Justin Brooks is well-known and respect by the citizens of Blaine, MN. Yet, he conceals a secret. A secret to end his renown career as the managing partner of Brooks & Associates, Attorneys At Law, and the longtime friendships with his "brothers", Dr. Steve Kruz and Alexander Moran.
Dr. Danielle Ratcliff is determined to make the infamous attorney, Justin Brooks, face his anger. However, in the course of his six week session, Danielle needs therapy to sort out her feelings. Should she follow her heart or listen to her conscience. Either way, she's doomed in the irresistible arms of one of the "Men of Adonis".
Justin Brooks is well-known and respect by the citizens of Blaine, MN. Yet, he conceals a secret. A secret to end his renown career as the managing partner of Brooks & Associates, Attorneys At Law, and the longtime friendships with his "brothers", Dr. Steve Kruz and Alexander Moran.
Dr. Danielle Ratcliff is determined to make the infamous attorney, Justin Brooks, face his anger. However, in the course of his six week session, Danielle needs therapy to sort out her feelings. Should she follow her heart or listen to her conscience. Either way, she's doomed in the irresistible arms of one of the "Men of Adonis".
Excerpt
Anyone would direct you to the law offices of Justin Brooks for great legal representation. Brooks & Associates, Attorneys At Law, were located in downtown Blaine, MN. Managing partner, Justin Brooks’ business savvy was unmatched. He hired fresh thinking personnel, streamlined negotiations, and, most notably, enacted tenaciousness in the courtroom for over eight years.
These unwavering facets had catapulted his firm into a much sought after place to work as an attorney. Notoriety notwithstanding, “You’re fired, Friday” had arrived.
Justin needed to be proactive in this weak economy. He tried to surmise where to trim resources, without resorting to personnel. Conjointly, he analyzed litigation vs. settlement ratings, success ratios, time management criteria, and clients’ payment histories to derive the data needed to select one of three candidates to relieve of contract. Regrettably, after two weeks of robust rational with accounting, the numbers couldn’t sustain the 21% reduction in revenue.
The choice wasn’t easy. Three men were least productive of the five men and two women sitting in Justin’s private conference room.
Edward Yancy was Justin’s first hire. His peers were expressing discontent with his performance and questioning his loyalty to the firm.
The other was here half as long. However, he lacked the foresight to counter new evidence, requiring Justin to assign a third chair. This action was a waste of valuable resources, which could be directed elsewhere.
The last came on board three years ago. His Achilles heel was juggling a wife and mistress, which resulted in lack of focus and unnecessary trial continuations.
Justin discreetly gazed at the men and women in the room as his mind ward. His instincts were telling him to give Edward a reprieve, while the numbers indicated he should have been fired two years ago.
Knowing it was inevitable, he called the meeting to order. “I want to begin by saying that my decision has not come lightly. As you know, I’ve been working with accounting to minimize expenses. Over the years, all of you have been valuable assets to Brooks & Associates, and me personally.” He looked each person in the eyes, “Some have been here for less than a year, while others, since inception. I want it to be known that whomever I have chosen was no less valuable than the ones who remain. As a testament to that, those of you that remain will be placed on a sixty-day evaluation period –”
Audible gasps filled the room.
“If either of you fail to improve your performances or digress, you will be replaced with whom I release today.”
“That seems fair,” Spencer Uhl said.
Uhl was the newest member. Within eighteen months of joining the firm, he received unanimous approval for the promotion to Associate. His success ratio was good, but not perfect. Should he reduce his theatrics in the courtroom and focus on countering the prosecutor’s strategy, his skills could make him Justin’s first partner in the firm.
“So…who is it?” tentatively asked by a female Associate.
Justin sipped his coffee as the gnawing persistence of his gut told him that his final decision was right on paper, but wrong for the firm. Resorting to an old habit, he scrubbed his hands over his head and face, sighing deeply.
“I’m sorry, Tomas. Notify your staff and clean out your offices. As you know, security will escort everyone out.”
“Very well,” Tomas said stoically. “Thank you for the opportunity, Justin. I hope to see you again soon.”
Justin approached with his hand extended, “I look forward to it.”
Tomas released his hand and opened the door to find two security guards standing outside. “You guys are here for me,” he said looking over his shoulder before falling in step with the guards.
Justin signaled Claire Stryker, his secretary, to hand out the performance appraisals to the remaining attorneys.
“As previously stated, your evaluations begin today. If the objectives cannot be met or you have concerns with my assessments, let me know immediately so we can rectify the situation to both our satisfaction.” He paused for effect…, “Are there any questions?”
No rejoinder was made.
“Good. The meeting is adjourned.”
Justin rose to hold the secure door to his office open for Claire to precede him. As Edward passed on his way to the exit, Justin slid a note into his palm.
“How are we on time?” he asked, sitting behind the large desk. “I would like to make a few calls before my next appointment.”
Claire scanned her iPad before replying with organized efficiency. “In eight minutes, you meet with Frank Wolfe, Chairman of the Board at Wellcom International. But, you have thirty-five minutes after that.”
“Thank you. Can you make the preparations for the meeting while I call Alex?”
Claire smiled. “The slides are in the projector and Mr. Wolfe’s ice mocha is in the fridge. Also, I contacted the bakery on the corner and found the twisted donuts he likes so much.”
“Is there anything you don’t know about the man?”
“No,” she stated confidently, heading for the door. “It’s my job to know everything about your potential clients. Alex would be upset, if I didn’t.”
Justin scowled at that. His longtime friend had a bad habit of intimidating his staff.
“Claire, Alex doesn’t pay your salary. You shouldn’t contact him, unless there’s a rush project. We have a team of investigators to handle background checks and the likes.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Will you be telling him that? The last time I did, that crazed man zeroed my savings account for three days.”
