In too deep, p.1
In Too Deep, page 1
Table Of Contents
Other Books by Rachael Sommers
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Other Books from Ylva Publishing
About Rachael Sommers
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www.ylva-publishing.com
Other Books by Rachael Sommers
Chemistry
Fool for Love
Never Say Never
Acknowledgments
As always, thanks to Astrid, Daniela, Jenny, and the rest of the team at Ylva for making this and my other books a possibility. It’s fantastic to work with such a great publisher.
This book would be nothing without my beta readers—Sarah S, Yan, and Declan. Thank you all for your help and support every step of the way. My thanks to Sarah P for Americanizing my Britishness. To my sensitivity reader, Amber—thank you for taking the time to ensure Marcos was written in a respectful way. Thanks to C.S Conrad for helping both with the development of this story and with a lot of the sensitivity issues.
I would be remiss if I didn’t offer my thanks to my friend Helen and her family for giving me a taste of what Tenerife has to offer. It was an easy decision to set this story there.
Finally, Laura: I love you endlessly.
Chapter 1
“Do you really think you can bully my client into accepting this deal?” Lucy straightened up in her seat, leveling the lawyer sitting opposite with her best piercing stare.
“Bully?” He looked outraged. “This is an excellent deal, Ms. Holloway, and I’d advise your client to—”
“An excellent deal?” Lucy shook her head and stabbed her index finger on the front page of the paperwork sitting on the table between them. “It’s an insult.” She pushed it toward him. “And we will not be signing it.”
“You won’t get a better deal than that.”
Lucy held his gaze, knowing he was bluffing, and shrugged. “Then we’ll go to court and have a judge decide, shall we? Though I think we both know that with the way your clients conducted themselves over the past few months, they will rule in my favor. And we’ve done you a favor by trying to settle this out of court, but if you and your client want to take a chance, I’m more than willing to hedge my bets.” Lucy shut the cover of her binder of notes with a snap and watched her opposition’s eyes widen in alarm. “If that is all,” Lucy said, straightening the collar of her jacket, “then I have another meeting to get to.”
“Wait!” He caved before Lucy had risen from her seat. “I’ll give them a call. See if we might be able to come to another arrangement.”
“Do not keep me waiting too long, Mr. Langdon.”
He and his colleague scurried away, and on Lucy’s left, her own colleague chuckled.
“Watching you work really is something,” Felix said with a wry shake of his head. “What do you think they’ll come back with?”
Lucy pursed her lips, glancing once more at the agreement on the table. “I promised Cleo I wouldn’t settle for less than a million.” Compared to some of the deals Lucy had dealt with in the past, a million was small change. But to a small business owner—who was being bullied out of producing a useful product by a pharmaceutical conglomerate on a bullshit patent dispute—it meant everything.
Watching Langdon pace up and down through the glass walls of the conference room, his phone pressed to his ear, Lucy wished she could lip-read. But body language she could do, and as she saw his shoulder slump, Lucy smiled victoriously.
“We can double it,” Langdon said when he stepped back into the room, a scowl across his face. “But that’s the best you are going to get. I can have the paperwork sent over later today.”
“I will speak to my client, and we’ll sign if we’re happy with it.” Lucy gathered her things and strode past Langdon with a wide smile. “Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Langdon.”
He muttered something under his breath as Lucy held the door open for Felix. She was sure it was far from complimentary, but Lucy didn’t care. She loved bagging herself a win, and she couldn’t wait to give Cleo the good news.
“Drinks tonight to celebrate?” Felix said as she stepped into the hall. He followed beside Lucy in his electric wheelchair, his notes from the deposition balanced carefully in his lap.
“I can’t. I already have plans.”
“Hot date?”
Lucy—known in the office to be notoriously private—didn’t dignify him with a response. “I’ll see you for the deposition later.”
She left Felix at the door to his office and made the short trip to her own. Settling behind her desk, Lucy straightened out her keyboard as she glanced at her diary. She had an hour before she was due to meet Carla for lunch, and a non-stop afternoon of meetings to look forward to after that.
Knowing she wouldn’t have time to do so later, Lucy reached for her phone and keyed in Cleo’s number. As it rang, she spun around in her chair to glance out of her window, admiring the beautiful view of the New York skyline.
No answer. Typical. It seemed Cleo would have to wait to hear the good news.
“Hi, Cleo,” Lucy said when prompted to leave a voicemail. “It’s Lucy Holloway calling with the result of today’s negotiations. I think you’ll be happy with them.”
Behind Lucy, the door opened. Expecting Felix or one of her other colleagues, she held up a hand and spun slowly back around. “Give me a call as soon as you—”
Lucy blinked in surprise when she laid eyes on her visitor. Darren looked different to the last time Lucy had seen him: drawn, haunted, bags under his bloodshot eyes.
