by Linda Warren
“It’s all right, Daddy,” she reassured him. “We’ll sort this out.”
“Blair.” Derek spoke up. “I don’t think it’s wise for you to be here. After all, you do work for Holt.”
Blair released her father and faced Derek. “Not anymore. I resigned.”
“Oh, no,” Sam choked out. “I never wanted that to happen. None of this should be happening.”
Blair took her father’s hand and held it tight. “Tell me what’s going on.”
His hand gripped hers just as tightly. “I’m so sorry you got hurt, but I was powerless to stop any of this.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
“I do,” he admitted. “You’re my daughter and I handled last night badly. I wanted to convince Lucas to take this case. I didn’t think about much else.”
“Let’s forget about last night,” she told him. “I understand now why you did what you did. I’m just sorry I ruined the evening.” She didn’t want to think or talk about Lucas, but she knew that she would…later. Right now she had to have answers. “Tell me what happened back then—and tell me the truth. I don’t need to be protected.”
“It’s not a pretty picture.”
“I don’t expect it to be, but I know Blake did not kill that girl.”
Sam gripped her hand with both of his. “He was there, Blair. He was there.”
She swallowed hard. “So? That doesn’t make him guilty.”
Sam shook his head sadly. “It makes everything a mess—a terrible mess.”
“Why was Blake there?” she asked, needing to hear the story but wondering if she had enough strength to listen without breaking down.
“He met Todd and the Davis girl coming out of a party. There was a guy outside selling marijuana and crack cocaine. Todd and Blake bought some, then they drove to that secluded park to get high. The cocaine made Blake sick and he ran into the bushes and puked his guts out. He said that’s when he heard the girl scream. By the time he reached her, Todd had already raped and murdered her.” Sam paused for a moment. “Blake didn’t know if she was dead or not, so he checked her pulse. She reached up and caught his arm, then she went limp. Blake ran down the street to a pay phone and called 911 for help.”
Sam stopped speaking, obviously having difficulty with his emotions, as Blair was. “When Blake returned, Todd was doing cocaine while the girl lay there dead. Blake told him he’d called the cops and they had a fight. When they heard the sirens, they both jumped into the car and drove off.” He took a breath. “Later, when Todd was arrested, I didn’t know Blake was involved. I didn’t find out until Todd almost killed you. That was when Blake told me everything. He was so worried about you, and the guilt was destroying him. I immediately sent him out of the country, hoping I could resolve things, but…”
Sam rose and walked unsteadily to the windows, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Blair took a breath, desperately needing it for what she had to say. “Evan says you knew about Blake’s involvement all along and that you paid Todd to keep quiet.”
Sam whirled around. “That’s not true! During the trial I didn’t know Blake was involved and I never gave Todd a dime. This is all Lloyd Easton’s doing. He claims I paid Todd and now he has Holt believing it.”
Blair swallowed, hating to say what had to come next, but she had no choice. “Evan isn’t doing this on the word of Todd’s father. He has proof. You can count on it.”
“My sources say Evan has witnesses that Todd came out of my house with large sums of money, but that’s just not true. I never met Todd at the house and I certainly never gave him money. Evan can’t prove that I did.”
Blair remained quiet, trying to deal with her father’s statement. She knew Sam Logan and his ethics. Even though his only son was part of this mess, Sam wouldn’t do what Evan was insinuating. Blair didn’t doubt his honesty or his integrity.
“I’m not lying to you, Blair,” Sam said in a low voice. “I should have come forward with what Blake told me after you were beaten, but I couldn’t. Todd was dead and you were struggling to survive. I didn’t see any reason to cause my family any more pain, so I kept quiet about Blake. Now Holt’s got me—and he’s got Blake, too.”
“We’re not giving up, Sam,” Theo said.
“I didn’t say I was giving up,” Sam said sharply. “I’m just stating the facts. Holt thinks he has everything all wrapped up, but this isn’t over by a long shot. Holt might have me on a technicality, but Blake didn’t commit a crime. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I know Lucas can make a jury believe that. I’ve got to see him and try to convince him to take Blake’s case. It’s our best chance.”
