Turn To Me (12 page)

“What is it?” I asked, confused. 

Reaching out, he took my hand and pulled me inside the small conference room.  Behind him, I could see Kyle seated at a conference table, Blane’s briefcase and papers laid out on its surface.

“Kyle, meet Kathleen,” Blane said.  “Kathleen, Kyle.”

“Nice to meet you,” I quickly interjected, and Kyle gave me a short nod.

“We have a problem,” Blane said cryptically.  I watched as he picked up an envelope, recognizing it as the one that had been delivered to him while in the courtroom.  He dumped the contents into his hand before handing it to me.

Looking down, I saw he’d given me pictures.  Examining them more closely, I realized with a start that they were pictures of me - pictures taken today as I stood outside my car, gazing down at a flat tire.  That would’ve been creepy in and of itself without the big red X drawn over my face. 

I silently flipped through the small stack, coming to one that had words scrawled across it.  “Easy target.” I read silently.  I swallowed, hard.

“It’s a bit...dramatic, don’t you think?” I asked tentatively.  “Like somebody’s watched too many movies or something.”

“I don’t give a fuck if they’ve seen too many movies,” Blane said, frustration evident in his voice.  “Somebody got close enough to take pictures of you.  Where is this?  What were you doing?”

I shrugged helplessly.  “My car.  I got a flat today while I was making deliveries.”

“Where’s the gun I gave you?” he demanded.

I hesitated.  I really didn’t want to answer that, especially with Blane being in the mood he was in.  As it turned out, I didn’t have to say anything because Blane read the answer on my face.

“Christ,” he huffed in exasperation, pushing a hand through his hair as he paced a few steps away from me, stopping to stare out the window, his hands on his hips. 

“I knew they wouldn’t let me in the building with it,” I explained to his back.  He could be mad all he wanted.  I knew not even Hank would have let me inside with a weapon.  

“I’m really sorry about this, Kirk,” Kyle said, speaking for the first time.

Blane sighed.  “It’s not your fault.”  Turning back to Kyle, he crossed his arms over his chest.  “Any ideas?” he asked Kyle.

“No clue, man,” Kyle said regretfully.  “Could just be a whackjob.”

“Maybe.”

Kyle hesitated, then added, “If they’re going after her because of you, maybe you should cut ties.”

My stomach flipped inside out.  “Cut ties” sounded very ominous.  I waited to hear what Blane would say.  I didn’t have to wait long.

“Agreed.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” I asked.  Neither man answered, so I continued, “Does this have anything to do with those horrible death threats you’ve been getting?”

Blane’s eyes narrowed as he focused on me and I felt a twinge of unease.  Probably shouldn’t have mentioned that I’d seen the letters.  But it seemed to me that if I was getting dragged into this, it would be beneficial to know all the facts.

“Those letters aren’t anything to worry about,” Blane said roughly.  “The usual fanatics sending their hate mail.  But this,” he gestured to the pictures I was still holding, “this is something else entirely.”

“Oh, so it’s not a big deal if you’re the one threatened,” I said sarcastically, “but if it’s me, then it’s another story.”

“Exactly.” 

I glared mutinously at him, but he didn’t waver, his gaze level and undeterred by my anger. 

“I think I’ll wait outside,” Kyle said uneasily, rising from his seat.  He went out the door, letting it swing shut behind him.

“Kyle’s right,” Blane said.  “The only reason they’re screwing with you is because of me.  We need to stay away from each other for a while.  Until the case is over.”

That was not something I wanted to hear at all.  I thought about what James had said to me, the message he’d wanted me to deliver, and abruptly decided against telling Blane about it.  In the mood he was in, I wouldn’t put it past him to track James down just to beat the pulp out of him.  Not that I objected to that plan in theory, but it would be a pain in the ass if Blane got arrested.   

“Why did you take this case?” I asked, changing the subject. 

“Because he’s a SEAL, and my friend,” Blane said flatly.  “This case is one of the reasons I went into law and why I’m going into politics.  The troops need more advocates in government.  This case is a prime example of why.  Too many people second-guessing after the fact, putting unrealistic constraints on the men over there.”

“But he killed someone,” I said quietly.  “An American.”

