Impassable Force: Force of Nature Series (2 page)

“You think you know so much? Well, I got news for you. She’s fucking terrified of me and if she hired you to keep tabs on me, then you should also know that you’ll be better off letting me buy whatever you think you have. I won’t allow her to divorce me.” Phil only looked at Randy as he came toward them. The young man looked like he’d take on Carter without breaking a sweat.

“Oh, I’m not an investigator. I’m a lawyer.”
Phil smiled when Carter took a step back. “And she has divorced you. I filed the paperwork myself. You should have been notified when it happened. I’m thinking you might have been lost in the works. Miss Ravenhall is no longer married to you. I’ll have copies of it sent to you when I think about it. Or not. I’m not sure what I’ll do concerning you.”

“No.
You can’t have done that, I know. Someone would have told me. You were supposed to tell me.” Phil shook his head. “There is no way she can divorce me without me knowing it. I put a stop to all the other times, and you can’t do it without me knowing it. You’re full of shit.”

“So you said. Several times as a matter of fact.
But, alas, I don’t play by your rules.” When Carter drew back to hit him, Phil started to stop him, but Randy held his hand over his head until he looked like he was going to break it. “Don’t hurt the idiot. If you do, I might have to hurt him more just to be even.”

Randy laughed and let Carter go.
Even as old as he was with special powers as a vampire, Phil would not fuck with Randy Atkins. He was impassable when he wanted to be. Before he could say anything else, like Phil cared what it might be, the doctor came toward them. He didn’t look like a man who was carrying good news.

“She
won’t settle until she talks to you.” Phil nodded and took the green robe and slippers that he was handed. “Her sister is still in surgery and will…well, I’d like for you to settle her down. So do whatever you can to do that. Lie if you have to.”

“He’s not going in there without me.”
Carter started to shove his body forward, no doubt used to this sort of tactic working for him in the past. But Randy moved him back with a small shove. Phil wasn’t sure, but he thought Randy had let a little of his beast go as well. Carter moved back to the wall and didn’t say a word while Phil entered the small recovery room. The smell of death and blood nearly overwhelmed him.

“Miss
Ravenhall?” When she didn’t answer, he moved closer to the bed. He could see that she was attached to several machines and one of them showed her heart rate. It wasn’t good. He said her name a little louder, and she looked at him.

“Molly? Is she dead?”
He shook his head, not sure what he was supposed to do when he couldn’t lie to her. “She’s my savior. I told you that before.”

“You did.
I filed the paperwork and did just what I told you I would. Everything is in order.” She closed her eyes and smiled. Phil watched her until she opened them again.

“She will be so mad at me.” Phil thought that was an understatement but said nothing.
“I should have listened to her sooner and left him. But I wanted it to work out. No, that’s not true. I didn’t want the press to find out that I’d failed.”

“It’s doubtful that your fans would think you could fail at anything.” She
laughed slightly, and the monitors started beeping. “Miss Ravenhall, is there anything else I can do for you?”

Phil knew that she was as good as dead. There was no way she’d be able to come back from the damage done to her. He was surprised that she
was this coherent. The wrapping around her head did nothing to hide the fact that she’d been shot twice in the head. He could tell there was damage done to her brain.

“I wanted you to do one more thing for me.” He nodded and waited while she seemed to fade out
before she spoke again. It was hard to hear her even with his excellent hearing. “Make Molly understand that what I’ve done for her is what was necessary. She never would take anything from me. I want her to….”

When she faded out this time, the monitors showed that her heart had stopped. Two nurses came into the room
, but before they could shove him away, her heart started beating again. He moved closer to her when the nurse told him she wanted him.

“I’m dead, we both know that.” Phil nodded.
“Tell Molly that she has to live for me. I know that sounds like a line from one of my movies, but she must do it for me. Find a good man and have babies for me.”

“She might not make it.” He couldn’t lie to her. He wouldn’t. The woman wanted more than he might be able to give her.
“Your sister is in bad shape, too.”

Mary smiled at him
, and he felt his heart burst with love for her strength. “She’ll live. She’s much too strong and stubborn not to, but how she lives will be what matters. Tell her to live. Not just breathe.”

