by Lexi Blake
“I don’t think I should do an interview. I should keep my head down.” The last thing she wanted to do was talk to the press.
“That’s the worst thing you could do. That makes you look weak. I’m simply saying we need to change the story. We need to dig up every tiny granule of dirt we can on Castalano and turn this around. I want ‘powerful man seeks to steal from nice young couple in love.’”
Now he was talking. She could get into taking down Steven. “I’ve got some dirt on the man. I can’t prove it, but I might be able to . . . young couple?”
Garrison sat back. “Yes. If you want to flip the story, you need Riley Lang.”
There was that rage she felt at the sound of his name. She might want to forget the man, to deny he meant anything, but she was angry. Hurt. That was what she was really denying. She could cloak it in anger because that felt better, but deep inside she had a ragged hole because of his betrayal. A hole she wasn’t sure she would be able to close again. “I’m never seeing that man again.”
Garrison sighed, a deeply disappointed sound. “I doubt that. You’re being stubborn and you don’t know the whole story. I can promise you the man wasn’t working for Steven Castalano.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I do know the whole story.”
“All right, I’m listening.”
“Attorney-client privilege, my dear.” He gave her a half grin. “If you don’t want me talking about your case, I certainly can’t talk about his. I can and will give you advice. Talk to the man who is the only reason your sweet ass isn’t still sitting in prison next to a prostitute named Sweetie Pie who may or may not have shivved her last john.”
“I want nothing to do with the man.” She would never speak to him again.
“Well, he certainly wants you. I’ve found that men that powerful tend to get what they want. You’re in a position to use his attraction against him.”
“I don’t like the way you talk about using people.”
Garrison’s head shook. “He told me you were naive. I expected Phillip the Horrible’s daughter to have a modicum of common sense. This is the way the world works, sweetheart. You had money and privilege. Someone bigger and badder than you came along and took it all away. You can cry or you can fight back. If you choose to do the former, tell me so I can find you some pissant, do-gooder lawyer to hold your hand while you walk into a federal pen and discover that orange is the new black. In that scenario, I really suggest you find your sexuality fluid because someone is going to snap you up as her bitch very quickly.”
She kind of hated him. “I told you. I’m going to fight back.”
“Then use every tool in your arsenal. Riley Lang is a major weapon. He’s got money and clout and he can get things done. Announce your engagement. Be seen holding hands. Hell, actually marry the guy. That would be my advice. Marry him as soon as possible and then get in front of the press and tell your side of the story.”
The whole idea horrified her. “I’m not speaking to the man again, much less marrying him.”
“Think about it,” Garrison insisted. “It flips the story around. But, of course, you’re the client. I’m merely the ridiculously expensive lawyer who knows how to get a criminal out of jail and back in power.”
“I’m not a criminal.”
“Yes, you would be so much more reasonable if you were.”
“Does that mean you believe me?”
Cool blue eyes rolled. “Like I said to you yesterday, your guilt or innocence is meaningless to my defense. As it happens, I’ve come to the conclusion that I do believe you. You’re exactly the kind of wide-eyed innocent who could find herself in the middle of this shit storm. You don’t even really know what’s happening and yet you’re plowing on like everything will work out in the end because you’re innocent. The prosecutor doesn’t care. All he cares about is keeping his job and moving up the ranks. You’re a big story. He’ll take you down any way he possibly can. He’s Castalano’s big gun.”
She didn’t want to listen to a word this man was saying. “Riley Lang isn’t a big gun. He’s an asshole who apparently feels guilty.”
“Use it. He’s an asshole who can bring some firepower to this fight.”
It wasn’t fair. It should matter that she was innocent. It should mean something. The court system shouldn’t be about money and power and big guns. It should be about justice.
Maybe she really was naive. She looked out at the street and wondered how long it would be before she was there. She couldn’t go home. Couldn’t afford a hotel. Wasn’t allowed to leave the city.
She only had one other play she could make. She’d thought about it all night long. It was time to finally meet with the man her father had sinned against. “I’d like to make an appointment with someone who might be able to help me.”
Garrison’s eyebrow rose. “All right. I can manage that.”
“I hope you can. I need to meet with Riley’s other client. I need to meet with Drew Lawless.”
He might hear her name and kick her out.
Or he might listen to her. He might have no idea that her father and very likely Steven Castalano had killed his father and mother, had stolen from him.
Garrison looked at her, a surprised expression on his face. “Oh, I’m sure I can arrange something, but first I need to get you settled somewhere.” He pushed a button on the side of his door. “Niles, we’ll be heading uptown.”
Uptown. Where she would find an ally or a brand-new enemy.
She stared out the window and tried not to think about Riley.
—
An hour later, Ellie wished she’d changed clothes. She was back in the same clothes she’d worn the day she’d been arrested.
It was too risky for Lily to bring her something. She would have been seen and then likely walked out of StratCast. She still might, but it seemed like Lily had kept her job thanks to a long talk with Kyle Castalano.
