Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

  He thought about it for a minute, but her pleading blue eyes did him in. “All right. But stay close.”

  She linked arms with him. “Close enough?”

  “Yes.” Although, feeling her touch, he started to question whether this was such a good idea after all. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he keep his cool with her?

  “It’s such a wonderful fall night,” she said. “One of the things I love about Atlanta is the fall weather. It’s still warm but not super hot like the summer.”

  “I like it too. Summer can be miserable.”

  “Let me tell you, this dinner was much better than my last time coming here.”

  “What happened?”

  “Bad first date. Typical for me.”

  He found that really hard to believe. “Well, since I’ve gotten to know you a bit, I can’t imagine you were the problem. Did you choose a dud?”

  “Totally. All he did the entire time was talk about how important his job was and how much money he made. What a complete and utter turnoff.”

  They stopped and waited for the traffic light to change so they could cross the street.

  “Guys tend to have big egos,” he said.

  “You seem more grounded than that.”

  “Sometimes, but don’t be fooled. I definitely have my moments.” The walk sign flashed bright white, and they started to cross.

  Cooper took one step with her out into the street just as a black SUV came barreling toward them. Rapid, loud gunfire filled the air.

  Sophie’s piercing screams echoed through his ears. Instinctively, he pushed her back onto the sidewalk and dove on top of her, using his body as her armor. Tires screeched, and time felt like it was standing still.

  More shots rang out, and he reached for his sidearm. But before he could return fire, the SUV sped away.

  “Sophie, are you all right?”

  She didn’t speak, just stared at him, her face pale under the bright Atlanta streetlights. Then her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. “You’re bleeding! You got shot!”

  He looked down at his left arm and started to feel the pain. “Not a direct hit. It just nicked me. We need to get you out of here.”

  “No. We need to get you to the hospital.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Come on, let’s move.” He grabbed on to her with his right arm and pulled her close. “How fast can you walk?”

  “I can do better than that.” She broke into a jog. “Good thing I didn’t wear heels tonight.”

  He matched her pace. “This was an act of escalation.”

  If there was any doubt in his mind that Sophie was in danger, it was completely erased. Juan had just thrown down the gauntlet.

  Chapter

  Eleven

  Sophie sat in her living room, supercharged from the events of the night. The police had finally left, but she was still surrounded by Cooper and Patrick.

  “I think we need to get Sophie out of her house and somewhere safe until trial,” Patrick said. “Given what happened this evening, the risks are too high.”

  “And what exactly do you mean by that?” She envisioned being stuck in a small dark room with armed guards, unable to do anything but sit. That was not an option.

  Cooper looked at her. “I think what Patrick is getting at is that you’re in danger. Juan showed tonight that he’s willing to put a hit out on you. Those guys weren’t just trying to scare you, Sophie. This has gone beyond mere threats or trying to get you to back out of your testimony. They’re trying to eliminate you so you can never step up to that witness stand.”

  Eliminate sounded so ominous. And final. “Your solution is to lock me up for the next few weeks?” She wasn’t sure if everyone was really thinking this through.

  “More like have you work out of a secure location. And if you do have to go anywhere for work, you’ll need security. I was hoping that Cooper and his team could come up with an alternative place for you to stay,” Patrick said. “And fast. Keeping you here isn’t an option, in my opinion.”

  She didn’t like any of this. “I have a job. A job that needs me.”

  Patrick gave her a sympathetic look. “I knew you would be concerned about that. I spoke with Keith on the way over here, and he was very supportive. He can get your caseload covered by Harrison.”

  An alarm bell went off in her head. Yeah, she was probably paranoid, given the fact that she’d just been shot at, but was Keith using this as an opportunity to get her to lay off the Shelton case? She wasn’t willing to bring that up in front of Patrick. She thought he was a good guy, but she hadn’t built that level of trust with him yet.

  “I know that Keith is cooperative, but I have a say in this matter,” she said firmly. “I think I should get to decide what lawyering I do and what I hand off to others. Besides that, I don’t want to go dark for the next couple weeks. I’ll lose my mind if I don’t have something to keep me occupied. I don’t think that would be very good for my testimony.”

  “What if we come up with a compromise?” Cooper said. “You keep doing your regular caseload at an off-site secure location, and we’ll provide security for any court appearances. Then at least for your day to day, you wouldn’t be in the office or at your house.”

  She blew out a breath. Both men had her boxed in. And as much as she hated to admit it, they had a point. There was a difference between completely taking time off versus working outside of the office. “Okay, the only way this could be a viable option is if I can keep working the Shelton case. The trial date will be here before we know it.”

  “I don’t see why that would be a problem,” Patrick said. “But you’ll have to keep an extremely low profile. Mandatory court appearances are one thing, but going out to dinner in the city is off the table. Do you understand?”

  She nodded. At least it wasn’t for long. She could handle it if it was the best thing for her safety.

  “I’ll work on a plan,” Cooper said. “And, Sophie, you know I have to bring your father into this, given all the circumstances.”

