by L. P. Dover
Layla didn’t even acknowledge Randall and kept her eyes on the judge. Judge Hawthorne sighed and ran a hand over his face. “None of this sounds right to me, but that is your signature is it not?” he asked, looking straight at me.
How could I have been so stupid to sign something without reading it? Philip had betrayed me long before I caught him cheating. “It is,” I said, clenching my fists so tight the pain shot up my arms.
The judge sighed again and stood. “Then there’s nothing else I can do.” He focused back on Layla. “If you can prove this was maliciously done, I’ll be happy to reevaluate. Until then, this meeting is over.”
He walked out of the room, and as soon as he was gone, Philip chuckled. “Make sure your stuff is moved out of the condo by the end of the week.”
“You rat bastard,” I hissed. Layla grabbed my arm again, keeping me in place. “You’re not going to get away with this.”
Philip backed up to the door, grinning the whole time. “Oh, and you’re fired. I don’t need you anymore at the firm. You can pick up your things in the lobby tomorrow morning.”
It was as if everything came crashing down, but I was too numb to feel it just yet. The anger was too much. Philip and Randall left, while all I could do was collapse back into my chair. Layla turned me toward her and knelt down in front of me.
“Faith, look at me.” When I didn’t, she squeezed my hands. “Faith, look at me.”
It took all the energy I had to even focus on her. “I have nothing now. He took everything from me.” All the money I had of my own went into building our law firm. I did have a separate bank account that was my own, but there wasn’t much in it.
She nodded, but there was a fierceness in her eyes. “He did, and you know what?”
“What?”
“He’s going to pay for it. I may be a Chandler now, but I was born a Corsino. It may be time I use it to my advantage.” She helped me up, and put her arm around me. “Until then, you’re going to live at the Chateaux in my princess suite. I’m not going to have you being homeless.”
I was too angry and exhausted to argue with her. But in all reality, I was homeless now. I had put my faith and trust into the wrong person and I was paying dearly for it.
How did I miss that document? Yes, I have a number of letters I needed to sign daily — all mundane forms for ordering supplies and such I should have noticed something that wasn’t similar…I just feel so had right now it’s making me sick. I should have known Phillip would have done something like this.
Why would one person want to ruin another’s life in such totality, it’s just so cruel. When did he begin to hate me this much? Well, fuck it all, Layla was right … Philip was going to pay for what he’d done. I wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
Chapter Three
Dominic
“Should I open Layla up a bottle of wine?” Francis called out from the kitchen.
I’d just gotten the text from Isaiah that Layla and Bryce had arrived at the hotel with Faith and were stopping by the princess suite first. I had a feeling things didn’t go her in way in court.
Standing by the window, I looked out at the city below and noticed Francis’ reflection in the glass. He was forty-five years old with blond curls and a handlebar mustache that he’d had for as long as I’d known him. I glanced at him over my shoulder and shook my head. “Not tonight. I have a feeling she’s not going to want it.”
Francis snorted. “Seriously? When has she ever said no to wine?”
“That was before she was pregnant.”
Francis’ eyes widened and he bounced on his feet. He’d been my family’s chef for years after moving from France, and after my father died, he decided to live at The Chateaux Hotel with his partner so he could continue to work for me.
Francis clapped his hands excitedly. “I can’t wait to see her.”
I could hear the ding of the elevator out in the hall. “Don’t say a word about it,” I said, making my way to the door. “She’s supposed to tell me tonight.”
Francis nodded and hurried back into the kitchen just as the knock sounded on the door. I opened it up, and Layla flung her arms around me. “Surprise!”
She squeezed me hard, but I hugged her gently since she was carrying precious cargo. “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound shocked.
With a heavy sigh, she let me go and nodded toward the hall. “Faith needed me. I’m letting her stay in the princess suite for a while.”
“What happened?” I could already feel the anger well up in my chest.
