“Ryker’s gone and caught feelings during the worst possible legal situation since that guy tried to sue God and lost on a technicality.”
“Are you done?” I asked.
“Not even close. Do you want me to arrange the intervention now or after the trial? Because watching you moon over your client while simultaneously having a professional meltdown is like watching a car crash. If the car was on fire. And heading toward a fireworks factory. During a gas leak.”
Blake’s hands clenched into fists. He could have laid intome for the millionth time about dating her. But either he was having mercy on me or he was finally accepting that I’d never hurt her. “We have to do something to keep her out of prison.” His voice cracked slightly on the last word, and he exchanged a loaded look with Jace. Something unspoken passed between them, and I had a feeling it involved Jace’s considerable resources and possibly a one-way ticket to a non-extradition country.
But that was no life either.
“Tell us what you need,” Jace said quietly, breaking the tension.
I straightened in my chair, forcing myself back into lawyer mode. The self-pity could wait. Right now, Faith needed me functional.
Wolfe thinks he’s got us on the ropes. Thinks he’s already won.
Time to show that smug bastard what a comeback looks like.
“Jace, I need more PIs. As many as you can get me, and I need them yesterday.”
“Done.”
No hesitation. Just done. This was why I loved these guys.
I turned to Axel. “That PR consultant …”
“Rebecca.” Axel nodded slowly, already following my train of thought. “She’s already signed a letter of intent. She’ll work with us.”
“Good. I need her to dig up and air stories about Faith. Good ones. The foster kids she mentored. Community service. Anything that shows she’s not the monster the media’s making her out to be.” I met his eyes. “Can you handle that?”
“Consider it handled.”
Blake shifted forward. “She’s going to kill you if she finds out you leaked information about those foster teens.”
“Keep the teens’ names out of the press,” I said. “Full anonymity. But even if that still upsets her, if Faith has to hate me to stay out of prison?” I shrugged. “I’ll take that deal every single time.”
Every. Single. Time.
Axel snorted. “Romance of the century, folks. Really tugging at the heartstrings here.”
“We need something else in the media too. Something that speaks to a broken child,” I continued. “Blake, work with Axel. Find photos of Faith as a kid. Before she went into the foster system, before everything went to hell. We’re going to remind people she’s human.”
“Done,” Blake said quietly.
I drummed my fingers on the desk, my mind racing through scenarios and strategies. “What else? We need to prove he was stalking her. Not just the text messages. Something concrete. Security footage, witness statements, anything that establishes a pattern of harassment. Jace, my team hasn’t had luck with security footage yet, but I suspect it’s because they’re going through the proper channels. Channels Kearns might be blocking. Have your PIs go around the system. They can get away with shit mine can’t.”
“Done.”
Blake stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. “We’re not letting her go to prison.”
The way he said it wasn’t a promise. It was a threat. To the universe, to the justice system, to anyone who stood in his way.
And damn if that doesn’t make me want to hug the overprotective bastard.
Jace rose, too, adjusting his cuff links with that eerie calm he always maintained. “My brother, Hunter, is a prosecutor,” he reminded me. “Want me to see if he can help?”
Right. Hunter Lockwood. I scrubbed my face, considering it.
“No,” I decided. “Wolfe and Kearns will try to bury Faith, no matter how much another ADA tries to help. Intervening will only get your brother tangled up in this shit.”
