The Gamble

by Alice Ward

  “I’ve been working at a large investment firm as an executive assistant.” She sat on the edge of her chair as if we were in the middle of an interview. I hated it.

  “And? How’s it going?” I leaned back and crossed my hands over my stomach. There was some hope that she would mimic my relaxed position, but she seemed acutely aware of the possibility of me still condemning her.

  “I hate it. I’m nothing more than a number.” Her eyes filled with tears and she lifted her hands to her face. “You’re supposed to be angry with me. All those years together, and I let that damn Jon Mills talk me into betraying you. All for the hope of finding love.”

  I got up as she started to cry. She was like a second mother to me. There was no way I was letting her sit in her sadness and not doing something — anything — about it.

  “Come back here and work with me and Jeff.” I pulled her up and hugged her again.

  She cried against my shoulder as she shook her head. “No. I don’t deserve to be here. I’m a traitor and you know it, Zek.”

  I moved back, but kept a tight hold on her upper arms. “I’m a traitor too, Celia. None of us are worth much apart, but together we can probably do some pretty cool stuff. Jeffery has the investments side of the house, and I’m honestly thinking about looking into some audit and forensics work for other investment firms.” I grinned at her. “If I can sell the fact that I know how to be a criminal, then I know how to find them too. Great marketing strategy, don’t you think?”

  She swatted at my chest and laughed through her tears. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “So, it’s a no go? You don’t think they’ll hire me based on experience?” I smirked as she swatted at me again. “Come back to us. We’ve all made mistakes. Let’s forgive each other and rebuild this giant on the principles we’ve always used.”

  “Respect. Return. Results.” She dried her eyes as I nodded.

  “Exactly. Come home.” I hugged her again and realized I had my answer too. I was home and ZK Investments was where I was going to hang my hat.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Alisa

  I hated to leave Zek in his office by himself, but I could tell that he wasn’t holding up very well. After leaving him, I stopped by Jeffery’s office and moved to stand by the full-length windows that looked over the city.

  “You think he’ll stay with us?” I turned to look at Zek’s partner.

  “I do. I think between the two of us, we can talk him into it. He’s a brilliant man with a tremendous amount of promise. He’s broken right now. Much more broken than I’ve ever seen anyone be, but I think we can restore him to his old self. He just needs to remember that it was one shitty decision.” Jeffery stood up and walked to stand beside me. “Are you headed down to the courthouse? I know you wanted to talk to the DA about that case you were still wrapping up from Dellup.”

  “Yeah.” I bit my lip, trying to figure out if I should go or just wait. “I promised this client that I would at least be present for the trial, but you know Jon is down there today too. The last thing I want to do is run into him. Talk about uncomfortable.”

  “Well, if you need to go, then go. I’ll have Zek come talk with me for a while and then we’ll get him started on some reviews that I need help with. He’s got to reinvest himself in what we do and who we are. That alone will drag him right back into the fray. He didn’t become a billionaire by hating this stuff. It’s his passion, or one of them.” Jeffery gave me a warm smile, and I knew why Zek cared so much for the man. He was just good-hearted, and incredibly loyal.

  “Yeah. I’ll go down to the courthouse then. I should be there for Mrs. Ketchum.” I patted his arm and moved to the door. “Just make sure you guys don’t overwhelm him. I keep seeing that crazy flight or fight look in his eyes. He’s liable to run out of here screaming if we’re not careful.”

  I laughed as Jeffery rolled his eyes.

  “No one’s leaving. We just got all of you back,” he called after me.

  Some part of me wanted to stop by Zek’s office and let him know I was headed out, and that I loved him in a way that didn’t make sense, but I didn’t want to bother him. I could hear muffled voices behind his closed door and assumed that he was talking with one of his old staff. I could only hope that everyone would treat him with the same respect and kindness Jeffery had.

