“How do I know this isn’t a setup?”
“You don’t.”
“Lovely Penny, I wish I’d hired you as my lawyer. But, alas, I was late to the party.”
Penny bit back a snarky comment. “Deal or not?”
“Eh, why not? I have nothing to lose here.”
Got him. Her shoulders dropped, a massive unloading of pressure. “I’ll need time to speak with Elizabeth.”
“You have five hours. I will contact you on this number at two-thirty. Be available or the deal is off.”
“Fine.”
Penny slapped down the phone and breathed in. She had five hours to figure out how to make Elizabeth disappear.
And avoid Russell Voight.
Chapter Sixteen
Penny, escorted by Brent, rode to the safe house with her head spinning. Should she tell Russ about this deal with Heath? Intellectually, she knew she should. Emotionally, she wasn’t so sure. The man had ordered the murders of two people. Somehow she doubted he’d be afraid to carry out his threats against Russ and her family.
Watching the bobbing boats on the lake wasn’t helping and she turned her gaze to the road in front of her. Racing thoughts aside, a serious lack of sleep left that tenth cup of coffee roiling in her stomach.
“Will you hate me if I puke in your car?”
Brent shot her a sideways glare and went back to the road. “Yes.”
“Okay.”
She eased back against the headrest. Only a few more minutes and they’d be there. At which point she’d tell the marshals she needed to speak with her client. Privately. She’d then convince Elizabeth to let the Hennings family create her a new life, with financial support, on a tropical island where she and her son would live quietly and without danger. One thing about being a criminal defense attorney, Penny and her coworkers had all sorts of contacts who knew how to make people become someone else.
In exchange for her new identity, Elizabeth would refuse to testify against Heath and trust Penny to protect the massive amount of evidence she’d collected.
No problem.
Right.
For hours now, Penny had blocked out the rage she anticipated Russ would spew at her when he heard she’d double-crossed him. This was more than a professional betrayal. It would look as if she’d used him, and Russ, with his hatred of shifty lawyers, would never forgive that.
Ever.
She lowered the window and stuck her face out, let the moist lake air drench her. Slowly, she inhaled—one, two, three—then exhaled.
“Hey,” Brent said. “Seriously, are you gonna puke?”
Maybe. “No. I’m exhausted and drank too much coffee. The combination is not good. I’m over-amped.”
“I told you to stop with the coffee.”
“Blah, blah. I know. But I’m running on fumes.”
“And now you’re sick on top of it.”
She glanced over at him, and the big marshal shook his head. Although she appreciated his attentiveness, she could happily bludgeon him. “Brent, don’t make me slap you.”
He made a snorting noise as he hung the left on to the quiet lane that would lead them to the safe house.
Finally.
Five minutes later, Penny escorted Elizabeth outside, where they huddled behind a tree and three large bushes. Brent and the other marshal gave them enough space to speak privately but not enough where they couldn’t react quickly.
“What’s wrong?” Elizabeth asked. “Is it Zac?”
Perhaps motherhood had honed Elizabeth’s senses, but the woman always knew when something had not gone according to plan.
“No. Not Zac.” Penny checked behind her, ensuring Brent and the other marshal were out of earshot. “I spoke to Heath this morning.”
“Oh, no.”
“Elizabeth, I don’t know how to do this—”
“It’s fine. Just say it.”
“If I were to tell you that you wouldn’t have to testify against Heath, and I’d get you a new life, in a place of your choosing, where you and Sam could live without fear, what would you say?”
Elizabeth’s head snapped back. “Is this for real or hypothetical?”
“Does it matter?”
“I guess not.”
Penny touched her arm, huddled closer. “Sam would be safe. Guaranteed.”
“I wouldn’t have to testify? Ever?”
“No.”
Stepping back, Elizabeth turned toward the ancient oak tree and rested a shoulder against it. “Wow.”
“It’s a lot to absorb. We all have so much to lose.”
Their gazes connected for a long moment. Elizabeth understood the strength of family and the heartbreak that came with loss. On some level, she and Penny shared the same fears about losing their loved ones. But Penny wouldn’t rush her. Not much, anyway. She’d give her a few minutes to consider the offer. Hopefully, she wouldn’t yell for one of the marshals and blow the whole deal to bits. Elizabeth glanced at the marshals—please, no—then came back to Penny.
“If you’d guarantee our safety, I guess I’d take that deal. But I can’t believe after all this—” Elizabeth waved her arms toward the house “—Agent Voight would agree to that.”
“He hasn’t.”
“Then what are we talking about?”
“I spoke to Heath. On my own. He wanted me to trade you for Zac.”
Elizabeth’s gaze hardened and the corners of her lips dipped as she processed the words.
Penny held up her hand. “I told him I couldn’t do that. I told him if he agreed to my terms, which included me keeping all the evidence you’ve collected and him forgetting about you, I wouldn’t turn anything over to the FBI. He wants to stay out of prison and this deal does that for him. I made the best deal I could. You and your son stay safe and I get my brother back.”
