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“The fact of the matter is, Vance Oil hired a desperate man who was willing to risk his life to give his wife and daughter the life they deserved, and they failed to give him the tools to keep himself safe so he could return to them.”
I heard sniffling from beside me, and I refused to look at her. I’d be in the same boat as her if I did. I didn’t know Rory, but as silly as it sounded, I grieved him, too. He seemed like one of the good guys, and despite my romantic relationship with Kierra and my love for her and Kiyah, if I could turn back time so they could have him again, I would.
Because I love them that much.
“You know how this goes, Mr. Burgess. If we can’t resolve our issues through mediation, then the case will go to case evaluation. We’re prepared to offer a modest request; however, if the case evaluator suggests a higher settlement, we’ll aim for that. This is your final chance.”
“How much are you asking?” Mr. Burgess asked, sounding defeated.
“Twenty million.”
The seasoned lawyer groaned and massaged his temples.
“Mr. Baker, be reasonable. I can’t get my employer to approve twenty million.”
“You’ve been a lawyer for too long to not understand risk-benefit analysis. It’s easy—pay the $20 million or pay $200 million and my client’s attorney fees. It’s as simple as that.”
“Ten,” Mr. Burgess countered.
“Oh, my God,” Kierra whispered beside me.
“Eighteen.”
“Twelve.”
“Eighteen.”
“Fuck, fifteen.”
“Eighteen.”
“Seventeen.”
“Nineteen.”
“Okay, $18 million!”
I heaved a sigh. “Please, allow me to confer with my client.” I turned to Kierra, and she glared at me. Even though I have my own bedroom, she’d still probably make me sleep on the couch if I didn’t accept the offer.
“Okay, she said she’ll take $18 million for the negligent death of Rory Drew Houston. I’ll have the settlement agreement written up, and we can sign on Friday if you have time, of course.”
“I’ll be available,” Mr. Burgess said in a clipped tone.
“Fantastic. We’ll meet back here on Friday at 10:00a.m.. We’ll sign, and the funds will be wired to Mrs. Houston’s account. Do you have any questions?”
“None,” he said, gathering his belongings.
“I’ll see you out.”
“I can see myself out, thank you.”
We remained in silence long after Mr. Burgess stormed out of my office. We were both processing our feelings. I was elated for many reasons but also a little wary. I wasn’t an idiot. Kierra took the nanny job out of desperation, but she didn’t have a reason to stick around any longer with $18 million in the bank. My anxiety forced me to break the ice.
“So…shall I be expecting your letter of resignation soon?”
“What?” Kierra asked, finally snapping out of her daze.
“Will I have to look for a new nanny soon?”
