by Caila Jaynes
“Chris can’t seem to catch a break,” Claire said. “Life’s been pretty rough for him.”
Grayson glanced her way. “He’s important to you.”
She nodded. “I think he could get on a good path if only something would go his way.”
As he stopped at a light, Grayson turned to study her for a moment. “I bet you were the one in school who defended the other kids.”
She gave him an amused look. “Why do you say that?”
“Just a guess. Am I right?”
She shrugged. “There might have been a couple times.”
“Name one.”
She looked away as if trying to capture a memory. “In elementary school, there was a kid accused of starting a fight.”
“He didn’t do it?”
“No, but he’d started a lot of fights in the past. It was why the teacher had assumed it was him.”
“What happened?”
“The teacher finally believed him.”
Understanding what she didn’t say, Grayson smiled. “Because the senator’s daughter got involved.”
Claire stared out the windshield, not meeting his gaze. “I was the mayor’s daughter back then.”
“Is it strange being in the public eye?”
She nodded. “It’s not like we’re the highest-profile family or anything, but everything my parents say or do is scrutinized by the press, so they’re really into outward appearances.”
“You feel the pressure too.”
“For my parents’ sake? I guess I do.”
“They must be proud of you.”
Claire gave him a wry smile that made Grayson’s heart thump. Reluctantly, he broke his gaze away and accelerated through the intersection.
Speaking with Claire was enjoyable. More than enjoyable. It felt natural.
And there were very few people he could say that about.
Chapter Forty-Two
Claire and Grayson walked into the entrance of the DC Jail at the same time Leah was entering from another door. She rushed over and Claire gave her a hug.
Grayson’s eyes widened slightly as he took in Leah’s bright green hair and multiple piercings, but he extended his hand politely after Claire introduced him as a federal agent. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.” Leah gave Claire a puzzled look before she shook Grayson’s hand, blinking fast as she locked eyes with him, an uncharacteristically nervous gesture.
Claire raised a brow at her. “Ready to go upstairs?”
“Huh?” Leah’s gaze was still focused on Grayson.
Claire looked toward Grayson to find he was staring at her, not Leah. His focus on her sent tingles of awareness down her spine.
She cleared her throat. “Our meeting’s in the visiting hall on the second floor.”
Leah tore her gaze away from Grayson and gave Claire a distracted nod. The three went through security before taking the elevator upstairs.
“It’s probably better if you don’t come in,” Claire said to Grayson as they reached the visiting hall. It looked as if he was about to argue, so she held up a hand. “It’s a secure building, obviously, since we just went through security. Don’t worry.”
“At least let me have a look inside,” he said, and without waiting for a response, brushed past her.
Once he’d disappeared through the door, Leah turned toward Claire and fanned at her own face. “Oh my God. He’s so hot! Why do you have an agent with you?”
Claire ignored the comment, partly because it was annoying and partly because Grayson was coming back out. To Leah’s question, she responded simply, “I’ll have to tell you later.”
“I’ll wait for you out here,” Grayson said.
Once she and Leah were inside the room, Claire asked, “Is there anything I should know about the past two meetings?”
Leah lost the starry-eyed look, turning serious in a heartbeat. “Yes, but it’s nothing about the case. It’s what Professor Moore said in class.”
Claire took in a slow breath. “She said something about me?”
“She didn’t use your name specifically, but she talked about being incommunicado when a client needs you most. It was a lecture of what not to do once we’re in practice.”
Wonderful. Each day since she’d been back, she’d been leaving Professor Moore messages. None had been returned. Leah was the one who’d let her know of today’s meeting.
Claire had been planning to let Professor Moore know what had happened to her, but now she wouldn’t be able to. Nick had texted her while she’d been packing to leave her parents’ house, and asked her to stay silent until after the interview they were arranging.
The door opened and a guard entered the room with Chris.
Professor Moore followed on their heels, looking chic and professional in her cardinal-red suit and black-framed glasses. “Ladies. Mr. Jones.”
Claire straightened her spine, trying to ignore the disdain in her professor’s tone.
After everyone was seated, Leah gave a summary of where the case stood. In essence, the prosecutor was still awaiting an answer from Chris on the deal he’d offered.
Professor Moore gave their client a sharp look. “This decision has dragged on long enough, Mr. Jones. Please tell us you’ve decided to do the right thing.”
Chris’s eyes widened. “I already told you I won’t take the deal. I won’t rat anyone out.”
“We need to come up with another solution for Chris,” Claire said. Although Professor Moore gave her a look that could melt steel, Claire didn’t back down. “What about witness protection?”
“That’s not on the table, Miss Parker.” The professor’s voice was as chastising as her expression.
Chris slumped in his seat. “I wouldn’t do that, anyway.”
Claire pressed her lips together as she looked at Chris. All they’d be able to do at this point was beg the prosecutor for a lesser sentence based on Chris’s status as a first-time offender. And that would be no easy task—the US attorney for the district had a tough reputation, especially when drugs were involved.