Before she could answer, Francis came up behind me and shouted her name. Layla rushed over to him and hugged him, both of them going ninety miles an hour about how much they missed each other. Francis took her hand and led her into the kitchen, most likely to shove food down her throat now that he knew she was pregnant.
Bryce slapped a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll tell you everything once she’s caught up with Francis. Right now, we need to talk.” He followed me to the study which was the farthest room from the kitchen. “I talked to Reed and Micah. Both of them are on board,” he said as we entered the room. “You already know Reed, but I’ll send you a file on Micah.”
That was excellent news. “When are they coming?” I asked, leaning up against my desk.
Bryce sat down across from me. “Reed will be here tomorrow and Micah the day after. I can’t promise you how long they’re going to stay, but I left it up to them. If you’re a dick don’t count on them sticking around.”
“Don’t worry,” I assured him, hoping he could see how grateful I was. “I’m going to make sure it’s worthwhile for them to stay. I need them.”
Bryce nodded. “I trust you. There’s also another guy I was able to talk to this afternoon.”
“Who?” I wondered.
“His name’s Connor MacCabe. Ever heard of that family?”
It took me a few minutes to pin point where I’d heard it, but then it came to me. “There were two men who came to my father asking if they’d seen him. Had thick Irish accents. That was about a year ago, and I haven’t seen them since. The Irish mob families here in New York don’t have that name.”
“They’re all in Ireland,” he stated. “Connor’s in Wyoming right now, keeping a low profile. He helped my brother, Ian, with a case here recently. When he heard I was recruiting people for you, he gave me a call.” A sly smile spread across his face. “I think he’s tired of the country life. Plus, he’s Irish and a natural born brawler. You could use him.”
The thought definitely appealed to me, but there was a problem …
“What if is his family comes looking for him again? I don’t want to put my people in jeopardy over something he did.”
Bryce’s smile faded. “I get that. The only thing he did was avenge the death of his pregnant fiancé. She was raped and murdered by his nephew. When he got the chance, he killed him. He also helped save my twin brother’s wife. For that, he’s in the Chandlers debt.”
Bryce had three brothers, all who worked for the FBI. Their bond was strong, just like the one I had with my family. I trusted Bryce, and I owed him. “In that case,” I said, holding out my hand, “I’ll provide him protection in return for working with me.”
Bryce stood and shook my hand. “He’s a little rough around the edges, but you need someone like him. Reed’s getting him some new ID’s. That way it won’t draw attention to the MacCabes.”
“And what are you two talking about?” Layla asked as she walked through the door.
Bryce wrapped his arm around her waist. “Just shop talk, Lemon Drop.”
Lips pursed, she narrowed her gaze curiously at me. “Seems like it’s more than that, but I’ll let it slide. I trust you two know what you’re doing. Right now, I need to ask a favor,” she relayed to me.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Anything.”
“Can you please keep an eye out on Faith? I’m letting her stay in the pr
incess suite for a while until she can get back on her feet.”
“What the hell happened today?”
Blowing out a heavy sigh, she sat down. It was uncanny how much she looked like our mother with her blonde hair and greenish-brown eyes. “It was awful, Dom. There was nothing I could do. Philip had tricked her into signing a contract, months before she caught him cheating. It stated that if they were to get a divorce, he’d get everything, no matter who was at fault.”
Anger boiled in my veins. What a pathetic piece of shit he was. “I’ll watch over her,” I promised.
“Thanks, Dom. She was so angry today. If I wasn’t there to reel her in, I’m afraid she’d be in jail right now with attempted murder.”
That was one of the things I admired about Faith. You could look at her and tell she wasn’t afraid of anything. She also had a mouth on her which I’d always found to be humorous. What I never understood was how she could fall for that cocksucker Philip. He was a complete douche. Not that I was God’s gift to women or anything, but I at least knew how to treat them well. He didn’t respect Faith and it was evident in his actions. I’d seen the motherfucker out on the town with his friends, drinking and talking to other women. I had no doubt he’d cheated on Faith plenty of times before. I wanted to get involved, but I stayed out of it, much to my regret.
