I’d lost Gray, I’d hurt myfather, but John? He could go fuck himself. Any thought of being smart orcareful or cunning about this had already left my mind. All I wanted waspayback.
Revenge for everything I’d been throughthese past few weeks. For the fact that I’d just had to throw away the bestthing I’d ever had.
“No, you listen to me,” Isnarled. “I know what you’re up to, and I’m not gonna let you get away with it.”
The innocent surprise onJohn’sface dissolved in a heartbeat. Instead, he took on the look of a predator that’djust spotted prey.
But I was done with beingthe frightened rabbit. It wasmyturn to be the wolf.
“What is it that you thinkyou know?” he asked, mildly, as though we were discussing the weather. Butthere was still that hardness in his eyes. A gleam of triumph, like he’dalready won.
That wasn’t about tohappen. Not if I had anything to say about it.
“Oh, there’s nothinking. I have proof,” I said,gripping my laptop bag a little closer to my body. I’d gone back to my officeto grab the files Jimmy had returned, along with his notes on what looked wrongto him.
The proof was in there. Ijust had to sift through it until I could piece together enough to nail him tothe wall.
And then I’d call SergeantMoreno and tell her all about this asshole. She’d love to solve a case like this,I thought. She seemed ambitious.
“Proof?” he asked, glancingat the laptop bag.
“Proof,” I confirmed. “And I’mtaking it home with me, and not letting it out of my sight. There’s nothing youcan say. I have had the worst day of maybe my entire life, so don’t eventryme.”
John looked between me, thebag, and the car. Calculating. Like he was wondering if he could grab my laptopbag and make a break for it.
Maybe telling him I hadproof that could sink him on my person had been a mistake.
I wished I hadn’t told Gray toleave all over again. If he was still here, I wouldn’t have had to worry. Hewould have protected me.
Without him, it was up to meto protect myself.
At the same moment I’d come to thatconclusion, John reached out toward me. My stomach swooped, but I took one longstep back, moving myself out of his path so all he managed to grab was theempty space I’d been occupying moments before.
“Move away from my car,” Isaid, fighting to keep my voice even. My heart was racing and my head was pounding.Much more of this, and I was afraid my already trembling legs would give out.
To my relief, John seemed tocome to his senses, holding his hands up and away from me, and taking a stepback.
Laughter echoed off thewalls of the basement parking lot. Clearly, he’d noticed that we hadcompany before I did. All I had to do was shout, and he’d lose any last chancehe’d had of getting away with this.
I realized belatedly thatall this meant I’d have to shut down the trial. Maybe as early as tomorrow.
The thought made me sick tomy stomach. Maddi.
She’d been getting better. She’donly been waiting for one more round of treatment before surgery.
I’d let her down.
I’d let everyone down. Gray,my father, even Jimmy—if I’d been more approachable, if he hadn’t been so waryof me, then none of this would have happened.
“I’m going home now,” Isaid, heading for the driver’s side door. My fingers trembled as I reached forthe handle, and I was really glad I didn’t have to get a key into a lock rightnow. I wasn’t sure I could do it.
Getting out of here was theonly thing I could think of.
John backed away anotherpace, giving me much-needed breathing room as I got into the car, clipped myseatbelt on, and then drove out of the parking garage much faster than I reallyshould have.
I just wanted to be home.Behind my own door, ideally curled up in my own bed, where I felt safe.
Orhadfelt safe,when Gray was there to share it with me. Which he wouldn’t be.
