by Linda Warren
“Lucas—”
He cut in. “Now that you need a favor, you can be sweet and apologetic. It’s too late, Blair. I’m not taking anything else from you or your father. Honesty might be a word you need to look up in the dictionary.”
Blair realized her hopes were dwindling fast, and she didn’t know what to do. She stood up and brushed away a tear. “Blake and I are twins. We’re closer than most siblings.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “I can’t let him be convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Please help me.”
Lucas stared into her watery eyes and felt himself weakening. No, she wasn’t doing this to him, dammit! A few tears, and he was putty in her hands. No, that wasn’t how it would be. Tonight he was going to Jennifer’s. He refused to get involved with the Logan family.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you,” he said woodenly.
Blair bit her lip until she was afraid it might bleed. She didn’t expect Lucas to be this hard. He’d always been so friendly and fun-loving, but now she was seeing the tough side of Lucas—the unrelenting side. But she had to keep trying.
She reached into her purse and took out her business card. On the back, she scribbled her home address and phone number, then laid it on the coffee table.
“That’s my address and phone number,” she said quietly. “If you change your mind, call me—anytime. I’ll be awake.”
Lucas swallowed at the pain in her voice. “I won’t change my mind.”
They stared at each other and Lucas found himself getting lost in the blue of her eyes. He wasn’t giving in, though. But as she ran from the room, he didn’t feel victorious. He felt like the biggest heel who’d ever lived.
CHAPTER SIX
LUCAS TRIED to put Blair out of his mind as he dressed and went to Jennifer’s, but all through dinner he kept seeing her blue eyes, her tears, and he knew his mother was right. His temper didn’t last long, and now he was feeling the pangs of hurting someone…someone who…
He stopped, unable to complete that thought. He studied Jennifer’s blond hair and lovely green eyes, watched her animated gestures. She was beautiful and charming, everything a man could want—but she wasn’t… Oh, God. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and Jennifer had to call his name several times to get his attention.
The evening wasn’t going as he’d planned and now he had to hurt someone else. His feelings for Jennifer were superficial, and he couldn’t keep letting her believe that they were more.
In that moment he made a decision. He only hoped it was the right one.
He told Jennifer how he felt. She wasn’t too happy with him and he wasn’t too happy with himself, either. He’d never been with one woman and unable to get another out of his head. It was a new experience for him, an experience he’d rather not repeat. It spoke too much of his father and he’d vowed to never be like him. Honesty was important to him—and to Jacob. But he carried it a little farther than Jacob did; sometimes he expected too much of people and he had to remember that everyone was human and fallible. He dealt with that fact every day. He shook his head slightly as he walked toward his car. It always amazed him how duplicitous people could be.
That was precisely what made Sam Logan’s offer so objectionable. Sam had tried to use deceit to win him over. Apparently Sam had checked him out, but he must have done a lousy job because anyone who knew Lucas could have told him that was completely the wrong approach.
He wasn’t ready to go home, so he drove on Interstate 10 for a while. On a whim, he turned off at the Port of Houston—Houston’s gateway to the world. He parked in a secluded area and sat gazing at the water, the ships, watching the moonlight glitter on the surface. Much as he wanted to forget about the Logan family, he found he couldn’t forget about Blair. She was in pain. He’d seen that same tortured look in his mother’s eyes—a look of betrayal mixed with love and an inability to separate the two.
Why should I give a damn?
He ran both hands through his hair in an effort to clear his thoughts, but Blair was still there. He had a feeling she’d continue to be until…until he took the case. There, he’d said it. Now what? He couldn’t work with people he couldn’t trust. And Blair—he hadn’t a clue about her real feelings. One day she hated him and the next she was begging for his help. She had apologized. He suspected she wasn’t sincere, but then…she might have been. He found it difficult to believe anyone could change so quickly, and yet she’d gone from working for the D.A. to defending her brother in a matter of minutes. This had to be a real conflict for her, especially since she’d always seemed so dedicated to fighting for justice. Now she was forced to look at justice in a whole new light. She had to be dealing with a lot of raw emotion.
Why should I give a damn?
That question kept tormenting him, and he still didn’t have an answer. As he watched the moonlight tempt the water with dazzling caresses, he knew what he had to do. He’d probably known when Blair walked out of his house in tears, but he had to justify his actions first.
He was taking the case, but he wasn’t going to accept Sam’s offer. He couldn’t handle both at the same time, and he preferred to have his own people and his own space to prepare this case. Right now, he couldn’t see Logan and Associates in his future.
He wasn’t sure what lay ahead for him. He’d been feeling so restless lately that maybe a rigorous trial was what he needed, he told himself. The case had intrigued him since he’d heard it on the news. He was relying on something he’d relied on a lot in his career—pure gut instinct. Having met Blake, he was confident that the man couldn’t have committed such a crime. Trusting that first impression, he was gambling that Blake Logan was innocent. But he had to hear that from Blake himself.
He took a deep breath and felt better, even excited. He was going to take the case and fight for Blake Logan—the way Blair wanted him to—but he planned to establish some ground rules before he went a step farther.