At the mention of Lucas, Blair’s head jerked up. Until that moment, she’d been sitting there in some sort of limbo, trying to understand what had happened all those years ago. Now she knew what she had to do.
“I’ll talk to Lucas,” she offered quietly.
Derek said, “I don’t think—”
“I can handle this,” she interrupted him, speaking to Sam. “Lucas responds much better to a woman. Especially when she’s apologizing,” she added with a wry grimace.
Sam didn’t say anything.
“No offense, Blair,” Derek put in. “Culver wasn’t exactly bowled over by you last night. In fact, he was more than a little put out.”
“And he’s known for his honesty,” Frank said. “When he finds out what we were trying to do, he won’t be too thrilled.”
“I can deal with Lucas,” she stated.
Sam looked at her. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because Lucas has a soft spot for women.”
“I thought it was the other way around,” Theo said with a laugh.
“This isn’t funny,” Blair snapped.
Theo held up a hand. “Sorry.”
“As I was saying,” she went on, “it’s common knowledge around the courthouse that Lucas has a hard time saying no to a pretty face. I hate to trade on that, but I will. Besides, I owe Lucas an apology.”
There was silence for a moment.
“Go ahead, Blair,” Sam said finally. “See what you can do.”
She went to Sam and hugged him. “Thanks, Daddy.”
“Honesty is a big thing with Lucas,” he told her. “Try not to forget that. I wish I hadn’t.”
“I won’t,” she promised, then asked, “Has Mom called Uncle Howard?”
“Of course,” Sam replied sarcastically. “He’s the first one she calls whenever anything happens.”
Blair heard the sarcasm, but she didn’t comment. The relationship between her father and her uncle was tense. Howard was her mother’s youngest brother and he remained an integral part of their lives, which Sam didn’t like. Howard was a sheriff in the Austin area, and he and Sam had different points of view on the law.
However, her mother and Uncle Howard were close. Having no children of his own, Howard was also close to Blair and Blake; Sam didn’t like that, either. But Blair loved Uncle Howard. He’d always been there for her, especially after the attack. He’d taken her to her grandparents’ farm, where Howard and Ava were raised, and given her an opportunity to heal, away from all the distressing realities of her life. The farm was special to her and Uncle Howard knew that, and she’d always be grateful for his big heart.
She knew that he’d be here now, as soon as he could, to help them through this, and she couldn’t dwell on the petty jealousy between her father and Howard. She had other things to worry about.
She turned to Derek. “How come you didn’t get Blake out on bail?”
“Because Holt’s dragging this out as long as he can.”
“The flight risk,” she sighed.
“He told you that?” Derek asked.
“Yes, but keep pressuring him. He hates pressure.”
“He thrives on pressure.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t like it,” she replied. “So don’t let up. With any luck, we might have Blake out b
y morning. Now I’d better try and find Lucas.”
“Blair.”
She turned back at her father’s voice.
“I am proud of you. I don’t think I told you that last night.”
Blair bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. She had waited a long time to hear those words, and now that she had, it was just as Lucas had said. His approval had been there all along—in his support, his love and his patience. She’d just chosen not to see it.
She nodded and walked out of the room, seeing a lot of other things she’d chosen to block out. Like Lucas’s kindness, his many attempts to be friendly, his integrity. He took more pro bono cases than anyone and he refused to be anything but honest in a courtroom. The judges all admired him for that. He might use charm and theatrics to get his point across, but the truth was always his bottom line. Now she was going to be as truthful and honest as she could because Lucas would recognize that and respond in kind. Lucas was about to see a different Blair Logan and she hoped he appreciated the transformation. He had to. Her life and her family’s depended on it.
