by J. L. Drake
Normally, I’d make sure I knew all the ins and outs of everyone, but there hadn’t been any time. Frank did, however, gave me a file on Cole and Savannah, so I wasn’t completely out of touch on the family dynamic, but the rest of them I’d have to learn about. He mentioned that some boxes would be waiting for me when I got settled. At least I wouldn’t be wasting time and would be useful. I was good at my job, and I was determined to help in any way possible. I would do anything for Frank.
“He’s a grown-ass man, Abs.” Cole took another bite. “What am I going to do?”
“You could have stopped him.”
That made Cole chuckle in amusement.
“Telling John not to go to the peak is like telling Mark there’s no dinner. It doesn’t happen.”
A chair hit the floor in the other room, and someone shouted. “There’s no dinner?”
Cole’s eyebrow lifted. “Case in point.”
“Cole,” Abby put her hands on her hips with a sigh, “he’s injured, and he should be resting, not to mention he found—”
“No, really,” a boyish-looking man was in the entryway of kitchen, “what’s going on? Savi promised to cook.”
“Don’t worry, Marcus, I’m about to start dinner.” Abby shook her head at me, but I could tell she loved every moment of it by the way she looked at the guys. Love and patience were written all over her face.
“That’s not funny.” He pointed at Cole before he grabbed two cookies off the counter and spotted me. “Company? Why didn’t anyone tell me?” He shoved a cookie in his mouth before he held out his free hand. “Mark Lopez.” Crumbs fell from his lips, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Sloane Harlow.”
He tilted his head to study me. “I see a little Latina in you and…” He waited for me to finish.
“Hungarian, Latina, but born in America.”
“Oh, that explains your intense blue eyes.”
I smiled at his mannerisms. He was like a sweet boy trapped in a man’s body.
“Köszönöm,” I replied, thanks in Hungarian.
His hand landed on his chest. “That was so sexy.”
“Right.” Frank rolled his eyes. “How much longer until Black returns? I’d like to have a meeting sooner rather than later.”
Cole grabbed the binoculars off the counter and headed for the living room. Frank motioned for me to follow. He adjusted the center knob and raised them to look somewhere up on one of the mountains.
“Can’t see him, so he must be on his way back.”
“Or dead on a ledge somewhere.” Abby scowled.
“He’s been climbing since he could walk, Abby. Today is no different.”
Mark strolled in with more cookies and sprawled out on the couch, perfectly at ease with someone new in the house. It was oddly comforting. I’d spent a lot of time around awkward, uncomfortable people, so this was new and welcome.
The back patio door opened, and the sound of someone hitting their boots together had Abby sighing with relief.
Cole responded with a “told ya” smile.
“Don’t start, young man,” she warned as she turned and placed her hands on her hips.
“Johnathan Davin Black, march your butt in here.”
A light chuckle could be heard as he moved about. My cell rang, and I quickly fished it from my purse. Checking the ID, I groaned.
Cole’s face questioned, and Frank shook his head. “The line is secure.”
“Excuse me,” I lowered the phone, “I have to take this.”
“Please, take my office,” Cole said softly as I answered the phone and told Henry to hold on.
“Ah…” Frank took a step toward me, but I shook my head for him to stop.
“Just act normal, right?” I reminded him I knew my part.
“Just be careful.”
“That’s why I’m here, right?”
He backed off, and I followed Cole down a hallway.
Henry was just like the rest of them. Well, I could tell myself that, even though deep down I knew he was different, but most of the time clients just needed to let the anger settle before they could move on. I hoped that eventually Henry would too.
Cole’s office was gorgeous, just like the rest of the house. The fireplace was on, so I moved to stand in front of it.
“Take your time.” He nodded before he left me.
With a heavy sigh, I felt the weight pull at my chest as I lifted the phone to my ear.
“Henry, you know you’re not supposed to use this number.”
“When I call the other one, you don’t answer.”
I closed my eyes to calm my nerves. “That’s because I’m working on a new case now. I don’t have time to chat about ones that are over.”
“Says the lawyer who didn’t win the case.”
Ouch.
“I’m sorry for what happened, I truly am. But, Henry, facts are facts, and the truth can’t be bent to fit what you want.”
“You know he didn’t do it.”
“Do I?”
“Really, Sloane?”
“The judge made up his mind, the decision was made, and there’s nothing I can do. My hands are tied on this.”
“You didn’t bring in the third witness, Sloane. You got sloppy, and now—”
“Henry.” I cut him off because the anger inside me bubbled to the surface at his words. I took pride in my work, and I was a damn good lawyer. “Five months, three weeks, and two days I spent on your son’s case. It’s not my fault the defense found a mistake that you made, and one you failed to mention to me. You and the others need to let it go. His days are numbered, so use them wisely.”
“Maybe I should have hired Grant instead,” he snapped before the line went dead.
My head dropped, and my hand reached out to the mantel to stabilize myself. I’d had difficult cases before, but Henry’s had been the hardest by far.