Oh, Blair. Why should I give a damn?
The answer to that question lay deep in his heart.
BLAIR SPENT the evening at her apartment, waiting, worrying, deliberating. She didn’t know how to tell her father she’d failed. She considered lying—saying that Lucas was thinking it over—but then she remembered what Lucas had said about honesty. She picked up the phone and called, telling Sam exactly what had happened. He said it was what he’d expected and that he couldn’t have done any better. He admitted he’d mishandled the whole thing from the beginning. He also said that Blake’s arraignment was in the morning and that Derek would do everything he could to get Blake out on bail.
Blair paced the living room, jumping at every little sound. She hadn’t even thought about Raye’s gang with everything that was going on, but now that it was dark, her old fear was back. The phone rang and she answered it immediately, hoping and praying she’d hear Lucas’s voice. She didn’t. It was Roger.
“Blair, are you okay?” he wanted to know.
“Yes,” she said absently.
“I’m sorry about Blake and Sam. How’re you holding up?”
“I’m hanging in there.”
“Would you like some company?” She heard the eagerness in his voice.
“No, but thanks. I’d rather be alone.” She hated to disappoint him, but just now she couldn’t deal with his hopes or expectations. And casual conversation was simply beyond her.
“I understand, but if you need me, you know all you have to do is call.”
“Thanks, Roger. I appreciate that.”
“We didn’t turn up a thing from the prints on your car.”
“I didn’t expect you would.”
“We’re still investigating—talking to members of Raye’s gang. Someone might slip up.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Compared with everything else, it seems rather minor.”
“It’s not, Blair. Not when your life’s on the line.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ve got to go. I’m expecting a call. Th
anks for phoning.”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he said, and hung up.
Blair couldn’t think about Roger; she could only think about Lucas. She thought of all the things she could have said to convince him, but when she was around Lucas, the words came out all wrong. Was she attracted to him? She’d asked herself that question before, but now the possibility demanded an answer. No! She immediately denied that she felt any attraction. But she remembered Lucas’s statement about honesty…and smiled wryly. Who was she trying to kid? When she looked at Lucas, her emotional scale went berserk. That was why she reacted so strongly to him. How would Lucas feel if he knew her emotions were all caught up in something she didn’t understand? Romantic involvement was hard for her. She’d tried, but since the attack she had a difficult time tolerating a man’s touch. With Lucas, it was so different, so… God, this honesty thing wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.
She went into the bedroom and removed her clothes and slipped on a big T-shirt, then curled up on the sofa and stared at the phone, willing it to ring. Her stomach growled, and she recalled that she hadn’t eaten a thing since her toast and coffee this morning. She didn’t feel hungry, though; food was the last thing on her mind.
She drifted in and out of sleep, her attention always on the phone. When the buzzer rang, she immediately picked up the receiver, then realized it was the intercom. Frowning, she looked at the clock. One in the morning. Who would be visiting her this late? Maybe it was her father—maybe he had news about Blake. She ran to the intercom and pressed the button.
“Ms. Logan, I know it’s late, but there’s a Mr. Culver to see you,” the security guard told her.
OhGod. OhGod. Lucas was here. That could mean only one thing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, her heart cried.
“Ms. Logan, did you hear me?” the guard asked impatiently.
“Yes. Please send Mr. Culver in.”
She raced into the bedroom to change her clothes, but saw that she didn’t have time. She didn’t want to keep Lucas waiting. She dashed back into the living room just as the bell rang. She quickly turned off the alarm system and opened the door.
Lucas marched in, dressed in slacks and a knit shirt. His hair was tousled and he had a growth of beard. Evidently he’d come here after his date—probably with Jennifer Walker.
“Okay, Blair, this is the deal,” he said without preamble. “I’ll take the case, but only if I have complete control. Neither Sam nor you, or any of his top guns, will interfere or question my decisions.”
She smiled and said, “Hi.” It sounded inane, but it was what came out of her mouth. She was so excited he was here, so grateful he’d agreed to take the case, and she didn’t want him to be angry with her anymore.
Lucas’s eyes narrowed on her face and he wondered if she’d been drinking. She wasn’t acting like her usual grave self. Her dark hair was disheveled around her shoulders and her eyes were bright and she was smiling at him—which threw him because she never smiled at him. He stared at her body in the T-shirt. All the feelings and reactions he should have had at Jennifer’s started to grip his body now, and he found himself smiling back.
“Hi,” he answered.
Blair’s knees felt weak and she hurriedly asked, “Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Something stronger?”
“No,” he replied, getting lost in the brightness of her eyes. This was the way he wanted to see her—happy and excited. He vowed, in that moment, that he’d never make her cry again. He knew he was entering dangerous territory—where he cared more about her feelings than his own. “I just need to talk,” he added quickly.
“Sure,” she said, and sat on the sofa, curling her feet beneath her.
