Chapter 9
Victoria
Fear was not an option for Victoria. It was one of those things she’d boxed up and stuck in her mother’s attic along with her father’s belongings. He hadn’t been afraid, even when those robbers had approached him and stuck the gun in his face.
“If people know your fears, they’ll have a tool to manipulate you with. Show no fear and you maintain the upper hand.” Porter Lashley had never been afraid of anything, and he’d instilled that mantra in his only daughter.
Sitting at her desk at almost noon, two days after her home had been violated, Victoria remembered those words.
She recalled them in her father’s voice as if he were standing right in the room with her and she wanted to cry.
At night sleep evaded her, during the day the headaches taunted her and thoughts of Ben steadily crept forward to fill the in between times.
He wasn’t what she thought he was. At least, she’d begun to give some credence to him being a normal guy.
Except he was still rich and privileged and didn’t need the job he did, the job that allowed a man like Ramone Vega to walk free.
She understood the justice system and knew that everyone was entitled to a good defense.
Ben gave above and beyond a good defense for all his clients.
He was actually one of the best defense attorneys in Clark County.
And a few weeks ago he would have been the attorney she planned to beat in court.
But he’d stepped away from the case. She wondered why?
She also wondered why he’d continuously turned up in her life.
No, there was no need to wonder about that because it was a question she’d always known the answer to.
There was something between them, a sort of thunder and lightning type of reaction, he roared like a boastful peacock, and she struck like an angry eel.
And yet they couldn’t seem to stay away from each other.
To counter that, she’d tried to head him off by declaring that she wouldn’t sleep with him.
And instead of arguing his case or insisting that he knew he’d somehow convince her to do just that, he hadn’t seemed phased. That had intrigued her.
Enough so that yesterday she’d been expecting him to show up at her door or at her office.
She’d even stayed downstairs longer than usual under the pretense of working after she’d had dinner with her mother, waiting for him to come knocking on her front door.
But he hadn’t. That had her wondering too.
Until now, she felt like a bundle of contradictions, like her normally cut and dry go to work, win a case, start over again, life seemed a little out of control.
And then there was the fear.
She was trying to keep it at a minimum, trying like hell to not let the thought of Vega seeking some kind of intimidation toward her take hold.
He was a killer, she knew this. So, if he wanted her out of the way, she wouldn’t been without a second thought.
But she was still here working on a way to convict him.
Why, was a question that she didn’t want to explore, yet couldn’t help considering.
“If you’re thinking about this case that hard we’re in for a conviction,” Grace said as she made her way into the office.
“When does your maternity leave start again?” Victoria asked instead of replying about the case. Talking about Grace and the baby was a much better idea.
Grace shook her head, her long ponytail swishing behind her.
“Not until my water breaks. Clinton says I should stop now but we only get six weeks maternity leave and I want every second of that time to be with the baby. I don’t want to use any of my vacation time to go out early.
Besides, things are heating up around here,” she said rubbing her hands together.
“You know Karl Maddow, down in the economic crimes division, he and Roxanne are dating. Now ain’t that some mess?
Roxanne’s clearly ten or fifteen years younger than that man. ”
Victoria nodded because Grace could always be counted on to take her mind off things.
She hadn’t told her about the incident at her house, hadn’t wanted to worry her so close to the end of her pregnancy.
And as she watched Grace continue to talk with the animated way she did everything, she realized it was a good decision.
Grace would’ve wanted to come right over after she heard what happened.
And then she would’ve wanted to come over the next day and now, instead of telling her the office gossip, she would’ve been questioning Victoria about her locks and security systems and whatever else came into her mind.
“So anyway, Jules wants you to wrap this case up quick. He’s putting in for a transfer out of the felony division and doesn’t want this hanging over his head.”
“What? It’s just another case. He’s had at least a dozen mistrials he hasn’t even bothered to re-try. What’s so special about this one?” As Victoria asked the question, other questions she’d been mulling over as she’d reviewed the file took hold.
“Probably all the media attention,” Grace replied with a shrug. “I think the transfer thing is a front. Clifton says he’s already filled out the ballot. He’s going to run for DA.”
“Really?” That was certainly interesting.
The District Attorney’s position was a public office, one that a person had to campaign and be elected to fill.
Jules wanted to enter the world of politics and he needed the murder of a congressman and his wife to be cleared before he did. Very interesting indeed.
“Who do you think will take his place?” Grace asked at the same time there was a knock on the door.
Grace was sitting close to the door and they’d both assumed it was someone who worked at the office. So, she reached out her arm and turned the knob to let them in.
But it wasn’t someone from the office standing on the other side. It was him. Victoria wasn’t sure if she or Grace was more shocked to see Ben standing there.
“I apologize if I’m interrupting,” he said. Then, as casually as if it were something he did every day, stepped slowly into the office.
Grace shifted in her seat, a smile spreading quickly over her face. While across the room Victoria felt warmth which was only incited by this man, sifting throughout her body.
“You are most definitely not interrupting, Mr. Donovan,” Grace replied. “You don’t remember me, do you?” she asked when, at the sound of her voice, he pulled his attention from Victoria to look at her.
“I do,” he said reaching out a hand to shake Grace’s. “I’ve had a case or two with you over the years and we graduated from law school together. You’re Grace Ramsey.”
Grace took his hand, her smile brightening as she cut Victoria a wide-eyed look, before returning all her attention to Ben. “I sure am. It’s nice to see you out of the courtroom, Ben.”
