2. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
CHLOE
“Jim will be on the call momentarily.” Jim Wright’s assistant, an older man with black-framed glasses, clicked some buttons on his computer. “Please hold.”
Jim Wright had booked us for a video conference that morning.
I wished I had something nice to wear, but I was stuck in my one clean T-shirt.
I checked my image on my phone’s screen, fixing my damp, frizzy hair.
The motel’s window air-conditioning unit barely worked and was no match for the humid August weather.
Noah and I were hiding in Ellsworth, Maine, about a half-hour drive from Northeast Harbor—only a few miles away from Bryce.
Still, it seemed like another country. Being back in a crappy motel room after living in an oceanfront estate was jarring.
Even though I’d grown up poor, I’d gotten accustomed to having a luxurious shower, a rolling lawn, and plenty of food to eat.
Now I was back to scraping for change for the laundry machines, listening to my neighbor’s death-metal playlist in the middle of the night, and worrying about how the hell I was going to get Noah his next meal.
They say money can’t buy happiness, and that was the truth. But it could absolutely buy a lot of other shit!
Akira appeared on the screen, breaking my reverie. She wore her usual pink eyeglasses and high ponytail. “Hey, Chloe. Are we waiting for Attorney Wright?”
I nodded. “The assistant said he’d be right back.”
Akira wrinkled her nose as she inspected me. “Are you in a bathroom ?”
I sighed. “Noah’s asleep in the bedroom. This is the only other space.”
She started to say something, but Jim Wright appeared. He wore a golf shirt, and his skin was lightly tanned. “Hey there, it’s Jim. Attorney Zhang, it’s nice to meet you. Mrs. Windsor, you as well.”
I mumbled a greeting, but Akira didn’t bother with niceties.
She got right to it. “My client’s not interested in continuing with the contract,” she said briskly.
“She’s looking to have it voided pursuant to section 81(b) for both duress and unconscionability.
This agreement, on its face, is unconscionable.
My client signed it under duress. At best, the terms are voidable.
At worst, it’s a major lawsuit waiting to happen.
I’m sure your client wouldn’t want another scandal—particularly one involving an escort agency. ”
Jim Wright didn’t look impressed. “Attorney Zhang, I’ve heard such wonderful things about you. I’m surprised that you’re opening with an empty threat. You counseled your client when she signed this, didn’t you?”
Akira blinked at him. “I tried to counsel her—”
“Chloe is contractually forbidden from going public, even in a lawsuit, with the terms of this agreement.” He sounded dead sure of himself. “I’m sure she doesn’t want to lose guardianship rights to her brother. They’re not exactly airtight, are they?”
Akira’s gaze flicked to me. Bryce had paid off my father, bribing him to waive his parental rights to Noah.
It wasn’t exactly a legitimate agreement: I could easily lose Noah for good.
He’d be sent back to my father and Lydia, returned to a life where he was taken for granted and mistreated. I couldn’t let that happen, not ever.
“Akira…” My eyes filled with tears.
She sighed—she knew what I was thinking. She didn’t need to hear more. “Go on,” Akira told him.
“My client demands specific performance of the contract within forty-eight hours—just like my letter said.” Jim Wright straightened his shoulders. “He’s ready to send a car now. Chloe, what’s your location?”
“I’m not telling you that.” My mouth went dry. “I don’t want to lose my brother, but I can’t go back.”
Jim watched me. “Can you tell me why?”
“No, I can’t.”
He tilted his chin. “Who are you protecting, Chloe?”
“N-No one.” I could lose everything if I said one word about what Gene Windsor had threatened. I was backed up against a wall. There was no way out.
“Did my client harm you in any way?” He watched me carefully. “Physically or emotionally? Because if he did, this would turn into a different sort of conversation quickly. I’m not here to force you into anything harmful, Chloe.”
“He didn’t hurt me. Bryce would never do that.
” I raised my chin. It would be easy to lie, to claim that he’d harmed me in some way.
Then I’d be free from the contract. Neither Jim Wright nor Akira would return me to a dangerous situation.
Still, I wouldn’t do that to Bryce. He’d never hurt me, and I wouldn’t accuse him—not even to keep custody of my brother.
“If that’s the case, I’m going to need you to say more.” Jim Wright was firm. “I need to understand your position.”
“Well, actually…” I swallowed hard. “If I’m protecting anyone, it’s Bryce. I got drunk at that wedding and attacked his ex-girlfriend. I embarrassed myself, and I embarrassed him. He’s taking over as CEO of Windsor Enterprises—he can’t exactly have me blowing his life up.”
“My client said that behavior was very out of character for you.”
“Does it matter?” I asked. “You’ve seen the headlines, haven’t you? Chloe Shows Her True Colors. It’s the truth. I don’t belong in his world. He’s a billionaire, and I’m nothing. It was too much for me—I blew it.”
“I understand that you feel that way.” Jim nodded. “But my client doesn’t share that view. He believes it would be more detrimental for you two to split up than for you to continue.”
An uncomfortable silence settled over the call.
“What are our options?” Akira asked.
“It’s simple. Give me Chloe’s address, and we’ll send a car.”
I shook my head. “I can’t do that.” Gene Windsor would have my head—or worse, Noah’s.
“Fine. Jim nodded. “Then we’ll set up an immediate hearing with a private arbiter. Chloe will be responsible for paying for half of the arbitration expenses, which will be costly. And we’ll begin emergency proceedings in Massachusetts Family Court to have Noah returned to his actual legal guardian—his father. ”
My stomach plummeted. “No! You can’t do that.”
