Chapter 17
I quit.
Just two words.
The greatest sexual experience of my life and that was all she had to say.
I quit.
It was unacceptable of course. She wasn’t allowed to quit.
I wouldn’t let her.
After assuring my driver took her home and that the usual two car police surveillance was on her apartment, I’d resigned myself to giving her one day off.
One day to become accustomed to the idea that she was now mine.
One day away from me.
Twenty-four hours.
That was all I was willing to give her.
Not only did I need her in my bed.
I needed her at the office. We still had work to do, and clearly it wasn’t bullshit that she was the best paralegal I’d ever been assigned. Her legal research was far superior to some of the attorneys in my employ.
She would make an exceptional attorney one day.
And I had every intention of making that happen.
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind she was living in that rat-infested hellhole to save money for law school. She probably had her mind set on some affordable, half-assed legal education that was reasonably priced and would teach her just enough to pass the bar without throwing her into a lifetime’s worth of debt.
Well, that dream of hers was over.
I was going to see to it that she was accepted at New York University School of Law. I would also pay for every penny of her tuition. I could arrange for her to go to Yale, my alma mater, but Connecticut was too far away from me. NYU Law was ranked fifth in the nation and would get her a degree she could be proud of.
But first, I needed to get her back into the office… and my bed.
In the meantime, I was forced to play the groom gallant for Mary Quinn Astrid and her doppelg?nger and soulless protege—my fiancée.
It was all a waste of time, energy, and money.
I should have been in the office instead of in another overdone ballroom dripping with gold and diamonds, where people who wore designer clothes—that were probably handmade by starving children in third-world countries—while drinking hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of overpriced wine got to feel good about themselves for deigning to admit the existence of people that needed their money more than they did.
Another asinine charity event that could have given so much more had they simply cancelled the party and donated its budget, along with the invitees’ donations, to the people or cause they were supposed to be helping.
The hypocrisy of these events was stifling.
But Mary Quinn Astrid insisted my attendance was mandatory. There were connections I needed to make at this party, people who would eventually become the donors that made my campaigns possible.
The English language did not currently have words to adequately express my distaste for this entire system. But it was what we had, so I had to work within it. Even with all the money in my investment portfolio that I had quadrupled since inheriting my trust fund, I couldn’t dismantle the system from the outside.
To make this night even more intolerable, I was to spend the majority of it with Catherine on my arm.
I understood why we needed to be seen together at public events. I just wished she didn’t insist on talking while at the events. Her topic of choice tonight was about the importance of God only knew what.
I’d stopped listening when she complained about how some people were so incompetent at their jobs they could not discern the difference between ivory, cream, ivory-creme, white, off-white, eggshell, and about fifty other shades of white fabric that she was considering having her wedding dress made from.
The only thing she had said all night that had merit was the possibility of buying a second home in Aspen. All I could do was pray that she’d decide to live there full-time.
It probably didn’t help that my mind kept going back to Eddie.
I had tried calling her several times throughout the day, but her phone went straight to voicemail. Fortunately, the police officer in civilian attire I had placed on her floor had assured me she was home and safe. Since demanding the police presence in front of her building and in her immediate neighborhood, they had nabbed four probation violators, three dealers, two outstanding warrants for domestic abuse and one pimp.
Captain Raydar had applauded me for the tip I had given him and the chance to boost his precinct’s closure numbers. There was no point in telling him of my personal angle. Let him think the confidential nature of the favor I requested was due to information I couldn’t share with him from a case.
The sex was a surprise. Not only that it happened—I had never crossed that line before—but how intense it was. I understood that she needed time to process what happened, and under normal circumstances, I would have insisted that she take that time.
Preferably naked and next to me in bed, spending hours debating our arrangement, what it meant and what it didn’t mean, and the boundaries we wanted to establish, all while resting between rounds of more incredible sex.
But at least she’d taken the car back to her crack shack of an apartment. God only knew what could have happened to her between leaving my office and getting there.
Distance-wise, it may not have been far, but danger-wise, the difference was practically insurmountable. The more I thought about it, the more I did not like her living there.
I was liking my intention of giving her twenty-four hours to process and recover even less.
“Ugh, my glass has been empty for five whole minutes,” Catherine complained, stomping her foot like a child. “Who’s in charge of this event? Who hired these waiters? They are completely unqualified for their positions. They should be grateful that they are even allowed to be in this beautiful room, let alone this country. So where are they? Why aren’t they doing their jobs? How can my glass still be empty?”