  After checking in with the receptionist, I grabbed my briefcase and headed down to the courthouse. It had been a while since I’d represented someone in court and I wouldn’t be that day either, but part of me missed it. While I enjoyed the work I was doing with Zek’s firm, it was comfortable, almost too comfortable at times. I missed the thrill of having to prove myself, or combat some sinister evil and dig to find their innocence.

  The press was still waiting for Zek when I walked out of the building, and I almost stopped to text him to stay put, but I decided against it. He needed to start fighting his own battles again. Besides, the minute he went up against the press, they would back off. They were looking for blood, and as long as he kept himself in a positive light, they wouldn’t find any.

  The walk to the courthouse did me some good, and by the time I got there, I realized I needed to think about taking on a few private clients. I missed my original career too much. Zek would understand without a doubt, but I knew it would upset him a little too. The situation with Melissa and Dillon had been a breaking point for both of us. We were much more interested in trying to find a safe place to exist in rather than striving to get the emotional kick of winning big or scoring hard.

  “Ms. Manning, I’m surprised to see you here.” Ronnie Dellup’s voice was one I hadn’t heard in almost six months, but it wasn’t a loss.

  “Mr. Dellup. How are you?” I extended my hand as the press flashed their cameras. It would seem they were out in full force that day.

  “I’m great. Lizzy is taking your old case. I assume you’re here to support her, or have you come to watch old Jon Mills take one to the teeth?” Ronnie smirked, and I realized how much I didn’t like him. He wasn’t at all the man I’d first thought him to be.

  “I’m here to support Lizzy. I’m not going anywhere near the Mills case. I’ve had more than my share of dealing with those people. I’m good.” I let my hands hang casually by my side, though I wanted to wrap my arms tightly around myself, as if I could protect my ego from Ronnie’s probing stare.

  “Interesting.” He pursed his lips. “Still not regretting your decision to leave us? We have your spot open if you want to come back.”

  “I appreciate that, but I’m perfectly happy where I am. Nice to see you again, sir.” I turned and walked into the courthouse with my chin lifted slightly. If I ever went into practice again, it would be for myself. No more working for another elitist law firm that cared more about wins and revenue than people.

  The courtroom was packed when I walked in, but I wasn’t surprised. The case was being broadcast over every news channel known to man. Eliza Ketchum was being charged with the murder of her husband of forty years. I’d first met Mrs. Ketchum during the year Zek was in jail. She was kind and had given more money to the local charities in town than anyone I’d known. She needed some estate work done, and I’d been more than happy to take her case.

  A year later and her husband was found dead in their fourteen bedroom home. The evidence pointed straight at her, but I had a sneaking suspicion that she was being framed. I itched to get involved, but it wasn’t possible. I was no longer with Dellup, and she was a client under contract with them. Lizzy was the next best bet for the older woman.

  I turned to find Lizzy standing beside me as I leaned against the back room of the court. “Oh. Hey. You look horrible.”

  Lizzy smirked and let out a quick sigh. “The judge is running thirty minutes behind. I need to talk with you. Can you join me in the conference room quickly?”

  “Yes. Of course.” I moved up behind her as all eyes in the room followed me. I was sure most peop
le were wondering who the hell I was, and why the judge wasn’t on her bench yet.

  Mrs. Ketchum glanced up from her seat and gave me a weak smile. I returned it, but didn’t say anything. There were too many members of the press in the room, and everything anyone said would be taken and twisted. It was just the way of the beast.

  Lizzy walked into the small conference room and closed the door before letting out a frustrated growl. “I hate this shit.”

  “What’s going on?” I clasped my hands in front of my waist and gave her my attention as I worked to exude a calm I didn’t entirely feel.

  “This fucking case. It’s gotten blown so far out of proportion that I honestly don’t know what to believe. And...” she turned her gaze to mine as tears filled her eyes. “And Ronnie needs me to throw the case.”

  My voice rose as my heart almost stopped. “What? Are you insane? Is he?”

