“Whoa.” Faith leaned forward now, fully engaged. “Is that true?”

Tim spoke right over her as he continued his lawyerly pitch. “They have pull. You could lose the support of your partners. There is a huge downside for you here, Jessa.”

This was shaping up to be one of those get-togethers. Faith and Tim, both extroverted and chatty, shot comments at each other, over and around Jessa, until she wondered if they even needed her here for the conversation.

“Are your fellow partners putting pressure on you?” Jessa asked Tim because that was the only question in her head at that second. The one that sat out there, blinking and begging for attention. “Poor Tim and his big, important firm.”

Faith whistled as she sat back hard in her chair. “Oh, shit.”

“Fine.” Tim’s gruff voice sounded the exact opposite of fine. “Yes, your continuing with this case could be . . . problematic for me. For both of us, actually.”

Jessa lost interest in her drink, this outing . . . this topic.

He reached out and put his hand over hers. “If this case goes sideways on the Bartholomews, which they don’t expect because they always get what they want, they will destroy you. Head-on, behind-the-scenes, through me. It won’t matter how.”

Jessa tried to block out the sound of his voice. She looked around him, searching for the waitress. “We should order.”

His hand dropped away from hers. “I’m not the asshole here.”

Faith made a humming sound. “Are you sure?”

Jessa wasn’t in the mood to console Tim and protect his ego, but she did it anyway. Her hand slipped to his leg, and she gave his thigh a little squeeze. “Trust me. I can handle Darren.”

Tim’s expression didn’t change. “I hope you’re still saying that a month from now.”

Chapter Seven

BREAKING NEWS: TECH BILLIONAIRE FOUND DEAD—Washington, DC

Alexander Carlisle, 49, founder and CEO of The Carlisle Collective, who sold his online gaming company for nearly a billion dollars two years ago and recently announced his intention to start a production company and enter the Hollywood arena, was found dead at his Georgetown home this afternoon. Sources at the scene who asked not to be identified said the death was the result of what is believed to be an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the pelvic area. Carlisle was alone in the property’s guesthouse at the time of the incident.

Carlisle’s wife, Ingrid, told witnesses at the scene that her husband did not own a gun and there were no guns on the property. The police have reassured the community that this is not an ongoing dangerous situation.