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“As gracious as that was for Ms. Radcliffe to do, I would never leave my business to a senior litigator. While I trust her courtroom acumen, she’s not ready to handle my business. So, what are we discussing?”
“I wanted to be the first to throw my hat in the ring to bid on your firm. I know you thought you could make a go at this but let’s face it, Ms. Patterson, you’re barely making it. Your associates are losing easy cases. Your clients are walking away. This is a sinking ship. I am offering you a life jacket. Hell, I’m offering you a whole other ship.”
I felt the heat of anger rise from my toes and become an inferno by the time it reached my mouth. I was ready to jump on the table and use every expletive I knew to kick him out of my office. I held on just to hear what he would say next.
“I’m listening,” I said calmly, but my foot was tapping a mile a minute under the table.
“If you were to accept my offer, you and the other ladies who work here would be absorbed into the Bell, Tower and McIntyre group. You would fall into rank right behind the senior associates we already have, and when the time comes, in several years, you would be looked at for junior partner, then eventually a senior partner.”
I stood to my feet because I was about to lose it.
“Mr. Bell, you’ve given me a lot to think about. I will speak with you again.” I opened the conference room door.
“Don’t take too long. There are sharks in those waters.”
He walked out of the room. I watched him until he stepped on the elevators and the doors closed.
I closed the door to the conference room and looked at Caroline.
“Averie, I saw a pattern of loss, and I was concerned that maybe it was bad for the firm. I didn’t mean to step over you or anything. I mean, I can’t make any moves without you, it’s your firm, after all. I told you that I would handle things while you were gone, and I did to include looking after the financial stability of the firm. I ran into Trevor one night at dinner, and he told me that he had something he wanted to discuss with me about the firm. I didn’t think it would hurt to have a conversation.”
I schooled my expression and let her ramble. I knew what she was trying to do, but I needed solid proof. Once I had solid evidence, I was coming for her and anyone who helped her.
“I get it. No worries,” I smiled.
Samuel
“Then this three-foot, eleven-inch, one chromosome away from being a dwarf, prick-ass, hobbit looking, mouth breathing, sewer snake has the nerve to tell me there are a lot of sharks out there. What the fuck! I’m sorry for cursing, but this is some bullshit. I knew Caroline was a little jealous of my success but to try to take another woman down? Damn, how low will she sink?”
I was listening to Averie tell me about her meeting with Trevor Bell. I was angry, but I tried to appear neutral even though I already knew that Trevor would be hearing from me.
“Baby, you handled the situation perfectly. You didn’t give them any reason to suspect you knew what was going on.”
“You think so? What I really wanted to do was drag that bitch across the table by her hair.”
“I would have handled it the same way. You have to know what they are up to and how deep it’s gotten. The best way to do that is to keep them close and working on it.”
“Thank you. I started this firm, so these women could make a name for themselves and not have to run behind a man to validate them or make them relevant. Now this smut is doing the opposite.”
“Count is on his way over. He will get to the bottom of this then you can throw her out like the trash she is and tell Trevor to…what did you tell Barry to do?”
“Choke on a dick,” she laughed.
I knew what she said, but I needed to see her smile. I was one second away from finding Trevor and knocking him out.
“El,” Ray said as he knocked on the doorframe of my home office. “Count is here. I’m heading out. Do you need anything before I leave?”
“No. You have a test to study for, correct?”
“Yes, and I have some feet to rub because I can’t take her out to dinner tonight.”
Ray has transformed his life and is working hard toward his degree. He loves his wife. I’m proud of him.
“Call me if you need help with studying. You will have to handle that foot rub on your own,” I laughed.
“I will. She usually falls asleep when I massage her feet so I will have time to study. I will hit you up if I need help.”
“Alright. Thanks for working hard today, Ray. See you in the morning.”