The phone rang again. I didn’t have to look at it; I knew it was him. He always snapped, flipped out, then called me back. He was so draining and heavy, and he always knew just what to say to hit all my weak spots.
Like a battered wife, I answered the call and heard the same song and dance that had weighed me down for the past six months.
“Sorry.” He paused. “I just get frustrated.”
“I know. But, Henry, you need to let this go and move on. Please stop calling. Nothing is going to change. The only person who can put this behind you is you. So, do it.”
“I know.” His voice softened a little.
“Please, I have a meeting with a client,” I lied, “and I need to be able to focus. No more calls, okay?”
“You moved on fast.”
And there it was again. Oh, my God. I can’t win with this guy.
“It’s my job.”
“It was also your job to get him off.”
The ache between my eyes increased, and I pressed to try to relieve some of the pressure.
The loud noise of a chopper filled the house, and I moved to the window to see a black helicopter landing up on the side of the hill.
“Where are you? Because you’re not home.”
That grabbed my attention. “How do you know I’m not home?”
“Because I’m outside your place, and there isn’t a light on.”
“That’s creepy, Henry. You need to go home.”
What the hell?
“I have a file I wanted you to look at, something new I found.”
The office door opened, and Frank was standing there with my coat draped over his arm. He motioned to me that I should hang up.
“Look, go home. There is nothing I can do for you or him. You need to leave me alone. I’m not your lawyer anymore.” I hung up and closed my eyes to gather myself.
“Sloane, you really need to distance yourself from them.” Frank took a step inside the office.
“Yeah,” I tried to clear my head, “I’m trying.”
“Who was it this time?”
; “Henry.”
“I really don’t like you talking to him.”
“I’m a big girl, Frank. I’m aware of the dangers, and I’m doing what you and he asked, but you have to let me be me too. I changed my number to the secure line like you both insisted a few weeks ago, and somehow, Henry figured it out, and he’s just hanging on to a hope. He’ll go away soon, and everything will go back to normal.” I sighed. “Do you want me to have a look through your stuff now?”
“Yes, but you will have some minor restrictions.”
“Of course.” I motioned for him to lead the way.
To my surprise, I was led back outside and down a stone path toward a small cabin.
“Things have changed around here a little now that some of the guys have families. There was a time when all our business was conducted in the conference rooms downstairs in the main house. Savannah,” he paused to look at me, “that’s Cole’s wife,” he reminded me, “insisted that since you’ll be here for a while, you should have your own space. Somewhere you can have privacy if you need to hide away at times.”
“That’s really nice.” I so appreciated that. “Are you here a lot now, Frank?”
He laughed a little before he tucked his hands into his pockets. “Now that Mia and Mark have three kids, I am.”
“I bet she loves that.”
“We’ve become a lot closer.” He smiled warmly.
I didn’t know Mia very well. My own parents had traveled a lot, but Frank had always been in my life in some way. I knew he had a reputation for being a hard-ass, but he’d always been kind to me.
“Mark sure seems like a character.”
“It was hard at first. We bumped heads for sure, but he’s a really good guy, and Mia adores him. The ladies do seem to flock to him. I didn’t really get it before, but I think I do now.”
I actually laughed out loud at that comment. “I’m not going to lie, Frank. I wasn’t expecting that to come from you.”
“Yeah, well, he’s a charmer.” He eyed me. “You all are.”
“What, me?” I smirked.
“Sloane, you’re a smart girl, just the type of person who would fit in at Blackstone. Not to mention you’re already vetted, so you’re a perfect candidate.”
“I might be a perfect match, but all it would take is his name to get dropped, and I’d be like poison to the touch.”
“Yeah, about that.” His tone changed. “I haven’t shared anything, but Grant was asking about you.”
Ah, yes, the wonderful ex was asking about me again. I hid my annoyance. “And I would appreciate it if you don’t share anything. I will when I’m ready. Grant can know I’m away on work.”
“And that’s what I told him.”
“Thanks,” I huffed.
“Here we are.” Frank pointed to the small cabin with its tin roof.
He opened the door, and I gasped. It was so pretty. One side of the house had a huge, long, rustic wooden table that looked to be made of a single piece of solid wood. White boards covered two walls, and a long window looked out over part of the lake which could be seen through the tall, thick trees. A cast iron maze of light above the table flickered in all directions, and oversized, dark brown leather chairs sat eight. On the other side was a stone fireplace, flat screen, and a matching couch and two chairs.
“There’s a small bedroom up in the loft.” He pointed to the high ceiling where a bedroom was apparently nuzzled somewhere above in the cathedral ceiling. “Wait until it rains. The tin roof was Savannah’s idea.”
“Wow,” was all I could say.
“Kitchen and bathroom are right through there, and one more bathroom is upstairs. Also, Abigail has arranged for you to have a driver if you need to go to town.”
“Wait,” I was confused, “I thought this was just for my workspace. I thought I was staying in town?”
“Cole and Daniel thought it was best that you stay here.”
I immediately felt uneasy. I liked my alone time and space, not to mention my freedom to come and go as I pleased. This felt smothering.
