by Leigh James
"Can you please bring us in some coffee, April?" Walker asked. "Attorney Reynolds gets a little feisty if she's not properly caffeinated. And you don't want to see that."
"No, I do not," she said, under her breath, and sashayed off to get us some coffee. Even though her ass looked amazing in her dress, I was still happy to see her go.
"She's pretty," I said, turning back to Walker.
"I hadn't noticed," he said, earning about a million more points from me and knowing it. "But I'm sure Lester noticed when he hired her."
"Noticed what?" asked Lester Max, casually leaning out of his office and eyeing my clingy dress.
“Hi, Lester,” I said, refusing to let myself blush under his stare. “We were saying that we noticed your assistant is very attractive.”
“April? Oh yeah, she is,” Lester said. “But she’s a total bitch.”
“You need something, Mr. Max?” she asked suddenly, appearing out of nowhere with a tray of coffee. I jumped, but Lester appeared unruffled.
“Just the Advent report,” he said. “And some coffee.”
“Done and done,” she said, giving Walker one last hopeful glance. I could feel Lester Max watching me, so I was sure to keep my face completely neutral, even though I wanted to do a fist-pump when Walker didn’t acknowledge her. Again. I love you, I thought. And then I immediately thought oh shit. Because I was pretty sure I did love him, but I hadn’t admitted it to myself up until this point.
I was so screwed. I was screwed without having been actually screwed, which meant that it was all worse than I was capable of fully comprehending. And I was pretty smart.
“Lester,” I said, as April set down the coffee and closed the door behind us, “we still have a lot of discovery to do. We need more records. We’re also going to need to take your deposition at some point over the next few weeks.” Even though I had no idea if we were going to make it that far.
“That’s fine,” he said, sprawling out behind his desk. “Let me know when you want to schedule the deposition. And April can prepare all the records you need. David Proctor has already been in touch with a list. We’ve given him hundreds of documents already.”
“Right,” I said. “We’re going to have an auditor prepare a summary, and then I’ll need you to review that. I’ll have you do an affidavit before the deposition.”
Lester Max nodded. “With respect to the charges,” I said, and crossed my legs. “The prosecution is saying that some of the reporting methods Blue used don’t account for profit from your subsidiaries. From what I’ve seen, I think that’s going to be the crux of their argument,” I said, even though this was completely untrue and I still had no idea what the crux of their argument was going to be. “So I have some questions about that.”
“And what are your questions?” Lester Max asked calmly, leaning back.
“How many subsidiaries do you have?”
“Five,” he said. “We set up a sub-corp for each country that we do business with. Blue is used for the U.S. government. The other five are for the other countries we do business with: China, Russia, Dubai, Iraq and Israel.”
“That’s quite a list,” I said.
Lester shrugged. “We only sell those countries non-proprietary information.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m not really concerned about them. I’m more concerned about the Miami sub-corp.” I could feel Walker’s eyes on my face.
Lester looked at me for a beat. “That’s set up for tax purposes,” he said.
“I know,” I said. “But from some of the records I’ve reviewed, it doesn’t seem like it really does anything for tax purposes. It seems like it doesn’t really do what it’s set up to do. And from everything I’ve heard, you’re not the kind of man who makes mistakes like that.”
“The Miami set-up is not a mistake,” Lester said. “It’s in place for future use. But thank you for the compliment. I think.” He laughed without humor.
“But there are some transactions coming out of Miami,” I said. “There are payments going in and payments going out. But none of them seem to serve the tax-shelter setup. You know what I mean?”
“No. I don’t know what you mean,” Lester Max said, frowning at me.
“Well, I respectfully disagree,” I said, “because I think you do.”
“Well, I’m not answering any more questions about it right now,” Lester said, looking at me in a superior manner. “If you want to make accusations, young lady, you can make them to my lawyer. Who is older and wiser than you!”
“Seriously, Lester?” Walker said, standing up. “You’re seriously going to pull this right now? When I’m about to go to jail? And I’ve been funding your questionable lifestyle for decades?”
“My lifestyle isn’t questionable,” Lester said, calmly. “Although it could be said that my taste in women is.”
“I’m asking you these questions as Mr. Walker’s attorney, in preparation of his defense,” I said.
“You are asking me questions in an attempt to incriminate someone other than your client,” Lester said matter-of-factly. “I am not going to answer those questions. Not without my lawyer.”
“You’re fucking dead,” Walker said.
“No I’m not,” Lester Max said, smiling up at him. “But it seems like you might be on your way.”
They stared at each other for a beat and I was actually afraid for Lester Max, even though he was a jerk and quite possibly a traitor. Walker looked like he might pounce across the desk and strangle him. But Lester didn’t look too concerned. Not until Walker came around the desk and grabbed him by the shirt collar.
“You’re fired,” Walker said, lifting him up. Lester Max spluttered and his face started to turn red.
“You can’t fire me,” he wheezed. “The Board has to do it and you know it. You agreed to it when the charges came out. You have no power here right now.” Walker yanked him up higher and Lester Max thrashed against him, his face turning purple. “April!” he wheezed. “APRIL!”
“Put him down,” I said to Walker quietly, and he did, frowning, just as April opened the door.