This time when the monitors went off
, Phil knew that she was gone. He stood nearby in the event that she did wake again, but the doctor that had come in at some point called her death. Mary Ravenhall was dead.

Phil moved out of the room. Randy was standing against the wall across from him
, and all he did was shake his head. He would understand. Phil stood there trying to get his mind to wrap around that his client was dead and that he’d fallen in love with her a little in the short time he’d known her.

“She wasn’t just a client
, you know.” Randy nodded. “I know that she was only in the office three times, but I swear to you it was as if I’d known her my entire life.”

“Because of some bastard who liked to use her as a punching bag.”
Randy moved away from the wall just as Phil noticed Carter coming toward him. He started to warn Randy to behave, but right now he’d like to take a swing at the man, too. But all Randy did was stand in front of him. It was all it took to have the larger man hit at Randy.

Pressing charges was great. Randy had a bloodied lip to show the police
, and Phil and the rest of the staff told them that Randy had been only standing there when the man had hit him. He was being taken away when Phil realized that he’d not been told his wife was gone.

“He doesn’t deserve to know just yet.”
Phil agreed with the doctor. “I’ve filled out the paperwork with the police. And I’ve given them all the other reports I’ve had on Miss Ravenhall.”

Phil thanked him and went
down the hall to the waiting room. He wanted to be there in the event Molly Barker needed him. She would live even if he had to convert her to make sure she did.

Chapter 2

Randy watched the man who more than likely killed his wife.
He sat in the chair across from him and Phil as if he were the king of the world and he was going to get by with everything. Little did he know that Jodie, Randy’s sister-in-law, who sat at the table with them, was reading his every thought and sending that information to Phil. Randy simply watched.

“You think you can run this th
rough without me saying a word is stupid.” Phil said nothing to the man. “As soon as my lawyer gets here, I’m going to be the richest man in the world. And have the sympathy of the entire world at my beck and call.”

Randy looked at Jodie when she laughed.
She winked at him and then leaned back in the chair as she spoke. “Your lawyer? I’m thinking that you should make another few calls first. The estate lawyer is sitting across from you, and, believe it or not, I don’t think he’s on your side. The one you had coming is being…detained, I guess I’d say.”

“Who the fuck are you?”
Randy stood up when Carter did. “Oh, sit your ass down, boy. When I want something to eat or drink, I’ll have you go and fetch it for me. What the hell is going on around here?”

“As I have told you twice now, you’re here so that the will can be read. I can’t do that without a witness from your side of the table.
Your ex-wife was very clear on that part.”

“She was not my ex-wife. We were still married when she died
, and I’ll have you know that whatever you think you have there isn’t going to stand up in court because I have a good deal more experience with bitches than you do.” Randy had to cover his mouth to hide the fact that he was laughing…and hard. If anyone at this table knew anything about bitches, that would be Phil. He was married to one. And Holly Campbell was only a good bitch when it suited her.

“You
r lawyer is here.” Jodie stood up when a man entered the room. She turned to look at him, and Randy did as well. Whatever had happened to slow him down was showing on his clothes. He looked as if he’d been dipped in mud and if his smell was any indications, some shit as well. By the time he came around the table, even Randy could tell that Carter was pissed off.

“What the fuck took you so long?
I told you to be here at ten. It’s nearly eleven-thirty now.” The other man didn’t answer but sat down. They’d have to get rid of the chair when he left, Randy knew it.

“I’m here now
, so let’s get this finished.” The man looked at Phil before he continued. “I spent the better part of yesterday after the funeral looking for something to indicate that the paperwork you sent me wasn’t legal. But everything seems to be in order. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you.” Phil handed a file full of papers to Carter and his lawyer as Jodie got up to leave. She was nearly to the door when Phil stopped her. “There anything else I need to know?”

“Nope. He’s given it all up.” She looked at him. “This was a great idea. Thanks for letting me be a part of it.”

He’d told Phil that having information would likely save the other woman’s life.
She was barely hanging on as it was, and the guard outside the door to her room had seen to it that she lived longer. Three men had approached the room since she’d been moved to it, and he thought if they could find out how far Carter would go to have her killed, then they might be able to make sure that Miss Ravenhall’s last wish was carried out. And they might be lucky enough to hang the man while they were at it.

