The Law of Motion (Law Series) (60 page)

"Darren, we need to get those IDs set up for these gentleman and lady quickly," he told the other guard, who was already pulling out the camera and motioning Jackson, Macon, Ross, Dario, and myself forward. "Alyssa, while they're doing that, tell me what you need for the paparazzi leeches still loitering about on my front steps," he said with a grin.

We all snickered at him; he was quite the likeable old man. Not even twenty minutes later we were taken care of, and heading up to Paul’s—
Alyssa’s
office. “This is where I say goodbye Alyssa.” Paul sighed sadly after finishing his meet and greet. “I have a jet to catch.”

“I think you’ve enjoyed this day a bit too much Paul.” Alyssa half joked as her fingers traced the desk that was now hers, a nameplate already created and everything.

Paul shrugged a shoulder and winked at her. “I wanted this for a while now Alyssa, it may not be the exact way, but I’ll take what I can get. Should you need anything…”

“I know how to get in contact with you,” Alyssa nodded, “though I’m sure that you’ll be following Neil Industries every move.

With a solemn nod and a low ‘good luck’ to us all, he made an exit. “You know, he isn’t really that bad of a guy.” Dario mused after finishing his sweep of the room.

Alyssa didn’t respond, but Tink did. She walked over to the bookcase on the side. “If you can get past his ethical issues, he’s quite extraordinary. I picked this up something off on the floor plans of the office, but he gave us access to it.”
Walking to the bookcase, she reached behind the stack of tax reports on the third shelf and twisted the lock.

"Shut up!" Ross chuckled, rushing forward to peek behind it. "Fuck, I haven't seen one of those in person. Ever. That's fantastic. My father always wanted to build one, but no one ever asked for it."

Tink chuckled at her, shaking her head.  "Well, then, you'll love this..." She pushed on the side of the bookcase, sliding it to the left to reveal a door. "Paul is a nerd to his very bones," She giggled, pointing to not only the key lock, but the pin pad, as well.

Ross looked like a kid at Christmas as she studied the whole mechanism. "Oh, now I wished I'd asked Paul more questions..."

“We can use it to meet here since none of us are supposed to interact with each other publicly.” Alyssa sighed as she entered the code and turned the key, finally opening the door to let everyone in.

"Yeah, he doesn’t just run the company...he played with every fucking toy," Tink laughed, waving everyone in to follow us.

"I think it would be best if Paul's office door was closed before anyone enters or exits the apartment," My dad warned, making sure that we all acknowledged him. I went to secure it myself.

"When you're inside the apartment, you can see what's outside this door," Alyssa told us, closing the apartment door; the bookcase on the other side rumbled back to its original position. Pointing to a small CCTV monitor mounted on the wall, I said, "You can see anyone moving around on the other side. Just press this lever,"—She pushed down on the small lever next to the light switch—"and you can get out."

"Damn," I said, unable to hide being impressed. The shit was exactly what we would need to get anyone out in a threatening situation.

"No shit," Jackson chuckled, shaking his head. "Paul is cooler than I originally gave him credit for."

Liam laughed, patting his shoulder. "He’s an original, that's for sure. Ladies," he said, still snickering, "it's time for you two to get ready. The rest of us should probably remain out of sight until we get those badges."

"This isn't an apartment; it's a freaking penthouse,” Macon muttered, getting chuckles from everyone.

              “So what’s the plan while we’re on ice?” Doc asked looking around the room. “I prefer not to be idle.”

             
I nodded and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Tink, get my dad all of the deals Paul is currently working on so he can start looking them over. Dario, as soon as we get these badges you and I will need to start changing the rotations, no one does their normal routine, we need to see who gets nervous. Alyssa you still need to—"

             
“—Where’s Chance?” Kristen asked looking around.

             
Her voice was down the hall coming from another room, “I’m in here.”

             
I don’t know why my heart skipped the way it did, her voice had been the same dry tone all day when it was just us and we knew it was from being here, but this time it felt different to me. “Baby…” I called leaving them all where they were to go to her.

             
When I found her, she was in what looked like an office. Why Paul would need another office within his office I would never know. She was staring up at the large picture behind the desk and I recognized the lady immediately. Marisol Giselle Espinosa-Marshall, Alyssa’s mother. She looked maybe a few years younger than the photo Alyssa had in her office at Gravity, but not by much.

             
“How did he get this?” She muttered almost angrily. “I took this, for photography class in high school.”

             
“I don’t know, were they talking when you were in high school?” I asked wrapping my arms around her.

             
She shook her head. “No, I heard from him the first time ever after I graduated and mom got sick, then once again after she died. She would have told me if they were speaking, we shared everything. He must have gotten it some other way.”

             
“Well we can find out, Love.” I assured her.

             
She nodded still somewhat distracted. “I think it’s safe to assume that none of the Neil family has been in this apartment, this would be tough to explain to the wife.”

             
I looked around the office, there were a few other pictures, some of Alyssa when she was younger, but none of his other family. “Yeah, I would say so.”

             
I started to assure her that we would get her any answers she needed but Tink came into the office cutting off my thoughts. “Alyssa there is someone—is that Marisol?” She asked noticing the picture behind the desk. “Of course it is. Why is she up there?”

