Fool Me Once (First Wives #1)

Lori turned to Trina. “What Mr. Crockett is trying to say”—she glared at the other attorney before swinging back to her friend—“is that outside of murder, he has nothing.” Lori took charge of the conversation. “Is there anything in Alice’s will addressing Trina directly?”


“Several things.”

Lori lifted her eyebrows in question.

“None of which she directed me to deliver yet.”

Trina sat up in her chair. “What does that mean?”

“It means that Alice wrote a series of letters for you to receive in time.”

“You’re kidding?” Lori asked.

“No. Alice was very specific. As executor of her will and wishes, I will honor them to the best of my ability.” Mr. Crockett sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap.

“Do you know what the letters say?”

He shook his head. “No. She wrote them herself, sealed them.”

Trina looked around the office.

“They aren’t here, Mrs. Petrov.”

“I’m supposed to sit back and wait until some letter fairy drops information?”

Lori squeezed her eyes shut momentarily. “That’s the nature of a will. Whoever writes it has final say in everything regarding it.”

“But why?”

“I assure you, Alice had her reasons. I’m sure whatever she has to say to you will make sense once you hear everything.”

Trina stood and started to pace. “I don’t like this, any of this. I didn’t ask for her money. I don’t want her money. I don’t need Ruslan Petrov breathing down my neck.” She turned to Lori. “Or yours! This is stupid. All of it.”

“Mrs. Petrov,” Mr. Crockett interrupted. “There is something you need to know.”

“What?” Trina snapped. “Do I need to stand on one foot and sing ‘Dixie’ now?”

Lori let Trina rant. She would, too, if someone or two someones had taken control of her life the way Fedor’s selfish death and Alice’s choices had.

“Alice’s estate belongs to you. No changes can be made for a minimum of twelve months, or until all the letters that Alice has for you have been received and read.”

Trina held her hands at her sides, fists clenched.

“Is there anything in that stack of papers that will need explanation?” Lori asked him.

“Much of the same. All my t’s crossed and i’s dotted. We thought of every contingency that may have come up.”

Lori’s eyes narrowed. “Including Fedor’s death?”

Mr. Crockett’s eyes lowered. “No. I don’t believe Fedor’s death was anticipated. Unless she says so in her letters to Trina, there is nothing here.”

Trina spun in a circle, grabbed her purse. “I have to get out of here.”

Lori stood, walked Trina to the door.

Outside, a man doubled in size by either steroids or a millennium in the gym pushed to his feet.

“You work with Neil?” Lori asked as Trina started to storm past him.

“I do.”

“Don’t leave her side.”

He pivoted and followed his assignment.

Lori turned back into Mr. Crockett’s office.

“She’s had a hard couple of months.”

He indicated the chair and returned to his seat. “The fact that she’s not jumping at this estate says a lot about her character.”

Lori leaned forward. “What was Alice thinking, Dwight?”

“I’m not completely sure. I tried to talk to her about the concerns of leaving her estate to her daughter-in-law. What happened if she and Fedor split . . . what happens to the estate then? She didn’t listen.”

“Is there anything in the will regarding a possible divorce?”

“There is. If a divorce occurred at any time, half of whatever the estate was worth at the time of the divorce went to Trina, the other half was split between her sisters and Fedor.”

“So she did consider all the possibilities.”

“Damn near. I haven’t found any loophole yet. And I’m looking, since I don’t trust Ruslan not to toss this into court, contesting Alice’s sanity in the end.”

Lori leveled her eyes. “Is there any question of that?”

Dwight rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’ve known Alice for thirty years. That woman was sharp as a tack. Smart beyond her years and pulled away way too soon. But I made sure to have a doctor back up my own knowledge with an evaluation the day after she changed her will.”

“All clean, I’m assuming.”

“Squeaky. Alice did this on purpose. Tell your client to hold tight. She doesn’t have to do anything with Alice’s estate anytime soon. The houses she owns are all being maintained by the money set aside in the estate to do so until Trina takes control.”

“Houses? How many?”

“A few. It’s all spelled out in here.” He removed a second copy of the will and handed it to Lori.

Lori stood, placed the stack of papers in her briefcase. “I’ll be in touch.”

He stopped her before she walked out of the office. “Lori?” She turned. “Ruslan Petrov is a dangerous man. If he is cornering you in my office building, he sees you as a threat.”

“I figured that out.”

“And he despises strong women.”

Lori lifted her chin. “Then he is bound to hate me.”

“Be careful.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Dwight.”





Chapter Eighteen




Lori called the driver from the morning’s commute to drive her to Trina’s estate.

Within a half an hour, she was en route out of the city and on the phone.

“Our client’s father-in-law cornered me,” she told Sam from the back seat.

“Explain ‘cornered.’”

Lori told her about Ruslan’s actions. “I’m not going to lie, he rattled me.”

“I don’t like this, Lori.”

“I’m not exactly a fan either.” She watched the city disappear behind them as they entered the tunnel and left Manhattan.

“Extra security for you.”

“I don’t have anything the man wants.”

“If that’s true, why did he approach you in the first place?”

Lori hesitated.

“I’m calling Neil.”

“Sam!”

“You can argue, but you’re not going to win. Where are you now?”

“On my way to Trina’s.”

“You’re staying with her?”

“I am.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure there’s a shadow for you when you land back in LA.”

Lori groaned.

“Get over yourself. I’ve had a shadow forever.”

“You’re married to a duke,” Lori reminded her.

“As if anyone cares about that kind of thing these days.”

Lori shrugged. “It impresses people I name-drop on.”

Sam laughed. “Text me your flight information.”

There was no use arguing with the woman.

Besides, she was right.

Once Lori hung up, she flipped around in her cell phone until she located her flight information and forwarded it to Sam. Daytime security only. My brother is staying at my place for a couple weeks.

We’ll see. was Sam’s reply.

When Lori pulled up into the gates of Trina’s estate, security met her at the door by name. Trina was still bouncing off the walls.

“I don’t even want this house,” she yelled after Lori explained a few more details of Alice’s will.

“In a year you can sell them all.”

“It’s all a massive responsibility. And now Ruslan is threatening you.”

“Men like Ruslan intimidate through fear. You take away that control by keeping your cool and not letting him see you sweat.”

Trina glared. “Are you telling me you didn’t sweat?”

“I said don’t let them see you sweat. Ruslan is massive and his bodyguards make him look small. Does the man miss a meal?”