Blane looked at me.  “Yes, he did,” he said.  “Someone who hates America and everything it stands for to the point of going to fight for the other side.  It’s very likely he would have alerted other men with weapons that would have killed Kyle and his team.”

“You don’t know that he would have done that,” I protested.

“And you don’t know that he wouldn’t have,” Blane retorted.  “War really is hell, Kat, and it’s not always just soldiers who die.  Better the enemy than four SEALs.”

That made me pause.  What if it had been Blane on that mission?  A chill went through me at the thought.  Somehow, I thought my armchair quarterback judgments wouldn't matter a hill of beans to me if Blane had been the one in danger.

Blane watched me and I moved closer to him, tipping my head back.   “I understand what you’re saying,” I told him.  “I really do.  If it had been you, I’d want you to do whatever you had to do, so long as you came back alive.”

The tightness around Blane’s eyes and mouth eased and I realized he’d been waiting to hear what I would say, if I supported him in this case or not.  I was surprised and humbled that he cared what I thought.

“I’ll have Clarice come get you and take you to your car,” Blane said, pulling out his cell phone.  “Keep the gun I gave you on you at all times.  I don’t want you making any more deliveries either.  Stay at the office tomorrow.”

“Great.  Diane will love that,” I muttered, grimacing when I thought of her reaction to what she’d see as special treatment from Blane.

“What did you say?” Blane asked, the cell phone at his ear.

“Nothing.”

Clarice must have answered then because Blane began talking to her.  I listened with half an ear as he asked her to come get me, flipping through the pictures as I did so.  There were only about a half dozen of them, but it was still unnerving to know someone had been watching me, photographing me, without my knowledge.  I knew that what Blane was saying made sense.  The fact that the photographs had been sent to him made it obvious that the person doing this intended to hurt him through me. 

Blane had ended his call and now stood next to me.  He took the photos out of my hands and set them aside.  I didn’t look at him.  I wasn’t afraid exactly; I was more upset about the staying away from each other part.  His hand lifted my chin until I was forced to look at him.

“It’s just temporary,” he said gently.  “I need you to be safe.”

I nodded, clearing my throat before I said, “You were great in there today.”

“You were in the gallery?” he asked, surprised.

“For a little while,” I said.  “I think you’re going to win.  The jurors - they like you, they listen to you.”

“I hope you’re right,” he said with a sigh.  “This case can’t be over soon enough for me.”

“Anything I can do to help?” I asked.

He shook his head.  “Just help me keep you safe.  Don’t do anything...spontaneous,” he said dryly.

I remembered our conversation Saturday night and smiled.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said innocently.  “I always think things through first.”

He snorted in derision.  “Right,” he said, and I could tell he wasn’t buying it.  His eyes twinkled at me.  I needed to touch him so I straightened his already straight tie and smoothed down the collar of his shirt and the lapels of his jacket.  The wool was soft against my fingers.  A knot was forming in my stomach which I tried to ignore.  If I thought about it too much, it felt like we were breaking up, so naturally I chose to not think about it.

“Kat,” Blane said softly, and I raised my eyes to his.

The air grew charged between us as he gazed in my eyes.  The dark suit made his eyes appear more gray than green, their depths stormy in my imagination.  His hand lifted to my hair, catching a lock and slowly wrapping its curl around his finger.  He tugged gently and I obediently moved closer, sliding my hands around his waist under his jacket.

Both of his hands threaded through my hair now, tipping my head further back as his palms cradled my head.  My breath caught in my chest when he leaned down, his mouth meeting mine.  His kiss began tender and sweet, like I was a precious thing, and I took advantage of the moment to open my lips beneath his – I needed to feel a deeper connection. 

He took my invitation, his tongue sliding against mine, and I whimpered deep in my throat as I molded myself against his body.  One of his hands stayed in my hair while the other arm wrapped around me, holding me tightly. 

The kiss turned into hunger and need, my hands sliding up his back to hold him close, and I tuned everything out but him – the hardness of his body, the smell of his skin, the slight abrasion of his five o’clock shadow, the demands of his mouth and tongue.

“Oh my!  Excuse me!”

The startled voice and slam of the door caused me to abruptly return to reality and I tore my lips from Blane’s.  I would have stepped back, but his arm tightened, holding me in place.

