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“Hmm. That depends on who you ask. A few days ago, I was the scum of the Earth to you.”
I froze, thinking I had offended him, until his lips folded in.
“My opinion hasn’t changed,” I joked, focusing on the painting instead of his hard-to-read smile. Rory’s smiles were easy to decipher. They promised carefree mischief with a little bit of mayhem—all good things. On the other hand, Jonathan was a wild card, and I had a feeling he wasn’t as squeaky clean as he presented himself.
“Ouch,” he chuckled, cupping his hands behind his back. We maintained a companionable silence as we observed the painting’s beauty.
“On a serious note, your parents are probably proud of you.”
“My father disapproves. According to him, I’m not operating at the best of my ability. He believes that personal injury doesn’t bring recognition or open doors for political opportunities.”
“No disrespect, but oof.”
“Oof, is right. But it’s fine. I’m not on a quest for world domination. I enjoy helping others and I think I’m doing all right.”
“Doing all right? You have a fucking Rembrandt on the wall.”
“I won it in an auction,” he expressed.
“Was there a bidding war?”
“Oh, it was nasty. We nearly came to fisticuffs with our paddles.”
I sighed, “Oh, the lifestyles of the rich and famous.”
“We’re not that exciting. Not to change the subject, but have you considered my offer to represent you against Vance Oil?” I chewed on my bottom lip anxiously. “I don’t want to pressure you, but time is always of the essence.”
“I understand.”
“You still seem hesitant.”
“When I entered your office, I expected one of two outcomes. You were either going to laugh in my face and deny my caseoraccept my case and represent me on the basis that Rory wasn’t negligent. I wasn’t expecting you to accept my case on the premise that I’d have to throw my deceased husband under the bus. I needed some time to wrap my head around that.”
“That’s not an easy choice to make, Kierra. I’d be lying if I said I would’ve jumped at the opportunity.”
“What are the odds of us winning going your way?”
“That depends. What are you looking for? A $20 million payout or the conservative settlement of half a million we discussed?”
“Half a million would take care of Kiyah and me nicely, but then I’d have to pay taxes and pay you—”
“You don’t pay taxes on personal injury claims, and I’ll waive my fee.”
My eyes widened to saucers. “You’re joking.”
“No. You need it more than I do. Plus, I do pro-bono cases a few times a year.”
“You’re just the gift that keeps on giving.”
“I aim to please,” he said almost alluringly.
Or maybe I’m just hearing things because I haven’t had sex for going on seven months.
“Right. I want to accept your offer; however, there is another issue.”
“I’m all ears.”
“If I go along with your plan and we lose, then I’ll never be able to go after Vance Oil again because we’d be admitting on record that Rory was negligent. How sure are you that you’ll win?”
