Lindsey turned as Greg was almost upon them. Dark hair, blue eyes, with a tall, athletic build, most found him attractive. She’d seen the man beneath the outer shell. He was far more beast than beauty. “Hi, Greg,” she said, before he could speak, eager to take control of the conversation. She knew Greg. He was big on commanding the room. She indicated Mark with her hand, pushing her chair back so they could see each other. “Do you two know each other?”
“We know each other,” Mark said with cool politeness.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were back in town?” Greg said, focused on Lindsey, ignoring Mark.
She didn’t even try to smile. It would have taken to much effort. “Now you know.”
“All rise for the Honorable Nelson Dearman.”
Lindsey turned towards the judge, dismissing Greg with her action. “Catch you after court,” he whispered, leaning down far too close to her ear. And then he was gone.
Lindsey felt Mark rise next to her. It was strange letting him take control. She was used to controlling the courtroom, not watching another take charge. Forcing herself to ease back into her chair, she watched Mark in action. He presented well, compelling but not overbearing. It wasn’t long before a thirty-day continuance was in the pocket, and they exited the courtroom.
Her name rang out through the hallway, but Lindsey didn’t turn; she already knew it was Greg. She tried to ignore him, but he was persistent, simply increasing his volume. Just before she hit the elevator button, she exchanged a glance with Mark. His expression held both irritation and a demand: Shut the man up.
She turned, teeth clenched, as she willed herself to stay cool. “Lindsey?” Greg said, a bit out of breath as he stopped beside her. As if he had been half-running. “I thought we were going to talk after court?”
The elevator door opened. “When did we say that?”
He ignored her question. “Are you here to stay?”
“No,” she stated, her tone flat.
“How long?” he asked.
The elevator doors closed. “Too long.”
He stared at her. “Lindsey, please ease up.”
He glanced at Mark as if he was trying to decide what he should say in front of him. Then he took a step closer and leaned his head closer to Lindsey. “Have dinner with me.”
Even in a low tone, Greg came off demanding. Lindsey bit back her words, wanting to tell him what he could do with his dinner. “Not going to happen,” she said, stepping backwards so close to Mark she was almost touching him.
His eyes flashed with irritation. Maybe even a hint of anger. “I’ll call you,” he stated.
“I would rather you not.” Lindsey glanced up at Mark and then back to Greg. “We’re in a rush.” She punched the elevator button a little too hard, as if it would open the doors faster. Luck was on her side because it worked. The doors opened. “Goodbye, Greg,” she said, and gave him her back as she stepped into her escape car.
As she turned to face forward, Mark by her side, Greg’s eyes locked with hers. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
And then the doors slid shut.
Mark stared straight ahead. “This is going well.”
Lindsey shot him a glowering look. She was up to her chin with men for the day. Silence filled the elevator except for the ding at the floors, then, “I can’t see you with him.”
She laughed. Bitter. “That makes two of us.”
He didn’t ask anything more and she didn’t offer. By the time they were in the back of a cab, Lindsey was about to scream for the strain of their silence. She turned to him. “Yell at me or something. This tension is driving me nuts.”
Mark was leaning against the seat, his body relaxed. “It’s done.” As if that was it.
“Okay,” she said, turning away from him. “If that’s how you want it, so be it.”
She felt his eyes shift to her, but she didn’t look at him. “I don’t like these little games you’re playing.”
Her head turned. “Games?” she demanded. “What games?”
“That stunt this morning.”
“You can’t just demand to go with me, and expect me to do your bidding.”
“When it comes to Paxton or this case, I damn sure can.” His lips thinned, eyes narrowing. “Tell me I’m wrong, Lindsey.” A dare laced his words.
She turned away, staring out the window, fighting the roll of anger burning inside. Oh, how she wanted to tell him to go to hell. “You are so like them.”
“Like who?”
Damn. Had she said that out loud? Her arms crossed in front of her body. “No one.” She refused to look at him.
His hand went to her arm. “Who?”
“My father,” she said, her tempter getting the best of her. “Greg.” There, it was said. Her voice was lower now, but no less intense, her eyes hard as they met his. “Men who have to be all and control all.”
Surprised registered in his face. “What does Greg have to do with this?”
“He and my father had it all planned out.” Her voice held bitterness. “Greg was just the kind of man my father wanted attached to me and Paxton.”
“But you didn’t see it that way?” he asked, speculation in his tone.
She felt the regret of her past mistakes. “I got smart. When Greg proposed, I declined.”
He raised a brow in question. “Just like that?”
“You make it sound simple. It wasn’t. It took a dead girl for me to see the light. Until then, I would have done anything to please my father.”
“Including marrying Greg?”
She looked away, unable to face the truth, let alone admit it out loud. “I didn’t. That’s what counts.”
He was silent for so long it was hard not to turn and look at him. Finally, he said, “I’m not like them.”
She wanted to believe that, but today he had tried to keep her under thumb. She didn’t respond. What good would it do?
Mark didn’t accept her silence. “Can you say something, Lindsey?”
She turned to him. “What am I supposed to say?”
