A Storm Is Coming by LaShawn Vasser

racing. How was he going to face Cecily? How was he going to explain to her that her father was killed over a technology he’d helped to discover? He would give anything to have Luciano back. He should have done something to prevent this. But what? He still couldn’t think clearly but one thing he did know…Braylee was right. Nothing was worth a life.
    There was so much Braylee needed to do with the cache of information they’d just received that now was not the time to think about how Alex made her feel. She wasn’t very good with dealing with emotional entanglements, but she was good at one thing. Being a lawyer and she was determined to make good on her promise. She’d help him bring down anyone involved in this madness.
    As they pulled up to the valet of her office building, attendants came to open both her and Alex’s doors. Braylee was expecting him to get out. He didn’t. So, the attendant closed his door.
    “You’re not coming?”
    He blew out a breath, “No. I need to digest everything that I just heard.”
    Worry was evident in her face, “Alex…”
    “I’ll be fine Braylee. I’m just going to...”
    The attendant was patiently waiting for her to get out. With the briefest of hesitations, she reached out, grabbed the handle, and closed her door.
    “Then, I’ll just go with you.”
    “Braylee…”
    “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
    “I’m not in the mood to deal with all of this just yet.”
    “Okay…that’s fine. We can just go wherever you were going and…chill.”
    He looked at her skeptically, “Chill? Do you even know what that is? You do realize that would mean no talking about my case or anything business related right?”
    Braylee fidgeted in her seat, “Don’t be silly. Of course, I know how to chill-out. I can chill with the best of them. I can do casual. No shop talk. Got it.”
    He didn’t believe her for a second. She lived to work. “And no cell phones.”
    “What? Don’t be ridic….”
    “No cell phones Braylee.”
    She stuttered, “No…no…cell phones? But what if….”
    He was firm, “No cell phones or I’ll leave you right here on this curb.”
    Braylee put her hands up in surrender, “Okay okay. No, cell phones.” In a very bad Italian accent she spoke, “I don’t need no stinkin’ cell phone.”
    That brought a small smile to his face, “You’re fluent in Italian. So, what was that?”
    “That was my broken English-Italian. I thought it was pretty good.”
    “It was awful.”
    No nonsense Braylee Hinsdale had just tried to make him laugh. Will wonders never cease? Alex pulled away from the curb heading towards…wherever the car took him.
     

Chapter 11
     
    They’d been driving for no more than five minutes before Braylee started to fidget. He saw her out of the corner of his eyes absentmindedly picking up her phone. Then, apparently remembering the no cell phone rule, so she put it back into her purse.
    A minute later, Braylee did the same thing.
    Alex was surprised it had taken her this long before she started having withdrawals.
    He decided to give her a small reprieve, “Okay…one phone call to Nate. He’s probably freaking out as much as you are.”
    Braylee exhaled loudly, “Oh thank god! Who in their right minds could go this long without their cell phone or computer…it’s just….it’s uncivilized.”
    “Braylee, it hasn’t even been fifteen minutes.”
    She scrolled through and read her texts from Nate first, “Are you kidding? We’ve been away from the office for almost two hours! Have you checked in?”
    “No. I don’t need to. My team is pretty self-sufficient.”
    She was only half listening, “Hmm. Mmm…okay.” And just like that she’d been transported back to her comfort zone. Braylee was no longer listening but fully engrossed in her messages as she spoke to herself, “That file is in my office. Oh…did Francine file that extension? I’ve got to remind her to do that.” She snapped her finger, “Oh