My Boss’s Secret by Taryn Quinn

Fourteen

I rubbedthe furrow between my brows. Was the entire world made up of foolish romantics now, or was it just the people who were important to me?

“Not you too.” Weariness lined my voice. “And at no point were we on a ship.”

She waved that off as insignificant. “It is. You can’t argue it. You live here forever and never meet, then you go to a far-off land to screw like—”

“Hey, hey. Keep it clean or I’m not telling you any more perverted bedtime stories.”

Her grin over the rim of her soda held much mischief. “I can tell some to myself.”

I covered my ears. “Not listening, la-la-la.”

Her expression turned serious as she shoved aside our nearly empty plates and leaned forward to snatch my hands, pulling them down from my head. “What’re you gonna do? For real.”

“The question of the hour.” I gripped her hands. “She ran from me, Mick. I searched all over the damn island. I get that she was probably pretty pissed that I’d talked to her grandmother without asking her first—”

“As she had every right to be,” my sister interjected. “Don’t do that ‘I know better than you’ shit. Chicks don’t like it. Humans, period, don’t like it. Sisters absolutely hate it.”

My lips twitched around a smile. “Duly noted. But she didn’t even say goodbye.”

“How could she? Like there was any way in hell you would’ve let her just walk.”

“What do you mean, I wouldn’t let her walk? How could I stop her?”

“You could and you would. Your words are enough. You’re very commanding when you want to be, Mr. Million Dollar Divorce Lawyer. And spoiler alert—you always want to be.”

I frowned down at our linked hands. I still hadn’t let her go. This conversation wasn’t exactly making it easier for me to move back, either.

“I wouldn’t force her to stay to talk to me. What kind of man do you think I am?”

“A strong, proud one who lashes out when he’s been hurt. Dude, you’ve been hurt a lot. And you’re jaded and ready to draw blood at the first chance someone is pissing in your Cheerios.”

I locked my jaw and glanced away, studying the rain-slickened windows at the front of the diner where the neon pink Open sign blinked on and off. My sister knew better than anyone what had gone down almost four years ago. It had probably been a mistake to dump all of that on my barely eighteen-year-old sister, but after what Key had done, I’d had literally no one to turn to except her and Preston, my best man.

Even my parents hadn’t been on my side. My dad had aligned himself with Key, as always, and my mother had claimed she was neutral like Switzerland. Total bullshit. Our relationship had never been the same since.

“And now you’re not going to talk to me, because I hurt your wittle manly feels.”

Not laughing at her was impossible, so I didn’t try. “I’m definitely still talking to you. You’re right.”

“I am?”

“Yeah.” I squeezed her fingers, grateful she was letting me hold on just a moment more. “I treat every negotiation like a case. I can’t do that in a personal relationship. Especially with a woman. It’s just been so long.”

“Did you forget your steps?”

“Yeah. I think I did. She’s not an opponent I can strong-arm. I tried hanging back and playing cool, and she left.”

“You playing cool is anyone else making demands.”

I narrowed my eyes. “But if I don’t take control, if I don’t show that I’m capable of—”

“Ripping her throat out if she so much looks at another man?” Mickey’s voice gentled. “She’s not Rina, Bish. At least she better not be anything like her, or I’ll kick your ass myself.”

“No. April’s nothing like her. Even after not spending all that long with her, I know that.”

The waitress returned to collect our dishes, but first, she gave me a lengthy glance before diverting her gaze to our linked hands.

“Bit young for you, isn’t she?”

“Oh.” I laughed uncomfortably. “She’s my sister.”

That didn’t make her glacial gaze warm. If anything, her voice turned frostier. “Real nice, buddy.” She swept away our plates with a “harrumph” that made Mickey dissolve into giggles.

I wasn’t much better.

My sister shook her head. “Man, some people have really dirty minds.”

“That’s the truth. But real life is usually worse than most people even guess.” My shudder wasn’t entirely fake. The things I saw on a weekly basis were often horrifying.

And going to Preston’s family’s firm likely wouldn’t change that. If it was much better than what I routinely dealt with, why would he be checking out?

He wouldn’t. It wasn’t just about family dynamics either. Issac Shaw wasn’t a prince. He definitely didn’t play by the rules. Truly, I was surprised Pres had lasted there as long as he had.

Was it any coincidence he’d made the decision to leave as soon as he’d found someone else to worry about other than work? Probably not. We all just wanted someone to come home to at night.

And I needed to stop having thoughts like that. I had someone to come home to, and his name was Santiago. He wasn’t great at spooning, but he gave out his own snippy version of kisses.

My sister retreated across the table to check her phone, a grin creeping across her face.

“You like him.”

She blinked. “He who?”

“Your man.” I did air quotes.

“Yeah, he’s a good dude. Seems to be, anyway. Early yet. What about your girl?”

“Not again.”

“Did we solve your dilemma?”

