Page 43 of Silver Spoon Falls, Vol. I

TWENTY-EIGHT

AUTUMN

NOW

“We should hire a hitman, Andreas. Surely, you know one.”

My older brother arches a dark brow, looking at me across his ridiculously large desk. “What the fuck makes you think I know a hitman, Autumn?”

I shrug. “Seemed like a good bet.”

“Autumn.” He pinches the bridge of his nose, expelling a heavy breath. “You don’t need a hitman. You need a lawyer.”

“I know!” I cry, throwing my hands up in the air as I glare at my older brother.

“I can read, Andreas Romano.” Unfortunately for me.

The papers that say Jimmy Gatlin, jerk extraordinaire, is suing me for slander and defamation of character are pretty clear.

But a hitman sounds a lot more appealing than a lawyer right now since Jimmy has lost his mind.

Actually, I take that back. This is pretty much exactly what I expected from a worm like him.

Only, I expected it two months ago when the video of me calling him a short-dick child predator first hit the internet.

The whole world has been calling him Short Dick Man ever since, and he hates every minute of it.

I don't feel bad for him. Frankly, it’s about time the world knows who he really is. But the fact that he's suing me for millions is making me cranky. The last time I went to court, the judge sentenced me to jail for three days. It wasn’t fun for me.

Luckily, I lived in Los Angeles where the jails are notoriously overcrowded, so I only spent four hours in the slammer before they released me.

But it was the longest four hours of my life.

And my own father is the reason I was there in the first place.

I’d really like to not go back because of his creep of a former business partner.

I doubt Texas jail is any better than Los Angeles jail.

"He wants my inheritance." It's the only thing that makes any sense.

Eight years ago, when he sent me that disgusting picture, our father forced him out of the company and took everything from him.

Now that Andreas has convinced me to move back to Silver Spoon Falls and take a job at the family company for a year, Jimmy must think our father left part of the company to me.

As if the old man would ever leave a woman in charge of his precious baby, especially this woman. I'm the reason the EPA found out about the company's illegal dumping. He's the reason I have a criminal record. He wouldn't leave me the company if I were his only heir.

But he didn't leave me destitute, either. Like Andreas, I have millions in the bank. I've been donating money in our father's name to every environmental protection group he ever railed against. It's the least he owes them after all the years he spent making their lives miserable.

Andreas lowers his hand to stare at me. “I can call Jude."

“Your MC brother is not going to be my lawyer.” I scowl at my brother. Like him, his MC is full of ridiculously wealthy men. He says they're good guys, and I'm inclined to believe him. Andreas isn't like our father or the people he associated with. He's a genuinely good man.

But I've spent the last five years carving out a life for myself away from all of this. There were no rich men in suits telling me what to do or how to act or what to think. I was free . I'm not inclined to climb back into my perfect little cage now.

I want to hire my own lawyer, one who won’t talk over or around me or treat me like I’m supposed to be seen and not heard.

I had eighteen years of that before I left Silver Spoon Falls.

The only place it leads is to a loveless marriage and eventual death…

just like it did with my mom. That was my father’s grand plan for my life.

To end up just like her. I refuse to let it happen to me. I make my own choices.

I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul, I silently recite.

"It doesn't have to be Jude, Autumn. He has an entire staff of lawyers to choose from," Andreas says quietly. "Pick whichever one you prefer."

"Do I get to choose?" I ask, tilting my head to the side.

"Be my guest." He grins at me. "You'll be the one driving him up the fucking wall. You might as well get to choose your own victim."

I pick up a fancy pen from his desk and toss it at him.

"Jerk," I mutter. But my lips twitch with amusement.

God, I've missed Andreas. He’s always been the exact opposite of our father; warm where he was cold, loving where he was emotionless.

He was my hero when we were little. I always regretted not telling him what was happening with our father when he left for college.

I wish I had. Maybe then, things wouldn’t have gotten so messed up.

Maybe this town wouldn’t feel like a prison to me now. I don’t know. But I’ve missed him.

"Promise me one thing," he says, picking up the pen and dropping it in the cup with the rest of his fancy pens.

"What?"

His onyx eyes meet mine, hard and unyielding. "Make sure you pick someone who won't let that motherfucker win," he growls. "He isn't getting a goddamn thing from you."

"Deal." I smile at him, my first genuine smile since I was served.

Jude Despora’s office is fancy. Then again, so is the man. He has a killer fashion sense and gorgeous blue eyes that are far more soulful than I expected. I like him instantly.

“Autumn,” he says, inclining his head in a polite nod. “It’s good to see you again, sweetheart.”

I tilt my head, studying him. “We’ve met before?”

“Briefly.” He grimaces. “At your father’s funeral.”

“Oh.” My stomach flutters uncomfortably.

“Of course.” I give him a weak smile. “I’d forgotten.

” In truth, I’d blocked out the whole ordeal.

It’s hard to grieve a man you don’t know.

One who never really loved you. I was a pawn to him, someone for him to marry off to one of his rich friends to create an alliance. Nothing more.

That’s how my father saw most people. They were pawns for him to move around the board, pieces of a game for him to manipulate. How many people did he destroy? How many lives did he ruin? I think I’d rather stick my head in the sand like one of those birds instead of answering that question.

“Andreas says you need a lawyer,” Jude says. “Let’s move to the conference room and we’ll talk.”

