Chapter 1
****WARNING**** Mature Content! This story contains mature language, violence, and mature content. Read at your own risk!
*Raven’s POV*
I looked up from my screen to see Daryl leaning against my office door. I smiled and waved him in, welcoming a break.
“How is everything going?” He came in and sat down in a chair in front of my desk. “You have it looking really nice in here,” he added, looking around. I smiled, pleased that he noticed the added decor, desk and wall organizers, and plants I had added to match the beautiful bay windows behind me.
“Thank you! Everything is going really well!” I smiled, grateful for how welcoming and helpful everyone is around here. Daryl is probably one of the best bosses I have worked for so far. He gives you all the necessary information needed to do your job: no more, no less. Plus, he checks in on you once in a while to answer any questions, which I appreciate. I was excited to get this experience and use it as a trial before I take the final step to finalize my law degree and become my own lawyer.
“Well, I just wanted to check in with you. I have a big meeting in about 10 minutes that will last a while, so I wanted to catch you before you left and to see if you needed anything?”
I shook my head. “No, I think I have everything I need for now, thank you. I was just finishing up this memo and a little research for the Branford case and then I will probably take off for the day.” I said, satisfied with the empty spot on my desk where a big stack of papers once sat. I got through the stack quicker than I thought.
“Great, that sounds good...wait, did you finish that entire stack of papers I gave you to file?” He asked, looking surprised.
"Yes, this is the last of it actually" I smiled, holding up the memo I was getting ready to enter into the system.
"Wow! That's impressive!" He beams as he gets up and heads for the door, turning around “well, I will see you tomorrow then...and once again welcome to the team. I think you're going to do very well here.”. He smiled, seeming genuinely pleased to have me aboard.
I returned the gesture, feeling genuinely excited about this new chapter in my life. After working so hard, putting myself through school and working from one dead end job to the next, I finally have a career and a really nice apartment I can call home.
I file the last memo away as I grab my things and leave for home. Walking to the elevator, I looked to see Daryl busy in his office, so I refrained from distracting him. Turning my head back to look straight ahead, my vision doesn’t catch up before I run right into someone. I immediately stepped back, “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” I said, giving an apologetic smile. My eyes meet his and I’m instantly terrified by his dark orbs and intimidating demeanor. I didn’t even notice the two men standing next to him until now. They looked like secret service agents with dark suits, attached earpieces and most likely a weapon or two hidden behind those dark, thick suit jackets, their eyes trained on the man in front of me. The guy in the middle definitely holds the power, like he is this very important person and the other two are his personal body guards. His air of authority leaves me wondering what this guy could possibly do for a living. Who is this guy? Why does he immediately glare at me with a hard, dark stare like I have done something terrible?
“Watch where you are going, little girl” he said, stepping closer while holding his intense gaze. My heart skips, terrified. I naturally take a step back, trying to create distance. “I’m s-sorry,” I say, bowing my head. He grabs me by the chin and leads my eyes to look at his.
“Look at me when you speak,” he warns. I gulp, nodding profusely. Why am I all of a sudden listening to this strange man I’ve never met? There is just something about him that intrigues me and terrifies me at the same time.
“Your name?” He demands, which makes me reply immediately.
“Raven. Raven Mitchell.” I responded like more of a whisper while keeping eye contact, afraid of what would happen if I didn’t.
“Mr. Black!” Daryl says, coming from his office. He looked slightly out of breath and a tad concerned, but I was unsure why. “Please excuse her, she’s new. One of my paralegals.” He says, defending me as if I had just killed someone. I look at Daryl, confused and slightly afraid, wondering who the hell this man is that he has so much power over everyone. Daryl gives me a slight frown, seeming displeased before he says, “Raven, go ahead and take off. “ he says, basically pushing me toward the elevator.
I turn to leave, quickening my pace towards the elevator as Daryl ushers the man into his office. I turned back to see the man looking straight at me with an unreadable stare that made me shiver to my core. I stepped into the elevator, only breaking eye contact when the elevator doors shut.
Driving home, I couldn't stop thinking about that man and all of the questions swirling around in my head. What the hell was that all about? Why did Daryl seem angry with me? I only bumped into the man to whom I profusely apologized, which didn’t seem to make any difference. Who is that man and why did he have two guys with him, looking like personal body guards? Working for a law firm made you get used to seeing all different kinds of people, but having a man with his own personal body guards was a first. It seemed like a bit much, but he and Daryl clearly knew each other.
I try brushing it off as I walk into my apartment. I set my things down on the couch and looked up, startled to see my brother sitting there.
“Jesus Adam, you about gave me a heart attack!”
“I’m sorry,” he says, chuckling. He takes a swig of beer and heads into the kitchen.
“What are you doing here?” Following him into the kitchen. “And how did you get in here?” I asked, rolling my eyes. Typical Adam, showing up unannounced, unwelcome whenever he wants.
“I told your doorman I was your brother and he let me in.” He shrugged, acting innocent. I made a mental note to talk to Ian about restricting who he lets into my apartment without my knowledge.
I sigh, grabbing food from the fridge to cook. “OK, let me have it. How much do you need this time?” I asked, getting straight to the point.
“Ouch, that hurts. Can’t a brother come and visit his favorite sister?..And let her cook him dinner?” He says with a sly smile.
"Nice..shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't you cook me dinner, for coming here unannounced?" I smiled, enjoying teasing him. I get a pound of hamburger out and start making the burgers as Adam fills a spot at my kitchen table.
"What are you making anyway?" He asked as he took another swig of his beer, propping his arm on top of the chair, seeming relaxed.
