Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
I nod, feeling excitement in my throat as I take it from him. “Of course. Do you need some help with it?”
“Well, I don’t know right now.” There’s something in his voice that causes my heart to sink. “Just take a look.”
My breath feels ragged as I flip it open, seeing the mugshot of a man I don’t recognize. Nick Clemons. I read the charges, seeing a plethora of them, including racketeering, extortion, and money laundering.
Jeez.
“White-collar criminal,” I comment before flipping the page, reading a large note written in a black sharpie.
Rumor is he works with the Rossi family.
My stomach lurches violently, and I fight the urge not to snap the file shut and throw it out the window. Taking a deep breath, I keep reading through the assumptions on the page, noting that nothing appears very concrete.
“It’s not a strong case,” Mr. Hudson remarks. “In fact, I don’t think the charges will stick at all. I’m not sure it will go anywhere. No one can put a finger on the new Rossi boss. He’s apparently under a different name.”
“I see,” I manage to choke out as I shut the folder. “You don’t think it’ll go to trial?”
He hesitates. “I’m not sure if it will or not.”
“Okay, would you like me to work on it for you?” I’m hoping like hell that he’ll say no, which is the opposite of everything I would’ve wanted two weeks ago.
“It depends, Miss Massino.” The way my last name comes out of his mouth terrifies me. “Would this be a conflict of interest for you?”
Oh my god. No!
“Um, I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
“Hmm,” he hums, holding out his hand.
I place the file in his palm, nausea washing over me. “I don’t know who he is.”
“But your father is Henry Massino, correct, Elizabeth?”
Now, I feel like I’m the one on the stand. “Um, yeah, he is.”
Mr. Hudson’s expression is stone cold. “Are you aware of his connections to the Rossi family?”
Well, now I am.
“Um, no?” I lie, trying to play it dumb. I know that if I’m connected to anything illegal, my career is over before it even has a chance to begin.
“Yeah, see, I have a problem with that,” Mr. Hudson sighs. “I know your father has some involvement with the mob. While I don’t get involved in such matters, and frankly, I have no problem representing such characters, I do have a problem with having a team that might reflect that I condone their behaviors.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to keep my wits about me as I brace for what I know is coming.
“The truth is, when I hired you, I thought there might be a connection between you and the infamous Henry Massino. He might be unknown to the general public, but he’s well-known in the underworld. However, your credentials were outstanding, and I took the chance of hiring you anyway. I haven’t given you any cases because I’ve been working to confirm that you are—or are not—connected to him. He’s made it very difficult to figure you out, Miss Massino.”
I let out a sigh, shaking my head. “I didn’t… I don’t…”
He holds up his hand. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what your relationship with him is like or if you even know about his line of work. However, I guess you do, based on the shade of white that your face turned when you saw that file.”
Just tell me, already.
“For that reason, I must let you go, Miss Massino. In the specific line of defense, we take on too many cases where it would be a conflict of interest for my firm, given that you are on the team.”
I blink back the tears forming in my eyes. “I understand your decision.”
“You don’t want to contest this?” He looks surprised.
In all honesty, I want to, but there’s nothing left to argue. I’d either have to lie and say that I have no idea or come clean, which could put me in an even worse predicament. So, I just shake my head.
Mr. Hudson frowns. “It really is a shame.”
“Yeah, I know,” I mutter, standing. “I’ll clean out my desk and get out of your hair.” I keep my tone unphased by the storm welling up in my chest. Being let go like this means my chances of being hired by another firm are slim. Explaining this to a potential employer and getting hired won’t be easy.
“I wish you the best,” Mr. Hudson calls after me as I slip out of his office door, batting away the tears rolling down my cheeks.
Thankfully, the office is mostly empty, with the other attorneys out trying cases. I head back to my desk, opening the drawers and pulling out anything I want to take home. There’s not much, and my eyes go in and out of focus as I stare at the meager pile.