“—can,” Lucy said, hanging up the phone. “Darren? Can I help you?”
Darren scoffed, his face twisting into a look of such hatred Lucy felt as if her blood had frozen in her veins—because no one, in her forty years of life, had ever looked at her in such a way.
As if they wanted to destroy her.
And Lucy could only think of one reason why, dread settling in her stomach—hot and heavy, her throat feeling so tight it was hard to breathe, and her heart beating so loud she could hear it in her ears.
As Darren drew himself up to his full height and opened his mouth, the only thing Lucy could think was that she wished he’d shut the door behind him.
* * *
Through the open balcony doors, the low hum of excited chatter reached Lucy’s ears. If she concentrated, she could hear the crash of the waves against the nearby beach, the screech of birds, and smell the salt in the air.
Taking temporary refuge from the relentless heat of the July sun in the air-conditioned sanctity of her hotel room, Lucy breathed a deep sigh. Rest and relaxation were the order of the day, and Lucy tried to recall some of the words from the yoga instructor she had left back in the U.S. as she reclined on her king-size bed.
Feet wide, eyes closed, and breathe in deeply for—
A phone rang, and Lucy’s eyes flew open. Her cellphone—abandoned in the bottom of her handbag—had been switched off ever since she had arrived in Tenerife the day before. It took her a moment to realize it was the old-school phone in the hotel room, and Lucy frowned. She had stayed in a lot of hotels in her life and hadn’t had an unexpected call in a single one.
It must be important. Lucy leaned over to pluck the receiver free and held it to her ear. “Hello?”
“You are a hard woman to track down.”
The voice was a familiar one, and Lucy felt her lips curve into a smile. If there was anything Lucy was going to miss about her home, Carla would be at the top of that list. “Did you perhaps consider I did not want to be found?” Lucy shifted to lean her back against the headboard and wound the cord of the phone around her finger. “How did you find me, anyway?”
“I’m a woman of many talents.”
Lucy waited, knowing Carla would elaborate.
“You should really consider changing your e-mail password. Your mother’s maiden name and your birthday, Luce? Really?”
That explained it. Her hotel and flight booking information were on there—once she had figured out where Lucy was staying, all Carla would have had to do was persuade the front desk to patch her through to Lucy’s room.
“You hacked into my email?”
Carla huffed. “I had to. I was worried about you.”
“I could have you arrested.”
“Please.” Carla’s voice turned dismissive. “We both know you wouldn’t dare. Now, do you want to tell me why you are hiding halfway across the world?”
Lucy glowered, though she knew Carla could not see her. “I am not hiding.”
“Oh yeah? What else would you call packing up in the middle of the night and leaving without saying a word?” Carla didn’t hide the hurt in her voice. Lucy knew she had ma
“I didn’t want you to worry,” Lucy said. “I knew you had a big case.”
“Bullshit.”
One of the reasons Carla and Lucy’s friendship was so strong was because neither were afraid to say it how it was—or call the other one out when they had done something wrong. It was that spirit that had drawn Lucy to Carla when they were in law school—in comparison to the two-faced nature of most of their classmates—but sometimes Lucy hated it.
“You knew I wouldn’t let you go,” Carla said. “What about your clients, Luce?”
Lucy scoffed. “I was told to take a sabbatical, remember?” She couldn’t hide the note of bitterness in her voice. “They are in Felix’s capable hands.” Lucy was sure he was unhappy to have Lucy’s cases thrust upon him on short notice, but it would be good for him. If he wanted to make senior partner one day, the chance to step up and take charge was valuable experience. And she knew he would be able to handle it—she had trained him well. “Besides,” Lucy said, keeping her voice light. “I’m not the most popular person in the office right now.”
“What did you expect? There’s a reason it’s a bad idea to sleep with a colleague. Let alone a married one.”
Lucy knew Carla well enough to imagine the look of disapproval that would be on her face. “She told me they were separated.” Otherwise Lucy never would have let it happen. “I was naïve enough to believe her.”
“But not naïve enough to tell me until all was said and done.” Carla sounded as wounded now as she had looked when Lucy had finally come clean, and Lucy hoped that her actions hadn’t severed her closest friendship as well as everything else.
“Because I already knew what you would say.” And it was not what Lucy wanted to hear. “And she wanted to keep it quiet.”
“I wonder why?”
“Don’t.” It was sharper than she intended, the wounds still raw, and Carla sucked in a breath.
“Were you in love with her?”
Lucy didn’t answer, knowing her silence spoke for itself. Why else would she be there, holed up in a hotel across the Atlantic, desperately trying to forget the things she had left behind?
“Look,” Carla said with a sigh, “I disagree with what you’re doing, but if you’re not coming back any time soon at least turn on your goddamn phone. I don’t want to have to threaten the hotel staff every time I want to talk to you.”