BLAIR WENT OVER to Lucas’s office, but his secretary said he’d gone for the day—that he wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. She asked for his home address, but the secretary refused to let her have it. Blair didn’t give up that easily. She explained the situation and within minutes she had Lucas’s address in her hand. She realized that as soon as she walked out the door, the secretary would phone him. That was fine. At least she’d get to talk to Lucas, which was her only goal at the moment.
Lucas lived in a house not far from downtown Houston. It was in Houston Heights, an older upscale neighborhood. Most of the houses had been remodeled to accommodate changes over the years. Lucas lived in a Tudor two-story with a manicured lawn. Not exactly what she’d expected. She’d thought he’d have what people used to call a “bachelor pad.” A condo, perhaps, with sleek, modern furniture and lots of high-tech sound equipment. The houses here were more family-oriented.
She pulled into his driveway. His house was a multi-cream brick with a deep brown trim and English ivy trailing up the chimney. His garage door was open and a dark blue Expedition was parked inside.
Killing the engine, she sat for a second, trying to get her thoughts organized. Then she saw something that sent them in a completely different direction. There were three children’s bicycles in the garage—all boys’ bikes. Beside them was a pink tricycle and a stroller. Lucas had children! She’d never heard any mention of children. He was single—she knew that much—and she had never heard of him being married before. Could he have a secret woman and kids who lived here with him? No, if Lucas had kids, he would be married to their mother. She didn’t know a lot about Lucas, but she knew that.
Enough dawdling, she told herself, and got out of the car. She had to talk to Lucas and it was now or never. Whoever the bikes belonged to was no business of hers. She walked up to the front door and pressed the bell before she lost her courage.
Lucas had just returned from one of his runs and was stripping out of his shorts and T-shirt when he heard the bell. “Damn,” he muttered. Who the hell could that be? He wasn’t expecting anyone, so it was probably Mrs. Bauer from next door. In her late seventies, she lived alone and often needed help with little chores like opening jars or getting things down from high shelves. He quickly pulled on his clothes and headed for the door, glancing at his watch as he went. He hoped this wouldn’t take long; he’d promised Jennifer he wouldn’t be late.
He jerked open the door without checking and received the shock of his life. Blair Logan stood on the threshold. It definitely wasn’t Mrs. Bauer. Mrs. Bauer had never looked this good. Blair wore a purple suit and a cream silk blouse, her hair drawn back in usual stern style. Her skin was smooth and flawless, but her eyes were somber and troubled. Oh yes, Blair was here on a mission.
Staring at her, he reached certain conclusions about the events of the day before. He’d wondered about Sam’s offer and hadn’t come up with a good enough reason for it. Now he knew. Sam realized what was about to happen and was trying to cover all the bases. If Sam’s top guns couldn’t handle the case, he wanted someone younger, more aggressive, waiting in the wings. And Sam had done it all under false pretenses, which was what angered Lucas. If the man had been honest with him, Lucas would probably be at the courthouse this very minute fighting for Blake Logan.
Since Sam’s tactics of last night had failed, mainly because of Blair, he’d sent her now to make amends. Lucas felt certain of that beyond a shadow of a doubt. But it wasn’t going to do one bit of good.
Blair’s breath lodged in her throat as Lucas continued to stare at her. She was staring back, of course; she couldn’t help it. She’d never seen Lucas like this. His dark hair was tousled, falling across his forehead, and he had on a pair of skimpy shorts, a T-shirt and no shoes. In one glance she took in the long, muscled legs and arms lightly covered with dark hair. His stomach was flat and there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him anywhere. She finally saw the sexual magnetism all the women at the courthouse talked about. She not only saw it, she felt it as her stomach constricted with an unfamiliar sensation of longing.
She immediately forced such reactions from her mind. She couldn’t deal with this…this unwanted attraction right now. “May I speak with you, please?” she asked quickly.
She was clearly nervous, but Lucas figured Blair wasn’t his problem and he wasn’t planning to give her a chance to attack him again. There’d be no more attempts to pacify Blair. He frowned at his watch. “I’ve got a date in an hour. You should’ve called.”
