I jolt up, gripping the phone as my lifeline. "What do you have?"
"Dirty, salacious, and detailed activities that will darken this firm if it goes public."
"How did you get this information?"
"Scottie is a master, and he's ready to get the ball rolling. We'll send you some files, but go over it tomorrow afternoon in Chicago."
"Are you coming?"
"Not me. As much as I want to be there, this belongs to Scottie. He's trying to coordinate flights for you both to arrive at the same time. If that's not possible, he will drive down and fly with you. Be warned, he'll want to see Darby before you fly out."
"I'm not sure she wants to see me."
"Oh, Ashlyn, get with the program. There will be plenty of time for your apologies later. Everyone understands he backed you into a corner. Darby especially."
"My apologies are worthless if Miller won't even talk to me."
"He's a rough and tough, alpha man. His first instinct was to kick ass and defend. You stripped his ability to protect you, and he reacted on impulse."
"He walked out on me when I asked if he hated me."
"Not surprised, but he called me five minutes later. He knew his limitations in that situation, but you were still his priority."
"I need to find him and explain what's happening."
There's an uneasy silence that follows, and my anxiety ratchets up a level. "Stephanie?"
"Ugh! Normally, I'd agree, but my professional acumen says I need you wounded and raw."
"Why would you want that?"
"Because it's incentive. You need to go into that firm with extreme focus. Untouchable, unbeatable. Bring the heartless bitch they expect."
"Did you look into me, too?"
"I've been following you for years, Ashlyn. You earned your titles with respect."
"That doesn't fill me with fuzzy thoughts."
"Fuck fuzzy thoughts, I need you primed. Dig back into that pompous black heart and bring the bitch out for the fight of your life."
"Fight of my life?"
"We have one chance to get this perfect. Otherwise, they'll get wind of your direction and change strategies. You walk in there with so much hatred and animosity, you can own them."
"Are you sure you're a Corporate Business lawyer? You're sounding like a criminal attorney defending the next OJ."
She laughs loudly. "We'll discuss that at another time. I argued that case in my living room before I even went to college."
A giggle escapes as I picture it. "Missed your calling."
She clears her throat and sobers. "He's hurting, you're hurting. Everyone that loves you is worried. You have a job here, Ashlyn, so make it count. Take this bastard down for fucking with you. Trust me on this."
"I'd feel a lot better explaining all this to Miller. He deserves to know what's happening. You can't imagine the look on his face when he saw that ring on my finger."
"I don't have to imagine because half of my neighborhood heard it when I answered the phone. He loves you. Give him some space to deal with it. In the meantime, let that asshole think he's gotten his way, pack your armor, and be ready to leave tomorrow."
"I'll try my best," I answer honestly.
"Scottie will take care of you, and the rest will fall in place."
"Thanks, Stephanie."
"Ash, you're back to the woman I met in law school. The best part is you found love while rediscovering who you are. There's something beautiful in that."
"I think my tear ducts are broken."
"Good, the time for tears is over."
"I need Miller," I admit on a shaky breath.
"He's there, babe. Have faith. Expect the call from Scottie." She disconnects.
Faith… have faith… Her words replay on a loop in my mind. I process all she said. There's no telling what Scottie has uncovered on my old employer, but nothing will surprise me. Stephanie's confidence is enough for me.
I'll do what she suggested, draw from my wounded heart to find my inner strength, but I can't leave Charleston without finding Miller. He has to know what's happening.
First, I have to deal with Brock. I dial his number and wait.
"Ashlyn." His greeting is laced with narcissistic sarcasm, and I can picture him sitting back with a self-satisfied smirk.
"I'll be in Chicago Thursday. Inform your team and have everything ready for me. I'm not staying long."
"You've forgotten how this works. Slumming with your new toy must have erased your memory. We will work side by side until this merger is complete. Plus, the news of our engagement will require proper attention."
I grind my teeth, hoping like hell Scottie has uncovered something on this bastard that will level him to the ground.
"Thursday, Brock. There is no engagement, and there will be no attention to anything about us." I hang up, my blood boiling.
My eyes land on the ring, sitting on Miller's coffee table. The center diamond is sparkling bright, meant to make a statement. Under different circumstances, it might be stunning.
Right now, it's hideous.
My head pounds, and the need to talk to Miller overwhelms me. Knowing he went directly to Stephanie gives me hope that I haven’t completely lost him. I type out a quick text, hoping it will get his attention.
Miller, I know you spoke to Stephanie. Once again, you took care of me. Thank you. Things are happening fast and I need to talk to you. Please call me so I can explain. I love you.
There's a lot more to say, but it needs to be said face to face.
I haul myself out of the chair, ready to head to my house when his reply finally comes through.
Stephanie's been in touch. Know you're leaving in the morning. I'm slammed today. We'll talk soon.
The brush off deepens the wound, but Stephanie's words ring true. I screwed up by trying to handle matters on my own against a snake with a clear advantage.
Not anymore.
Brock may think he's backed me into a corner, but he has no idea how the power of love has changed me.
