Read Chapter One of AGONY
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Kay
Kay strolled into the office that morning and was greeted by Marnie’s cold shoulder. Kay sighed and accepted the day wouldn’t get any better than the day before. Not only was her best friend still angry about her marriage, but Reese Milo had foiled her plans, and he had cost her hundreds of thousands of dollars and a client.
To make it worse, she needed to return the majority of her lawyer fees in order to make Davenport happy, and with all that time wasted working with him, her career wasn’t going any better than her day.
“Were there any messages for me while I was out yesterday?” she asked Marnie, knowing the answer was most likely no. The only clients she had weren’t useful or exciting, and she wondered why she even showed up for work at all now that Daniel Davenport had given her the ax.
“No,” said Marnie, keeping her response short and not so sweet. Things were still awkward between them, and Kay wasn’t sure it would ever get right. She had planned to keep their relationship work-related as much as possible, knowing that if she carried out her plans on Scott, it was best for Marnie to be as far away from it as possible.
“Thank you.” Kay went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and found a few pastries lying out. “And thank you for the pastries,” she said, hoping to strike up some sort of conversation. “These look good. And they’re cream filled?”
“They aren’t so great,” Marnie said, trying her best not to make a big deal out of it. “It was cheaper to buy more than one.”
Kay gave her a sideward glance and was about to say something when Scott arrived.
With his hair disheveled and a crooked tie, he looked to have had a rough morning as well. “Why didn’t you wait for me? I would have followed you in.”
She had skipped out early during breakfast, hoping to get a head start.
“Sorry. It’s just a tad creepy knowing that someone’s following me.” She really wanted to have as much time away from him as possible with the unfortunate events with Daniel and Reese. She would have to put her plans for Scott on the backburner, which meant spending more time with him than she liked. Any chance she had to get away, she would, even if it was only a head start and the freedom of not having a controlling husband looking over her shoulder.
“Well, you didn’t have to cut your breakfast short. If you insist on taking your own car, I’d really prefer you wait for me. We’re married now. You should humor me that much.”
“I don’t see why it matters,” she said, walking to the coffee pot to pour a cup. “We can’t ride together. We’re in separate cars. And I have things to do.”
“As if I don’t. But I would have waited.” Scott didn’t seem to realize how unreasonable he sounded.
“Oh great,” said Marnie, mumbling under her breath. “A lovers’ spat.”
Kay was sick of it as well, but Scott was in no mood for Marnie’s comments. He spun around to Marnie and pointed his finger at her as if he was scolding a child. “You mind your own business and get back to work.”
“She’s not wrong,” said Kay, not appreciating his tone. “You should wait until we’re home to discuss such things. As for getting to work, I think it’s time I do the same. Marnie, I’ll be out for a while. I’m going to see Daniel Davenport.”
Scott, who was on his way into his office, stopped in the doorway to give her a disapproving look. “I thought you said he fired you. Don’t tell me he changed his mind overnight.”
“No, he didn’t change his mind.” There was no possibility of that. Now all she could do was convince him that Reese had been wrong and so was he. She would do her best to make Daniel think that she had good intentions all along, even if he didn’t want to believe it.
“Wow. You got fired?” asked Marnie, looking and sounding concerned. It was the type of thing that, just a month ago, Marnie would have been the first person she told. “Is that why you didn’t come back to work yesterday evening?”
“Yes,” said Scott in a harsh tone. “And she’s better off if you ask me. I told you that you shouldn’t get involved with that man in the first place. You should have listened to me. I could have saved you a lot of time and trouble. But no, you’re hellbent on doing things your way, Kay. One day, you’ll realize that I know what’s best for you.”
That day would never come either. “I don’t have any regrets,” she said, biting into the pastry that was as underwhelming as Marnie promised.
“Did he say why?” asked Marnie. “Did you do something wrong?”
Kay was shocked that she was at least talking to her and seemed concerned. She walked to stand in the kitchen doorway. “No, I didn’t. I think he just thinks he can get someone else to do a better job for him. That and Officer Milo is putting wild ideas in his head.”
Marnie’s eyes widened. “Officer Milo?”
“He’s a fool,” Scott snapped, giving Marnie a hard look. He turned his attention back to Kay. “As for Davenport, you were doing him a favor, but he’s too stupid to see it.”
“What do you mean?” asked Marnie, looking as if there was a lot she was missing.
Scott regarded her as if she were stupid. “Think about it, Marnie. A woman like Kay, one who is seen in the public eye as a victim, yet she’s still willing to help him out? That was his last glimmer of hope. Now he doesn’t have anyone to make him look good.”
