His gaze heated. Yes.
Somehow, she stayed standing. For an attorney reputed for crafting articulate opening statements and persuasive closing arguments, she didnt know how to tell this man why she couldnt be his friend.
Eric, she said in her best courtroom voice, you came to me looking for an attorney. For ten years hed never called, never sent a Christmas card. I think we should leave it at that.
Had to leave it at that.
His expression darkened. He swore softly and pulled back. I can find an attorney in the Yellow Pages.
But he couldnt find a friend.
Not for the first time, Leigh wondered what his life had been like after the phone call that changed everything. One phone call. That was all it had taken. There was a hard edge to him now that hadnt been there before, a bitterness she didnt understand.
You dont need a phone book, she said, lifting her chin. Being near him sliced her heart into razor-thin ribbons, but she wasnt about to tuck tail and run. She was a grown woman. She could handle this. No way was she letting him stroll back into her life, only to walk back out within twenty-four hours.
Hed done that before.
You were right to contact me. Passion bubbled inside her as it always did at the start of a case. I know you. I know youre innocent, and so help me God, Ill move heaven and earth before I let you take the fall for a crime you didnt commit.
Before shed let her sons father go to prison.
Erics gaze hardened. I dont want to force you.
No one forces me, she said automatically, telling herself there was no way he was referring to that bitterly cold night so long ago. The one for which hed apologized. I make my own decisions. I know what Im doing. She had her eyes open, her heart guarded. She knew the risks, the inevitable outcome. But from the moment Jake had called, shed known there was no way she could leave Eric twisting in the wind. Right now Id really like you to get in the car and let me take you home before this heat does us both in.
A slow smile touched his lips. I see you still like being in charge.
Her return smile was automatic. Some things never change.
But others, she knew too well, did.
I always loved that about you, Eric said, then slid into the car and closed the door.
They didnt speak during the brief drive to Lincoln Park. Words seemed neither necessary nor appropriate. Instead they rode in silence, to the sound of the straining air conditioner and soft blues.
Leigh turned onto Clark and smiled at a group of a boys playing baseball in a park. Connor not only loved baseball, but he excelled as a shortstop. His summer league team had made the playoffs. Their first game was Saturday. Her mother had rushed over the night before, as soon as Leigh had called, insisting she take Connor for a few days. He loved visiting his Gran, after all, and, her mother had wisely pointed out, Leigh needed a few days to get her bearings on this important case. Shed take Connor home with her, have him back in time for his playoff game.
Warmth spread through Leigh as she thought of her mother. She barely remembered her father, just fleeting images of anger and shouting, bitter arguments and drunken tirades. Her parents had split before her seventh birthday. It had been a blessing, actually. Two parents may have been the standard, but if the man and woman didnt love each other and want to be a family, then a child was better off without them.
Her mother had dedicated her life to Leigh, becoming in many ways her best friend. When a twenty-year-old Leigh had tearfully confided that she was pregnant from a one-night stand that never should have happened, Nancy Montgomery had neither judged nor lectured; shed simply taken her daughter into her arms and held her, promised her everything would be okay.
And it had been. Theyd moved to England, where Leigh had won a scholarship to Oxford. The ensuing years had been difficult, but together, Leigh and her mother had managed.
Take the next left, Eric said, prompting Leigh to abandon the trail of memories.
Not a good idea, she said the second she caught sight of the army of reporters camped outside the brownstone halfway down the street. News vans blocked traffic. Im guessing thats your place?
Eric swore softly. Damn vultures. Well park a few streets over. I can use the back entrance.
She did as he instructed, easing onto a quiet street several blocks down and into a spot along the curb.
Ill call you this afternoon and let you know our next steps. She shifted the car into Park then reached into the back seat, grabbing the St. Louis Cardinals cap, just in case. You might need this.
His hand came down not on the baseball cap, but around the backs of her fingers. Youre exhausted and havent eaten in hours, he said. Let me fix you lunch. He paused, prompting her to turn toward him. Mistake. There was a warm glow to his eyes, and it penetrated her defenses as effectively as a phone call had once shattered her dreams.
I still make a mean omelet, he said.
The memory hit broadside, of the night shed fallen asleep at his place studying, only to awaken to the smell of bacon frying and coffee brewing.
Thanks, but Id better not. She didnt need Eric Jones cooking for her. She didnt need to go inside his apartment and see personal artifacts of his life. That was too intimate. It was already uncomfortable enough that theyd spent the night together.
At the police station.
