Page 33 of Burned
A smile appeared on his face and I knew it wasn’t a sore subject. Making a right turn on Jackson Street, he replied, “I don’t know. I guess she never became the topic of conversation. What would you like to know about her?”
“Where is she? Is she still alive?” I questioned.
“She is very much alive. After my father's death, she moved back to Italy. It was where she was born and most of her family still lived. She wanted me to go with her, but my work was here.”
“Can I meet her? I don’t mean right away, but maybe someday.”
“I would love for you to meet my mom. I think she would love you.”
We arrived at the law building and before I could exit the car, River was out of his seat assisting me. This was something I could really get used to. Axe never did this for me.Why do I keep thinking about him?
Just like that, the thought was gone when River placed his lips over mine. It didn’t matter that we were standing on the sidewalk with people passing by. The way his lips felt pressed to mine, I wanted the kiss to last a little longer. Every woman that stared at us as they walked by made my heart jump with joy, knowing that he was mine.
The connection broke with us telling each other goodbye and expressing our love. Before I headed inside the building, I watched River pull away and waited until he was no longer in view. With my leather briefcase in hand, I headed into the building. The marble floor echoed with heels and leather loafers clacking against the stone. Everyone seemed to have a place to be. It was nice to be a part of that crowd as I too had a place to be.
When I go to my office, I was greeted with a stack of new files sitting on my desk. On top of the stack was a sticky note that read,‘Come to my office when you get in,’and signed with Mr. Marsh’s initials.
I pulled the sticky note from the top file and wondered what could be so important about these files. Curious, I flipped open the top file and quickly thumbed through it. I sucked in a deep breath when I saw the name on the file.How could the firm I worked for represent the man who basically ruined my life?I grabbed the files from my desk, angered, and headed to Mr. Marsh’s office. I had to let him know I couldn’t be a part of this representation. There was a definite conflict of interest, especially with a man I once loved but could no longer trust.
Mr. Marsh was on the phone when he invited me into his office. I took a seat on the chair in front of his desk and placed the stack of files on my lap. What I really wanted to do was slam them on his desk and tell him where he could put these files, but that would have been highly unprofessional and could have cost my job. So, instead, I waited for him to finish his call.
The longer he remained on the phone, the more annoyed I became. The call he was on wasn’t a business call, that I could tell. I could also tell that he was talking with a woman. His comments were very suggestive.Who was the one being unprofessional?If the call went on any longer, I had the notion of leaving the files on his desk and walking out. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go there since he ended the call.
Before he could tell me about the files on my lap, I opened my mouth and voiced my concerns. “Mr. Marsh, as much as I would like to help you with these files, I can’t. The man you want to represent is my ex, and it would be a conflict of interest. The bookstore he is accused of blowing up is my mom’s.”
“I’m well aware of your relationship with Axe Riley. We aren’t representing him. We are representing the company who owned your mom’s bookstore and the adjoining buildings. They are suing Mr. Riley for damages in the amount of $1.5 billion.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. What he just said wasn’t possible. My mom paid cash for the bookstore and owned the property free and clear. “There has to be a mistake.Books-n-Thingsis owned by my mom. There is no debt against it and only she is on the deed.”
“If you would have gone through the files more thoroughly, you would have read the recent business loan Margot Horton took out against the property. CMW Holding carries the lien on the property and technically owns it.”
I hadn’t looked through all the files before heading to his office. I was so angry when I saw Axe’s name that I neglected to look. There still had to be some sort of mistake. My mom wouldn’t have taken out a business loan. Even if she did, it couldn’t amount to $1.5 billion. “If what you say is true, how much is the lien?” If my mom has a lien on the property, I could help her pay it off. “I can pay it off and CMW wouldn’t have a claim against the bookstore.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible, unless you have $500,000 at your disposal.”
My heart fell to my stomach because $500,000 was an impossible amount for me to come up with. At the very most, I could come up with a fifth of that. The only person who would have that kind of money was River. The problem was, he had no desire to help Axe. As much anger as I had toward Axe, he didn’t deserve this. If he was telling me the truth about not being involved in the explosion, the only way to get him out of this mess was to prove it was Van Wilkerson, Niles Harris, and Levi.
Without further argument, I stood from my chair and held the files to my chest. Looking Mr. Marsh in the eyes, I said, “I guess I’m going to have to prove Axe Riley had nothing to do with the explosion. CMW Holding will have no other option but to drop the lawsuit.”
“This is your case, Kenzi. I hope you will be ready when the case comes in front of the judge,” Mr. Marsh stated harshly.
“When is the hearing scheduled?”
“In 30 days.”
“I’ll be ready,” I said confidently, knowing full well I was screwed. There was no way 30 days was enough time to find the evidence I needed to clear Axe.
When I returned to my office, my first call was to my mom. I had no idea she had taken out a loan against the bookstore. I place the files on my desk and reached for my briefcase. With my cell in hand, I made the call.
“Kenzi, this is a lovely surprise.” I could hear the excitement in her voice, which I knew would soon be replaced with regret.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the loan on the bookstore?” I asked sympathetically.
“I didn’t want you to worry,” she began. “The bookstore hasn’t been doing well for the past two years. The bills were piling up, and I had to do something different to get it noticed. I took out the loan to make some upgrades and to add the reading room.”
“Tell me, Mom. How bad is it? Five hundred thousand is a lot of money.”
“The money I took out is almost gone. But don’t worry. With the money I got from the insurance company, I can purchase a new building for a new bookstore.”