  “Yes, he is.” Lizzy pressed her hand to her chest and started to pace the floor. “I can’t do it. I’ve never in a million years thrown a case. I can’t do it now either.”

  “Lizzy.” I moved toward her and reached out, grabbing her arm. She would be my sister-in-law one day, and we’d moved from being casual friends to believing that family would soon be our title. “You can’t bend your ethics because they ask you to. Why the hell would they want that anyway? Ms. Ketchum would be reviewed for the death penalty or life in prison. This is serious shit.”

  “I know. I have no clue why Ronnie is so invested in this, but he is.” She let out a long breath and shook her head. “I can’t do it.”

  “Then go out there and tell Mrs. Ketchum to name me as her new attorney and give me the details of the case. You’re not turning this woman in for a murder she didn’t commit.” I grabbed Lizzy’s shoulders as my pulse began to race. “She didn’t do it, did she?”

  “No. We can call a retrial and reschedule. You can pick up the case as an independent, but I’m likely to lose my job either way.” She ran her hand through her hair and let out a tired groan. “Why does this shit have to happen? Everything was fine, and now that Jon Mills is almost out of the picture, Ronnie is hungry for esteem no matter what it takes to get it.”

  “How would throwing this case give him esteem?” I moved back and tilted my head to the side as confusion rolled over me. Nothing Lizzy was saying made any logical sense. “I don’t understand.”

  “He’s doing someone a favor, Alisa. Whoever the guy is, he’s pulling Ronnie’s strings. If we’re willing to lose this case, he’ll be slated to win the next ten.” She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “I’m screwed either way on this.”

  “Stay here and act like you’re throwing up in that trashcan if anyone walks in. We’re going to call for a retrial due to you getting violently sick. Got it?” I moved toward the door as she called out to me.

  “Alisa. Are you happy? Are you okay not living in the limelight?”

  I turned and gave her a sad stare. “No, but I’ll figure that out. I still need to be able to sleep at night, and some of the shit Dellup was starting to pull wasn’t allowing me to do that.”

  “I can’t leave this life, Alisa.” She dragged her fingers down her face, and I could see myself a few months before, standing at the edge of decision and being overwhelmed by the unknown.

  “I know that. We’ll figure it out. Together. Just stay here.” I walked out into the courtroom and moved to sit down beside Mrs. Ketchum.

  “Hi, Alisa.” The older woman gave me another weak smile. “Is Lizzy okay? She didn’t look too well.”

  “No, ma’am. I’m sorry to tell you that she’s pretty sick. We’ll have to call for a retrial, but we’ll get you back on track as soon as possible.” I glanced up as the judge walked into the room. “Have you posted bail?”

  “Yes, but I’m under pretty strict orders about what I can and can’t do.” She let out a tired sigh. “And honestly, I’d rather this just be over. I’m tired of everyone staring at me like I’m the kind of woman who would hurt my husband.”

  Her eyes filled with tears and I reached over and squeezed her arm. It would seem that Jon Mills wasn’t the only one with his hand in the cookie jar. Ronnie Dellup was too. Something about the idea of them being the same type of man made my stomach ache. There were too many people who had shown a completely different side of their personality as of late. I was starting to feel leery about truly trusting anyone.

  I stood and caught the judge’s attention. “I request the right to approach the bench.”

  The judge nodded and motioned for me to come forward. The DA walked up to stand beside me with an incredulous look on his face.

  “I thought we’d won the lottery the day you stopped defending criminals.” He smirked and turned to face the judge.

  “Guilty until proven innocent, eh?” I gave an apologetic smile to the judge and explained Lizzy’s situation. The case was moved to a retrial to be rescheduled at a later date. After getting Mrs. Ketchum to her son and several bodyguards that hovered around them, I made my way back to see Lizzy.

  She was looking out the window with her hand over her mouth as I walked in.

  “Hey. It’s all done. We’ll set a retrial.” I paused as she turned and blinked slowly a few times.

