Page 26 of Rio (Knight Empire #3)

RAQUEL

I need to shower and cool down but I need to prepare the brief. Alma wants to file tomorrow and I have a lot of work to do tonight even though I’ve been working flat out.

I quickly change out of my work clothes and slip on a tank top and shorts. Then I put my hair up into a bun, but I feel sticky and sweaty all over. Sweat clings to the back of my neck, my temples, and runs down my cleavage. But I sit myself down and get into work mode.

Only, there’s an important phone call I need to make. One I should have made a few days ago, but I’ve been avoiding it. Avoiding him . Maybe because I’ve left it until the very last moment. Maybe because part of me doesn’t want to deal with the fallout.

It’s not professional. It’s borderline insubordination. Pierce will rip me to shreds, no matter how solid the case is.

He picks up on the second ring. “Raquel. I thought you’d gotten lost in the jungle.”

I release a shaky breath. “I’ve been busy. Pierce, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“You’re having too much fun and you don’t want to come back,” he replies, joking.

“Everything’s changed. EcoGuardians want to file an injunction.”

“What? When?” His tone is low and he’s pissed at me already.

“Alma told me as soon as I got here.”

“Who?”

“Alma Flores, the woman heading up EcoGuardians. She said this wasn’t just a fact-finding mission anymore. They wanted me to file.”

“You’re not there to file, and why the fuck am I hearing about it only now? ”

“I’ve been busy. They don’t want to waste time. They want it done fast.” I try to keep my voice level. “There’s serious immediate damage being caused here. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

“No. NO . That’s not why we sent you.” His voice sharpens. “You were meant to smile, gather info, look serious and come back with a folder we could shred.”

“I can’t ignore this. If you saw the damage—”

“I need you back by the weekend,” he growls.

I refuse to be bullied. “If you saw the damage, you would realize we can’t walk away from this. It would reflect badly on us.”

“You can ignore it, Raquel. You will ignore it. You’re on my payroll and, last I checked, we bill clients, not tree frogs.”

He doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation. “But—”

He cuts me off. “This little eco-crusade was never supposed to be take up much of your time. It was more a PR gamble for us. I let you go because someone recommended you, and because you’re into all this environmental, activist crap.”

“It’s not crap. It’s important .”

I hear his outbreath and imagine his face turning red with fury. I’m so glad I’m not in the Miami office right now.

“You’re smart and talented, and I have invested too much time in you to have you throw it away on mudslides and mangroves.”

“I took an oath. If I see something wrong, I act. I’d have to be blind not to see the damage. “

“Be blind. Think of your future. Someone like you: beautiful, smart, clever. We need you here. I need you here. If you play your cards right, you could be a partner here, someday, not a whistleblower.”

I recoil at his words. The shift in his tone, that subtle innuendo, the polished charm slapped over something that grimy, makes me uncomfortable and I’m reminded of why I want to leave.

“Then maybe I don’t belong here.”

“Don’t you dare make this personal.” His tone cuts like a blade. “This is business. You’re needed on the Santos case—”

“I thought you had Mila working on that?”

“She doesn’t have your expertise. You wrap this up and get back to Miami. Now. You’re not being fired, yet , and it’s in your interest to wise up.”

Was that a subtle threat? He could fire or demote me.

I could be blacklisted in certain corporate legal circles.

I risk facing accusations of acting outside my brief.

Pierce could make sure I never make partner.

Going against him, and against the firm will make my life difficult, but only until I find another job.

I’m going to file, anyway, because it’s the right thing to do.

I didn’t become a lawyer to bill hours for people like Pierce while the world burns down.

“Legally, I’m bound to follow my client’s instructions.”

He says nothing, because it’s the truth but I can feel his fury over the airwaves. I take my chance.

“Listen to me, Pierce ...” There’s a wobble” in my voice.

“Just listen. We held a community meeting earlier, and they’re desperate.

There’s real damage here and this could be a strong case.

I’ve seen the coastline myself. The reef’s already showing signs of destruction.

” I pause, then go for it. “Did you know Knight Enterprises is behind this? They’re hiding—”

“Knight Enterprises?”

“Yes. They’re hiding behind a subsidiary. Delport Realty is a front used to distance Knight Enterprises from direct liability.”

“Jesus. Fucking. Hell, Raquel. Do you have any idea who you’re going up against?”

“I’m aware.”

“This firm is not going to war with the Knights over some sea turtles and reef damage.”

