Love and Lust (Small Town Secrets Book 2) Page 12

  “I don’t know…”

  “Listen here, Paulson. You always tell me I know how to make the jury buy whatever I’m selling them—so trust me. Trust my instincts. This will work.”

  I weighed my options, few though they were. I could bypass Ed and report myself. That wouldn’t go well but I knew I’d have a better chance that way than if Ed reported me. And, for all I knew, that was on his to-do list for tomorrow morning. I could, of course, just let him do it and then fight and smudge the truth like Adam had suggested—but that was a line I really didn’t want to cross. Once I’d lied that much, if I won, it would probably making fabricating stories so much easier in the future—and I’d have to lie about that particular incident for the rest of my life. That would become exhausting. Worse yet, if it was found that I was lying to the tribunal, that would be it. There would be no getting my license back; that I was sure of. And I’d likely drag Adam down with me.

  That left me with one choice.

  “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  Janae cleared her throat—as if we hadn’t known she was there. But both Adam and I looked over at her at the same time. “Hey, guys…it’s quitting time. Mind if I get out of here?”

  Adam nodded his head slightly. “Today’s one of those days we should’ve let you go early.” Especially since the phone hadn’t rung the entire time we’d been discussing my fate. “Yeah, hit the road.”

  Janae stood. “Thanks.”

  As she walked over to her desk, Adam said to her, “None of this leaves this office.”

  I nearly shuddered when I heard those words escape Adam’s mouth—because even if I were able to schmooze Ed O’Malley, would our faithful assistant consider extortion?

  I couldn’t think about that possibility right now.

  Janae grabbed her purse and walked through the lobby. “Good luck, Samantha.”

  “Thanks.” Why was it so fucking hard to breathe?

  “If you want my two cents’ worth, I agree with Adam. I want to work for Solano and Paulson.”

  God…she had no idea how much those words managed to make me feel so much better. I stood up and gave Janae a huge hug. “Thank you.” Even more reassuring was Janae’s embrace, warm and comforting. I knew I might be filling myself with a false sense of security, but I really didn’t have anything else to grab hold of at the moment.

  Janae walked over to the door and paused, turning to face us once more. “Do what Adam said. Appeal to the jury. Have him write your closing arguments and you’ll win, no problem.”

  I laughed as a tear dropped to my cheek. Where the hell had that come from?

  After Janae left, Adam came over and gave me a huge hug. “You got this, my friend. It’ll work, just like Janae said.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Don’t hope. Know I’m right. Now, go home. Put on something flattering but not too sexy.” Letting me go, he put his hands on my shoulders like a football coach might with his star quarterback. “Let’s get the show on the road. We have some work to do.

  * * *

  Adam pulled up to the nightclub as I assessed myself one last time: slightly faded jeans that hugged my hips nicely, along with a form-fitting black top that had short sleeves and a scooped neck. I wasn’t showing off any cleavage, but my curves were undeniable. My makeup was a little darker because I’d need it in the low light of the club—but I didn’t go as dark as I usually would. I didn’t need Ed O’Malley picturing me as a thirsty slut.

  Even if I’d been that way just weeks earlier…

  I pulled the visor down on my side of the car one last time, just to double check my makeup. I looked as good as I could, all things considered. At least when animals are taken to the slaughter, they have no idea what’s coming.

  Or do they?

  I certainly had no idea which way Ed’s winds were blowing. As I got out of the car, I appreciated the waning sun highlighting the large gray billowy clouds rushing across the sky. They made the temperature a hell of a lot more tolerable, but they did nothing for how on edge I felt.

  In fact, I wondered if they were a reflection of the storm brewing in my gut.

  Adam looked over at me. “Ready?”

  He’d talked me into riding with him for lots of reasons—but the main one was so that, if Ed tried to cross a line with me, I’d tell him I was Adam’s designated driver.

  More than that, though, Adam was my moral support. My rock-solid foundation where everything else was shaky ground. He was still my best friend, and he’d proven it over the past several weeks. As I smiled at him, I wondered how I could have done any of this without him.

  As I got out of the car, though, my thoughts shifted to Ed O’Malley. The thought of using my femininity to get me out of this fucking mess turned my stomach worse than if I’d drunk a gallon of spoiled milk. Maybe if it were anyone other than Ed. The guy had always had a slightly creepy vibe, so I often felt uncomfortable around him, like my skin wanted to crawl off my muscles. He seemed nice enough, though—and he was apparently a stickler for rules. I had to respect that much, at least.

  Nodding to Adam, I stuck a credit card into my bra but tucked my purse under the seat so I wouldn’t have to worry about misplacing it. Adam pointed his fob at the car and it chirped while flashing its lights, and I reminded myself that I’d practiced my little appeal to the judge multiple times in my head. I knew exactly what I was going to say and how I was going to say it. I couldn’t be more ready to talk to Ed.

  Except that I was nervous as hell.

  My friend must have sensed it, because he wrapped his hand around mine as we walked to the entrance of the club. Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over me. My partner had never done anything even close to unethical the entire time we’d been practicing, and here he was having to deal with my indiscretion. I squeezed his hand in thanks and looked at him. He gave me a huge smile and winked as if to tell me things would be all right.

