Chapter 6
Chris
Her sweet perfume is something floral and feminine.
It’s intoxicating being locked in close quarters with her.
I steal a glance at her profile as I pull out of the parking lot.
On the cheek closest to me, I can make out the faint shadow of a bruise as the headlights of a passing car illuminate the inside of the car.
The fury that coils in my gut returns in full force.
When she said she tried to leave before and he put her in the hospital, my blood boiled.
The person you’re supposed to love and cherish and protect.
I can’t even imagine everything Lily has gone through.
Any earlier hesitation about doing this dissipates as we get closer to the hotel.
I try to ignore the thoughts about how beautiful she is and how that might also be a factor in my decision.
I do everything I can to push that part of me away and focus on driving.
Not only is that wildly inappropriate, but defending her is much more important than my attraction to her.
The police station isn’t far from the hotel that she told me she wanted to go to, so it isn’t long before I’m turning into the hotel parking lot.
I stop in the unloading zone. Without turning off the engine, I shift in my seat.
When she meets my gaze, I say, “You stay here. I’m going to get you a room.
I think it’s best that it’s under my name so that, on the off chance the press starts calling hotels, looking for you when they get wind of what happened, the room won’t be under your name.
As unlikely as that probably is, I don’t want to take any risks. ”
Her features scrunch, and when she speaks, her voice sounds thin and strained. “I also didn’t think of that. Yes, please. If you could, that’d be great. I can pay you back this week.”
I force what I hope is a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it.” Pushing the door open, I step out. “Be right back. Lock the door while I’m gone.”
The valet makes his way to me. “Good evening, sir. Checking in?”
“Yes, I am. My wife’s in the car. I was going to leave it here for a few minutes while I run inside?” I have no idea why my wife came out of my mouth. I could have gone with anything. Friend. Girlfriend. Or a more generic—someone. But I didn’t. And I don’t think I want to examine that right now.
The young man smiles. “Of course, no problem at all.”
I’m glad the lobby is relatively empty for a Saturday as I head inside. The woman at the front desk greets me. “Hello, are you checking in with us tonight?”
Pulling out my wallet, I ask, “Hopefully. Do you happen to have a room for four nights?” Deciding to give her a story in case she recognizes my name from a few years ago when I was in the news more, I say, “My place had some plumbing issues and flooded. I just need to stay a few days while they clean everything up.”
She nods and starts typing. “Yes, sir. We do actually have a few rooms left this week. So, do you have any preferences?”
I start to tell her no, but an urge to make sure Lily is comfortable leads me to say, “A king bed, and if you have any upgrades, I’d appreciate it.”
“Sure, I think I have something. Give me just a few minutes.”
A few minutes later, I’m walking back out to my car, room keys in hand. I stop by the valet stand. “I’m going to walk my wife upstairs, but I need to run back out for a bit. Can I leave my car here for a few minutes longer?”
“Definitely. We’re slow at this time of night, so it won’t be in the way.”
Nodding my appreciation, I stalk over to the passenger side of my car. Lily looks up as I approach, and she opens the door. I hold out a hand, and my stomach flips when her hand slips into mine.
Get your shit together, you creep.
I clear my throat as she stands from the car. “Got you all set until Tuesday. We can figure out what to do after that.”
A hesitant smile is all I get as a response. Neither of us says a word as we make our way to the elevators. It isn’t until she steps into the room that she lets out a little gasp and says, “Oh my goodness, this room is so nice.”
I’m taken aback by the genuine awe in her voice.
I looked up her address, and I know the kind of neighborhood she lives in and how much her house is worth.
A nice room like this should be nothing to someone with that kind of money.
But as I watch her look around the room with almost childlike wonder, I find I’m even more fascinated by this woman.
When she finally looks back at me, I shrug and lie, “It was all they had left.”
She presses her lips together as a smile fights for purchase. After a few moments of both of us just taking the other in, she asks, “So, what happens next?”
I take a deep breath. “They’ll finish collecting evidence in your house soon. Then I can arrange for a company to clean it before you go back.” I hate even saying the next part, but I want to be honest with her. “Unless they arrest you.”
Lily looks resigned when she says, “I don’t know if I want to go back there.”
