Chapter Thirteen
Elodie tapped her hand on the steering wheel, staring up at the red light. She’d purposely left early so as to not be late. At this point, she just wanted it to be over.
The meeting from her lawsuit had been delayed two weeks at the request of her lawyer. Initially, it gave her hope that he was working diligently on her case and maybe he’d found a loophole that would insist Julian offer her a payment plan. It was the only solution in order for her to keep the boutique. Her lawyer had been less than forthcoming with any information. Then he’d stopped returning her calls three days ago.
She’d shared her frustration with Oz. He seemed unbothered by her dilemma, suggesting “you hired him to do a job, let him do it.” His advice did nothing to settle her nerves, but it was valid. She had to trust her lawyer. His office had called confirming the date, time, and location of the meeting yesterday.
In another few hours, she’d know the fate of her store.
The light turned green, and she headed west toward the center of the city. Elodie rolled her neck and grabbed her coffee, taking a sip. Overhyped on caffeine probably wasn’t the best way to go into the meeting. It wasn’t helping to calm her nerves. She drew in a deep breath and glanced down at her phone. She’d contemplated calling Oz all morning. They’d been spending almost every night together except a few days when he was out of town. Like last night. She’d sent him a few texts but only received one-word responses. He’d mentioned checking out another location for a new club.
At forty, she was fully equipped to handle her own affairs. But…
She tapped the screen. “Call Oz.”
When she heard the ringing she gripped the steering wheel tightly, glancing up through the windshield at the numbers on the building. One ring, two rings, three rings…
“Pick up the phone, Oz,” she mumbled and groaned when she got the beep. Why the hell doesn’t this man have an outgoing message?
“Hey, Oz. Ummm” —she turned left at the light and pulled into the parking garage— “I might lose you, but I’m heading into my meeting at the lawyer’s. Was hoping for a pep talk, but I see that’s not gonna happen. Anyway, call me when you get this. If I don’t answer, I’m either still in the meeting or drowning my sorrows at Starr’s.” She pulled into a spot, shifting the gear into park. “Alright well, I’m going in. Love you. Bye.”
She clicked the phone and froze. What the hell did I just say? No! The words just slipped out. Shit! Elodie dropped her forehead to the steering wheel and closed her eyes. As if she needed one more thing to stress over. Why would she say that? They’d been together less than a month, and while they’d spent most nights together, it was definitely too soon. Right?
Elodie straightened in her seat.
There was no fixing it now. Maybe he was the type of man who didn’t check his messages. Wishful thinking. She got out of her car, locked the doors, and headed into the building. Elodie took the elevator to the tenth floor and was immediately escorted to the conference room by the receptionist. It was a minor reprieve not having to sit in the waiting room with her thoughts. She would’ve dwelled on her slip of the tongue on Oz’s voicemail.
Gah!
Elodie was seated at the table when a group of three walked in. A woman and two men. Lawyers, no doubt. As if her nerves weren’t already on high alert, her heart rate spiked, and it took great effort not to fidget in her chair. She was seconds away from breaking out in a sweat. Who the hell needs three lawyers for a civil case? It was confirmation once again that Julian was an asshole.
They were gathered at the far end of the room when Julian and another man walked in.
This was just great. Now he has four lawyers, and I have one who can’t even show up on time. Elodie leaned down, grabbing her pocketbook and pulling out her phone. It was three minutes after ten and no messages from her lawyer.
“Shall we get started?”
Elodie jerked her head. Julian sat across from her at the conference table with one of his lawyers seated next to him. His eyes were locked on her though he lacked his usual arrogance. It was strange that something she’d admired years ago as confidence was now the biggest thing she loathed about him.
Elodie expected the woman and two men to take seats across from her next to their client. Instead, the two men sat next to her, leaving a seat open between them while the woman sat on the other side of her. She watched her sit and pull out a folder from her briefcase.
What the…
Elodie leaned closer. “Aren’t you supposed to sit with your client?”
The woman angled her head. “It’s standard practice.”
Elodie glanced at Julian and his lawyer then back to the woman next to her.
“Whose lawyer are you?” Elodie whispered.
She smirked and arched her brow. “Yours.”
What?
