Mercy

Mercy was running late, a first for her. She'd made it halfway to work, early as usual, and stopped to get a coffee. Light cramping and a bit of movement had sent alarm bells off and she'd fled to the bathroom to discover her period was a week and a half early. She was NEVER early. Worse, she had leaked through onto her skirt. A black skirt, but if you looked you could still see.

Racing back home, she'd changed quickly, taken care of her needs and ran out the door stuffing tampons in her purse.

She was newish in the building, the most new employee at the medium size firm. Still, she'd been there a month now and made a few friends. All had warned her about today and how they liked to play small jokes on the newer people or young women. April fools was a day to cut loose and have a little fun in a normally reserved and quiet office full of younger attorneys and employees.

Instead her body decided to get in on the fun and make her day into an even bigger joke.

Turning on her phone to look at the time, she waited impatiently for the slow elevator.

16 minutes late.

She was NEVER late!

It stressed her out and made her absolutely sick!

When the elevator finally arrived, she lept in and hit her floor, then spammed the 'door close' button.

As it closed, a calm hand intercepted it and forced it to open again, irritating Mercy to no end.

She immediately schooled her expression as the doors opened to reveal an attractive young man in an expensive suit, obviously a client. She knew he didn't work here, she would have seen him. Noticed him. He was exotic looking and ridiculously hot with his tied back longish hair and dark eyes.

Peeking at him again as the doors closed, Mercy frowned. There was a curve of a tattoo just visible above the man's collar. This was NOT the sort of place that did business with men who had neck tattoos, no matter how nice they cleaned up in expensive suits...

Was this part of some joke?

Looking him over again, the man turned to her and looked her over, his lip curling in an amused sort of disdain.

He looked... dangerous. Not like a joke at all, but like someone here for trouble.

No one here would deal with a man like this, would they?"

The man reached out and hit a button, stopping the elevator, then turned to Mercy and grabbed her by the throat, his hand moving like a viper. Pushing her back to the wall of the elevator, he leaned over her menacingly.

"It seems to me that girls with too much curiosity today may need a lesson in minding their own business," he growled, his accent odd. "Will you need a lesson?" he asked, reaching down with his free hand to fish in her purse as she gripped his wrist, hoping he didn't choke her out. Tampons tumbled out to the floor, horrifying her even in this situation as he finally pulled her wallet out and flipped it open. "Mercy?"

"I won't! I was late getting here and I never saw a soul! I rode up alone," she promised him, terrified of the dangerous look in his eyes. She was staring into the face of a killer, she knew that.

"Mercy Covington," he murmured, looking over her ID. "I will remember you. If things do not go as planned, I will come for you. Do you understand?"

"Sir, I swear, I never saw you," she promised, closing her eyes as he moved closer, his lips on her ear.

"You will stay silent," he hissed. "You will go about your day like it is a normal day."

Standing back, he released her, then dumped her purse out on the floor before hitting the button on the elevator. Stepping off on his own floor, he never looked back at all as Mercy let out a half sob. When the door opened on her floor, she was on her knees trying to pick her things up, shaking like a leaf.

No one seemed to notice she was late in her office, everyone laughing over a joke someone had pulled in the coffee room with donuts.

"Who even falls for that on April fools?" Marney demanded, rolling her eyes. "Never eat what someone brings in today! Especially not donuts that aren't even in a box from a donut shop."

"Mers? You ok?" Jeremy asked, his humor wilting as he looked over Mercy.

"Fine," she managed, turning on her computer.

"Someone get you already?" he asked, moving closer and hovering like he liked to do. Jeremy was her boss, but he'd made it clear he'd like to be a lot more.

"Only mother nature," she managed a tight smile. "Sorry I'm late, I had to run back home when I started my period and bled through," she told him, hoping the TMI would make him back off.

"Shit, that sucks," he commiserated. "You need anything? I can have my intern run and get you some midol or some coffee? Anything you need, say the word."

Mercy let out a small sigh, but smiled. "Thanks, Jeremy, but I have it covered," she told him, hating that he was just such a nice freaking guy for a lawyer. Hating that she had no interest in him at all. It wasn't just that he wasn't attractive, he was just always there and didn't know how to back off. Hovering and forcing his presence on her constantly. He never crossed the line into inappropriateness, but he also never backed off an inch or just let her have some breathing space.

