Fraud

Gabriel

I check my watch for the third time this morning, wondering what the hell is taking Ta

Beside me, the motor to our private elevator is quiet, the numbers unlit as the car waits on the bottom floor for him to arrive and get the fuck up here.

We have a big money meeting in an hour, and before that, I have to give him news that will make his head explode. But it is what it is. He’s had this coming.

Ta

Finally, I hear the elevator come to life, my eyes watching the red numbers move slowly up the line until a ding above my head signals his arrival, the doors sliding open with a smooth motion.

His dark hair is styled back, and his expensive suit is tailored to perfection. Lifting his eyes from whatever he’s reading on his phone, his brows tug together in confusion.

“Where’s Lacey?”

That’s exactly what I’m standing here to tell him.

“She quit.”

A bark of laughter bursts from his throat. “No. She didn’t quit. Lacey can’t quit. We pay her too damn much.”

Immediately, he starts tapping out a text on his phone, but I lay a hand over it, stopping him.

“Which is exactly why she could quit. We’ve paid that woman more than the associate attorneys, and she’s saved up a nice nest egg to fall back on. After her vacation, she sent me her resignation and said that the time off gave her a moment to think about her life. She’s done, Ta

His jaw tics, and he shifts his posture. Rage simmers behind his eyes, his nostrils flaring just before he stabs a finger at my face.

“And this is exactly why I said no vacations! See what you did? You gave her time to evaluate her life and realize I’m a fucking asshole.”

“She didn’t need time to figure that out. It’s not like it’s a secret.”

“Fuck off, Gabe.”

He storms past me en route to his office, his voice booming through the small hall. “Now what the hell am I going to do? Who the fuck is going to fill her place?”

“Calm down, I already hired someone as your new assistant. She’s in her office filling out the paperwork now.”

With a roll of my eyes, I follow him into his office and take my usual seat in a chair opposite him. Ta

For several silent seconds, we stare across the expanse at each other.

“Who the hell did you hire?”

My lips tilt into a frown.

“Well, that’s the thing. Unfortunately, you have a reputation among legal professionals, so I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find someone willing to work for you, but Alice is a nice woman, and she’s eager to learn, so I’m sure she’s trainable. It just might take a little while.”

His stare pins me in place, a muscle jumping at his temple.

Only seconds later, a high-pitched voice sounds behind me, the deep Southern accent of Ta

“Well, good morning, Mr. Caine. I’m happy to see you finally arrived at work. I mean, you are a little late, but I can forgive you for it.”

Ta

“I’m a fucking partner. I own this place, in case you happened to miss my name on the fucking door when you walked in this morning. I show up when I want.”

“Language,” she admonishes with a singsong voice. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing when his brows crash together.

“My mother would have washed my mouth out with soap for saying that, and maybe I should bring some into the office to teach you the same lesson.”

“The fuck?” Ta

I cover my mouth with a fist, my eyes closing and opening again as I sit as still as possible.

Alice doesn’t react to the outburst, she merely walks deeper into the office, a plate in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

“One of the other girls told me that you prefer coffee alone for breakfast, but where I’m from, that’s a guarantee of having an empty belly and a foul attitude. I plan to fix that, so I brought you some poached eggs to get the brain working. I hope you like them.”

Ta

“But don’t you worry,” she says, unconcerned with the murderous look she’s getting, “I promised everybody in the office that I would fix you up within a few weeks. Teach you a lesson about why not to be such a grumpy jerk.”

I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but his eyes widen more, his brows shooting so high they’re disappearing beneath his hairline.

Oh, my God. Hiring this woman is the best decision I’ve ever made...

Approaching Ta

“What the fuck?” He barks, his eyes shooting down to his shirt, his mouth twisting in anger.

“Language, Mr. Caine. And I am so sorry. I’ll run and get some paper towels to clean that up.”

“Fuck that. You’re fired! Pack your shit, and get the hell out of my office.”

She cocks a hip and plants a hand on it.

“You can’t fire me. Mr. Dane signed a contract guaranteeing me a full year of employment. Apparently, you have a quick temper and make rash decisions. As I can see now. I’ll go get those napkins.”

His stare locks to mine as Alice leaves the room. “Why the hell would you do something so stupid?”

I shrug, my face a mask of calm. “It’s like I said earlier, I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel. The only way she would agree to take the job is if I guaranteed it.”

“Fuck,” he hisses, his hands moving to brush the eggs away before he rethinks it and keeps from smearing the mess.

“I don’t have another shirt, and we have the Goldman meeting in a half hour. I can’t go in looking like this.”

My lips quirk. “Goldman’s a good guy. He’ll understand that accidents happen.”

“I’m back with the napkins,” Alice a

Eyes shooting up, Ta

“Absolutely not! You do not bring people into my office without asking permission first.” His eyes snap to the man beside her. “Who the fuck are you?”

I twist in my seat to see an older man with balding hair and an ill-fitting jacket step into the room, a stack of papers held in his hand.

“You’re Ta

“Of course I’m Ta

“Language,” Alice reminds him.

I fight to keep from laughing, my jaw tight at the red staining Ta

“Good to know,” the man says. “I’m Maxwell Smart with Casper Investigations.”

“Why the fuck should I care?”

“Language.”

The muscle beside Ta

I can’t take it. I’m about the piss myself.

“You should care because I’m serving you with this summons and complaint for paternity.”