Chapter 75
Ishut the door to the office and my need to control everything, especially my wife’s safety, has me backing Cat against the wall, my hands on her waist, my legs caging hers. “Reese?” she asks. “Why are you so intense right now? You killed it in court.”
“That attorney who’s working with Debbie.”
“What about him?”
“He’s been following you for weeks. Royce pulled footage from random cameras around the areas you frequent.”
“Oh,” she breathes out. “That’s creepy. I admit that freaks me out a little. You’re going to ask me to leave again, aren’t you?”
“Royce thinks you should. I know you don’t want to go. And while my first instinct was to send you away, I really don’t know if I can focus if you’re out of my sight and in danger. I need to see you in the courtroom.”
“I want to be there. I love watching you and I feel safe in the courthouse.”
“I’m going to end the trial and we’re going out of town. Wherever you want to go.”
“I want to stay close, in case we need to talk to the police.”
“Then we’ll go to Cole and Lori’s place in the Hamptons. We’ve wanted to go for a while.”
“I’d like that. Thank you for not just sending me away. If Debbie comes forward I need to be by your side.”
“You just need to be by my side, period.” I kiss her, a slow, deep passionate kiss, and if we were anywhere but here, I’d be inside her right now. I stroke her cheek. “Let’s talk about the trial.”
“Yes. Let’s talk about the trial.”
I force myself to let her go, unbuttoning my jacket to pace as I think through everything that just happened in that courtroom. “We’re recessing until one-thirty. I showed the judge the photos. We’re going back to court to have Martha arrested, and then we’re done for the day.”
“How hard did Milton fight her arrest?”
“He didn’t. He’s just not that good, which is really damn good for Dana. The judge wanted to prove his court was lawful and make this a big event. If it had been me in Milton’s shoes, I would have fought to have that done in private. Now the jury will see her punished.”
“And a few hours in jail will make her break if she’s going to break,” Cat assumes.
“If it doesn’t, it will prep her so that I can.”
“I agree and the fact that she lied and she’s getting arrested, creates plenty of reasonable doubt. The jury is going to wonder why she lied. They’ll wonder if she’s the killer.”
“But it won’t end this. I want this over.”
“I know you do,” she says. “But you’re winning, Reese. I’m right here with you and I’m not a fool. I’m not going anywhere without Savage by my side. I have every reason to stay smart and alive. And—as much as I don’t want to go, if me being here starts worrying you to the point of stress, I’ll go. For you. I’ll go crazy, but for you, I’m willing.”
I cross to stand in front of her, my hands settling under her hair at her neck. “For me.”
“Anything for you.”
“Even after that call this morning?”
“We both have a past, Reese. I don’t think you came to me a virgin and if you did, you were born with some pretty impressive skills.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes.” She slides her arms around me. “I was shocked and it felt like an invasion of our world, but it didn’t feel like a betrayal. And just so you know, watching you in that courtroom really turns me on.”
“Watch out, sweetheart, or I’m going to forget where we are and pull your dress up.”
“How much more will it take,” she teases, “because I’m trying pretty hard to tempt you right now.” There’s a knock on the door and she sighs, “Of course.”
I stroke her hair. “You’re just giving me more motivation to end this.” I kiss her and release her to walk to the door, and open it. Elsa is standing there.
“Dana said that she’s completely sideswiped. She had no idea her father was sleeping with Martha. She’s no help, but she wants to talk to you.”
“She doesn’t need to help. Martha is doing plenty herself. Tell her I’ll be right there.” She nods and I start to shut the door and stop. “Wait, Elsa. Give me a minute. I have an idea.” I shut the door to refocus on my wife. “That idea you had about Dana and dinner. Let’s make it lunch. She admires you. I do think she might open up to you. She might tell you something she won’t tell me because she’s nervous and on edge. Are you in?”
“Of course. Anything that helps. You know that.”
I wrap my arm around her and pull her to me. “I do know, sweetheart.” I kiss her and let her go, opening the door and inviting Elsa in to explain the plan.
“It’s a good plan,” Elsa says. “I like it. I can go grab lunch. I’ll just pick up a couple large pizzas so we don’t lose time with orders. Yes?”
“Yes,” I say. “Do it.”
She walks away and I motion to Savage who’s standing at the end of the hallway.
He quickly joins us. “I need to go into the conference room without Cat but she’ll be joining me. Can you stay with her and nearby the room once she enters?”
“They don’t call me the ‘right now guy’ for nothing,” he says. “I’m right here, right now, and whenever you need me.”
Cat laughs. “If you use that line on a woman, try ‘all night guy.’”
“That, too,” he assures her, while I tune him out. “I’ll be right back, Cat.”
I cross the conference room and enter. Dana is sitting with Richard at the table and she pops to her feet. “Did she do it?”
“We don’t know,” I say. “But we’re working on that. Cat is here. How do you feel about her joining us for lunch? She’s signed a contract as a part of my legal team. Anything you say to her is protected.”
“Yes, please. Bring her in.”
I open the door and motion Cat forward. She enters the room and her and Dana are immediately chatting it up. The pizza arrives, and we all eat as Cat asks questions that are pretty damn probing, but Dana doesn’t so much as blink. At one point, Dana tears up. “I did hate him, so how does it hurt so badly to know he’s gone?”
Cat, who is sitting next to her, grabs her hand. “My father is like your father,” she says. “And when he had a stroke a few years back it terrified me. It didn’t take him long to return to his normal, horrible self, but at least he’s alive. I get it. They’re our fathers. They’re a parent that brought us into the world.”
Cat shares this with Dana, but I don’t believe she does so to earn her trust. She does so because she feels what Dana feels, deeply, completely. It guts me every time I hear Cat talk about her father and until recently her brothers weren’t much better, but that’s changing, and thank God for it.
Unfortunately, by the time lunch is over, I don’t think we’ve achieved much. I meet Cat in the hallway before I head back into court.
“Anything I missed that you picked up in there?”
“Just that I still believe she’s innocent. I believe if you put her on the stand a jury will see that, too.”
“I’m not letting this trial get that far,” I promise her. “I’ll see you in court and then we’re getting out of here.”
Savage steps to Cat’s side. “Don’t worry. I’m protecting your most precious thing in life. She’s right here with me.”
While I’m comforted by his declaration, I really am tired of leaving my wife with other men. Just another reason for me to end this trial. I head toward the conference room to gather my team. It’s time to watch Martha feel the heat of being arrested.
Then I’m taking my wife home and reminding her that I’m the man by her side. She knows it, I know it, but after that call this morning, and seeing Savage by her side over and over again, I have a deep need to remind her in every possible way.