“I’m merely representing my client’s best interests,” Jim said smoothly.
Akira glared at him. “You pretend to be a nice guy, Jim. But you’re an asshole.”
“That might be true, but it’s not going to get you out of this contract.” He frowned. “I’m just doing my job, and you know it. So why don’t you do yours? Speak with your client and give me an answer. I’ll be on hold.”
“Can they do that?” I asked as soon as his screen went blank. “Can they take Noah away from me?”
Akira sighed. “The agreement with your father won’t stand up in court.
Legally he’s still Noah’s guardian. I’ve started the process to change that, but it’s a long one.
And we don’t have the kind of power that the Windsors have—they can do in days what could take us years.
So right now, your guardianship is vulnerable.
I’m surprised Bryce would threaten to do that, but he’s playing hardball. ”
“I can’t believe he’d do that to me.”
Akira nodded. “It might not be him. Jim Wright is a known shark. He’ll threaten anybody with anything, and he has no problem doing it. He looks like a regular middle-aged guy in his golf shirt, but he’s lethal. That’s why he’s the best.”
“But that means that I don’t have much of a choice. Right?”
Akira shook her head. “You always have a choice, Chloe. It might get ugly if you decide to follow through on this, but if it’s the right thing for you, I’ll support you every step of the way.
Bryce can outspend you, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay married to him. If you want out, let’s do this.”
There was a knock on the door. “Chloe?” My brother sounded half-asleep. “There’s someone outside. They want to talk to you.”
“Don’t open the door! Get in here.” I yanked Noah inside the bathroom and handed him my phone. “Keep your eyes on Akira. Do not leave this room.” I locked the bathroom behind me.
There was a knock on the motel room door. “Who is it?” My knees buckled.
“UPS. Package delivery,” a man’s voice said.
“Can you leave it outside?”
“You have to sign for it, ma’am. I’ll step away from the door and leave the signature pad right outside. I’m not going to hurt you. Look out the window—you can see my truck in the lot.”
I peered outside and was relieved to see a delivery truck pulled up in front of the motel.
I opened the door a crack. The man, in a brown uniform, was already halfway down the hall.
He held up his hands as though he were about to be arrested.
“I have a daughter,” he explained. “I tell her to never open the door for anybody, so I get it.”
Touched, I quickly signed the electronic pad and slid the small package out from beneath it. “T-Thank you. Have a nice day.” I closed the door immediately.
My hands were shaking as I looked at the padded envelope. The packing slip had my name and the motel room number on it. Who the hell knew where I was?
I opened it with shaking hands.
A key fob was inside with a BMW logo, along with a type-written note.
Chloe:
There’s a car waiting outside for you. No driver. This has to be your choice.
Take Noah to the parking lot behind Main Street Market in Northeast. Dale will be waiting. Then use the navigation to drive to the Bar Harbor Airport.
I’m asking, Chloe. I won’t come and drag you away like some kind of prisoner. If you aren’t there within the hour, I’m telling my lawyers to follow the contract to the letter.
One hour. I’ll receive a notification as soon as you sign for this, so the clock starts now.
I’ll be there waiting. The rest is up to you.
- Bryce
Heart pounding, I peered out the window again. As the UPS truck drove away, a shiny silver BMW SUV appeared behind it. The car hadn’t been in the lot this morning.
I clicked the key fob, and the SUV beeped.
Fuuck. What was I going to do? Maybe I could talk to Bryce, I reasoned. Perhaps I could tell him to his face that I couldn’t come back, that we could never be together, and then beg him to let me keep Noah. My husband didn’t have a hard heart toward me—at least, I prayed he didn’t. Yet.
I burst back into the bathroom. “We have to go.”
“What the heck’s going on?” Akira said. “Jim Wright’s waiting for us!”
“I know. But I have something I have to do— now . Tell Jim to call his client. He’ll understand.” I unceremoniously hung up the call and grabbed Noah. “Let’s go, buddy. I’m taking you to meet Dale.”
“Good.” My brother wrenched himself out of my arms. “Maybe he’ll have some food. Or my dog . Or anything that makes sense, unlike you.”
I took a deep breath. “I probably deserve that.” I had dragged the kid out of bed in the middle of the night and made him leave his puppy behind.
“Yeah, you do.” Noah started stuffing his few belongings into his backpack, and I did the same.
We didn’t have much time. I’d be cutting it close between the drive to Northeast and back to the airport. Plus, I hated driving. I hadn’t been behind the wheel of a car since my mother died in an accident.
“How are we getting there?”
I held up the key. “Bryce left a car for us.”
“At least I can depend on him.” My brother stormed past me to the door, and I followed him out.
I stopped at the front desk to pay, but the lady shook her head. “It’s been taken care of.”
I nodded. “Thanks.” But I wasn’t sure that I meant it. Had Bryce known I was here all along? How? Had his men been watching me?
Did… Did his father know where we were?
That last question left me with a pit in my stomach as I unlocked the car and gingerly started it. Taking a deep breath, I left the relative safety of the motel lot. It had been a crappy place to stay, but for a brief moment, it had been an oasis.
Now I had to go and face my husband. I needed to deal with the ramifications of a lawsuit, the threat of losing my brother, and the possibility that Gene Windsor might find out and rain hellfire down on me.
The crappy motel was looking better and better, but it was disappearing from my rearview mirror.
And I didn’t know what lay ahead of me.