fantishu
24
“Your team has spent days looking for a precedent. I thought you’d be pleased with what I’d found.”
“You thought wrong. In fact, just stop thinking altogether.” His stare penetrated my chest, wrapping around my heart, squeezing with a strength that made it hard for me to breathe. “Don’t ever interrupt a meeting to give me a piece of information that I would have found myself.” He walked in and tossed the folder onto his desk.
I wasn’t going to apologize.
I didn’t believe I’d done anything wrong.
If he had known the precedent existed, then his team wouldn’t have wasted the last three days researching.
He just couldn’t stand that I’d found it.
That I’d made him look like an asshole in front of my family.
I got up from my knees to grab another handful of folders. “Understood.”
He took a seat at his desk, putting his back to me. “How long were you eavesdropping outside Dominick’s office before you came in?”
Was the big, bad wolf worried that I’d overheard his bitch session?
Only a guilty person would ask that question.
That was Law 101.
Dickhead.
“I wasn’t.” I put my back to him as I reached into the box, bending so my ass was high and visible from where he sat. I stayed in that position for a second and then glanced at him. “Why?”
Of course he had been looking at me. Declan was a pig-the photo of him and Madison had proven that.
“Should I have been eavesdropping?”
“You should have been completing the task I assigned. I asked you to hurry the hell up. You clearly didn’t listen to anything I said.”
I’d listened to every word.
He had told me he needed me to finish the filing because he had weeks’ worth of work to catch up on and he needed to access his cases.
I’d told him I’d move faster.
Which I’d done.
“What made you rush down the hallway and barge into Dominick’s office like that?” He turned his chair toward me, spreading his fingers wide and pressing them together, like he was palming a basketball. “Why couldn’t you have waited to show me the folder when I came back to my office?”
I straightened, holding a hand on my hip, the stack of folders resting in my other arm.Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.
He was looking for an argument.
I wasn’t going to give him one.
“I won’t do it again.”
“You’re not the lawyer on this case, Hannah. You’re not the one who has to stand in the courtroom and present a believable argument. I can’t for the fucking life of me figure out why you did what you did today.”
I felt the same way about how he was acting and what had warranted this kind of reaction.
“I was excited for you,” I admitted. “I’ve watched how hard you’ve been working on this case, and I wanted to offer some relief.”
“Relief?” His eyes narrowed, his hands dropping as his arms crossed his chest. “Don’t get excited for me. Just do your goddamn job. If I tell you to file, do it. If I send you on an errand, don’t text if you’re running late; I don’t need the constant updates of where you are and when you’ll be back. If I give you the assignment of finding a precedent, that’s when you’re allowed to look for what I’ve requested. I’m not here to fucking babysit you, Hannah.” He sighed, like even the sound of my name disgusted him. “If you want to be a litigator-and a successful one at that-you have a lot of work to do.”
My heart was beating so hard that my throat was vibrating.
I couldn’t believe he was treating me this way.
That my bringing a folder into Dominick’s office had set him off this badly.
What Declan didn’t know was that I was a storm and he’d just ramped up the wind inside me.
As I stared at him, all I felt was anger.
Frustration.
Repulsion.
I held his gaze for several seconds. “Then, I’d better get back to work.” I didn’t hesitate. I just returned to the cabinet, moving at the same speed as I had before.
Several minutes passed before he grumbled, “You asked me not to treat you like a Dalton, so I’m not.”
Did he feel remorse?
Was his conscience actually kicking in?
“That’s right,” I said as I faced him again. “I want you to treat me like I’m any other intern.”
He wiped his lips, although he hadn’t eaten anything. “Then, you need to understand something. We have four months together. The last thing I need is you hovering in my fucking office like you’re a goddamn child.”
That’s what he thinks I’m doing?
Hovering?
My eyes widened as I tried to fill my lungs. “Okay-”
“I need you to tell me you understand what I’m saying.” His hand stayed by his chin as he took me in like I was his patient. “I need to hear you say yes, Hannah.”
It took everything in me to nod and whisper, “Yes.”
“Good.” He pointed toward the area where I had set my purse and the few personal items I’d brought to the office. “Now, get your things and go find a different place to work. My office is no longer your girl cave.”
NINE
DECLAN
I
couldn’t get over how much Hannah and her twin brother, Camden, looked alike. They had identical eyes and mouths, dark chocolate hair. They even fucking laughed the same.
I also couldn’t get over that he was sitting across from me at the bar. No matter how hard I tried, something was always reminding me of her.
At work, it was her presence.
After hours, it was thoughts of our one night together.
Now, it was her fucking brother.
“I can’t believe there’s two of you,” I groaned.
I’d already given him plenty of shit tonight about his sister. Another remark shouldn’t surprise him.
It didn’t seem to as he stared at me, laughing. “You’re saying I look like her?”
I nodded. “Spitting image.”