Лиза Джонс - Hot Secrets

“Would then become a lawful solution and perhaps the easiest and most effective solution to this problem.” He paused. “I am well aware of the ruling.”

“So you know I’ll win,” she stated with confidence.

“Juries are a fifty-fifty bet.” He sighed. “I can tell we are at a standstill.”

“I respect you, Mark. I know you believe in this woman, but you’re wrong on this one. I wish you weren’t, but you are.”

“Let me know if you change your mind,” he said. “Otherwise we’ll take our chances with the jury.”

“I guess we will.”

A few seconds later, they’d said their niceties and ended the call. Her buzzer went off immediately and that was how the next few hours went for her. When Lauren finally managed a breather, she intended to review a file, but instead found herself replaying the moment she’d dropped that sheet and pressed herself against Royce.

“What are you smiling about?”

Lauren’s gaze lifted to the doorway, to find Julie standing there, her simple black suit hugging her voluptuous curves, her long blonde hair resting on her shoulders. “I want details about this weekend.”

Lauren glanced at her watch to see if she had lost track of time. “I thought you were going to call me and make sure I could do lunch?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, well, that gave you a chance to say ‘no.’”

“It’s only eleven o’clock.”

“So?” Julie said, claiming the chair Beverly’s brother had been in earlier that morning. “It’s late enough to qualify as lunchtime.”

“I really need to work through lunch. Don’t you have any work to do?”

“No morning appointments. I delve into another divorce with the rich and famous again this afternoon. You know Gina Garrett?”

Lauren blinked. “The actress?”

“The one and only. My newest client among quite a few celebrities. Seems I’ve been named the attorney of choice when discretion is valued.”

Laughing, Lauren said, “Yeah, well, you’ve earned that. You are responsible for divorcing at least half a professional baseball team.”

“And quite discreetly, I might add.” They shared a laugh before Julie asked, “Can you at least go downstairs and have coffee with me?”

“I better not,” Lauren said reluctantly. A good talk with Julie would be well timed. She hadn’t told her about the calls or the calendar pages, because she knew Julie. Julie would call in the National Guard, but she needed to tell her. She needed her friend, but she was way behind on her trial prep. And then there was her promise to Royce to stay in the building. “Could you grab us some coffee and we can talk here? There’s actually a few things I’d rather talk about in private.”

Julie’s brows dipped. “Everything okay?”

“Not really. No. No, it’s not.”

“What did Royce do to you? Tell me now because I swear”

“He didn’t do anything,” Lauren said, foreseeing the National Guard call already. “It’s not Royce.”

Julie studied her a moment. “Okay. I’ll go get the coffee, and bring it to you so you can work until I get back.”

Giving in, Lauren motioned for Julie to go. “That’s good. And yes, I’ll be here when you get back, working, unlike some people I know.”

“Hey, you choose the type of law you do. I get paid well, and work less.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “So you remind me all too often.” She shooed her away. “Go, woman. Get the coffee.”

Julie disappeared, and Lauren began taking notes on her case until Alice buzzed her yet again. “Do I really want to know what this is about?” Lauren asked when she punched the button.

“No,” Alice said. “Which is why I should just anticipate your response and tell your caller you’re busy.”

“Who is it?”

“Roger.”

What the heck was her ex calling her for? “Tell him I left for lunch.” Lauren looked up to find Julie entering her office with two cups of coffee. “And just so you don’t have to lie, Alice,” she added, “I really am leaving.” To heck with staying in the building. She couldn’t act like a prisoner and stay sane.

“Consider it handled,” Alice said. “And there’s a package for you up front.”

Probably the psychologist reviews for the upcoming trial. She already knew what it said. “I’ll pick it up on my way back from lunch.”

Julie’s brows dipped. “Now we’re going to lunch?”

Lauren pushed to her feet and grabbed her purse with one hand, the coffee with the other. “Yes. Roger just called. Somehow, just hearing his name made me claustrophobic.”

“What did that jerk want?” She shook her head.

“Every dime my father is worth,” she said. “The same thing he always wants.”

***

A few minutes later, Lauren stepped onto the street with Julie by her side, fighting guilt over leaving the building, telling herself this was nuts. She’d had threats before. They wouldn’t go away and she just had to lift her head and carry on. In fact, she had to look unruffled or she’d look like an easy target. Royce didn’t understand that, and she had to make him.

She chatted with Julie, telling her about her morning confrontation, when an uneasy feeling rushed over her. Damn it, she liked Royce, but he really was messing with her head. Feeling a sudden need to free her hands, she paused at a trash can and tossed her untouched coffee, then slid her purse strap across her shoulder and chest.

“That coffee cost me five bucks,” Julie complained. “You didn’t touch it.”

“It had a bitter taste.”

“Oh well, then I’ll complain when we go back to your building. Now, talk, girl. Details on Royce and now. If he’s as good as he looks, oh baby, I know what kind of weekend you had.”

Lauren struggled for a reply, distracted by a sense of being watched. “He’s different than other men I’ve know.”

“Different how?”

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out,” Lauren said, stepping to a curb packed with pedestrians, the proverbial sardine can of New Yorkers this busy area created.

“You know I’m not going to accept that answer.”

The light remained red but people darted across the street anyway, dodging cars. “Yes, I know,” Lauren assured her, as several people shoved her and Julie.

Julie grabbed Lauren to keep from falling. “Damn New Yorkers.”

“We’re New Yorkers,” Lauren reminded her when a sharp burning sensation on her arm had her jerking to her left, to the many bodies surrounding her. “Ouch. Oh God.” Her hand flew to the point of discomfort, pain radiating from hand to shoulder. “Damn, damn.” She grabbed Julie’s arm. “Don’t cross. I need out of this crowd.” She moved away from the curb, with Julie on her heels.

“What happened?” Julie asked urgently. “What’s wrong?

“I don’t know.” Lauren lifted her arm to show Julie, and pulled at her sleeve, trying to see the damage, and finding a large burn hole in the material.

“Holy moly,” Julie said. “Some asshole burned you with a cigarette. I swear it looks like someone shoved it at you and held it there. Your sleeve is too poofy for it to get to your skin easily.”

“Apparently it’s not.”

“We need to get you some ice quickly. Those kinds of burns hurt like a bitch. I know. My mom smokes and I landed at the end of her cigarette more than once as a kid.”

Lauren looked down at her throbbing arm, the pain growing with each passing second. The hole in her sleeve seemed overly large, and she suddenly wasn’t so sure this was an accident or a cigarette at all. “Ice.” Lauren agreed. “Yes. I need ice.”

“Damn cigarette smokers,” Julie muttered. “Why in the hell does a person light up in a crowd like that?” She paused, her brows dipping. “You okay, sweetie? You’re really pale.”