Hellcat

Chapter Four

When I returned to the office, Karen was at her desk. She tapped her pencil against the wood, staring blankly. "Penny for your thoughts?" I called to her. She jumped and I realized she hadn't noticed me return. "Jeez," she huffed out, hand on her chest. "Foggy's right, you do need a bell," she said, trying to play off her distracted mind. "So... thoughts?" I asked her. She crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "On what?" she asked. I smirked and shook my head.

"Whatever is bothering you. You're distracted," I told her. She sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing. I just... I have an appointment," she said before checking her watch. "Which I need to get to now. Shit," she muttered before scrambling to grab her things. She rushed towards the door and then paused, turning back to me. "Uh, be back soon," she told me before she left, closing the door behind her. I couldn't stop myself from raising an eyebrow at where she once stood. Then I shook my head and went back to cataloging expenses.

"First you decide we're taking the case unilaterally," Foggy's voice met my ears as the door to the office opened. He and Matt stepped inside. "And then you cross-examine the guy like we're playing bad cop/worse cop," Foggy snapped, a little exasperated. "If we want to keep the lights on, we gotta take some cases for the money. You were right about that," Matt admitted. I raised an eyebrow, listening to their argument with amusement.

"Okay, for the record, this is the first time you've ever said I was right. I hate it," Foggy said, causing a genuine smile to spread over my lips. "Sometimes, we have to do things we aren't proud of," Matt said with a sigh. "Yeah, but... this can't become what we do," Foggy replied. "Yeah, I know," Matt muttered softly.

"Uh-oh. Matty getting you boys into trouble?" I asked, leaning against the door to the conference room with a smirk on my lips. Matt glared at me from behind his glasses and my smirk grew. "Don't call me that," he reminded me sharply. I just shrugged, turning my attention on Foggy. "She just shrugged like she doesn't give a shit," Foggy told Matt before turning his attention onto me.

"Matt's decided we're going to represent a man that I'm pretty sure is a contract killer," Foggy told me in agitation. My smirk fell as my eyes snapped to Matt. "You're kidding," I said, my voice a little strained, yet level. "You saw that check, Allison. We need the money or we won't be open long enough to help good people," Matt tried to explain to me. But I knew those types of people.

"Describe him – the client," I said stiffly, arms crossed over my chest as I stood straight, fully entering the reception area. "I don't know, I can't see him," Matt told me. I rolled my eyes at him. "His actions, tone of voice, the way he spoke. I don't give a damn what he looks like," I snapped at Matt. He shrugged. "Sorry, thought you might be interested. From what I recall, you like dangerous men," Matt said with a smirk. But there was an edge to his voice, jabbing at my past.

"Foggy, help me out here," I said, turning to him in frustration. "Uh, I don't know. He was calm – eerily calm. He seemed cold. Used a lot of clinical words, knew a lot of legal vocabulary. Definitely isn't his first rodeo," Foggy explained, nodding as he spoke. "Yep, contract killer," I said before turning my harsh gaze onto Matt. He may not have been able to see it, but by the way he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, I knew he could feel it.

"We need the money," Matt mumbled in his defense, turning his head down slightly. "I get it. But we have to be on the same team, make decisions together," Foggy said, eyebrows crinkled together. "I got carried away. I'm sorry, Foggy," Matt responded, still shifting slightly on his feet. "It's okay," Foggy said after a moment. Matt help up his fist to his friend and a smile sprang to Foggy's face as he fist-bumped his partner. I couldn't help but smile at the two of them. They really cared for each other.