Lucas took the Queen Anne chair opposite her. Looking around, he took in the apartment. It was the way he’d expected it to be—tasteful and elegant—just like her. The apartment was almost completely white with birchwood undertones and silver and green touches. There was a pink blanket on the sofa and a white pillow with lace trim. He’d bet everything in her bedroom was pink and white and feminine. Okay, his thoughts were going places they shouldn’t.
“Thank you,” he heard her say, and he brought his eyes back to her. “I’m glad you changed your mind.”
“Blair, I have to get something straight,” he started, knowing he had to stick to business or risk getting completely sidetracked. “I can’t work with people I can’t trust.”
“I’m sorry about all the scheming, but my father was trying very hard to hire you for my brother’s sake. He really believes you’re a good attorney. He believes you’re the best.”
“And you, Blair. How do you feel?”
Her eyes met his. “I’m ashamed of the way I treated you. I can’t justify it, but there’s a lot going on in my life that I have a hard time dealing with and I guess you were the perfect target for my frustrations.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m trying to be honest here. I’m not good at sharing things about myself, but if you want honesty, I guess I should tell you about…my background.”
He could see she was having trouble finding the words. “If it’s about the attack, I already know.”
Her eyes widened. “You do?”
“Yes, Roger told me.”
“Oh.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” He felt a need to remind her of that.
“I know, but Todd Easton is still hurting my family.”
There was silence for a moment, and Blair decided that Lucas had to know everything—even if she didn’t want him to. “There’s something else I have to tell you.”
“You don’t have to tell me every little thing.”
“I need to tell you this because I don’t want you to hear it from someone else. It might also help you understand why I acted so irrational last night.”
“Okay,” he said slowly, disturbed by the way her eyes had filled with fear.
“I…ah…” She gulped in a quick breath and tried to get the words out. “Yesterday when I left my office, I found a message scribbled on my windshield.”
“A message?” he echoed.
“Yeah, in red lipstick. It said, ‘I’ll get you, bitch.’”
“Oh my God, Blair, why didn’t you say something?”
She shrugged. “I called Roger, and the police are investigating. I didn’t see any reason to worry my family or anyone else. Roger thinks it’s Raye’s gang trying to scare me. If it is, the police will catch them.”
“But your family needs to know. And you shouldn’t be staying here by yourself.”
“That’s exactly the reaction I wanted to prevent. I can handle this on my own.”
“I’ll have a talk with Raye and squash this before it goes any further.”
“Lucas—”
He held up a hand. “This is going to be stopped. I promise you.”
For some reason, that made her feel so much better. Lucas was a man of his word and if anyone could still her fears, she knew he could. Where that feeling came from she wasn’t sure.
Lucas was stunned by what she’d told him and he wanted to help, wanted to make her world safe, make her pain go away. But Roger was the one she called when she was in trouble. He didn’t like that and he couldn’t explain why. At least she had someone, he told himself, dismissing his uncharacteristic reaction.
His dark eyes held hers. “I’m sorry about last night,” he murmured.
She shrugged again. “For what? It wasn’t your fault.”
“But I was Raye’s attorney and you walk in and find me hobnobbing with your family. I’m surprised you handled it as well as you did.”
“Let’s just forget it. Okay?”
“No, we’re not forgetting Raye.”
“I meant the other stuff, like me calling you names and being extremely rude.”
“Okay.” He smiled. “I can forget that.”
When he smiled, her heart did a crazy dance that left her breathless, and she was beginning to think that her attraction was
a lot stronger than she was willing to admit.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and Lucas lost a part of himself in those words. She was pulling him in and he didn’t even want to resist, but he had to. They had a bigger problem.
“Let’s talk about Blake,” he said abruptly.
“His arraignment is in the morning,” she told him.
“Who’s set to handle it?”
“Derek, but you have to.”
“Why?”
“Because Evan’s going to try and keep Blake locked up until the trial and I can’t see him wavering on that. Derek has a temper and he loses it easily. If that happens, we don’t have any hope of a judge seeing our side.”
Lucas leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Before I agree to anything, I have to talk to Blake. I know you told me he’s innocent, but I have to hear that from him.”
“Of course,” she answered readily. “But you will take the case?”
“After I talk to Blake and after Sam agrees to my terms.”
“Oh—Daddy.” She clamped a hand to her cheek. “I need to call him. He’s so worried.”
“It’s almost two in the morning,” he pointed out.
“He’s awake. Neither of my parents will sleep tonight.” She reached for the phone, which was on the sofa by her pillow, and he wondered if she’d been lying there waiting for his call. It made him feel more of a heel, but it didn’t keep the doubts from lingering in his mind. He hoped he was making the right decision for all of them.
Blair quickly dialed the number and Sam picked up within seconds.
“Daddy,” Blair said.
“Blair, is something wrong?”
“No, actually, things are a little better.”
“Who is it, Sam?” She could hear her mother in the background.
“Blair,” he whispered to Ava, then he spoke into the phone. “What are you talking about?”
“Lucas has agreed to take the case—on a couple of conditions.”
“Blair, are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
There was a pause at the other end. Finally he asked, “What are the conditions?”