Chapter 67
Idon’t want to let Cat out of my sight, which is why when we arrive at the courthouse again, I keep her close. “Come back to our holding area with me,” I say, as we enter the side door.
“No,” she says, turning to face me. “I’m reminding you about another problem. You go focus on your case.” She motions to Savage. “I have a beast protecting me.”
“Indeed she does,” Savage assures him.
“And you have some problem to deal with or they wouldn’t have called you back early.”
I inhale and let it out, dragging her to me, and turning us away from Savage. “I’ll make this Debbie thing go away. I promise.” I cup her face and kiss her. “I’ll see you in court.”
“See you in court,” she says, and when I would move away, she catches my jacket lapel. “I didn’t get to tell you, but you were perfection this morning. You won every witness.”
I’ve never cared about anyone’s critique but that of the jury, simply because I can’t allow that kind of noise in my head, and still stay focused. But Cat is different. I care what she thinks. I kiss her again. “See you soon.” I release her and start walking, dialing Reid again as I do.
He answers on the first ring. “I just gave her the take it or leave it offer we discussed.”
“And?”
“She called me a dirty prick.” He laughs. “Usually women are naked when they use those particular words, but hey, I’ll take it. She was pissed. That’s when we get the emotional response that makes her dish out a threat I’ll record.”
“But she didn’t.”
“Not yet. But she will. I left her in the conference room and told her to leave. Thus far, she has not. I got this, man. Aren’t you supposed to be in court?”
“Soon. I’ll call you if we get a break, but Reid, I need this to be over. I don’t want this affecting me and Cat.”
“Trust me, I have it under control.”
Trust him. A man who has caused Cat all kinds of pain.
He seems to read my mind. “She’s my sister, Reese. I do love her.”
“Tell her that. It won’t matter coming from me. Do this for me for all the shit I’ve done for you.” I hang up and round the corner to our team’s private hallway. Elsa rushes toward me. “We have a problem. Dana had a fight with Reginald and ten minutes later, Richard saw the DA talking to him.”
“I’ve been gone half an hour. How did she have a fight with that man that pushed him to the DA that quickly?”
“Like you said, quickly,” she says. “She called him on her break and then she was shouting at him.”
“What did she say?”
“Name calling, but nothing of substance. It was fast.”
I rub the tension at the back of my neck. “Where is she?”
“Conference room.”
I cut around her and head down the hall, opening the door to find Dana pacing. “I failed miserably at being nice to him. I know he released that audio. I feel it. It’s eating at me. He’s the only one that gains from my father’s death directly if I inherit and he marries me,” she runs a hand through her hair. “I hate this money. I will never know if anyone wants me for me.”
This makes me think of Cat, and how much it meant to me that my money wasn’t a motivation to her. I didn’t have to wonder. She had her own money. “Marry a rich man. That’s not him.”
“I wanted to marry someone I loved but—did he kill my father and let me go through this hell?”
I walk to the conference table across from her but I don’t answer her question. “He was just talking to the prosecutor. What does he have on you?”
“He talked to the prosecutor?”
“Right after you fought.”
“I have not lied to you. There is nothing. That call was the only time I said anything like what I said and I was at my wit’s end. He knew it though. He didn’t want me to walk away from the money.”
“You think he did it?”
“It’s clawing at me,” she says. “I think he might have. I don’t want that to be true. That means he doesn’t love me. I want to take him down.”
“Then make nice with him until I get him on the stand and off. I cannot have him turn on you, in front of the jury.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder Dana.”
A knock sounds on the door and a guard pokes his head in. “The judge wants to see you in chambers.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Dana says. “Right?”
It’s a problem, I think, but I say, “It happens. It’ll happen again after this time. Pull yourself together. Figure out how to reel your man back in.” I don’t wait for a reply. I turn and head into the hallway while the guard motions me forward.
Elsa quickly catches up. “What’s happening?”
“The judge wants to see me.”
“Any idea why?”
“None.”
“I bet it has to do with that meeting Richard saw.”
“Don’t speculate,” I say. “We’ll know in a few minutes and I’d rather know in chambers than in court if we have a problem.”
She stops walking and lets me pull ahead. Sixty seconds later, I’m stepping into the judge’s chambers. He’s behind his desk, not yet in his robes. “Sit, Mr. Summer.”
I claim the seat in front of his heavy mahogany desk, bookshelves with law volumes on my left and right. “Your honor,” I say.
He tosses an envelope in front of me. I open it and pull out a photo of me that has writing on it in red pen that reads, “Pig. Liar. Bastard. Cheater.” I suck in a breath and look up at him. “What is this?”
“You tell me. It was delivered to my office while we were in court this morning.”
Debbie, I think, and she most definitely has a partner. I stick the photo back in the envelope. “Is this confidential?”
“Yes. Speak freely.”
“A few years ago I had a stalker who faded away. She’s back and I’ve hired private security, but obviously, she’s not dissuaded. I don’t want to delay the trial, but extra security wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Understood and as long as I feel no one else is in danger, we’ll continue. But are you in danger, Mr. Summer?”
“I’m not concerned about me, I’m concerned about my wife.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Nothing. Not unless you have a tip as to how I convince her to leave town.”
He chuckles. “Been married twenty years, son. Never convinced my wife to do what she’s dead set on not doing, but I’ll recess the afternoon to give you a chance to try. Go. Do what you can to protect her.”
“Thank you, your honor.” I stand and head for the door, dialing Royce as I do.
“We’re recessing for the afternoon. I need to see you at my place, immediately. There’s a development.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Can you tell Savage to get Cat and meet me at the side door?”
“Done.”
I disconnect and exit to the hallway and Elsa and Richard are waiting. “Well?” Elsa asks.
“The judge is recessing for the afternoon. Be at my place at seven.” I walk past them and enter the conference room, where Dana is once again pacing.
“Afternoon recess. Use it wisely.” I turn and exit to find Elsa and Richard standing in front of us.
“Why are we recessing?”
As it stands they know nothing of the extra security for any reason other than Dana’s getting a lot of hate. “A personal situation, per the judge.” I turn away from them on that statement that isn’t a lie. I didn’t say who had the personal situation and they’ll assume it was the judge.
I’m out of the hallway quickly cutting left and when I arrive at the door, Cat’s not there yet. I turn and wait, watching her appear in the corridor with Savage, the sway of her hips mesmerizing. I watch her every step, and when she’s in front of me, I kiss her and lead her to the vehicle. Once we’re in the backseat with Savage behind the wheel he claimed from one of his co-workers, I drag Cat to me and kiss her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing you can’t solve,” I assure her, before pressing my lips to her ear. “Once I’m inside you, and I will be soon.”