His lips compressed to avoid laughing. Only two months on the job, Claire refused Alex access to a client’s files and then, called security when he tried to do it himself.
Though it was his suggestion to hire her, Justin recalled Alex demanding that he fire Claire. When Justin refused his “request”, Alex smiled and left with sure, purposeful, strides. Justin should’ve known something would happen from that smile alone, but he ignored it to focus on his day-to-day business.
Claire called him at home in tears that weekend. She went to purchase an item she’d saved for and found her savings empty. The bank graciously provided verification along with her signature and photo attached, authorizing Soldiers Security, Inc to withdraw over ten thousand dollars the day Justin refused to fire her.
First thing Monday morning, she relayed her ordeal to the clerks and secretaries and advised that, if they knew what was good for them, they’d refer inquiries to Alex Moran.
End result, Justin was coerced into bartering a bottle of his Special Edition, forty year old, Ballantine Scotch to have her funds returned.
Since that three day debacle, Claire referred every case entering Brooks & Associates to Alex’s security company. Then, she boldly suggested firing the investigators.
Justin thought releasing investigators was ludicrous at the time. But now, it was financially viable. He was paying four hundred an hour for information that took much too long to obtain.
Justin missed the bond he shared with Michelle Croft, his former executive secretary. However, Claire was handling day-to-day operations quite well.
Her leadership skills were exemplified yesterday. Justin called a meeting with the department heads and provided a list of employees he wanted fired by the end of the day. In addition, he gave Claire authorization to terminate any staff members in the secretarial, filing, and mail room pools whom were not performing to his standards.
Claire had exception with two mail clerks. Retrieving their final check and notifying security, she fired the women for lying to her about smoking in the ladies bathroom.
Now, if he could get her to recite case law like the back of her hand, she would be golden to him.
“Point taken, Claire. Advise Alex that he can forge my signature on the contracts. Also, notify our investigators that I would like to see them after my meeting.”
“Will do,” she confirmed, exiting quietly.
He nixed the idea of calling Alex upon noticing the time. The answers he sought about Tammy would have to wait.
With that thought in mind, he opened the Wellcom International file to review notes on the medical supply conglomerate.
Edward Yancy explained his questionable behavior in a private meeting. He was battling his emotions to stay strong for his wife, who’d been diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. Smiling broadly, Edward confided that the chemo took his wife’s beautiful hair, but her last mammogram showed no signs of tumor. She was in remission.
After celebratory hugs were exchanged, Edward told Justin that he had a lead on a case and would bring it up for discussion soon. He assured the revenue from a win would substantiate his dereliction of the past.
Justin was still troubled that he laid-off a section of the legal team and, with the assistance of Alex, terminated the contracts of four investigators.
During Alex’s visit and their subsequent luncheon, he brought Justin up to speed on the search for Tammy, which was, in two words, “slow going”.
Justin was briefly tempted to confide in Alex regarding another matter but changed his mind. Alex would get pissed and tell Steve, which would result in them wanting to eliminate the problem immediately. Closing the preverbal “barn door” on those thoughts, Justin reviewed the notes of his meeting with Frank Wolfe.
Chris Allister, President and CEO of Bushe-Allister, Inc apparently had misconceptions about what should happen to the medical billing corporation he and his deceased partner, Paul Bushe, built, once it sold.
Bushe-Allister, Inc was established twenty-three years ago. Their dream and passion was to ensure quality care and reasonable charges were calculated from physician visits, labs, and hospitalizations to unburden the middle-class citizens of Blaine.
Allister’s attorney provided Wellcom International a list of requests as part of the negotiations.
Justin chuckled as he perused the document. There was no way a medical conglomerate like Wellcom would abide these specifications. His only option to salvage the deal was to strongly insinuate Bushe-Allister’s inevitable demise, and what would happen to the employees he was trying so hard to protect, if he chose to look elsewhere. Satisfied with his decision, he buzzed Claire to his office.
He would have her type out a vague response to Allister’s attorney. Also, contact Dillon at Soldiers Security to start an investigation for skeletons in Allister’s closet.
No one turned into a major stockholder of a multi-million dollar corporation, supposedly of an equal partnership, without doing something unsavory.
Justin grinned. He wasn’t above exploiting secrets to get what he wanted; thus, his client, Wellcom International.
It went without saying that the increase in corporate shares would be beneficial to Bushe’s estate, as well.
After dinner when the doorbell chimed his playmates arrival, Justin disengaged his security system with the remote. Wine in hand, he moved to the family room.
Leaving clothing in her wake, she purred, “Hello, lover. What will it be tonight?”
Emptying the delicious red from its glass, he smiled and leaned forward to place the stemware on the coffee table. In this position, he could see the evidence of arousal on the glistening curls of her sex.
While she approached, breasts swaying seductively; Justin pressed his broad shoulders into the cushions, placed his arms along the back of the sofa, and widened his thighs. Evidence of his arousal was prominently displayed above his navel.
“You’ll have to work for it,” he said smoothly. “I’ve had a long day.”
Kneeling between her lovers thighs, she untied the sash to reveal his gorgeous body to her lusty gaze. “My pleasure, baby,” she whispered, swiping her tongue over the sensitive tip. “I’ll make you forget everything – but this.”
With both hands steadying his engorged cock, Venus enveloped the pulsing head with her mouth while caressing in firm strokes just the way he liked it.
Reposed with his eyes focused on the fullness of her mouth, Justin wonders if she knew just how wrong she was. He could tell, by her hesitation to take him deeper, that she would soon be calling her cousin to help satisfy his hunger.