  “I figured as much.” She worried that her dad was going to lose his mind if he found out exactly what had happened. “Do you have to give him all the details of tonight? Is there any way to sugarcoat it just a bit?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Patrick stood up. “I’ve got to run. You’re in good hands with Cooper. Keep me posted on where you end up and what the ultimate plan is.”

  Cooper walked Patrick out. She could hear the two men talking in hushed tones, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  When Cooper returned, he took a seat on the couch right beside her. “How’re you holding up?”

  “Well, I’ve never been shot at before, so I have nothing to compare it to.” She paused. “But all things considered, I think I’m doing all right.” She heard her voice shake a little, but didn’t want him to see how afraid she really was. She wanted to prove that she was tough enough to handle anything. The last thing she needed right now was a panic attack, but if she wasn’t careful, it might creep in on her.

  “Sophie, it’s okay to be worried and fearful. You don’t have to put up a front with me.”

  She met his eyes. “Is it that obvious? I’m not very good at hiding my emotions.”

  “And you shouldn’t have to. The fact that you wear your heart on your sleeve isn’t a bad quality.”

  He took her hand in his, sending a jolt of warmth through her body. His strong but caring touch was starting to have a major impact on her. She could see herself falling hard for Cooper if she didn’t put on the brakes.

  “I’m actually more worried about my dad finding out and being worried than I am about myself.”

  “Let me handle your father.”

  “How’s your arm?” She still couldn’t believe that he’d been grazed by a bullet. It could’ve been so much worse.

  “Just a tiny nick. Nothing to worry about.”

  “I hope you’re right.” When they’d g
otten to her house, Cooper had attended to his arm with her first aid kit. He wouldn’t let her look at his wound, which made her suspicious, but he insisted that he wasn’t really hurt.

  “And one more thing.” He paused. “I know we talked about church in the morning, but I’m afraid that’s just not safe right now.”

  She knew he was right, but it still bummed her out. “I get it.” She also got something else that hit her squarely in the gut. The man in front of her right now seemed to be ticking off all of her checklist requirements, and he didn’t have the least idea that she had started to consider him in that way. It was crazy, given everything that was happening, but she couldn’t help what she was starting to feel.

  “I need to make some calls to figure out a solution for you,” he said. “You should start packing.”

  “This is really happening, huh? I’m going to a safe house?”

  “Yes. I don’t think there’s any other way.”

  She looked down and realized that he was still holding her hand. Butterflies floated through her stomach. “I trust you.”

  Sophie’s simple words rolled through his mind like a tidal wave. She trusted him. The fact that she was counting on him both encouraged and scared him. He couldn’t let her down.

  Cooper had told himself that his relationship with Sophie was purely professional. She wanted things he couldn’t give her. But for some reason, he still found himself thinking about her. The way she looked at him got to him every time.

  Which brought up an even thornier issue—was she developing feelings for him?

  His current plan was to keep things platonic. He’d taken her hand tonight because he was trying to reassure her, but he probably shouldn’t have let his touch linger. He knew he was playing with fire.

  Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he focused on the next steps. Noah had been able to secure a safe house through his extensive network of contacts. Now Cooper had to make the call he was dreading to Randall Dawson. There was no getting around it. And while he told Sophie he’d do the best he could, he wasn’t sure how he was going to tell Randall the truth but do it delicately.

  Here goes nothing.

  He dialed Randall’s number and waited.

  “Hello,” Randall said.

  “Randall, it’s Cooper.”

  “Is Sophie okay?”

  “Yes. I’m here with her now, and she’s perfectly safe.” He took a breath. “But we did have an incident earlier tonight.”

  “What kind of incident?”

  “A rather serious one.” He knew that wasn’t going to fly, but he was trying to build up to it.

  “You’ve got to give me more than that.”

  “Sophie and I went out to grab dinner. When we were walking back to my car, another vehicle approached and shot at us.”

  “What?” Randall’s loud voice boomed through the phone.

  “I know it sounds dangerous, and it is. Which is why I’m taking Sophie to a secure location where she will stay until the trial begins.”

  “You’re worried that they may come to her house?”

  “I can’t rule it out. If they’re willing to take action like they did tonight, then we have to presume they won’t stop. They probably already know where she lives. I’ll take her someplace where Juan will not be able to find her.”

  “This is even worse than I could’ve ever dreamed. I think you need more manpower.”

  “I’ve got my partners helping me out, and they will do whatever is necessary to protect your daughter—as will I.”

  “I want real-time updates. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir. I will keep you posted.”

  “No matter the time, day or night. There is nothing more important than my daughter’s safety. You have my full resources at your disposal. Don’t let expenses stop you from taking all necessary precautions.”

  “I understand. I’ll keep you fully in the loop.”

  “Good. Now get out of there and take Sophie somewhere safe.”

  “We have to stop meeting like this.” Ashley eyed Patrick with suspicion. Yes, he was supposedly clean as a whistle, but she didn’t trust him. She didn’t trust any man, for that matter. “You really should make an appointment before you pop up at my office.”

  “Do you know what happened last night?” Patrick asked.

  “No. Should I?” She had no idea what he was talking about, but he was staring her down.

  “Sophie Dawson was almost gunned down in the streets of Midtown.”

