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We landedSunday night after having an amazing time in Charlotte. After I thought about it, that was the first trip I’d taken in a very long time. I didn’t want to leave.
Samuel stopped by his apartment and collected clothes for Monday, then stayed the night at my place.
I woke up before him and prepared breakfast for us. He must have smelled the food cooking and came into the kitchen to find me.
“Good morning,” he kissed my forehead.
“Good morning. I’m making you some of your turkey bacon, eggs and French toast. Have a seat.”
“When did you purchase turkey bacon? I thought you didn’t like it.”
“Actually, I did like it. It doesn’t replace pork by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a good brand. I asked Lita for the name of it before I left the Wentzville house that weekend.”
I put his plate in front of him then sat down to eat.
“Why are you awake so early?”
“I’ve got some things on my mind about the firm. One of my senior litigators has a meeting with Trevor Bell of Bell Towers…”
“And McIntyre. I know who he is.”
“Well, when I first started the firm, and we were making waves and winning cases, he tried to buy me out, more than once. I told him I didn’t want to merge with a big firm. That was one of the reasons why I left the big firm to start my own. I didn’t want to get tangled up in the ‘good ‘ole boy’ network. I needed to know I would be recognized for my hard work and three white men would never notice the little black girl. Anyway, I kept saying no, and he kept asking. Eventually, he went away, but he’s a predator, and I don’t want to do any business with him. Now, my associate has taken this secret meeting with him, and I am going to have to bust in and break that shit up. She knows better. The kicker is she tried to have the meeting while I was out working on Roc’s case. I guess she thought the trial would take longer and I wouldn’t find out.”
“How did you find out?”
“Liddy found out. She knows everything.”
“What’s your move? How is the security in the building? Do you want me to have Count send someone over just in case?”
“My move is to surprise them and get to the bottom of it. I want to kick Caroline’s ass, but I have to keep her semi close until I figure out her angle. The building security is legit. If I call them, they will come, but Bell is too smart to have a public confrontation. Thank you for offering, but I won’t need Countee. It’s business. I can handle business.”
“I hear you, and I agree. I would like to add that if Bell gets out of pocket, I’m coming for him. I know you got it and its business, but it’s the rule of the street, you come for my lady it’s not business anymore, it’s personal.”
“El, I…”
“Are you about to give the speech about the knight and the horse?”
“No, I was going to say, thank you. I’m not used to someone having my back even though you suck it hard enough to leave bruises.”
“You saw those?”
“No! My sisters did!” I laughed.
“I thought about spelling out El’s but decided against it.”
I threw my paper towel at him.
* * *
I waiteduntil ten minutes after the meeting began to enter the conference room. You would have thought Caroline had seen a ghost. All the blood drained from her face and she became pale almost to the point of looking blue.
“Good morning! Sorry I am late. This meeting must have been switched on my calendar,” I fake smiled as I sat at the head of the table.
“Ms. Patterson, I didn’t think you would be a part of this meeting,” Trevor said.
“Well, Mr. Bell, it is my firm so why would you think I would miss it?”
“Ms. Radcliffe told me you would be tied up with a case, so she would speak on your behalf.”
