Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Aurora lay in her bed staring at the wall.
Her eyes felt swollen from crying. After her argument with Max, she had closed herself in the guestroom he had assigned to her, declining her brother’s offer of dinner.
Her stomach was too twisted up to even think about eating.
But at least Max had otherwise left her alone.
There was a knock at the door. “Aurora? Can I come in?”
It was Lana. Aurora managed to make a sound of assent, and her friend came into the room.
“Oh, sweetie.” Lana sat on the mattress. “Max told me what happened. I’m so sorry.”
She was annoyed that Max had said anything. Aurora hardly even knew what had happened herself. But, of course, everyone in the office had to know by now that Devon was gone. They would naturally have been asking questions, and it wouldn’t have taken long for the story to get around.
What were they saying? That Aurora had messed around with him and gotten him fired? Well, not exactly fired, but in enough trouble that Devon felt like he had no choice but to quit. Which was almost worse.
Devon had resisted her, over and over again. He’d told her that his job was at stake. But she hadn’t listened.
She’d been so selfish.
“Do you want to talk?”
“Not really.”
Lana nodded. “I get it. When you’re ready, I’m here.
But in the meantime, we need to get things prepped for the morning.
I’m going back to my place tonight, but I’ll be back here first thing.
We’ll be leaving together around eight for the courthouse.
Max said the security is all in place. So, you have nothing to worry about. ”
Aurora felt too numb to be worried about her safety tomorrow. “What exactly do I need to do?”
“Just tell them what you told me before. The truth. I’ll question you first, and I’ll ask pretty much all the same things I already have.
No surprises there. Then, the defense attorneys will have their chance to cross-examine.
They’ll want to make it seem like you’re not confident or credible.
It’s their job to undermine your testimony.
We can go over some practice questions, so you’re prepared for what they might try to do. ”
“I don’t feel like it. Can we do that when you get here in the morning?”
“That’s not ideal. But sure. I don’t want you overly prepped, anyway. The most important thing is just to stand by your own memory and tell the truth about what happened. Beyond that, you’ll be fine.”
Lana explained a bit more about what to expect. How the judge had agreed to sit in, and a court reporter would record her testimony and the cross-examination.
Later, she would still have to repeat her testimony at the real trial, and any inconsistencies could be used by the defense to make her look untrustworthy.
But the most important thing was that her testimony would be on record, so none of the defendants would have any reason to silence her any longer.
Because if anything happened to her, the record of tomorrow’s testimony could be read into evidence at the trial itself.
Aurora only half-listened, hardly caring about tomorrow.
Before, she’d been nervous. Devon had offered to be there, and that idea had comforted her.
She’d liked knowing that he wouldn’t be far away, even as she had to face Dominic Crane and the other defendants in person—including Eric Madden, the ponytailed gunman who had killed Brandon Wolfson.
But now Devon was gone.
She just wanted the rest of this over with. So she could try to forget about everything that happened.
Lana finished her speech, but she didn’t leave the room. Instead, she lay down beside Aurora.
“Remember when we used to share a room? You said I snored.”
“Because you did. You were like a freight train.” The memory coaxed a smile from Aurora’s lips. Which was no doubt Lana’s intention. But her mood wasn’t going to be lifted so easily.
Lana rolled onto her side, facing Aurora.
“But my snoring was nothing to your talking at night. You were always muttering about something. Usually, I had no idea what you were talking about. But once, when I was home visiting for the weekend—this was when I was in law school—you called out for your mom. One of the few times you asked for her in all those years I’d known you. ”
Okay, this conversation was definitely not lifting her spirits. She didn’t know why Lana was bringing this stuff up. It was all ancient history, anyway.
Aurora’s parents had come by sometimes; they hadn’t completely abandoned her.
But when it became clear they didn’t plan to take her back, Lana’s parents had started the process to become her legal guardians.
Her parents readily agreed. In the end, Aurora had barely known her parents at all.
She’d spent almost her entire childhood with Lana’s family.
“Why would I ever call out for my mom? She was never there for me. That’s…pathetic.”
“That is not true. And not what I meant.” Lana sat up, crossing her legs.
“When you were in high school, you always wanted to act like nothing fazed you. I was already an adult myself, but I saw how confident you were just as a teenager. The easy way you made friends and got boys to chase after you. To be honest? I looked up to you. Envied you, even. I was so awkward socially. But that night, when you were talking in your sleep, you gave a little of your secret away. You were just like everyone else. We all want someone to take care of us.”
She rubbed Aurora’s back. “Rory, you don’t need anyone to look out for you. But you deserve it. I’ve always loved you like a sister, so I know that for a fact.”
“I love you, too.”
“Can I give you a little advice, from one sister to another?”
“I think I’ve had enough advice from siblings today. No offense.”
“But it doesn’t hurt to listen. Here’s the deal. I think Max is probably right about one thing. Getting involved with Devon while he was your bodyguard was not the best idea.”
