Two Years Later Read online

  “Reid Maxwell. The lawyer for the man she’s blackmailing, who is married to my sister. Here’s how this plays out, be in my office by five o’clock and there will be a six-figure check now and a six-figure check later. The condition is this: You get your daughter out of the country and yank that damn thorn from my side. You send me the DNA test when the baby is born, you get another check.”

  “She’s blackmailing someone?”

  “Yes. A happily married man who she stalked years ago to the point that he got a restraining order, but he’s very wealthy and she wants a payday.”

  “I know who the father is. He’s not wealthy.”

  Obviously, the mother is honorable. “You get a payday and out of financial distress. What’s it going to be?”

  “I feel bad taking the money.”

  “Don’t. I want this over. Make it end and I’m a happy man.”

  “What’s the address?”

  I read her the address and disconnect. This is going to cost me some money, but I owe my sister this and I damn sure am going to pay up and protect her.

  ***

  Cat

  I stand at a glass window while Reese talks to Martha but not without company. Royce and Milton are both there as well and Milton is not happy. “I know who did it, and it wasn’t Dana, but I was afraid to come forward. Nelson, Mr. Warren, and I were having an affair and I was afraid that I’d look guilty. I’m not in the will. He wasn’t generous like that. I knew that. I just fucked him. It was kind of my job. He paid me more because I was a fuck buddy. That was all. I had nothing to gain by him dying.”

  “Then why were you afraid?”

  “Because the person who did this came to me. He said that he heard how Nelson talked to me. I deserved better. He offered me money to help get rid of Nelson. He said he’d get a payday and so would I.”

  Dana’s boyfriend, I think. Reginald.

  “Who offered you money?” Reese asks.

  “Reginald.”

  Reese doesn’t so much as blink. God, how I love how cool and confident he is. “And what did you tell him?”

  “What do you say to someone who wants to murder someone? Because you know, they could, then decide to murder you. I just said I’d think about it. Then I told Mr. Warren.”

  “Did you?”

  “Yes. The night before he died. I fear I caused a confrontation.”

  “Do you have proof?”

  “No. And I’m terrified to tell my story. What if he comes after me?”

  “I understand the fear. Give me just a minute, okay?”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  Reese stands up and exits the room, joining all of us, but he and Milton square off. “What are you going to do Milton?”

  “Not a damn thing. She’s got no proof. For all I know she’s in this with Dana or you paid her off to speak up.”

  I gape at the response that shouldn’t surprise me. This DA’s taught his team to win at all costs including the safety of innocent people. This is, after all, the DA who refused to hunt a serial killer after he charged the wrong man and another victim died. “And if she ends up hurt, then what?” I demand, stepping next to Reese.

  “Then I guess you can write about it,” he snaps snidely. “I’m done here.” He walks away.

  Royce joins us. “I’ll offer her protection,” he says. “We’re already watching the boyfriend who has to be nervous right now. It’ll be interesting to see what he does next.”

  “I’ll talk to her,” Reese says scrubbing his jaw, and walking back to the door. He re-enters the room and sits down across from Martha. “The DA’s office isn’t going to offer you a deal or protection. They want to win the case they’ve charged. You’re saving an innocent woman by speaking up and potentially stopping Reginald from killing again.”

  “I’m scared,” she says, hugging herself, and I can see her arms trembling.

  “Walker Security is going to offer you protection," he says. “I know them well. They're respected. You’ll be safe, but we really need your help. I’ll post your bail for you and Walker will escort you home and to work until we're sure you’re safe. Will you help us?”

  “What if he doesn't confess?” she asks. “What if he isn't arrested?”

  “He still knows you know,” Reese says. “You are just as at risk by doing nothing. No. You’re more at risk. Take action with me and we'll do everything in our power together to put him in jail.” He leans closer to her. “Please help us.”

  She presses her hands to her face and then drops them. “Yes. Yes, I’ll help.”

