by Tara Thomas
Neither of them had ever regretted not telling others. Or that was what he’d thought. Now he wasn’t sure.
* * *
Bea was working late in the office the next night. It was easier to work late at night, because she was alone. There was no one there to watch her if she had a panic attack. It didn’t escape her that alone meant she was alone, with no one else in the building to protect her. Or even to call the police if she shouted for help. And yet, she still found it preferable.
She had arrived at work early that morning, only to find Skip in her office.
“Good morning,” she greeted the senior partner. “What’s going on?” She decided to go for the direct method, even though she knew there was only one reason he would be in her office.
“Bea,” he said. “I’m concerned.”
She resisted the urge to sink in her chair. She would stand up to him. Be strong. Fight the battle she knew she could fight. And she could fight this one.
“I understand.” She didn’t need to let him finish what he was concerned about. She knew. “There will not be a repeat of yesterday.”
“Good.” He nodded. “You need to get your act together. Goodbye.”
And with that, he took off. Walked out of her office without looking back. She waited until he got into the hall and closed his door before she sank onto her chair. She truly had to get her act together. She didn’t need anyone to tell her.
If she didn’t, there was no way she could run for Congress. It had been a dream for so long, and she’d worked so hard for it. She wouldn’t let the attack stop her from achieving her dream. Not when she was this close. Not when she could taste the seat on the Congress. Could almost see herself making a difference for her state and community. Her passion for underprivileged children made her work harder and longer. If she could make it to Washington, she knew it’d be worth it.
If it required her to work doubly hard, she would. And if that meant saying good-bye to Knox to keep him safe …
She turned on her computer, not ready to face the rest of that statement just yet.
Tonight, to make up for running out of the meeting early yesterday, she was looking through case law for him. She planned to present it to him tomorrow.
Picking up her cell phone, she decided to call for some takeout. She was going through the menus in her desk when a knock on the door caused her to drop them. Her heart pounded and her chest felt tight as she looked at the clock. It was much too late for anyone to be coming by on business. She thought about calling the police, but how stupid would that sound? “Someone knocked on my door.”
What the firm needed were security cameras. She put that on her list to talk to the senior partner about tomorrow. She went to one of the far windows and looked outside, her fingers trembling as she peered through the blinds. It wasn’t anybody she recognized. It appeared to be a young woman, or maybe an older teenager. She was very thin and carried a backpack. Perhaps looking for handouts?
She shouldn’t have been scared open the door, but she was.
“Who is it?” she asked through the door.
“I’m looking for a Bea Jacobs,” the unknown woman’s voice said.
“Why?”
“I need help.” It was the fear in her voice that swayed Bea. “He can’t find me. Please.”
Bea sighed. She was crazy to even think about opening the door. But whether it was her own personality or growing up as a preacher’s kid, she couldn’t leave anyone in need outside in the dark.
She opened the door. Before her stood a young woman, biting her lower lip and glancing around as if expecting the bogyman to jump out at her any second. She wondered if she looked the same, but then schooled both her expression and her thoughts. She couldn’t afford to walk down that path right now. Not with her job being on the line. And especially not with her life being threatened the way it was. “I don’t offer that kind of help,” Bea said as gently, but as firmly as possible. “There’s a shelter down on—”
“He’ll find me there.” There was such sorrow in her voice and her eyes looked so full of fear, Bea’s heart ached for her.
She had a feeling she’d regret it, but she heard herself saying, “Come on in.” Before she closed the door she looked around the property to make sure all was quiet.
The young lady looked even younger when she was inside and under the lights. Bea tilted her head. There was something familiar about the young woman. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but somehow underneath the dirt and the fatigue through her features, there was something she almost recognized. She just couldn’t say what. Of course, she also looked horribly frightened. Bea wished she’d had time to order the takeout; it didn’t appear that the woman had eaten recently.
Bea asked, “Can I get you anything? Water?”
“Water would be wonderful. But don’t go through any trouble.”
Bea was already making her way to the break room. “No trouble. I was just getting ready to order some takeout. You’re more than welcome to join me. Pizza or Japanese?” Old Southern manners died hard.
She thought she was going to be turned down, so she was surprised when her guest made a request for pizza. Bea called it in, all the while aware of the set of eyes that followed her every move.
“There we go,” Bea said, hanging up. “It’ll be here in twenty minutes. Let’s sit in my office and you can tell me how I can help you.”
Once inside, they each took a seat. The young woman sat at the very edge of the chair, clearly poised to take off if needed.
“What’s your name?” Bea asked. “And what can I do for you?”
“People call me Jade. I’m twenty. I don’t go to school and I can’t pay you.”
“I don’t care if you can or can’t pay me,” Bea said. “I’ve done pro bono work before. But I do need to know what I’m helping you do.”
Jade nodded and licked her lips. “It’s tricky. I’ve been involved in stuff. Illegal stuff, and I want to know how to make amends. I can’t go to jail. If I go to jail, he’ll know and he’ll kill me or have someone else do the job for him.” She added under her breath, “He likes to do that.”