“It’s much more than that. Also, why not?”

“Because we don’t pick fights we can’t win. The Knights are dangerous . You don’t just serve them papers and expect it to end happily ever after.”

“This isn’t optional, Pierce. I’m here now—”

“I told you to just do a fucking legal review,” he hisses.

“And that’s what I thought but EcoGuardians changed their mind and now they want to file. I have no choice but to act. I’m serving the injunction tomorrow.”

“You will do no such thing. You’ll come back. Now .”

“But—”

“Do you hear me?”

I stare at the phone, heart pounding. “How can I walk away now?”

“I’ll send one of the juniors. You’ve done enough.”

“They’ll be eaten alive out here,” I snap. “EcoGuardians will lose the injunction.”

A few seconds pass in silence. Finally, “I don’t like this,” he hisses. “I don’t like this one fucking bit.”

“But you sent me here.”

“It wasn’t supposed to take this long.”

A labored sigh falls from his lips. He’s struggling with something. I don’t know what’s happened to him. Work pressure? Maybe the Santos case is veering off course.

“I should never have …” He stops.

“Never have what?”

He doesn’t answer, and I can sense him battling to make a decision. “Must you file tomorrow?”

“Time is critical. Alma insists. She was worried they might try to clean up their mess before inspection and we all saw how smooth Rio Knight was at the community meeting. We don’t want to lose the window.”

“Wait. Stand by. I need to check something.”

I’m puzzled. This has never happened before. What is Pierce doing? Who is he consulting? My thoughts are interrupted when he calls be back a few minutes later.

“You’d better make sure you have an airtight case. If the opposing lawyers get whiff of sloppiness, they’ll gut this injunction in five minutes.”

He changed his tune pretty fast. I wonder who he called. “You’re happy for me to file?”

“Happy isn’t the word I would use.”

“I’ve been working flat out. I didn’t have much time to get everything together, but I’m almost done.”

“Don’t fuck this up and make it any worse than it is,” he snarls.

“I won’t.” I hang up and glance at the file Rio gave me and consider that I might need to look through it. Pierce seemed shaken and I need to ensure I have a watertight case. Seeing what evidence the other side has might give me an insight into their case.

I get to work immediately, pulling my hair up into a sticky bun again.

I’m sweating as I type. My fingers move across the keys, but everything slows me down.

The soft whine of the air conditioner sputters, then dies mid-sentence.

I get up and press the button but it doesn’t come on.

Annoyed, knowing I have to soldier on, I return to my desk, but a few seconds later, the Wi-Fi signal disappears from my screen.

“No, no, no, no, no!” I peer at my screen, as if I have some magical power to turn it back on.

I’ve saved a copy, but I still need Internet access because I’m pulling documents from online sources.

I have enough for now, and hopefully the generator will kick in again soon.

I begin to type again as more sweat trickles down the back of my neck, the sides of my face, and down my cleavage.

Its starting to feel like a sauna. I persist, working on.

It feels like I’ve been at it for a while, but to my dismay, when I glance at the clock, it’s barely been ten minutes.

I can’t work like this. Not in this heat.

Not without a fan. Without AC. Without a connection.

I pick up my phone to call the small reception desk—just as someone knocks at the door. I open it to find the same young man who manned the desk when I checked in. He’s smiling way too brightly for my liking.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Monteiro. We’re experiencing a temporary generator overload. The power should be back soon.”

“Soon?”

“An hour, maybe.”

“An hour?”

“Maybe more.”

“More?” My body slumps with disappointment.

He gives me an apologetic smile. “It could be less than that ... but ...” He’s trying to be optimistic and failing.

I think we’re talking hours, realistically. Maybe all night. That won’t do. That can’t happen. I wonder if Rio orchestrated this. Then I wonder if the heat is making me paranoid.

“I’m sorry.” The young man smiles nervously. Clearly, relaying this news hasn’t been easy on him and my amateur theatrics are only making him feel more guilty. It’s not his fault, and I shouldn’t be venting my frustration on him. “It’s not your fault.”

“There is a storm coming. It happens sometimes. I’m sorry. If you need anything, we’ll try to assist. But the backup generators have also failed. Just a few hours, ma’am. We’re trying to get it together.”

“I’ll be fine,” I say, with a determination I don’t feel. Meu Deus. This poor boy must think I’m a monster. I close the door and walk back to my desk, deciding that I will work through this no matter what. There’s another knock at the door.