The Rennillia Series: Volumes 1-5

by M. Sembera

  The confusion in his voice was clear as he questioned, “To you?”

  Slightly offended, I snapped, “Yes.”

  After another long pause, the man offered an address, instructing me to meet him in thirty minutes. I left a note for Emerson, saying that I was off to run some errands and would be back later before grabbing my purse and heading out to meet The Brothers.

  Pulling into the driveway of a simple house in a fairly remote neighborhood, I took a deep breath. Hoping this wasn’t a horrible mistake, I got out of the car. I slowly walked to the door. There was a sign next to the door that stated, ring bell. Pressing the button above the sign, I could hear a faint buzz coming from the inside. A few minutes later, the door opened. Standing up tall, I gave a polite nod as I stepped into the house.

  One of The Brothers stood by an empty chair, while the other led me to a chair facing the two, I assume were meant for them. I recognized both of them right away as the men who drug Telli in the house the night he died. I took my seat and waited for one of them to speak. As I waited for what seemed like hours, I noticed one was slightly taller than the other. The shorter brother was slightly thinner however, both had dark hair and eyes that matched perfectly to their olive complexions. Somewhere between serious and relaxed, neither one seemed particularly intimidating.

  Finally taking their seats in front of me, the first brother asked, “Does Mr. Herterand know you’re here?”

  Instantly agitated, I replied, “No.”

  “Hmmm,” he grumbled before asking, “How can we help you?”

  Since I wasn’t quite sure myself, I started by saying, “I would like to utilize your services.”

  Without expression he questioned, “For?”

  With a light sigh I admitted, “I’m not entirely sure.”

  They glanced at each other before saying, “If Mr. Herterand doesn’t know that you’re here, it’s best if…” before I stopped him, blurting, “No.”

  Both of them looked startled before resuming their previous disposition.

  “I understand this is unusual and although I am not sure what all I need, I do know that I would like the two of you to accompany me somewhere,” I shared.

  The first brother leaned back in his chair as the second brother stated, “Then call a driver.”

  “I didn’t say I needed to be taken somewhere, I said I needed…” I assured as the first brother cut me off, saying, “We aren’t in the babysitting business.”

  Actively trying not to lose my temper, I snapped, “Are you this insulting to everyone?”

  “Are you aware of what we do?”

  Although I had made a mental promise to myself not to mention it, I replied, “I am aware of what you were supposed to do to my parents.”

  Sitting very still, The Brothers stared at me.

  Assuming, I now had their full attention, I proposed, “It can be on a step by step basis but the fact is, I have a situation that requires your services. Money is not an issue so if the two of you agree, I will keep you on retainer and utilize your services as I figure things out.”

  And then there was silence.

  The first brother continued to stare at me for a while before turning his focus to the second brother. Without saying a word to each other, they nodded before both facing me.

  Pulling a small card from his pocket, the first brother stood, saying, “Twenty four hours advance notice or its double. This is to contact us directly.”

  I stood, taking the card with a phone number on it before holding out my hand, asking, “Is that a yes?”

  Shaking my hand, the first brother replied, “Ignacio.”

  The second brother gave confused and somewhat irritated look at his brother before he extended his had saying, “Fiore.”

  With a slight nod I offered, “Ren.”

  Serious in expression, Ignacio stated, “Mrs. Herterand, I sincerely hope you know what you are doing.”

  Taking a deep breath, I agreed, “Me too,” before turning and walking out.

  On the way to The Office, I wondered what it would be like if Hert was asked about me every time he talked to someone. A momentary thought of, ‘I’m head of The Office’ made me cringe. So far, things seemed to be going smooth. However, I knew convincing HIM to help, meeting with Salvador and getting Ramsden to agree to transferring the shares to me would not be as easy. Taking things one step at a time would keep me from feeling overwhelmed and would most definitely help me focus.

  Politely smiling at the man behind the desk when I entered The Office as he asked me to wait, I informed him that I was going up anyway. Receiving a ‘yes Mrs. Herterand’ in response, I knew he would call up to Hert. Stepping in and then out of the elevator, I walked directly to Hert’s office.