I hesitate. “Um… please don’t take this the wrong way because I’m sure you’re a fantastic lawyer, but I’d really like to be able to choose my own lawyer.”

“Andreas mentioned that,” Jude says, his lips twitching. “I’ve got a few I’d like you to meet, but the choice is yours.”

I relax slightly, allowing him to lead me deeper into his posh office. The tile floors gleam beneath our feet. Jeez. This place is nice. “What kind of law do you guys do here?”

“Criminal law and civil litigation, mostly.”

“Where were you three years ago?” I mumble.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” I hesitate and then frown. “Actually, I asked where you were three years ago, which is the last time I went to jail.” I glance up at him. “I figure you should probably know I’ve been there, um, a few times now.”

“Unlawful assembly, failure to comply, disturbing the peace.” Jude’s lips twitch. “I believe you were even criminally trespassed from Romano Shipping’s property once, weren’t you?”

“Twice.” I shrug. “It was an eventful week.”

Jude chuckles, rounding the corner to lead me down a hall.

I turn the corner behind him and run right into a giant coming the opposite direction.

“Oof,” I whisper, bouncing off his stupid-hard chest.

“Shit,” he growls, reaching out to grab me before I land on my ass on the floor. His big hands sink into my waist, dragging me up against his chest. My nose presses against his silk tie, and his scent swirls around me, clouding my mind.

Jeez. He smells good.

“Fuck,” Jude says. “Are you all right, Autumn?”

“Fine,” I whisper, desperately trying not to sniff the giant still holding me tight. I struggle in his arms, accidentally elbowing him in the ribcage. And then I stomp on his foot.

“Fucking hell, woman,” he growls. “Would you stay still?”

“Would you let me go?” I snap right back at him, accidentally kneeing him in the thigh. Okay, so maybe it’s not so much an accident as intentional. But he did call me woman . Rude.

He releases me suddenly, and I stumble back four steps, nearly falling on my butt again. I regain my balance and lift my head to shoot him a dirty glare, but my eyes tangle with his and all the oxygen gets sucked from the world.

He’s freaking gorgeous. Like should-have-been-a-model gorgeous.

His messy dark hair is just an inch too long, perfect for running my fingers through.

Dark brows slash over obsidian eyes currently narrowed on me like he’s trying to decide if he wants to spank me to teach me manners.

His full lips are pulled down into a frown, his brawny body rigid as he stares me down.

Every inch of him is thick and muscular.

He’s the epitome of an insufferable, uptight man in a suit.

And yet, something about this man makes my blood sing in my veins as I glare at him.

Something makes me want to rattle him and his perfectly ordered little world.

I don’t understand the desire. I don’t even know where it comes from, but it’s powerful.

“Autumn Romano, this is Zane Montoya,” Jude says, introducing us. “Zane, this is Autumn Romano.”

“Miss Romano,” Zane grits out.

“Mr. Montoya.” I give him a blinding smile, just to piss him off.

“He’s one of the lawyers I intended to introduce you to, Autumn,” Jude says. “He just joined the firm, but he’s one of the best. He just moved here from New York.”

“Oh, really?” I flick my gaze up and down his body, one brow arched. “Was New York too much for you to handle, Mr. Montoya?”

“My siblings are here,” he says, his teeth grinding together.

Oh, he’s big mad.

“Autumn’s being sued by her father’s former business partner,” Jude explains.

“For what?”

“Ten million dollars,” I say sweetly.

Zane blanches. “You need a lawyer.”

“I mean, since a hitman isn’t an option, it appears so,” I mutter. “He really didn’t like being called a short-dick child predator.”

“I see.” Zane’s mouth compresses into a hard line.

“Someone caught the… altercation on camera and uploaded it to social media,” Jude explains, stepping to the left as a woman squeezes past. “It’s all over the internet.”

“You’re being sued by Jimmy Gatlin.”

So he’s heard about the video then. Lovely. Is there anyone left in the United States who hasn’t heard about the video? Actually, I don’t think I want to know the answer to that question. It might give me hives.

“That’s the one,” I confirm, scowling at nothing in particular.

Zane stares at me for a long moment, something dark and malevolent swirling through his eyes before he schools his expression. “Jimmy Gatlin is a prick,” he growls. “Good luck with your search for a lawyer, Miss Romano.”

“He’s hired,” I blurt, turning to Jude.

Jude blinks, clearly shocked.

“He’s hired,” I repeat. “I want him as my lawyer.”

“Why?” Zane demands, turning those captivating eyes on me.

Except… I’m not sure I know how to answer his question.

For just a minute, there was something in his eyes that I need in this fight.

A spark that says he’ll fight like hell to keep Jimmy Gatlin from getting a penny from me, not because he likes me or even because he cares if what I said was true, but because he lives to win.

But I need that. I need him . And if I get to mess up his neat little world along the way? Well, that’s just a bonus. I find myself eager to cause problems for this man.

“Why not?” I ask instead of telling him that, batting my lashes at him. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid to represent little ole me, Mr. Montoya.”

“Fucking hell,” he swears, those dark eyes narrowed on me as if he knows I’m trying to needle him into agreeing. “Conference room. Now, Autumn.”

My soul quivers at the command in his voice. And for the first time in my life, I want to obey. What the heck? I don’t obey anyone. Except this man, apparently. Because I follow him to the conference room without a single word of protest.

Maybe he isn’t the only one in trouble here.

Crap.