“Caleb, wait.” Kell opened her eyes and studied him carefully. She owed him what she could give. “You’re in danger now. Graves marked you as being on the wrong side.”
“Of what?”
“Of whatever killed Clay Griffin. You’re not safe anymore.” She clasped Eliza’s hand tightly. “None of us are until Graves is found.”
Caleb didn’t argue. “Then what can we do? How do we find out who’s after us?”
She looked at Luke. “We trust him. I’ll do my best to help find Stark, but you can’t let anyone else know what Graves said to you. Not until they arrive.”
Caleb’s even temper flared. Cutting his eyes between Kell and Luke, he demanded, “Who the hell is Stark? Until who arrives? Someone needs to explain what’s going on here.”
“You know everything you can right now, Matthews. As soon as I can tell you more, I will.” Luke doubted that would be enough, but he had more on his mind right now than satisfying the D.A. “One step at a time. I’ll fill you in.”
Realizing he wasn’t going to wring any more from either of them, Caleb left the room, allowing himself the satisfaction of a slam that shook the door. Eliza took Kell’s hand, leaned down to her ear. “Trust him, honey. And trust yourself.” She straightened and bussed Luke’s cheek as well. “I’ll make my own way home.”
“No, have Deputy Little take you. You don’t travel alone right now.” Luke started to open the door, but Eliza forestalled him.
“Stay here. I’ll find him.” With that, she exited the room, leaving them alone.
Kell stood abruptly and her chair tipped over, knocking against the table. Luke shifted to right it, but she placed a hand over his.
His eyes met hers and he waited. “What is it, Kell?”
“I’ve had three people in my life that I could count on. And sixteen years ago, I lost it all. I made a stupid, careless decision and I couldn’t take it back. Couldn’t fix it.” Tears, so long denied, threatened once more, but she refused them release. “I figured out a long time ago that I could take care of myself. I didn’t need them—Mrs. F or Julia or Fin. I would be successful on my own. I dated, but never because I wanted a partner or a true lover. I didn’t need anyone.”
“No, you didn’t.” Luke wondered if she’d practiced breaking his heart. “I get it, Kell. You don’t rely on anyone. You’re smart and self-sufficient and a damned good attorney. Eliza was lucky to have you in there today.”
Kell’s eyes widened. “I forgot to thank you for the fax.”
“No, don’t thank me.” He tugged his hand from beneath her, certain if he stayed in the room any longer, he’d beg. “I’ll bring your friends here and set up protection for you and Eliza and Caleb.” He took a step back, desperate to escape. “Need anything else?”
“I need you to listen to me.”
“Listen to what, Kell? To more reasons why I can come only so close and no closer? I get it. You lose people. Your parents, then your friends. So no more trusting and no more losing. I finally get it.” He walked slowly to the door, wondering how he could move when his life had shattered around him. “I’ll have someone take you home.”
“Luke, wait.” Fear stabbed through her, but she ignored its warning. Love equaled pain and loss and devastation. And, if she were brave, happiness and joy and a partner she could trust. Even if she lost this time, she had to try. “Wait, please.”
He spun around, rage replacing grief. “No, you wait. You once accused me of being a coward, and you were right. I did leave Chicago so I wouldn’t have to face that damned precinct every morning. I ran away, hoping that if I didn’t look back, my past wouldn’t follow me. My failure to protect my squad.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“No, it wasn’t. I get that. Just like I get why you want to protect your friends. But what I learned that you haven’t yet is you can’t outrace your past, Kell. You can’t finesse it or outtalk it. You can’t escape what happened before. Because it made you who you are.”
“What did it make you?”
“Ready. To find the only small southern town to rival Chicago in body count. To find the only lawyer who can not only convince me her client is innocent, but cajole me into helping her prove it.” He leaned against the door, defeated, but determined to have it said. “To find the only woman I could love, especially when she lies to me to protect those who count on her.”
Kell came to him, stopped in front of him. Ebony eyes watched her warily, greedily. The threat of tears vanished, replaced with relief. Her heart, already full, expanded as she realized the truth she’d refused to admit. Had to tell him. “I wasn’t finished, Luke. I was afraid. Then I met you. I met a man who saw through me, inside me. A man who didn’t flinch. You understand me, even the parts I don’t. You love me.”
