She sniffed, and then eased out of his arms. Slipping a hand into her pocket, she pulled out a white card.
“Mom’s looking for a good lawyer for me, but I have this.”
He took the card and read the words. “Who is this?”
“My father.”
Newman whistled.
“Why did you wait until now?”
“I don’t know, I guess I didn’t have the strength before.”
“But you do now I’m here?”
“Weird, but yes.”
“Good weird,” he said. “If this is what you want to do, then do it. If not, I’ll get you another lawyer.”
She drew in a deep, shaky breath and punched in the numbers. She put it on speaker so he could hear. Hope was opening herself up to him, he could feel it. Did she feel something for him, like he did her?
“Hello, Hope.” Her father had a deep, steady voice.
“I’m in trouble.”
“That does surprise me, given what I know of you.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
Newman sat on the cot and pulled her down between his legs. She was tense, and he guessed had been so since landing in this cell. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
“Not true. I’ve followed the lives of you and Ryan, even if I haven’t been involved in them.”
“Do I have other brothers and sisters?”
It would be a question he’d ask if he ever spoke to his birth mother. Newman had always wanted siblings.
“Yes. Two brothers, and a sister.”
Newman took the hand not clasped around the phone in his. Slipping her fingers between his, he made a fist with her hand trapped inside.
“D-do they know about me?”
“Yes. What trouble are you in, Hope?”
She told him then, the entire story, starting with Jay’s betrayal. Her voice stumbled a few times, but she kept going, finishing with details about the governor and Mr. Linear.
“I know that Linear bastard,” the deep voice said down the line. “He couldn’t lie straight in bed.”
“I just wondered if you had any advice for me?”
“Don’t say anything until I get there.”
“What? You can’t come here. I just thought you’d give me advice or something.”
“I will give you advice, but it will be in person.”
He disconnected the phone before Hope could speak again.
