Page 61 of The Lawyer
“What?”
“Move forward from this spot. Perhaps we could stay here, and you could keep reminding me of my twelve-year-old self.”
“Slightly creepy. And a little perverted, to be perfectly honest. If this has been your twelve-year-old self, he was a dirty little bastard. Although, quite fun.”
I chuckle and start walking, my fingers grabbing for hers to tow her with me. “Alright. First things first then. Jackson. Whilst I might not have been in the mood to discuss it yesterday, I heard enough when you started to explain.” We arrive at the grand hall, and I take a last glance back at the old place before leading us out into the daylight. “I'm assuming he won't be interested in you abandoning your dancing.”
“Not a chance. And not only that, he seems to think I'm available for him. Alone, if you know what I mean.”
My brow arches. “How would you like to proceed with that?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve already discussed that dancing for anyone else but me is unacceptable, but if I show my hand to Jackson, he’ll know why I’m interjecting. If he doesn’t already. He's anything but stupid.”
I open the car door for her and watch as she slides in.
“What do you mean, if he doesn’t already?”
“I warned him off Ash.”
“Ash? What’s Ash got to do with anything?”
Closing her door for her, I round the car and get in. “Ash was, in a roundabout way, working for Jackson. Which is why he was arrested.”
“He what?” Her voice reaches operatic levels in pitch.
The engine starts and I pull away, sliding my sunglasses on to counter the glare filtering down from the already hot sun. “I’m not saying anything other than that. As I’ve said before, client confidentiality is a thing, but Jackson and I go back quite a ways. I might be able to manage your way out of this if you want me to, or you can go in and shout your own odds and see where that gets you.”
“You’re not just going to go in and demand like you normally would?”
“Demand what? That he leaves one of his dancers alone? What business is that of mine? Jackson’s business is not my own. I can’t demand or order a damn thing. This all depends on how comfortable both you and I are with the likes of Jackson Reed knowing you mean something to me. Whether you know it or not, you have been in the employment of a miscreant. He is not a pleasant man, Willow.”
“And how will him knowing I mean something to you affect you?”
“It will mean the leverage I have on him will be diminished.”
“Leverage?”
“I’ve defended Jackson twice. Both times he deserved a prison sentence. Both times he walked free. I still have all the capability to put him where he belongs, which is why he is amenable to most things I request. However, if I use such a request, I will lessen my own ammunition because you will become a direct threat that he can use against me if he chooses to.”
“Oh.”
“Quite. How would you like to proceed?”
“I don’t think it’s howI’dlike to proceed. I think the ball’s firmly in your court with this one.”
“Hmm.”
We carry on driving in relative silence after that, most of which involves me considering all viable options. There weren’t many last night when I was trying not to consider them, and there still aren’t many now that I’m devoting my time to contemplating it. One thing I do know, without any hesitation, is that I want to go in there and rip Jackson’s head off for the position he’s putting Willow in. Still, he’s been a strange ally in this world I reside in. Loyal in some ways.
And having a miscreant in my grasp is always useful.
The eventual sight of London’s skyline looming makes me glance at Willow’s clothes. She shouldn’t be dressed like this for any meeting with Jackson. Him knowing I’m interested in her is one thing. Him knowing she works for me is quite another.
I change lanes at the thought and head towards her house, part proposing the idea that I can lie my way through this if she’s in something more casual, and then some indignant side of me refuses the very notion. That thought makes me change lanes again and keep going to my original destination.
“Is Ash going to be okay?” she asks quietly.