“As you can see, Miss Ravenhall filed for divorce over eight months ago. The paperwork had been lost in the courthouse filing system until three months ago. At that time, I filed
another paper showing just cause to have this divorce finalized so that—”

“What the fuck are you talking about?
You can’t have anything finalized without my say. You tell them that.” Carter looked at the lawyer and then at Phil. “You’re a liar. There is no way she’d take the…there is no way.”

“Be that as it may, she had filed for divorce and was granted it by a judge
three months ago.” Randy didn’t take his eyes off Carter. The man was ready to blow.

It was all a fabrication.
In the past week, just after Mary had come to their office, he and Phil had been working around the clock to make things final for the woman. It had taken some fancy mind work on his brother’s part and a good deal of help from some of the wolves that answered to Austin to get things in the correct order. The first divorce papers had been delayed by Carter. He had a man on the inside as well, but Phil had been a good deal stronger and had a lot of magic. Randy thought it was brilliant.

“I want a second opinion.”
Everyone stared at Carter as he stood up. Randy was ready for him to try anything, but he seemed to have more control over himself than they thought. He supposed the night in jail had done wonders for that.

“You can have all the opinions you want
, but right now the locks are being changed on the house, the car you have driven here has been taken, and your credit cards have been canceled.” Phil looked at him. “Did I miss anything?”

“Someone will be taking the jewelry he has on. Remember, it’s a part of the estate now.”
Phil nodded and looked at Carter as Randy ran down his list of things he was supposed to take care of. “You’ll also be banned from the county club as well as anything else that Miss Ravenhall owned. This includes any and all rights to her movies and any deals she was working on. She didn’t put your name on any of that. Smart girl. Speaking of which, you’ll also no longer be welcomed on the lots where she was filming. You’ll find that the money you had stashed overseas is no longer there either. We took care of that yesterday.”

“You
can’t do that.” Phil pointed out that they could and they did. “Well, I want it all back. She was my wife, and as such, I’m taking all of her money as well as all that property she owned. We owned it together.”

“
Actually, you didn’t. Own it together, I mean. She never put your name on anything she had prior to your marriage and since. Like I said, she was a smart girl. I wonder if her lovely sister had anything to do with that? She was a smart woman, too, if you ask me.” Randy stood when Carter did. “Do it. I know you want to, so come on and try to knock me down. You’ll be picking your ass up for months.”

“I want what’s coming to me.”
His spittle ran down his chin as he glared at him from across the table. Randy was not backing down either. The man had killed his wife and tried to murder her sister. And if what Jodie and Reid had figured out was true, this wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll
get what’s coming to you. In due time.” Randy picked up his briefcase when Phil did. The other lawyer looked like he was relieved to have this over with. Randy didn’t really blame him. Randy had known that Carter’s first choice for a lawyer had dropped him right after talking to Phil. The man didn’t think he wanted to go up against him. Randy was learning that Phil was not only a good lawyer but a respected one as well. Randy hoped that he’d be half the man he was when he was out on his own. They were back in the limo going to the office when Phil turned to him.

“I’ve been thinking.
I’d like to have you as a full partner.” Randy was shocked. When he’d first come to work with Phil, he’d told him several times that it was just a place for him to get his feet wet, and Randy had been fine with that. “You could go in halves with me and we’d branch out a bit. I know that you’ve a good many contacts, most of which I envy. But I think we’d make a good team.”

“I’m…I don’t know what to say.”
Phil nodded and handed him a file. “You’ve already drawn up the contracts?”

“Pretty much. I was going to wait and ask you next week when you finished with that trial
, but I couldn’t wait. I want to get this going.” Randy knew that whatever was in the contact between them would benefit him more than Phil. The man had been around for a very long time and had everything he needed. And his daughter and mate were what he treasured most of all.

“I don’t…are you sure about this? What if I lose?” He was afraid that he was going to. He’d gone into this trial with the thoughts of winning. Now he wasn’t so sure. Things had taken a wrong turn yesterday.