“He likes to do what?” Bea immediately thought domestic violence. Just because there weren’t any visible signs didn’t mean they weren’t there.
“My guardian,” Jade said in a whisper. “He likes to have people do his dirty work.”
“Why are you so worried about your guardian? You’re of legal age. You don’t have to stay with him and he can’t force you to stay.”
Jade didn’t quite meet her eyes. “I’ve been living with him, and he had a job he wanted me to complete. I’ve done lots of jobs for him in the past, but this one…” She shook her head. “I couldn’t finish it.”
There was more to it than that, but before Bea could formulate a question, Jade spoke up. “I don’t want to be a pain, but do you have a bathroom I could use?”
“Yes, of course.” She probably should have asked her when she first came in if she needed one. She pointed down the hall. “Right down there, second door on the left.”
Jade thanked her and left to go to bathroom. She still hadn’t emerged when the pizza came. Bea paid the deliveryman and took the pizza into her office. “Jade,” she called. “Pizza’s here.”
Jade entered her office moments later. Her hair was wet, and it looked like some of the dirt had been washed off of her face. “Sorry it took so long,” she said. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a clean bathroom.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Bea waved to the conference table where she’d placed the pizza box. “Have a seat and dig in.”
Jade didn’t have to be told twice. She took a seat and devoured a slice in what looked to be three bites. She gave Bea a shy smile and wiped her face. “That was so good.”
“There’s plenty more.”
They didn’t talk about business at all while they ate. Bea only ate one slice; she didn’t feel very hungry after s
eeing how starved Jade was. When Jade pushed back and said she was finished, Bea boxed up the leftovers and gave them to her.
“Now,” Bea said. “Tell me about your guardian and what you need help with.”
While she’d been eating, Jade appeared to have relaxed a bit. Now, at the mere mention of her guardian, she tensed back up. Bea wanted to assure her that it was okay and she was safe, but there was no way she could give that assurance. Instead, she waited for Jade to continue.
“He’s evil,” she finally said. “And he does horrible things. He’s made me do some.” She looked to Bea, as if waiting for her to say something, but Bea wasn’t about to interrupt or attempt to know what she wanted in coming to her office.
“He’s done things the police know about, but they don’t know it was him.” Jade glanced quickly at the window. Bea had closed the blinds when it became dark, so there was no one watching. “I’ll tell you about them, give you everything you need to put him away, but I have to know that I won’t get in trouble.”
“I suggest we call the police,” Bea said. “I know just who to call. She’ll arrange a place for you to stay and ensure your safety. I’ll agree to act as your counsel and I’ll do anything in my power to keep you out of trouble.” Bea thought it was a reasonable plan, but no sooner were the words out of her mouth than Jade had pushed back from the table and stood up. Bea forced herself to remain sitting.
“No,” Jade said and her voice shook. Not only that, but her body trembled. “No police. I’ll leave as soon as you call. You can’t keep me here.”
Bea held her hands up. “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Sit back down. It was only a suggestion.”
Jade didn’t budge. “No police.”
“No police,” Bea agreed.
Jade sat back down, but didn’t seem to be anywhere near as comfortable as she’d been moments before.
“Can you at least tell me what he’s done?” Bea asked.
“Not until I know that I won’t go to jail,” Jade said.
Bea wished that she could give that assurance, but unfortunately it was not in her power to do so. She couldn’t even give her the probability of such a thing at this point. She shook her head. “I need to know exactly what we’re talking about.”
Jade looked torn. Bea didn’t miss the way her hand trembled. Seeing she was being watched, Jade placed her hands in her lap and kept her head down.
When she looked up from her lap, there was a fierce determination in her eyes. “I can’t tell you tonight. I have to think about it some. I might just leave here and not come back. No one will know. The only reason I don’t want to do that is because I want to stop him.”
Bea had worked with enough people to know when to push and when to back down. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jade was not giving out any more information tonight.
“I understand,” Bea said. “My door is always open if you need me.”
Jade stood and picked up the pizza. “Do you mind if I leave out the back door? I don’t want to use the front one again.”
Bea could certainly understand her worry; it was a feeling she knew all too well. The feeling of always being watched and not knowing what to do about it. Knowing there was nothing you could do about it.
“Sure.” Bea stood up and unlocked the door for her.
Before she walked out, Jade looked over her shoulder. Tears filled her eyes. “I knew you were the right person to come to, but now I see that it was selfish to come to you. And the worst of it is, I probably haven’t done anything but put you in more danger. I’m sorry.”
It took a few seconds for Bea to understand what she said. “Wait,” she called, but Jade had already disappeared through the darkened alley. She couldn’t help watching the shadows as well, just to make sure nobody was looking. Everything looked clear, but she knew all too well how looks could be deceiving.