I need to get home and shower, then head in to the office, she added. She needed to be away from Eric, to breathe.
Dont run, Leigh, he said in that low, commanding voice of his. Not from me. Not now.
Run? The word left a bitter taste in her mouth. Scared little girls ran. Im not running, she said, though deep inside she had to wonder. Im building your defense, and that starts with getting back to my office and filing several motions.
Youve barely looked me in the eye. You think I dont know why?
The air conditioner blew at full blast, but the cold air didnt make a dent in the tension that thickened with every minute they spent cooped up in the front seat of her car.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to his. I can look at you. But, God, staring into those piercing blue eyes hurt. Memories and dreams flooded back with a force that staggered. I just dont think its a good idea to rush things. We need to focus on your case right now, nothing else.
Id rather focus on you.
The breath stalled in her throat. Eric
How about a walk? Thats harmless, isnt it? He pulled the baseball cap low on his head, hiding his hair but not the hard light in his eyes. Fresh air might do us both good.
He made it sound so tempting, which she knew was his intent. Eric Jones had always been phenomenal at coming up with the right argument to sway her. At least outside she might be able to breathe without drawing the scent of him deep, deep inside her.
Fighting a smile, she glanced at the quaint street, lined by century-old brownstones, a scatter of parked cars and even an old Harley, trees that provided shade, and felt the ridiculous blade of longing slice clear to her bone.
Just a few minutes. With luck, nobody would recognize him. But Im warning you, she added, trying to lighten the tension. If I start to melt
I wont let you melt.
Her heart stumbled on the word. He might not have a choice.
You always wanted to live in Lincoln Park, she said as they headed down the street a few minutes later. While at the University of Chicago, theyd frequented pubs in the area, and often, after late nights of pool, theyd wandered the sidewalks of Lincoln Park, pointing out architectural details and spinning dreams.
For Eric, at least, some of those dreams had come true.
Whats your place like? she asked.
Nothing fancy. Four stories, red brick, balconies and high ceilings. He grinned. I bought the top floor. It was a real fixer-upper, but it suits me.
It sounds great. Just what hed dreamed of.
Thank you.
She ignored the husky edge to his voice. Youre welcome.
No, he said, stopping suddenly. He reached for her hand and closed it in his. Thank you for last night, for coming down to the station and standing by me. For believing in me.
Deep inside her, something started to hum. You dont need to thank me.
Yeah, he said quietly. I do. This may be your job, but its my life and it means a hell of a lot to me that you didnt turn away.
She could never turn away from this man. That had always been the problem. Even when shed found out he already had a girl back home, a girl hed known for almost his whole life, shed still been unable to cut him out of her thoughts. Shed settled for friendship, an easy camaraderie that made her heart bleed every time he smiled at her, touched her, and she knew, deep, deep inside, that the dreams she couldnt chase away would never come true.
Ten years had passed since then, but nothing had changed. Beyond a shadow of a doubt she knew hed be turning away from her once more, and no matter how much she fortified herself against the blow, her heart would shatter all over again.
Not even that had been enough to stop her from rolling out of bed in the middle of the night and racing downtown.
Its more than just a job, she said honestly.
And he smiled. Of all the times I imagined seeing you again, this wasnt exactly what I had in mind.
Leighs heart took a long, slow free fall through her chest. Hed thought about her. Hed imagined seeing her again. The knowledge jarred her in ways shed thought she was long since past. Life can take strange twists and turns. I gave up a long time ago trying to predict what tomorrow might hold.
Many times, shed learned, she was better off not knowing. It was easier to enjoy the moment without the cloud of heartbreak looming on the horizon.
Eric shook his head. Damn, its good to see you, he said in that warm, intimate voice of his. His eyes crinkled. Do you have any idea how good you look?
She laughed. I think were both living, breathing ads for sleep deprivation, she said, noting that while he still wore the white button-down and gray trousers from the day before, they were no longer pressed and crisp, but wrinkled, almost tired. His eyes were shadowed, the whiskers on his jaw darkening by the minute. You, my dear Indy, look like hell.
Indy.
She hadnt uttered the familiar nickname in ten long years, had barely held herself together when her son asked if they could buy a copy of Raiders of the Lost Ark, his new favorite movie. The guys had bestowed on Eric the nickname of Indy in deference to the fact he was from Indiana and like the hero in the movie his last name was Jones. Indiana Jones.
Indy.
Eric laughed. I thought women went wild for the scruffy, five-oclock-shadow look.
