Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“Feel free to have whoever is handling the case reach out to me,” I replied, trying to remain calm. “How are things proceeding with the Hernandez trust? Jay said—”
“Fine, fine. It’s all in hand. But I need you to talk to me about the Scott case. Did you make contact with Mr. McKay?”
“Yes. I arrived yesterday.”
“And? Has he agreed to release custody of the child to the Scotts?”
“Definitely not.” I stretched my neck from side to side. “He does not want them having custody of Lellie.”
He made a discontented noise. “So he plans on keeping her.”
Not exactly.
Thankfully, Orris continued without waiting for my confirmation. “Good thing they proceeded with the lawsuit, then. Brock Lois is handling the case. He’s the best. I’m sure he’s already working on getting as much dirt on the man as possible, but I don’t have to tell you that anything you can offer him in support of the Scotts’ suit would be greatly appreciated.”
I clenched my back teeth. “Sir, respectfully, I’m not going to do that. My client was very firm in her decision against leaving custody of Lellie to her parents, so I will not assist a suit to go against her wishes.”
“Tully, I understand your conflicting emotions here, but there are things you don’t understand—can’t understand. Sometimes there are misunderstandings between an adult child and her parents that become meaningless when something as terrible as the child’s death occurs. You wouldn’t understand that, since you’re not a parent yourself. What’s clear is that the Scotts love their granddaughter very much and would make a stable and loving home for her. Any judge in town will side with Pastor Scott, whose church is a fixture in the community and who’s been in a forty-year committed marriage, over a single father who’s never even met the child. The Scotts are going to win their suit, and if an associate of Dunlevy, Pace, and Trumble hinders their efforts to gain custody of their granddaughter, we stand to lose millions of dollars of their legal business from our books. I won’t stand for that.”
“I am not suggesting we hinder them, Orris,” I said. “I’m only stating that I will not aid them by betraying my own client. I have an ethical obligation to represent the interests of my client and her child—”
“Surely you believe the interests of the child lie with the Scotts.” Orris’s tone conveyed that this was not a question but a clear statement of what I was expected to believe, whether I actually believed it or not. If I disagreed with it outwardly, I would receive a harsh and immediate black mark on my record as a potential partner at the firm.
“My opinion is irrelevant, sir,” I hedged. “It’s not my place to have an opinion here. It’s my job to represent my client.”
I felt a trickle of sweat slide down my lower back.
“As it’s my job to represent mine,” Orris said firmly. “Franklin Scott is my client. The Scotts’ business is worth way more to this firm than Kathryn’s ever was, make no mistake. If it comes down to having to choose sides here, Tully, I expect you to choose the right one. Do I make myself clear?”
My jaw began to ache. There was no point in accusing him of pressuring me into unethical and unprofessional behavior unless I was ready to get fired. And I definitely was not. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. I’ll have Brock’s people get in touch with you to get these papers served. Meanwhile, I need you to stay there and keep an eye on McKay in case he gets the idea in his head to take the girl and run.”
I thought about the work I was already missing. “Stay here for how long, exactly?”
“As long as it takes, Tully.”
After ending the call, my hands and jaw ached from clenching them so hard.
How the fuck am I supposed to handle this?
I knew what I owed Katie, and I felt that responsibility keenly. But Katie knew my career was my life—the dream I’d worked toward since I’d been a poor-as-fuck kid in Texas squirreling away every penny I’d earned as a ranch hand to put toward my tuition as a down payment on a better, more stable future. Being a partner-track attorney at a firm like Dunlevy, Pace, and Trumble wasn’t the sort of job where you could easily transfer your acquired skills and contacts to a new firm, either. If I had to find a new position, it would mean starting over from scratch, with a massive loss of money, seniority, and career security.
I didn’t even want to contemplate it. Hard fucking no.
Which meant I had to make sure it didn’t come to that… somehow.
I paused in the bedroom doorway to check on Lellie. She was still sleeping peacefully in the travel crib with her little arms flung out beside her head and her rounded cheeks pink from heat. I moved close and pulled the cotton blanket down until it was only covering her lower legs and feet.