  ***

  Reid

  Debbie’s parents are in their fifties and down to earth nice people who show up right on time. I go over the contract I’ve drafted with them which requires Debbie leave the state for at least one year. Once the deal is inked I hand them a check for fifty thousand dollars. They get another hundred and fifty thousand once I have proof Debbie is gone and another hundred thousand when I receive the DNA test. It’s five-thirty when Connie buzzes my office. “Debbie is early.”

  I glance at the parents and arch a brow. “We’ll handle her,” her father says.

  They stand up and I escort them to the lobby. They’re in the conference room for all of five minutes before they exit with Debbie between them, and leave.

  I walk to Gabe’s office. “It’s done.”

  ***

  Cat

  Reese and I end up at his office with his team and game plan for hours. When finally we head home, we both change into sweats and tees and he now sits across from me at the island in the kitchen working, and with him sitting across from me, I should be writing my column, but instead, I write in my baby journal.

  Dear husband;

  You’re sitting across from me right now, focused on your work, preparing to win in court tomorrow. I love these times when we sit across from each other in two work worlds, but in the same space. Today is on my mind. It started with me sick and you finding me on the bathroom floor and scooping me up and carrying me to our bed. I so wanted to tell you our news then. I felt protected and loved, the way I know you will make our child feel.

  I had this experience to cling to when we were on our way to court and you got that call. You are why I survived this. Because you’re giving me no reason to fear we aren’t us anymore and every reason to love you and us. Proven again today when you pulled me in that office and told me how much you needed me with you. That meant everything to me. It was a hard day, but a big day. The day you made big waves in court. There were many things that happened today that were challenging but all day I kept thinking about being sick and falling asleep on the bathroom floor, and you scooping me up and carrying me to bed. Any fear you have ever had that anyone could convince me you were less than perfect are misplaced. You show me you are my partner and friend every day.

  I remember sitting in court and watching the way you rose to the challenge, despite all this day held, and I know you will rise to the challenge of being that good at parenting. I’m growing impatient for your birthday. I want to tell you now, but I want this to be special for you. So very special. For us. I want it to be special for us, so I’m going to keep writing, and anxiously waiting to share our news with you. —Love, Cat

  The doorbell rings and I stand up. “I’ll get it.” I round the island and Reese is already on his feet catching my arm, stepping in front of me. “Cat, you don’t need to be answering the door on your own. “

  “We have security, Reese. It’s fine.”

  “No. It’s not. Not now. I need you to be extra cautious.”

  He didn’t send me away, but I get that he’s still worried. “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  He kisses me. “I’ll get the door.” He releases me and heads out of the room.

  The sound of Reid’s and Gabe’s voices mingling with Reese’s tell me who our visitors are. Another minute and I am surrounded by testosterone and Reese is beside me with my
brothers across from me. “It’s over,” Reid says. “I called Debbie’s parents and they’re getting her out of town. They’re good people who were appalled. They are taking her out of state and sending me proof when she gets there.”

  “It’s over?” I ask, stunned.

  “You’re sure?” Reese asks.

  “Yes,” Reid states. “Very sure.”

  “Reid kicked ass,” Gabe interjects. “He was angry when we left and he made that work.”

  Reid and I have been so broken and he did this for me. He fought for me. I round the island and he turns to face me. I don’t give him time to back away. I fling my arms around him and hug him, and to my surprise, he holds me and not gently. He holds on like he was really afraid of losing me and he’s been lost to me for so long, that I actually start to cry.

  Debbie gave me a gift. She gave me my brother back.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Cat

  We’re still in the kitchen and I’ve just finished hugging Reid and Gabe to thank them for helping us end this Debbie nightmare when the doorbell rings. Reese heads to the door to answer it and when I round the island Reid looks at me. “Why do you look different?” he asks.

  “You do look different,” Gabe comments. “New hair or something.”

  Just a baby growing in my belly, I think, shocked that my brothers notice the change. “You two are just actually looking at me for once.”