The meeting wrapped up several minutes later with the guard escorting Chris from the room.
“That went well,” Leah muttered, then added under her breath, “What a waste of time.”
Professor Moore finished writing a note on her legal pad and then looked up. “What’s your plan now, ladies?”
“Play it straight with the prosecutor,” Claire said. “Emphasize that Chris has never been in trouble before and that he’s scared.”
“I agree,” Leah said. “There’s too much evidence for us to plead ‘not guilty.’ Maybe the prosecutor will have a heart.”
Noticing a touch of sarcasm in Leah’s tone, Claire gave her a quizzical look that was ignored.
“I’ll set up something with his office.” Professor Moore closed her portfolio and returned her gaze to Claire. “I need a word with you.”
Leah stood up and told Claire, “I’ll wait for you outside.”
As the door closed behind her friend, Claire steeled herself.
“I’m dismayed at the way you’ve handled things, Miss Parker. Disappearing like that . . . what in the world were you thinking?”
Claire’s mind spun. What could she say here? Anything she did say would sound like an excuse.
Meeting her professor’s gaze, Claire struggled to keep her tone steady as she ignored the question and addressed the issue head-on. “What do I need to do to make this right?”
“Are you genuinely interested?”
The snarky comment caused tears of frustration to spring to Claire’s eyes. She spoke around a lump in her throat. “Of course I am.”
Professor Moore must have sensed Claire was moments away from breaking down, because something changed in her expression. “Be here for the next meeting and every meeting after that.”
“I will be,” Claire whispered.
Professor Moore gave her a curt nod and left the room.
After the door closed, Claire took a minute to compose herself. She wiped at her eyes and took in several deep breaths.
Grayson and Leah stood speaking in the hallway when she finally walked out of the room. Their heads turned in sync, and a frown spread across Grayson’s face.
“You okay?”
“Fine.” Not wanting to say any more for fear she’d become emotional all over again, Claire led the way to the elevator.
“Everything go okay?” It was Leah who tried again once the elevator door closed.
Claire nodded, doing her best to ignore the concerned look Leah and Grayson exchanged. The three of them rode the rest of the way down in silence.
“She’s friendly,” Grayson said after he and Claire had parted ways with Leah.
Claire didn’t respond as they walked toward the parking garage. The way Leah had gone gaga over Grayson had irritated her more than she cared to admit, and her sarcasm when she spoke about Chris gave Claire pause. But it was the conversation with Professor Moore that had stuck with her. The professor actually thought Claire didn’t care about her client.
There were so many things outside her control—Jeremy’s death, the threat against her, her father’s flagging campaign, what Gabe had done to his clients—but there had to be some way to win Chris’s case.
Once they were inside Grayson’s SUV, he asked, “How did things really go? Leah guessed your professor was giving you the third degree.”
Claire stared straight ahead. “She’s right. It didn’t go well, but I’ve got another shot. That’s all I wanted.”
“What did she say when you told her what happened?”
“I didn’t tell her.”
Grayson studied her. “Why not?”
“My father’s advisors have a specific way they want the news to come out. They’re setting up an interview for me and my father to do.”
Grayson’s voice gentled as he said, “That boy you’re defending is lucky to have you.”
It was Claire’s turn to study him. How did he seem to know just what she needed to hear? And that tender look on his face—it was giving her goose bumps.
Trying to collect herself, Claire drew in a deep breath, but the scent that came from Grayson—something citrus but also woodsy—made her want to pull him close and bury her face in his neck.
God, I’m so attracted to this man. Does he feel the same?
She pushed aside the thought. Grayson was just expressing sympathy. It was stupid to read any more into it.
“How about if I speak with your professor?” he offered. “I’ll explain that you were in protective custody.”
Giving him a surprised look, she said, “No. It’s all right.”
Claire wasn’t about to have Grayson do her dirty work. She’d allowed that sort of thing to happen in the past with her father, but hindsight was twenty-twenty. It wouldn’t happen again.
She shrugged with a nonchalance she didn’t feel. “Don’t worry. It’s taken care of. I let my professor know I wouldn’t miss any more meetings.”
Grayson nodded his understanding and then started the Suburban.
Chapter Forty-Three
Grayson drove out of the garage, thinking again of how he’d misjudged Claire.
The girl was far from spoiled. Her concern for Chris and her determination to keep him out of jail was admirable. And taking heat from her professor in order to help her father’s campaign said it all—Claire Parker had incredible depth of character and a strong sense of right and wrong, something he found incredibly attractive.
He glanced at Claire, knowing he needed to get his thoughts on something else. “How about if we pick up some dinner?”
“Good idea. I’ve got almost nothing at my place.” Giving him a mischievous look, she added, “Takeout is more my thing.”
They stopped at a nearby restaurant and were soon back at Claire’s condo with Chinese food. When they walked in the door, the dog danced around them, sniffing at the paper bags Grayson carried.
Claire laughed and tugged at Charlie’s collar, steering him toward the kitchen. “I’ll need to feed him first.”
