Sun in the South |• Southern Horror Series

15. Professional Job

Glancing out of her office window, Yvonne did a double take when she saw Javier walking by. She'd planned to ignore him all day for what he'd done, but the guy was like her only ally. She could barely function whenever they had unresolved issues. She could never run to anyone else when she was in trouble.

"Javi," she called out and signaled him to come inside.

Javier didn't hesitate walking through the opened door. From his window, he'd seen her car peel into the building. "What's going on Eve? I mean I'm sorry I couldn't come for dinner last night," he immediately apologized, holding a semblance of acceptance.

"Why didn't you even call, or at least take my calls?" She was tackling this first because she'd never come back to it if she forgave him by dumping her problems on his shoulder to carry. He had to apologize and earn her forgiveness before anything else.

"I was caught up with a contract dispute."

Work, as usual, was always pardonable. "Okay. But Clarissa really expected you to be there," Yvonne said with a hint of sadness.

"I'll text her. Maybe we'll both go for dinner, weekend night," Javier said promisingly. He stepped up to her table, pulled out the chair and plopped in. "You look like a tower fell on you."

While that had been sorted out, Yvonne went straight to the main problem. "Esteban just walked out on me and blocked my number, I can't get through to him."

"What?" Javier yelled, almost tumbling over her desk. "I mean, what the hell happened?"

She didn't reply immediately. It was foolish what she'd done. "I accused him of murdering someone—"

"No, you didn't do that!"

"I'm sorry." Yvonne broke into tears. "I really don't know what I was thinking, but I saw his hand there..." she was stammering and gesticulating and restless. "...on the fucking oxygen tank, ready to unplug, so I thought...I thought he—"

"The mayor of Monterrey would want to murder someone and do it by himself, Yvonne? Really?" Javier could absolutely not fathom this nonsense. "He has a fuck-ton of entourage and workmen that can get that done. He's the king of Monterrey. Tell me you're wiser than that."

This was it, the words she'd prayed to not hear. They weakened her and made her drop carelessly on her chair. The chair sprung her back and then forward just once before she grabbed her notepad and slammed it back down.

"It doesn't matter what I've done now, does it?" She didn't wait for him to reply. "I need to figure out a way to fix it. He's my only hope."

"You should have thought about that before accusing." Javier rose to his feet and made way to her window to regard the busy hallway.

Cross's trail was in six months, her deadline for losing this firm was one month before that. She couldn't be letting the case get in the way of saving her firm. Or she might not even win the case.

"Help me," she whispered. "Please?"

Spinning around for a moment to think, Javier came back to stand in front of her. "Maybe it's time to bring out the stick that's been shoved up your ass for so long."

Her face reddened. She knew what an ass she was, but to hear it from Javier in a moment when she needed comfort was a huge disappointment. "I'm trying, Javi. Believe me. I am. Pretending is just harder."

Rounding up here, he held his phone tighter and held her gaze with a threatening one. "Before a lawyer, you're a mother and a human being. Whether you lose this firm or not, you'll still be a mother and a human being. Think like one. Fucking think like one."