Chapter 23
Miller
We're in Chicago. Things at Redmond are already catching fire. I hope you've gotten your shit together. She's not doing well. The hotel situation didn't help. Heartbroken doesn't look good on her.
Scottie's message came thirty minutes ago, which means Ashlyn should get to the hotel soon. The all too familiar ache in my chest sharpens. When I walked away from her Monday night, I was pissed. My anger and pride took a beating, and it was only meant to be a breather before saying or doing something I'd regret. That's why I spent the night working on her house after I called Stephanie.
Staying away from her yesterday had been hard, but for the best. There were a lot of balls in motion, and I had my part. Stephanie explained what was happening, Scottie gave me frequent updates, and Ashlyn's messages kept coming.
When I walked into the bedroom last night and saw her finger wrapped, her explaining it was a sprain, all the anger came back. I shut down all attempts to talk, and she finally gave up, rolling into me until she fell asleep. Leaving her in bed this morning before daybreak killed. But it was necessary. She'll understand soon enough.
The auto-lock on the door beeps, the click disengaging. Ashlyn walks in, and when she spots me goes pale, her hand flying to her mouth. Scottie reaches out to support her from behind.
I force myself to stay planted, giving her a second to comprehend what's happening. Her hollow expression is loaded with apprehension before she takes a few hesitant steps in.
"Ashlyn." I hold out my arms, and she launches forward at full force.
The instant she's in my hold, I raise her off the ground and inhale deep. Her scent washes over me, setting my blood on fire and at the same time calming the clusterfuck of the last few days.
"What are you doing here?" Her question is guarded.
"Where else would I be?"
She grips my head, easing it from her neck to face her. "You… came here… for me?"<
br />
"Princess," I cock my eyebrows, "you think I'd let you go through this alone?"
"Princess. I'm still your Princess?"
"Forever."
Her lips quiver as tears pool in her eyes. "I thought I lost that."
Fuck, that hurt.
"I'm leaving you two for a little while." Scottie rolls her suitcase to the far side of the room. "One good thing about a five-hour delay in Atlanta is we've covered most everything. Redmond is in damage control mode. My network in the message room is hopping. I love a good shakedown."
I glance over her shoulder and catch him before he gets out the door. "Meet us in the bar in an hour. We'll regroup after you catch up on your end."
"An hour? You have that," he jerks back horrified, waving a hand at Ashlyn, "in your arms, and you only need an hour?"
Ashlyn sucks in a breath, whips her head around, and squeals, "Scottie! Inappropriate!"
"Telling the truth, Princess. A stud like him should have much more going for him. He's ruining every dirty fantasy in my mind. Seriously, an hour? That's all you got in you?"
"Should I worry you fantasize about my boyfriend? Don't you have your own boyfriend?" Ashlyn slings back.
"Billy and I are committed, not blind. Everyone knows about Pierce and Darby. We figured it ran in the family and had high expectations for Miller."
"I can assure you the expectations are nothing compared to the reality," she defends.
I drop my head back to the ceiling and say a quick prayer for patience. "Scottie, I haven't slept in two days, dragged my ass on a plane at daylight to get here and handle the shit going on, and need a little time with Ashlyn. Do you think you can give us some privacy and bust my balls over dinner?"
Her small laugh fills the room, and his eyes soften at the sweet sound. "Yeah, busting balls is a specialty of mine. It can wait a while. But it's good to see she hasn't lost her spunk. Gloomy Ashlyn is a total buzzkill."
"Appreciate it, now maybe you can get some updates so we can get back home by the weekend."
"On it." He flicks his goodbye and shuts the door.
Ashlyn turns back, her eyes studying me closely. It's apparent when realization dawns on her and things sink in. "Scottie wasn't surprised you were here."
"No, he wasn't. He made my arrangements."
"Which means Stephanie knows, too."
My silence is my answer.
"When I woke up and you were gone, I thought… this was over."
"Never."
"You're so angry with me."
"I'm angry at a lot of things, but none of them you. When you fainted, I swear my heart stopped. Knowing he laid his hands on you cracked something inside me with a rage so severe, it was vicious. I couldn't control my anger and took it out on you. That's unacceptable. There are things I regret, and walking out on you Monday night is one of them. I'm so sorry, baby. I fucked up."
"I deserved it," she whispers.
"No, you didn't. I had to clear my head."
"Did it work?"
"I knew my mistake immediately. The only thing that kept me away was knowing that fucker is getting his ass handed to him."
"My awful choices caught up to me, I'm sorry."
I take the few steps to sit on the edge of the bed, adjusting her on my lap. "That's the last apology I want to hear. "
She looks at me closely, scaling her nails gently along the hairline on the back of my neck. "I don't understand what's happening. How did you get dragged into this?"
"Anything that has to do with you involves me. I made that clear from the beginning. This is no different."
"Why wouldn't they tell me? Why wouldn't we travel together? You were on a plane at daylight?" Her questions fire out.
"First flight out at six-thirty. We all have our jobs to do. Mine began this morning. He needed to connect with you in Atlanta."
"What exactly was your job?"