  I felt strong then…ready to conquer the world.

  As we got closer to the entrance, I could hear the steady beat of electronic dance music, and my heart tried to match the rhythm. Taking a deep breath through my nostrils, I reminded myself that, no matter what happened tonight, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I could handle anything.

  If I hadn’t felt so stressed, I might have laughed at the situation. It cracked me up that a small town like Winchester even had a club like this. I gave it six months max before it died, forgotten and unmourned.

  After walking through the doors, we were assaulted by a crisper, louder version of the music we’d been hearing and a cool air-conditioned breeze flowed over my forehead and cheeks. My eyes slowly adjusted as we maneuvered our way through the bodies crammed around the entry way but soon we were deeper inside. I’d never been here before, because I’d never been much for dancing, but the electric energy pulsing through my body told me maybe I should have given it a chance before now. I might have to give it another try after tonight.

  But it was more than just the music. To one side there was a DJ in a cage off to himself, but it was obvious to me that he was running the show. Laser lights flashed off and on and other lights swirled around to create bright beams in the midst of darkness. There were even some strobe lights that flashed on occasion.

  The energy, though. Wow. I could feel humanity’s pulse in there.

  As we made our way in deeper, I noticed that there were at least two levels in the club, but the higher one didn’t have many folks dancing. The ones pumping, bumping, and grinding to the beat were on the lower level where Adam and I were. I started feeling like I was a tiny fish in the midst of bigger ones, and I had to move to the flow of the water or I’d drown—and we weren’t even on the dance floor section yet; we were merely trying to make our way through the crowd at the sidelines.

  Was there even a bar in here?

  I knew there had to be, because I saw lots of the non-dancers carrying drinks.
Adam stopped moving for a bit and looked around. His advantage was that he was much taller than I and could see over a lot of the chaos of the crowd. But then he started moving again, this time more toward the right. A stray dancer bumped into me as she left the dance area, stepping on my foot. I wasn’t sure if she even said sorry, but Adam hadn’t seen it so he didn’t slow down for me.

  Ah, well. The pain in my foot was the least of my worries.

  Finally, my eyes had fully adjusted and after moving a couple more feet, I could see Ed and some of our other attorney acquaintances huddled around two round tables pushed together. In all the noise, I wondered if I’d even be able to have the conversation with Ed that I’d been planning.

  Jesus. This was going to be way harder than I’d thought.

  We reached the table, and I recognized most of the faces. There was a new guy there, though, a good-looking guy who’d apparently been practicing law in Denver till recently but had moved home to be closer to family.

  If I hadn’t had an agenda, that guy would have been my target. He was cute with soft dimples and an easy smile—and the way he shook my hand was strong and sure. He would have been the perfect guy to fuck Ryan out of my brain. A little too young? Probably…but that hadn’t stopped me before. I’d just recently left my twenties myself, so he’d be fair game.

  As my eyes took everyone in, I was shocked to see an older defense attorney there. Nolan Price, a man who was no party animal, especially since he had a wife and four kids at home and ran his own firm, said he wouldn’t be there long—he was just there to make his junior partners shut up.

  Unfortunately, there was a defense attorney in our group who’d been one of my lousy one-night stands. Even if I’d been looking for a relationship, he would have been a one-night only. At least things weren’t as uncomfortable around him anymore—just so long as he wouldn’t ask me out again.

  So, all in all, it looked like we had a dozen-ish of us with promises of more on the way. I peeked at Ed O’Malley through my peripheral vision before I made eye contact with him. His dark brown hair shaved into a buzz cut was hard to miss. When I faced him, I shook his hand and told him it was good to see him.

  God, I hoped my acting skills were up to par.

  But I knew Adam was right. Talking to Ed could work. I just had to pull it off.

  A few minutes later after we’d all kind of settled, Adam decided he had something more important to say. He clapped his hands, barely audible over the music, but his booming baritone voice carried better than most, probably thanks to years of practice in the courtroom. “It looks like this is most of us, so I just have two things to say before we’ve had too much to drink. One—no discussing work. That’s absolutely forbidden.”

  A few people laughed, and one attorney whose name I didn’t know said, “Fat chance!”

  Adam pointed a finger at him, looking at him as if threatening pain. “Seriously, though. We talk work enough throughout the day and usually every waking moment. Tonight, I want us to have fun. There is one exception, though.” He looked over at Price. “Counselor, if you could regale us with humorous tales of past trials before you leave, we would be forever in your debt.” Adam was cracking me up simply with his semi-formal tone and threats to hurt anyone who dared break his rules for fun. “And the only other thing I have to say is the next round of drinks is on me! Everyone okay with beer or should I get something else?”

  Our little group clapped and cheered. Obviously, beer was fine. I already felt better, because Adam had a way of making everyone and everything feel fine.

  “Okay, guys—let me go fetch the libations!”

  Before Adam could get too far, I touched his arm. “Let me help.”

  “Follow me.” He headed toward the bar on the far wall. I hadn’t noticed it amidst the chaos until now. And I managed to convince myself that I wasn’t putting off the inevitable. Adam needed my help. There was no way he’d be able to carry that much beer—even if it was in pitchers—in one trip.

