Chapter thirty-six
The Level Boardroom
Samantha
Russell holds my hand as we take the elevator down to the lower floor. We step out to find Connor waiting for us. He’s dressed casually in his gray sweats, as he has been since we brought him home from the hospital a week ago.
“Could you not put a fucking suit on?” Russell says angrily as his brother takes me in his arms and kisses my forehead briefly. “You’re milking this patient shit.”
“I have the best nurse,” he replies, squeezing me close. “Her bed baths are awesome. There are a lot of extras to be enjoyed. I especially like…”
I place my finger on his lips and shake my head. He grins back, and then his eyes flick to his brother. Russell is standing, arms folded across his chest, emitting a silent growl.
“Don’t aggravate him,” I tell Connor. “He’s had a complex morning.”
“Oh, do tell me, what could have gone so wrong?” Connor, who seems to have found a passion for being a nuisance since being told to stay home and recover from the delirium he suffered due to the anesthetic and the botched surgery, rearranges his face into one of nonchalance.
“You know damn fine,” Russell snarls. “I’ll be taking my key card off you.”
Connor shrugs, unconcerned. When Russell was at the office late yesterday, he snuck up to the penthouse and set various traps around the place.
As his brother carried out his morning routine today, he was met with many inconveniences.
“What the fuck did you put in my shampoo?”
Russell holds out his hands, which are stained with streaks of red.
“Fabric dye,” Connor says bluntly, and Russell’s mouth drops open. “My research concluded that it would stain your hands but wash straight out of your hair. I thought the results would be comical, but overall more manageable.”
“Manageable!”
“Well, yeah, you tend to always wear something with pockets.” He rummages in his sweatpants and pulls out a piece of folded-up paper. “Here, I printed this off the internet. Seemingly, lemon juice helps.”
“Great, so now I’ll have patchy red hands and smell like fucking toilet bleach. Come on, Trouble. Everyone is waiting.” He stalks off toward the door of the boardroom, Connor and myself wandering behind. Russell pushes the door hard. It swings open and bounces off the wall.
“Be fucking careful,” Harrison yells, and when we enter the room, I see him standing at the table, hands on his hips, glaring at my other boyfriend. Russell ignores him then throws himself down on a chair. I wander over to sit beside him, and Connor plops down beside me.
The door swings open again, hammering the same spot it did moments ago. Mrs. D appears with a tray of freshly baked goods in her hands. Harrison drops his face into his hands. “My wall,” he mumbles. “I’ll need to get it painted again.”
“Who’s hungry?” Mrs. D says with a huge smile.
She looks around the room at us all. “I love the fact you’re all here. Where are my girls?”
She places the tray on the sideboard as Annie scampers over to her, arms wide.
She picks the little girl up and swings her around.
Evie, who is sitting on Violet’s knee, claps her hands with the older girl's antics.
“We’re going to have our hands full with these two, Violet,” Emma says, and the two women exchange a knowing look. “Never mind the one in your belly.”
“About that…” Everyone falls silent, waiting for news, a nervous energy taking hold. “There are actually two new recruits in my belly.”
Hunter jumps to his feet, running over to Harrison and wrapping his arms around his neck.
“Well done, my friend,” he yells. “Those swimmers of yours are strong!”
Harrison laughs but shakes his head at our crazy friend.
So dangerous, so deadly, but with the people he loves, one hundred percent present.
“Congratulations,” Damon says with a sincere smile.
Violet’s eyes move to me and her brothers sitting on the opposite side of the table. She flashes them a wary smile, and they both stand before rounding the furniture and pulling her into a hug. Connor takes Evie into his arms.
“We will be the best uncles we can be,” Connor tells her. “To you and your little brothers.”
“They might be two more girls. Nothing is guaranteed,” his sister warns.
“We have enough girls.” Connor’s focus moves between Evie and Annie. “Little ones and fully grown, all of whom cause chaos.”
“But we wouldn’t have it any other way. These ladies won’t want for anything,” Russell adds, and the three siblings beam at one another. I move to join them, but the boys step away and Violet embraces me.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispers.
“You deserve all the happiness,” I tell her. “When are you due?”
“April, I’m just twelve weeks gone. We found out at our scan yesterday.”
“Us girls are going to have the best time getting ready for the new arrivals.”
My eyes move to Emma. She’s new to the group, having only returned after sorting out her relationship with Damon in June.