“Likewise,” he told her, then nodded toward her protruding belly as he released her hand. “You don’t look like you’ll be in the courtroom much longer.”
Grace chuckled and rubbed her stomach. “No. More like the delivery room.”
Ben smiled.
This man was too fine and too damn charismatic. Victoria almost cursed. Instead, she squeezed her thighs together as tightly as she could beneath her desk, praying this rapidly spreading heat didn’t make her look flushed.
“I’m sure Ben didn’t drop by to hear about having babies. So, what does bring you by?” she asked, clearing her throat.
He turned slowly. His gaze held hers as he pushed his black suit jacket back to slip a hand into his front pant pocket. He didn’t immediately speak, but instead, gave her that sinfully sexy smile. The one she dreamed about, grew wet at imagining, and despised all in the same breath.
“Actually, I love children,” he finally replied. “So I’m always pleased to see a pregnant woman. However,” he continued before she could interject. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Well,” Grace added quickly, planting her hands on the arms of the chair and gingerly pushing herself upward. “That’s my cue to leave. Call me later,” she told Victoria and made the fastest exit out of her office she had in months.
“So now I know how loyal you are,” Ben said, taking the seat Grace had just vacated.
Grace had also closed the door behind her which seemed to have sucked all the oxygen from the room now that it was just her and Ben.
He wasn’t smiling now, instead looking seriously fine as he adjusted his paisley print tie, smoothing it down so that his strong hands moved lightly over his chest and abs.
Okay, you really need to get a grip. He’s just a man.
But Victoria knew that simply wasn’t true.
“Grace and I have been friends a really long time. She’s like a sister to me,” she said in response to his loyalty comment.
Ben nodded. “I see. So when’s the baby due?”
“In about three weeks,” she answered before she could catch herself. It really wasn’t any of his business. “Why are you here?”
“You like asking me that don’t you?”
“Not really. It’s kind of getting tiresome.” She shrugged to act as nonchalantly as possible. “Then again, you keep popping up, so what else am I supposed to do?”
“I was in the courthouse. Motion to suppress hearing in Judge Leontine’s courtroom,” he informed her.
So he had an excuse to be in the courthouse today. That didn’t lead to her office.
“Her courtroom’s all the way down the hall,” she replied.
“It’s not that far,” he countered, then held up his hand as if to call a truce. “I came to see if you had plans for lunch. Is that better?”
Hell no!
Though her inner voice was screaming, warning alarms blaring in her head, Victoria nodded. “Honesty is always better,” she replied.
“I’m glad you feel that way because there are a few things I want to ask you about your investigation into the Vega case.”
Victoria shook her head. “The answer to that request would be no. I’m not giving defense counsel information on my case.”
He raised a brow. “I’m not his lawyer anymore.”
“Still not going to discuss my case with you.”
He waited a beat before continuing, “Even if it might involve the incident at your house?”
She paused, then swallowed. She hadn’t wanted that connection to be real, had in fact, been pushing that very theory out of her mind for the last two days. “It was random vandalism. Teenagers.” Those words fell from her mouth even as they rang untrue to her ears.
“What teenagers do you know own tear gas?” he asked pointedly.
“Gang initiation,” was her quick retort.
“Then why didn’t they come inside? Gang initiations usually involve some type of robbery or a murder.
They need proof of action in order to be rewarded.
Your broken window could’ve been caused by anyone.
” He sighed. “I mean, thank goodness nothing was stolen and there was no further harm to your person. But something did occur and I’m not willing to let it slip through the cracks because somebody’s afraid to put two and two together. How about you?”
Now he looked like a defense attorney. He’d leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, staring at her as if he wanted to say more. And she, instinctively, felt like saying he was badgering the witness. Instead, she sighed.
“I thought about that, but I dismissed it,” she said because there was no sense in continuing to deny his logic. She wasn’t that oblivious. “If Vega wanted to hurt me, he would have. He doesn’t do warnings. You should know that.”
There was a moment of silence and she wondered what was going through his mind.
He sat back, rubbed a finger over his neatly trimmed goatee.
It was a simple motion, one that would imply he was considering her comments or his next words.
But she saw more. Her gaze lingered on his fingers, wondering how they would feel moving along her skin.
She examined his contemplative gaze, the deep brown color of his eyes.
The line of his jaw, the thick waves in his neatly cropped hair.
“He’s changing the game,” he said, matter-of-factly. His voice broke the ridiculous trance she’d been in and she cleared her throat. “And that’s all I’m going to say about this here in your office. We can go right across the street and grab some lunch and talk more, without probing ears.”
“This is my office, the place where I work. So if we’re going to discuss my case—”
“We’re not discussing your case, per se. We’re discussing a possible connection. And I’d think you, of all people, would know about the reported leaks in this office.”
Victoria remained silent. In the last couple of months, there had been talk about confidential information from the DA’s office leaking to the press.
Hell, the Vega mistrial and new trial date had been on the local news before she’d even entered her appearance in the case.
So while she wasn’t thrilled about having lunch with Ben, she recognized the importance of finding out all she could about the attack on her house.
Especially if it involved Vega. And who better to know the man, than the lawyer who’d gotten him off a capital murder case.
“Fine. One hour,” she told him, then stood to pull open her lower left desk drawer and retrieve her purse.
“You won’t regret it,” he said and went to open her office door.
She’d given him a half smile in return as she passed him, while her mind screamed that it was already regretting this decision.