Chapter Ten

The meeting among the partners of the firm lasted longer than Carson anticipated. The four men discussed numerous topics including the assignments of upcoming cases to which associate and arguing about the cases as well. By the time it was nearly five in the evening, Carson was worn out but he had one more thing to discuss with his partners. He sat at the round table in the room next to his office with the other three men scattered around. Two of them were rising when Carson cleared his throat. The partners stopped all conversation and preparation to leave, turning their attention to him.

"I thought we were done here, Carson," said the one with blond hair, his tone arrogant.

"I apologize for this, Jackson," Carson answered, sympathetically, "but there are a few things that are concerning which need to be addressed."

"Oh?" asked Carson's closest friend and ally, Alan Mayfield. He was one of the two getting ready to leave. "Is there a problem?"

"Several, Alan," his friend nodded grimly. "And we cannot wait any longer to address them."

"And you couldn't tell us earlier when we weren't getting reading to leave?" Jackson replied, irritated. "Some of us do have wives who are waiting for us at home."

"I understand that," Carson quipped, noting the intentional jab. Jackson Daily was a damn good lawyer though he and Carson never really saw eye-to-eye. "But we need to deal with Owen Hartley Sr. and his son."

The moment the name dropped, their voices echoed in the room, spewing out protests or concerns of going against a powerful man. Each man spoke at the same time causing Carson to clear his throat again, the partners slowly retreating.

"I understand your concern but it has come to my attention that we are about to lose this building."

"What?" cried the third partner, Branson Baker. Jackson nodded smugly in agreement. "We all know that's not possible, Carson. Our reputation may have…floundered in the past but we're better than we ever have been before. And Owen Sr. has assured us that all is in good hands."

"How do you know we're going to lose your building anyway, Carson?" sneered Jackson.

"The firm received a notification of foreclosure in the mail recently, so I phoned the bank wondering what was going on," Carson explained. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We are nearly eight months behind in payments on the mortgage we took out five years ago."

"No, that was your decision," the man corrected. "You have some gall to say 'we' are behind in the payments when you took that loan out unilaterally. That was before Owen offered his help and if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here still!"

"That's right," Branson nodded. "Owen Hartley Sr. saved us from financial ruin. He's the one in charge of our finances. There's no way he'd back bad money or not pay the loan."

"I was the one who was paying on the loan!" Carson cried, his eyes burning as he looked at each of them. "I sent the checks every month! It was the one thing I wanted to take care of after Owen took over the finances. I took care of the loan every month so we shouldn't be in this mess right now!"

"It was your fault that we needed help in the first place!" Jackson rose from his chair, his face red in anger. Carson pursed his lips, glaring at the man. "You're the one that woman complained about! She ruined our reputation because of you!"

"That is not true!" Alan yelled, defensively. "We were already having issues long before that woman. Not only that, she lied about it!"

"But she still got off on a damn technicality at her retrial! It made us look like fools!"

"We all know she killed her husband, Jackson," Carson spat, rising to meet the partner, "but I still worked tirelessly to defend her knowing that! It was only when we lost the case that she said anything!"

"Because you didn't give her the benefit of the doubt, Carson!" Jackson shrieked.

"Yes. I. Did. I gave her the same attention and dedication I would for every client we service! How many times have you lost a case where you knew the client was guilty? How many, Jackson?"

"They weren't high-profile cases though!"

"That's enough!" Branson yelled, coming in between the two. "We can sit here all we want and yell at each other about whose fault it was but it's not going to help the situation we have now. If Carson says he sent the checks, then I believe him."

"Fine," Jackson grumbled through gritted teeth then sat back down, "but there's no reason in going against Owen Hartley."

"He's right, Carson," Alan spoke up. "Owen Hartley Sr. is the most powerful man in River Heights."

"I'm not giving up on this, Alan," Carson growled. "Hartley is nothing but a common criminal. He knows what he's doing."

"And that is?" Jackson asked.

