AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was lying but he didn’t need to know that. James didn’t know my preferences for the train unless Jaime told him. And I didn’t think he’d tell anyone about my fear of cars in winter. He wasn’t cruel.
“Oh, you got a car? That’s cool. There’s a parking structure in the basement, I’ll make sure your name is on the list so they know to let you in. I’ll have someone make you a parking badge as soon as I can.”
“Thank you, James. Have a nice evening.”
Shoving the door open, I didn’t look back. I didn’t want to remind myself that it wasn’t Jaime in the car. Jaime would walk me to the front door to make sure I got there safely. I didn’t want to admit to myself that I liked it. That I missed it. That it’s been less than twenty four hours and I missed him.
* * *
A small partof me was hoping that when I left my condo the next morning that Jaime would be waiting outside my door, ready to call my bluff. My heart sank when I saw the empty hallway. Gritting my teeth, I shook my head. I spent the entire night reminding myself why I don’t date. I will not be pining over Jaime. I’m Rebecca freaking Sloan, I’m not one of those whiny women in romance films. I had more important things to do than waste my time thinking about him.
Throwing on my jacket, I headed out by myself for the first time in weeks. It snowed all night last night and not many places had gotten around to dealing with it yet so I had to pick my way carefully through the snow. Since I’ve taken to wearing proper shoes and changing in the office, I didn’t slip as much and made it to the station without issue. It was crowded as usual but I got lucky to squeeze in on the first train by tucking myself next to the door. It was uncomfortable to say the very least but at least I wasn’t cold.
I was knocked around a bit, people departing at stops before mine shoving past me or knocking into me with their bags. One smacked my elbow really roughly and I had to rub at it but I did my best to ignore it. We made it to my station and I almost tripped coming off the train, gritting my teeth, the frustration building. Today was shaping up to be a god awful day and the more crap that came my way, the more irritated I got.
The wind was rough on the walk from the station and I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to stay warm, and stared at my feet to avoid any icy spots. That's how I managed to nearly walk straight into someone in front of the O’Connor building. I came up short when he appeared in front of me, nearly slipping on the ice.
“Excuse me,” I mumbled, moving to step past him. It wasn’t until he side stepped to block me that I realized he was trying to get my attention.
“You the lawyer?”
I frowned. “Yes? Who are you?”
He glowered at me. “I’m the man being screwed over by O’Connor and his cronies. You need to tell him to back the hell off.”
His tone was rough and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up but I wasn’t unprepared for unhappy rivals of the people I worked for so I lifted my chin and narrowed my eyes.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
He scowled. “Name’s Terence.”
He was conveniently leaving out his full name, probably because he knew what he was doing was wrong.
“Well, Mr. Terence, I don’t know what issues you have with Mr. O’Connor but I can assure you none of them will be handled by you barking at me in the streets. If you have something to complain about, I suggest you take it to him. Continue to harass people outside the building and your problem will be with me instead.”
The warning in my tone made him pause. I’ve filed harassment reports before and I’ve taken a few people to court over it. I don’t let people accost my clients just because they’re unhappy about something. They can handle it like adults or they can deal with me and the legal system. I’m usually met with aggravation or an occasional dirty word. I wasn’t expecting Terence to grab my arm roughly and squeeze.
“Hey! Don’t–”
He yanked me closer. “You listen here, you little bitch, I’m only tellin’ you this once. Keep your fucking client on his leash or I’ll–”
The distinct sound of metal on metal was loud in the air. Both Terence and I froze and when I slowly turned my head, I realized that while we’d been talking two angry men had approached us, the smaller of the two holding a gun to Terence’s temple.
“Let the lawyer go. Now,” he growled.
Terence’s grip tightened for a second and I thought he might actually be willing to try something with the men but he released me and shoved me away from him, his lip curling into a deep scowl. The larger of the two men caught me with one arm before I could fall, righting me quickly while keeping his angry gaze on Terence.
“Piece of shit always had people fallin’ at his feet. He’s gonna get what’s comin’ to him,” Terence snarled.
The man with the gun lifted his chin like a challenge. “You’re the one who’s gonna get it if you don't fuck off. I haven’t killed anyone this week, I’m starting to get trigger happy.”
Terence took his statement for the warning it was and spun on his heel, storming off. We all watched him go until he disappeared around the corner. Drawing in a breath, I let it out slowly. It wouldn’t be the last time I faced down an asshole. Next time I wouldn’t let him get so close. I wasn’t paying attention like I should have been. I needed to do better at my job. I was too distracted. In this world, that kind of carelessness could get me killed.
ChapterTwenty-Two
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”
The one who kept me from being knocked down had turned his attention to me. He was massive, tall and broad shouldered, his expensive suit stretched tight over his biceps. He had a heavy Russian accent and his hair was buzzed short. To add to the Russian stereotype he wasn’t even wearing a jacket and looked unaffected by the frigid weather.
