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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.
Chapter seventy-six
Reese
Fifteen minutes later, my eyes are on Cat in the courtroom, and I relax into what is about to be a huge success. The judge calls the court to order and asks Martha to report to the stand where she’s arrested for contempt of court. Martha stands up in a panic and starts to cry, pleading with the judge. The room is a crazy rumble of sound as observers react.
When she’s finally out of the room the judge addresses the jury, “To the jury,” he states, “I have proof that Ms. Banks lied under oath, the details of which will not be placed into evidence, but a lie under oath is a crime and will not be tolerated in my courtroom. We’re adjourning until eight am tomorrow. Ms. Banks will be back on the stand at that time.” He bangs his gavel. Milton glares at me, while I turn and share a look with Cat before heading for the door.
A few minutes later, I’ve arranged to have my team at the apartment at seven, and I’m in the SUV with my wife, my hand on her leg, pulling her close. “That went well,” she says.
“It certainly did,” I say. “And as much as I want to celebrate that with you alone, right now, I think we need to make sure Reid knows where we stand.”
“Royce is meeting you at your apartment,” Savage says. “He wants to talk about the recent developments.”
“That works,” I say, looking at Cat. “We need to try to get Reid to the house.” I pull my phone from my pocket and it rings with Reid’s number. “Speak of the devil himself.”
“That he is,” Cat agrees, as I answer the call.
