Лиза Джонс - Secrets Exposed

She closed her eyes. “What choice do I have?”

He grabbed her chin gently in his fingers, making her eyes dart open. “You have a choice. I can walk out of the door and never see you again.” He paused to give her a minute to digest his words. Part of him wanted her to tell him to do just that. He was in uncharted territory. The very fact that he was here, unable to fight the urge to help her, was enough to make him want to cut and run. Another part of him knew he couldn’t leave without seeing this through. “It’s your choice Lindsey. Do I stay, or do I go?”

She swallowed. “Can I have some time to consider?”

He couldn’t help but smile. “What do you think?”

She sighed. “I figured as much.” She diverted her eyes for a second and then looked back up. “Stay.”

He smiled and released her chin. “So be it, then.” He looked at his watch. “Unfortunately, I have to go see a client.” He sighed and returned his gaze to her face. His hand went to her cheek, his fingers caressing her perfect skin. He heard her intake of breath with satisfaction. She was not unaffected by his touch.

Fighting the urge to see just how far he could push, he forced himself to take a step backwards. He turned and started walking towards the door. He turned to face her before leaving. “Line up a partners meeting for Wednesday at five-thirty.” He wanted a plan to get close to her, to force her to start dealing with the past and the future. “I’d like to meet with you at five today to review how we will split things up.”

Taking orders from him was eating her up. He bit back a smile as she nodded and gave him a terse acceptance. “One last thing,” he added. “I want you to first chair the Williams case.” She started to protest, but he up a staying hand. “It’s non-negotiable, Lindsey.”

And then he turned and left her there, staring after him, and no doubt cursing his very existence.

* * * * *

In silence, they sat side by side at the conference table in Mark’s office. He seemed to have slipped back into his old environment with comfort.

Lindsey watched as he tugged at the top button of his shirt and loosened his tie as if he couldn’t stand it a second longer. Inwardly, she moaned, pulling her bottom lip into her teeth. The man was simply gorgeous. And smart. It was a damnable combination that seemed to wreck havoc on her desire to hate him.

Studying him, she noted the tightness of his jaw, now covered with light stubble. His hair looked as if he had been running his hands through it, perhaps from frustration. Somehow that only served to enhance his appeal. It also made her wonder what he’d found on his first day back to Paxton.

“So,” she said stretching out the word. “Have you had time to make any assessments today?”

He leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. The look on his face said he didn’t want to tell her what was on his mind. He hesitated, and then, “The books are a wreck, and I still don’t know what Edward thought he was proving by choosing some of these cases.”

She shook her head and swallowed. “What exactly is the problem?” She was almost afraid to hear the answer.

A muscle in his jaw jumped. “Over the last few years, Edward started taking on cases for people who had zero financial means. It has gotten worse, not better, since I have been gone.”

Her eyes went to the space above his shoulder as she thought out loud. “I noticed the oddity of the cases.” Then, refocusing on Mark, “I was hoping you could offer some insight. Daddy was always about money.”

“He took on a new philosophy this past year. Work for free is what it basically boils down to.” The pure frustration in his voice was enough to set her on edge. He started rolling up his sleeves. Like he needed to get ready for some serious work. “Let’s set the subject of the books aside for now. Tonight we need to focus on the Williams case. He happens to be one of the few clients who actually can pay his bills.”

A puzzled expression filled her face. “Yes, he does, which is odd considering the rest of the caseload.”

He agreed. “Right. A professor at NYU who comes from a wealthy family.”

“I can’t figure out how he fits in with the other cases.” She frowned. “If I understood the logic of the case choices, I might feel a little better.”

Mark seemed to want to say something—she could see it in his eyes⎯but then he withdrew, as if he had talked himself out of whatever it was. She frowned, wondering what he was thinking and not saying.

“I reviewed the file today and nothing has been done,” he said. “We don’t have a choice but to file for a continuance.”

Even a quick glimpse at the file had told her as much.

“I already have the papers being drafted.”

He didn’t acknowledge her words. Instead, he gave her a level stare and cleared his throat. “I’ve changed my mind. I want you to second chair.”

“Wow,” she said putting on the brakes. “Why the sudden change of heart?” She felt the pinch of indignation. “You think I can’t handle it now?”

Surprise filled his face. “I thought you would be happy.”

She waved off his words. “That’s not the point.” She jabbed her pen against the pad of paper in front of her as her agitation grew. “There’s something you’re not saying, and I don’t like it. Not one bit. Are you afraid I’ll collapse during trial or something ridiculous like that?” She didn’t give him time to respond. “I won’t, you know.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I do not think you will collapse in trial. Damn, woman, what does it take to please you?”

Lindsey grimaced, not liking the idea of being considered incompetent one bit. No, she didn’t want to go back to court, but she wanted to fail even less. “Look, after you dropped your little bomb on me, and then ran out the door unwilling to face me, I might add, I spent all afternoon getting myself prepared to face this damn case. So don’t go turning back the clock now.”

He laughed in disbelief. “First of all, I did not run off. I had a meeting.”

She smirked and crossed her arms in front of her body. “Uh-huh.”

“To be clear,” he said, his voice now more intense, his eyes direct as they held hers, “I trust your abilities in and out of the courtroom.” He let the words linger a moment. “Probably more than you trust yourself.”

“You have a terrible way of showing it.”

Mark opened the file that sat in front of him. He spread five pictures out on the table, and leaned back in his chair. Watching her. “What do these girls have in common?”

The dark reality of the images made her swallow hard. She’d seen plenty of crime scene photos, but these brought back memories she preferred to avoid. “They’re dead,” she said flatly, her eyes lifting to his. She’d seen enough.

“What else?” Mark shot back.

She swallowed, and forced herself to look down. “They all fit a profile, of course.”

“What profile, Lindsey?” he pressed.

“I’ve seen the file,” she said in a clipped tone, giving him a hard stare. “I know these are the women Williams is accused of killing.”

“They fit another profile too, though, don’t they?” He was challenging her. Waiting for her reaction.

She glanced up at him and then back down at the photos, her stomach churning with realization. Her response was a harsh whisper. “They fit the Hudson profile.” She dropped her pencil and ran her now-damp palms down her thighs.

His eyes narrowed. “We both know the other obvious factor.” It was a question, but not really. They both knew the answer.

He wanted her to admit it out loud, and she knew it. Why, she wasn’t sure. She stiffened, feeling the tension of the moment. And frustration, even a hint of anger. She didn’t want to deal with this, but he was making her. “You think I don’t know they all look like me?”