My friendship with Violet is solid, but it’s important Emma knows she’s part of this homemade family too.
“All of us.” Emma smiles back, genuine appreciation on her face.
“So, shall we get this wrapped up?” Russell says. “Some of us have places to be.”
“Exciting plans?” Hunter asks, watching Russell look from me to Connor and back again. “The three of you?”
“We’re celebrating,” Connor replies. “Samantha is due some pampering, and we can all be civil for a few hours. Even my brother and I.” Russell lifts his hands, turning his palms over, then glares at his brother.
“Perhaps we could have been.”
“Chill, we’ll pick up some lemon juice for you.”
“You didn’t just fucking tell me to chill?” Russell snarls as Mrs. D. drops a bottle of lemon juice down in front of him.
“I noticed when you arrived,” she tells him, squeezing his shoulder. “That will take those dye stains right off.” We all watch as she turns and totters off out of the door.
“That woman really is a miracle on legs,” Russell mumbles, squirting the liquid into his hands. Harrison jumps up and collects a towel from the bathroom, dropping it in front of him before returning to his seat.
“So,” Harrison says, “before we all go home to celebrate our respective wins, my first will be the fact my wife actually stayed in the car like she was told. I am taking that as an improvement in her behavior.”
He smiles at Violet, who sticks her tongue out playfully.
She had wanted to come with me into the hospital when I heard the gunshot.
I demanded she stay, but I won't tell him that.
“I can confirm that the police have moved past us regarding last week's issues. Thanks to Damon’s contacts in the department, we’ve been able to remove our names from the case file.”
“How did you manage that?” Emma asks him.
“Don’t ask,” Damon replies. “Put it this way, I’ve called in every favor ever owed.”
“And Bryan?” I ask, my words nervous. Neither Connor nor Russell would tell me anything of his fate.
Last week, I had been pulled away within seconds of killing their father.
When they asked me why I did it, I told them that when I reached the room, Bryan had been standing with the gun pointed at Edward Chase.
On instinct, I’d stepped forward and placed my hand over his; in that moment, I knew we were both protecting people we loved.
“He’s been released for now,” Harrison says.
“I’m moving to have the charges against him dropped due to diminished responsibility. Marley had his son, and he threatened to remove his organs if Bryan didn’t help him lure us all to the hospital. I don’t believe Bryan was ever involved or being paid for the organ theft at Varley Medical.
He’s just a hard-working father trying to look after his kids.”
“Also,” Emma pipes up, and all eyes move to her.
It’s easy to forget she works at the law firm and probably has a better idea of what is happening than Violet or myself.
“His eldest son just turned eighteen, so he can take responsibility for the younger ones if the worst happens. I’ve managed to negotiate child support payments from their mother as well.”
She beams, clearly proud of what she achieved.
“It’s enough to cover all their monthly living costs and have plenty left over. Amazing what a dive into her billionaire boyfriend's finances can achieve.”
“Great job, Spitfire,” Damon says, leaning over and kissing her softly on the lips. “Watch your back, boys.” His eyes flick between the three other lawyers in the room. “My girl will be taking your jobs.”
“Suits me,” Harrison says. “With three kids in the future to look after, more time at home would be helpful. Maybe I could be retired by forty.” Everyone laughs, but deep down I think he could be serious.
“And what about Josie?” Russell asks, and my pesky jealousy appears. Fuck, after everything she did, does he still care?
“She’s remanded at HMP, Bronzefield. I did go to visit her, but I can’t represent her. It’s too close to Bryan’s case, though a colleague has agreed to take her on. There’s little chance of her walking out of this free.”
Harrison speaks clearly and precisely, his tone professional.
“Sadly for Dr. Rivera, there are just too many complications. Between the loan from Varley, the death of the illegal organ donor, and her operating without authority and knowingly distributing organs, she will spend decades behind bars.”
“Why?” I ask after he lists the offenses.
“Why would she go to prison, or why did she do it?”
“Why do it?” I confirm.
“Greed,” Russell says quietly beside me.
“Josephine always wanted more than she had. She probably got wrapped up in this stage by stage and never thought of the consequences. I’d guess by the time Marley had her husband and was threatening to take his organs, she was too far down the rabbit hole to stop. Sad but true.
She deserves to feel the full force of the law for her crimes.”
I relax a fraction with his assessment. My man isn’t interested in her romantically, and he has never given me any indication he is. I need to let his previous relationship with her go.