She prayed Lily didn’t take things too far. She didn’t trust the son any more than she did the father.
Henry Garrison had dropped her off at a gorgeous apartment building right across from Central Park. He’d explained that he’d made arrangements for her to stay here with a friend of his, and her things were upstairs.
Apparently his friend was incredibly wealthy.
She looked at the doorman and frowned. Maybe she should leave, go back to her place and damn the reporters.
She wasn’t even wearing undies. She’d let Riley take them off her the day she’d been arrested. After they’d gone at it on his desk, she’d left them off.
It struck her that she’d shed a lot more than simply clothes for that man. She’d shed her inhibitions and given him a piece of her soul she could never get back.
“Ellie Stratton?”
She looked at the entrance and a massive hunk of pure American male was standing there in jeans and a T-shirt that couldn’t hide the fact that this boy worked out. A lot. Holy hotness. He had to be six foot five with a body to die for.
And he knew her name.
“I’m Ellie.”
He strode forward, and she noticed he was wearing cowboy boots. “Hi, I’m Case Taggart.”
The name sparked a memory. “Of McKay-Taggart? That’s the security firm Riley hired to check into our accounting problem.”
He nodded and gave her a grin that would likely make most women melt. “Yes, and if we’d been about two hours faster, we would have saved you a lot of trouble. Well, maybe not a ton of trouble, but at least we would have gotten you out of there before the cops and press got there. Please, come with me. I want to get you off the street before someone recognizes you.”
She reluctantly allowed herself to be led inside. Garrison was going to call her back after he’d arranged the meeting with Drew Lawless. She thought seriously about simply h
eading to the 4L Software offices, but she wasn’t sure where they were. They were somewhere in Upper Manhattan, but without her phone, she couldn’t access the address. Without money she couldn’t get a cab.
Would her credit cards still work?
She was in a horrible position. She couldn’t work, couldn’t access her money. If the case took very long, she would lose her condo and everything she had because she couldn’t pay her bills.
Bankruptcy was calling her name, and even then she would have bills to pay. Garrison would be gone the minute his million ran out. At his rate, that might not take long. She’d be left with a public defender.
Or she could cut a deal, which was exactly what Castalano was planning on.
He wanted her in the worst situation so she couldn’t fight. She would need what little cash she could get from the buyout.
“We have a room ready for you.” Case Taggart led her to an elevator.
She hesitated. “I don’t know you.”
He held the door open. “No. But I know you. I know you didn’t ask for this and you didn’t deserve it. I know that my firm and I will do anything we can to help you, and that includes getting you out of any situation you find uncomfortable. Even if it runs counter to my brother-in-law’s wishes.”
“You’re married to Riley’s sister.”
He smiled and nearly lit up the entire building. Oh, that man loved someone. “Mia. She’s a ball of trouble. I think you’ll like her.”
“Is Riley upstairs?”
Case nodded. “Yes. If you don’t want to go up there, I’ll take you somewhere else. I’ll arrange for a hotel room. You can’t leave the city, but I assure you I can put you somewhere no one’s going to find you.”
“Why would you do that?” His kindness was getting to her. She’d had so little of it in the last two days.
“Because you deserve some control, Ellie. If you don’t want to talk to him, I won’t force you. This is all about you now, but there are things you should know. Things only he can tell you.”
She stared at the elevator that would take her to her ex-lover. “So you think I should go upstairs and face him.”
“I think you should go upstairs and give him hell. He deserves it.” The big guy’s Southern accent deepened and he winked her way.
Mia Taggart was a lucky woman.
The gorgeous cowboy was right. Why should she hide? She hadn’t done anything wrong. Riley Lang should be quaking in his overpriced loafers at the thought of seeing her again. It was obvious he wasn’t. He was trying to force this confrontation, likely because he thought he would say a few words and she would melt like she always did for him.
She was trying to pretend like he didn’t matter, but he did. He’d betrayed her horribly. Should he get away with it? Or should she look for closure? For some final encounter that might bring her some measure of peace?
She could see him again, let him know how she felt. Hurt him a tiny bit.
See if there was any way to save the relationship?
She jumped away from that thought like it was a fireball about to exterminate her. She didn’t want a relationship with that dickhead. Whether or not he was in bed with Castalano, she wasn’t going to try to salvage their relationship.
He’d betrayed her. That was forever.
She stepped inside the elevator. “I don’t know what he expects from me.”
She could see him. One last time. She could stand in front of him and let him know he hadn’t broken her. He mattered not at all.
He’d reached for her in that final moment. He’d tangled their fingers together and squeezed her like he couldn’t let go. Shouldn’t he have gloated? Have let her know he’d beaten her?
He shouldn’t have held her hand like she was precious. That was the cruelest bit of all.
“I think he expects to get his ass kicked.” Case pressed the button for the top floor.