  “Let’s open a practice, Alisa. Just you and me. Zek and Mark don’t need us in their businesses, but we could create something together. Something good and pure, but left our hearts racing and blood pumping.” She moved toward me, looking a little piqued.

  I nodded as butterflies danced in my belly. “Let me sleep on the idea and talk to Zek. You do the same.”

  She reached out and pulled me into a hug. “Okay. Good. That’s more than I expected you to say.”

  “Let’s get you out of here. The room is almost cleared, but there are a few stragglers I’m sure. Try to look sick.” I smiled at her before moving to open the door.

  “That’s not hard to do.” She brushed her hand over her mouth and took a shaky breath. “I almost threw that case. They offered me a million dollars to do it. I just—”

  “Shit.” I turned to give her my attention. “You wouldn’t have been able to outlive that. What’s the matter with you? You just watched Zek go down for something similar. He’s going to have to rebuild everything. What the hell were you thinking?”

  She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. “I guess the same thing he was. Financial freedom would be nice, but I couldn’t do it. I need to press charges against Ronnie now. Soon. Before he turns it around on me.”

  “Yes. We need to get that process started tomorrow. Just play off that you’re sick when you see him, and we’ll work through it.” I nodded toward the courtroom. “I need to go back to Zek, but call me and we’ll figure this out.”

  “Alisa. Thank you.”

  I had nothing to say, so I nodded and walked out of the courtroom. The air was so hard to breathe, and I was sure it had to do with too much emotion at one time. I was worried about Zek, concerned about Lizzy and lost as to how to get back to loving my professional life. I needed a break. A reminder that life was more than fleeting moments.

  I pulled out my phone and walked out into the sunny afternoon.

  “Zek Kellington.”

  “You knew it was me.” I smiled and took a deep breath of the fresh air around me.

  “I’m trying to get back into a routine. You want me to answer it with some naughty promises next time?”

  I chuckled, feeling better almost immediately. “Um, no, but I do need something from you.”

  “Anything.”

  “You still want to go up to your lake house and lose ourselves? I think I need that.”

  “Now?” His voice had an edge of concern to it.

  “Right now.” I closed my eyes and tilted my face toward the sun, grateful that he wasn’t the type of man to deny me anything. “Please.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Zek

  I could tell by the sound of her v
oice that something was wrong. After wrapping things up with Celia, I’d spent an hour talking with Jeffery about everything. I was all in, but not for him or Alisa, though they both mattered more than enough to stay for. I was in for me. Celia’s story was no different than mine, nor was Jeffery’s. We’d all done something that we were ashamed of, something that changed the trajectory of our lives, but maybe that’s what it was all about.

  Being brave enough to try again.

  Alisa’s soft voice pulled me into wanting to try anything until I got it right. Maybe it wasn’t just about her deserving the best, but me simply wanting to be that for her no matter the cost. It was a good feeling.

  I left the office and walked down to the bottom floor to wait on her as warmth swept through me.

  She walked in through the crowd of people standing in front of the building and gave me a cute smirk. “What? Were you waiting for me?”

  “Yep. I’m going to sweep you away and remind you that we’re not city folk. We look like them, talk like them, hell I bet we even smell like them.” I pulled her to me and pressed my lips softly to hers. “You even taste like one. Not that I know—”

  “You seem better.” She pressed her fingers to my lips. “I’m glad. I was getting a little worried about you.”

  I kissed her fingertips and pulled her hand down. “Yeah, I was starting to unravel. It’s weird trying to reemerge into society. Everyone expects you to be just like you were when you left, but it’s impossible. All the shit I went through, including that madness with you and Melissa... I’m a different man. I’m not sure if it’s for the better or not, but I’ll let you decide that.” I studied her beautiful face, falling more in love with her as she tightened her grip on me.

  “I doubt there’s food up at the cabin. Let’s go to the house and get packed up, swing by the grocery store and then get up there in time for a late night swim in the lake.” She lifted her eyebrow. “You up for it?”