Chapter Fifteen Raine
Chapter Fifteen
Raine
“Everything all right?” Judson asked.
I pushed my phone in my back pocket. “Ken.”
Curiosity blended with annoyance. “What does he want?”
I dropped my voice and leaned closer. “He said Maria was poisoned.”
A sharp flex rippled along his jawline. “How does he know?”
“He has contacts everywhere. I bet he’s been on the phone with the state lab.”
“Why does he care?”
“Me.”
Judson shook his head. “I haven’t gotten any results.” Fingers flexed. “Tell your husband to stay out of my case.”
“He’s not my husband.”
“Until you sign divorce papers, he is.”
“I’ve signed. The ball is in his court now.”
Judson drew in a sharp breath. Was he jealous? This green-eyed monster was unexpected, satisfying. “Don’t trust that he’s finished with you.”
“I don’t.”
“What does he want?”
“Money, most likely. We’ve sold our Alexandria house. He wants his portion.”
“Why haven’t you sent it?”
“It settles on Friday. And I’m also not sending a dime until he signs the divorce papers. He’s found a half dozen reasons not to. And when he does sign, I’m not obligated to cut the check for ninety additional days.”
“Why does he need the money?”
“Gambling debts, I think.”
“Gambling.”
“Sports. Still loves any game.”
There was no empathy in his expression. “Why did you marry him?”
“His charm is something when it shines. It hit me when I was lonely. When I saw him, I remembered our senior year. First time in a while I’d been happy. He was a part of that. I didn’t learn about the gambling debts until two weeks ago.”
“How did you find out?”
“Ken confessed that a guy he’d owed money to had pressured one of my clients to beat me up. The client was Pete Miller.”
His jaw pulsed. “Ken was behind the attack?”
“Not him. A guy who wanted payment.”
Judson’s eyes sharpened. “How bad was the attack?”
“If the deputies hadn’t pulled him off me, Pete would’ve choked me to death.”
Judson frowned. “The ribs. Your stiff neck.”
“As he was choking me, Pete landed a couple of hard punches.”
“I didn’t know all the details.”
“Not something I wanted to advertise.”
“How did Ken react?”
“He was at the hospital within an hour. He told me not to worry. Said he’d take care of Pete and whoever was behind the attack.”
“And?”
“I was too scattered to process. I actually thanked him. When Ken drove me home, he suggested we give it a second try. I said no. The house had sold. As soon as I was cleared to drive, I packed a bag and moved here.”
“How much is Ken in for?”
“I don’t have a dollar amount. But I’m sure it’s big.”
“If he signs the divorce papers, you’ll cut him a check, and you two are done.”
“That’s the plan. But he confessed the house money would only buy him time.”
“He’s in that deep.”
“I think so.” I drew in a breath. “Regardless, we’re done. The rest is a formality. I’m out of the picture.”
“If he owes big money, you aren’t out of it.”
Ken wasn’t pulling me back. “I’m out.”
“Trouble travels to this county all the time. No walls to keep it out.”
“You don’t see the bright side very often, do you?”
“I see what is.”
I held a sigh. My ribs ached. “I think he’s waiting for my thirty-fifth birthday. He wants a piece of the Hale estate.”
“Is that possible?”
“Not according to my attorney. I wasn’t so crazy in love that I didn’t get him to sign a prenuptial agreement.”
“Not blinded by true love?” he quipped.
“My dad raised me to protect the land.”
“If you should die while you’re still legally married, then what?”
“Molly is my heir.”
“Wills can be challenged.”
“And lawsuits can be filed.”
Several nurses walked past us. I thought about the poison Ken had mentioned. “Do you think Ken is telling the truth about Maria?”
“The tox screens aren’t finished. I don’t know how he could be so sure.”
Someone somewhere knew the results, and Ken had access to them. “Let me know?”
“If I can.”
The alarm on my phone buzzed. “Got to get back to the house. I’ve got a contractor meeting me.”
“On a Sunday?”
“He said he’s slammed. Today’s his only free day.”
“Who?”
“Brad Lawson.”
He nodded, approving. “The Hale name still has magic.”
“No magic. Just a hell of a payday if I opt to renovate the house.”
“Oh, there’s magic in the name. Opens all kinds of doors.”
“Maybe here. But in the rest of the world, it means nothing.”
“If you say so,” he said.
“I want those tox results.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
The hallway was stifling, and I was suddenly anxious to be in the crisp air. I rode the elevator to the parking deck, where the air was heavy with dampness. My boots clicked. A car door opened and closed. I tensed.
Easing into my SUV, I locked the doors.
Pete had smiled when he attacked me. Danger had been in front of me. And I hadn’t seen it. Now, I saw it everywhere.