Fallen from Grace (3 page)

The gift...
bribe
was just proof that he was weak and incapable of standing up to Jack. Rebecca’s remark about the original tattoo in the middle of his back had him questioning his life again. After he’d succeeded with Alex, Jack had bought him several vehicles, designer suits and a similar apartment to his bachelor space. His Upper East Side apartment cost more than he’d expected to make in a lifetime and came with one hell of a view. Those luxuries, along with his dark hair, chocolate brown eyes and deep complexion offered an edge women craved.

Supplied by Jacks endless money supply, Judas wanted for nothing. He got to be with the most beautiful and rich women in New York—no strings attached. He had everything, yet he felt as broke and alone as a man on death row.
Ruled by Warden Jack Woods.

Together they were going to rise to become the most powerful law firm in the city, and hundreds of jobs depended on Judas and his ability to obtain the information he needed. Jack had threatened to fire half the firm if Judas didn’t agree, so he’d once again yielded to his threats.

Jack’s clientele had doubled since Judas arrived. The doors to every business seemed to know exactly who Woods and Watson Law Firm was, and exactly how much power and sway they had in the judicial system. Judas didn’t know what his father did with the information he brought him, and frankly, he didn’t want to know. He wanted to pay his penance and get the hell out of New York—out of the US, and as far away from Jack Woods as possible.

It wasn’t until Judas arrived in front of the double doors of the 2nd Circuit of Appeals that he realized he’d forgotten his briefcase in the car, which was probably already on its way to the tow yard. Adam Scott, one of Jacks lawyers who had no life except summarizing legal cases and sleeping on W&W’s couches, was sitting on one of the long wooden benches alongside the wall. He pushed his glasses up onto his nose and looked at Judas, standing and shaking his head at the same time.

“Don’t worry, your father sent me. I had your case pushed to the 4th of next month.” Adam reached into his briefcase and pulled a leather bound calendar book out. He flipped to what Judas assumed was the month of September and pointed to a specific box, with red ink scribbled in Adam’s trademark penmanship.

“September 4th. Got it, Adam. Thanks.”

He snapped the book shut and looked up at Judas. “Well, if there’s nothing else I can do for you, I’ll be getting back to the office.”

Judas watched him place the book in his black case and grab his brown trench coat from the bench. “Actually, I think I might need a ride.”

Looking up at him through smudged lenses, Adam lips were set in a thin line. He opened his mouth, but snapped it shut. “I’m parked in the ramp across the street.”

Judas chose to ignore Adam’s peculiar behavior. Frankly, his entire week had been shit, and the only thing he cared about was getting this day over with and going home. Luckily, he’d only had that one case and was now finished. He grimaced inwardly; he couldn’t even make it to one case.

“Thank you, Adam. I really appreciate that you covered for me today.”

They made their way silently through the courthouse and down the busy steps. Judas couldn’t fight the suspicion his co-worker was irritated with him. After working with the guy for nearly two years, he liked to think he knew him pretty well. Adam wasn’t a bad guy, he was decent and honest, which wasn’t a typical characteristic amongst Jack’s employees.

A black car sitting at a light down the street caught Judas’s attention. He turned and saw his car hooked up to a tow truck.
Keep it. H
e rolled his eyes forward and shoved his right hand in his pocket, absently gripping the keys.

“Where is your car?” Adam asked as they crossed the street.

“I’m having some work done on it.”

“It’s a really nice car,” he said, adjusting the bridge of his glasses once again.

“What do you drive?”

Suddenly they stopped in front of a beat up Honda. “Not a BMW.”

Laughing, Judas asked, “This is your car?”

Adam brows furrowed as he pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the beater. Like anyone would try to steal it. The rims were stock and rusted, paint was chipped off the door, and the hood had major hail damage. Glancing around the parking garage, Judas noted it was the oldest and in the worst condition.

“Jack pays you good money. Why are you driving this artifact?”

Climbing into the driver’s seat, Adam leaned over and unlocked Judas’s door. He slid inside and had to use the manual handle of the window to shut the door because there was no
door
handle.

“I have a lot of bills.” Adam used his pointer finger to push his glasses up. “Student loans don’t just disappear for everyone.”

There it was, the source of Adams irritation was exposed like a splinter finally festering itself free. Judas glanced out the window as Adam started his car and pulled out of the garage.

How must Judas look? The lifestyle he was forced to portray was of Jack’s doing. Partying playboy, rebellious twenty-nine year old without respect for other people’s time or money, or the law.

He’d failed his client today by not showing up because he’d been out late last night with Rebecca. He was starting to fuck up. To become desperate, but it wasn’t as if he had anything to lose. Just his freedom; his life would be ruined.
Good thing my life sucks anyway
.

Judas couldn’t even measure the damage he’d caused and the countless lives of innocent people Jack had blackmailed based on a few photographs and emails. His marks were usually forced to leave school and the city, abandon their friends and family, and placed in treatment facilities far from home.

Nobody had caught him yet, Judas had been careful, but lately it was a different story. He was one bad night away from his
own
slip up.

They pulled into the garage below W&W’s high rise. Judas had come to know many of Jack and Richard Watson’s employees well. And he knew Dick all too well. He was just as crooked as Jack, and they were a legal match made in hell.

“Thanks for the ride,” Judas said as Adam parked.

“You’re welcome,
Judas,
” Adam replied with a curt nod as he locked the car doors.

His voice was taut, once again making Judas think there was something else he wanted to state. Adam was acting strangely. He was normally a pleasant person to be around and pretty much the only employee at W&W that Judas liked.

Judas was down on himself and unsatisfied with the direction his life had taken after college. But then who’s actually happy with their life? The grass was always greener on the other side. And at least there was grass; not gravel and chain linked fences where the fashion was orange jump suits. Yet he couldn’t help but feel the brash tone in Adam’s voice. And it cut him deep.

