Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Mara
“Okay, people, last call for files,” Missy says. “I’m going to file the old and pull the new one time today, and one time only. Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. Missy and Jayden both give me confused looks.
“Sorry, I’m just—” I laugh again, then clear my throat. “It’s not appropriate workplace humor. I was just thinking if you spelled it p-i-e-c-e, that phrase would take on a whole new meaning.”
Jayden exchanges a look with Missy. I think I know them well enough that they won’t tell me to stop with the inappropriate jokes, but I’m not positive. I’m still a little punch drunk from my weekend with Leo.
“That’s about a six out of ten,” Jayden says. “It’s not bad, but usually you’re sharper. Are you extra tired today?”
“No.”
Yes. Leo helped me pack some things Saturday evening after I got home and I stayed with him the past two nights. We do sleep, just not a lot. I thought we’d spend the entire weekend in bed, and we did get in a lot of sex, but we also did things that surprised me.
We watched movies on his couch, Birdie switching back and forth between his lap and mine. We made breakfast together on Sunday, and then we went Christmas shopping together.
I usually don’t wait so long to do my holiday shopping, but I’ve been busy with work and kept putting it off. Leo and I had the best time picking out gifts for our parents, our friends, and Carter and Suki’s girls. He was patient, carrying bags and pretending to be interested in cosmetics.
“Missy, I’ll do the the files,” I say, standing up.
She laughs lightly, shaking her head. “Whoever this guy is, he gets my vote. You’d scrub the floors with a smile right now, wouldn’t you?”
Probably not, because I’m sore from last night’s sexcapades, but I ignore her question.
“This has nothing to do with Leo, I’m just trying to help.”
“Ooh, Leo.” She waggles her brows. “I don’t think you’ve ever told us the name of anyone you were dating.”
“Is that short for Leonard?” Jayden asks. “Did you pick him up at an old folks’ home?”
I roll my eyes. “No, it’s just Leo. That’s his full name.” I walk over to the file cart. “That’s the list of files to pull?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely. You’re swamped and I’m caught up.”
She still doesn’t look convinced, so I just take the cart. It’s midafternoon, and I could use a break from the walls of my office to wake me up a bit.
“I’ll make a drink run, too,” I say. “Just us three, not the whole office. Text me your orders.”
“Okay.” Missy puts her palms up, not arguing. “Thanks, Mara. I appreciate you.”
“No problem.”
We have both digital and hard copy files because we need original signatures on paperwork. Once a case has a disposition, we return the hard copy file for storage. It involves an elevator ride down to the courthouse basement and a lot of walking.
When I reach the file storage area, the head file clerk, Andy, greets me with a smile.
“Hey, where’s the boss?”
“I needed a break from the office, so I offered to come.”
“We’ll help you file,” he says. “It’s a slow day.”
“Nice. Thanks.”
The people who work in file storage every day are all about ten times faster than I am at filing. Within twenty minutes, there’s only one file left on the cart.
“This one goes to the annex,” Andy says.
“I can run it over.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m going on a coffee run anyway.”
“Thanks. If you give me your list, we’ll pull new files and have them ready to go for you.”
“You guys are the best.”
Andy gives me a puzzled look. “Did you just win a big case or something? You look too happy for a regular Monday afternoon.”
I can’t stop smiling over my weekend with Leo, and I know I must look like a weirdo. Usually, I’m a scowling cynic, even though I tone down my moods a lot at work. But today, I feel like the main character in a rom-com, an upbeat soundtrack accompanying me.
“I’m just in a great mood,” I say. “I’ll be back soon.”
I tuck the single file beneath my arm and head for my car.
This evening will be the first time Leo and I get together with our friends since we became a thing.
We’re prepared for endless teasing. I’m actually looking forward to it.
Suki and Lainey have both found their someones, and I wasn’t sure I ever would.
It’s a stroke of luck that Leo and I already have the same close friend group.
My car is parked in a nearby deck, and I hurry there because it’s so cold outside. I unlock my car and get inside, setting the file on my passenger seat. Even inside my car, it’s still freezing.
“Don’t move.”
