Dirty Rich Cinderella Story: Ever After: Lori & Cole

by Lisa Renee Jones

  “Right,” I say. “You’re right. Call me when you head our direction.”

  “Will do,” he confirms and disconnects. I immediately dial Royce Walker. “Where is Roger now?”

  “In jail,” he says. “He was evaluated. They declared him sane. He violated the restraining order.”

  I press fingers to the bridge of my nose. “Who’s his attorney?”

  “Marks. Donovan Marks. Do you know him?”

  “I do not. Do you have his number?”

  “I’ll text it to you, but I need to know your plan here.”

  “Happy wife, happy life,” I say.

  He laughs. “Don’t I know it.”

  “Which is why,” I continue, “I’m going to find out how to protect her and help Roger. I need to know if he gets out, even if I have to pay your team to sit at the jail around the clock this time.”

  “We’ll handle it,” he assures me. “I hate to bring this up, but the FBI still wants that interview with Ashley and soon.”

  “It needs to be Wednesday. I need to deal with Roger and the DA tomorrow.”

  “I’ll set it up,” he says. “Same time and place?”

  “Yes. That works. Where is Ashley?”

  “Smith took her home.”

  We disconnect and I text Ashley: We’re home. We’re safe. We rescheduled your interview for Wednesday night. Are you okay?

  She replies instantly: Yes. And thank God all is well. Just take care of Lori. I’ll see you tomorrow.

  My phone buzzes with a text. I hit the number to auto-dial it and the man I assume to be Donovan Marks answers. “Marks.”

  “This is Cole Brooks.”

  “I won’t ask how you got my number. My client apologized to your wife. He meant her no harm.”

  “While my wife believes that,” I concede, “I’m not as forgiving. I saw what he was like the day he attacked her and it was brutal. Get him to accept a mandatory ninety-day hospital confinement and I’ll drop the charges.”

  “The hospital assures us he’s stable.”

  “How many stable people have you seen commit violent acts? Because my list is long.”

  “He will have financial concerns,” he replies, sidestepping a direct answer.

  “Bigger ones when I put my best foot forward and lock him away for a few hard years.”

  He’s silent for several beats. “I’ll talk to him.”

  “You now have my number.” I disconnect, hoping like hell I’ve solved the Roger problem.

  With my wife on my mind, I walk into the kitchen, pour her a glass of wine and head up the stairs. I find her neck deep in bubbles, her hair piled on top of her head. “How’s the bath?” I ask, closing the space between us, and setting the wine down on the ledge surrounding the tub.

  “Heaven,” she says. “I already feel better. I swear I had this chill that just went to the bone.” She reaches for the wine. “Thank you.” She sips. “I know you have updates on Roger. Tell me.”

  I sit on the ledge. “He’s in jail.”

  She sets the glass down on the other side of the tub. “I knew he would be. I hate that he is. I truly believe that man just lost his mind with grief.”

  “You aren’t remembering his face and eyes in that bathroom,” I say. “You can’t or you’d know he’s not someone we can dismiss.”

  “But Cole—”

  “Hear me out. I am giving him the chance to get help. I called his attorney, but I’m going to create layers in this deal to protect you. And all of this when I really want him behind bars. I can’t want to help a man I believe would have hurt you. I’m not made that way, but I love you. And I’m doing it this way for you.”

  She softens. “Thank you, Cole.”

  I squat down next to her. “How are you? Not how do you think you need to be. How are you?”

  “I’m okay, but I get this need to do something when I feel out of control. I need—”

  “To do more.”

  “Yes. We aren’t even really looking at cases right now. I need a case. Honestly, I think you do, too.”

  She’s right and yet I feel the resistance inside me. This fear that I’m still digging us out of one hole and we’ll land in another.

  “Let me order the food and we can talk.”

  “That feels like resistance.”

  “It feels like hunger to me and I just realized that I have not yet called your mother.” I kiss her cheek and grab my phone, walking into the bedroom and ordering the food, before dialing her mother.