Aurora grumbled, grabbing another pillow, and shoving it over her head.
“Hold on, I’m not finished. It wasn’t the best idea, given the circumstances. But I also think that Max is being an idiot. Now that you and Devon like each other, Max has no right to try to keep you apart.”
“But I fooled myself into thinking Devon and I really had something. At least, the start of something. If he cared, then he wouldn’t have left.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I basically cross-examined Max about his conversation with Devon. I pulled out of him exactly what they both said. Devon told him he has feelings for you.”
She looked out from under the pillow. “He did?”
“Trust me, I had to drag that out of Max. But you know me, I always get the truth. As stupid as Max was being, he really thought he was doing right by you. But the fact is, he just doesn’t know you as well as I do.
I slept next to you, year after year, watching you grow from a little girl into a confident woman.
I see that you and Devon have something that’s worth pursuing.
If it felt real to you, then you should trust yourself. ”
Aurora crawled up beside Lana, resting against the headboard. “You don’t think I lean too much on men? Max, Justin…”
“Sweetie, you are a force to be reckoned with, whether you have a man in your life or not. That is the truth, and I would happily testify to it.”
After Lana left, Aurora got out the laptop Sylvie had given her. She had to find some way to contact Devon. If he told her that everything between them was a mistake, fine. But she had to hear it from him.
Unfortunately, she didn’t know how to reach him. Both of them had lost their phones when they’d fled Aurora’s apartment building. If he still had that burner, she didn’t know the number. She didn’t even know his email or his home address.
Great way to start a relationship, she thought. At least I know his last name.
“Devon Whitestone” didn’t seem like a common name, but he also lacked a social media presence. She found a listing for a phone number, but when she called, there was no answer. Just his voice on the voicemail message, which made her heart clench.
“I could ask Sylvie,” she murmured aloud. “Or make Max tell me. Or maybe one of Lana’s police detective friends can track him down?”
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she grew. She was going to find him and tell him how she felt. Aurora Bennett was no pushover. She wasn’t letting go of him without a fight.
Before she could organize a search party—or do anything else drastic—she saw a new email arrive in her inbox.
It was from Jennifer Scoville, Brandon Wolfson’s former assistant, who’d helped Aurora plan the “Angels and Demons” party. Though that seemed like a lifetime ago.
Aurora had written yesterday to both Nadia Wolfson and Jennifer, asking if they recognized the driver of the black Escalade. Aurora felt sick, thinking of him. That man had shot Devon. Tried to kill her.
With her stomach roiling, she opened Jennifer’s email.
Mrs. Wolfson doesn’t know him, Jennifer had written. I don’t either. Sorry we can’t help. Who is this guy? Is he someone we should keep an eye out for?
Could Aurora have been mistaken about seeing the Escalade driver at the “Angels and Demons” party? At this point, she hoped she’d been wrong. She didn’t want that man near Nadia or Jennifer.
Aurora checked her messaging app and saw that Jennifer was active. She called the woman, thinking that this would be an easier conversation to have verbally, instead of trying to convey everything in writing.
Besides, she’d missed seeing Jennifer. They had really clicked when they were planning the party together. And she hadn’t had a chance yet to take Jennifer up on her offer of a spa day. She looked forward to being able to do something so normal with a new friend.
Jennifer answered, and her face appeared on the screen. “Aurora! It’s so good to see you. I was just thinking about you.”
“I got your email. Thanks for getting back to me. Never mind about the guy in the photo. I thought I saw him at The Lighthouse, but I could’ve been mistaken.”
Jennifer’s eyebrows drew together. “That’s strange. But why are you looking for him?”
“He’s the person who attacked me yesterday. He wounded my bodyguard. We’re not even sure exactly what he wants, who he’s working for, but after tomorrow it won’t matter so much. I’m scheduled to get my testimony on the record first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Thank goodness. It’s a relief to hear that.”
They chatted a bit more about the ordeal of the past few days, and Jennifer expressed her shock over losing her employer.
“But on a happier note,” Jennifer said, “Mrs. Wolfson has decided to hold her birthday party after all. I’m so glad she has friends supporting her.”
“I was helping her with the arrangements. But I hadn’t heard if she needed anything else.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. She really appreciates your efforts, but obviously you have way too much to deal with right now.
We both want you to focus on yourself. Besides, she ended up deciding to hold the party tomorrow morning, making it a brunch instead. With just her very closest friends.”
“That’s a great idea.” At least Nadia seemed to be doing all right. The woman had always been kind to Aurora. Eventually, the news would probably get out about Brandon’s involvement with organized crime and human trafficking. Nadia Wolfson’s friends would have to help her through that, too.
“I hope we can get together soon,” Jennifer said. “Under better circumstances.”
“Me, too.”
Aurora said goodbye and yawned. It was nearly midnight. She tried Devon’s number and once again got voicemail. Talking to him would have to wait until tomorrow. She wondered if, wherever he was right now, he was thinking of her.