Averie
Three days after the shooting…
“The last time I stood in front of you in this room, I was asking for your help with a case that Samuel and I were working on together. I’m back this time requesting assistance for a different reason. Samuel considers you all family, and since you are family, I felt like you should hear the information on Samuel’s condition firsthand. I would like to introduce Doctor McIntyre. He is Samuel’s primary physician. I wanted you all to hear about his condition straight from the source. Let me be very clear with my next statement. The information that you will receive will not leave this building or be shared with anyone that is not family. If this information is shared I will find out and believe me, you don’t want these problems. Samuel is a lion and will pounce on you when he finds out. I, however, am a lioness, I hunt and then pounce. Don’t make me hunt you. Doctor McIntyre, please,” I motioned to the front of the room.
Doctor McIntyre explained Samuel’s condition in detail. He also talked about his prognosis.
“Visitors, of course, are discouraged but please send him your prayers and your good vibes,” Doctor McIntyre concluded.
“Thank you, Doctor McIntyre. So now we are all up to speed on Samuel’s condition. Vivian, his mother, thanks all of you for your calls, text messages, gifts and flowers. We don’t know if Samuel was targeted or if this shooting was random. The police are working hard to find a suspect, but right now, they still don’t have anyone in custody. The best way for us to help Samuel at this moment is to work. Work hard. Dig in and win your pending cases. Find a way to sign those pending clients and make money. Let the whiff of money being stockpiled here at VLG make its way to Samuel’s nostrils and rouse him from his sleep. I will be available as a resource, but Xavier will be your source. He will run the day to day until Samuel returns. I just wanted to pop in to give you a quick update and encourage all of you. Continue to do what Samuel expects from you.”
* * *
“Canwe all be seated so we can get this meeting started?”
After my meeting with VLG, I went straight to my office for a staff meeting.
“Before we get started, Averie, we would like you to know that we are sorry for what’s happened to Mr. Valentine. If there is anything that any of us can do, please don’t hesitate to let us know,” Shelly, one of my associates, said.
I looked around at the women seated at the table. At one point, I considered them all friends, but now, with Caroline’s scheming, I didn’t know who to trust. I didn’t know if she had acted alone or had pulled someone in to assist her.
“Thank you, Shelly. As all of you know, these have been some trying times for us as a firm and for me personally. We’ve fought to regain our footing after we lost some cases and some of our clients. Our footing is solid, and I want that to continue even if I’m not around every day. I am depending on you to make that happen. I want all of you to understand that I haven’t lost sight of any of you. I don’t want anyone to think that because my life is full that I’m not paying attention. I am.”
Looking around the room, I made eye contact with everyone in the room. I stayed with Caroline a little longer because I needed her to understand my message.
“I’m still very much aware of what’s going on,” I finished.
“Sure but all of this going on with your personal life and then trying to run a firm has to be taxing. We are all here to help and step in whenever and wherever we are needed,” Caroline said.
I paused for a moment to collect myself because what I really wanted to do was jump across the table and punch her in the face. I got my thoughts together then I spoke.
“If I need help, I will ask. Right now, I’m good. My request is that you please stay in your lane. Do what you do and don’t come into mine. The way my driving skills are set up, I will run you over without hesitation or remorse. We came together to prove that we could run a firm even with children, periods, relationships and everything else that men try to use to discount us. For me, I’m just having one of those moments. I will be fine. Let’s just keep our heads down and work, cool?”
Everyone nodded in agreement. The rest of the meeting progressed well. After it was adjourned, Caroline stayed behind.
“Averie, I just want you to know that I didn’t mean to get you all riled up with my comment of support. We all could use a little help sometimes.”
“If I seemed riled up to you then you don’t know me as well as you think you do. You’ve never experienced me riled up and let’s hope for your sake that you never do. Like I said during the meeting, stay in your lane and you will be fine. Cross in front of me, and you will regret it. That’s a guaranteed promise.”
* * *
“I’ve already toldyou that you are not welcomed on this floor without an appointment, Ms...”
“Mrs. Leathen, I don’t care about an appointment, I need to see Averie Patterson.”
I walked out of my office and overheard the security guard speaking to someone. We’d made an agreement with the building security that no one was allowed to come up on this floor without an appointment. It was one of the security measures we put in place after the attack. Whoever they were talking to never should have made it onto this floor.
“As I have already explained Mrs. Leathen you have to call and make an appointment before you can get past us. We will physically remove you from this floor,” one of the security guards explained.
I rounded the corner and recognized Jennifer Leathen, Barry’s wife. Her picture was on his desk, and I’d seen her at some functions we’d all attended.
“Averie!” she called out when she saw me.
There was no way I was letting her past security. I never thought that Barry would have attacked me. I underestimated him. I wasn’t doing that with Jennifer. She probably was just as crazy as he was.
“Has she been checked?” Laila barked at security.
“Yes, ma’am, she has,” one of them answered.