  “Cole,” she greets. “Is something wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong.”

  “Then why are you calling me?”

  “Lori and I had a run-in with a man that has caused us trouble as it relates to a case. It’s handled. No one was hurt, but she was afraid it would get on the news and be blown up.”

  “If she’s okay, why isn’t she calling me?”

  I walk to the bathroom. “She’s chin deep in bubbles in the tub.” I hold out the phone. “Shout a hello to your mother.”

  “Hi, mom! I’m fine. I have bubbles and wine and Cole.”

  And Cole.

  God, I love this woman. I wink at her and place the phone back at my ear. “See. All is well.”

  “Except she let you call me because we both know she’s more upset than she is letting on. You do know that, right?”

  “I know she has her way of dealing with things,” I say. “We both have to give her room to do that.”

  “Right. You’re right. You do know my girl. I want more details.”

  “We’ll come see you this weekend,” I say.

  “Sooner would be better, but I’ll accept that.” She pauses. “Hug her for me?”

  “I will.” We say our goodbyes and I peak my head back in the bathroom. “I told her—”

  “We’d come see her this weekend.” Her eyes soften. “I heard.”

  My phone rings and I glance at the number. “Reese,” I tell her. “I’m sure he’s just checking on you. And I ordered the food ten minutes ago now.” I depart the bathroom and head back downstairs.

  “Reid just sent me a text about tomorrow afternoon. I’m in court.”

  “I’ll handle it and I’m still trying to reach Alexander Montgomery for the Houston changing of the guard. I’m going to try to get him here to us, so you can meet him no later than the weekend. If I can’t I’m staying case-free until I lock this and Houston down fully.” We chat for a few minutes and when we disconnect I think of Lori’s need to take a case. She’s ready on her own. It’s me that has to get fucking ready to let her be on her own. The doorbell rings, and I grab the food.

  A few minutes later, Lori and I are on the bed, eating and talking. “You’re still not ready to take a case,” she says, returning to that hot topic.

  “We’re bringing in a Houston partner. I need to handle that before I take on anything high-profile, outside of managing the associates’ cases.”

  “But you left Houston to run the company here. Why bring in a partner?”

  “Houston needs a fresh start to be a valuable asset, not a potential liability.”

  “What about sending Ashley there? Can you at least keep an eye on things?”

  “When she gets past this problem with the FBI and her ex, maybe. And that interview is now Wednesday, by the way.” I set my plate aside. “I’m going to need to go there and I’d like you to go with me. Then you will know the lay of the land if you ever need to step in.”

  Her brow furrows. “You’d trust me to step in?”

  “You might not be a seasoned lawyer, but you are loyal and smart, as well as my wife.”

  “I will do whatever I need to do to support this firm.” She studies me a moment. “I need a case.”

  “I do know that. I’m not trying to hold you back. I won’t hold you back.” I lean over and kiss her. “If the perfect case comes in, one that one or both of us are passionate about,
you or me or both of us, will take it. I promise. Deal?”

  “You say that but I feel the hesitation in you. I know you are trying to get a grip on your need to protect me and after tonight, it’s got to be rekindled. But after tonight, I need to say something to you.” She sets her food aside. “That wall you say I have?”

  “You admit you have a wall?”

  “Not consciously, but I was thinking about that on the ride over here and in the tub. I do have ways of protecting myself.”

  “Like my mental box, I shoved the past in.”

  “Yes. Pushing you away at first was part of that. That kept you from being able to hurt me like my father hurt me and my mother. I pushed everyone away but Cat, and she’s the reason I found you.” She waves that off. “The point is that if I stay away from the courtroom for much longer, I fear that Roger cripples me. I need to get back on the proverbial bicycle. When I said I need to do more, I meant I need to do more and I think you do too. We need to just do it. Take a case. Get past this. Stop letting it control us. We need to do that now.”