“Who was that?” I gasped, trying to get my breath back as my heart pounded in my chest.

“Clarice,” Blane replied evenly, his fingers brushing my cheek. 

I was annoyed but not surprised to see him unruffled by our interlude or its interruption, though his eyes blazed as he watched me.  He released me and I moved a safe distance away, self-consciously combing my fingers through my hair, hastily repairing the disarray Blane had inflicted.

He went to the door and opened it.  “Come in, Clarice,” he called.  She stepped inside the room, a huge grin lighting up her face when she saw me.  I recognized that smile and inwardly groaned.  I knew I was going to have to listen to her enthusiastic optimism about Blane and me all the way to picking up my car.

Blane stepped into my personal space again, and I swallowed as I looked up at him.

“Stay safe,” he said quietly, his thumb brushing my jaw.

“No worries,” I said, forcing a smile.  I hated the fact that someone was using me to get to him; he had enough on his plate without worrying about me.

Blane turned to Clarice.  “Make sure Hank or another security guard walks you to your car.”

“Yes, sir,” she agreed.

I grabbed my purse, threw one last look at Blane, and followed Clarice down the hallway.

Hank readily agreed to see us safely to her car and before long she was dropping me off at the tire repair shop.  I was surprised, Clarice had actually been good and not gushed about Blane and me, though that satisfied grin of hers remained as we chatted.

“Can I still see those files?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” she said, “They’re all in the conference room for you.  His older case files are in storage in the basement.  The keys are in my desk, if you need them.”

“Thanks, Clarice,” I said as I got out of the car.  “And thanks for the ride, too.”

“No problem!” she said cheerily.  I waved to her as she drove out of the lot.

Unfortunately, the tire had to be replaced, and I wasn’t surprised to hear that the tire had a gash in it.  The mechanic told me it looked like it had been slashed.  No accident then.  I decided to keep that information to myself.  It took a while before they were finished and I impatiently wiled away what was left of the afternoon waiting.

As I wrote the check to cover the bill, my mind drifted longingly to the twenty thousand dollars Kade had given me.  I’d thought long and hard about what to do with it.  Finally, I’d decided to report the money, which had meant I’d had to pay taxes on it.  After the government took their rather large chunk, I’d decided to send the rest to pay against my mother’s medical bills.  Her fight with cancer hadn’t been very long, but it had been expensive, and it was a relief to know I’d be able to keep the creditors off my back for a while with the large lump sum payment.  But sometimes, like now, I really wished I’d kept some of it to pad my checking account.

The only thing I hadn’t been able to resist doing was buying a pair of shoes, as Kade had told me to.  Though no doubt he would roll his eyes in derision at my choice – a pair of sky-high peacock blue heels I’d been coveting for months at Nordstrom’s.   They’d cost more than my entire paycheck, but I hadn’t been able to resist splurging.  I also hadn’t worn them, leaving them in their box in the back of my closet. 

I'd never told Blane about the money Kade had left.  I didn’t know how he’d react if he knew about it, and I didn’t want to find out.  He'd want to know why Kade would do that, and I had no answer to give him.  The gesture had bewildered me, Kade's motives were a mystery.  It wasn't as though it was going to be repeated and the money was spent, so what was there really to tell?

It was after three by now and I was hungry.  I’d given all my cash to Frankie to cover the cab ride so I’d skipped lunch.  I swung by the grocery store, grabbing one of those shrink-wrapped pre-made deli sandwiches and a Pepsi, before heading to the firm.  If I wanted my life to get back to normal, I needed to see if there was anything I could dig up on this case of Blane’s or any of his old cases.

After checking in with Diane, who had no further deliveries for me, I headed up to the seventh floor.  True to her word, Clarice had left the files in Blane’s conference room.  Several boxes sat on the table, all filled to the brim with papers.  I grabbed the nearest one and started digging.

I ate as I read, some of the files and motions unrelated to anything I was looking for, though I wasn’t positive what that even was.  Hours passed.  I found confirmation of what Clarice had told me.  Kyle Waters was a highly decorated professional warrior who had enlisted and then re-enlisted with the Navy, serving three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Married once with no children, his ex-wife had divorced him after he re-enlisted.