Justin again. She wet her lips and let out another breath, as if she’d come to a momentous decision of some sort. “And because…because I love you both and I didn’t want you to be blindsided. There. I’ve said it. I love you.” She paused and stared at both of them.
“What a crock of shit,” Justin exploded. “There is no such thing as love.”
“That’s enough, Justin,” Tucker told him in a warning voice. “Dial it down.”
Angel’s face paled. “Wait a minute. What’s going on here? Are you guys mad at me? I’m not sure what I did wrong here.”
Justin turned away from her, but Tucker finally answered. “I’m not sure mad actually describes it, Angel. But if your boss is handling the case, that means you’ll be working on it, too. Right? We just got this news before you got here, and it’s kind of hard to deal with you on the other side of the fence.”
“No, I—”
“Not hard.” Justin turned back to face her. “Try impossible. You toss the love word around pretty easily. And that’s all it is. Just a word. Easy to say. Easy to take back.”
“What?” She wrinkled her forehead in confusion. “What are you talking about?” She looked at Tucker. “Can you explain to me why your brother is so off the wall here?”
“Justin has some…issues here, honey. He—”
“I don’t have fucking issues,” Justin practically shouted. “I’m talking about the fact that despite you saying you love us, you came here to tell us you’ll be representing the man who’s suing us. Who can cost us a bunch of money. That doesn’t sound much like love to me.”
Angel shook her head vehemently. “No, no, no. Please. Listen to me. That’s not what I came here to say. I’m trying to tell you that I told my boss I wouldn’t work on this case. He should take me off the team.”
“That’ll certainly put a crimp in your plans for your big career,” Justin said in a scathing voice.
Angel pulled herself up to her full height, obviously trying to make herself as tall as possible. A mixture of emotions splashed across her face—pain, despair, then finally anger.
“So that’s it. Just like that. Without any chance for me to tell you how…to let you know…After everything we’ve…” She looked at Tucker. “Please, Tucker—”
“Tucker feels the same way I do.” Justin answered for his brother, shutting down the conversation. Her anguish clawed at Justin’s chest, nearly ripping it open, but his own pain was greater.
“Now I think it’s best if you just leave.”
Angel stared at him. “I thought we had something special going here. Something that also involved trust. Trust that went both ways. But if you’re willing to turn on me this quickly, to lose what we have because for whatever reason you don’t trust me…” She stamped her foot, angry now. “Oh, fuck it. If that’s the way it is, you two aren’t worth the loss of one night’s sleep.”
She stomped out of the house, slamming the door and leaving the brothers staring after her.
“Don’t you think we were a little too quick there, bro?” Tucker’s tone was mild, but Justin could sense irritation seething below the surface. Didn’t he understand what happened? “I mean, she did come and tell us.”
Justin shook his head. “But after Reece did. Besides, she works for the enemy. From now on, we have to consider her the enemy, too. It’s just like I told you, Tuck. History repeats itself and that’s what’s happening now.”
Tucker shook his head. “I disagree with you. This was a shock, sure, but she did come racing out here to us. You let your temper get the best of you, and now everything’s fucked. You’re letting one event in your life color everything else.”
“I was right then,” Justin pointed out. “And I’m right now. I told you ever since that disaster with Holly, you just can’t trust women that easily. I have no plans to let myself in for that kind of pain again.”
He was the one wh
o’d been the most committed in the relationship. And the one who’d been hurt the worst. Maybe because while he gave physically with ease, he wasn’t so free with his emotions. When he gave them, it was without reservation. To have had them stomped all over had nearly destroyed him.
“We need to take a step back and really evaluate what’s happening,” Tucker said. “I think you’re painting Angel with the wrong brush.”
Justin shook his head. “Trust me. I’m not. You may be disappointed, but you’ll thank me later.”
“Thank you?” Tucker shook his head. “Highly doubtful. You’ve got to get past this hang-up. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life just looking at your naked ass. I have a bad feeling we’re making a mistake here.”
“The biggest mistake we could make is not hiring a shark and end up losing everything.” Justin pounded his fist on the filing cabinet, his rage barely controlled. “If it turns out we’re wrong about Angel, we can always try to patch things up later. And that’s a big if.”
“Here’s another one,” Tucker told him. “If she’s still interested.”
****
Angel drove back to the office so blinded by tears she could hardly see where she was driving. But the tears were nothing compared to the sharp pain in her heart. She could hardly believe they’d been so quick to turn against her. Where was the trust, she’d asked them, Apparently, all on her side because if the situation were reversed, she’d believe in them. If only they’d given her the time to tell them they meant more to her than any job. She was a good attorney. She could quit Martinez & Devlin. She was sure other firms would hire her.
But Justin, the deepest of the twins, had let his anger get the best of him and that was that. There had to be something more behind his stubborn refusal to listen, but she hadn’t been in any mood to beg and plead with them for answers. They had their pride, and she had hers. Right now, hers was in shreds. This was far worse than the Brad and Hal episode. Because this time she was really in love.
She managed to get to her office without anyone stopping her, closed her door, and collapsed on the couch. She just couldn’t seem to stop crying, a totally foreign situation for her. And she was still a sodden crumpled mess when Kari barged in more than an hour later.
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