  She’s opened that shut door. She’s really talked to me about her fears. She’s allowed herself to be completely vulnerable and what’s more, she’s right and so I say that. I pull her to me. “Yes. We both need this. It’s time to take another case and win.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Cole

  I wake with Lori in my arms and mentally issue a vow to keep her here and safe, but I also warn myself that holding on too tightly will destroy her and us. I don’t just love this woman. I admire her strength and what I saw in her last night was not fear of Roger, but fear of losing herself to fear itself. And so, I set aside everything but waking up with this woman, sharing a life, and of course, her picking out my light blue silk tie for the day to match the pinstripe in my gray suit. I pick a red dress for her, because a) her ass is perfect in it and b) I don’t plan to suffocate her and hide her. The dress is bold like I hope she will feel again, soon. She knows this instantly, I am certain, as the choice earns me a kiss and a smile.

  I head downstairs before Lori to receive a call from Royce. “Roger tried to kill himself with a sheet last night. He’s being sent back to the hospital.”

  My jaw hardens. “In other words, I’m a shitty person for feeling relief right now.”

  “You’re human. He was unstable and he now can’t get to your wife. More later.” He disconnects and Lori joins me.

  “That was about Roger, wasn’t it?” she asks stepping in front of me.

  My hands come down on her shoulders. “He tried to commit suicide, but he’s alive and being moved to the hospital again.”

  She inhales a breath and lets it out. “Let’s go to work and find that case to take.”

  “Yes, let’s.”

  ***

  We arrive at the office early and Lori is quick to make coffee and huddle up with Ashley. Reese is quick to check on Lori and I update him on what I know thus far. After which, Lori takes residence in my office at the conference table with a stack of files, determined to find our case while I deal with two junior attorneys and a case gone wrong. In other words, I’m going to court this afternoon, and that means Reid will have to wait until I get back.

  When the junior associates leave my office, my phone buzzes. “Alexander Montgomery on the line,” Ashley says. “Are you finally going to tell me what this business proposal is?”

  “Why do you ask so many questions?” I ask, not ready to mention the word “partner” to her when that change may not even happen. And change makes people uneasy, even if it’s a good change. She doesn’t need more uneasiness right now.

  “It makes me good at my job. I know all. I see all.”

  “Put him through,” I say, motioning for Lori to shut the door.

  “Cole Brooks,” he says. “You’ve been busy, winning cases and moving. I had no fucking clue you’d left Houston.”

  “Bullshit, Alex. You were glad I left and gave you a chance to get the good cases.”

  “And yet, you’re calling me now,” he says. “I must be good for something.”

  “I want you to come here and talk about a business proposition,” I say.

  “Give me more than that. I have a trial starting in a week.”

  I fill him in. “I’m possibly intrigued,” he says when I’m done. “Honestly, man, until I get through this case—”

  “There will always be another case. Fly in. Meet Reese. Talk to us. This weekend. Hell, we’ll prep for your case over dinner.”

  His pen taps on his desk in a steady five beats before he says, “Let me see what I can work out. I’ll call you late tonight.”

  We disconnect and Lori gives me a hopeful look. “That sounded promising.”

  “It’s an open door,” I say, texting Reese with an update. I stand up. “I’m going to check on where the prep for court stands.”

  “I’ll be here,” she says. “I put a call into that judge I told you about. I want to set a meeting for you to talk to him about his case.”

  Tension radiates through my body at the mention of the case I’d hoped she’d let go. I walk to her and pull her to her feet, my hands on her shoulders. “This case is not our case.”

  “Because it’s too high-profile and you don’t want another Roger,” she says flatly.

  “Because I’m being smart as a managing partner of a newly merged firm. It’s a political case and that means the firm is assumed to be political. That means there won’t be one Roger, but many. And they won’t be coming after just you and me but everyone here. We cannot do that, go after the DA, and manage a crisis of management in Houston.”

  She inhales and lets it out. “Right.” She softens and presses her hand to my jaw. “I understand. Completely and I was shortsighted on this.”

