Pierce: My Heart

Indictment

Jake Pierce had just returned to his apartment at Brooklyn from a vacation in California the day he got the news. He’d barely settled on his sofa when Chloe’s call came in. Bad timing. He was trying to catch some sleep.

Exhausted, he replied drowsily. “Not now, Chloe.”

“Trust me, I’d call a minute earlier if it was possible.” Chloe said with a somber voice. “Get your ass up, Jake, there’s trouble.”

“Trouble?” He opened an eye and looked at the screen. Chloe, his direct supervisor and owner of LOYD & Co. was as beautiful as ever even for a woman in her second trimester.

“A big one,” she said.

“Give it to Matt, that kid is good too.” Jake said, closing his eyes again.

“Remember the Cozero case?”

Of course he did, it was the most recent of his famous victories. The Cozero family had accidentally killed off a dozen of their workers with their crazy chemical experiment, and tried to use money to shut their families up. Jake had single handedly turned the case in the victims’ families’ favor, and got them the justice they deserved.

“Are they still crying about it?” he said, with a half smile on his face.

“This is no joke, Jake.” Chloe replied. “Mozart, the first born of the family sued you yesterday and is requesting that your license be revoked, and our firm fined.”

“He’s definitely being a baby about it.” Jake chuckled.

“He has video evidence of something that is still being withheld from me,” Chloe replied, pressing her brows. She had definitely been worried about this.

“Seriously?” Jake said. “Who’s prosecuting the case?”

“Your arch enemy,” Chloe replied.

“Klaus,” he said. Klaus Boeman was a prosecutor who’d lost more cases against Jake than anyone could count. It was one of the things that made Jake popular and endeared to many. Klaus hated him, and called him a crook. But the results could clearly show who was a crook and who wasn’t.

“He’s really blowing this up,” Chloe replied. “You just get in the car I sent you and meet me at the court in fifteen minutes.”

Jake wanted to protest, but his career was at stake. What else could he do? Mozart was an Italian Mob boss who’d recently inherited his father’s business, he loathes Jake and threatened him often. Klaus would use any opportunity to take him down, and now these two people are working together.

He made a quick cup of instant coffee and rushed out of the door. The driver was already waiting with the car door wide open. Making him wonder if Chloe had sent him over before calling.

Jake had been working with Chloe for four years. He’d run the criminal law for two years, helping innocent victims from falling prey to the rich and mighty. His name had spread through Brooklyn and down to Manhattan.

Then he moved to corporate laws and dealt with business. This brought him fame, and his name appeared in newspapers more than he could count. He was brilliant, almost a genius and good at his job. Chloe had doubled his pay and promoted him to the highest level in the firm, Senior Associate.

Life was good, and he couldn’t ask for more. He’d hardly lost any case that was brought to him which made him one of the most popular lawyers in the country. He was setting great records.

Not until the Cozero family’s case. One of the victim’s family had seen Jake’s name in a tabloid and got a call through to Loyd & Co. Jake had gotten interested in the case and personally took it up. It was his speciality, criminal laws and corporate.