“Does he actually think I’m going to stay here with him?” She couldn’t. No matter how comfy he tried to make her because his conscience was aching, she had to say her piece and walk away.
“In this case, he really is trying to protect you.”
“He’s trying to protect himself. I’m sure I’ll be forced to sign some kind of document saying I won’t report him to the bar.” It made sense. He needed her to stay quiet. Castalano likely didn’t have solid proof that Riley had done things under her orders. Since he hadn’t. Of course, she also hadn’t stolen ten million dollars and that didn’t seem to matter at all.
Taggart chuckled. “I’m sure he would love it if you didn’t get him disbarred. He will likely make a hearty argument against that. But you should think before you tell him to screw himself. He’s spent all night and most of today getting a room ready for you. You’ve got all your books and a computer and all your toiletries. He had shoes and jewelry and clothes delivered. Everything you need to be comfortable is right here. You can accept it and not accept Riley back in your bed. I would make him work for that.”
“He can’t work enough to ever get back there.” She couldn’t let him back in. She could never trust him again.
“See, this is where I wish I wasn’t alone up here. Mia won’t go high-dollar with me. I need Adam. Adam is always willing to take a thousand-dollar bet and he inevitably loses.”
Before she could ask him what he was talking about, the elevator door slid open, and she walked into the foyer of what Riley Lang apparently called “his little place.” Yeah, that had been a lie, too.
He’d told her there wasn’t enough room at his place and that was why he always came to hers. This place was huge. Apparently, he hadn’t wanted her to know the scope of his wealth.
What else had he been hiding from her?
She walked down the marbled hall and into what looked like the living room. To her right was a spectacular view of Central Park. She was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and leather furniture that likely cost a fortune.
This place in this part of town was worth twenty million easy. Why the hell had he needed a job as her lawyer?
Maybe she really did need to start asking the right questions. He hadn’t been at StratCast for money. He obviously didn’t need her as a client. Why had he needed her?
Why would he work for Castalano if he had this kind of wealth at his fingertips? Garrison had told her she didn’t know the real story. This was the first time she believed him.
“I think everyone’s in the conference room,” Taggart said, walking in beside her. “It’s kind of like a war room right now. And yes, some families have game rooms. My family tends to have playrooms—and those are not for the children. But this family has a flipping war room. I wish I’d known that before I agreed to marry into it.”
“It wouldn’t have changed a thing.” A petite blonde stepped into the room.
A familiar-looking blonde. “Do I know you?”
The blonde smiled. “Ellie! I’m so glad you’re here. We met a few weeks ago.”
Now she remembered. “At the coffee shop on Fifth. Riley sent you? That was before he started working for me. I take it he sent you there.”
Mia shook her head, a wealth of thick hair curling around her shoulders. “Oh, no. He was really pissed about it. I wanted to get to know you. You were important to all the planning and stuff.”
“The planning? Planning what?”
Mia started to open her mouth, but her husband’s massive hand closed over it before she could speak.
“I think you should talk to Riley about that,” Case said. “And my wife should stay out of it. She makes a habit of inserting herself into situations she really shouldn’t be in. It’s her hobby. Princess, you put that tongue all over my hand. I don’t mind at all, but you should know the minute you bite me, I’m going to bite back.”
Mia harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest
.
But it no longer mattered because Riley had walked into the room. He was dressed as casually as she’d ever seen him in slacks and a button-down, his sleeves rolled up.
Not as casually as she’d ever seen him. She’d seen him with nothing on at all. She’d seen him as he worked over her, his face a mask of pure pleasure.
“Ellie.” He barely breathed her name and then he was crossing the space between them, his arms out as though it was his right to catch her up and hold her close.
She knew what her right was. She hauled her fist back and punched the bastard.
Hard.
Riley reeled back, his hand going to his jaw as Case bit back a laugh and Mia gasped.
“Oh, I take back everything I said about her,” a new voice said. “She’s welcome in our family.”
She looked up and the man who had come to her office with Riley the first day was standing there. He was a good two inches taller than Riley and broader, though she preferred Riley’s lean frame. Andy, as Riley had called him, intimidated her with his massive size. He was closer to Case Taggart than Riley.
Riley shook his head as though shaking off the pain. “Don’t tease her, Drew. Ellie, I deserved that. Will you come in and let me explain everything to you?”
Drew? “I thought his name was Andy.”
The other man loomed over Riley, his eyes suddenly finding hers. “It’s Andrew, though with friends and family I go by Drew.”
Tears filled her eyes because she really was a fool. Now she knew why Riley was so surrounded by wealth. “Drew Lawless. Of course. The last card I had in my hand. He’s your brother, isn’t he?”
Riley nodded. “I can explain.”
She looked at three of the Lawless siblings. They were orphans because of what her father had done.
This was why Henry Garrison had practically been laughing as he’d dropped her off. Everyone had been in on the joke except her.