  The bar area was a little quieter. After Adam ordered the beer, the bartender started pulling caps off bottles one by one and setting them on the counter. I knew this was probably the last time I’d have my partner alone for the night. “I know what I’ve got to say. I just don’t know how to get started. Any suggestions?”

  Adam fished bills out of his wallet for the tip. “Just play it by ear. Give him a while. I’d bet anything he’ll talk to you about it. If you’d seen him earlier, you’d know what I mean. But if he doesn’t bring it up and it’s getting late, then just bring it up yourself.” I frowned. “Listen to your instincts, Samantha. They rarely steer you wrong.”

  Except for getting into this fucking mess in the first place. I took a deep breath and squeezed his arm. “Thanks again.”

  Soon, Adam and I were heading back to the tables with arms full of bottles, reminding me of my waitressing days. I only spilled a little when someone bumped into me, and I figured that one would be mine. Once we’d handed out the bottles (and I conveniently made sure Adam got to serve Ed his), I took a long swig of my beer, figuring a little alcohol might take the edge off, making my conversation with Mr. O’Malley a little easier.

  I’d been chatting with a couple of newer people but, as soon as there was a tiny break in the conversation, I sensed someone close to me. When I turned, there was Ed up close.

  Way too fucking close.

  But I smiled. I needed this man to trust me, to maybe even let his guard down a little bit so he would listen to me and consider the request I was going to make.

  For now, though, friendly conversation would grease the wheels.

  “What interesting cases have you had lately, Samantha?”

  I couldn’t help but wonder if he was baiting me or just trying to start a conversation. If he was trying to get me to open up about my indiscretion, doing it here and now was a bad idea. Yes, I planned on talking to him about it tonight, but not in front of all our colleagues. I wasn’t sure exactly when would be the best time; I only knew that now was not it.

  “Nothing too exciting.” I motioned my head toward Adam, clear at the other end of our group. “Talk to my hotshot partner. He’s the one who’s got the interesting cases.”

  Ed started laughing. He didn’t do it very often and that was probably a good thing, because he sounded like a wheezing horse—and I hadn’t even said anything funny. “Hotshot? Try Mr. Plea Bargain.” He started laughing again and I stifled a sigh. I was going to have to find a way to have the conversation as soon as possible, because trying to have a back-and-forth was, frankly, going to drive me nuts.

  “What about you, Ed? Anything interesting going on for you folks at the DA’s office?”

  The look on Ed’s face changed from amused to serious, like he was going to impress me with the words that would next come out of his mouth. He leaned closer, but lowering his voice wasn’t much of an option. “Probably nothing I’m supposed to tell you. Let’s just say it has something to do with the Roberts case.”

  What was he up to? I forced a smile. “Adam suspected as much.” I polished off my beer, placing the bottle on the table with authority.

  I saw the sand shift under his feet a little. “Really?”

  “Come on, Ed, you’ve known Adam ever since you started with the DA—what was it, six years ago?”

  “Seven.”

  “And you find it surprising that Adam’s got an idea about the Roberts case?”

  “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  I already needed some air, and I had the perfect excuse. “I need another beer. Be right back.”

  But, of course, I hadn’t thought of the possibilities.

  “I’ll come with you.”

  Shit. Ed was going to act like a faithful puppy dog. Pretending like I hadn’t heard him, I tried my best to shake him as I made my way through the crowd, but no luck. When I leaned over the bar, he was right there.

  At this point, I wished he’d just bring up the subject and g
et it over with.

  Right now, though, Ed was standing way too close to me, the side of his arm brushing against mine, his eyes caressing my skin. It was all I could do to not tell him to back off. Ordinarily, I would. In fact, I would have already politely asked Ed to take a hike—if I hadn’t felt like I had to entertain him, buttering him up before having our conversation.

  The bartender was a welcome sight. “What’ll it be for you guys?”

  I didn’t even need to think about it. “I’ll have a Corona and a shot of whiskey.” That shot should help my nerves and fast—and, if it didn’t, nothing would. “What about you, Ed?”

  “I think I’ll have a Corona, too.” The bartender had our drinks ready to go by the time I had my credit card out, but Ed threw a fifty-dollar bill on the counter. “I’ve got this.”

  Oh, hell, no. If the night went as planned, I’d be indebted to this guy forever anyway. There was no way I wanted to pile on more. “Ed, I can get mine. You don’t have to pay for it.” I held out my credit card, waiting for the bartender to take it.

  But Ed placed his hand on mine, motioning the bartender with an eyebrow. “I said I’ve got this, Samantha. Can’t you let a guy do something nice for you?”

  The way he said it made me feel like a real shit heel. Maybe he was trying to be thoughtful and I’m misunderstood him all along. “All right. Thanks.” I slid my credit card back in my bra, trying to be as demure as possible when I did it. “But the next ones are on me, okay?” As soon as the bartender placed the shot of whiskey in front of me, I picked it up, downing it quickly. I hoped it would start working its magic soon. As I let out a breath while the warm liquor trickled inside my chest, I picked up the beer and took a swallow to chase the whiskey down.