Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
“What does your gut say?”
“It’s a problem.”
In other words, he’s afraid she’s going to confess and he doesn’t defend guilty people.
Reid
Debbie doesn’t leave and I let her simmer while Gabe camps out on my couch, watching the conference room feed with me, on the couch in my office. We’ve just heard about the photo sent to the judge being the reason court recessed, via Royce Walker, when Connie appears in my doorway and announces, “She’s demanding to see you and not nicely. Now?”
“Yes. Now,” I say of my plan I’ve cooked up with Connie. “Tell her I’m in a meeting and offer her coffee. Try to get her to talk.”
“It’s going to be hard to be nice to that woman, but I get it. Good cop, bad cop, and all that stuff.”
“You’ll rock her world, Connie,” Gabe encourages.
She frowns. “I’d rather the right man rock mine. Hers has apparently been rocked quite well. At least that’s the story her belly tells.”
She turns and exits the office.
Gabe laughs. “One day a man is going to rock her world and you’re going to be fucked. She’ll focus on him, not her job and no one else can tolerate you. Not even me.”
I ignore him as is my way with Gabe, and I refocus on my computer screen where the feed from the conference room where Debbie waits is being fed. Connie enters. “Where is he?” Debbie demands, still standing, and ready to attack.
“He’s in a meeting,” she says. “I slipped him a note that you wanted to talk. Can I get you water or coffee?”
“I need to talk to Reese.”
“He’ll be here. You okay?”
She bristles. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“You’re obviously upset.”
“Your boss is an ass.”
“I know,” she says and points to a chair. “Let’s sit. You’ll feel better. Are you sure you don’t want water?”
“No. I’m fine. I’ll just have to pee again. It’s constant.” She sits down.
“I hear that,” Connie says. “I don’t have a man or kids.”
“Why not? You’re beautiful.” Her eyes go wide. “You and Reid?”
“Oh God no,” she says just a little too fiercely. “He’s pretty to look at, but he’s a beast.”
“And yet you work for him?”
“He’s fair and I get him like most don’t. He likes people to be frank. Tell him what you want. When you play games with a man like Reid you piss him off or challenge him to win, and he will win. He’s a beast. That wasn’t a joke. And this case is for a friend. He’s making no money. He wants it over.” The receptionist does as we’ve planned and pokes her head in on schedule. “I need you, Connie.”
“I’ll be right there,” Connie says and lowers her voice. “I gotta go. I’ll check on Reid, but be sure to tell him what you want.”
“I did. I want a million dollars. No less. I’m not taking less.”
Connie grimaces. “Oh. Well, he won’t do that. Try lower.” She stands and heads for the door.
Debbie’s face reddens and anger pinches her face. “She’s ready for me,” I say.
“That she is,” Gabe agrees.
I stand and head that direction, passing Connie as she returns. “She’s all yours.”
I nod and make my way to the conference room. The minute I’m inside and shut the door, Debbie gives me what I want. “Tell Reese I want a million dollars by Monday morning or the morning news will be about him and his love child he’s denied.” She rubs her belly. “And sure you can take that threat to the police, but I’ll sing like a songbird in jail.” She smirks. “Good luck finding a way to cheat me.”
She thinks she’s smart. She’s not. She’s bluffing and I don’t get bluffed, especially by the woman making my sister’s life hell. “Then you must know already that giving birth in jail and giving up your baby won’t be that bad,” I say. “There will be lots of women in jail with you, who want to comfort you all up close and personal. Take the thirty thousand or go to jail. You have until tomorrow morning or I’ll take the video of your threat to the police.”
She stares me down, and to her credit she doesn’t blink. She laughs. “You underestimate me, pretty boy.” And then she rounds the table and heads for the door.
Chapter seventy
Reese
Despite a preference to return to the couch and remain naked with Cat pressed close, I dress, sans the tie and jacket while calling Royce to pick up Dana. I then call my team and tell them to head over sooner than later. I’ve barely tied my damn shoes when Reid calls, “Gabe and I are on the way over. I’ll send you an electronic file to watch before we get there.”
“My client and staff are on their way here, so be warned,” I say. “My client is in some kind of freak out.”