Page 54 of Heist

“I want to know why you’re interfering with a client I brought in. It’s not what we do around here.”

“It is if that client could cause damage to this firm’s reputation. Do you know who his father is? That’s not the kind of client we represent.”

Austin clenched her fists. “Patrick Sutton is nothing like his father and we’ve represented far worse clients.”

Chadwick raised an eyebrow. “How would you know if he’s like his father or not?”

Austin knew she was skating on thin ice. Given his reaction, her boss definitely could not know about her sexual relationship with Patrick. “I’ve told you, I’ve done work for his company before.”

“About that,” her boss said, crossing the room to his computer. “I did some digging and I don’t see any record of that. What’s his company?”

“Eastman Enterprises.”

“I thought that was David Eastman’s company. You did a good job bringing him on as a client.”

Austin nodded. “Patrick has been working there for several years and took over a year and a half ago.”

Thorley frowned as if he didn’t believe her which just pissed her off more.

“Fine, but I still want Mike and Jack helping you with this.”

“I have more experience than Mike, and Jack hasn’t tried a case in the last year.”

“I’m sorry, Austin, but you don’t understand the nuances of a high-profile case like this. You need the extra help.”

Austin clenched her fists. She wanted to punch him.

Thorley liked to pretend his firm was the only place she’d ever worked, but she also had five years as a prosecutor under her belt and had been with Thorley and associates for the past four. She knew what she was doing.

Jack came from a wealthy family and had barely been out of law school for three years. Mike failed the bar twice before he barely passed it and somehow, he was better suited as a partner at the firm than she was.

“I’m sitting first chair on this one. I brought him in. He’s my client and you’re not taking that from me.”

Thorley’s phone rang then, and Austin slipped out before he could say anything.

On the way back to her office, she sent Patrick a text.

Set up the fucking meeting

Her phone rang as she was stepping off the elevator. “Hello.”

“Is something wrong? I can only guess there is for you to be speaking to me that way.” Patrick’s commanding tone went straight to her clit and had her fighting a needy whimper.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just got out of a frustrating meeting with my boss and I was pissed.”

“Do I need to put my foot down about you being my attorney when I meet this Jack character?”

Austin sighed. “No. I’m a big girl. I can fight my own battles.”

“Hey, I’m not saying you can’t, but this is kind of my battle too, baby.”

“You’re right. I’ll leave it up to you then. If you haven’t punched him in the face by the end of the meeting, I’ll consider it a win.”

Patrick laughed. “That bad, huh?”

“Pretty much.”

“I still don’t understand why you continue working there.”

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