  She kept her facial expression neutral, but inside she wanted to scream. Why had Juan defied her yet again? “What do you mean by ‘almost gunned down’?”

  “I mean your guy put a hit out on her, and there was a full-out, drive-by gang shooting.”

  “Is she okay?” She didn’t want Juan to kill Sophie. That wouldn’t help anyone.

  Patrick rested his elbows on her desk. “Yes, but that’s beside the point. I’m ready to go to the judge on this. This is a courtesy visit to let you know my intentions.”

  He was stretching. “That’s preposterous. You have nothing to take the judge except a theory. You have no evidence, do you?”

  “C’mon, Ashley. Stop it with the gamesmanship. Who else would be trying to shoot Sophie in cold blood?”

  She couldn’t help but smile, because she had the advantage here. “You do realize that she’s been a prosecutor for what, seven or eight years? That woman has made plenty of enemies. There’s no way you can tie the events of last night to my client.”

  “And exactly who is your client? Ricky or Juan? Or both?”

  “I represent the interests of both brothers. You know that, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. There is no conflict here.”

  “You know, I’ve dealt with some pretty difficult defense attorneys over the years on a variety of cases. But I can say without a doubt that I’ve never seen anyone as ruthless as you.”

  “I take that as a compliment. My job is to zealously defend my client, and I’m doing it. If you want to drag me before the judge, then so be it.”

  “Will you be singing the same tune when Juan turns on you?”

  “And why would he turn on me? I’m his advocate.”

  “Because men like that aren’t loyal, Ashley.”

  She put up her hand. “Are you going to give me another paternalistic lecture? Because I really don’t want to hear it. Do what you have to do, and I’ll see you in court. I have other work to do.”

  “Fine. But this wasn’t a veiled threat. I’ll be filing something with the court later today.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  Patrick let out an exasperated sigh and left her office.

  There was no point in even talking to Juan about this again. It was clear he was going to act in whatever way he wanted, regardless of her legal advice. It would now be her responsibility to convince a judge that he had nothing to do with the threats against Sophie.

  She started doodling on her legal pad as she thought about her strategic approach to handling this situation. Playing dumb or oblivious wasn’t going to cut it. She would have to go the route she’d told Patrick. Hopefully, she’d be able to dig up some plausible scenarios from Sophie’s prior work and try to use those examples to cast doubt on Patrick’s allegations.

  Given the severity of the situation and the fact that Sophie was a prosecutor, it wasn’t going to be easy to convince the judge that her clients were blameless.

  Well, at least she loved a good challenge.

  When Sophie awoke in a strange bed the next morning, it all came flooding back to her. She was in the safe house. Cooper hadn’t been exaggerating. She’d packed a bag, and he had brought her to this new location. He’d taken a very circuitous route and made sure they weren’t being followed. She’d decided it was better not to ask too many questions—like how Noah had found a place for them so fast.

  The two-story brick house tucked deep into a private cul-de-sac of a Buckhead neighborh
ood wasn’t what she’d envisioned when they’d told her they were taking her to a safe house. But she wasn’t going to complain, because it was much nicer than she had expected.

  It all seemed a bit cloak-and-dagger to her, but she understood why Cooper had to take the precautions. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she could be killed because of her witness testimony. Threats were one thing, but this had gone well beyond mere threats.

  If only she hadn’t stopped that night for a snack. But then, she told herself, Ricky might have gotten away without being punished.

  Now she sat with her laptop and a stack of files at the table in the living room, ready to work. It was a welcome distraction from the Wade case. And she was actually excited to dig in. She was surrounded by banker’s boxes filled with documents provided by SIB that one of the guys had been able to get transferred from her office.

  Cooper was so squarely in his element that she let him do his thing. It was her job to concentrate on her cases, and it was his to concentrate on her. Well, at least her safety.

  She hadn’t forgotten what it was like holding his hand last night. She could sense something inside herself, a longing for more with him. And she wasn’t sure what to do with those feelings. Everything was so amplified right now. Was she crushing on him because he was being so protective and kind? Or was there something deeper going on? She didn’t know the answer yet, but she intended to find out. The spark between them was undeniable and unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

  Cooper was in the kitchen with Landon and Noah, talking shop, so she was free to turn her attention to the case against Glen Shelton. Keith probably wasn’t going to be happy that she planned to put all her time and energy into building this case while she was sequestered so she’d be ready to go to trial. But she’d come to the realization that her interests and Keith’s wouldn’t always be aligned. She planned to do the right thing, regardless of the impact to SIB. They were a big company and could withstand this lawsuit, that much she was sure of. She wasn’t a politician and didn’t have those aspirations, which allowed her a freedom to do her job that Keith simply didn’t have.

  She’d also received a troubling email from Harrison, once again offering his help—specifically to review any files and help her with trial strategy. Not only was she highly suspicious of his ulterior motives, there was no way she’d work with him on this. Harrison was playing a long political game, and she couldn’t afford any of that. It also tugged at her mind why he was so insistent on being involved in the Shelton case. It made her wonder if Harrison had some relationship she didn’t know about with SIB. She was definitely dealing with a tangled web. She’d politely thanked him again for his offer and declined the help. Hopefully he’d get the point.