“Everything okay, Mr. Max?” she asked, deadpan, taking in his sweaty face and skewed collar.
“Call David Proctor,” Lester Max said. “Tell him his client’s in violation of his home detention and that he physically threatened me. Tell him his associate’s a cunt. And call security and get them both out of here.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I said, grabbing Walker’s arm and heading towards the door. “We’re leaving now. We’re going to see David ourselves.”
I stopped and looked back at Lester Max. “One more thing,” I said. “That word you just called me? The c-word?” He looked at me like he wanted to smack me across the face. “That’s one of my least favorite words. So now you’re on my bad side, and I’ve got a big bad side. And that side of me may not be a c-word, but she is a total bitch.”
I tossed my hair and dragged Walker out of the office, April staring after us with her mouth open.
“Holly,” I said, when I got to the desk, “do me a favor? Call a Board of Directors meeting for tonight. We’re having some staffing changes.”
CHAPTER 19
“I can’t call a Board of Directors meeting, and you can’t either,” Walker said, as we hustled to the garage.
“I know,” I said. “I just wanted to start some shit.”
“You really are worth your ridiculously expensive hourly rate, you know that?” he asked, watching my face. “Can I just buy you all at once, instead? It might be cheaper in the long run. And it’s definitely worth the investment. I’d like to keep you around,” he said, and the longing tone he used made my insides contract.
I beamed at him and grabbed his hand, forcing him to walk faster. “Sadly for you, I’m only available by the hour. I can’t be bought.”
“We’ll see about that,” he said, and gave me a dark, hungry look that made me ache in between my legs.
“So
…” Walker said, shifting gears. “You still want to go see David? After that shit show?"
"That's exactly why I want to go see him," I said. We got into the elevator and he turned to me and grinned.
"You are now officially my sole ally," he said. "I'm so glad you're hot. And feisty. It makes this much more bearable."
"That was a guess — what I said about Miami," I said. “But it’s an educated one. Something isn’t right."
"Why didn't you just ask me?"
“I asked you before, remember? I brought up Miami and you assured me that it was independently audited, that it was perfectly legal. But I dug into it a little more, and I didn’t like what I saw. And I didn’t bring it up again…partly because I was trying to keep you safe, and partly…because I was testing you," I said, looking up at him. "I wanted to see your reaction to what Lester had to say about it."
He looked pained. “Nic, if you don't think you can trust me, at this point…”
"I do, Walker. I trusted you before. I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t blind, when it comes to you,” I said. “It’s more like I was testing myself.”
I smiled at him and he leaned over me. My heart stopped. “Did you pass?” he asked, lowly.
“With flying colors,” I said, looking up at him. “I trusted you and I was right.”
"You better mean it," he said, taking his thumb and stroking my lower lip. “I don’t know what I’d do if you didn’t.”
My whole body quivered at his touch. “I mean it," I whispered. He hovered over me, our eyes locked, my face raised up to him.
The elevator door opened just then. Thank goodness, I thought, taking a shaky step back from him. I think I actually almost meant it.
He sighed, exasperated, and grabbed my hand. He dragged me through the garage towards the car. I didn't even try to pull away at this point. He laced his fingers tightly through mine and smiled down at me.
"We're going rogue," he said, and shrugged. "We might as well hold hands."
“Fine,” I said, not wanting to fight with him. “But about the Miami payments,” I said, still wanting to work through my theory with him.
"Hold that thought," he said, suddenly drawing me closer to him and looking around suspiciously. “I heard something.” He pulled me into a dark corner of the parking lot and we pressed our backs to the wall, watching and waiting. No one came around and no cars drove by; we stood there, holding hands and holding our breath. I checked my watch. We needed to get to Proctor & Buchanan soon; I didn't want to raise flags with his detention officer and I didn’t want to be stuck here in this garage, holding my breath and being afraid.
"I don't see anyone," I said under my breath.
"Wait," Walker said, and we both held our breath as a white Lexus SUV cruised slowly down the narrow lane. The driver was no one I recognized, but I watched as he scanned though all the parked cars. My heart sank. He knew we were here. He was looking for us. And just because they hadn't hurt us yet, didn't mean they wouldn’t. I exhaled in relief when he continued down, going to the next level.
Lester Max. The government. Norris Phaland. The list of people and things I no longer trusted was growing and growing. But which one of them had been following us? And why?
"So they know where we are," Walker said, grimly. His face looked pained again. “I figured that they were still following us, even if we couldn't see them."
"They're professionals," I said. "They know what they're doing."
"I'm a professional," Walker said. "And I am going to take them down. As soon as I get the chance.”
"Oh no, you're not," I said and grabbed his hand. I pulled him in the direction of the car. We had to get to David; I hoped I could trust him. I had to talk to him about Lester Max. "We are playing by the rules until the trial," I said, looking with guilt at our clasped hands. Most of the rules. We were playing by most of the rules.
He pulled me back and stopped me, cupping my face in his hands.
"I don't think we have that much time, Nic," he said. "I don't think we’re going to get as far as a trial. Not if they know we know something. And if we can’t trust my people, maybe we can’t trust yours, either.”