“How can we trust him?”
“We can’t. That’s the risk. But my father has had a long career. He knows all sorts of people. Creating a new identity for you will not be a problem. You’d be forced to leave the country, though. The upshot is, you wouldn’t have to testify and Heath would leave you alone. If you testify, even if he’s convicted, you won’t know a day of peace.”
A hot wind blew and the leaves overhead rustled. Elizabeth stared up at them, thinking, then came back to Penny. “What about the witness-protection program?”
Penny had anticipated this. “We could work something out with the government and they’d send you wherever they chose. You would have no control. With Heath’s deal, you have control.”
“And your brother would be safe.”
“Yes. I won’t lie, I want you to take this deal, but there are downsides. The government will not take kindly to us wasting their time. At the very least, they’ll send you to prison for the illegal trades you’ve admitted to.”
Not to mention the career implications Penny herself would face. She didn’t want to be known as the lawyer who reneged on a good deal with the feds.
Elizabeth sagged against the tree. “Wow.”
“I know.”
“Can I think about it?”
No. She couldn’t think about it. No time for that. But the woman had just been thrown a new plan. A completely different one than she’d expected, and down deep, Penny knew what that felt like. The loss of her brother the day before had inflicted the same torment.
“We don’t have a lot of time. Heath will be calling me again at two-thirty.”
“That fast?”
“Yes.”
“Penny, I know this is about Zac’s safety and I want to say yes, but I have Sam to worry about. He’s all I have left. I have to think about how this will impact him. I promise you I’ll have an answer by two-thirty.”
Penny’s cell phone chirped. Russ’s new ringtone. The one that set him apart from the bazillion other random people who endlessly called her. Also a reminder that she’d forgotten to remove the damned battery. Stupid, Penny. A dull throb bumped at her temples. She should answer it. But he may have heard she was at the lake house with Elizabeth and he’d want to know why. Explaining it couldn’t be done over the phone. She was about to demolish his case and, if nothing else, he deserved to hear it in person.
Even if he’d despise her for it.
She squeezed her eyes closed, focused on Zac’s safety and not the feel of her heart being torn in half. Don’t do this. But what kind of life had she created that she had to choose between her brother and the one man who accepted her lunacy, her relentless schedule and her ambition? A man she could envision a future—a great future—with.
Russell Voight understood her. And she was about to lose him. Worse, she wouldn’t blame him.
So confused.
The chirping stopped and she opened her eyes, focused on Elizabeth and saving her and her son. Bringing Zac home. Yes. That was what she needed to do. Go with the positives. In another minute, her voice mail would chime. She’d remove the phone’s battery and call Russ later. After Elizabeth gave her an answer. Then she’d know for sure if her plan would be put in motion and if she would have to admit to him what she’d done.
Chapter Seventeen
Penny swung into the office reception area and stopped. Just halted where she stood. Sitting in one of the ultramodern, sharp-angled red guest chairs the decorator went a little insane over was Russ. He casually flipped through a magazine and then, as if sensing her presence, looked up. In that look was nothing soft.
At least the flat line of his lips and his tight jaw gave that impression. In fact, he could cut through steel with that look. She slid her briefcase higher on her shoulder, squeezed the strap and plastered a smile on her face. “Well, hello.”
With extreme care, Russ closed the magazine and gently laid it on the chrome end table. Penny hated chrome. She enjoyed traditional style with wingback chairs and sturdy mahogany tables. Those things brought comfort. Coziness.
Chrome, in Penny’s mind, brought cold. Russ’s menacing, laser glare only reinforced the feeling.
He was too quiet. Too still. Russ had a way about him. All confined energy and quick, purposeful movements. When he entered a room, a commanding presence came with him. She’d grown used to it. Drew safety from it.
This Russ? A tad scary.
He stood and faced her, his dark eyes narrowing only a fraction, but the look—suspicion—set her back. She wasn’t ready for him. Not yet. Not when Elizabeth hadn’t made her decision yet.
“Let’s talk.” He glanced at the nosy receptionist. “Privately.”
“Of course. Any word on Zac?”
He tilted his head. “I’m hoping you can tell me.”
He knows. She’d been careful. Or so she’d thought. But Jenna had said she’d been working all night talking to multiple sources. Maybe one of her informants leaked information to the FBI. Russ had connections everywhere and someone easily could have alerted him to Jenna’s investigation. But Penny had told him she’d use an investigator from the firm to help, and good investigators worked their connections. Being a good investigator himself, he’d understand that.
She led him back to her office and glanced at her father’s closed door. On the way from the lake, she’d used Brent’s phone and called him. Her mother was still heavily sedated and finally calm. Dad, not so much. The stress had to be breaking him. At fifty-eight, her father still had the superior strength to take on the toughest of opponents, but this level of emotional trauma was unprecedented in their world.
Her oldest brother flying in wasn’t making the situation any better. As much as she felt they needed to gather as a family, David would only create more tension. He’d also place the blame at Penny’s feet, which she’d already spent an entire day doing. She didn’t need David beating her up. She’d done a fine job on her own.