  “Ouch,” Gabe says. “I don’t deserve that, but Reid does.”

  Reese re-enters the kitchen with Royce on his heels. “Royce has more news,” Reese announces, joining me on the opposite side of the island, his hand settling on my lower back.

  “Our men were watching the motel Debbie’s cohort, Wilson Moore, has been hiding out in,” Royce states. “He ordered pizza and got his ass kicked instead. My man probably saved his life. He’s in an ambulance on the way to the ER now. He’s not going to be a problem in the immediate future.”

  “Really,” Gabe says dryly. “How inconvenient for him.”

  Royce’s gaze narrows on Gabe. “And convenient for us?”

  His question reeks of accusations I don’t understand and I study the two of them, trying to read their exchange more clearly.

  “I’m not sorry the bastard got his ass beat,” Reid replies before Gabe can. “He was stalking my sister.” He knocks on the island. “And Debbie is handled. Her parents took her out of town and now, I’m going home to drink an expensive bottle of whiskey to celebrate.”

  “I’ll join you,” Gabe says, pointing at me and Reese. “You two celebrate the way married couples celebrate, but don’t tell us about it.”

  My brothers then disappear out of the kitchen. “What was that?” Reese asks when the front door opens and shuts, and it’s clear Reid and Gabe have left.

  “Gabe called me and asked me who the bookie was that was hunting Moore, and an hour later, he’s getting his face beat in,” Royce says. “I know he did it, and I both dislike and understand it, as contradictory as that sounds.”

  “My brother did that? Gabe? He’s the nice one.”

  Royce is quick to dismiss that idea. “That’s like saying Savage is the nice one because what comes out of his mouth is humorous. He’s not nice at all and neither is your brother.” He eyes Reese. “I won’t trust the Debbie situation being resolved until I have eyes on her departure. I recommend keeping security in place.”

  “Agreed,” Reese confirms. “Change nothing.”

  Royce nods. “Savage will stay in place with Cat.” He changes the subject. “Martha. She’s home. She’s safe. We’ll have her in court early tomorrow.” He looks between us. “Do you need anything else from me?”

  “We’re good,” Reese says.

  “We’re good,” I agree.

  Royce inclines his head. “Then I’ll let you know if I have updates.” He pushes off the counter and exits the kitchen.

  Reese turns me and pulls me between him and the counter. He waits for the door to open and close. “First thought?”

  “I hate having Savage follow me around. Your first thought?”

  “I hate having Savage follow you around. Second thought?”

  “I think Gabe got that man beat up,” I say. “He could have gotten him killed. Your second thought?”

  “The exact same as yours and I know I should have a problem with that, but, Cat, I don’t. He protected you.”

  My hand flattens on his chest, and I can feel his heart thundering under my palm. “I don’t know how I feel right now. My brothers. Debbie. The beating. I just don’t know.”

  He pulls me to him. “Ask me my next thought,” he orders softly.

  “What’s your next thought?” I ask.

  “I’m really damn tired of seeing Savage by your side.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes.” He cups my backside and pulls me to him. “It is.”

  “You’ve never been jealous.”

  “Because I’ve never had a woman claim I made a baby with her when I didn’t. Because I know we’re solid and I damn sure know men envy me. I promise you, Savage envies me.” His mouth covers mine, his tongue licking into my mouth before he declares, “You’re mine.”

  “And you’re mine,” I say. “I don’t like Debbie saying differently.”

  “Show me,” he orders softly, his mouth closing down and it’s as if something snaps between us. Our hands are everywhere, our kisses desperate. I don’t even know how my sweats get to the ground, or how his lower, but it happens. He lifts me and presses me against the wall, thrusting into me and my hands are in his hair, my lips seeking his lips. It’s wild and hot and consuming. There is just me and him and the way our bodies move together until we shatter into that perfect place together. I have a random thought that I think we might break the baby if we keep having this much sex.

  Reese pulls back to look at me. “What are you laughing at?” he asks, brushing hair from my lip.

