Free A Storm Is Coming by LaShawn Vasser

far are you from my office?”
    “I’m about five minutes…”
    “I’ll be downstairs in three. I’m going with you.”
    “There’s no need for you to come with me. I just wanted to give you a heads up as to why I’m going to be late.”
    “You promised me no surprises. I want to know what you know…when you know it. So, I’ll be downstairs waiting when you get here.” Braylee disconnected the call. She didn’t want to give him any room to disagree.
    Since she’d taken the call at Nate’s desk she didn’t have far to go to give him instructions. “Keep the legal teams on track and working together. I’m going to be out for about an hour with Alex. No one in that room is to know.”
    Nate nodded, “Then, no one in that room will know.”
    *****
    It wasn’t even five minutes later that Braylee was seated and buckled into Alexandro’s Lykan Hypersports car. She turned to him and smirked, “Do you think you could have driven a car any more conspicuous? I’m sure nobody will notice that you’re driving one of only twenty cars ever made.”
    “Stop being such a smartass and hold on.” Alex pressed his foot on the gas driving well past the speed limit. “All I could think about was getting to lower Wacker in thirty minutes. This car will get me there. Anyway…how’d you know what kind of car this is?”
    “My firm worked with the first US owner and W Motors on its import. So much for that theory of yours huh?”
    Alex took his eyes off of the road for just a second, curious as to what she was referring to, “What theory?”
    “That my life and practice is boring and that any first-year law student could handle the cases my firm handles.” Looking smug, Braylee sat back in her chair and folded her arms.
    Even when she was being a brat, Alex still found himself wanting her like he’d never wanted any woman...ever. But, it was time to bring her down a peg or two.
    “So, let me get this straight…you went from trying corporate raider, insider trading, and sexual harassment cases with a few cases of protecting whistleblowers thrown into the mix to basically checking a box on a form for a super wealthy client? I mean…I guess it’s nothing to be ashamed of…going after the more lucrative and easy cases.”
    “Hmm…you should fire the team who did your research. It seems you went through all that trouble to get information about me and yet your facts are incomplete. When what you should be doing is handing me another check.”
    He raised an eyebrow, “Really? Why?”
    “Really. Because if it weren’t for me and my connections in congress you wouldn’t even be able to drive this three million dollar monstrosity on the streets. A first-year law student couldn’t handle that.”
    He was impressed. Did she ever back down? Apparently, not. There was a lot more to learn about Ms. Hinsdale.
     

Chapter 10
     
    Alex pulled his diamond white sports car underneath some dilapidated L tracks in an industrial area that hadn’t been used in years. He kept driving until he saw Detective Jones standing next to his own unmarked car.
    Alex put the car in park then leaned over Braylee to open his glove compartment. His closeness caused her to breathe in deeply.
    However, Alex was focused and hadn’t noticed the intake of air from his closeness. He reached inside and pulled out a semi-automatic pistol.
    Braylee swallowed, “Do you really think you’ll need that? He’s a detective.”
    “If he’s meeting me offline…” He put the gun inside his jacket, “you can never be too careful. Better to be prepared than not. As a matter of fact, you should probably stay here.”
    “I told you that I want to know what you know when you know it. I’m going.”
    “Do you always have to be so stubborn? If something went down, you can’t even run in those heels.”
    “I’m a black woman who was raised in the city. I can handle myself….okay?” She stared him down for just a moment.
    “Well, at least stay close