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“Good idea. But if we need you to come down and face your sister, you do so with every intention of fighting, if needed. I’m sure they are not worried about hitting a woman.” Vanessa turns and walks into the kitchen, and we follow her like puppies.
Zack picks up a cell phone and looks at Vanessa, who in turn gives him a small nod. Zack makes the call and when I hear Deputy Cornell and see the twitch in the corner of Vanessa’s mouth, I know he’ll be coming here soon.
We have diners come in and don’t seem to be worried about the bikers being in here earlier, so I act normally as I watch Vanessa take Deputy Cornell upstairs to the apartment.
Zack and I work quietly alongside each other, and when Vanessa comes back she looks calmer, but the Deputy looks like he could bust some asses without thinking twice about it.
When the Deputy leaves without speaking to me, I know Vanessa has said nothing about me to have me under suspicion of any kind.
“That’s you for the day, Miri. Take off upstairs, and I’ll bring a meal up with me when we’ve finished for the day.” I give Vanessa a quick thank you, along with Trace and Zack, before I head upstairs.
I shower, change and walk back into the living room of the apartment and pick up my phone, which is ringing on the coffee table where I’d placed it before going for my shower.
Seeing it is Mr. Galbreathe, I answer. “Hello Mr. Galbreathe.”
“Miri, I’m sorry for having to make this call, but we are having a crisis here at the office and we need you to come back. We are calling all hands on deck to deal with this crisis, and I’m sorry, but if you cannot come back, we’ll have to pay you severance and let you go.”
Now, I’m not hearing any sign that my boss is sorry at all. I know that his niece has recently qualified as a paralegal. I’m not stupid, he’s cutting me loose for his niece.
“Well, isn’t that coincidental that your niece has just this month qualified as a paralegal and you now have an emergency that has you cutting me loose to put her into my job? Now, I’m not a fool. I’ve worked for your office for a long time and I know my rights. So first, my severance better be massive, and you better send me a reference that glows so much they can see it on the moon. If not, I’m going to take you to court for unfair dismissal and anything else I can tag onto that. I’ve worked for you a long time. I’ve put in hours I didn’t need to. I’ve been the best paralegal you could employ, and you doing this shows what you are as a boss and as a man. Your morals are lacking, Mr. Galbreathe.” I can hear him breathing hard and know he is holding back his temper. But he also knows I don’t bluff, and if he says anything untoward at this time, he could be in deeper shit than he can wade out of. I wonder if the other partners in the practice know he’s cutting me loose?
“I will have everything dealt with by the closing of the office tomorrow.”
I smirk because he cut the call before I could say more. But I’ll make sure I get what I want, or he’ll be in court for so much shit he’ll have his partners on his back.
Chapter 11
BRIONY
Walking to work is becoming more and more tiring. It only takes me fifteen minutes to get to work, and fifteen minutes to get home again. But then I have to walk, catch a bus, or Uber to the MC clubhouse. If I walk everywhere, I’m about on my knees when I eventually get back home, but it saves money that I need.
“Briony!”
Shit, I make a dash with the cart carrying all my cleaning products for the shower block before Echo catches up with me. I’m doing my best to dodge him, and he’s doing his best to catch me.
“Come on, Briony, don’t run,” Echo groans as he chases towards me.
I get into the shower block before checking if it shows someone is using one of the shower areas. Thankfully, even in use they are private locked rooms, holding a shower, bench, toilet, sink, and mirror. I’ve been called to come in to work three times in a day lately, as all three showers have been used and they need cleaning after each use. I’m going to speak to Truck about needing another cleaner to help now that I’m working for Finger, Truck, and Tracker at their homes.
I checked the two unused shower stalls and was satisfied they were spotless. I close the doors to both rooms and spray the floor in the entrance area. I’m wet mopping and humming to myself when the third shower stall door opens and a naked man lunges toward me.
I don’t even try to stop the girly scream that erupts from my throat. I swing the mop and smack him clean in the face. Screaming again, I use the mop to stab at him, doing my best to keep him away from me while I reach the door.
Banging on the door has the man pause, and I take the opportunity, unlock and open the door and run outside.
“What’s going on?” Echo snarls.
Has he been hanging around out here all this time? I can’t stop the thought running across my mind, but I quickly snap out of it and point at the shower block. “Naked man. He tried to grab me,” I surprise myself when I don’t splutter or stutter, I just blurt it out to Echo who turns slowly to the shower block.
Truck appears from somewhere along with Joker. “What the fuck is going on?” Truck demands. I quickly tell him what happened because he is my boss, and he snarls as he pushes Echo out of the way and storms into the shower block.
“You come with me into the gas station, Briony,” Joker says as he takes my elbow gently and guides me away.
I jump and turn when I hear thudding noises. Echo must have gone inside with Truck and I’m not sure what they are doing to that man, but you know, I don’t care either.
“Come on, Briony. Let’s go sit you in the office with Rum. Let Truck and Echo straighten out the fuckin’ pervert,” Joker smirks, and I’m about to ask what he means by straighten him out, then think again, who cares.
Sitting with Rum, I drink the mint tea he gave me. I’m not sure I like it, but I am not going to throw his kindness away. “You know, that gas station in Hardacre County, they give tokens free for the shower stall if the trucker spends a certain amount on gas. That way it pulls the trucker to get to your gas station and not use another one.”