The elevator ride was filled with awkward silence as Judas and Adam stepped inside and rode to the top of the law firm. There was a noticeable current of tension radiating from his associate, and the closer they got to the fifteenth floor, the more it bothered Judas. He was thankful when the elevator came to rest and the doors slid open.

He stepped out into the grand lobby space and strode to Cammie’s desk—Jack and Dick’s shared assistant—and Adam headed to the junior associate offices down a hallway to the left. A trace of cigar smoke lingered in the lobby, blended with the scent of expensive leather.

“Good afternoon, Cammie,” Judas greeted.

She smiled, batting her lashes. Her short brown hair was straightened, and her black plastic frames and gray pant suit made her look like a naughty school teacher. Judas knew Jack was sleeping with her.

“Good afternoon, Judas.”

“Is Jack in?”

She shook her head. “He’s in a meeting on the third floor.”

“Good.”

He heard Cammie protesting that his father didn’t like anyone in his office when he wasn’t there, but Judas ignored her as he walked inside and shut the door. He knew Cammie wouldn’t barge in and demand him to leave.

Jack’s office was the largest one in the building. There was an over-sized, L-shaped, black leather couch in the corner to his right, and a fully stocked bar to his left. Besides the occasional glass of malt he hadn’t really drank since college, but for some reason his mouth watered for a glass of scotch, so he poured himself a drink.

He sat behind Jack’s desk and opened his laptop. Looking through his schedule, he checked his current appointment; it was with the junior associates. Judas remembered his assistant Jolene mentioning he was supposed to be there, but what would Jack do? Fire him?

I wish.

He closed the computer, downed his drink—which burned like hell—then got up and poured another. He knew it was a bad idea since he had yet to eat, but his guilty conscious needed to be quietened and what better way to solve such a problem. Rebecca had been doing it for the past week. Granted, she chased it with a line of cocaine, but it seemed to be working pretty well for her.

The alcohol was already making him feel better. Slightly dizzy, but better. He looked at his empty glass and decided to have another. Setting it down on the bar, he removed the glass plug from the scotch, lifted the decanter and poured a full glass.

Cammie and his father chose that moment to walk through the door. Jack didn’t look happy, but that wasn’t really anything out of the normal. Judas was always in trouble; always disappointing him in some way which caused his dark brows to furrow and some threat to pour from his mouth.

He watched Jack hand his secretary a file, shove his hands inside his Gucci tailored pockets and yank his head toward the door. Cammie quickly left.

Judas took a drink and stared at Jack over the brim of his glass. He was doing everything he could to keep it together and not come unglued at the sight of the man who had ruined his life. Against his better judgment, he gulped down the entire glass. The burn felt good—cooling his rage, coating it with the liquid and melting through it like acid. It made being around Jack Woods tolerable.

“You’re slipping, Judas. You should have already retrieved the information I need on Rebecca.”

“Fuck you and what you need,” Judas spat, filling his drink again.

“Do you really think that is a good idea? It’s not even noon.”

“Really?” Judas glared. “How many have you had today?”

“I don’t like the way you’re acting. You’re behaving like some frat boy. Do I have to remind you what is at stake?”

Taking a drink, and feeling comfortably warm and partially numb, he looked at Jack. “For who? You or me? Am I risking your reputation or mine because it’s kind of beginning to blur. What I want doesn’t matter. You’ll disinherit me, ruin my career and any chance I have at living a normal life if I don’t do as you say.”

“Normal?” Jack scoffed. “You’re undefeated in your career. I’ve given you everything. A life people dream to live, and the best apartment and cars. Don’t fool yourself, kid. You love it, and you know it.”

“I hate it, and I hate you.”

Jack laughed. “Yet here you are doing my dirty work. Admit it. You like the women. The deceit. It runs through your veins.
My
blood
runs through your veins. You are
my
son.”

“I’m your whore.”

“Enough, Judas!” Jack roared. “You’re drunk. Go home. I won’t allow you to embarrass me. Don’t come back until you’re ready to act like a grown man.”

Running his fingers through his hair, Judas clenched his teeth. “Does this mean I can take some time off my other job as well? Am I off from the night of finding evidence to extort Judge Mathew’s daughter?”

Closing the ten foot gap in three steps, Jack grabbed Judas by the throat and shoved him against the wall. The diplomas and certificates in glass frames that provided Jack with the credentials to corrupt, rattled against the wall. “Unless you want to wake up on the street without a dime to your name and the world against you, I suggest you straighten your fucking tie and call a cab.”

As his once constricted breath rushed from Judas’s lungs, he bent over and braced his hands against his knees and coughed. He stood up, balling his fists and tightening his jaw. “Don’t
ever
touch me again or it’ll be the last thing you do,” he growled, rubbing his neck and loosening his tie.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I think you need some time off. I’ll find another way to get the information I need from Rebecca. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were going all soft and moral on me.”

Judas stalked to the door. “I’ll get you what you need, but this is the last time. I’m done.”

Extending his hand from a fist to an open palm at his side, Jack rolled his shoulders, then casually poured a drink and smoothed a hand through his slicked back, salt and pepper hair. He shot Judas a cool gaze that fueled the fire and rage inside of him.

“I’ll tell you when you’re done. Now get the fuck out of my office.”

Judas considered dumping Jack out the window and onto the sidewalk fifteen stories below, but he walked out the office door instead. Cammie’s worried gaze landed on him, along with several clients waiting with coffee in hand and a mail room clerk, but Judas simply adjusted his tie and chose the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator.
He needed the privacy and the exercise.
Once he got to the parking garage, he remembered he had no vehicle, which was probably a good thing because he
was
drunk.