“Yes.”
“And I love you too. I love how brave you are. How sweet you can be. I admire the choices you’ve made, especially the ones that cost you the most.” She caressed his cheek, the hard stubborn line of his jaw. “In all my life, I’ve never told another man what I need to tell you. I love you. Always. Completely.” She inhaled sharply, drawing his mouth to hers. “I love you.”
She kissed him, and he caught her up, binding them together. Trust, she’d found, didn’t require a loss of control, a ceding of herself. With Luke, the leap of faith would never be reckless.
Suddenly, Kell reared back, remembering. “Oh, God. I forgot.”
Luke set her feet on the floor and asked slowly, “What didn’t you tell me this time?”
Kell squirmed under the severe gaze. “Um, I told David I’d rejoin the firm.”
“When did you tell him you’d come back and when is he expecting you?”
“I talked to David last night, and we patched up our differences.” Quickly, she added, “And I agreed to return tomorrow. The Marley trial. The press will be there. They’ll want to cover it.”
Luke maintained a slippery grip on his temper and disapproval. Neither would stop her. “Tell Marley to go to hell. This Stark, whatever they are, aren’t going to disappear. You can’t ignore this, Kell.”
“No, they won’t disappear.” Arms still wrapped around Luke’s waist, Kell gathered herself. Fear had seeped away, replaced by a steely determination. The enemy had revealed itself, if for just a moment. Now, she was prepared. “But I’m still going to Atlanta. For a client conference. But I’m coming home to Hallden.”
“Thank God.”
“That’s the arrangement. I agreed to rejoin the firm, on the condition that I spend most of my week here.” She glanced away, then met the opaque eyes, hers dancing with mischief. “I thought I’d set up an office in town. Commute. A compromise.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She came to him again, taking his hands, locking their fingers. “I love you. If you can be patient a little while longer, I’ll tell you everything.” She kissed the knuckles with their fading bruises. “I’m all in, Luke. If you want me.”
He kissed her, a merger of promises, of souls.
“I love you, Kell Jameson. All in.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Kell’s story began years ago, in a very different form. Eventually, she grew too large in my imagination to be one person and was too alone to defeat her enemies. And so lived Findley Borders and Julia Warner—sisters and friends torn apart by a deadly secret.
For Kell, who must learn that trust is not a weapon, Luke is a partner and a friend, a combination she never thought to find. As Stark continues its reign of menace, join me as we learn of Fin’s courage and Julia’s resilience, and watch them find each other and their soul-mates in the chapters to come.
I eagerly welcome your comments and questions at www.selenamontgomery.com, by email at [email protected] or by mail at:
P.O. Box 170352
Atlanta, Georgia 30317–0352
Happy Reading,
Selena
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
With grat
itude to Mirtha Estrada Oliveros, my very own public defender; to Dr. Andrea Abrams, an anchor and reminder of what can be done; to Lisa Borders, a stalwart and a respite; to Jeanine Abrams, my science gal; to Erika Tsang for the extra days and Marc Gerald for the timely touches. And, most essentially, to Leslie Abrams, my judge, jury, and perfect sentinel.
About the Author
SELENA MONTGOMERY grew up in southern Mississippi, with two incredible parents and five fascinating siblings. She is a graduate of Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and Yale Law School. She draws upon her interest in and experiences with social and economic policy, politics, and creative writing to fuel her novels.
Selena is now a proud resident of Atlanta, where she is a lawyer by day and a writer during every waking hour. As her alter ego, Stacey Abrams, she is a State Representative and the author of several pieces on tax policy and social justice issues.
She is also an obsessive consumer of political biographies, every genre of fiction, good television, and film and movies (which are different). She is still mourning the passing of Buffy and the end of the Star Trek: The Next Generation franchise.
Selena would love to hear from her fans. Please visit her website at www.selenamontgomery.com
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
By Selena Montgomery
RECKLESS
SECRETS AND LIES
HIDDEN SINS
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
RECKLESS. Copyright © 2008 by Stacey Abrams. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub © Edition MAY 2008 ISBN: 9780061983405
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com
Reckless Page 28