"I delivered letters to the firm founders."
She shudders, her eyes popping. "Redmond, Kersh, and Reid?"
"Yes."
"They're all semi-retired and have little to do with the day-to-day operations. There's a chance they don't even know who I am by name."
"If they didn't, they do now."
"Oh God, this is getting crazier and crazier. Did you know about Scottie?"
"That he leads a secret identity in part of an underground legal circuit that is packed with the dirty secrets law firms try to hide?"
"Seems like you do know."
I tuck her hair behind her ear and run my thumb over the bruise on her cheekbone. She flinches.
"Does it hurt?"
"No, it's easy to forget until I look in a mirror."
"You're still unbelievably fucking gorgeous." I move to her wrist and pull her hand in between us. The injured finger is still wrapped. "How does this feel?"
"It's more of a nuisance than anything."
I bring it to my lips and kiss it tenderly. "How long do you have to wrap it?"
"Doctor said to play it by ear and comfort level."
I nod, massaging the base of the finger. "He didn't just fuck with you, Ashlyn. He fucked with me, taking something precious away."
She sucks in a deep breath and shakes her head slowly. "He could never take anything away from you."
"Princess, we have a lot facing us in the next few days, and I hate that cocksucker doing this right now. But I need you to focus on me."
"You're all I see."
As good as that feels, it's not enough. "Do you have any idea where we are?"
Her eyes dart from side to side, filling with recognition. "Is this?"
"Yes, this is our room."
"I begged Scottie to take me somewhere else, but he wouldn't budge. I blocked out most of the trip from the airport."
"This room holds mostly significant memories. Time to make new ones."
"I like that idea."
"This time when we leave, it'll be together."
"Together." She nods, a spark flickering in her eyes.
"It's been a fuck of a long few days, baby. I need to kiss you."
She doesn't hesitate, using full body force and taking me to my back before her mouth crashes to mine. My hands fist in her hair, pressing her close as I take everything she's offering.
I roll us to the side, sweeping my tongue around her mouth, groaning when her hips roll against me. My cock stiffens instantly, my blood rushing south with an aching need. I take over, kissing her urgently, sliding my hands to grip her ass and hold her in place.
She swivels and grinds, increasing her pace.
"Baby, we don't have time," I say into her mouth.
"Scottie can wait."
I grin against her lips, slowing the kiss until our mouths are pressed together. "Drinks, dinner, updates on our days, then back here and naked."
"Sex, we'll re-energize with room service, more sex," she counters. "Scottie will definitely understand the change in plans."
"Such a temptress, but my body needs fuel now for what I have planned for later."
"I like the sound of that," she practically purrs.
I twist, find my footing, and haul us up. "Do what you have to do to get ready. We have a spot at the bar waiting on us."
Her eyebrows scrunch together. "The bar?"
"I stopped by on my way in and found out Lily still works here. We're visiting her."
Her lips split into a wide smile. "Give me ten minutes and we'll go down."
I run my lips back and forth over hers a few more times before letting her go. She gets her suitcase and heads toward the bathroom, stopping back at the foot of the bed. Her eyes slice to mine, her thoughts transparent.
"Baby—"
"This is where it all began, and regardless of the outcome tomorrow, no one can take that away from me. No one can take you away from me." With that, she heads into the bathroom.
She finally fucking understands.
Chapter 24
Ashlyn
&nbs
p; I grip Miller's hand, my stomach churning as we make our way into the pristine lobby of Redmond, Kersh, and Reid. Scottie strolls casually at my other side, his excitement rolling off of him.
Even with all I know about what's happening inside these walls, my anxiety spikes with each step.
Kristi, the bombshell that sits behind the reception desk, raises her head at our approach, her eyes swinging between the three of us. "Miss Rhodes."
"Hello, Kristi, how are you today?"
She jerks at the question and answers nervously. "Ummm, I'm doing well, thanks?"
Her apprehension is expected. The Prada Princess walked through this lobby hundreds of times without even a sideways glance to the young woman trying to work her way through school.
"How's school?"
She pauses before answering. "I finished last week."
"Congratulations. That's an excellent accomplishment."
"It was tough, but I'm hoping the hard work pays off."
"Be proud of yourself."
"Thank you." She blushes at the compliment.
"Mr. Donner should expect me."
"I'm sorry?" Her expression goes blank.
"Mr. Donner may have set me up in a conference room for a meeting?"
Her face twists in confusion. "Conference room? I didn't get the message. Is there something wrong with your office?"
It's my turn to be confused. "My office? I don't have an office. I've been gone since September."
"I thought you were traveling in Europe?"
That bastard and the rest of the idiots I worked with made up a cover story, convinced I would return.
"I wasn't in Europe, Kristi."
Understanding washes over her and she punches a few keys on her switchboard, shifting the mouthpiece closer. "Mr. Donner, Miss Rhodes is here."
There's a pause.
"Yes." She clicks a button and peers back at me. "He said your office is ready."
"Okay, that's where we'll go."
Miller's Time (Southern Charmers Series Book 2) Page 26
