“It’s nice to meet you,” I said. “Thank you.”
“When Vince said he needed help with a friend, I didn’t hesitate,” Charlie said. “Let me see the papers and explain what’s going on.”
There was a presence about him that made me feel confident. I sat at the chair across the desk from him and briefly explained the situation as he read over the papers. Vince kept his arms crossed, looking for all the world like an enforcer or my bodyguard. Finally, the lawyer looked up at me and gave a nod.
“I can understand why receiving these papers was upsetting to you. Unfortunately, that was the intention. The whole purpose behind these documents was to rattle you,” he said.
“So, they aren’t real?” I asked, confused.
“Oh, no. They are very much real. But they aren’t the end all be all. What it looks like to me is they are trying to bully you with legal jargon. Don’t be afraid. We can fight this,” he said.
We talked for a little while longer before getting back in the truck. I still felt stunned when Nick and Vince dropped me back off at the bar. We all climbed out, and Nick gave me a hug.
“We’ve got your back,” he said. “Anything you need. You let me know. And no more arguing about taking my help.”
“I know,” I said. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“Charlie and I will be here for you in any way we can,” Vince said. “Whatever we can do, you’ve got it.”11VinceLindsey was going through enough right then. She didn’t need anyone around her ranting and raving to add more drama to her situation. Which was why I fought with everything in me to stay calm as we drove her back to the bar. Visiting the lawyer was obviously tough. It wasn’t something anybody would be able to just breeze through and not experience emotion over it. Hell, I experienced emotion myself, and I didn’t even have a real stake in the game.
Not that I didn’t want to. In my heart, I was absolutely involved in what was going on. Lindsey might not realize it, but when I promised her I would be there for her, it wasn’t just because she was my brother’s best friend. Of course, she was important to Nick. That made her important to me. But it was far more than that. Seeing her hurt was awful. I couldn’t even describe it any way other than that. It cut me deep to the bone and stoked a fire in my belly like nothing I’d ever faced.
Sitting there in the lawyer’s office was a test of my self-control. What I wanted to do was completely lash out. Charlie had been my lawyer for years, and while most people saw a quiet old man, I knew him differently. I knew the intense side of him, the side that latched onto cases and causes he was passionate about and wouldn’t let them go. That made me want to just let it all out. But I held it back. I let Lindsey talk and gave them space. My jaw ached with how hard I clenched my teeth to keep from talking, and I could feel my pulse in the vein along the side of my neck.
It didn’t get any better on the way to the bar. Charlie was calmly optimistic, but I could still see the fear and anxiety on Lindsey’s face. She had some relief in her eyes, but it looked like she was guarded. She was trying to protect herself from getting too hopeful and being hurt again.
When we dropped her off, I promised to help her. I made sure she understood I was there for her, no matter what she needed. I wanted to do anything I could for her, anything that would make this situation easier. No matter what it took, I wanted to get that pain out of her eyes. I wanted the fear gone.
Honestly, I was proud of myself for how well I held my temper as we made our way back to the Freeman Racing compound. No matter how angry I was, letting my emotions get the best of me didn’t mix well with being in a moving vehicle. I kept everything inside until we pulled into the parking lot at the complex. As soon as my feet hit the pavement, everything exploded out of me. Before Nick was even out of the car and the driver’s door shut, I blew.
“What kind of fucking asshole does something like that?” I asked. “How could somebody call themselves a man and then be that slimy? He didn’t even give her the respect and dignity of talking to her face. He’s so spineless he couldn’t even pick up the phone. Even that would have been unacceptable. Even that would have shown how much of a coward he is. He should have met with her, looked her in the face, and told her he wanted to take her son away from her.”