But I also knew Faith enough to know there was no way she was some monster either. What happened and to whom and why was something I needed to get to the bottom of—and fast. Because the flip side of being a criminal lawyer was seeing the number of people in prison who shouldn’t be there.
“Based on the evidence covering her, I have minutes to save the rest of her life. And if we waste them on anything that isn’t immediately life-threatening, we’ll never get them back.”
“She’s going into shock?—”
“Then get her something with sugar while I do my job.” My voice turned to steel. “Every second you stand here arguing is a second I lose. And every second I lose increases her chances of spending the next twenty-five years to life in prison. Is that what you want?”
Blake’s hands clenched into fists. “Of course not.”
“Then get her that sugar. Kitchen. Now.”
He backed toward the doorway, torn between his medical oath and his need to protect his sister. “If anything happens to her?—”
“Nothing will happen to her.”Not on my watch.
Blake disappeared into the kitchen, and I knelt in front of Faith’s chair. The clock in my head kept ticking. Minutes. Maybe less before someone called 911. Before this scene became uncontrollable. Before her fate was sealed.
“Faith.” I kept my voice gentle despite the urgency screaming through me. “Can you hear me?”
Her eyes fluttered, trying to focus.
“I need you to listen very carefully.” I caught her hands in mine, ignoring the blood. “Do you understand me?”
“He’s dead …” Her whisper was barely audible. “I think he’s dead.”
My stomach dropped. Shit. The clock just sped up.
“Don’t say another word.”
“But—”
“No.” I squeezed her hands gently. “Not one word to anyone but me. Not Blake, not the police, nobody.”
Her gaze drifted to the bloody knife lying on the ground. For a heartbeat, I wondered if I’d miscalculated. If maybe the woman I’d been drawn to was capable of something I couldn’t defend.
Remember what happened last time the evidence suggested innocence and you ignored your nagging questions?
I shoved it down. This was different. Faith was different.
“What the hell?” Blake stood in the doorwaywith an ancient can of Coke. “She just said someone’s dead, and you’re telling her not to talk?”
Great. He heard that. See? This was what I was trying to avoid! It irritated me that I had to spend a moment explaining anything to Blake right now, but I knew he meant well.
“I’m telling her not to incriminate herself.” I stood, every muscle tense. “There might be a body somewhere, Blake. Close by, since she came on foot. Which means we probably only have minutes before this place is swarming with cops. Minutes that will determine whether she lives free or dies in prison.”
Blake went pale. “Jesus.”
“Yeah. So, you want to help her? Get the car. Pull it right up to the door. I need to talk to her, and then we need to take her to the hospital.”
“If someone’s dead?—”
“If someone’s dead, then every word she says can be used against her. Every person who hears those words becomes a witness.” I met his glare steadily. “You want to testify against your own sister?”
Blake’s shoulders dropped. “I’ll get the car.”
Once he left, I turned back to Faith. She was watching me with those storm-green eyes, tears cutting tracks through the blood on her cheeks.
“Hey.” I crouched again, acutely aware of every passing second. “Look at me.”
