Client Confidentiality

(53) Elijah

"What do you mean someone is trying to access our company files?" I scowl as I yell into my phone. The emotion of the moment has me forgetting about Carlie's lack of sleep recently and I wince, turning around to check on her. 

She's wrapped up in a blanket, curled up in a fetal position on my bed. She hasn't moved in nine hours, since we first set her down there. The exhaustion, that had been ignored due to her OCD going into overdrive, has finally caught up to her. My eyes scan over her too-pale face and dark circles under her eyes. She scrunches her nose in her sleep but quickly relaxes when Zach brushes a hand over her hair. 

We've all been working in here whilst she's been asleep, and he is currently sat next to her with his laptop resting on his outstretched legs. Sighing, I tune into my assistant's voice, babbling excuses and explanations in my ear. One key word cuts through all of the nonsense and I immediately tense up. 

"Did you say Charles?"

"Yes, he seems to run a law firm that Carlie was attached to? I think you hired them at some point..." My assistant rambles before I cut her off. 

"Send me all his access requests directly," I order before quickly hanging up the phone. Zach looks at me with a curious expression on his face but doesn't say anything. As if sensing the tension, Callum takes that moment to re-enter the room with a tray full of food for Carlie when she wakes up. 

"What did I miss?" He asks gruffly, setting the tray on the bedside table before ruffling a hand through his hair. He's wearing a work suit, similar to mine, whilst Zach has opted for the comfiest  sweatpants he could get his hands on. 

I sit down on the edge of the bed and stare at my phone as I think it through. There's no reason for Charles to want to view our business records, unless he suspects foul play. There is no doubt in my mind that he is using it as an intimidation tactic for his upcoming court date against Carlie. Somehow, in his twisted mind, he believes this will make her back down from proving justice. 

He obviously never took the time to get to know her. 

"Elijah," Callum pulls me out of my thoughts with an impatient snap. I roll my eyes and gesture to the door. Once we're all in the kitchen, and Zach is brewing a fresh batch of coffee, I inform them of what I learnt during my phone call. They don't say anything as I work my way through the painful process of finding the important information amongst my assistant's love of hearing her own voice. 

By the time I'm finished, we're all perched around the dining table with nothing but silence to drown out our thoughts. 

"I should just drive over there and fuck him up myself," Callum is surprisingly the first one to speak. Zach and I exchange a look, knowing our eldest brother is truly capable of putting those thoughts into action. 

"He's just trying to scare Carlie so she will lose the case," I placate him. He grumbles angrily as he brings his coffee cup to his lips, but doesn't say anything else on his murderous intentions. 

"What is he even expecting to find?" Zach asks me, worry and concern in his eyes. It's not for the business, though. It's for the girl that has stolen all of our hearts when we were least expecting it and kept them locked in her office desk ever since. Before I can respond to him, a soft and sleepy voice cuts me off. 

"He wants to know my financial makeup." 

We all turn our heads as Carlie saunters in, sleep resting heavily on her eyelids. She blinks slowly at each of us, taking in our stern facial expressions and body language. We wait for her to move and don't say anything until she makes the decision to sit in my lap. I rest her back against my chest and wrap my arms around her comfortingly. It takes every bone in my body not to push her silky, golden hair from the nape of her neck and kiss her until she's practically wriggling on top of me. 

"Why?" Callum cuts through my thoughts before they can become truly dirty, his tone still savage. She doesn't answer for a second, instead stealing my coffee cup. We all watch in awe and rigidity as she takes a slow sip before sighing and resting fully against my chest. 

"He knows that the case will bankrupt me if I lose," she answers wistfully, her eyes closed. "He's counting on it, as a matter of fact." 

My brothers and I all glance at each other, the tension in our bodies reaching inexplicable volumes. I can already tell that the way she answered has scared us all. The longing in her voice, as though losing her law firm would fix the problems in her life. 

But we know her better. We know she lives to work - to serve people who are in situations that they simply cannot solve for themselves. The underserved and vulnerable members of society that need someone to fight for them. She's built up an entire client base of people who experience life whilst having to prove they should be listened due. The people who are discriminated against because of age, race, gender, sexual orientation or any number of other factors that many deem 'below them'. 

She can't lose her law firm because it would be like losing a limb to her. She wouldn't survive if the firm died in her hands. She would feel personally responsible and it would tear her apart. 

But I know my brothers and I are in agreement.

"We won't let that happen," I assure her. She sighs, her eyes still closed as though she's in a dream. 

Fuck. 

We have to prove to her that we are hers as much as she is ours. 

And by extension, so is the firm. 

Bring it on, Charles. 

Let's see what you're fucking made of and we will show you who you are fucking messing me. 

Do you like my new end of chapter divider???

Anyway, I kinda fell more in love with these guys during this chapter <33

Ps. It's 4am so the Insomnia is truly alive and well <33