The man stopped, his mouth moving though nothing came out. Carson didn't know what Owen Hartley Sr. was up to nor did he have any solid proof other than the notice of foreclosure on his family's building. He paid those bills from his personal account every month. It was a stipulation had when Owen took over the finances. It was Carson's responsibility and he kept at it…or so he thought. The strange thing was that the checks cleared. If they weren't paying the mortgage on the building, then where was the money going?

"See?" Jackson laughed. "Carson can't even tell us what Owen Sr. is doing. Next he's going to tell us that Owen Jr. is in on it too."

"I see that I should have come to the meeting after all," replied a voice at the door. The four lawyers turned to see an older man of about 70 with silver hair standing in the doorway. Carson's heart dropped when he saw him and bowed his head.

"Mr. Hartley!" cried Branson, rushing over to shake the man's hand. "So glad you could make it."

"Branson?" Carson said in shock. "You called him?"

"Actually, no," Owen Hartley Sr. replied smugly. He glanced at Alan. "It was Mr. Mayfield who called me. I'd like to know when you going to inform me about the issue with the mortgage, Carson?"

"Why am I not surprised that you came right here, Nancy?" Owen spat, his eyes blazing with fury. "Back into his arms."

"Owen," Frank started, pushing Nancy behind him, "she came here for help and to get away from you. You're not welcome here so I suggest you leave."

"How chivalrous, Frank," the man said sarcastically. "Standing in front of Nancy then having the audacity to tell me to leave? That's a laugh. You are the one who is not welcome and you have an appointment to make. You stuck your nose in where it doesn't belong and now you're going to pay."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Watch it, Frank," Nancy hissed from behind him. "He had two henchmen with him when he came for me in Chicago. They could be anywhere."

"Hush, Nancy!" Owen yelled. "You should know your place by now. Women are to remain silent unless they are being spoken to! The quicker you learn that the better."

"Like your mother?" Frank retorted. "She learned how to be submissive, too?"

The man laughed. "My mother was similar to Nancy, long before she met Father. From the moment he saw her, he knew he needed to tame her. He wanted her because she was ambitious, just like Nancy. He doesn't like women who think above their station and neither do I."

"You have a pretty perverted viewpoint on women," he stated, shaking his head. "No woman should ever be treated the way you and your demented father treat your mother and Nancy. But I'm sure you were quite the catch when you were younger. Women must have been flocking to you especially having an uglier heart than your face."

"I don't hear Nancy complaining. She never did. And like you should really talk about women. You did nothing as you watched your mother die then blamed your girlfriend for what you did. To make matters worse, you left her to mop everything up. I'm surprised though. You didn't even stick around to catch the ones who did it."

"That's not what happened and you know it!"

"Oh, it isn't?" Owen tapped a finger on his chin. "Let's see…you treated your mother like the dirt she is now by leaving her. Then your poor girlfriend…"

"You leave her out of this. You don't know the whole story," Frank seethed through gritted teeth. Nancy put a hand on his arm, calming him though he was still angry.

"He's not worth it, Frank," she said calmly. Then Nancy turned toward Owen, her eyes full of disgust. "Only a coward would stoop so low."

"You'll regret saying those words, Nancy," Owen sneered. "As for you, Frank, an associate of ours is looking for you but unfortunately for me, he wants you alive…for now. Apparently, you have something he needs."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Frank shook his head. "I don't have anything that anyone would want or need! I left most of my possessions in Bayport anyway!"

"Well, you can tell them that…when you go back to Bayport. I'm sure your father and brother would love to see you again before you all die."

"What?" he said, his eyes wide in alarm.

Seconds later, Frank was taken off guard as two men tackled him to the ground. Nancy screamed, watching as Frank pushed one of the men away only to have the other jump on top of him. She glanced at Owen who advanced on her while Frank was occupied.

"Nancy!" Frank yelled. "Go! Run!"

