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It was going to be a long night.
Chapter eleven
The Appeal
Royce
The receptionist ushered me into the conference room, where Drew sat at one end of the large, polished wood table. “Hi, Royce. Thanks for coming in.” Drew gestured at a chair beside him, so I pulled it out and sat. It was early afternoon and the sun streamed in through the three narrow, side-by-side windows that stretched from floor to ceiling. “Bruno will be here in a minute,” he added, fiddling with some papers.
I was at a loss for what to do until then. I folded my hands together and set them on top of the table. The wait wasn’t long though. I turned when the door opened and Bruno walked in, followed by Quinn.
I scowled. It was too hard to see him when I couldn’t touch him. Couldn’t crawl into daddy’s lap and snuggle in. He sat without a word, making it feel like we’d broken up. He had to understand. I hoped he could.
When I sighed, Drew’s expression turned shy. “I had to give Quinn some of the leg work on this, man. Otherwise, he was going to drive us all insane.”
Bruno snorted, but I could totally see that situation. Daddy needed to help. End of story. Quinn could be a force when he wanted something, and I loved that about him, even now with him looking sheepishly at me from across the room. “Hi, Royce,” was all he said.
They sat at the other side of the table, obviously doing their jobs, but it was Drew’s show, and he didn’t give anyone an opening for more conversation. “Alright. I’m on a tight schedule today so let’s get started,” he said. Then, he outlined how things were going. Drew’s private investigator uncovered a few things that allowed us to remove the judge from the case. Some of his connections forced him to recuse himself. Even better, the new judge was one that Drew knew, but not on any level that would disqualify him. “I know he’s fair. Has a great reputation.”
“Until my father gets to him.” I wouldn’t put it past my father to try and buy the new judge.
“I’m not going to let that happen. I have connections, too. Let’s move on. Now, as you know, I’m a contract lawyer, and mostly I work on business stuff, so Bruno will be leading. He’ll present your case and represent you in court. Royce.” He put his hand over mine. “I trust him completely with this. Okay?”
“Yes. I get that. What about Quinn? Doesn’t he do employment law?”
“Yes. And you’re dating, so he’s not on the team at all, and that’s the best way to keep it. We don’t want anything that appears unethical.”
I couldn’t afford to appear anything but above board. “Agreed.” It was painful to say that word. It felt like a betrayal, like stabbing Quinn in the back.
“I’m not even letting him in the courthouse that day. Okay? When he’s not there, it’s not because he doesn’t support you. In fact, the opposite is true.”
I nodded. I understood the situation. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t like any of this. “What else?” I asked while avoiding making eye contact with Quinn. I didn’t want to see the disappointment in his hazel eyes or, worse, hope.
“If you haven’t started working yet, you need to. You need to show you have stable employment, even if you shouldn’t need it based on your finances.”
“I have. My old job was still there, technically I never left. And every penny is rolling into the accounts my father controls. It will look like I only took a short leave around the time of the first courtdate. But I don’t like it.” My chest still burned with indignation.
“Understandable. But your father has to account for every penny. It won’t be lost. And use the car he provided.”
“I am. Drove over here today. Anything else?” I huffed.
“I know I don’t have to say this, but don’t go anywhere near Jax and the pups.”
That shouldn’t matter. What I did in my own time shouldn’t matter, but I already knew it did. I’d do what I had to. “I won’t.” No, I didn’t want that, but this was war.
“Okay. The court date’s set for next week. But I don’t know why you can’t see Quinn. No sleepovers, but you can spend time together. I doubt that will hurt anything.”
Finally, a bright spot. I smiled at Quinn. His eyes, a sparkling blue, green and brown mix of hazel, were bright with hope, and it eased the heat in my chest. I was happy he was still on board with our relationship, but I still had to put it on hold.
I agreed with everything Drew advised, and thankfully, I had already worked things out for Todd. With me moving out, it would have meant Todd was back to not being able to afford the apartment. But I resolved that quickly enough. Stashing some of my stuff at Todd’s place was perfect too. Not only did it help Levi with his rent, but it was also conveniently located and safe from my father’s rule. He wouldn’t try anything at Todd’s, but I couldn’t trust him not to have someone barge into the place he demanded I live in and confiscate whatever he wanted. That could be cash, sex toys, even my damned dirty underwear. Mother fucker!
Still, I felt relieved that I found a roomie for Todd, even if he’d get a subsidized rate, and I’d heard they got along great. So, I held on to that as I said goodbye, leaving Quinn staring longingly at me, but I couldn’t give in. No matter what Drew said, seeing Quinn without having more was too hard. I had to make him understand. “Um, Quinn? Gotta second?”
“Of course.” Everyone else left the room.
I took a deep breath. “I know what Drew said, but I can’t.”
“Can’t what?” He looked confused and worried, and when I grabbed my ear, he glared.