“I have no doubt you’ll pull it off. Besides, as you’ve said to me many times, you’re going to live your life as a lawyer, and nothing nor anyone was getting in the way. I’m betting that win or lose at this trial, you’ll still be a better man than most.” Randy flushed. He didn’t do well with compliments and looked away as Phil continued. “Look it over, and if you want to change anything, let me know. I think we can work out anything you want.”

“I’m
moving away.” Phil nodded when he turned to look at him. “I know that family is everything, so please don’t preach that to me again. But they’re all so….”

“Happy?”
Randy nodded. “You don’t think there is someone out there for you to make you equally happy?”

“There was.” Randy had told very few people about Penny.
She’d been the love of his life when he’d been living at home. Reid knew about her, as did CJ. But he’d never told anyone else about his mate. She’d been in his heart since he’d first seen her when they’d both been about six.

“Your father should have gone to prison for killing her. And the fact that the governing body did nothing about him makes me want to find them all and drain them.”
Randy nodded, knowing that even if there was someone out there for him, he wasn’t interested. He had plans for himself, and until he got his bucket list taken care of, there was no way he was looking either.

He was standing in his makeshift
office when his phone rang. He didn’t want to talk to Austin right now. After last night when he’d left the house, he was sure whatever he had to say to him was just going to piss him off more. He was well within his rights to leave the pack whenever he wanted.

“You going to be childish or listen to me?”
Randy almost hung up but stopped when he heard Austin say his name. “We don’t want you to leave us, can’t you see that?”

“I can
, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to.” Randy thought it was becoming harder and harder to remember the reasons for leaving, but he was going to leave. “I have plans, Austin. More than I tried to tell you about last night. I want to see the world, and I can’t do that from an office here in Ohio.”

“Just give us another year.
Your brother needs you now more than ever. And CJ. She will go nuts with one of her babies gone.” CJ was like a mother to him, though she was only a few years older. But she’d saved his and Reid’s life and he’d never be able to repay her. Austin too. “Please?”

Another
year. He’d been leaving for two now, since he’d gotten his boards back. First, it had been to wait for his nephew to be born. And while he’d waited until his first birthday, then his second, Randy was growing more and more used to being a part of their lives. He wanted to live his own life, and staying here wasn’t a part of his plan.

“I have to go. There’s a client I have to see.” He
had to go to the hospital and see Miss Barker. They were moving her to her own room today and Phil had asked him to go and make sure it was smooth sailing for her. He’d be glad when she woke up. The poor woman was going to have to deal with so much when she did.

After hanging up the phone
, he went to get his jacket. He’d never met the woman before and was actually looking forward to seeing her. Phil had said she was a real beauty. He was pulling into a parking space when his phone rang again. This time it was Phil.

“She’s sort of awake.”
Randy asked him what that meant. “She’s in and out of it, but when she’s in, she keeps asking for her sister. No one has told her yet that she died.”

“So I’m guessing you want me to tell her.”
Phil laughed. “I see. And how do I do that? Nice and easy? Or do I just rip the Band-Aid off and tell her that way.”

“I’m sure you can figure it out. She’s pretty upset according to the doctor
, so I’m betting she might have figured it out by now. Oh, and while you’re there, someone said that a new staff member has been lurking around her bed. Try to figure out if it’s Carter. I’m betting he’s read the fine print by now and knows that Miss Barker got all the money and everything else.”

Randy told him he would.
As he moved off the elevator, he saw the man. He had no idea why he knew it was someone that was there for the girl, but he did. Moving toward him at a slow, lazy pace, Randy was nearly by him when he grabbed him and tossed him against the wall. The gun with the silencer fell out of his pocket just as Randy snapped his head against the wall.

“
And just what were you planning to do with that?” The man grunted but said nothing. “I’m betting you had a date with one of the people on this floor and I fucked it all up for you.” Another snap of his head hitting the wall and Randy let him up. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Fuck you.”
Not a good answer, especially for the mood he was in. Slamming his head against the wall again, Randy asked the would-be killer once more. This time he got an answer, and it was just what he had expected.