“I don’t know who to trust anymore…” I said, thinking of Norris Phaland’s scaly face. “But I know they would have killed you already, if they wanted," I said, staring up at him, my heart pounding against my chest. "Just like they killed that poor man."
"They can't kill me, not yet," he said, his eyes burning. "They need me for what I know. At least, I hope they do.” He put his lips against my hair and pulled me to him.
"I know we can't do this," he said, pulling me tighter. My heart thudded wildly in my chest. "But I'm being selfish. I don't want to do this without you. Any of it." He released me and stepped back.
"But I am going to have to. I can’t put you in this sort of danger. I’m going to have to let you go." He smiled at me sadly.
“Oh no. No you don't," I said quickly, too quickly, and threw myself back into his arms. I knew what was wrong and what was right. And it was wrong to be away from him, out of his arms, walking away from him in his hour of need. Every fiber of my being told me that.
What I knew in my heart didn't match what I knew in my head — what I'd been trained to believe, from my professional code of conduct, to be correct. In that moment, and in all of the moments leading up to this, I realized: I didn't care anymore. That code of conduct was there for a reason but that reason wasn't there for me, not with Walker, not with the world crumbling around us. That reason didn’t apply to me anymore: I’d outgrown it.
I looked up at him and ran my hands through his hair. I didn’t care if there were people sitting in their parked cars, watching the spectacle. “I’m not going anywhere. You can’t make me.”
He looked at me with longing and sadness and I could feel him press himself against me reflexively. He leaned over and brushed his lips over my forehead. "I can't do this to you," he whispered. “I want to. But I can't be so selfish that I destroy your life."
I looked up at him. "I think my definition of what constitutes ‘my life’ has changed drastically since I met you," I said, blushing furiously. To say it out loud made me feel ridiculous, stupid. I pulled back from him. To think that a man like Broden Walker, a gorgeous billionaire womanizer, could be the object of my affection...well, that in and of itself was ridiculous. And saying it out loud would only make it worse, because then he would say nothing back, and then I really would be ruined.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm being stupid."
"What?" he said, his breath hot and urgent against my face. "What's stupid?" He kissed the side of my face, brushing his lips against me, and I shuddered.
"Nothing," I said, and stepped back from him. I knew how I felt, but I still couldn't tell him. Not yet. Maybe not ever. "We should go. But no more talk about letting me go and doing this alone. I work on retainer, remember? And you've already paid," I said, keeping my voice light. I grabbed his hand and dragged him to the car.
"I like it better back there in the dark," he growled, "and I'm not done with that conversation. I'd like to know about your drastic change in definitions." He looked at me with hooded eyes and my stomach tied itself into a knot.
I pretended that I didn’t know what he meant, and I ignored the comment. “Come on, now," I said, smiling at him, trying to shake off my jumble of thoughts and all of the hot and throbbing parts of my body. "Let's go see my boss."
"I thought I was your boss," he said, lowly, and several parts of me lurched. Again.
"Actually Walker, I'm the boss," I said, and in spite of the fact that we were being followed, the poor pizza delivery guy was dead, Lester Max appeared to be a traitor, and I was hopelessly in love with someone I could never have, I noticed I had a little spring in my step. It was wildly inappropriate. And totally real.
CHAPTER 20
We weren't positive that someone followed us to Proctor & Buchanan, but we figured as much. We stayed
quiet in the car. Walker brushed my knee with his hand twice while he shifted gears, and even though I didn't think it was an accident, he didn't acknowledge it. My blood raced through me hotly — at his proximity, and my memory of him brushing his lips against me — as I tried to organize my thoughts about Miami, what Lester Max was up to, and what David Proctor might think about all of this.
Walker was prudent enough to not hold my hand when we pulled up to my firm, except to help me out of the car.
“Hi, Mr. Walker," said Toby as we came into the lobby. Walker smiled warmly at him and threw him the keys.
“Just leave it on the curb with the hazards on. It might not be safe to drive. If someone comes to tow it, just give them this and tell them to wait five minutes,” he said, handing him a large amount of cash. “We won’t be that long.”
“Yes, sir,” Toby said and smiled.
We went up the elevator in silence. The firm, which had been my refuge from the world for so long, was no longer a sanctuary for me. The image of Norris jumping out in the bathroom flashed in front of me and I shivered. I could not wrap my brain around the full extent of the bad situation that I was in.
Maybe it was a blessing that Walker was so hot. I couldn't think straight because my hormones were so out of control, and therefore, I could not see how dangerous and desperate our situation actually was. It all sort of worked out great.
I looked over at him and found him studying my face. He smiled at me, just before the door opened, and reached over and squeezed my hand.
Of course other parts of me squeezed when he did that.
"Let's go to my office, first," I said, suddenly nervous, and from more than just Walker’s touch. When we went into the lobby at Proctor, everyone from the front desk receptionist to Stan, who ran the copy room, said hello, but they also stared at us. Like we were a rogue celebrity couple, which I suppose one-half of us sort of was.
“Hi!” I said, when I saw Tammy sitting at her desk. I reached down and hugged her; I hadn’t realized how much I missed seeing her every day.