  A man quickly popped in front of me, offering, “Mr. Herterand is in a meeting with Mr. Ramsden, would you like to have a seat.”

  “No thank you,” I replied continuing to the door.

  Thinking if it had been anyone else in there with Hert, I would be respectful enough not to interrupt. The thought of having to sit outside just because Ramsden was in there, irritated me.

  I opened the door to find Hert behind his massive desk, with Ramsden seated in front of it. Smiling at them, I stepped in and closed the door behind myself. Sheer delight erupted inside me the moment Seminol glared at me.

  Thick with sarcasm, I lied, “Mr. Ramsden, I hope I am not interrupting.”

  “Romily was told to have you wait outside,” he snapped.

  Slowly smiling, I assured, “He offered. I declined.”

  I could almost feel how badly he wanted to tell me off as he glanced at Hert before saying, “I see this appointment is more pressing,” as he stood and started to walk out.

  Before he made it out of the room, I said, “Oh Mr. Ramsden, tell your wife I said hello.”

  Ramsden’s entire body seemed to stiffen before he stepped out of Hert’s office.

  Proud of myself for getting under his skin, I turned to Hert and smiled. Shaking his head at me, Hert stood before making his way around to the front of his desk.

  “Something going on?” he questioned.

  Pretending to be innocent, I replied, “No, why?”

  With a slight smirk he answered, “Renni.”

  “What? It’s obvious he doesn’t like me so why should pretend?” I questioned before assuring, “He’s lucky I’m not in charge, 'cause if I was, he’d be fired in a heartbeat.”

  Laughing a little, Hert said, “He doesn’t work for The Office.”

  Curious, I asked, “What do you mean?”

  Hert stepped to the door and locked it before sharing, “He gets paid but Mr. Ramsden is separate from M.R. Industries. It was something Mr. Roberts and he agreed on. He doesn’t even have a file.”

  “Does he know that?” I asked.

  Giving me a strange look, Hert replied, “Yes, he’s been with us for a very long time. He handles legal matters and advises on certain issues.”

  Thinking ‘damn it’ but good to know, I set my purse down in the chair.

  Hert looked me up and down as I stood there. Giving him an eye roll, I walked to the long wall of file cabinets. Pulling the files I wanted, I had to stop myself from shouting ‘ah ha’ when I found HIS mother’s. I walked back to Hert’s desk and slid the files into my purse.

  “Thanks, I’ll see you tonight,” I said with a light smile.

  With a slight smile in return, Hert offered, “You want to see what it’s like before you go?”

  Remembering what I thought of doing the last time I was in his office, I gave him a strange look.

  Laughing at me a little as he shook his head, he clarified, “Would you like to see what it’s like to be in charge?”

  Slightly embarrassed, I said, “Oh.”

  Being persistent, he urged, “Come on, have a seat.”

  Walking around the desk, I sat in his chair and rolled it to the desk.

  Setting my purse on the floor, Hert to
ok the seat facing the desk saying, “Mrs. Herterand.”

  Putting on a serious face, I folded my arms on top of the desk as I stated, “Now Mr. Herterand, can you please explain to me why you allow your wife to interrupt important business meetings.”

  With a sly smile he replied, “I have no control over her.”

  Narrowing my eyes at him, I questioned, “And why not?”

  “She has a fierce determination that I find incredibly sexy,” he assured in a low tone.

  Clearing my throat, I rolled the chair back and stood up.

  Making his way around the desk, Hert stepped behind me.

  Keeping his tone low, he said, “We could do this together. No more secrets, you would know everything.”

  Looking down at the desk, I closed my eyes and shook my head.

  “You would finally be able to control what goes on,” he whispered.

  At that moment, I understood. Hert was so invested in The Office because growing up, his hands were tied. Between his incredibly abusive alcoholic father and mentally unstable mother, not to mention being friends with me, everything was beyond his control.

  Feeling for him, I started to say, “Hert…” before he stepped closer.