His secretary hadn’t called him, Blair thought. She wondered why. But it didn’t matter. “Lucas, I really need to talk to you,” she pleaded. “It’s important.”
Lucas kept one hand on the door and one on the doorjamb. “Blair—”
Seeing that stubborn light in his eyes, she knew he had no intention of letting her in, so she ducked under his arm and into his house. From the entry, she walked into a large living area decorated in burgundy, blue and cream. There were wood beams on the ceiling, and a huge fireplace occupied one corner. The house had a sense of warmth and tradition, decorated in the style of bygone days. That surprised Blair. She didn’t think this kind of ambience would appeal to Lucas. But then, what did she know about— Her thoughts stopped abruptly as she caught sight of the pictures hanging on one wall. Pictures of children. Dark-eyed children. A toy box against one wall and she noticed a high chair in the kitchen. There were definitely children in Lucas’s life, but she didn’t have the time or energy to concern herself with that.
Her legs felt wobbly so she sank down on the burgundy sofa.
“Why don’t you make yourself at home?” Lucas quipped dryly.
“I’m sorry, but I need to talk to you.”
“So you’ve mentioned.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “First of all, I’d like to apologize for my behavior last night. I was very rude—to you, to my family.”
He crossed his arms. “Really?”
God, she wished he’d put some clothes on. Her eyes kept straying to certain areas that were making her flustered.
“Yes, I was…having a bad day.”
He raised an eyebrow. “When I saw you earlier, you seemed in high spirits—dancing around your office,” he reminded her.
Her cheeks colored slightly. “It was after that.”
“You mean after I ruined your evening.”
“Lucas—”
He broke in. “Cut the crap, Blair. I know why you’re here and it has nothing to do with an apology.”
“But it does,” she insisted.
“Do you think I live in a vacuum?”
“What?”
“I listen to the news,” he informed her. “And I have a pretty good idea why you’re here. Sam sent you.”
She shook her head in frustration, this conversation was not going the way she’d planned.
“The generous job offer, t
he dinner, it’s all clear now,” Lucas said. “Somehow, Sam figures I’m the man who can keep his son out of prison, but instead of trusting me, he used underhanded tactics.”
“My father’s been under a lot of stress,” she said defensively. “He didn’t know whom he could trust. He had to be sure about you. He didn’t mean to offend you.”
“I’ll make this simple for you,” he said, not concealing his anger. “If you’re here to ask for my help, the answer is no.”
“That’s unfair,” she cried. “You haven’t even heard what I have to say.”
“I’m not interested.”
“My brother’s innocent. He didn’t murder that girl.”
“From the news, it seems that Holt has an airtight case.”
“I know you can poke holes in everything Evan has.”
Lucas’s eyebrows shot up again. “Really? So you need a cutthroat attorney? That’s what you called me, isn’t it? A cutthroat attorney putting criminals back on the street for big bucks and personal gain.”
Her cheeks grew hotter and she gripped her hands together. “Yes, I said that,” she admitted. “And at the time I meant it. I had my reasons for feeling that way, but I don’t think I need to go into that. It doesn’t justify my attitude or my words. I’m having to take a new look at myself and my beliefs, and I’m not liking what I see.”
Lucas was thrown for a second, but only a second. This amenable, conciliatory Blair was getting to him. God, he was such a sucker. He had a hard time saying no to women and Blair probably knew that about him. Oh yeah, she was pulling him in like a big old sappy fish. Or so she thought. His mother had always compared his temper to a tempest in a teacup. Right now, though, he was feeling more like Jacob, who rarely lost his temper—but when he did, it was a full-blown hurricane. Blair was playing him just as Sam had. He wasn’t falling for it.
“Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve derided everything about me—my career, my clients—and you’ve impugned my motives,” he told her. “But when the criminal’s your brother, it’s a different story, isn’t it? Did you ever stop to think that the people I’ve represented had families who believed in them, too?”