Never mind that there were several servers going around with full trays of champagne. Not to mention that the bar for cocktails, where all she had to do was walk up to get another martini, was right behind her…
Pointing that out seemed like an exercise in futility, and I did not have the patience. Instead, I took the opportunity to be rid of her for a few moments and offered to refill her drink. While waiting in line at the bar, I sent another text to Eddie demanding that she respond immediately to at least tell me that she was okay and if she planned on coming into work tomorrow, that there were things that we needed to discuss.
I wasn’t stupid enough to put what had happened in my office in writing in a text message.
God only knew who could see her phone, especially that Detective Doyle she’d been flirting with. Although I had seen to it that he wouldn’t have much free time for a new romance. Not with the new assignment he’d been given that would require him to work most nights on Staten Island as part of a joint task force to combat escalating crime on the ferries.
An abuse of power? Perhaps. Not that I gave a damn.
“Harrison, it’s a pleasure to see you here tonight.” My father clapped my shoulder as he stood next to me in line.
“Mother didn’t give me an option.” I gave him a half smile, knowing he could see the boredom all over my face.
“Yeah,” he said. “I didn’t get one either. But I’m making the most of it. After your scandal broke, she is insisting that we be seen out as much as possible at events, like it wasn’t a huge scandal, and we are perfectly fine.”
“Are you?” I asked.
“Am I what?”
“Perfectly fine. I know my parentage wasn’t a secret and hasn’t been for decades for you, but that doesn’t mean the public attention wouldn’t cause problems for you.”
“No, the wives like to gossip but it hasn’t hurt my business at all.”
“That’s good to hear,” I said, not really believing him, but I let it go.
I was going to ask my father something else, maybe about what it was like to live in a loveless, business-contract marriage since I knew he and my mother weren’t exactly a romantic match either, but I was interrupted by the emcee getting on the stage to announce that everyone was here under false pretenses.
Confused, my father and I both looked up at the stage where my mother was standing next to the emcee, and an icy feeling of dread settled in my stomach. I wasn’t sure what she was doing up there, but I was positive that I was not going to like it.
She took the mic from the emcee and started spouting on about who knew what...chance encounters...true love overcoming...blah blah blah blah blah blah bullshit. Then she reached out her hand, and Catherine took it, smiling shyly at the audience.
That was the moment I realized that her white cocktail dress, embedded with Swarovski crystals that shone in the spotlight, was not a coincidence. It was a carefully curated outfit meant to make her appear sweet and innocent. Bridal.
My mother wiped away a pretend tear and said that it was her honor to welcome Catherine into the family and to announce the engagement of this beautiful, perfect woman and her son.
Fuck my life.
I had not agreed to any of this.
I was not ready to announce the engagement.
I wasn’t even one hundred percent sure if I was going to go through with it. But now it didn’t matter. The bell had been rung, so to speak, and every single person with a billion-dollar net worth in the greater New York City area was in this one overly pompous ballroom applauding my engagement. There was no escaping it now.
Catherine stepped off the stage and ran into my arms, laying what I guessed she assumed was a passionate kiss on my lips.
She tasted bitter, like stale wine and a crushed aspirin. Her lips were cold and slimy with gloss. It was by far the most unpleasant experience I had ever had kissing anybody, and that included Mildred Windsor the summer of ninth grade when she had braces and had just finished eating garlic bread.
There was no salvaging this moment. I had to go with it, so I dipped her and deepened the kiss, hating every single second of the display we were putting on.
When I righted her, she acted a little dizzy and flustered, which meant she was an amazing actress because that kiss may have looked hot and steamy from the outside, but in reality, it was like kissing a cold, alcoholic fish with a pain pill addiction.
As was expected of me, for the next ten minutes I smiled politely to the few waves sent my way, and accepted congratulatory handshakes and well wishes.
Then I left.
I was halfway down the stairs of the hotel when my mother caught up to me, grabbing my arm.
“Where do you think you are going?”
“Back to work,” I said. “I have already lost far too much time on frivolous parties and opulent lunches.”
“No, your obligation tonight is right here,” she snarled. “Business can wait. You are just like your father and every other man like you. You don’t understand this is just as important. This is how you make your fortune.”
I took a deep breath to calm my anger before focusing back on her.
“I am not a businessman. I do not spend my day moving numbers to make me richer. I do not create money out of thin air. I do not manufacture a product, I do not sell anything. I am the district attorney. My job is to put criminals behind bars. I don’t know if you’ve looked around lately, Mother, but New York is not limited to Fifth or Park Avenues. There are real problems in this city that need to be addressed.”
