Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“We can talk about this later, but for now I’d better go. I’ll see you in maybe half an hour, depending on traffic. Just one more thing, though—the two lawyers I hired are Padma Singh and Charles Spiegel. One of their assistants will be calling you soon to set up a meeting for later this week. They’re squeezing you in, so it may end up at an odd time.”
“That’s fine, I’ll be there no matter what.”
After we said goodbye, I stood in the middle of the kitchen for a few moments and closed my eyes. Lark, Dylan, and JoJo were entertaining Owen in the backyard. I could hear his delighted shrieks of laughter as they played a game of freeze tag with him.
And there it was again—that overwhelming fear and worry, rising up to twist my gut and crush my chest. That there was even a possibility of losing my son made it hard to breathe.
A few moments later, someone knocked on the front door. My stomach flip-flopped at the idea that it was probably the pizza. No way was I going to manage even a bite of it.
But instead of a delivery driver, I found a smiling blond guy in a suit at my door. He was carrying a leather portfolio, and he said, “Hi, is Logan Genardi here? I’m Walt Frazier, Padma Singh’s assistant.”
“That’s me.”
He stuck his hand out, and as I shook it he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Genardi. Please forgive me for dropping by unannounced. I happened to notice your address and realized I’d be passing right through your neighborhood on my way home from work.”
“That’s totally fine. Would you like to come in?”
“No thank you, this will only take a moment. I just wanted to give you some paperwork, so you can look it over before you meet with two of our senior partners. I’ll be calling you with a time for your initial meeting tomorrow. We’re still trying to make some adjustments to their schedules.”
I took the dark blue portfolio when he held it out to me. It was heavier than I’d expected, and its cover was embossed with the name of the law firm in gold letters. When I looked inside, I found business cards for the lawyers and their assistants, a thick brochure introducing me to the law firm, and a pocket holding a contract. “That’s your review copy,” he said, as he indicated the contract. “You’ll get a signed copy during the meeting, of course. Also, I’ve taken the liberty of writing my cell number on the back of my business card. If you have any questions or concerns outside of regular business hours, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.”
“Thank you. Wow, I’m blown away. Do all your clients get this level of service?”
He smiled at me and said, “You’re very welcome. And while our firm strives for excellence in the care of all our clients, let’s just say we go above and beyond for a client of Mr. Suarez-Rivas’ caliber.” Apparently paying extra carried some weight. He asked, “Do you have any questions at this point?”
I had a million, but they could wait for the meeting. “I’m all set. Thank you again, Mr. Frazier.”
“Please call me Walt, and thank you, sir. I’ll speak with you tomorrow. Have a good night.” With that, he turned and made his way to a white sedan double-parked in the street.
That kind of VIP treatment was new to me, and it had to be the first time in my life anyone called me “sir” without being sarcastic. While that part definitely felt odd, I liked the fact that the law firm seemed extremely professional and was already getting the ball rolling on my case.
I went out to the porch and sat down on the top step, then started reading through the portfolio. It told me the law firm had been in business almost thirty years, and their offices looked very fancy in the glossy photos. Biographies and portraits of all the lawyers on staff were also included. The two Lucky had hired both had decades of experience, Ivy League educations, and exceptional success rates. Sure, that was according to their own PR, but it really did make me feel like Owen and I were in excellent hands.
Next, I slipped the contract from its pocket and started to read through it. All of it was as expected—description of services, agreement to pay them, and so on. When I came to the senior partners’ hourly rate, my heart almost stopped. Then I read a little further. Most lawyers required a retainer, a fee paid up front before they began working for a client. That was when I learned Lucky had shelled out fifty thousand dollars earlier today.
Holy fucking shit.
I looked up from the page and tried to process that information. That wasn’t even all he’d be paying, either. The contract made it clear both lawyers would be billing at their exorbitant hourly rate on top of that.