“There’s more.” His voice was careful now. “Do you know who his father is?”
I shut my eyes, trying to remember, but I could only fixate on the torment Daniel had brought to my life.
“Daniel is Judge Kearns’s son.”
Right. I remember him bragging about that.
“The most prominent judge in the city,” Ryker continued.
The blood drained from my face so fast, I thought I might pass out.
“Look at me.” Ryker’s voice cut through the panic. His hands came up to cup my face again, forcing my gaze to stay locked on his. “Look at me, not at the walls. Not at the cuffs. Just me.”
I did as he asked, my heartbeat slowing down. His thumb traced my cheekbone, and I focused on that single point of contact. The steady rhythm of it. The warmth. But the ominous weight of it all didn’t lighten.
“I’m finished, aren’t I?” My voice barely made it above a whisper.
“It’s not ideal,” Ryker said, which was lawyer speak foryou’re in deep shit.
“You can’t defend a woman accused of killing a judge’s son.” I met his eyes. “That will be the end of your career.”
“We already had this debate, and I’m not having it again.” Something fierce flashed across his face. “Besides, my career means nothing if the cost is you,” he said. “Do you understand me? Nothing.” My throat swelled. “I’ve got you, Faith. I won’t let you fall.”
For over two months, I’d been denying what was happening between us. But sitting here, watching him risk everything for me, I couldn’t pretend anymore. It was clear just how deep his feelings ran.
And I could see in his eyes that he wouldn’t have this debate again. That nothing I could say would get him to walk away and save himself.
While that made me feel incredibly cared for, cherished even, it also made me feel selfish. I didn’t want to be a drain on anyone. In the times I’d let myself imagine being with Ryker, I’d envisioned adding to his life, not jeopardizing everything he’d worked for. Not pulling him down into the wreckage of my past.
“I don’t want to ruin you,” I whispered.
“Then let me decide what ruins me.” His voice was firm, brooking no argument. “Now,” he said, shifting gears, “just because the victim is prominent doesn’t mean the facts changed. The self-defense theory is strong. And we got a small win.”Something shifted in his expression—cautious hope. “Fingerprint results came back. Daniel’s prints were on the handle of your knife.”
I blinked. “Is that good?”
“It means he had his hands on it at some point. There was a struggle.” Ryker’s jaw tightened. “Now, does it disprove premeditation? No. Wolfe will argue you brought the knife, he grabbed it, and you took it back. But it’s better than your prints being the only ones on that handle. It supports your memory of fighting back, of screaming for him to stop.” He held my gaze. “It’s not a slam dunk, but it’s something we can work with.”
A tiny spark of hope flickered in my chest that was fragile, but real.
“If the victim were anyone else, I’d feel confident you’d walk out of that bail hearing.” He paused, running a hand through his hair. “Even with this revelation, the facts are still on your side.”
“Then what should we be worried about?”
Fear flickered in his eyes.
“This judge might use everything at his disposal to make sure you spend the rest of your life in prison.” The gravity in his voice made my body go cold. “Faith, this just became a high-profile case. And we’re about to find out exactly how far a father’s grief can reach.”
But even as he delivered this devastating news, his thumbs kept moving across my knuckles in small, soothing circles. Like even in the face of impossible odds, he couldn’t stop trying to comfort me.
The gesture cracked through the walls I’d built to survive foster care. Here was this man, this brilliant lawyer, choosing to stand beside me in my darkest hour. Not because he had to. Not because he pitied me. But because somewhere along the way, I’d become someone worth fighting for.
The realization terrified me almost as much as the murder charge.
Because caring for someone, letting them in, meant theycould witness your destruction. And if Judge Kearns had his way, Ryker would have a front-row seat to mine.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to ask the question I’d been avoiding. “Okay. What happens next?”
“The bail hearing.” His expression was carefully neutral, but I caught the flicker of worry he couldn’t quite hide.