“I’m not sure, Frank…”
“If you’re not comfortable with this setup, you can talk to either John or Cole about it.” He seemed to make an effort to keep his face expressionless, but a small smile showed. “Now, I’ll let you look around while I go grab your bags and boxes from the car. I know you, Sloane, and I know you’ll want to jump right into work. I’ll send Black down so you can start.”
Before I could protest further, he was out the door and up the path.
This wasn’t exactly our agreement.
I was about to close the door when a familiar sound caught my attention and drew me back outside. I found myself crossing the yard and, still following the sound, up a set of stairs. I chuckled at a little sign that read “If you lived here, you’d be home now” that was posted outside an open door. I peeked inside and watched.
“If you hold down your thumb and shake the controller, you can kill him and jump to the next building,” I said.
Two sets of identical brown eyes swung to stare at me, not with concern but with intrigue.
Chapter Three
John
“Really?” Mia felt around my stitches. “You could have done more damage, John.”
“Did I?”
“That’s not the point.” Livi stepped out from behind her with a stethoscope wrapped around her cute little neck. “You were supposed to rest, and you didn’t.”
“Does Daddy rest when he gets hurt?” I challenged the littlest Logan whose dark eyes and smile made my heart melt daily.
“Daddy doesn’t get hurt.” Her pigtails bounced around.
Mia stepped back. “Stand and put your hands over your head.” I did. “Does that hurt?”
“Nope.”
“And if it did?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes and looked down at Livi. “He’s good to go.”
“You get a sticker.” She reached up and stuck a Doc McStuffins sticker over my heart.
“I feel so much better. Thanks, doc.” I rubbed her cheek.
God, I love that little girl.
“Come on, Aunt Mia,” she ordered. “I heard Auntie June sneezing earlier. We should see if she’s sick.”
“Lead the way, little lady.” Mia turned back to me. “Seriously, John, take it easy.” She paused. “Mentally too.”
“Will do,” I lied. If I stopped, I’d go crazy. It was just how I operated.
I pulled on my heavy green knit sweater and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked worn out, and my eyes probably gave away a lot, but I’d promised Frank I would do my best to answer a few questions from some mystery lawyer. How a lawyer got this type of top clearance and was here at all was beyond me. Apparently, that was a trend lately. I brushed the cliff dust off my black Army pants and ran a hand through my long crew cut. Scruff was visible, I knew, but I had zero desire to shave. I headed for the stairs.
“Hey,” I stopped Mark who snatched up Liam by his beltloops as he raced by us, “you met the lawyer? What’s she like?”
He looked over his shoulder to where Frank was in the living room and lowered his voice. “Redhead, raging B, dressed like a crazy cat lady, kind of smells like one too. Good luck, buddy.”
“Good luck, buddy,” Liam repeated.
My stomach sank. “Great,” I muttered sarcastically.
“Yeah, and whatever you do, don’t mention the giant-ass mole on her face.”
“Why would I—” I stopped myself. “Never mind. I need to just get this over with.”
“Good luck, man.” He quivered, and when Liam repeated him like a parrot, I tugged on his pants to increase his wedgie. I stuck my tongue out at him and left with a laugh. Mark’s boys were a handful, but Christ, they were fun.
“Frank?” I called.
He motioned for Daniel to follow us as he pulled me aside.
“First, your target’s tracker hasn�
�t moved in hours. Looks like he may have been killed or the shoes have been ditched.”
“Damn.”
“Okay, here’s a quick rundown. Logan can fill you in on the rest later. She’s vetted, she has a secure line for her cell phone and laptop. She signed the NDA. She’s incredibly smart, and it’s said she can find a pebble in a snowstorm. I’ve never seen someone who can research the way she does. She’ll be working on some things for me and some of her own stuff as well.”
“Wait.” I was confused. “She has that kind of clearance. Who the hell is this woman?”
“Let’s just say she’s a friend of the family.”
“Frank, does anyone else know you have her working on this? There’s a lot of lines being crossed here—”
“John,” his hand landed on my shoulder, “I trust her like I do my own daughter, so I need you to trust me on this.”
I glanced at Daniel, who nodded for me to go with it.
“Okay, so you want me to share a little of what happened on the last mission? How much do I tell her?”
“Just what she should know.”
“Which is?”
“For now, the timeline. If she starts asking helpful questions and you see she’s on to something, you can decide to go into more if you’d like. Just use your judgement.”
“All right, and why is she here, again? Something about a bad case?”
I knew I wasn’t getting the entire story.
“Ex-clients weren’t happy about the ruling they got and are giving her some trouble. I thought it would be best for her to be here.”
“Must have been a big client for Blackstone to take her on.” The skin around his eyes creased, and I saw deep concern. “Who is she to you?”
“She asked me to keep some things under wraps for now, and I respect her decision.”
I hated secrets.
“And Cole knows everything.”
“He does.”
Great, so the vault of the house knew the story, which meant I wouldn’t know anything until I had to. Even with his last breath, Cole wouldn’t whisper a word to anyone, not even Savannah.