Julian’s lawyer cleared his throat. “We were unaware Ms. Martin retained new counsel.”
Join the club.
The woman folded her hands, resting her elbows on the table and essentially commanding everyone’s attention. “As of this morning, yes. I’m Caitlyn Archer representing Ms. Martin and” —she gestured to the men on the other side of Elodie— “Mark Jackson and Steve Hunter will serve as my co-counsel.”
The two men at the end of the table were for her too? What the hell was happening? She could barely afford one lawyer. Now I have three?
“Alright.” Julian’s lawyer cleared his throat. He appeared confused and very much intimidated. “Shall we begin then?”
“We’re waiting on one more member of our party.” Caitlyn said.
We are? Who?
“And here he is.” Caitlyn stood, and Elodie turned in her seat, watching Oz walk in. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open.
What the fuck, Oz?
He rounded her chair, unbuttoned his jacket, and sat beside her. He slowly glanced over, but he wasn’t looking at Elodie. He lowered his chin with his gaze on Caitlyn, who then addressed Julian and his lawyer.
“We’re prepared to settle with payment today.”
What? This was her lawyer, who hadn’t even discussed her own case with her, and now she was speaking on her behalf? And lying! Elodie was not prepared to pay Julian.
“Wait, wait,” she blurted, then felt Oz’s hand slide across her thigh and grip her knee. She swung her head, sending a sharp glare. “I need a word with you.”
“Later.” Oz’s clipped response only added to her anger.
“No,” she snapped and ground her teeth. “Now, Oz.”
His gaze narrowed, and he leaned closer. “We will discuss this later .” His tone was a stern warning. A non-negotiable demand. In another scenario, she might’ve heeded it. But not this one.
Elodie jumped up from her chair, rolling it back a few inches. She forced a strained smile, addressing everyone in the room. “If you’ll excuse us for just one minute.” She turned, grabbing her pocketbook and scowling at Oz as she walked past the table and out the door. As soon as she made it into the hall, she balled her fists. Her heated blood was racing through her veins. It had been a long time since she’d gotten this fired up.
Seconds later, he walked out with a glare to match everything she was feeling.
“What the hell is happening?” she shouted.
Oz stepped closer, hardening his stare. “Lower your voice.”
Oh no, sir. There was a time and place she’d eagerly accept and welcome his dominating nature. This was not one of those times.
“I’ll lower my voice when you tell me what the hell is going on?” She pointed to her chest. “Where’s my lawyer?”
“You’ve retained new counsel.”
“So I’ve heard!” She snorted, nodding. “Oz, I don’t have the money to pay him today.”
His gaze softened. “Yes, you do.”
She sighed heavily in pure frustration. “No. I don’t.”
“Elodie.” He arched his brow. “You do.”
Did he need proof? Fine, she’d give it to him. She grabbed her phone from her bag and pulled up her bank app. She quickly punched in her password and turned the screen to Oz when it opened. “No! I don’t!”
Oz glanced down at the screen and back to her. “Yes. You do.”
What the hell was he talking about? She looked down at the screen and gasped. She had over fifty thousand dollars in her account. Her eyes darted over the details outlined in her bank app. She was checking everything from her username to the last four digits of the account number to verify it was hers. Oh, my God.
His hand came over her wrist, and he led her back into the room. Elodie remained in a daze. Oz pulled out her chair and she sat, peering around the room with her eyes landing on him.
Oz took his seat and subtly lifted his chin. Seconds later, the lawyers continued to go over the case and hash out the details. All the while, Elodie sat silently, overcome with her own shock.
What the hell just happened?
****
It took every ounce of his control not to jump across the table and beat the life out of Julian. Oz clasped his hands, glaring at the man. Julian refused to make eye contact. But Oz was sending a direct message. He had a plan B. If litigation didn’t work in her favor then Oz would seek outside ramifications. One thing was certain. As of today, Elodie would be rid of Julian and his threats hanging over her head. Oz would see to it.
“No interest,” Oz said, his glare locked on Julian. He shifted in his seat and looked to his lawyer.
“It’s standard,” Julian’s lawyer said.