She unlocked her door and waved Russ in. “Have a seat.”
“I’ll stand.”
She dropped her briefcase next to the desk and eyed his stiff posture, all that contained energy waiting to launch. The man was spoiling for a fight. “Fine. Stand. I’m tired and I’m sitting.”
“Where’ve you been?”
Not ready for this. Still, she lowered herself into her chair, sat back and squared her shoulders. “Russell, you’re acting strange.”
He rolled his bottom lip out, tilted his head again. His behavior alone, the quiet demeanor, told her he knew. Now she’d have to figure out just how much he knew.
“I drove out to Welberg first thing this morning.”
Uh-oh.
“The prison?”
He folded his arms. “Don’t. Even.”
Caught.
“I met with Simon Caldwell. I had the genius thought that I’d flip him. Make him an offer.”
I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse. “What offer?”
“A reduced sentence if he told me where Heath was.”
“I see,” Penny said.
“I’m sure you do. Considering your investigator got to him before I did.”
Penny swallowed, pushed her shoulders back another half inch. “You knew I was putting someone on it.”
“I did. One thing I didn’t realize was you had a message for Heath.”
Penny stayed silent. Really, there was nothing else to do. At some point, she’d figure the odds of Russ and Jenna going to the same source within hours of each other. Later, it would seem reasonable. Right now, she wanted to climb to the roof and throw herself off.
“You’re quiet,” Russ said. “That’s a switch.”
The sarcasm, she could accept. She deserved nothing less.
“What have you done, Penny?”
She gripped her chair.
Russ finally moved away from the door and stepped closer. “Tell me what you did.”
His voice held a menacing growl, as if every ounce of anger had been packed into a tight ball, waiting to be hurled at her. She wished he’d do it already. Just let loose. A yelling Russ, she knew how to handle. “I haven’t done anything. Yet.”
He folded his arms. Stared hard. “Tell me.”
For a few seconds, they stayed in that locked battle of wills and Penny contemplated holding out. Her stubborn streak ran just as wide as Russ’s. If it came down to it, they’d die of old age in this silence. Only, who else would die with them?
Jig’s up. “I was going to tell you this afternoon. I swear to you.”
“Liar.”
“No. I was. I promised you, but this is different.” She kept her gaze on his, intensely focused, hoping the truth would drill through his anger and he’d understand. “He’s my brother.”
Russ jerked his head. “You went around me. Because I’m the incompetent schmo that can’t close this case.”
Penny shot out of her chair and slapped her hand on the desk. “I never thought that. I had bargaining power. That’s all.”
“Tell me.”
She bit her bottom lip. Desperately, she wanted to tell him. To confess it all and maybe everything would work out. But Zac needed her. Chancing it could risk his life. “I can’t.”
Russ’s face flushed with the effort of controlling all that roiling anger. Finally, the Russ she knew. He jabbed a finger at her. “Damn you. Months of nonstop work, of digging and chasing leads and working eighty-hour weeks, and you do this?”
“Russell!”
“Screw you, Penny. You gave me your word. You played me.”
He held his hands out, fingers slightly curled. Yes, he wanted to strangle her. She could see it. Anger is okay
. He’d been angry before and forgiven her. She rushed around the desk, but he stepped back, putting distance between them. That distance was a knife plunging into her chest. She sucked in a breath, held it and tried to control her rupturing heart. “I’m sorry.”
“Damn you.”
He headed for the door, his steps hard against the thick carpet. Stop him.
“Russell!”
Brent stood in the hallway, eyebrows raised. “Problem?”
Russ kept moving. “If she tries to leave this office, arrest her.”
Arrest? “Russell, I’m not chasing you.”
“Guess what, babe?” he said without looking back. “I don’t want you to. I can’t stand to even look at you.”
A small sound squeaked in her throat. He’s leaving. She had to stop him. Make him understand. And just that fast, she ran to the hallway, her ankles wobbling on her heels as she did the one thing she swore she’d never do and chased down a man.
She pushed through a couple of associates gawking at her. Go away. Last thing she needed was an audience. Not that she had much choice. Ignore them. She got to Reception just as Russ stepped onto the elevator. “Russell. Please. Let me talk to you.”
But the door began to close. Russ stood there staring at her, hatred pouring off him, and then, as if she were too hideous to see—too filthy to look at—he turned away.
The doors closed and Penny gasped. He’s gone.
“Um, Penny?” the receptionist called.
Causing a scene in Reception hadn’t been on the to-do list today and heat filled Penny’s cheeks. Way to go. The boss’s daughter making a mockery of herself.
She couldn’t allow it. Never let ’em see you sweat. She eased her shoulders back, lifted her chin and spun to the receptionist. Brent stood beside the U-shaped desk, waiting for her to do something stupid. Like run. Well, why not? She could add it to the list of other stupid but necessary things she’d probably do while trying to save her brother.
THE DEFENDER Page 16