Blow-drying her hair was always a twenty-minute chore. She kept her cell phone on the bathroom counter, in case Ethan called.
He didn’t. Not terribly surprising considering it wasn’t even noon yet, and his note had said afternoon.
After fixing her hair into a sexy-messy bun, she wandered into the kitchen to find something to put into her growling stomach.
The counters were covered in groceries.
Thinking that Elda hadn’t wanted to try to put them away, Maisie opened a cabinet and discovered that it was packed to bursting.
One by one, she opened all the doors.
There was enough food to feed her for a couple of months.
She picked up a package of olive crackers, imported from Italy. The sticker on the bottom read $12.99.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she murmured.
Too bad there wasn’t a receipt. She could have taken all this stuff back to the store and used the cash to keep the lights on.
She opened the refrigerator and wasn’t shocked to discover that it, too, was packed full, cartons and packages jammed in.
Maisie pulled out a head of lettuce, the roots still attached. “Fancy,” she murmured, then made herself breakfast.
The phone rang a little bit after two.
Maisie had spent her time straightening up the apartment, just in case Ethan ever dropped by again.
Which he wouldn’t, she was sure. But still.
Her heart hammered against her rib cage as she answered. “Hello.”
“Hi, Maisie.” It was Raphael.
Unexpected tears stung her eyes at the familiar sound of his voice. “Hi.”
“We’ve got a driver en route to you. It’s a white car, and the driver’s name is Chad. He should be there any second.”
“Ok. Should I bring anything?”
“Nothing. Not even your phone.” He hung up.
Now, that was a weird request. Being separated from her phone was going to feel like having a limb chopped off.
They wouldn’t have asked if there wasn’t a good reason.
What the hell was going on?
She walked across her living room to look out the window. She didn’t have to wait long; the white car pulled up almost immediately.
Chad wasn’t very talkative, and that was fine with Maisie.
The car was some kind of hybrid between a sports car and a sedan. It had the space and luxury of the chauffeured car she’d been in before—Trent’s car—but the windows were smaller, the car’s design more aerodynamic. She sat in the back, but there was a gap between the front seats, and she could have leaned forward and touched Chad’s elbow if she’d wanted.
Maybe this was one of her bosses’ personal cars.
As she watched the city pass in a blur, she wondered if her bosses realized that she owned her own vehicle. Well, she would own it after she finished paying off the loan. It was nine years old, but reliable and clean.
Not her bosses.
Her ex-bosses.
She sighed and fidgeted with the chain around her neck, then wedged her fingers between her thighs and the soft tan seat.
Too bad she didn’t have her phone, something to distract her from the knot in her stomach.
While she was cleaning her apartment, she’d run through the possible reasons for the way Ethan was acting. Firing her, then showing up at her place, sending his personal assistant, then summoning her. She wasn’t an employee, so why bother?
Because he wanted to upgrade her from assistant to girlfriend? Unlikely, but the very thought made her pulse skyrocket.
But maybe the assistant had really been there to deliver the note, so the men would know Maisie had definitely gotten the message. Maybe she’d screwed up something crucial. Something that would cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix.
Of course it was ridiculous, but once the thought had taken hold, she couldn’t shake it, and panic made her heart do a terrifying dance in her chest. She had to take long, slow breaths.
The car slowed next to a building in the very final stages of construction. Or maybe not even construction; perhaps the ongoing work was all aesthetic. It was a skyscraper that stood beside an empty lot, the foundation halfway dug out and men in yellow hard hats ambling around.
Slowly, the driver pulled into the alley just past the skyscraper and drove down a ramp into the parking garage.
Ethan seemed to appear out of nowhere. Dressed in a black suit, his expression unreadable, he didn’t seem like the same man who’d shown up at her apartment. The garage wasn’t well-lit, and the scarred half of his face remained in shadow.
The car came to a stop in front of him. He stepped forward to open her door.
Now she could see every centimeter of his face. She didn’t care; he was gorgeous.
He reached into the car. Looking up into his inscrutable eyes, she couldn’t help but trust him. She slid her fingers into his.
Instantly, the worry knotting up her stomach and tightening the muscles of her entire body began to relax.
Even after he let her go, she felt better. Stronger.
He led her to an elevator, where he inserted a key and chose the top floor.
“About last night,” Maisie said. She hesitated. “I don’t remember much.”
“That’s for the better,” Ethan said a little stiffly, and she wondered if he was thinking about what had happened in her bathroom.
One of her rare blushes spread across her face, as hot and uncontrollable as wildfire. Thank goodness Ethan was staring straight ahead.
Not that she was watching him or anything.
The elevator doors opened, and to Maisie’s surprise, she found herself standing at the entrance of a modern apartment, fully furnished. The floor beneath her feet was white and tan marble. A crest-shaped mirror with a gilded, ornate frame showed that her face was roughly the color of a sunburned lobster.
That was the worst part about her blushes—even after the embarrassment had passed, her face remained flushed for too long.
