Free Wicked by Sasha White Page A

them.

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    12

    K arl hung up the phone and dialed again immediately. "Val, I think it's
    time for a road trip. Can you get away this weekend?"

    "Arghhh!" The aggravated response came through loud and clear.

    "What?"

    "I don't have a bike anymore, asshole."

    Oh yeah, Val's ex-wife had put him through the financial wringer a few
    months earlier and he'd sold his bike to pay off his club. Now he owned
    Risqué nightclub free and clear, but that was it.

    Women could be so vicious.

    He thought about it for a minute. He'd been dealing with divorce negotiations
    all morning, and his newest client, a nice young thing that had just been
    dumped by the man she helped put through law school, had literally cried on
    his shoulder and then asked him over for a home-cooked meal. The meal
    had sounded good, but the predatory gleam in her eye when she'd voiced
    the invitation made it clear she wanted to do more than cook him dinner.

    He wondered if Lara liked to cook, or more importantly, if she'd like to cook
    Him dinner. There was so much about her he wanted to know. But first, he
    needed to think, with a clear head.

    Glancing at his desk calendar he made a quick decision. "Your birthday's
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    coming up in a couple weeks right? I'll rent one for you, consider it your
    present. You just get the club covered, and leave the girlfriend at home."

    He hung up before Val could argue with him about the plan, and quickly
    started to call their other riding buddies. Half an hour later, there were a half
    dozen of them set to leave early the next morning for their first road trip of the
    year.

    A weekend on his Harley, with his buddies, shooting pool and drinking beer
    was just what he needed. He had a decision to make before he saw Lara
    again, and he couldn't do it without some serious thought. Being away from
    the city, away from the office, always helped him remember what was
    important in life. It wasn't the money, and it wasn't the job.

    The job.

    Law school had been to make his parents proud, specializing in divorce had
    been to make money. He'd done that. He now had enough money and
    investments that he could retire in the next five years if he wanted, and part
    of him wanted to. Maybe not retire —he'd go insane if he had nothing to
    do—but the divorce business was getting to him. He knew it. He'd known it
    for a while now, and being with Lara had truly brought it home to him.

    Vibrant and full of life, her tough adventurousness had shown him just how
    closed up he'd become, and he didn't like that at all.

    The road trip was a great idea. He could collect his emails on his cell phone,
    and encourage Lara so the lines of communication stayed open. He needed
    her to know she could always contact him, and he needed to see if she would
    do her homework.

    He looked at the clock, and reached for his laptop just as Graham buzzed
    him. "Mrs. Pollock is here."

    "Send her in."
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    A second later his office door swung open and a classy blonde walked in.
    Lisa Pollock was in her early forties, slim, and very polished. The perfect
    society wife—except she didn't like it when her husband cheated on her.

    "Hello, Lisa, how are you today?"

    "Fine, Karl. How are things going here?"

    He explained his last negotiation with her soon-to-be exhusband's lawyer.
    "You have the house, and the car, but he's not budging on the alimony. We
    can take it in front of a judge, and I think we'll win. It's your choice."

    "I don't want to take that chance," she said.

    She reached into her purse, pulled out a manila envelope, and the hair on
    the back of his neck stood up. He knew that determined, almost manic look
    in her eye. He'd seen it before and it was never a good thing.

    "Show him those photos and tell him if he won't pay me, I'll show the world."
    The expensive charms on her gold bracelet jingled loudly in the quiet office
    when she tossed the envelope on his desk.

    Without opening the envelope