  “Us. Against the wall in the kitchen, minutes before your team gets here.”

  The doorbell rings. He laughs now and sets me on the ground as we rush to pull ourselves together. I’m tugging my sweats back on when he kisses me. “I’m going to get the door.”

  He rushes out of the kitchen and I laugh again. This needs to go in the journal. I swipe at my hair and turn toward the door as Reese walks in the door with Savage behind him and I laugh again.

  “Why are you laughing now?” he asks.

  Savage answers. “Because you have more of her lipstick on your face that she does.”

  The look that settles on Reese’s face is decisively satisfied. I do believe my man just marked his territory. It’s not a normal behavior for Reese, but somehow, today, it’s perfect. “Just wanted to tell you that attorney asshole that was blackmailing you is in bad enough condition to be placed in ICU. Bad news for him, but good news for you. This just reaffirms the fact that he won’t be coming after you anytime soon. One of us will update you if we hear more.”

  He turns to leave, and Reese and I stare at each other, the lightness of our mood fading. Yes, I’m safe, but at what cost?

  ***

  Hours after we receive the news about Debbie, Elsa and Richard, are back after a dinner break, and in the living room, preparing for tomorrow, including the possibility that Martha could back out. Every outcome is considered. Every strategy dissected. I’m in the kitchen working on my column and take a break to join them, sinking into a cushy chair as Richard and Elsa have claimed the couch.

  Reese is standing, pacing as he often does during these sessions, but he sits down on the ottoman next to me. “Here’s the big question,” Richard says, speaking to us all. “Do we tell Dana in advance of Martha’s testimony?”

  “She’s sleeping with Reginald,” Elsa says. “If Martha backs out, we don’t want to have Dana freaking out on Reginald, then him trying to save himself.”

  “Which could mean throwing Dana
under the bus,” Richard says scrubbing his jaw, his tie long gone, and his jacket with it.

  “We’re going to take that risk no matter what,” Reese says. “Once Martha outs Reginald, he’ll be in survival mode.”

  “But no matter what,” I interject, “the jury will have doubt about Dana’s guilt.”

  “Exactly,” Reese says. “But I do think we need to hold back on informing Dana about Martha’s testimony until after it happens. Let’s let her and Reginald coast through the night.”

  “Desperate people do desperate things,” Elsa replies. “Once Martha testifies, Reginald will panic and Royce’s team will be watching.”

  Desperate people do desperate things. I replay that in my head. Wait.

  “What if she lied?” I ask.

  The entire room turns to look at me.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Cat

  I stand up and so does Reese, both of us facing each other. “I know we talked about Dana and Reginald working together, but we all believed Martha when we were at the police station.”

  “But what if she lied?” Reese says. “Yes. That’s been on my mind as well. What if she lied?”

  “What if she lied again,” I supply, “since a lie is what got her put in jail in the first place.”

  “I have to break her on the stand just like I would Reginald.”

  “Treat her like a hostile witness,” I assume.

  “Exactly,” he agrees, his hands coming down on my arms as he pulls me to him and kisses me. “I need to call Royce and make sure he’s still digging around on her.” He reaches for his phone and I feel the words in my head forming, with a need to put them on paper.

  I slip away again and return to the kitchen, sitting down in front of my computer, considering all that happened today with Martha and even Debbie, before I finish my column and then write my closing.

  Too often, we let other people scare us into doing nothing. It’s easy to think that if we do nothing, we get nothing in return, which sounds pretty horrible, but it can feel safe. The problem with doing nothing is that the result is not nothing. Something happens because we choose not to act, but we choose to allow the result to be out of our control. By doing nothing, we leave the results to someone else. We accept their outcome. What does this have to do with the day in court? Martha Banks went to jail for lying. Lying is not doing nothing. It’s doing something. She chose to lie. A lie is complex, rooted in a truth that doesn’t want to be told. What is that lie for Martha Banks and what is the truth that hides behind it?