  I kiss her hand. “Not shortsighted. Excited about what you do. It’s important to choose cases that you feel passionate about, but there is more than excitement and even guilt and innocence to consider.”

  “A lesson learned.” She kisses me. “Go do your job. I will continue my hunt for the perfect case.”

  Relieved, I exit the office as Royce sends me a text: Can you talk? Alone.

  Not liking how that sounds, I dial him immediately. “What’s happening?”

  “My brother hacked the hospital records, which stated that the restraining order was cancelled. No notification was needed.”

  “Which isn’t true.”

  “Which means the paperwork was tampered with. This DA is powerful and dangerous. He must know that he’s being investigated and that didn’t come from my team.”

  “Reese’s wife has been digging around,” I state.

  “She needs to stop and you need to convince the DA there is a truce in the making. Get on his good side. You don’t go at a man like this full frontal. Let my team do their jobs.”

  “I’ll talk to them,” I say. “What else?”

  “More soon.”

  We disconnect and I walk straight to Reese’s office, motion to his door, and his secretary confirms he’s alone. I enter and shut the door. “The paperwork was changed on Roger’s discharge papers. Royce Walker thinks the DA is behind it.”

  “Good. Lori is safe and we can use this to take him down.”

  “He wants us to back off. He seems to believe the DA is dangerous. He believes the DA knows we’re coming for him and Royce wants us to make a truce with him and let him set the asshole up. Pull Cat back.”

  He tosses his pen on the desk. “That’s like pulling a tornado back that’s already spiraling, but yeah. I’ll pull her back. What else?”

  “More soon.”

  He nods and I exit the office, and holy hell, I’d invite a good case to dig into right now. Lori is right. We need a case and we need one now.

  ***

  It’s nearly seven when Lori and I join Cat and Reese at their apartment. We’re gathered around their island finishing off a pizza wai
ting on Reid and Royce for a plan when Royce shows up. He claims the endcap. “We have leads on some low, dirty actions by this DA that don’t just border on criminal, they are criminal. We need some space to pull together damaging evidence but he’ll cover it up as long as he feels watched. He’s now on guard. We need to back-up, give him space, and act slowly but precisely.”

  My cellphone buzzes with a call from Reid and I let him know who is in the room before I put him on speaker. “Look all,” he says. “I have a company takeover in process. I can’t stop by, but here’s what you need to know. One of the board members of this company I’m managing somehow got word that I’m suing the DA. He’s tight with him. He let me know he is not pleased.”

  “And you’re pulling out,” Lori assumes.

  “Hell no,” he says. “I’m not pulling out. Sorry, ladies, but I told him to go fuck himself and I’d buy him out. He acted like I stuck something up his ass when I didn’t get the pleasure and then went on his merry way. I’m in. I’m going after the bastard, but I’m damn glad circumstances didn’t allow you all to charge into his office with me. I’ll get you your settlement, but this board member suggested you’re going after the DA on a bigger level. I need to know what I’m into and not on the phone.”

  “I’ll come see you tomorrow,” Royce says. “Where?”

  “I’ll text you the address. Call me directly to coordinate.”

  “Will do,” Royce says and when I disconnect the line, he adds, “Let Reid go at the DA on this lawsuit, and then it’s over. Back away.”

  “Make nice when they’re suing him?” Cat asks. “Is that possible with this man?”

  “I can do it,” Lori says, and we all look at her.

  “What does that even mean?” I ask.

  “I’ll play the victim who needs his help, of course,” she says. “I’ll tell him this case has touched my heart but scared me too, and I just need it behind me. I’ll plead with him for a way to do that and praise his record.”

  “If he knows we’re going after him,” Cat says, “that won’t work.”

  “It will if I tell him how much those close to me have freaked out, and how I’m pulling them back, too. I need everyone to just put this behind us. I’ll make him believe that for my sanity, everyone has agreed. I’ll do it right. I’ll cry. I’ll convince him. I’ll even offer to do a press conference with him.”