“Yes, sir,” she said. “I’m glad to be back.”
“That’s what I like to hear. You’ve been doing exceptionally well over the past few months. Keep it up, and I have no doubt your future here with us will continue to grow.”
“Thank you, Mr. Smith. I appreciate that.”
“I know you have to stay off that injury for a few more days, but I came to offer you a special case since I knew you would want.”
“What case?”
“The one against Vladimir Stavenoff.”
Victoria sat up straighter in her chair, her eyes widening. “I thought he was already on trial. I saw him at the courthouse days ago when the press did a piece on him.”
“That was postponed due to his ailing, elderly mother, or so he says.”
“Of course.” The man was a supposed family man, but he had been linked to shootings and human trafficking. However, no one could prove it. Before her injury, Victoria had been building a case on him so the man could finally be brought to justice.
“It starts up again in a few days, so I wanted to see if you want it.”
“Yes,” she said. “I absolutely want it.”
“Good, because if anyone can put this guy away, it’s Pitbull Bellamy. Am I wrong about that?
“No, sir. I definitely won’t let you or the office down.” She straightened her shoulders and tried to look like she lived up to her reputation.
“Glad to hear it. Keep me posted with this one, since the media has already made it into a circus. The last thing we want is anything to go wrong with this one and for them to catch wind of it. Understood?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“You’ve earned it. Now, bring him to justice.”
Victoria had a date with Andrei that evening, but if she wanted to win this case, she needed to dive into it completely with no distractions. As much as she wanted to see Andrei, he was a distraction she didn’t need. She decided to call him.
He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, beautiful,” Andrei said.
“Hi,” she said, hesitating.
“You okay? You don’t sound too great.”
“Listen, I can’t make it tonight.”
“That’s all you’re worried about? No problem. We can just reschedule for later this week.”
“That’s the thing. My boss just handed me a big case, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be on it or when I’ll be free anytime soon.”
“Victoria, I’m not going anywhere. Take all the time you need. I understand.”
She was quiet. Most of her past relationships suffered because she was too dedicated to her job, and now this guy was letting her do it without getting upset. Was he really into her? Either he respected her space or he didn’t care very much. She hoped it was the former, not the latter.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll call you when I can.”
“I’ll look forward to it, beautiful.”
Although he’d given her permission, she still felt guilty for bailing on him. What would that distance mean when or if they ever got back together?
She knew she’d done the right thing. He’d moved out of her place when they’d gotten back, since she was more able to move around, but they hadn’t talked about what they were to each other now after Montego Bay, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
Over the next few days, she focused on nothing but work and pushed Andrei to the back of her mind. He still popped up frequently in her thoughts, but she couldn’t let that mess with her court game plan. Not if she wanted to win and see Vladimir Stavenoff get what he rightfully deserved.