Caitlyn tapped her pen on the table. “Yes, if there’s a contract in place. But Ms. Martin never signed anything. Why would she? She was under the assumption this was a loan from a friend. It was Mr. Shipman who changed the rules, therefore interest won’t be considered.”
Oz had a large pool of lawyers to choose from when seeking new counsel for Elodie. He specifically chose Caitlyn for one reason. She would debate and argue until she got exactly what she wanted. And she had an interesting way of going about it.
Julian leaned over, whispering something in his lawyer’s ear. Oz knew what was coming next.
Julian’s lawyer straightened and addressed the table. “My client insists on being paid interest.”
Her lawyer glanced over, and Oz saw from the corner of his eye Elodie turned to her, expecting Caitlyn to ask her if it was acceptable. But Caitlyn wasn’t looking at Elodie. She was looking to Oz. He didn’t make eye contact and kept his stare on Julian. Oz shook his head.
“Well, it seems, we’ll be going to court then,” Caitlyn said.
Julian paled and darted his gaze between her lawyer and his own.
Caitlyn settled back in her seat, smiling. “I’ll make sure we get a court date as soon as possible. In the meantime, it’s been brought to my attention Ms. Martin will be retaining counsel for another matter regarding this case. I’d like you to advise your client once this goes to court, it opens everything up. Anything discussed via text or email will be considered evidence. You also might want to let him know a sexual harassment conviction carries a stiff penalty. Catch a judge on a bad day, it could even mean jail time.”
Oz steeled his features, resisting the urge to smile. The woman is good.
“What?” Julian slapped his hand against the table and scowled at Elodie. “I didn’t sexually harass her.”
Elodie straightened in her seat. “You textbook sexually harassed me. And I have proof. And witnesses. You want this to go to court, Julian? Let’s go.” Elodie smirked. “I welcome it.”
Oz discreetly dropped his hand to her thigh and gave a firm squeeze. This was the reason he was paying the lawyers. Though he couldn’t deny his pride in her standing up for herself and going after Julian. Good girl. She glanced down at her leg and slowly settled into her seat.
There was a silent and tense few minutes. Julian had turned in his seat facing his lawyer. Oz couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he’d learned a long time ago the importance of reading lips. Take it, Julian.
A minute later, Elodie was signing the paperwork.
The second Julian and all the lawyers walked out, and the door locked in place, Elodie whipped around in her seat. Her case may have been settled, but it wasn’t over.
“We need to talk,” she said.
Oz would answer all her questions but not here. He never discussed business at a location he didn’t control. There was no way of knowing who could be listening. He stood. Expectedly, Elodie followed suit. She rounded her chair, rushing past him and blocking his path.
“Oz.”
He leaned closer, resisting the urge to touch her. “We will discuss this at my office.”
“No, I need to know right now.”
“Elodie.” He growled. “My office. We’ll discuss the deal.” He paused. “And your voicemail.”
She straightened, drawing in a deep breath and parting her lips. Before she could say anything else, he held his finger up, silencing her. And surprisingly, it worked.
He walked around her, heading toward the door. “Meet me at the club in thirty minutes.”
Elodie flattened her lips, nodding and refusing to make eye contact. And Oz knew why.
Oh, we will be discussing your voicemail, love.
Once he reached the parking garage, he pulled out his phone and called Nash. He had a meeting scheduled with Garner and wanted to make sure all parties were present.
“Yes, sir?”
“Have you confirmed with Garner and Ace?”
“Yes, they’ll both be here.”
Oz jerked his chin, and his security opened the car door. “I’ll have to push it back. I have another matter that takes precedent.”
Elodie.
“Do you want me to let them know and reschedule the time?”
Oz got into the backseat and smirked. “Call Ace. As for Garner? He can wait.”
Garner hadn’t earned the courtesy.
“I’ll be there shortly.” Oz pulled the phone away prepared to hang up when he heard Nash’s voice again.
“How’d it go? Did it work in Elle’s favor?”
Oz settled the phone to his ear. Only a select few knew of his plan with Elodie and her lawsuit. As with most things, Nash played a pivotal role. He just hadn’t realized how invested his second-in-command was with Elodie’s affairs.
“Yes.”
Oz ended the call and tapped the screen, pulling up Elodie’s voicemail from earlier.
Love you. Bye.