Kay wanted to tell him that Daniel never stood a chance, but that would have made her look suspicious. Why take a case when you don’t believe in your client? Only if that client stands to make you a fortune, of course. Scott didn’t need to know that end of it.
Scott looked pleased with himself. “Yep, Davenport is going down.”
Kay stared a hole through Scott, knowing the same was true for him. He was a bad man too, and she was going to make sure he paid for what he did to Casey if it was the last thing she did.
Scott walked to his office door and looked back at Kay. “Let’s hope that as you grow as an attorney, you’ll learn to make better choices.”
“No hope of that,” said Marnie, giving Kay a teasing look that told her the real Marnie was still in there somewhere. “She married you.”
“I guess you think you’re funny,” said Scott, snapping back at her without a hint of teasing in his tone. “I suggest that you watch yourself. All of this nastiness and the way you’re acting petty about us just might catch up to you.”
Marnie paled and looked up at him with shock in her expression. “I was only joking, Scott.”
“That’s Mr. LeBlanc,” he said. “You want to sit around here pouting and giving my wife the cold shoulder? I’ll show you how cold we can be. We’ve treated you well, provided you a nice job, a home.”
Kay stiffened but held her tongue until he was done.
“I suggest that you remember your position here. Remember who signs your paychecks and owns your home.”
Marnie looked as if she had been slapped in the face and spat on, which was exactly what Scott wanted.
“I own it!” snapped Kay. “And that’s not going to change anytime soon. You’ll do well to remember that. And you’ll do well to watch your tone. Marnie has a right to her opinions, and in case you’ve lost your sense of humor, she was only kidding around, like she used to. Maybe it’s you who has changed.”
Something had been off about him since the honeymoon, and she couldn’t understand why he was acting so hateful and making a big deal out of everything.
Scott swallowed hard enough for Kay to see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “I’m sorry, darling.” He softened his voice and hung his head.
“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her,” she said. “I really just want things to go back to the way they were, if it’s entirely possible for either of you.”
Scott looked really annoyed but did as she said. “I apologize,” he said to Marnie. “I guess I’m just under a lot of pressure lately. But you do have to treat us with respect. Kay is my wife, and I’m still your boss.”
Looking aggravated, he went into his office and slammed the door.
Kay turned to Marnie and walked over to console her. “I’m sorry about that. He shouldn’t have said those things.”
“Well, I’d be lying if I didn’t say it hasn’t crossed my mind. Or that you and he might start to leave me out, which you have apparently done. There was a time you told me everything. And now I’m questioning everything. It’s like I don’t even know you anymore. Either of you. And I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.”
Kay didn’t know how many more times she had to reassure her. “You haven’t. It’s just different now, is all. We have a new schedule. I’ll make time. But I’m dealing with a hell of a lot.”
“Apparently, he is too. So, what if your new husband loses his temper and I find myself out of a job? How could I pay the rent?”
Kay wanted to strangle Scott for putting those fears in her. “You know you don’t have to worry about that. You’re not going anywhere.” Even though they had their ups and downs, she had no intention of putting Marnie out on the streets, even though she sometimes wanted to. And that was not Scott’s threat to make.
But Marnie didn’t want to be consoled. She put on her indifferent expression and turned toward her keyboard without saying another word.
Just when Kay thought things stood a chance of going back to normal, Scott had killed it with one temper tantrum.
“I’ll be back after lunch,” said Kay, knowing her errands would take a while. The prison wasn’t the only place she had to go. “I’ve got to go and have Davenport sign off on some things. Just let me know if anyone calls.”
Marnie nodded, and Kay let go of a frustrated breath, wondering why Scott had to turn into an even bigger jackass than he was before. She wasn’t sure that it would ever go back to being the happy workspace it had once been, but she vowed that the moment she gained control, she’d make sure that she ran things differently.
She left the office and headed out to her car, feeling like everything was a mess and it was only getting worse. Reese Milo was working with Eddleman against her, and while they wouldn’t be able to prove she was somehow responsible for any of the crimes he had accused her of, she couldn’t help but wonder if Reese Milo had a hand in them himself. There was still so much she needed to figure out about those two and what they were up to.
She drove away from the office, and instead of heading out to the prison, she made a stop by the bank and deposited the money she had taken from Daniel’s account back into place. She also returned a large portion of his fees, minus a small amount for her time, which she would explain was standard. She had to get something for her time, regardless of the situation, and hoped that he would understand. Or at least be reasonable.
