Page 77 of At His Beck & Call

“No problem,” I mutter, already taking a step back, wanting to disappear from here. Lissa doesn’t need a protector. And if she does, it isn’t me. “I’ll… see you tomorrow.”

I turn away, walking quickly toward my mother’s room without looking back. After I turn the corner, I shake out my arms, as if to get rid of the need I feel to turn back around and demand further explanation.

What do you mean it’s just a job, when you melt in my arms every day? That isn’t an act, I know it’s not.

As I walk to the elevators, I consider my options, wondering if I should call Sterling House and ask Pippa to terminate our time together. That would be so much easier.

But even after everything Lissa just said, I want to help her.

I close my eyes in frustration, stepping into the elevator and jabbing at the button for my mother’s floor. It’s clear Lissa needs her independence from James; that’s a boundary I shouldn’t cross, but I feel as if Iknowhim. There’s something in his eyes that tells me everything I need to know about him.

I’ve seen countless examples of this type of case in my life, and almost always, the more dominant, violent partner has something to hide. There is almost certainly something he isn’t telling her, something that could help her case, and Lissa won’t have the resources to discover it.

But I do.

She deserves a chance at happiness with her son, free from a world of pain. I might just be able to give her that, even though I know there will be no reward at the end of it all.

I pull out my phone, dialing Noah’s number before I can change my mind.

“Hi, Mr. Heath,” he says briskly, and I can hear murmuring voices in the background. Checking my watch, I roll my eyes. He’s probably already at home.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was so late.”

“That’s okay, I’m actually just grabbing some food and heading back to the office. Do you need something?”

“I’d like you to take a break from the Reynolds case tomorrow.”

“Uh, sure. What for?”

“I want you to look into a man called James Davenport. Do some digging. See if you can find anything sketchy in his past that we could use. I’ll send you the details.”

There’s a short pause on the other end of the line. “Is this for a case?”

“Yes,” I reply gruffly, about to hang up.

“Which matter should I assign my time to?”

Damn Finnigan and his process obsession.

“It’s pro-bono. Off the clock.”

“Does it have anything to do with Lissa?”

My stomach flips. “Why would it?” I ask, his use of her name grating on me for reasons I don’t want to think about right now.

“Well, Davenport is her last name.”

“Just look into it, would you?” I snap.

Another pause. “Of course, I’ll let you know what I find out.”

“Thank you.”

As I reach my mother's room, I find her already packed, smiling up at me, her bag beside her. But her smile fades when she sees my expression and she frowns as I approach her.

“Ready to go?” I ask while grabbing her bag.

“What’s wrong?” she asks me. I’ve never been able to hide anything from her, and she’s giving me that look I know well. If she thinks I’m upset, she won’t let it go.