Page 65 of A Legal Affair
“Leave it alone, Noah,” Kenneth was saying tersely.
“I think she has a right to know,” Noah growled.
Daniela crossed her arms and propped a shoulder against the doorjamb. “Whohas a right to knowwhat?” she calmly inquired.
Two pairs of dark eyes swung toward her. For a moment both men looked surprised to see her, and then Noah scowled and glanced away.
“Hey, sis,” Kenneth greeted her in a strained voice. “What brings you to these neck of the woods tonight? Don’t you have a lot of studying to do?”
Daniela pointedly ignored the diversionary tactic. “Am I interrupting something, fellas?” she asked, dividing a speculative look between them. “What were you arguing about?”
Noah remained silent, a muscle working at the edge of his jaw as he glared stonily at Kenneth.
“Noah and I were having a little disagreement about the best way to handle one of our clients,” Kenneth explained through clenched teeth. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Isn’t that right, Noah?”
Instead of answering, Noah shook his head in disgust and started for the door, muttering under his breath, “I’m outta here.”
“Noah, wait,” Daniela said, reaching out to detain him with a gentle hand on his arm. She lifted her gaze to search his strained features, wondering what had angered him so much. “What is it, Noah? You can tell me.”
“I already did,” Kenneth said irately from behind his desk. “It doesn’t concern you, El. Now let it go.”
Daniela looked sideways at Noah, and after another tense moment he inclined his head in the briefest of nods.
“It’s all right,” he said in a low voice, but Daniela wasn’t convinced. Worse still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he and Kenneth had been arguing about her, though she couldn’t begin to fathom what may have led to the volatile confrontation she’d interrupted.
Kenneth and Noah had long outgrown their rumbling days, when they hadn’t seen eye-to-eye on anything and had settled their disagreements by throwing punches. As they grew older and matured, they’d reached a peaceful accord in their relationship, a bond that was solidified when Noah decided to follow his big brother into law enforcement. Although they’d worked in different areas—areas that frequently clashed over bureaucratic matters—the Roarke brothers had remained fiercely loyal to each other, defying anyone who dared criticize the other. When Kenneth decided to leave the police department to start his own private detective agency, Noah’s loyalty to his brother had transcended his love of being a cop; within a few months he’d resigned from the force and partnered with Kenneth on the risky business venture.
Although the two men didn’t always agree on everything—after all, their personalities were as opposite as night and day—they rarely ever argued, resolving their differences by diplomatically agreeing to disagree.
Which was why the scene she’d witnessed tonight set off a warning alarm in her brain. But, fortunately for Kenneth—who seemed especially determined to keep her in the dark—Daniela had bigger fish to fry at the moment.
“Could you hang out for a minute?” she gently appealed to Noah, who still had one foot out the door. “I need to run a couple of things past you and Kenny.”
His expression softened, and this time it was he who ran a critical eye over her face. “Is everything okay?” he asked gruffly. Without waiting for an answer, he laid the back of his hand against her forehead. “Are you feeling all right?”
Daniela nodded, gesturing him into one of the chairs opposite the large mahogany desk. “I’m fine. I just need to call an impromptu staff meeting. Please, have a seat,” she half ordered Kenneth, who was watching her with mounting curiosity.
By the time she sat down next to Noah, she had both of her brothers’ undivided attention. She drew a deep breath, then blurted, “Caleb Thorne has offered me an opportunity to intern at his father’s law firm.”
Her announcement was met by stunned silence. The two men stared at her and then at each other before Kenneth broke into a wide, delighted grin.
“I’ll be damned,” he exclaimed, shooting his brother a triumphant look. “She works fast, doesn’t she?”
“Apparently so,” Noah murmured, quietly scrutinizing his sister’s face. Daniela knew he was wondering how she’d pulled off such a feat, and in such a short amount of time. She had no intention whatsoever of telling him.
“Congratulations, El,” Kenneth said, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands behind his head. He looked almost as pleased as he had the day the twins were born. At any moment, Daniela expected him to whip out a bottle of champagne and begin making toasts.
“It’s not a done deal yet,” she said wryly. “I still have to be interviewed. By Crandall Thorne himself, if you can believe it.”
“I can,” Kenneth said briskly. “I’ve heard that he’s involved in the hiring—and firing—of everyone who’s ever worked for him. He’s very protective of the firm, and he doesn’t trust many people.”
“Great,” muttered Daniela. “He’ll take one look at me and know I’m a fraud.”
“I don’t think so,” Kenneth said. “You’ve got Caleb fooled, and I’ve heardhe’seven less trusting than his father.”
Instead of reassuring her, this news only made Daniela feel worse about her treachery. Because Caleb trusted so few people, he probably had greater expectations of those he permitted into his inner sanctum. If he ever learned the truth about Daniela, he would be absolutely furious. Although she hadn’t witnessed the full magnitude of his temper, somehow she knew she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it.
“Don’t worry about the interview with Thorne,” Kenneth assured her. “Just be yourself, and you’ll have him eating out of the palm of your hand.”
