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The woman looked down the table at Mr. Brown. “We’ll be sure to put you at the center of that liability for failure to properly investigate.”
“We shouldn’t do this in front of them,” Mr. Peters said, and other board members nodded. “However, based on Mr. Raven’s statement that I find to be authentic, I support the six-month suspension and one-year probation.”
“Second…or is it third?” another member said.
“That’s still too much,” Hunter said. “She’ll lose her practice if she can’t see people for six months.”
“Hunter, please.” I willed him to sit down and be quiet.
“No, God dammit. This isn’t right.”
I stood. “I accept this censure and punishment. I’ll refer all my clients to new resources tomorrow.” I’d already let my clients know it was a possiblity that I’d be taking a leave, so they wouldn’t be blindsided by my quick departure.
The woman rapped her gavel to adjourn the hearing.
I turned to leave, hoping Hunter would follow.
“Wait. There must be something else,” he said.
“Mr. Raven, the meeting is over. Ms. Reynolds has accepted the ruling. You should too,” Ms. Johnson said.
“But it’s wrong. It’s my fault. Jesus…” He paused, and I hoped that meant he was giving up.
“Come on, Hunter,” I said as I reached the door.
“What will it take?” he asked.
I closed my eyes hoping against hope that the board didn’t see his question as a bribe.
31
Hunter
Thursday
The asshole, Brown, leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you bribing us?”
“Are you offering to take a bribe?”
“Oh, God,” Grace said from behind me.
“You’re treading on thin ice, Mr. Raven,” Mr. Douchebag said.
“You’re the one talking about bribes,” I quipped. “They all heard it too,” I said nodding to the other members.
“I think it’s best if you leave now, Mr. Raven,” the head lady, Ms. Johnson said.
I was about to argue, but Grace snapped at me. “Hunter! You can’t fix it. You’re only making it worse.”
Her words stabbed me, and yet, I realized she was right. Not just now, but in everything I did. I’d tried to stop my platoon from engaging the enemy, and instead of listening, they went in more gung-ho and yippee-ki-yay than when we’d arrived at the village. I tried to protect Chase from a woman I thought was a gold-digger and ended up costing him his unborn child. And now, with Grace, I wanted to save her career; the thing she’d worked so hard for, sacrificing her personal life for, and I could see Mr. Butthead Brown chomping at the bit to punish her more.
I gave the head woman a curt nod and headed out of the room behind Grace.
“I need a minute,” she said heading into the bathroom without waiting for me to respond. Clearly, I was in the doghouse.
I leaned against the wall to wait for her, checking messages on my phone, when I saw Mr. Asshole start to approach me. Worried about what might transpire, I hit the record button on my phone.
“Mr. Raven.”
I only nodded in response.
“You think you’re above the law.”
“I didn’t break a law,” I pointed out calmly. “I’m just fighting an injustice.”
“Before this is done, I’ll see her licensed is revoked.”
My first thought was to rip his head off, but I took those deep breaths Grace taught me. “For what reason? Because I love her enough to want to fight for her?” I hated that he was hearing I loved her before she did.
“Because what you represent is what’s wrong with this society.”
“It’s people like you that make me wonder why I allowed myself to get shot at and blown up in Iraq.”
He jerked back. Clearly, he didn’t know I was ex-military.
I laughed. “Are you going to thank me for my service now?”
He frowned. “You’re not well, which is all the more reason that Ms. Reynold’s behavior is reprehensible. I’ll be appealing the decision and recommending full revocation.”
I nodded. “Who are you again?” I asked using every bit of strength I had to keep from shoving my fist down his throat.
“Stuart Brown. Remember that, Mr. Raven.”
“Oh, I will.” I held my phone up and showed him the recording. I hit the stop button because there was no sense in recording what I might say next.
His eyes widened in shock, and his nostrils flared. “You can’t do that. It’s against the law.”
“To record in a public place? No, I don’t think it is. But if you’d like to sue me, I’ll call my lawyer now. But before we do, let’s go talk to your boss, so I can share this recording with her.”
“This isn’t over.”
I leaned over him, and finally saw the fear I wanted to see in his eyes. “Go after me all you want, you little weasel, but if you hurt Grace, I’ll ruin you.” I waved the phone at him so he understood I meant professionally.
The door opened, and Grace walked out.
