Returning Home (Murdoch Falls Book 1)

Breaking a promise

The massive revolving doors of 300 North La Salle glided on its vertical axis the moment it detected Gaby Martin's approach. While not a Chicago native, she had been living in the city long enough to take the engineering feat for granted. After all, downtown Chicago had more revolving doors per block than New York. No matter how small the win, the residents would add it to the list that put the Windy city ahead of the Big Apple. Not that she had firsthand experience of Chicago's greatest rival, she'd never made it east of Ohio. 

Chicago had taken pity on a timid eighteen-year-old country bumpkin and allowed her to reinvent herself. As far as she was concerned, the city was, and always would be, number one.

She took a deep breath and hesitated before entering. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure the rest of the people she had passed along the sidewalk could hear every beat.

Get a grip!

It had been a long shot, but luck and a lot of hard work had been on her side today. She had survived on very little sleep and a dangerous amount of coffee over the past month, but it was now over bar the final details around the contract negotiation. The billables from the case alone would far outstrip any of the other senior associates ten times over. Not only that, she had snared a whale client for Sullivan, Watkins & Moore in the process.

As it was the midpoint between lunch and the grand exodus of rush hour, there were only a few people in the massive three-story lobby. She quickly made her way to the elevator bank that would take her up to the thirtieth floor. A place she spent more time at than her apartment in Downtown. Her fingers tightened around the handles of her Birkin bag.

That promotion is mine.

It had to be. She'd given more than her fair share of blood and flesh to the firm. She had proven she was just as good, if not better, than any of her male counterparts. Like many of the female lawyers in her industry she had to be twice as good and work twice as hard to be considered as equals. It was unfair and unjust. Not to mention just downright irritating.

As expected, an elevator door slid open a moment after she pressed the up button. Every limb tingled as adrenaline rushed through her body. She was on a high from the win. The euphoric sensation hadn't happened in quite some time. After a string of successful cases the novelty of coming out ahead had dulled the sense of achievement. What was once thrilling was now routine.

Just as she stepped into the elevator her phone beeped. She fished it out of her bag to check the message and a smile tugged at her lips as she scanned it.

>Thank you.

Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. The words, while simple and brief, conveyed the full force of why she had worked so hard on this case. Tonight, over five thousand factory workers would sleep well knowing their jobs weren't about to walk out the door and move countries. For the most part she kept her distance and personal feelings at home. But this case had gotten under her skin. She had been in mergers and acquisitions for enough years to witness firsthand what damage money and greed could do. There was no doubt had Marathon Corp. succeeded in their bid for Sprat Products, the entire operation would have been moved offshore adding to the growing casualty of US manufacturing jobs.

The elevator stopped at the twenty ninth floor and she schooled her features. She had a reputation to uphold. It wouldn't do for anyone to see she was capable of having a softer side. What had Doug shouted at her after being fired for sexual harassment and assault? She winced at the memory.

Bossy frigid beaner bitch.

Any guilt she may have harbored with her involvement in his dismissal evaporated the moment the words left his lips. The slur had cut at the time and to be honest still did. Doug had not only managed to insult her gender, but her professionalism and mixed Hispanic heritage at the same time.