We’d shared a wonderful evening, and I wasn’t ready for it to end. Reaching out, I tentatively took her hand, hoping she didn’t pull away. When she laced her fingers with mine, a wide smile took over my face.
My mind whirred with what I could say to make the evening last longer. After taking a deep breath, I took the plunge. ‘I’m not really ready to go home yet. How about you?’Please say you want to stay out a little longer.
She cringed and chewed on her lip briefly.‘Oh, I don’t know. It’s getting late.’
I didn’t want to push the issue. I was still trying to regain her trust, after all. ‘Okay. No bother. Shall I walk you home then?’ I hoped I’d managed to hide my disappointment.
She nodded shyly. ‘That’d be great, thanks.’
I couldn’t help the sinking sensation deep inside as we walked, hand in hand, back towards Star’s apartment. The last thing I wanted was to say goodnight so soon, but I was very much aware that I had to play it just right.
My phone began to vibrate in my pocket and my steps came to a halt.
Pulling my phone out of my jacket, I glanced at the screen. ‘Would you mind if I answer this? I don’t recognise the number, but ever since my dad had a heart attack, I always get a feeling of foreboding when my phone rings at night.’ She nodded for me to go ahead and I hit the green button. ‘Hello?’
‘Hunter? Finlay Hunter?’ asked a voice I didn’t recognise.
‘Who is this?’
The man chuckled. ‘I’ll take that as a yes. This is Alasdair McKendrick. You’re a hard man to track down, Mr Hunter. You have a lot of friends protecting you, my boy.’
What the hell?
Alasdair McKendrick was my father’s arch nemesis, and the main man at rival law firm McKendrick Law. Their feud went way back. Why the hell washecontactingme? And why so late at night?
Goosebumps prickled my skin. ‘Why are you calling me?’
‘I have a proposition for you, and I’d like to arrange to meet you. Face to face. Name the time and place and I will make sure I’m available.’
‘I don’t think there’s anything you could possibly propose to me that I would be the slightest bit interested in.’ My tone was terse and unforgiving. Although, I wasn’t sure why. I’d never had any dealings with the man, and the only information I had ever garnered about him had come from the very biased source of my father.
‘Come now, Finlay. Aren’t you a tiny bit curious to hear what I have to say?’
‘Not until I knowwhyyou want the meeting in the first place. There’s no love lost between you and my father and I’m not sureItrust you either.’
He sighed and I noted a sense of disappointment. ‘That’s a wee bit unfair, don’t you think? You don’t know everything behind the issues your father and I have. Look, I have an urgent matter to be dealt with and I’m aware that you’re currently between jobs which means you may be able to assist me. In fact, I can think of no one better qualified than you. As far as love being lost goes, I’m aware of the rift between you and your father. It’s not my intention to exacerbate that situation at all. I simply need someone for an important issue and you come very highly recommended.’
Confusion and irritation increased in equal measure deep inside me with every passing second, and I scrunched my brow, regardless of the fact that he couldn’t see me. ‘Need someone for what exactly? And hang on, recommended by whom?’
‘Someone we know mutually, but that’s not important right now. What do you say?’
‘I say why areyoucontacting me? Don’t you have a team who does all your dirty work for you?’
‘Idohave a team, Mr Hunter. But I felt it best to converse with you directly on this occasion. Just come and meet with me. We can discuss the details then. Are you free tomorrow? Say eleven at The Balmoral?’
Curiosity got the better of me. But I wondered if I was about to become another dead feline as a result. ‘Okay. Tomorrow at eleven. The Balmoral.’ I hung up without saying goodbye.
Star stepped towards me with a look of concern on her face. ‘That sounded intense.’
Still reeling from the call, I shook my head to dislodge the deep unease that had settled on me. ‘Yes. Yes, very bizarre, in fact. That was someone from a rival law firm wanting to discusssomethingwith me.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Really? Wow. What are you going to do?’
I pursed my lips and exhaled loudly. ‘I’m going to meet him and see what he has to say for himself. Nothing to lose, I suppose.’ I shrugged.
She nodded. ‘Very true but... be careful, okay? Your dad’s already pissed at you.’
I clenched my jaw as my stomach knotted with anger. ‘My dad fired me, so quite frankly, he can sod off,’ I snapped. She bit her lip and I felt shitty for taking my frustration out on her. Reaching out, I cupped her cheek and stepped closer. ‘Hey, I’m sorry. You’re the last one I should be taking out my anger on.’