  Placing his hands on my shoulders, I could feel his lips at my ear as he assured, “It would solve all our problems. We would have everything.”

  Finding it hard not to agree, I reminded, “What about Sophia?”

  Running his hands from my shoulders down my arms, Hert rested them on my hips before saying, “I know you’re worried about her. Nothing says she has to be involved. We could send her away after she starts school.”

  Outraged, I snapped, “Send her away!?”

  “Not permanently, she would come home for summers and on holidays,” he shared, sliding his hands from my hips to my waist.

  In disbelief, I questioned, “How could you want that?”

  Pulling me all the way against him, Hert revealed, “It’s a reasonable solution.”

  “Do you want Sophia to go away?” I had to ask.

  Taking a deep breath, he replied, “I want her to be safe.”

  Pulling away from Hert, I said, “So do I but other than that, you and I want very different things.”

  Tightening his hold around my waist, he urged, “I want you.”

  I quickly turned to face him, stating, “Thank you for the files.”

  Seeing the look on his face as he stared down at me, I had to go. Breaking free from his hold, I grabbed my purse, unlocked his office door and walked out.

  Leaving The Office, I thought of what he said. Then, I thought of what he actually meant. I knew he loved Sophia but I also knew when it came down to making a sacrifice on her behalf, The Office would never be it. I was willing to give up everything for my Sophia but Hert couldn’t. Now that I understood, I regretted all the times I wished he would quit so we could have a normal relationship. He needed The Office. It gave him purpose and reason, just like Sophia did for me. I still wished Hert could have found those things in us but he didn’t. It didn’t matter if I was hurt or who was wrong anymore. What mattered most to me was that I might be able to give us both what we wanted.

  Walking into JPT Financial was quite a different experience from The Office. A receptionist at the front offered a ‘Hi how are you’, before turning her attention elsewhere. As I made my way through, there was a light buzz of conversation.

  An awkward, “Hah hey…Hello,” came from a nice looking man that tripped a few times and even bumped into his desk before making it over to me.

  Humored, I smiled saying, “Hi.”

  Smiling back, he introduced himself, “I’m Henry, are you interviewing?”

  “Ren, and no,” I replied with a little laugh.

  I noticed him glance down at my hand before asking, “Are you a client?”

  Nodding, I answered, “Yes.”

  “That’s too bad,” Henry stated before I asked, “Why is that?”

  With a slight grin he explained, “Now I can’t ask you out.”

  Thinking ‘if you only knew’, I politely said, “Well, it was nice to meet you Henry.”

  As I turned to walk away, Jackson walked up.

  Jackson looked at Henry, asking, “Do you have the file thirty four numbers?”

  Smug, Henry reached back and grabbed a folder off his desk, assuring, “Since yesterday,” while giving me a little smile.

  Jackson gave me a nod before looking at Henry, advising, “You should have updated it an hour ago, instead of harassing Mrs. Herterand.”

  Seeing the embarrassment spread across Henry’s face, I stated, “I was not being harassed, he was very polite. Mr. Thomas.”

  Henry’s eyes seemed to appreciate my assessment of our conversation as he offered, “It was nice to meet you Mrs. Herterand,” and walked back to his desk.

  I gave Jackson a ‘that wasn’t nice’ look before asking, “Are you ready? Mr. Thomas.”

  He nodded at me and we both walked out.

  Jackson took his keys and drove us to the lawyer’s office. On the way, I wondered if my talking to Henry made him a little jealous or if he was looking out for the firm. It made sense a client could be really offended, being hit on by an employee. I was flattered and actually found it nice that Henry didn’t know who I was. Either way I decided to mess with Jackson.

  “So Henry seemed nice,” I started, finding it hard not to smile at his grimace.

  “Yea, I don’t know him,” Jacks said before asking, “What were ya’ll talking about?”

  With a slight smirk I turned to him, saying, “He thought I was there for an interview.”

  I watched a smile cross his lips as he realized he was being territorial and said, “Sorry I Mrs. Herterand-ed you like that.”

  Nudging him with my elbow, I laughed, “Its okay, I mean if you have a little crush on me…”

  Laughing now, Jacks admitted, “All right, all right, ya got me.”