* * *
Tom took a step back into the shadows in order to process what just happened. He was under direct orders to bring Jade back to The Gentleman, alive. Tom had been following her for a week.
She was good, he’d give her that much, but he was better. Which was why he was taking his time. He wanted her to feel hunted. To know what it was like to be prey, and for her to experience the sense of failure that came the moment she realized she’d been bested. He wanted to see the look in her in eyes when she realized all was lost.
He’d followed her from the numerous spots she slept at to her forays around Charleston. He was pretty sure she knew she was being followed. He’d never imagined she’d have gone to Beatrice Jacobs for help. Especially since Jade knew The Gentleman’s plans for her.
Which led to his current quandary. With Jade and Bea together, he could accomplish two tasks in one. At the last meeting, The Gentleman had stated he wanted to take Bea out of the picture completely. Originally, the plan had only been to hurt her enough to scare her away from looking into the files Knox had given her. But that plan went straight to hell when Knox raced to the hospital. It was then The Gentleman knew Bea meant more to Knox than just a lawyer reviewing the files. After that, it quickly became obvious that Bea had no intention of ignoring the files and that if she suffered, a Benedict would suffer. That sealed her fate.
That task should rightfully fall to Tom since he was the one who originally roughed her up. The Gentleman had told him that the hotshot lawyer was in possession of information that might be crucial to the running of his organization. It was unclear if Bea knew what she had, but until it could be proven one way or the other, they had to assume she did. Especially since she refused to stop digging into them.
Now that Jade had connected with Bea, maybe he should put off doing anything until he was certain the information had been dealt with. Not to mention, he was very curious about what the two women were discussing. What he wouldn’t give to be a fly on that wall.
In the meantime, he could put both women on the defense. Which might be fun. When the time was right, he’d shoot Bea and hand Jade over to The Gentleman. He’d turn her over gladly because The Gentleman had promised Tom could have her when he was finished with her. He ran a finger over the puckered skin of the scar he’d received recently when he’d been tied up and beaten in her place. Oh yes, when The Gentleman gave her to Tom, he would take great pleasure ensuring her currently nearly flawless skin was covered in scars that matched his.
* * *
The next morning, Bea did something she thought she wouldn’t do for another six months: she called Knox. She hadn’t planned on it. She hadn’t woken up that morning telling herself, Today I’m going to call Knox.
After making it home the night before, she’d found it nearly impossible to get to sleep. Of course, insomnia had bothered her since the attack, but this was something different. This time it was because of Jade’s parting words.
The more she thought about them, the more she believed they could only have one meaning. Jade’s problems were somehow tied to her attack. She tried to remember if she’d ever seen her name in any of the files Knox had given her. She didn’t think so, but would not allow herself to get out of bed to check. There would be plenty of time in the morning.
When she entered the office, Vicky had said Skip would be out of the office for the next week. It was a relief in a way. When he was around, she was self-conscious about her panic attacks, because they made her feel weak. Stupid, she knew. It was a medical condition. She thought perhaps it was the pity he looked at her with. She couldn’t stand the look of pity.
For the next week she was blessedly senior-partner free. She turned on her laptop and pulled up the project she’d been working on with Knox. She couldn’t find a reference to Jade, but she only had a fraction of the files. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone and called him.
“Bea?” He asked in lieu of saying hello on the first ring.
“Hey, Knox,” she said and suddenly the enormity of the call hit her. Her heart began to race, because with just that one word, her name, every fe
eling for him she tried to hide, every passion she pretended to ignore, rushed back at her with the speed of a tidal wave.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice worried.
How was she supposed to answer that question? Did he really want the truth? Should she be honest and tell him about the panic attacks? That even though they often slept apart before her attack, it was still hard to sleep without him?
Yes, he probably did want the truth. She was the one who wasn’t ready to face it just yet. So instead of telling him the truth, she lied. “Oh yes, everything’s fine.”
He didn’t say anything else and after a few seconds it occurred to her that either he knew she was lying or else he was waiting for her to speak. Because the last time they talked, she told him not to contact her again.
“I’ve opened up the file on Mr. Brock today,” she said. “I was looking at it again.” She took a deep breath. It was time to tell him everything. “There are several things I need to discuss with you and I don’t want to discuss them on the phone. Can we get together soon?”
She was panting as if she had run a race. Perhaps that’s what talking to your estranged husband did to you. She closed her eyes. He was going to talk, wasn’t he?
“Knox?” she asked. “If you don’t want to, I understand.”
“No,” he said and cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice wasn’t as rough. “No, that’s not it. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”
I know, she wanted to whisper. But I had no choice and I need to tell you why.
“Are you able to meet?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said and she hated that they were talking over the phone because she couldn’t get a grasp on what he was feeling or thinking based on the sound of his voice. “Does after lunch today work for you?”
* * *
“That will be fine. See you then.” Knox had turned away from his brothers once he recognized Bea’s voice. There was no way he was going to let them know who was on the phone or how much she meant to him.