The voice coming from my back seat makes my heart stop as I look in my rearview mirror. Shit. It was stupid of me to leave the courthouse without a bailiff. A rear side window of my car is broken out, and a man with wild blond hair and a lean, bearded face is in the car with me.
“Bitch, I mean it. You move and I’ll pull the trigger.”
Adrenaline floods my system so hard and fast I’m lightheaded. Drake Harn caught up with me.
“I won’t move,” I promise.
“I’ve got a gun up against your seat. If you want to live, do exactly what I tell you.”
It’s all I can do to keep breathing. I could get out of the car and run, but he could shoot me in the back. There’s no one else around and nothing to hide behind but cars.
“Start the car and drive,” he orders.
My hands shake as I get my key into the ignition. Statistically, if he takes me somewhere, I’m more likely not to survive. Thoughts of what he might do to me are racing through my head.
I don’t see what choice I have. If I refuse to drive, he could shoot me and flee. Maybe I’ll be able to get someone’s attention while I’m driving and signal for help.
I keep my breathing steady as I drive, feeling on the verge of passing out. I was worried Drake might slash my tires or something; I genuinely didn’t think this could happen.
“Libby and I were fine,” he says, his voice harsh. “You fucked it all up. She wants to leave me.”
What can I say to that? I did try to convince Libby to testify against her husband and get out of her abusive situation. I look in every direction as I leave the parking deck. The only people I see walking have their heads down, trying to protect their faces from the icy wind.
“Get her to change her mind, or you’re dead.”
I glance in the rearview and see that Drake looks shaky, like he’s on something. That makes a very bad situation even worse.
“You’ll do it, right?” he asks, looking from side to side like he’s worried someone will see us.
“Yes, I’ll do it.”
One of my classes in law school was about conflict de-escalation. I remember learning that keeping someone like Drake as calm as possible is best. Until I can find a way out of this, I need to do what he tells me.
My coworkers will wonder where I am when I don’t come back. Hopefully they’ll call the police. I’m not someone who ever slips out of work early without saying anything.
It takes about twenty-five minutes for me to reach the house on the outskirts of Cleveland that Drake directs me to. It has a bright-blue front door with a holiday wreath hanging on it.
He has a garage door opener, and he opens the double-stall garage with it. There’s a small white sedan parked on one side of the garage.
“Park in there and don’t move,” he orders.
My heart is hammering with worry as I slowly ease my car into the garage. Being trapped with Drake, whether it’s in his garage or his house, is a bad situation for me.
I think of Leo, wishing I could be back at his house, lying in his arms as we watch a movie together. It took me a long time to find my person; I’m afraid my happiness with him might be cut very short.
Drake opens the driver’s side door, sneering down at me.
“She can’t leave me,” he says. “It’s my baby, too.”
I get my first look at his handgun, and I swallow hard against the bile rising in my throat.
“You’re right,” I say. “Tell me how I can help.”
“Fuck you, bitch.” He runs a hand through his hair, his eyes wild. “Get the fuck out of the car.”
I’m close to pissing my pants. The situation gets really real as I step out of the car and he orders me to walk into the house. He has the end of his gun pressed up to my back.
I silently blink and let the tears in my eyes drop onto my cheeks so I can see clearly. When I open the steel door and walk into the house, I’m in the kitchen. Boxes of food, dirty dishes and empty beer cans line the counters. It smells like garbage. All the blinds are closed.
“Walk.” Drake sticks the gun’s muzzle in my back and I walk.
When I get around a corner, I stop breathing. In the middle of what I think is a living room, Libby is tied to a wood chair, her head slumped to the side. I’m not even sure she’s alive until she picks up her head, her mouth dropping open in horror when she sees me.
“Oh my god.” She gapes at her husband. “What did you do, Drake?”
“It’s okay,” I assure her. “Everything is okay.”
“Tell her!” Drake yells from behind me. “Tell her she can’t leave.”
I purse my lips for a second, hating what I have to say to get through this. I just hope help is on the way.
“I was wrong, Libby.” I clear my throat, fighting the wobble in my voice. “You should stay with Drake.”