Nancy looked at him then back at Owen. Instead of running away, she grabbed a nearby vase and threw it at Owen, knocking the man back a few feet. While he was stunned, Nancy moved toward where Frank was being forced to the ground, his hands held behind his back. She hoisted a lamp and swung it like a bat at the man pinning Frank. When he realized the weight of one person was off him, Frank was able to subdue the other goon. Nancy was about to help him again when an arm snaked its way around her waist. She screamed as she was lifted off the ground though Owen's hand clamped over her mouth to silence her.

"You should not have done that, Nancy," he said scornfully into her ear. Her hair felt wet and she looked to see Owen bleeding from where she hit him. "I'm going to make you pay!"

Once Frank was finished with the goons, he turned to Owen, his breaths coming in heaves. "Let her go, Owen. It's over."

"It's not over till I say it is!" Owen cried, holding her close to him. He inched his way toward the doorway. "Nancy and I are going on a little trip while you're having your family reunion. Give my regards to your mother when you see her."

"Alan, how…how could you?" Carson sputtered, his lip quivering. "Why?"

"I…I'm sorry, Carson," Alan replied sadly. He looked away ashamed. "I called him when we took a break an hour ago. We can't beat Owen Hartley Sr. especially not after the news on the mortgage."

"I trusted you!" he screeched. "All of you! This is what I get for everything I've done for this firm?"

Alan and Branson looked away while Jackson sneered, his arms folded in front of him. Hartley stepped forward, glancing at the three of them. "Will you excuse us, gentlemen?" he asked. "Carson and I have a few things to discuss in private."

"Of course, Mr. Hartley," nodded Jackson. He left the room with a slight skip in his step, almost giddy-like. Branson followed while Alan glanced at Carson one last time before making his way out of the room.

"You should have seen this coming, Carson," Hartley replied the moment the door closed. "I warned you about interfering."

"You're slime, Owen," Carson spat. "You and your horrible son. You can't intimidate me anymore. I won't allow it."

"You forget that my son is marrying your only daughter in a few weeks," the man pointed out. Carson glared at him though he said nothing. Hartley laughed. "By now, Owen should be back in River Heights with her and the men with him will be paying a visit to your home to retrieve Mr. Hardy."

"You're lying," he replied, holding his head up defiantly. "Nancy is not marrying Owen. She told me that herself a few nights ago after she kicked him out of her apartment. She's had enough of his antics to control her. Both of you seem to forget that she has a mind of her own. Nancy knows what to do. As for Frank, he has nothing to do with any of this. Leave him alone."

"Oh, he has everything to do with this, Carson!" Hartley snapped back. "It was you who brought him here under the guise of him being a candidate for the associate opening. What was his real purpose in coming here? Hmm? To steal Nancy from my son? Like Owen would really allow that to happen. To investigate me? Any information you found out is nothing. I've made sure that everything I've done is clean…or at least looks clean. What was it, Carson?"

"I told you already," Carson stated, his voice rising. "Frank is a candidate for that position…"

"Which has already been filled. I handpicked him myself, you forget that."

"Without my consent. That was the deal, remember? I deal with the everyday workings of the firm while you take care of the finances with exception to the mortgage, which I was paying. I have the final say."

Hartley was silent but after a moment a smile stretched across his face. "You think you have power here? Look at what the other partners did to you. They betrayed you because you turned on them by getting that mortgage out on the building." He laughed. "Funny thing is, I own that mortgage. I've owned it from the beginning. You were paying me through the bank. I was the one who made it look like you weren't paying. All I had to do was have the bank manager call me when the check came in. I took care of the rest while they deleted the payment. Too bad there's no way to prove it. I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me. Prime example: I told you to fire Hardy yesterday yet he's still around."

"It takes a while for someone to just pack up and leave, Owen," Carson retorted. "I asked to stay home today until I figured everything out and I have. You're done making decisions for the firm. I'm severing ties now."

"You think you can do that without the rest of the partners' permission? I've offered them a better deal…one that doesn't include you."

"What have you done?"