“No. You don’t even know the half of it.” I pulled out my credit card and handed it to our disgusted waitress when she returned. She bustled away as if she couldn’t stand to be near heathens like us.

She’d pegged one of us correctly as a heathen, but not for the reason she suspected.

Fame-hungry divorce attorney, at your service—if you’ve got the green.

But there were other opportunities on the horizon.

Preston’s footloose, fancy free brother was a managing partner at Shaw times Three, LLC, and he couldn’t be trusted to run the firm alone. With Daddy Warbucks—also known as the elder Shaw—retiring, the idea of Dexter piloting the plane was, frankly, a disaster waiting to happen. Just because the fit wasn’t good for Preston didn’t mean it would be bad for me.

But was I ready to walk from a very successful career with the Pierson law group just to help out my best friend?

And significantly reduce your stress levels and maybe get closer to achieving that fabled work/life balance you’ve never figured out? And oh, hey, get to work with April? Remember her?

Mickey flicked her finger against my glass to get my attention. “Um, hello, big brother, sitting right here. Stop thinking so hard smoke comes out of your ears and start talking. What else is going on?” She rolled her eyes. “As if there isn’t enough already.”

Quickly, I told her about Preston’s little surprise this evening. Rather than seeming shocked, her eyes widened and she squirmed on her seat. “Yes, yes, yes! Dr. Vader will be so happy. When do you start?”

I frowned. “That’s it? Just yay, you’re doing it?”

“Preston’s your best friend. Like in the whole world.”

“Yeah.” No arguments there. “But did you miss the part where I’ll be taking his place? We won’t be working together.”

“Maybe not full-time, but you could. Don’t you guys like consult on cases or whatever? You know he’ll keep his hand in, especially in the beginning.”

“More like especially with Dexter.”

“Yeah.” She winced. “Pres thinks he’s a total slack-ass, right?”

I shrugged. “Let’s just say he has more to occupy his time than work.”

“Babes, babes, and more babes?”

“Not my concern.” Unless he didn’t do his share of the work or, more importantly, was dipping his wick in April’s pot.

Look at me, already thinking as if I might actually take this job. I hadn’t even considered all the pros and cons.

Hell, I wouldn’t even know all the pros and cons until my meeting with Preston on Monday.

“Not unless you’re smart enough to realize when a plum opportunity just falls into your lap. You said April’s his assistant. You need to work less. To not swim with the sharkiest of deadly sharks. You’ve already proven you can dominate them all. Now you can prove you can be a decent boss and maybe help some Moms and Pops find their way to their happily-ever-afters.” She nibbled on her thumbnail. “And hey, maybe find your own.”

“I’m a divorce attorney, not a marriage therapist.”

“You don’t offer counseling as part of your package? Maybe you should. Don’t you think some people make a mistake?”

I rubbed the sudden piercing pain in my forehead. “Some people’s mistake is ever getting married in the first place, Mick.” I lowered my voice. “And call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure I’m the last person who should ever offer marriage counseling to anyone. Forget professionally. I shouldn’t even mention the words.”

“So, that’s just your badge of honor now? You’re ‘Bad at Love’ like Halsey, so that gives you an excuse for acting like a dick for all eternity?”

“Hey.”

She held up her hands. “Just saying.”

“You do realize that a divorce attorney makes an income from people, I don’t know, actually getting divorced?”

She let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, like you’re scrounging through the couch for change. You’re already a bazillionaire. Think about the greater good.”

“Don’t let Dad hear you talking like this. He’ll disown you for sure.”

“Lucky me, I have no need for cheddar because my big brother freaking adores me and would give me all his worldly goods.” She batted her lashes and held her hands under her chin as if she was praying.

I signed off on the check when Disturbed Waitress reappeared. Once she’d left again, I laughed and shook my head. My sister was still in praying stance. “God help me, but I do.”

“As you should. When you were on your own, who was by your side?”

“You,” I pointed out.

She waved that off. “Yeah, but I’m not hiring anyone. Yet,” she added with an air of significance I would explore later.

“Fine. Preston.”

“He let you sponge off him for months.”

“I wouldn’t say I sponged—”

“I would. He made certain you ate and slept, and I’m sure he talked shit about bitches and hoes—”

“Michaela,” I warned.

“Hi, Rina is both, so don’t even go there with me.”

“She’s also your sister-in-law,” I said tiredly.

“Right. Like I have anything to do with the two of them.”

I should’ve argued with her that she should. They were her family, and unlike my parents, she shouldn’t have to choose between us.

What’s the difference, jackass?

I didn’t know, exactly, but there just was one.

“You owe Preston, even if he’d say otherwise. But he’s trusting you with his family biz. That’s gotta be huge for him. And it seems like you’re just writing it off as not an option, as if you’re happy. As if you’ve been happy for years.”

I shut my eyes. “Taking a job for a chick is a catastrophe waiting to happen.”