"Still, I know you always bring your coffee in with you from One Bean Hombre, I will send Kelsey to grab you one, ok? I know your usual order. Do you want anything besides? A croissant? Do they have pastries there? Some chocolates maybe? I heard girls like chocolate when they're cramping and feeling..."

"Jeremy, back off of her," Joel laughed. "When a girl is bending over backwards like that, it means you're too close."

"Sorry!" Jeremy breathed, taking a step back, his face horrified.

"I don't need anything, Jeremy, really. Thanks," Mercy promised him, opening her emails to start her morning work.

"I'll still have Kelsey grab you a coffee. I want one too, so it's no big deal."

"From One Bean Hombre?" Mercy asked, an eyebrow high. "You know they don't do fancy stuff there, it's just pure black coffee, strong and..."

"Oh, yeah. I know," he smiled.

Mercy shrugged then, smiling at her computer. Jeremy was NOT the type to drink black coffee, not at all. Especially not as strong as they made it at her favorite place. Still, it would be fun to watch his face when he tried it.

As soon as he backed off to go text Kelsey, Mercy stared at her screen and thought about the man in the elevator. The terrifyingly scary hot guy. Who was he? What did he want? Why was he here?

A message popped up, a memorandum about mandatory softball leagues and everyone had to sign up by the end of day.

Mercy rolled her eyes and closed it. These people had no imagination when it came to pranks.

Or did they?

Was dangerous hottie a prank? A prank they were playing on her? Waiting for her to come in and send up the elevator with her?

Of course he was! That made so much more sense! Hazing the new girl, covering with stupid little pranks that were worthy of 3rd graders.

Laughing it off, she wondered who had thought that one up.

At lunch time, Jeremy came out and hovered, leaning over her like only a tall man could do to a tiny woman. "Hey, Mers," he smiled, blushing furiously. "A bunch of us are going up to Shenanigans for lunch. It seems appropriate. You could ride with me if you want?"

"Who else is riding with you?" Mercy asked, turning to look up at him.

"Oh... ummm... anyone who wants to, I guess?"

"Marney? You riding with Jeremy to lunch?"

"Where's lunch?" Marney asked, lighting up. She was never invited to go with to lunch, she was always so sour and grumpy.

"Shenanigans."

"That place is lousy, we should go to Applebees!"

"Everyone decided on Shenanigans," Jeremy grumped.

"I didn't, we should re-vote," Marney demanded.

"It's April fools, Shenanigans just fits the day," he sighed. "It's where we're all going, you can come if you want to, or not."

"Fine, but I get to ride up front, I get motion sick."

"Kelsey!" Mercy called to the awkward girl bringing up inner office memos to Jeremy. "Are you riding with us to lunch?"

"Me?" she asked, gaping.

"Yeah, of course. Jeremy's driving."

"I can't afford it," the girl blushed.

"I'll cover it," Jeremy shrugged, giving Mercy a forlorn look.

"Great, let's go!" Mercy smiled, hooking her arm through Kelseys.

Kelsey looked astonished, but excited as they piled into the elevator.

Jeremy's coterie of coworker friends seemed completely confused as Jeremy led the three women in to their large table. A few of the men had a woman with them, ones they were flirting with in office and in John's case, his secretary that everyone knew he was cheating on his wife with. Jeremy's secretary, Marney, was almost three times his age and a complete buzzkill. Kelsey was the niece of Mr Livingston and that was the only reason she'd gotten the internship that was usually reserved for someone much less awkward and... a little smarter. Perhaps a lot smarter.

They'd all expected him to show up with only Mercy and she knew it as she looked around the table. The important men in the building and their 'side pieces' or girls they were wanting to get into bed. No one was bringing extras.

Jeremy looked sick as he sat down and Mercy put Marney between them.

Derren snorted a laugh. "Happy April Fools," he sneered at Jeremy, lifting a glass of beer to him.

Jeremy flipped him off grumpily from the other side of his menu.

The lunch was awkward with Kelsey talking the entire time about the boy she had a crush on and asking for advice. The men kept chiming in with ridiculous advice and Kelsey was taking it all to heart until Mercy finally spoke up.

"Don't listen to any of them, Kels. It's April Fools and they're all acting like 12 year olds, don't listen to a word they say today. Ok?"

"Oh... yeah, I guess it is, isn't it? Is that why you invited me along? As a joke?"

"No, Kels, it was to include you on a fun lunch. I don't play those kinds of jokes and I would never mess with a guy who did. They're childish and petty and cruel, not funny."