“When you talk to her, ask her if it’s okay if I can see her tomorrow,” I said. With all the controversy with my family name, I wanted to give her a choice. I’d help her either way, but I wasn’t about to bring her into my world if she didn’t want it.
Layla nodded. “I plan on seeing her in the morning before Bryce and I leave for Wyoming. If she agrees, I’ll bring her over so I can say goodbye to you.”
“Sounds good. I hate you both are leaving so soon.”
Bryce reached over for her hand and she smiled at me. “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow in Wyoming that I can’t miss.”
“Everything okay?” I asked.
She looked over at Bryce and her grin widened when she focused back on me. “I’m pregnant, Dom. Tomorrow we get to hear the heartbeat for the first time.”
Tears filled her eyes and I opened my arms. “That’s fucking amazing, sis. Congratulations.” I hugged her hard and shook Bryce’s hand. “You better take care of her,” I ordered.
“Always,” he replied.
Layla let me go and wiped the tears off her face. “You’ll have to come visit us soon. Mom’s been dying to see you.”
Once Layla and Bryce moved away to Wyoming, my mother did the same to be with her. With all the shit my father had done, I never expected her to stay in the city. She needed a new life, just like Layla.
I cupped Layla’s cheeks. “I will. That baby’s going to know how awesome its uncle is.”
I let her go and she sniffled. “You are pretty awesome. And thanks again for helping with Faith. She really needs us right now. I just hate I can’t be here for her. Once everything’s done, I’m hoping she’ll come to Wyoming. It might be best for her to get away.”
“Don’t worry about her,” I said, “she’ll be perfectly fine.” A part of me didn’t want her to go to Wyoming. She needed to stay and show her bastard of an ex-husband that he wasn’t going to win. It just so happened that I knew exactly how to make him pay.
Chapter Four
Faith
I’d never been so emotionally drained in all my life. Even sleep couldn’t touch me, and that was bad considering I’d stayed the night in Layla’s lavish princess suite with the softest bed I’d ever laid on. It was late morning and I still hadn’t slept a wink.
I’d spent the entire night, furious with myself for not seeing the truth, especially since I was already cut off from mine and Philip’s joint bank account. Add that to the hostile burning inside my gut and you had a lethal combination. I usually called my parents every day to check on them, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. They’d know something was wrong the moment they hear my voice. My father had warned me numerous times about Philip, and the last thing I wanted was to hear the words I told you so.
My phone beeped and Layla’s name popped up.
Layla: On my way up.
Time had flown by so fast it was hard to believe morning had finally come. My eyes felt like sandpaper, and I was in the same clothes from yesterday. After I left the courthouse, Layla and Bryce had taken me by the condo so I could grab some things. I changed into a pair of yoga pants and a green tank top, and washed yesterday’s makeup off my face.
A knock sounded on the door and Layla’s voice echoed from the foyer. “Faith?”
“In the bathroom,” I hollered.
A few seconds later, she appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. I could see her reflection in the bathroom mirror, clearly worried about me from the look on her face. “I love you and everything, but you look like shit,” she said sadly.
It was the truth so I couldn’t argue. I shut off the bathroom light and walked over to the bed to sit down. “I know your husband is an FBI assassin who kills rapists and child molesters, but do you think he could add a no-good lying husband to that list?” As much as I thought I wanted that, deep down I knew Philip’s crimes weren’t punishable by death. “Or maybe just have his balls cut off?” I suggested.
Layla burst out laughing. “I’m pretty sure you would’ve done that yourself if I wasn’t with you yesterday.”
Hearing her laughter calmed me down, and I smiled. “That’s a possibility.” She walked over and sat down beside me. I laid my head on her shoulder and closed my eyes. “Yesterday was a nightmare. I’m just ready to get everything over with. I don’t know what I’m going to do about getting all my stuff out of the condo. Philip blocked me from our accounts. I literally only have five hundred dollars right now.”