As she took a bag of dog food out of her pantry, Grayson unpacked the takeout containers from their brown paper bag.
A picture frame sitting on the counter caught his eye and he picked it up. In the photo, Claire looked a little younger than she was now, a huge grin on her face as she leaned against a deck railing with the rolling hills of a mountain range in the distance.
“Where was this taken?”
Pouring kibble into Charlie’s bowl, Claire glanced back to see what he was referring to. “At my parents’ place in the mountains, near Front Royal.” When Grayson gave her a quizzical look, she added, “A couple hours west of here. After Dad was elected to the Senate, he and my mother decided they wanted a getaway place, somewhere they could go for a weekend to get out of DC, so they bought some acreage and built a cabin there several years ago. Mother doesn’t go as much, but Dad and his press secretary go out there to hunt a few times a year. And Dad’s taken his staff there for a weekend retreat a couple of times.”
Grayson continued to stare at the picture as memories came back unbidden.
“Have you been?” she asked.
“To the mountains?” He set the picture down. “Yeah, when I was a kid. My mother has some relatives in southern Virginia, so we visited a few times in the summer.”
“Grayson County,” she said softly, awareness dawning on her face.
He nodded. “It’s where she got my name.”
The soft expression Claire directed his way made Grayson want to tug her into his arms. Instead, he broke eye contact and gestured toward the food.
“Let’s eat.”
“This smells so good,” Claire said as they sat down. “I don’t usually eat Chinese.”
He let out a snort. “You don’t eat much of anything.”
Claire grinned. “If you think I’m bad, you should see my mother. There’s always some function she’s getting ready for, some dress she needs to fit into. I guess it’s rubbed off a little.”
Before he could stop himself, Grayson allowed his gaze to drift down Claire’s perfect form. She was tall and graceful with curves he wished he could explore. He mentally shook himself before asking about the meeting at the jail.
Her face clouded with worry. “Chris is still refusing to take the deal. He’s going to end up at the court’s mercy.”
“You think he’s a good kid.”
Claire focused on her food, seeming emotional as she nodded.
“What was he dealing?”
“Meth.”
“Here in DC?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Grayson frowned. What were the chances the boy was selling for the same drug ring the team was investigating? “What is it the prosecutor wants from Chris?”
“Info on players higher up the distribution chain.”
Grayson’s mind worked, an idea forming, until her next question surprised him.
“How’s your mother doing?”
Blinking several times, he shifted his attention back to Claire. She was biting her lip, almost as if she regretted her words.
“I should really check in on her. And then I’ll get a little sleep before you go to bed.”
Claire gave him a curious look. “I was wondering how that would work, having only one bodyguard. How you’d find time to sleep.”
“I don’t need much,” he said with a small smile.
Grayson excused himself once they’d finished eating and closed himself in the guest bedroom where Claire had indicated he’d be sleeping. The first call he made was to Eli.
“We’ve finally got something on the car Jack Lawson was driving, although we’re still looking at it,” Eli said. “Just a partial print, but it was enough. We ran it through the database and got a match, and have put out an APB on him. Roy King, forty-five years old, lives in Fairfax County. Has a rap sheet similar to Lawson’s—a
ssault, burglary, and the like. I’ll have Joanne forward you his file.”
Relief filled Grayson. Finally, they had a name for Jeremy’s other killer. Now they just needed to find him and bring him in.
“Has Lawson said anything yet?” Grayson asked.
“No. Still not talking.”
Grayson gave Eli a rundown of Claire’s client’s situation. “The prosecutor is angling for names of higher-ups in the drug ring, but the kid’s too afraid to rat anyone out. I want to use the information I’ve got on the ring so far to get his charges reduced, maybe get him probation instead.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“I am. He’s a first-time offender, and considering his background, where he ended up isn’t a big surprise. The kid needs a break.”
It wasn’t only Claire’s description of Christopher that had convinced Grayson. He’d seen Chris himself when the teen had been led down the hallway to the meeting. The boy’s downtrodden expression and the polite words he’d exchanged with the jailhouse guard had made a big impression on Grayson.
Hopefully, Claire was right and the kid would get on the right path if given the chance.
Eli agreed to see what he could do, and then ended the call.
Bracing himself for bad news, Grayson dialed his aunt’s number for an update on his mother.
Chapter Forty-Four
As she got ready for class Wednesday morning, Claire had a little more bounce to her step than she’d had in a while. Spending time with Grayson last night had been so much better than their Hatfield-and-McCoy situation in the safe house. They’d chatted over dinner, getting to know each other a little better, and he’d expressed a sincere interest in the case she was defending.
At times, she’d looked up from her plate and caught him studying her after he’d asked a question, a softer expression on his face than she’d ever seen before. It had sent tingles of awareness down her spine, and she’d worked hard to keep her voice steady as she answered.
After dinner, he’d helped her clean up the kitchen—although with takeout, it didn’t take much effort. He’d accidentally brushed against her once on his way to the sink, and her body had reacted in a way she hadn’t felt in months.