She swatted at him. Thats what men like to think.
They started walking again, but Eric did not release her hand. Her heart stuttered and stammered and raced to keep up with the dizzying change, the sudden shift from awkwardness to familiarity. That was the way it had always been between them.
Except for one cold morning.
How have you been? he asked. Hows life treated you?
Great, she answered automatically, realizing she spoke the truth. Connor was the greatest gift shed ever been given.
And your mom?
As spry as ever, Leigh said. We had a wonderful time exploring Europe. Wed probably still be in London if Aunt Louiseher sisterhadnt gotten sick.
A low sound broke from Erics throat. Well, that explains that.
What explains what?
Why I couldnt find your mother either.
The comment stopped her cold. You were looking for my mom?
Eric squeezed her hand. When I couldnt find you, I figured shed be my best source. But I couldnt find a trace of her either.
The breath backed up in her throat, her heart beating so hard it hurt.
Jake had an address, he went on, but you werent there anymore and there wasnt forwarding information. I knew youd been engaged to some Brit, so I figured you must have married him and changed your name.
They walked slowly, but Leigh could barely take it all in. Thingsdidnt work out, she said softly. Trevor had been a prince of a man and hed adored Connor, but after two years, hed realized he couldnt settle for only a portion of Leighs heart.
Eric stopped abruptly. Goddamn it!
The vicious curse jumped through Leigh like a live wire. She glanced up at Eric, not understanding his intense reaction to the news of her broken engagement. But he wasnt looking at her. He was looking beyond her, his face a cold mask of fury.
And Leigh knew. Theyd been spotted. Ready for battle, she spun around.
But found no one. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, just a bicycle parked on the sidewalk next to a red newspaper stand.
She saw the picture sprawled across the front page of the World Inquisitor, that of a grim-faced, handcuffed Eric being hustled from a squad car and toward the police station.
Then she saw the headline.
Genetic Freaks: Is He One Of Them?
Four
F ury pounded through Eric. The edges of his vision blurred. Son of a bitch, he swore again, shoving his hand into his pocket for quarters.
Oh, my God, Leigh said quietly, stepping closer.
Eric shoved the coins into the tiny slot and yanked open the newspaper stand. He pulled out the entire stack of papers, not giving a damn about rules or regulations. This was his life splashed across the front page, a distorted tapestry of lies.
What happened to innocent until proven guilty? he demanded, skimming the filthy article. Not only did the reporter already have Eric tried and convicted of the World Bank heist, but this M. H. Cantrell insinuated there might be more to Erics motivation than greed and corruption.
This is blasphemy. Leigh leaned against him and stared at the tabloid. Genetic engineering? A freak of nature?
Eric ripped off the front page and wadded the paper into a ball, hurled it to the ground. Someones going to fry for this.
Yes, they will, Leigh said in that soft, amazingly strong voice of hers. But to make that happen, we n
eed to know what were dealing with. She stooped and retrieved the distorted ball of paper, then smoothed it open. Good God, she breathed. They think youre part of that Proteus mess.
Anger and incredulity twisted through Eric. Several months before, a former low-level CIA operative had gone public with a wild tale of genetic engineering, murder and international espionage. The source claimed that back in the 1960s, the government had sponsored genetic experimentation with the goal of creating a superior race of humans. Some were to have extraordinary intelligence, others extraordinary strength. There was talk about designing babies, being able to designate whether a child was to be an athlete or a scholar. And of course, these superior designer babies would be free of any genetic flaw, virtually erasing the occurrence of disease.
Code Proteus, the effort had been called.
Eric called it ridiculous.
The press called it a gold mine.
In the ensuing months, media coverage had boiled into a feeding frenzy. The original story broke in The Washington Post, but from there, the tale had spread like wildfire, edging out Hollywood heartache and political sex scandals in the grocery-store tabloids. Reporters had set out in search of learning the outcomes of the project called Code Proteus. Anonymous so-called government sources claimed the experiments had been a success, to some degree. Children had been born with special skills, though no one knew how many births had occurred. Some accounts said five. Another story alleged six. Still another claimed the number was well over ten.
No one knew for sure. The majority of the government files had turned up missing.
Somewhere along the line, something had gone hideously wrong with Code Proteus. The lead scientist had been murdered, a source claimed, the children kidnapped by those who sought to use their superiority for evil. Allegedly the children had been rescued, sent into hiding. But not before their memories had been erased.
Family Secrets: Books 5-8 Page 29