AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How much of our own money would we need?” I ask. Damien, Luc, and I are all wealthy. It sounds immodest to say that, but it’s true. “I can downsize my lifestyle, that’s not a problem. It would be worth it to me if that keeps the firm going.”
“I appreciate that, too,” Damien says. “But any of us putting our own money into the firm is hardly a long-term solution. I’m not even sure it’s a short-term solution. I don’t know about you, but a lot of my cash is tied up in investments and stocks. I don’t have a ton just lying around, you know?”
“Yeah, I do,” I nod. “Still, it wouldn’t be that difficult to liquidate some of that.”
“For how long?” Damien asks. “And how much? I don’t want any of us to put so much money into the firm with no payoff. Because then the end result is still the same – the firm has to close. Only now we’re all broke, too. At least right now we have reserves, and resources.”
“I get that,” I say. “But just know that I’m willing to put my own money in, if that would help.”
“It helps me to hear you say that,” Damien admits. “I’ve been feeling really alone in this, Finn.”
“Have you told Sophia?”
Damien shakes his head. “How am I supposed to tell my wife that the firm I convinced her to give up a stable, well-paying job to join might not exist in a year?”
“Well, when you put it that way…” I crack, and am relieved when he gives me a half-smile. It’s brief, but at least I got him to lighten up a little.
“I should tell Luc, too,” Damien says. “I wasn’t trying to keep this from either of you. I just thought that I could handle it on my own, you know?”
“I do. But we’re all invested in this, Damien. We all want Devil’s Advocate to succeed. I’ll do anything to accomplish that.”
“Thank you,” Damien says quietly.
And that’s when Raven’s offer flashes through my mind. Her inheritance, and her willingness to give me some of it.
Well. Her willingness to give me some of it … if I agree to be in a relationship with her again. And not just be in a relationship, but actually get engaged. Which, knowing Raven, would probably lead to an actual wedding.
The very thought of dating Raven again, much less proposing to her or being her mate, makes my skin crawl. I’ve been spending a long time avoiding her, trying fruitlessly to convince her that we are well and truly over.
But the thought of all of that money is hard to dismiss. Raven wasn’t very specific, but I definitely got the impression that my share of her inheritance would be substantial. Probably enough to put into the firm and buy us a lot more time. Possibly years more, instead of just months.
And now that I know just how dire the firm’s situation is, her offer is starting to look … well, not appealing, but not completely horrifying, either. It’s definitely the only option that doesn’t run the risk of bankrupting me or my brothers, or force us to fire good and dedicated employees. One of whom is Emma.
I wince at the very thought of trying to explain to Emma why I’m back with Raven. Especially after that incredible night we had together. I think about how it felt to wake up with Emma the next morning, warm and comfortable in her bed. How easy it is to be with her. How it feels like we’ve known each other forever.
I’ve never felt that with Raven. Or any female at all, actually. Until Damien met Sophia, I didn’t think that that kind of connection even existed. But now I think I’ve found it, and I don’t want to let it go.
I also don’t want to let the firm go, though. Is there some way that I could have both? That I could get a cut of Raven’s money and keep Emma in my life? The very idea of agreeing to Raven’s plan makes me feel slimy and spineless. But the idea of firing Emma, and everyone else, makes me feel even worse.
But I haven’t spent the better part of my career defending criminals without picking up a few tricks. I’m not proud of it, but I’ve made some pretty morally questionable decisions myself, and I know that sometimes you have to do something underhanded for the greater good. And that just might be the situation I’m faced with now.
14
EMMA
That’s why we hire people like Emma. To help the image.
The words have been echoing through my head for the past few days. Not constantly – I sure wasn’t thinking about them when I was out with Finn – but often enough that I’ve spent way too much time turning them over, searching for their meaning.
I’ve also thought about the other conversation I overheard – I’m really racking up on them – between Damien and Finn, that the firm is in trouble. Not that I see any signs of it in the office, or among the rest of the staff. I spend almost every lunch hour with Lucy, with Gretchen and Janice often joining us, and none of them have mentioned any rumors about the firm losing clients or money.
I haven’t figured out a way to bring up what I heard to anyone. I don’t want to tell Lucy, for fear of starting office gossip. And I don’t want to ask Finn, because the words “last hired, first fired” keep running through my head, too.
Not that I think Finn would want to fire me. And I know this is just magical thinking, believing that if I don’t say anything to him, everything will be fine. But I can’t help it. Working at Devil’s Advocate feels like coming home, and I can’t wrap my mind around the idea that it could all go away so quickly.
So instead, I’ve been spending long hours at the office, trying to think of ways to generate new income. I’m not the only one working late – Finn always stays later than I do, and is in earlier, too. I don’t know when, or if, he’s sleeping.
One afternoon I run into him in the office kitchen. He’s slouched against the counter, staring at the coffee pot. “I could go out and get you coffee that doesn’t taste like lighter fluid,” I offer.