“I’ll give you the tour later,” Ethan said, leading her to the right, toward a short hallway. At the other end was an enormous open room. Straight ahead were two seating areas. Lavish furniture, rich fabrics, all in somber browns, grays, and blacks. The entire front wall was glass, but Maisie didn’t see any drapes. Maybe there were retractable shades, but this high up, curtains were probably unnecessary.
The building’s height afforded true privacy, and far below were the tops of the surrounding buildings.
Several small citrus trees were growing to the right. They weren’t potted, but seemed to erupt directly out of the floor.
She turned toward Ethan to ask if he actually lived here, but then she caught sight of Trent and Raphael; the room was so large, and the view so entrancing, that she hadn’t noticed them before.
Behind them was a gigantic red and yellow painting, a depraved riot of slashes and squiggles. Maisie assumed it had been obscenely expensive.
Trent walked over to a wooden table long enough to seat an entire hockey team. Six colorful floral arrangements brightened the otherwise cheerless area.
Trent pulled out a seat. “Please,” he said.
The gravity of his tone and behavior ate away at the strength Ethan had given her. Butterflies doing gymnastics in her belly, she crossed the room and took a seat at the table.
All three of the men sat across from her.
It reminded her of when they were doing negotiations. She folded her hands and dropped them in her lap. A moment later, her gaze followed. The whole thing was too overwhelming, and she was emotionally raw from yesterday’s events. The resilience she’d worked hard to build had been destroyed. By Ethan.
“I’m sorry I had to fire you so abruptly,” Ethan said. “Maisie. Could you please look at me?”
Setting her jaw, she raised her eyes to his. “I’m sorry you had to as well.”
“There wasn’t time to do it any other way,” Trent said.
His expression was neutral. He could have been a statue.
Maisie’s throat felt tight and raw. “You could have at least told me in person. What I did wasn’t so heinous that I deserved to be treated like…” She had to stop, to pull herself together.
“What you did?” Trent stood. “You didn’t do anything.”
“Maisie. I said pro bono.” Ethan nodded decisively. “You didn’t understand what that meant?”
A rushing sound practically deafened her as blood pounded in her ears.
And then she realized.
Pro bono.
It was their safe word. Ethan wasn’t referring to what Maisie had done with the files; he’d been telling her to trust him.
“I’m not fired?”
“Oh, you’re fired,” Trent said, but he was smiling.
Her gaze swung toward Raphael, who hadn’t yet said anything at all. He nodded, and maybe it was because of what Jayne had said, about Raphael being impressed with her work, but she felt a glimmer of foolish hope that maybe they had something even better planned.
“There were unexpected developments in the Ballystock situation.” Trent paused. “The coffee should be ready.” He walked away.
“What does the Ballystock divorce have to do with me now?” she asked, more confused than ever.
“It’s not about the case,” Ethan said. “No one knows where Norm is.”
“He’s in California,” she said. “Even if he disappeared again—”
“There are complications,” Trent said, returning to the room with a stainless steel pot of coffee and four blue mugs.
Ethan filled a mug, then slid it in front of Maisie. She picked it up even though she had no interest in drinking.
“The day after Norm disappeared, there was activity on his credit card in California.”
“Yeah, I know. Trent mentioned it.” Her voice was getting tense, and she forced herself to relax.
“His son lives in San Diego,” Ethan continued. “Because the card activity was moving down the coast, it mimicked arriving at the airport, then a drive south. But Norm Jr. had just flown from New York to San Francisco. He had maxed out his normal card and started using the emergency card. Unfortunate timing, and it took Norm’s brother this long to work it out. What I’m saying is that no one has seen or heard from Norm Ballystock since the night we went to chat with him. He hasn’t drawn on any of his bank accounts or used a credit card. His phone is missing. It hasn’t been used.”
Maisie didn’t need him to spell it out further. Other than the partners, she was the only person who knew her bosses had gone to Norm the night he disappeared. They’d threatened him with something, though Maisie didn’t know what. At the moment, she was glad to be in the dark.
This was already bad enough.
This was life-altering.
Even if she left the room right now, if she convinced herself that she never wanted to set foot in LB&B again, if she talked her way into a position at the call center, the trouble that had started would follow her.
This wasn’t just her bosses’ problem. It was hers, too.
“So, I guess I can expect a visit from the police after all,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. She tried a smile. “At least I know some lawyers who can help me out.”
“Actually, it’s not going to work like that,” Ethan said.
12
Maisie swallowed hard, but the sudden lump in her throat didn’t budge.
Ethan stood and thrust his hands into his pockets. His muscular body was tense with coiled energy, like a tiger frustrated and caged, unable to chase its prey. “We never imagined this would happen,” he said, turning to look down into her eyes. “We’re going to fix this.”
The other two men agreed.
Spreading her hands on the table, Maisie considered what they’d just told her. The enormous room was very still, very silent. There wasn’t even the ticking of a grandfather clock.
Then she looked up at Ethan. “What about me? I can’t just not work.”
“We’ve got a contingency plan if things get too bad,” Trent said, but he sounded uncharacteristically nervous.