His eyes flared. “Why is it wrong for me to worry about you when some crazy person has been killing women who look just like you?” His face hardened. “Does that make me controlling? Does that make me a jerk? If it does, I’ll live with it rather than see something happen to you.”
Lindsey swallowed, almost choking on her own guilt. “Mark.” He didn’t look at her. She didn’t know what to say. Turning to the window, she tried to make sense of the roar of confusing messages running through her head.
She didn’t know what to do about Mark. Maybe he was just worried about her. But, then, maybe his concerned words were simply a manipulation tactic.
* * * * *
The minute they stepped into the lobby of the Paxton Group, Judy greeted them with messages in hand. “The phone is ringing off the hook,” she said, her voice frazzled as she stuck a pencil behind her ear. “Everyone has heard the two of you are back.” Her attention went to Lindsey. “Your father called, sounding rather grumpy.”
Lindsey made a face. “So, he sounded normal.”
She laughed. “A little more on edge than usual,” she said, and thumbed through several messages, and a memory flashed in her face. “Oh, yeah, some guy called several times. Said his name was Todd but wouldn’t give me a last name or leave a message.”
Mark and Lindsey looked at one another. “The boyfriend?” Lindsey frowned.
“Maybe,” Mark said. “We did leave him several messages.”
“Yeah, but why not leave his last name and a number? It’s strange.” She shrugged. “I’ll just try and call him again.”
He nodded. “I’m going to have Maggie order some food. Want something?”
“Yeah, sure. She’ll know what to get,” Lindsey said, her thoughts still lingering on the oddness of Todd’s call.
* * * * *
Entering her father’s office, Lindsey let her body hit the chair with a loud thud,
wishing it was her office, her space. Somehow it seemed as if that would be accepting a future at Paxton. Still, sitting in her father’s office was like being suffocated by his wishes.
The ones that included running her life.
But what was really upsetting her was fighting with Mark. Her teeth sunk into bottom lip. Her night with him had been amazing. For the first time in a long time—no, maybe ever—a man had made her feel feminine and special, but also, she grasped for the word . . . equal. Yes. She had felt as if what they had shared was just that. Shared. Give and take.
So what happened in the light of a new day?
Being honest with herself wasn’t always an easy task. No one wanted to face hard truths about their own choices and decisions. Or their fears. And Mark scared the hell out of her. He made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. Things she didn’t want to put names to. Fighting with him messed with her head far more than it should. Deep down, she knew, way too fast, she was developing feelings for Mark.
As if that wasn’t complicated enough, stepping back into the courtroom had been like a rush of memories. She’d expected as much. The big surprise was that they weren’t all bad. In fact, they were—for the most part, good. For the first time in years, she was questioning what she thought she knew. Being in the courtroom again had felt invigorating. A part of her had felt more alive than it had in years. And she had just been sitting behind a table: watching Mark, imagining her own performance.
The truth was, she had loved the challenge of each and every case. The high of winning had been exhilarating. Dropping her elbows to the desk, she buried her face in her hands. If only that woman hadn’t been killed. The hell of that murder had haunted her for years.
A stream of bright sunlight was suddenly at her window, as if a cloud had moved. Hot and heavy, it rested on her face, making her more uncomfortable than she already was. She pushed to her feet and moved to the window, pulling the cords to release the blinds, and turning the room into a darkened box. A perfect match for her mood.
She hadn’t called her father back, and she knew she knew she had to. Judging from the mood Judy had suggested he was in, he’d probably heard about Mark. The firm needed Mark, but her father wouldn’t see it that way. What would he do if she refused to run the firm? Squeezing her eyes shut, willing herself to pick up the phone. Her fingers dialed. She tried Todd again. No answer. She left another message. And that was the end of her excuses. She dialed her father.
The minute he heard her voice, he went on the attack. “Lindsey, what in the hell is going on over there?”
She went for a matter-of-fact voice. “We had a good day in court.”
He growled into the phone. “You know damn well what I mean. Why is Mark Reeves in my offices?”
This was going well. “Daddy, listen—”
“No, you listen,” he huffed. “I want him the hell out of there now!”
Twisting the phone cord around her hand, she forced out her response. “I can’t do that.”
There was a pregnant silence, and she knew he was stunned at her open disregard for his wishes. “You can, and you will.”
She was firm on the outside, but arguing with her father had always been difficult. “I can’t.”
“Don’t cross me, Lindsey,” he warned.
This time she crossed the invisible line never to be crossed. She put it on the line. “He stays or I go.”
Silence, thick like a heavy blanket, fell between them. “What?”
Her voice was low. “I can’t handle the Williams case without him.”
He didn’t care. “You can, and you will,” he said in a biting tone. “I’m warning you, Lindsey Paxton, get rid of him by tomorrow or I will. I don’t care if I have to have security carry him out.”
She clenched her teeth. “I won’t do it, Daddy. We’re a package deal. He stays or I go.”
“Get rid of him.” And the line went dead.
Her stomach twisted in a knot. Holding the receiver, a bit stunned by the outcome, she couldn’t seem to get herself to move. A knock on the door made her jump, and she dropped the phone. It crashed against the desk and hit the floor. “Come in,” she yelled, as she reached for it.
