Hearsay by Taylor V. Donovan Read Free Book Online Page A

by his office door and took off his scarf and gloves while glancing at the messages Casey had left on his desk. Some clients and several opposition counselors in a few of his cases had called while he was in court and so had Tyler. He'd called five times in the past two hours alone, and that was in addition to the messages he'd already left on Derrick's cell phone.  
    He took a sip of coffee, threw the scarf and gloves on a chair, and opened his email program.
    No messages from the Pro Bono department. Not an "accepted," "denied," or "under consideration." He had gotten absolutely nothing.
    "Casey?" he hollered, taking his suit jacket off.
    His assistant came through the door two seconds after he called her, notepad and pen in hand and an unruffled expression on her face. After three years of working with Derrick, she was used to his aversion to calling her on the speakerphone when she was only a few feet away.
    "Yes, sir!"
    "Did anyone stop by to see me today?"
    "Stephanie Mullen from Intellectual Property came by earlier."  
    Derrick didn't recognize the name. ABC had about a thousand employees, and he didn't know all of them. "What did she want?"
    "She didn't say, but I heard she's collecting donations from all the attorneys, so you better get your wallet ready for when she comes back."
    "Donations for what?"
    "Two things." Casey walked inside the office and handed a paper to him. "Helen from Trusts and Funds gave that to me," she said before he could read it. "Stephanie Mullen is in charge of putting a care package together for Baby Chadwick and also buying the present for Mr. Bradford. You do know one of the bosses is leaving the firm, right?"
    "So I've heard," Derrick muttered. It took great effort, but he managed to control the urge to pull his hair and demand people stop saying Roman was leaving the firm.  
    "The employees want to give Mr. Bradford a little something so he remembers us when he moves to Berlin after his wedding."
    " What ?"
    "Rosario Mendoza from Patents and Trademarks told Scott Caldwell from Labor and Employment that boss Bradford's getting hitched to that Victoria's Secret model he's been dating."  
    Derrick stared at his assistant and bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted copper. Yuck. He'd made himself bleed.
    He knew what Casey had just told him probably wasn't true, but even if it were… even if Roman Bradford was in fact about to tie the knot… Derrick blinked several times and rubbed his hand over his chest. He shouldn't care so fucking much.
    He shouldn't feel like he'd be missing out on something monumental if he didn't do as Tashana told him and make a move before it was too late… if he didn't try to get Roman Bradford to talk to him again.
    "… and, as it turns out, Mrs. Chadwick didn't take the kids to England just to get back at boss Chadwick for hitting her. They moved to Atlanta temporarily so that Baby Chadwick can get the medical care he needs."
    Derrick frowned and stared at Casey. "I'm not following."
    "What are you confused about?" Casey asked. "There are rumors the boss is physically abusing his wife. And their baby's sick."
    "There are rumors Alan Chadwick hits his wife?" He rolled his eyes. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."  
    Casey nodded. "Some people say he has her under his fist, and that's why she's never come to the company holiday parties, so that no one sees the bruises on her face."
    Derrick moved toward the window without offering a reply. Gossip could be rather entertaining some times and he was guilty of indulging in it way too often, but he drew the line at damaging rumors like that one. Besides, it was disgraceful that some had the balls to say that kind of thing about the person who signed their paycheck.  
    "You really didn't know about the kiddo? I only found out a week ago myself," Casey didn't wait for his answer. "Mercedes from the call center intercepted a phone call from a doctor in Georgia. She told Lucy Pollack from