“Who do you think you are, Superman?” Her face twisted in rage, or at least as much as it could considering the most recent Botox injections. “There is nothing you can do to protect New York tonight. Lawyers’ offices are closed, and there are no judges currently awake. Actually, that’s not true. The only judges awake that you need to concern yourself with tonight, the only criminals you need to concern yourself with tonight, are those inside the ballroom who will fund your next campaign. And while we’re out here talking, we need to discuss your wedding guest list. That little whore at your desk is not invited.”
My hands clenched into fists. “Don’t you dare call?—”
I stopped myself just in time as Mary Quinn Astrid’s eyes lit up with unholy interest. Like the unfeeling shark she was, she smelled blood in the water.
There was no fucking way I was leading her back to Eddie.
Tightening my lips over my bared teeth, I finished, “Anyone on my staff a whore or this entire fiasco you’ve orchestrated is finished. Do you understand me?”
“I am your mother. Show me some respect.”
“I’ll show it to you when you earn it.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “You get rid of that trollop working for you or I will.”
“Remember who you’re threatening, Mother. I’m not some cowering waiter or maid in your employ.”
“You have your position because of me, and I can take it away just as easily.”
“I have my position because I’m a damn good attorney who earned it.”
She huffed. “I’m not having this fight with you in public, Harrison. You may not care about our reputation but I?—”
“Don’t you fucking talk to me about reputations.”
She gasped as she grabbed the strand of pearls around her neck. “Don’t you curse at me!”
I threw up my hand and once more turned toward the door. “This conversation is over.”
She gripped my upper arm, sinking her well-manicured claws into me. “We still need to discuss your wedding guest list!”
“I would never subject anybody who works with me to the atrocity that you are no doubt going to throw with Catherine. I have done my duty for tonight. I’m leaving.”
“How will it look? What will people say?”
“Tell them my office has an emergency, and I must go.” I tried pulling my arm from her grip, but her acrylic nails sank in deeper, threatening to rip into the fabric of my coat.
“What will Catherine and I tell all of your guests?”
“I don’t have any guests in there, Mother. It’s a charity event. Even if it wasn’t, this impromptu engagement party is yours and Catherine’s to deal with. Tell them whatever you want. I do not give a fuck.”
“You are just as bad as your sister.”
I knew if I riled her up any more and didn’t give her a story she could sell, she would take it out on Rose.
I took a deep breath and said through clenched teeth, “Just tell everybody that I’m working on one of the biggest cases in the country, and a witness came forward, and I had to go. Tell them that I’m working on keeping everybody in that room safe.”
“I don’t?—”
“I need to get back to work.” I spoke over her, pulling my arm from her talons. “So I can help make this city a safer place. This engagement party is not about me. It’s not even about Catherine and me. It is about you salvaging your reputation. I agreed to let you set up this marriage to that end. Now you can go inside and tell everyone how hard I’m working to keep them safe and make yourself the martyr. I don’t give a fuck.”
I didn’t give her a chance to respond.
What she was going to say didn’t really matter. I refused to listen to it.
My car service was waiting just outside the hotel. I got in the back, and we took off. I had no intention of going back to the office to get more work done. I needed to see her.
“Take me to Ms. Carmichael’s apartment,” I told the driver.
Thankfully, he had been one of the ones shuttling her to and from the office the past week, so he knew where he was going. We were there in under thirty minutes, and in that time, I tried calling her again. I even sent her a few more texts.
The text messages remained unread, and the calls went straight to voicemail.
I didn’t appreciate being ignored. I pushed aside the cold, clammy feeling running up my spine, wondering if she was safe and if she was okay, needing to know that nothing happened to her on her way home yesterday.
When we got to her building, I ran up the disgusting stairs to her apartment, and knocked.
There was no answer.
I pounded the door harder.
“Open the door, or I’ll break it down,” I ground out.
There was no response. The assigned officer approached with a wary look as his hand reached back to what was certainly a concealed weapon.
Reaching into my jacket pocket, I flipped open my wallet and flashed my DA badge. I then gestured toward the door. “Reluctant witness.”
The guy nodded and moved one flight down.
I knocked again. “Do not test me. This thing is only being held together by dust and scum. I could break through it without a second thought.”
Finally, I heard some movement behind the door before it cracked open.
Eddie’s face peeked out the door from behind the chain.
“Leave me alone,” she warned.