Page 23 of The Rules Of Attraction
I sat up straighter and pulled in a breath.
“Dad, I don’t know what the problem is, we won the case.”
The damn Cartwright bankruptcy case took up nearly ten months of my life. It was the longest case I’d ever worked on because it was so complex with its cross border components. My team and I did a fucking great job on the case, and actually made sure all sides got a fair outcome.
We were the complete opposites to that asshole Quin Bailey, the prosecuting attorney, who was going in to clean Cartwright out. Their way would have caused all manner of unwanted loss.
“Judge Pederson, Alex. Don’t act like what you did is something to be excused.” Dad yelled.
I shook my head at him. “You don’t know what happened or even care about that man’s unsavory habits.”
Judge Pederson, asshole number two, would have sided with Bailey if I hadn’t put him in his place and show him that I knew all about his dirty little secrets.
“You’re right. I don’t care. What I care about is that you chose to bring it up in court. It wasn’t the place Alex, he almost held you in contempt.”
“And why didn’t he?” I raised my brows questioningly. “Oh could it be because I’m right. And guess what? Had I not pointed out knowledge of what he gets up to in his spare time months of work could have gone down the drain.”
I’d had months of the idiot trying to undermine my intelligence and I just lost my patience.
Bailey tried to intimidate one of the accountants who was there to give her testimony. He outrightly accused the woman of stealing and fiddling the records so she could pay for her cancer treatment. His behavior embarrassed me as an attorney, and his lack of compassion disgusted me to no end.
It was evil. Low and below the belt.
What happened to the Cartwrights was one of those terrible occurrences where their stationary chain simply just ran out of business. It was literally a case of inexperienced management and unfortunate circumstances that happened over time. Probably with the rise of all these online companies who could offer everyone a better deal.
We’d all seen it happen over the last few years with the recession. Their biggest problem was they were already in debt so there were a number of parties involved.
Baily tried to turn it into something more sinister by implying some type of embezzlement had occurred. That was why the case had dragged on for so long because I had to prove that nothing like that had happened.
As he badgered the accountant, Judge Pederson did nothing. When I objected he overruled me four times and insisted that the questions were irrelevant.
They weren’t because we were at the end of the case,we, Sullivan’s, had it in the bag and they were just tying up loose ends because that accountant hadn’t been able to make it to court before due to being bedridden from her illness and treatment.
I hated injustice, and hated watching others take advantage of vulnerable people so I had to do something to stop it.
Judge Pederson only changed his tune when I asked if he would allow Bailey to take out his whip and flog the woman in public. It was the way I said it that got his attention. I made sure I said it like I was implying I knew something. Then when I asked if he’d prefer Bailey go to a private dungeon and wear a leather suit and mask the man knew a hundred percent what I was trying to say, and that I knew the idiot spent his Friday evenings at a sex club. A full on machoism sex club known to cater for every fetish under the sun. The place where he was known as Master D.
It was one of my private investigator sources who found that out.
Dear old Judge Pederson kept that part of his life private, what with his wife and two teenage daughters.
He must have shit himself when he realized Iknewwhat he got up to.
“Alex, there’s a time and place for everything. What you did was unprofessional.”
“Dad, for what I said anyone could have taken it to mean anything. He knew I knew what I know, and got pissed about it.”
“It doesn’t change things.”
Of course he would never take my side. “Okay… fine. Whatever.”
“I’m not finished with you. Next topic , the college girls.”
Oh Jesus. I’d already listened to this on the phone last night, and this morning. Except he’d screamed more last night. That was what sent me to the club because I know he’d use it as an excuse to not consider me for the partnership.
“What about college girls?” I feigned innocence.
“No more of this shit behavior, Alex. You’re a grown man you can’t be running around town with college girls embarrassing the family name.”