“I suppose I can manage that.”
“I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. And I am sorry.” Leaving the city had not been a decision Lucy had made lightly. “I know I’ve handled this all wrong. If I could take it all back…” She would do everything differently, for a start. “I hope you can forgive me.”
“You know I can never stay mad at you for long. But you do owe me one hell of an apology when your ass is back here. Which will be when, exactly?”
“I don’t know.” The hotel manager had let her book the room out on a weekly basis—Lucy didn’t have a set checkout date planned. “I just need—” Some time to process. Some space to mend her shattered heart. “I just need a break.”
“Lawyers are not supposed to get those.”
“Well then it’s no wonder we burn out sometimes, is it?”
“Only if you aren’t cut out for this career. And speaking of my career, I’d better go. I’m in court later today and I need to prepare.”
While they had studied together, their paths had deviated once they had begun working. Carla had chosen the criminal route, and Lucy business, and she did not envy Carla’s time in the courtroom. “Good luck.”
“Don’t need it, but thank you.” Carla had never lacked self-confidence. “I will speak to you soon, okay? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That’s a short list.” Law school had taught her that. Carla was wild as anything, and Lucy had often struggled to keep up. On paper, they could not be more different—Lucy was a white gay woman who couldn’t hold a relationship down and had always been quiet, while Carla was a Black, straight, happily married woman who was the life and soul of the party—but their friendship had been solid from the start.
Carla’s laughter was still ringing in Lucy’s ears once she set the phone back on the hook. She looked to her bag again and the cell at the bottom of it, and she told herself to stop being such a big baby.
She was forty years old, for God’s sake—she needed to get a grip and start facing her problems head on.
Lucy grabbed her phone and turned it on with the faintest of trembles in her fingers. Dozens of notifications awaited her. Most were emails from work, some were texts from concerned friends and colleagues—there were at least five from Carla alone—but it was the one from an unknown number that she lingered on.
Unknown to Lucy’s phone, at least. She might have deleted it in a fit of rage when the truth had come spilling out, but Lucy recognized the digits well enough.
I’m sorry.
Biting her lip and blinking away the sudden rush of tears that stung her eyes, Lucy deleted the text. Replying would not do her any good—would only send her tumbling down the rabbit hole—but still, the message lingered, souring Lucy’s mood.
She sighed and shook her head. The sun was shining, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the dazzlingly blue sky; Lucy was not going to spend the day dwelling in her hotel room when there was an island paradise to enjoy.
* * *
Elena breathed in the scent of suntan lotion and chlorine as she stepped into the lobby of the Sol Plaza. It looked the same as always. The marble floor sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the huge windows that offered a view of the lush hotel gardens, green despite the arid climate. Luxurious gray couches were dotted around the room, guests waiting for a coach to take them to the airport spread among them.
As always, it felt like coming home—and considering she’d spent half of her life in this place, it may as well be.
The consequence of her father being the hotel manager.
Who, as soon as he caught sight of Elena, barreled out from behind the huge check-in desk pressed against the rear wall of the lobby.
“Elena!” He swept her into a hug so fierce she struggled to breathe. “I didn’t expect to see you here until tomorrow.”
“I couldn’t wait until tonight to see you,” Elena said. As always whenever she returned to the island after almost a year away, Elena’s Spanish was rusty, but it never took her long to get back into the swing of things.
Her father’s smile lit up his whole face. “How are you? How was the flight? Have you been home long? How—”
“I know she’s your favorite kid,” a new voice said, and Elena turned to see David’s grinning face, “but give her a chance to breathe, at least.”
Their father tutted as he released Elena. “She’s not my favorite.”
“Please. I know where I stand.” David looked unfazed by it as he dragged Elena into a hug of his own. “She is the smart one, after all.”
“But you’re the one following in his footsteps,” Elena said, tugging at the tag pinned to David’s Sol Plaza polo shirt, Assistant Manager written under his name. She’d never had the brains for business like David did.
“Ah, but you’re the one with the fancy college degree he brags about whenever he meets anyone new. My daughter’s at George Washington University, you know, in the United States.” He imitated their father’s voice, and Elena laughed. “Meanwhile, my son graduated from a meager Spanish college—”
“Enough.” Their father chastised David, but he was smiling. “Come on, Elena. I’ll show you what’s changed since you were last here.”
“Nothing,” David called after them as Elena was led away. “Nothing has changed because he’s allergic to it!”
Their father muttered some choice curses, and Elena grinned. It was good to be back.
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. It’s all change around here.”
“How is the new owner?” The hotel had changed hands for the first time in fifty years, when the previous owner had passed away. At least it was being kept in the family—Mateo Ortega had taken over from his uncle, but he had big shoes to fill.