"Never get involved with a guy who celebrates today," Marney told Kelsey. "They're immature and worthless."

"How long have you been married now, Marney?" Derren asked lightly.

"You well know I've never found a man good enough to marry! As I see it, men are mostly just a lot of trouble and just not worth it. Even the good ones just aren't worth the trouble."

Mercy smiled at Kelsey. "If you like him and things are meant to be, all you can do is be yourself. Trying to pretend to be someone you aren't now will only make him resent you later. You're perfect as is and if he doesn't see it, then the right man is still out there waiting, ok?"

"But I really like him a lot!"

"Have you tried offering him a BJ?" Derren sniggered.

"Not appropriate!" Mercy snapped, her face going red.

Franklin, smacked Derrens arm. "Shut up, Dare! You trying to get HR called? What the fuck, man?"

"It was a joke, chill the fuck out. It's April Fools, they all know it was a joke."

"It was still inappropriate," Marney scowled. "And you should know better! How many sexual harrassment suits did we handle last year?"

"I was just offering her frank advice. No guy will say no to a BJ."

"Shut the fuck up, asshole!" Franklin hissed as Todd jumped up.

"He's had too many to drink is all. We're taking him back now, ok? He didn't mean any of it, he's just being an ass," Todd promised, helping Derren stand and leading him out, Franklin hurriedly flagging down the waitress for the bill.

"Jeremy," Luke scowled, his eyes going over the three women with Jeremy.

Jeremy blushed and looked down. "They're all my guests and they know he didn't mean anything by it. They won't say anything."

Mercy sat up indignantly, looking at Jeremy in astonishment. "You have no right to speak for us that way! If we..."

"If you value your fucking job," Luke hissed, leaning up, "then this was never a fucking issue. Why the fuck did you bring the old bitch and the kid, Jeremy?" Luke demanded harshly.

Jeremy turned red, anger in his features now. "I only invited Mercy... she invited the other two... I just..."

"You need to get over your infatuation with that little bitch, she keeps blowing you off. She isn't interested and she's playing you for a fool. This becomes a thing and it's on your head and her head, you understand me?"

"It won't," Jeremy scowled, standing up. "I need my check too," he told the waitress as she walked up. "Me and these three ladies."

"I'll get my own," Mercy snarled, then went to get her wallet out.

Her wallet was gone.

"I have it, I invited you," Jeremy snapped irritably. "All of you go wait in my car!"

Mercy stood, glaring around the table, then left. Marney and Kelsey were right behind her, but they hesitated when Mercy kept walking. Out of the lot to the sidewalk and the 14 blocks back to their building.

Marney caught up without a word, but Kelsey was panicking. "He said get in his car? What if he fires me? I don't care about what that guy said, I mean, it might even work? If I learned how? We should go back and wait? Get in his car?"

"Don't ever let a man push you around, kid," Marney spat. "Fuck all those cocksuckers."

Mercy blinked at Marney in astonishment, but silently agreed fervently.

A moment later, Jeremy pulled up next to them. "Mers! Please get in so we can talk about this? It's literally worth my job if you..."

"No one is going to rat you out," Marney yelled at him, hitting his car with her purse. "Just fuck off you little weasel!"

"You can't talk to me like that!" Jeremy told her angrily.

"Or what? You'll fire me? I do my job and I do it well, but I'll be damned if I let you little fuckers bully me because YOU fucked up, you little shits! And for fucks sakes, leave Mercy alone, she can't stand you! I've literally watched her dump hand sanitizer on her arm where you touched her after you left, grimacing like she would never get that spot clean again! You repulse her and she's too nice to say it to you!"

"Mercy?" Jeremy called, sounding heartbroken. "Can you get in so we can talk?"

"Leave me alone, Jeremy," Mercy growled.

"At least tell me none of you are going to go to HR about Derren?"

"You're lucky if she doesn't go to HR about you! I'd back her up, they way you're always right up her ass every single day, leaning over her and half trying to dry hump her right in the office!" Marney yelled at him. "Fuck off!"

Jeremy pulled away, speeding off angrily and Mercy gave Marney a reassessing look. She rather liked the blunt and abrasive older woman now.

"He was so pissed," Kelsey whined.

"Not at you and there's jack shit he can do anyway. We have him by the balls. I think I'm going to ask for a fucking raise. I deserve one, hard as I work and long as it's been since I got one. You too, Mercy, you deserve one just for putting up with his panting all day, nevermind the extra work they have you doing."

