Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
When I was back in that fancy apartment enjoying the over-the-top luxuries like electricity and hot running water, that was when the personal mattered. Each night this week I’d worked myself to the point of exhaustion, then unwound with a glass of wine from a bottle I found in the kitchen.
It was older than I was, red, and I couldn’t read the label, so I knew it was good. I would sip my single glass while soaking in a tub full of water as hot as I could stand it and let my mind wander to Harrison.
I would think about how it felt when he touched me, when he kissed me. How had no one ever before made me feel so wanted, needed, and safe enough to surrender my control?
“Is there something in one of the files you don’t understand?” he asked, cocking his head as he looked at me over his computer. I shot him back a bored expression, praying he didn’t see the guilt from my thoughts painted all over my face.
“I think I have proven time and time again that I understand the legal work despite not having been to law school yet.”
“Okay.” He lifted his hands in surrender. “Why is it you insist upon ordering from the cheap takeaway place down the street when I could just as easily have food delivered from literally any other restaurant in the city? Because that’s what I don’t understand. I could have authentic, healthy, amazing egg rolls delivered fresh and hot and not in paper bags that are literally dripping with grease.”
I rolled my eyes at Harrison. “Okay, I am only going to try to explain this one more time. The food from Ye’s Apothecary and Blue Willow is best experienced in the amazing atmosphere that they create. The experience and the quality of the food greatly diminish the second it leaves the building. However, the takeaway chow mein and egg rolls and heavily battered sweet and sour pork from Wong’s are all just as good in the office as they are if you were eating them from the cardboard containers directly in front of the restaurant.”
“I don’t think you’re making the point you think you’re making,” Harrison said, folding his arms. “But back to your question, what is it you don’t understand?”
“These files, you’ve clearly been gathering information on this family for years. Why are you only putting it together now, and more importantly, why haven’t you actually made an official move? I mean, you have so much evidence of laws being broken and police officers who may or may not be dirty. It’s just, it stacks up, and I don’t understand what you’re waiting for?”
Harrison moved from his desk to the couch, sitting directly opposite me while rubbing the back of his neck.
I could have sat on the chairs facing the couch, but after sitting all day in the swivel chair with my back straight, I preferred to sit on the floor in front of the table with my legs folded under me. At least until after we ate, and then I would usually end up sitting on a couch next to Harrison as we went over the things that I had found that day and the things that he was adding throughout his meetings and his findings.
“It’s complicated,” he said.
“You know, I’ve heard I’m actually kind of smart, maybe I’ll understand.” I was mostly teasing, but the look he gave me said that wasn’t how he took it.
“I’ll explain it, but I need your word that what is said in this room never leaves this room.”
“Nothing you have said in this room has ever left this room, at least as far as I’m concerned.” I was honestly a little hurt he thought I would betray his trust like that. We may not be sleeping together anymore, but there was still a level of professionalism that I couldn’t believe he thought I would cross.
“I have been looking at this outfit for a very long time, and initially, I stopped because I came across the evidence of what happened to the last prosecutor.”
“They killed their last prosecutor,” I said, staring at him with my mouth open.
“No, he dropped the case because they killed his family. They kidnapped his daughter and his wife and threatened their lives, saying they would only be returned safely if all charges were dropped.”
“And he tried to call their bluff, and didn’t drop the charges?” I clarified.
“No, he did,” Harrison said as he sat back. “All charges were dropped immediately, and from what I can tell, he went so far as to destroy evidence. But it didn’t matter, they killed the man’s wife and sold his daughter. They still haven’t found her. And did a few other unspeakable things. It didn’t matter that the prosecutor had dropped everything, they still followed through just to prove a point.”