"Let's take a ride home, Carson," Hartley replied, changing the subject. He gestured towards the door. "You can say your goodbyes to both Nancy and Frank before they both leave."

The color drained from Carson's face. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"I'm afraid, Carson, you don't have a choice."

Nancy saw Owen approach the door with her. If she got in the car with him, she knew she'd never see her father again. She'd never see Frank again either. Her blue eyes turned to Frank and he gave her a determined nod. Her confidence returned and for the second time that day, Nancy stomped on Owen's foot with her heel then bit down on the hand that covered her mouth. Owen cried out in anger and rage as he let her go. Nancy scrambled away from Owen, running to Frank. She turned in time to see Owen regain his composure, his eyes blazing with fury.

The man looked down at his hand, seeing the blood seep out of the bite mark left by Nancy. The injury on his head seemed to stop bleeding as well though Owen didn't check it. His eyes turned back to her and Frank. "I should have been more careful, Nancy. Trust me when I say that it will never happen again." Owen looked at Frank and smirked. "You may think you won't be leaving with my men, Frank, but I think you might want to revisit the idea."

"What do you mean by that?" Frank asked, his heart pounding in his chest. "I'm not going anywhere with anyone but Nancy."

"I'll make a deal with you, Frank," the man replied, stepping toward them. "You give me Nancy and I'll tell you where to find your brother and father."

"What have you done to them?"

"Me? Nothing," Owen laughed. "I've been here the whole time, remember? No, my associate is the one you need to talk to. He wants to have a chat with you anyway. You give him what he wants and I'm sure he'll let them go."

"I told you already, I don't have anything."

"Be that as it may, you still have a decision to make. I can make the process easier if you just hand her over. I'll even give you the number to call."

Frank looked down at Nancy as she firmly gripped his arm, her eyes pleading. He saw her swollen lip again and his blood boiled. Frank had no intention of giving her up but he wondered if Owen was telling the truth about his father and brother. If true, it meant that whoever the man was who was looking for him planned on taking it out on them if he didn't come home. He wasn't about to let that happen no matter the past.

"Tick tock, Frank," Owen smirked, tapping his watch.

"No."

"No? So, you'll leave your family to die for her?"

"I don't think you get it, Owen," Frank replied, glaring back at him. "I'm not going to sacrifice a friend for my family. Dad and Joe wouldn't stand for it knowing that and I'm sure that Nancy would never forgive me for doing it."

"Well, then we seem to be back where we started, aren't we?"

The two men stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. There was movement in the next room and Frank made a side glance to see Owen's goons coming to. He knew he didn't stand a chance if they attacked him again but there had to be a way to get out of the house before it happened.

"Dad!" Nancy suddenly cried, looking at the front door. She was about to run to him when Frank stopped her.

Carson came into the foyer, a defeated look in his eyes. Frank was leery about letting Nancy go to him considering he was only feet away from Owen. That instinct saved her as two other people came through the front door. A man with silver hair scanned the room, his eyes stopping at the men on the floor before reaching Frank and Nancy. They narrowed, taking in the scene. Carson remained at his side though he looked like he wanted to move. Nora Hartley came in behind him, gasping as she saw the scene, her hand moving to her mouth.

"You must be Frank Hardy," Owen Hartley Sr. stated, never taking his eyes off of Frank. He laughed. "My word, you remind me so much of your father."

Author's Note:

Well, I hope that everyone is having a great summer! Hard to believe that we are almost to August and Back to School sales are in play now. Not mention that Fall and Halloween decor are starting to appear in the stores. Even Hobby Lobby is already putting out Christmas decor! It's a little too early for my taste though. Anyway, thank you thank you to all who read the previous chapter and also to those who left reviews! I'm sure there are going to be more questions coming out of this chapter than before. I will hopefully get something out later this week though I can't promise anything since we are coming up on a busy weekend with a play, playdate, belt test, and birthday celebration (sorry but I plead the 5th on my actual age). Who knows though? I might surprise you so keep an eye out. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the latest addition and, if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a great week and God bless!