             
“Tink, did you need something?” I asked trying to get her to focus. Though it was a question that we both wanted to know, we didn’t have time to find the answers.

             
She nodded, “Well yes, someone is at Paul’s—well
your
office door.”

             
Alyssa smoothed her hair back making sure that she was still presentable. “Keep everyone in the apartment.” She nodded walking out of the door and sealing the bookcase behind her as she left.

             
We watched her surveillance monitor, and you could see and hear everything outside of the office. The knocking was constant and impatient and I could even hear Alyssa’s own impatient sigh as she walked over to the door.

             
“Hello Alyssa,” A very amused voice responded as she opened the door.

             
Alyssa sighed forcing her voice to civility. “Ah, Scarlett, come in, Rosalia you too.” She walked back around the desk and they entered the office. “I assume there’s something that I can do for you two?”

             
Rosalia looked around, like she was expecting some drastic changes in the office within the hour she’d been in there. Scarlett however, stood with her arms folded across her chest getting straight to business.  “Alyssa Marshall, what exactly is your game?”

             
Alyssa cocked an eyebrow at her, “What are you talking about Scarlett Neil?”

             
“Looks like there’s some family feud shit about to go down…” I groaned looking at the door of the apartment.

             
My dad put a hand on my shoulder, “If anyone can handle it, it’s Alyssa, you can’t blow our position, son.”

             
“I know dad.” I exhaled looking at the exchange between the three girls in a standoff.

             
Alyssa was leaning against the desk looking at both of them, listening to Rosalia, “Look you must understand our position, we have spent our entire lives without even a
mention
of you and now you show up and he wills you Neil Industries and is telling everyone you’re his
daughter
. Then before we can even get a good understanding on how
that
even comes about he decided to take a sabbatical making you active CEO.” Her stance was the most non-threatening as if she were trying to be a peacekeeper.

             
“Though I understand your point Rosalia I don’t really have any more to say on it. He has been worn thin, and asked me to handle things here until his return; anything else we discussed isn’t any of your concern.” Alyssa answered as politically as possible.

             
Scarlett snapped at her, “Like hell it isn’t!”

             
“Scarlett.” Rosalia chastised but her sister just held a hand up to let her finish.

             
“No Rosalia, it
is
our concern. This is
our
family legacy she’s playing with not hers.” Scarlett hissed.

             
Rosalia sighed, “Whether she has a different mother or not, she is still a part of our family. It just needs to be handled more privately than what they are doing.”

             
“What are you,
mom
? We cover up enough crap in this family as it is, we don’t even know if she
is
his daughter Rosalia.”

             
Alyssa rolled her eyes, “If my paternity is the question then you should be talking to Paul, not me.”

             
“Daddy seems sure, so that isn’t the question.” Rosalia responded trying to do some type of damage control.

             
She shook her head. “So we’re just going to ignore what we found on her?”

             
“Found on her?” Kristen asked shooting her head to Tink.

             
Tink shrugged looking at all of the nervous faces hiding in the apartment. “I don’t know.

             
Alyssa cocked an eyebrow at her, “Found on me?”

             
“Yes, your birth certificate. He’s not on it.” Scarlett spat.

             
Alyssa looked lost, “What’s your point?”

             
“My point is that there was no type of DNA indicating who your biological father is.  For all we know, it could be anyone.” She shrugged. “We aren’t sure what type of woman your mother was.”

             
“Oh shit.” Kristen muttered waiting for Alyssa to snap.

             
Doc seconded her. “We should go out there.”

             
“We have to stay put Doc,” Jackson sighed waiting for the same thing we all were.

             
Alyssa’s hands clenched the desk she was leaning on, no doubt three seconds away from putting Scarlett on her ass, not that she noticed because she kept talking. “Was there any type of DNA to prove that he was your father?”

             
“No,” Alyssa said simply, “and I didn’t seek Paul out, he found me, so I’m not
after
anything.”

             
Rosalia chimed in, “Well I’m sure you see where our concerns lie.”

             
“Perfectly,” Alyssa smiled, “and it isn’t a concern of mine. I promised Paul that I would take care of Neil Industries until he returned. You have my word that I’ll take care of your precious ‘legacy’ Scarlett. As far as Paul goes, as soon as he wants it back he can have it.”

             
There was a knock on the door before Scarlett or Rosalia could protest. Alyssa sighed standing straight and walking to open it. “Hey there Miss Marshall, I just wanted to get those security passes up to you right away, you said it was urgent.” It was Ralphie, one of the security guards for the building.

             
“Why thank you.” She smiled taking the large manila envelope from him and starting to close the door.

             
He gave her a subtle cough letting her know he wasn’t finished. “Mr. Watson also thought you would want these.” He handed her three files as he explained. “It’s everyone with upper level security clearance within Neil Tower.”

             
“This is actually very helpful.” She praised, even though it was something Tink pulled up herself before we even set up here. “I actually have something for you to give to Mr. Watson.” Walking over to the desk she put the file inside and placed the manila envelope with our id’s on top as she lifted a stack of files to find the right one to give him.

             
Scarlett huffed impatiently walking over and opening the door wider. “Beat it Ralphie, we’re in a meeting.”  Rosalia just touched the bridge of her nose and sighed.