Layla squeezed my shoulder. “Dom’s going to help. I told him everything last night.”
Groaning, I sat up. “This is so embarrassing.”
“No, it’s not,” she snapped, glaring at me with those intense green eyes of hers. “We’re going to get you through this. Dom’s more than happy to help. He wanted me to ask you if you’d mind if he saw you today.”
“What?” I gasped.
She smiled sheepishly. “He knows you’re aware of our family history, but he doesn’t want to assume you’re okay with it. As you’ve learned from my experience, being in our world is dangerous.”
That was for damn sure. Her father was a big-time murderer and so were two of her uncles. The media still published stories on them. It was one of the reasons why Layla left town, got married, and added bonus lost the Corsino name.
I placed a hand over hers. “You know I’m not afraid of your family, Layla. The mafia doesn’t scare me.” She lifted her brows and I rolled my eyes. “Okay, so maybe the other families might, but yours doesn’t now that your dad and two psycho uncles are gone.”
Her gaze saddened. “Does this mean you’ll let Dominic help you? He was pretty adamant about it.”
I didn’t know how he was going to help me, but in all reality, I had no choice. My parents lived in Virginia and I wasn’t about to move down there. There was a reason I left our small town. I wanted to be successful in a big city, and there was no way I could do that there. Thinking about it now, I probably should’ve stayed. I never would’ve met Philip, but then again, I never would’ve met Layla. It was crazy how things turned out.
“Well?” Layla said, waiting for my answer. “I told him I’d bring you by this morning. My plane leaves in two hours.”
I looked over at myself in the dresser mirror and cringed. “Fine. I’ll talk to your brother, but I’m not going looking like this.” I refused to let anyone other than Layla see me at my worst. It was time to be strong, and that was exactly what I had to be.
***
I didn’t do a ton to get ready but I did run a brush through my hair and slapped some makeup on my face before we left. As we’re walking down the hall though I was wishing that I wou
ld have done more to look presentable. “Where’s Bryce?” I asked as we made our way over to the presidential suite. Isaiah, Dominic’s bodyguard stood outside the door and nodded at us as we approached. He was tall and built like a football player with closely cut blonde hair and a permanent scowl on his face. Guess you had to look dangerous to be a bodyguard.
Layla pointed to the door. “He’s inside with Dom to give me some alone time with you before we left.”
Isaiah opened the door, and I followed her inside, my stomach fluttering with nerves. We walked into the living room and that was when I saw him, dressed impeccably in a suit and sitting on his expensive leather couch, talking to Bryce. The man was the epitome of power. It was intimidating, but also intriguing.
“We’re here,” Layla called out.
Dominic glanced at us over his shoulder, and then stood. “Faith,” he greeted, raking his eyes up and down my body. “Thanks for coming.”
Shivers raced down my skin. “No problem.”
I looked over at Layla and she tried to cover her smile, failing miserably. “Bryce and I actually need to get going if we’re going to make our plane.”
Bryce shook Dominic’s hand, and then came over to give me a hug. “I’m sorry about all the shit going on. Trust me though, we’re going to nail that fucker to the wall.”
I patted his back. “Thank you.”
He let me go and Layla took his place. “I’ll call you later, okay?” She hugged me hard and kissed my cheek. “Bryce and I are going to dig until we find what we need, and I have a good idea on where to start. Randall did the contract and I know he’s a sleazy bastard. If I can get dirt on him, he’ll turn on Philip in a heartbeat.”
“Good luck,” I said, letting her go. “I have faith in you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I love you.”
“Love you too. Be safe on your way home.” She hugged me once more, and moved over to Dominic to say her goodbyes to him. Once she and Bryce walked out the door, I turned straight to Dominic, hoping he couldn’t sense my nervousness.