“Look, what I have for you!” Lindsey knew Judy’s voice without turning. She replaced the receiver and turned to find her rushing towards the desk with a vase of roses. “Someone sent you flowers.”
Setting them on the corner of the desk, Judy stepped back and surveyed the arrangement with approval. “They’re so pretty,” she beamed.
It didn’t take reading the card to tell Lindsey who sent them. They were Greg’s signature pink roses. She swallowed, trying to fight that old feeling of claustrophobia the combination of Greg and her father combined had always evoked.
Reality hit hard. The courtroom hadn’t driven her away. They had.
“Aren’t you going to look at the card?” Judy asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Lindsey’s lips thinned. “No,” she responded. “I know who they are from.”
Maggie walked in at that moment, Lindsey’s lunch in hand. She froze in the doorway. “Oh, dear,” she said and then began walking again. “Greg knows you’re back, I see.”
Lindsey grunted. “Yes,” she said in a strained tone. “Would you believe he’s prosecuting Williams?”
Maggie’s face filled with understanding as she sat the bag of food down on her desk. “Sorry, dear,” she said and patted Lindsey’s hand. “I know this is not easy for you.”
Lindsey gave her a look of appreciation.
Judy now stood with her hands on her hips. “Who’s Greg?”
Maggie shot her a reproachful look. “No one interesting.” Maggie directed a rare frown at her. “Whose covering the phone?”
Judy’s hands flew to her chest. “Oh goodness. The flowers distracted me, and I completely forgot the phones.” She turned to exit and peeked over her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she added and dashed away.
Maggie focused on Lindsey. “You okay?” Lindsey nodded. Maggie wasn’t satisfied. “You don’t look okay, you look pale.” Maggie indicated the food with a nod. “Perhaps eating will do you good.”
Lindsey eyed the bag. “I’m not very hungry. Why don’t you see if anyone else wants it? I’ll take the drink though.” She offered a weak smile.
“Are you sure?” Maggie asked, with concern falling over her features.
An unconvincing smile filled her face. “Yes, I’m sure.” A thought came to mind. If anyone knew what the past held . . . “Maggie, what happened between Daddy and Mark?”
“Well dear, I’m not completely sure. It comes down to one simple fact. No one crosses your father and gets away with it.”
Lindsey sighed. “Right. How did Mark’s leaving impact the firm?”
“I know our billing dropped more than fifty percent.” She hesitated and then said, “I heard them argue just before Mark walked out. Something about the wrong type of clientele and people who don’t pay their bills.”
It made sense. Mark hadn’t been the bad guy. He’d been trying to save the firm. “Is Mark in his office?”
Maggie nodded. “Yes, I just took him his food.”
“Okay, thanks Maggie.” She pushed to her feet. “I’m going to go see him.”
* * * * *
“Mark?”
Mark’s eyes lifted from the file in front of him. He’d know Lindsey’s voice anywhere. He’d been thinking about her. If thoughts could will someone to appear, his had willed her to his office.
“Do you have a minute?”
He could see the tension lines in her face. Leaning back in his chair, he waved her forward. “What’s wrong with you?”
“My father,” she stated.
That said it all. “He found out I’m back and wants me removed immediately.”
Lindsey’s eyed widened as she settled into the chair in front of his desk. “Yes, exactly. How did you know?”
“I expected as much.” Ed
ward, was, if nothing else, predictable.
“He threatened to have security escort you out.”
Mark pushed away from his desk and stood up. He walked around the desk and leaned on it, facing her. Close but not too close. Edward wasn’t his concern. “What do you want?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I want you to stay.”
“You’re sure?” he asked. Her accusation still ate at him. “You said I was just like him.”
She looked down. “I was upset.” Her eyes lifted again.
He needed to know where they stood. “That doesn’t tell me anything.”
“Mark, I . . .” Her words faltered.
His eyes probed her face. “What did you tell Edward?” Her answer would say a lot.
Her chin raised a notch higher as if she wanted him see the truth in her gaze. “I told him if you go, I go.”
He reached for her then, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet, and then into his arms. She came without hesitation, hand on his chest, looking up at him with those soft, too-green eyes. “And he said what in response?” Mark asked.
A wave of distress flashed across her face. Unaware of her action, her hands tightened on his shirt. “He hung up on me.”
Mark couldn’t help feeling a hint of amusement. He would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Lindsey had laid it on the line. But she was distressed, and he understood why. His hand ran down her back. “Everything will work out. I promise. Let me think things through, and we’ll talk before the meeting. Is that fair enough?”
“How can he expect me to do this alone?” she said, as if a wall had come down and she had decided to unload on him. “I’ve never even touched the books, and dealing with the partners is new to me. I can’t do this Williams case alone—”
Mark cut her off by kissing her, a soft, reassuring press of his lips to hers. When he lifted his head, he smiled at her. “It’ll work out, I promise.”
“Why does he hate you so much?”
Mark was silent. He hadn’t told Lindsey what had happened between him and Edward, and now didn’t seem like the time. “He and I simply don’t agree on business matters.”