Maisie would have followed up on that, but Ethan said, “Your bills will be taken care of. Once this has blown over—once Norm Ballystock pops his cowardly head up—you’ll be reinstated and will receive back wages.”
The smile that sprang to Maisie’s lips was uncontrollable; this thing with Norm Ballystock was bad, but at least she wouldn’t be living on the street.
Trent laughed. “We thought you’d be relieved.”
“But I don’t understand why you had to fire me,” she said, the smile fading. “If you’re willing to go to all this trouble…” She shook her head.
Raphael spoke up. “When I saw you and Ethan in the lobby, I’d only just found out that Norm was still missing. Rather than wait until it was convenient for a meeting, I discussed it with Ethan, and we made a quick but unavoidable decision. We needed to get you away from the office.”
“But why?” Maisie asked. She wondered if she was being slow, if the answer was obvious. But she wasn’t seeing it. “Because I know you went to see Norm?”
“You know about our visit,” Raphael said. “That’s true. But when you’re interviewed, you won’t be asked about that. The questions will center on where Davina was that night.”
“She ordered a lot of room service,” Maisie said. “So it wouldn’t just be my word.”
“Exactly,” Trent said. “You’re of little interest at the moment. However, if the relationship among the four of us came out, it would be problematic.”
“But I wouldn’t tell anyone.”
Raphael leaned forward and laced his fingers together. Maisie felt like she was consulting with businessmen, not chatting with her lovers. “You might not volunteer it, but they could ask casually about your personal life. Norm’s brother is the assistant chief of police. The investigation is going to be thorough. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
She didn’t, not completely, but she nodded.
Raphael tapped the table with an index finger. “You were fired abruptly, in front of witnesses. If anything, the police will expect you to be prejudiced against us. Especially if you play it well.” He looked at her meaningfully.
Ethan sat again. “To be clear, Davina is the only one they’ll be investigating at the moment, but they’re going to scrutinize her. We’re trying to keep their attention away from you and from us, but also away from our client. Therefore you’re going to answer their questions, and you’re not going to ask for a lawyer.”
“Oh, god.”
“We don’t want to give them any reason to go searching for things. The clothing we bought for you that morning could look bad.”
“Like a bribe.” If that dress alone had been thousands of dollars… “Oh, god.”
Ethan nodded. “We’re merely being cautious, Maisie.”
“We’ll prepare you thoroughly,” Trent said, “and we’ve got a way to record the whole thing, regardless of where it happens.”
Maisie almost said, Isn’t that illegal? But then she realized everything about this was illegal, and it just kept getting worse. She felt her face go pale.
Ethan leaned forward. “I wish I could go back and not involve you, but I can’t. Instead I’ll do—we’ll do—everything in our power to keep you safe. Most of what we’re discussing is a precaution.”
“I understand.”
Trent ran a hand through his dark hair. “The police have prioritized looking for Norm, but we’ve got our investigators searching for him as well. With any luck, things will be back to normal in just a day or two.”
Maisie nodded. “Thank you for being honest with me. All of you. May I ask why I was fired?”
“For mistakes with the files,�
� Trent said.
“And not working quickly enough,” Ethan added.
Maisie felt a flush of annoyance. She pushed it back. “I’d only been there two weeks. There’s a learning curve.”
Raphael walked over and leaned against the table’s edge. He touched her hand, and a frisson of pleasure shot through her. “Maisie, it doesn’t matter that you’re a mediocre secretary. You brought value with the quality of your research and summaries.” He stretched out his other arm and glanced at his wristwatch. “I’ve got to leave in an hour, for a hearing,” he said apologetically, glancing from Maisie to Trent and Ethan, then back to Maisie.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I’m assuming you’ve built in a sizable buffer of time?”
“I like to be early.” But instead of removing his hand, Raphael stroked his fingers up her arm. Then he was pulling her against him.
Already he was hard; she felt the hot length against her hip. Her eyes closed in delight. “I love this dress on you,” he murmured into her ear, “but I can’t wait to get you naked.”
The men led Maisie through rooms decorated extravagantly. Nothing matched, yet everything seemed to go together, somehow. “This building is new,” she said to Ethan. “How did you furnish it so quickly?”
“By planning ahead and paying extra.”
Ethan slid back a long door, and Maisie was stunned to discover an arched footbridge ahead of her. It couldn’t have been longer than twenty-five feet, but what was most shocking was the pool running underneath it, and the domed glass ceiling overhead. A hot tub, embedded in the floor, was in front of the window to her right. Not far from it were five massage tables and a bar. The only things missing were a bartender and some ocean spray, and she could have been on a Mexican beach.
She looked up. “What happens if an airplane flies overhead while you’re skinny-dipping?”
“You can’t see anything from an airplane,” Trent said.
“This part of the city is a no-fly zone,” Raphael said.
“Must be nice to be so rich that the FAA reroutes around you.”
Triple Jeopardy (Lawyers Behaving Badly Book 2) Page 7
