Bound to Billionaires (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 2)

“Most people are, Megan, but in Destiny people do the right thing. If you had chosen to have your case heard by a jury, those seated would’ve been fair, I’m certain. And Ethel’s high ethics are unquestionable.”

Then maybe she could count the judge as an ally, too. “That makes me feel a little better, but only a little.”

Phoebe touched her on the arm. “I’ll do my best for you, Megan. I can tell you’re a very sweet person.”

“Sweet but…?”

Phoebe turned the corner onto South Street. “But nothing. Sweet. Be honest and answer me this. Did you have anything to do with the hacking into TBK’s systems? This is between client and attorney. It will go nowhere else. Trust me.”

Her gut told her to trust Phoebe. With women, her gut was generally right. With men? Not so much. “I didn’t do what Eric and Scott Knight are accusing me of. I swear it. I couldn’t have done it because I’m a techno-idiot. I might be the only twenty-five-year-old in the world who still has trouble sending a text message.”

“That’ll be hard to prove.” Phoebe pulled out a digital tablet from her purse. She touched the screen with her fingers. “Do you have a university degree?”

Megan shook her head. “I was only twenty when I married. After everything that happened, college wasn’t feasible for me.” She glanced over the lovely park in the middle of town, trying to recall what life had been like before meeting Kip and before her mother’s illness. She’d been a sophomore at the University of Texas working on a degree in elementary education. Those days seemed several lifetimes ago, far away from the idyllic scenery of Destiny. “Your town square is beautiful.”

“We call it Central Park. It’s only one and a half acres. Everyone treasures it, but there has been a grassroots movement in the town to rename the park Destiny Square Park since I was a kid. The residents are pretty equally divided on the issue. My family belongs to the group that wants to keep the name the same, Citizens for Tradition.”

Megan couldn’t keep herself from smiling. “Sounds like quite a stir.”

Phoebe paused as they came up to one of the strange statues that surrounded the park. “Make fun, but it’s the one thing that divides this town during election time. Let’s walk down to West Street. It’ll give you a better look at the park. We’ll come back to Lucy’s in a sec.” Her attorney pointed to the storefront on the southwest corner of the intersection.

“What are the people on the other side of the matter called, Phoebe? And what got everyone so up in arms about the name anyway?”

“They call themselves Destiny’s Citizens’ League. We call them Destiny’s Opposition Group, DOGs, but only during campaign season and only in closed-door meetings.” Phoebe continued walking down South Street. “The whole debacle began when the four dragon statues were commissioned as gifts for New York’s Central Park by the residents here in 1978. It was meant as a token of camaraderie for the sister park.”

The local politics in Destiny were clearly divisive and just as befuddling to her as any back home. Ahead next to the sidewalk they were on was one of the four rejected gifts Phoebe talked about. Megan was in awe of the work of art. It looked powerful, monstrous, and quite beautiful in an odd sort of way. “Why dragons?”

“Patrick O’Leary is the reason for that choice. He made the biggest donation. He wasn’t a billionaire then, but he was pretty close.”

She knew that name. “The judge’s name was O’Leary, right? Ethel O’Leary?”

Phoebe nodded. “Patrick and his brother are married to her.”

Her jaw dropped. “What? I don’t understand. She’s a bigamist?”

Phoebe laughed. “Not legally. I’m not sure which of the brothers she shares a marriage license with, but in her heart, she’s married to both of them. That’s quite common here in Destiny.”

This seemed like such a normal place. “Apparently, there is more under the surface of your small town than I got from my first impression of it.”

“Most definitely.” Phoebe smiled and winked. “Destiny is home to a wide variety of eccentrics, freaks, weirdoes, and the unconventional. We’re one of the most live-and-let-live communities in the country…well, except around election times.”

Megan wished her neighbors back in Dallas were more open-minded like the citizens of Destiny. Five years since Kip’s arrest in her mother’s house hadn’t softened a single disapproving glare from neighbors.

“Patrick is a brilliant man. He and Sam, his brother, built several successful multinational conglomerates together. They opened up markets all over the world, including China, India, Japan, Eastern Europe, and more. During his travels, Patrick became enthralled with local myths about dragons.” Phoebe shook her head. “Whatever you do, don’t ask him about it. He can talk about that topic for hours and hours. The truth is he believes they are real and still exist.”

Megan laughed. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. There are actually five dragons in town.” Phoebe reached up beyond the base and patted the toe of the bronze dragon that was at least thirteen feet tall. “The fifth one is in front of the O’Learys’ mansion and is much larger than its four cousins.”

Megan smiled, wondering what it would be like to be able to have such childlike beliefs again. Not possible for her after all that had happened.

“This dragon is called The Green Dragon and is said to bring luck. Touch the dragon’s toe, Megan. We’re going to need a ton of its power next week if we have a prayer of beating TBK.”

Her nerves exploded with renewed concern. “I’m not a big believer in luck.”

“Me either, but as your attorney, my advice is for you to touch it anyway. It can’t hurt.”

“If it helps me beat the Knights, then I’m game.” She placed the tip of her index finger on the toe of the bronze beast, doubting Tuesday’s hearing would end well for her. Looking up at The Green Dragon with its wings spread and its jaw agape, she noticed the image of a shamrock on its chest. “A little too precise, don’t you think, Phoebe?” She pointed at the Irish symbol.