“Understandable. Once they’re done and you can get some of your belongings, we can talk about what you want to do.”
She nods and looks away, wrapping her arms around her waist.
Needing to prepare her further, I say, “They’ll also start investigating every aspect of your and your husband’s life.”
Giving a humorless laugh, she tells me, “Won’t take them long to look into mine.”
I shake my head. “It won’t matter. They’ll look into where you shop, where you work out, who your friends are, and who your friends aren’t.
They’ll look at everything. They may ask you to come back in for another interview, or they might not.
It just depends on what they find in their investigation. ”
Distress creeps into her face, and I hate it. Her voice is hollow when she asks, “And what will you do?”
“I’ll be following every move they make as closely as legally allowed.
I want to make sure we’re prepared for everything.
” I shove my fists into my slacks pockets to stop myself from reaching out and touching her.
“And I’m here for you. Not just to defend you, which I will, but to help you with anything you need as you navigate through this.
Think of me as your emotional support attorney. ”
She huffs out a small laugh, the tiniest hint of amusement in her eyes. “Emotional support attorney?”
I incline my head. “Yep, that’s me.”
Eyeing me curiously, she blurts out, “You’re not a public defender, are you?”
I rub the back of my neck to stall, debating how I should answer and explain how I got involved. “Technically speaking, no.”
Nodding again, her eyebrows push together. “I don’t understand. How did you even know about me?”
I certainly don’t want to tell her about Carlos, so I give a vague answer. “Let’s just say, someone knew that you were in trouble, and they believed in you enough that they thought you deserved a good defense.”
Thinking about what I said, she gnaws on her lip.
“I’ll have to pull money out of my investment account to pay your retainer.
I have the money. It’ll just take me a few days.
I have no idea what kind of money Blake had.
We kept our finances separate. And I did have a prenup, but I don’t know how all that works now. ”
The fact that she has the job she does, while her husband was clearly wealthy enough for her not to work, adds to the mounting interest I have in this woman. With a reassuring smile, I tease, “I guess it won’t take long for the cops to eliminate financial gain as a motive for you to kill him.”
She returns the smile even if it doesn’t quite meet her eyes. “Yes, that’s true.”
“That’s enough business tonight. There’s plenty of time for all of that later. I know this is easier said than done, but try not to worry, Lily.”
I turn toward the door as her voice follows me out.
“I’ll try not to, Chris.”
I walk into the backyard and look around, squinting behind my sunglasses. My mind is in a million places, and none of them is this birthday party.
Jack Sanders, Nate Carson, and Ian Murray are really good friends of mine, and they run a security company here in Nashville called Nash Security.
They’re a bunch of great guys, even if they’re the ones who forget I don’t practice criminal law anymore.
I’ve received more than one call from them over the last few years, asking for my help.
I guess they don’t have to worry about you not practicing anymore.
Jack’s cousin is the one throwing the party for her husband, Tim. He’s a good guy, and we’ve played golf more than once, so I feel somewhat obligated to attend.
Normally, I would’ve canceled.
After chatting with a few people, including Tim and his wife, I grab a beer and join Jack and the other guys from Nash Security, along with their wives.
“Hey, Chris. How are ya? You ditched us the other night when we asked you to meet up for some drinks,” Nate, who’s one of the original owners of Nash with Jack, says with a scowl. His arm is wrapped around his wife, Olive.
I sigh. I can’t really remember why I didn’t go, but I’m sure I had a good reason. “Yeah, man. Shit’s been busy.”
Ian smirks. “I heard something this morning.”
While Jack and Nate started the company, Ian was their first employee. He’s busted his ass right alongside the two of them, and I was happy to hear they made him the third owner. His wife, Maggie, is by his side. Ian is kind of an asshole, but unfortunately, a likable one.
I should’ve known Carlos would snitch on me. But the speed at which he did is impressive. “You talk to Carlos?”
Ian nods, still smirking. “He said that you might be stepping back into defense work.”
I didn’t really want to discuss it yet. My jaw muscles tic. “I’m considering it.”
“Well, shit.” Ian laughs. “I guess the retainer I paid you won’t go to waste. Not that I ever doubted you’d come through if I needed you.”