Mercy only sighed. What she wanted to do was make sure Derren never spoke to an impressionable young lady like that again, make sure he didn't get away with treating people like that. All of them. Treating them like they were less because they were 'good old boys' and had their little inner circle and they could treat people how they wanted. And if you didn't like it, they would squash you like a bug.

Fuck that.

She didn't want a raise, she wanted heads to roll. Derren and Luke first among them. Jeremy's too if he thought their behavior was ok.

Assholes.

"What the fuck is this now?" Marney demanded, less than a block from their office building. There were police cars everywhere and ALL of the employees were out on the sidewalks, milling around.

Mercy felt a little sick as they walked up, Kelsey running ahead of them.

Mark and Lee met them coming up the walk.

"There you two are!" Lee breathed, looking over Mercy worriedly. "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?" Mercy asked the taller woman who immediately stroked her hair.

Lee was a bit of an enigma to Mercy. She was out and proud, a lesbian who loved to tell everyone all about it. Mercy had respected that about her. She'd politely declined a date, but somehow Lee had started treating her like a... pet or something. Every time she was close, Lee would hug her and hold her close, petting her curls of toying with them, scratching her back lightly. If it was a man, she would have said something. If she'd felt it was overt, she would have said something. But it was just... literally like Lee saw her as a cute little pet now that she liked to play with. She was never pushy or inappropriate, beyond the fact that she touched without permission. Mercy didn't know what to make of it at all.

"Mr Livingston!" Mark whispered.

Mark was the Yin to Lee's Yang. The only gay male in the office, they made themselves into a weird power couple and their super power was gossip. Everything Mercy knew about covert love affairs and who was banging who came from Lee and Mark. Usually Mark while Lee was stroking her somewhere.

"What about him?" Marney demanded.

Mark spared the older woman a glance, but looked back down to Mercy as he leaned close.

"He was found murdered in his office! His eyes carved right out of his head!"

"Bullshit," Marney spat, crossing her arms.

Lee snorted. "You think we got all of FPD to show up to pull off an April Fools joke?" she demanded, sliding her fingers in to play over Mercy's neck, massaging gently.

"It's true!" Mark went on. "They said he'd been locked in his office all morning, quiet. They thought he was busy, working. When his secretary looked in to see if he wanted lunch, she found him there pinned up on the wall like one of his big art displays, his eyes carved out! They cleared out the whole building except that floor, asking questions. We've been watching as they come down one at a time! Sue is still in there, Gary said she was just a complete mess!"

"You would be too if you saw your boss carved up and hanging on the wall like a statement," Lee told him.

"What I want to know is who would do that? What had he gotten into and fucked up nine ways to Sunday to get himself done in that way?" Mark asked.

Mercy went cold all over as she remembered the man from the elevator. The man who'd gotten off on the 5th floor. Mr Livingstons floor.

"Where's Kelsey?" Mercy made herself ask, feeling light headed. "Someone needs to find her so she isn't alone when she finds out about her uncle."

"Oh that poor darling," Mark sighed.

"I'll find her," Marney scowled, wading into the mass of people that Mercy didn't want to try and get through.

"Mercy! Mers, there you are!" Jeremy breathed, hurrying around the throng to her. "Did you hear?"

Lee had pulled Mercy in close, hugging her to her chest when Jeremy got close. Like she knew Mercy didn't like Jeremy and she was protecting her.

"I heard," Mercy told him. "But HR is 3rd floor. They're all out here somewhere. Lena is out here somewhere, and I intend to find her sooner rather than later."

"Mercy! Can we please talk before you do anything rash?"

"What happened?" Mark demanded, hands on his hips.

"Mark, I saw Lena over on the other side, near the parking lot," Lee told Mark, gesturing him to go.

Mark hurried away quickly.

"Mercy!" Jeremy hissed. "Please just come talk to me? Before you do something really fucking stupid? You have NO idea what you're dealing with and what might happen if you do this!"

Mercy thought of the man in the elevator and wondered who else was involved in what Mr Livingston had been involved in. Derren? Luke? Jeremy?

Surely not Jeremy, he was a small time pud, there was no way he even really knew what might be going on.

Still, his words resonated in her. She had no idea how far things might go, who might be involved in what. This wasn't just a white collar firm anymore. She knew, parts of it at least, were dirty.