  Shaking my head at the two of us, I leaned back in my seat enjoying one of my favorite parts of our friendship.

  We arrived a few minutes early for our consultation with Mr. Griffin.

  Before getting out of the car, I asked, “You’re sure about wanting to do this? Right?”

  Turning toward me, he smiled wide before saying, “Yes, Ren.”

  Feeling the need to double check, I stressed, “It’s a huge responsibility. I don’t want you to do this just for me. I mean…”

  Taking my hand, Jackson stopped me, saying, “I know.” With a serious expression he shared, “I do not want anything to happen to you but if … I don’t want to lose Sophia. I don’t know what it’s like to be a parent but I know if I could pick a kid, it would be her. I’ve already called my mom’s twice this morning to check on her. I miss her when she’s not around. I love her.”

  I started to say something but there wasn’t anything to say.

  Happy and sad at the same time, I followed Jackson as he walked into Mr. Griffin’s Office. The moment we walked in, a man who I assumed was Mr. Griffin, walked to the front. Tall and dark, his smile instantly put me at ease. He had a laid back disposition that came off as friendly when he held his hand out to Jackson.

  “Boy I haven’t seen you in years,” he laughed.

  “Thanks for working us in,” Jackson appreciated before introducing, “This is Ren.”

  Smiling, I held out my hand, greeting, “Mr. Griff…” before he took it assuring, “Doug is fine by me.” Turning, he waved his arm, saying, “Come on back.”

  Taking a seat behind his desk, Doug pulled out a pad of paper as Jackson and I sat.

  The more I thought about what I was fixing to do, the more nervous I got. I understood, Jacks understood and even Hert knew it was the best thing for Sophia. Somehow, the thought of explaining my intentions made me uncomfortable.

  “Jackson said you wanted a Will drawn up,” he informed.

  Taking a deep breath, I explained, “I would like to make sure i
f anything happens to me, Jackson adopts my daughter.”

  Giving me an odd look, Doug questioned, “You want him awarded custody?”

  “Yes but I also want him to legally adopt her,” I replied.

  And there was the ‘this lady is crazy’ look I was dreading.

  Doing my best to explain, I said, “I know how strange this sounds but I have a very complicated situation going on. I have no doubt that the Thomas’ will love her either way. It is very important though, if anything happens to me, she is legally a member of their family.”

  Tilting his head to the side, he raised his eyebrows and replied, “Alright, it may take me a few weeks to prepare the paperwork, I’ve never done anything like this.” As I nodded he asked, “Okay Ren, Your full name?”

  “Rennillia Marie Herterand,” I stated.

  Keeping his eyes on his notepad, he asked, “Your daughter’s name?”

  “Sophia Herterand, no middle name,” I answered.

  I could tell he was fixing to protest when he asked, “The father?”

  “Scott Vincent Herterand,” I slowly replied.

  Placing his pen down on the pad of paper, Mr. Griffin looked up at me, saying, “You can’t be serious.”

  With a heavy sigh, I assured, “But I am.”

  “It’s not that I have a problem, if the father contests, this will never hold up in court,” he shared.

  For the first time since we entered Mr. Griffin’s office, Jackson spoke up, asking, “Could you come up with some sort of parental consent to adoption form?”

  After a moment of thought, Doug questioned, “Do you think he will sign it?”

  Nodding, I guaranteed, “Yes, he will.”

  “That would certainly help,” Mr. Griffin shared before informing, “I will see what I can come up with then give you a call next week.”

  Standing up, I extended my hand and thanked Mr. Griffin for his time and understanding.

  Standing outside of Mr. Griffin’s Law Office, I stared at Jackson. Fiore was behind him. Before I could say a word, Ignacio stepped in front of me holding his finger to his mouth. I quickly nodded before moving to see Fiore with one arm holding Jackson’s arms behind his back and the other stretched across Jacks as he had a firm grip on Jackson’s jaw.

  Glancing up at Ignacio, I scowled as he offered, “Let’s take a walk.”