“Yeah, maybe, if that’s why you’d be taking it. She’s just…frosting. Decadent chocolate ganache, but the cake is your best friend and the chance to, I don’t know, conquer a different frontier or some shit. You’d be taking care of your health. And maybe you could even get to know April outside the bedroom.” She slapped her palms to her cheeks. “I know, gasp.”

“I never exactly said—”

“If a guy falls in love with a chick in a night or two, they didn’t have marathon Scrabble sessions. I’m a college student, not a cave dweller.”

“I’m not in love with her.”

“Right. Just like I wouldn’t have Harry Styles’ babies if he decided he found sociology nerds hot.” Even as I laughed, she stared imploringly into my eyes. “Just think about it. Seriously, why would you say no?”

That question replayed over and over in my head after I dropped off Mick. The rain had finally stopped, and instead of heading home to tend to my doubtlessly aggrieved bird, I drove in circles until the chaos in my mind smoothed out into a semblance of certainty.

I stiffened my shoulders and hit my best friend’s number on the in-dash screen.

He took so long to answer that I finally remembered he was probably playing marathon Scrabble this very minute. I even hoped he’d gotten a high score 7-letter word. Now he needed to recover enough to pick up the frigging phone.

As if he’d heard me, he came on the line.

“Bishop?” He sounded perturbed, not as if he was in a state of orgasmic euphoria.

That made two of us.

“Yeah. Did I interrupt something?” Somehow I managed not to snicker like a twelve-year-old boy, but it was a close thing.

“Look, man, you okay? I didn’t like how we left things before.”

I growled. “Are you gunning for sainthood?”

“Huh?”

“You’re supposed to be PO’d at me because I interrupted your sex bliss.”

“Oh. That. Am I? Maybe I would be if we hadn’t already had it twice. Hey, stop hitting me, dammit.”

I had to laugh at the obvious sounds of a struggle. I liked Ryan already. “Good. Then you can listen to me for a minute.”

“Sixty seconds. Clock’s running, Stone.”

I tapped my fingers on the wheel. “After it all went down with Rina and Key, I took advantage of your generosity.”

“You absolutely did not.”

“I did. I lived on your couch for half a year and took my sweet ass time getting my shit together. You have thrown me my allotment of ropes already for one lifetime, and now here you are again.”

“Wrong. You’re doing just fine without me.”

“Without you, I wouldn’t have gotten back up.” I shut my eyes. “You and Mick,” I corrected. “You’re my family, and you stood with me when no one else did. I never thanked you properly for that. And now you’re offering me a chance to guard your family’s legacy, and I was almost too much of a thoughtless dick to see the gift you were entrusting me with.”

Heavy silence descended on the line. “You’ve been drinking,” he said finally.

I had to grin. “No.”

“Something harder?”

“Definitely not.”

“Hit your head on a curb?”

“Not lately.”

Preston hesitated. “I hate to have to ask this, but you’ll have to forgive me.”

“Shoot.”

“You’re not planning some kind of revenge on April, are you? Because I’d stand with you against the devil, Stone, you know that. But I can’t be part of something that could hurt her. She’s dealt with enough, and beyond that, she doesn’t deserve anything but your best treatment. No matter what mistakes she’s made.”

I only heard part of what he said. “Dealt with what? What has she dealt with?”

“I only know bits and pieces. She’s not one to mix business and pleasure.”

“What do you know?”

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to ask her.”

“Goddamn you and your ethics, Shaw.” Hell if I didn’t admire him for sticking to them. There were far too many times in my life I’d thought I was entitled—even righteous—to abandon mine. “Thank you for thinking of her first.” I let out a raw laugh. “Even risking my wrath.”

“You don’t scare me.” He coughed. “But that one time we were opposing counsel, I really did have strep throat and couldn’t come to court.”

I hadn’t laughed so hard in a long time.

Correction. It wasn’t that long in actual days, even if it felt that way. Not since Fiji.

“Just promise me you’re not doing this for any reasons other than you’re saying. You’re a dangerous animal when you’ve been hurt. I know she hurt you, though maybe she had a good reason.”

“Pretty sure Rina thought wanting to ride my brother’s dick was a good reason too.” I pinched the ache in the bridge of my nose.

“Christ.”

I sucked in a deep breath. Michaela had been my compass since she’d been old enough to string sentences together, and once again, she was pointing due north.

Even when I didn’t believe in anything, I believed in my baby sister. She thought I should do this. So, I was giving it a fucking go.

All I could lose was everything.

“I promise, Pres. You can trust me.”

“By God, I do. Don’t make me regret this, Stone.”

Staring out into the darkness, I punched the gas as I neared my place. “Let’s hope neither of us have any regrets. This isn’t a guarantee. Just a trial period. I have my own clients to think about, and you know how thorny it is to extricate yourself. I have to see if this is the right move for me to make.”

If I even knew which way was up anymore. But I had to try.

“Goes without saying. No strings.”

My lips twisted. “Funny you should say that.”