"Hamburgers...is that good enough for you?" I asked with raised eyebrows, challenging him.
"Sounds good to me!"
We talk small talk as I cook the burgers and pop frozen fries into the oven. I usually eat healthily, but I have decided tonight to keep dinner simple after a long work week. I finish the food and move over to the table to drop plates of food in front of us. All that can be heard for several moments is the sounds of chewing. I swallowed my food and turned to look at Adam with an intense stare, watching him eat his food, completely unaware of my glance.
“Ok.. out with it,” I said, challenging him with a hard stare.
“Ok ok!” He throws his hands up, in defense. “I’m in a little trouble. . . .” He starts. I knew it. I sigh, feeling a familiar pattern. He has come to me for money before, so I’m not the least bit surprised. The only question is how much and what has he gotten into now?
“What did you do now?” I asked, finishing my burger.
“I. . .borrowed money from the wrong people. . .and if I don’t pay it back soon, I’m a dead man.”
“Jesus Christ Adam! When are you going to learn!? Who did you borrow from” I demanded, raising my voice.
“You know, Rae, you’re not perfect either.” He retorts, finishing his beer in one final gulp.
“But I don’t borrow money that I can’t repay, nor do I borrow it from people I don’t trust. That’s what banks are for Adam.” I say, trying to knock some sense into him, which always turns out to be a pointless effort.
“Well, it’s too late for that now..” he pauses, looking genuinely worried and stressed. I’ve been paying off his gambling debts and drug addiction ever since our parents died 6 years ago. Both of our worlds came crashing down when they died, but I handled it as well as expected. Adam, on the other hand, has been an absolute mess ever since and he started distributing meth and that led to his own consumption, which only furthered him into a downward spiral until I came in and pulled him out of the thick of it. He was good for a while and then he started gambling and borrowing money from the wrong people. I’ve been working my hardest to lead us to a better life. No matter what I do, Adam seems to keep falling back into his old ways.
“So. . .are you going to help me?” Adam pleads, snapping me back to reality.
“How much are we talking?” I asked, looking him dead in the eyes. I hope this one won’t break the bank like the last one did. I have finally started recouping a lot of it back again.
He hesitated before responding, “130k,” he says bluntly. I nearly choked on my water when I heard that. “Oh my god, Adam! I don’t have that much!” I was deep in thought, straining to come up with a solution. “I mean, I can make payments..” I suggested.
“It’s not that kind of loan..” he says, making me curious.
“What do you mean? I’ve never heard of a loan that can’t make payments..” my mind is flooded, completely overwhelmed. I began panicking, knowing I didn’t have anywhere near that amount.
"Well, these people are not your typical loan agencies.." He cautioned, looking concerned.
"Well, who did you borrow from?" I was worried about the answer, but I had to know who I was dealing with.
"Don't worry about that now, can you help me out or not?" He asked, seeming insistent.
“I have 30k in my savings, but that’s all I have, “ I paused. “Will that be enough to hold them off until I can get more?” I suggested. I hope this will work, otherwise I don’t know what else to do.
He breathes a slight sigh of relief, “yes, that should help.” He says, “Thank you, Rae.” He pulls me in for a hug. “You're welcome,” I move to pat his back, trying to console him. “I’ll get it to you tomorrow.” He nods with a cheesy grin as he gets up to deposit his plate in the sink.
"Is it OK if I crash here tonight?" He asked, looking concerned I might say no.
"Of course" I said, getting up to go make him a place on the couch.
"Thanks sis, you're the best" I smiled, finishing the final touches on his makeshift bed on the couch.
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*Silas' POV*
"Who was she?" I asked in my usual hard, placid tone, demanding Daryl's attention. He and I have been working together for years. He is very familiar with my direct approach.
"Oh, Raven?" He looked apprehensive. "That's Raven Mitchell. She is my new paralegal. She's working on becoming a lawyer as well. I'm sure she is hoping this position will help get her where she eventually would like to be."
"Interesting..She seemed promising?"
"Very much so. She is working out great so far." Daryl responded, seeming very excited about his new addition to his firm.
I'm not quite sure why, but I wanted to know more about her. She intrigued me for some odd reason, something that most women fail to do. Her strong, yet innocent demeanor made my c***k twitch in my tight boxers. The way she bit her lip in a nervous way made me want to bend her over a desk and take her right then and there.
"Here are the papers you need" Daryl said, handing me a stack. I take them, getting back to business. Finishing things up, I snap my fingers, which beckons Hank and Leo to my aid. They come into the room, grab the papers from me and hide them in their inside jacket pockets. I shook hands with Daryl and took my leave.
As we were leaving, I turned to my men with a sense of urgency and they immediately perked up, listening to every word.
"I need you to find out everything you can about this Raven Mitchell. I want it on my desk in an hour."
"Yes, boss." They both replied. Leo turned into his earpiece, pressing into it with his index finger, no doubt communicating with my other men about my request. I need to know who this woman is and why she holds my attention. Distractions hold no place in my line of business, but I was determined to find out more about her.
"Boss, Zane says he is the sister of Adam Mitchell...the one who owes you $130k..." He paused for a second before continuing "and he says it looks like he is over at her place right now.."
That ungrateful jerk hasn't made a payment in months... Who does he think he is dealing with? I was thankful to have planted a tracker on him, but when it came to my money, I wasn't taking any chances...Maybe it was about time to pay him another visit..
"Get me the address". Within minutes, Leo had the coordinates.
"Let's go" I commanded. Adam...and his sister were in for quite a surprise..