Storming the Castle (Dale Series)

by Arianna Hart

  “Thank you,” Faith said faintly.

  “Look, I don’t want you doing anything crazy. The lawyers I’m recommending are all excellent. They’ll fight for you and Piper.”

  “I can’t even think straight right now. I want to take her and run to Canada.”

  “That’s the very last thing you should do. You need to carry on as usual. Run your business, get Piper ready for kindergarten, hell, go out tonight. You have to act like this doesn’t scare you. Sharks can sense fear. And whatever you do, do not take any calls from the Prentices or their lawyers. They’ll try to do an end run and avoid going to court. Anything they need to say can go through me, or whichever family lawyer you choose. Understand?”

  “Y-yes. Sure. But there’s no way I can go out tonight and act all happy-go-lucky. I want to kill someone.”

  “Which is exactly why you’re going out tonight instead of sitting at home and stewing. Trust me, I’ll keep you from doing something stupid. Listen to the advice of your counsel.”

  “I really don’t think I can pull this off. I’ll just bring everyone else down.”

  “Do you want me to sic Mary Ellen on you? She’s been looking forward to this girls’ night for the last week. You don’t want to disappoint her.”

  Faith shuddered a little at the thought of Mary Ellen digging for information as to why Faith couldn’t go out. Bless her heart, when she found out she’d probably mount a campaign against the Prentices. Mary Ellen might be nosy, but she was as loyal a friend as could be had.

  “You’re right. Let’s keep this between us, and I’ll do my best to fake it.”

  “Smart lady. I’m emailing you the contact information for the lawyers now. Let me know who you want, and I’ll feel them out first.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you in a couple hours.”

  “You betcha. Faith, it’s going to be a battle, but it’s one we’re going to win.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  Faith hung up, wishing she could be as sure. Nadya didn’t know the Prentices like she did. They were rich and powerful and could take her to court over and over again until she ran out of money. They were relentless. She had no doubt that the lawyer they hired was the best in the county, a real shark, like Nadya had said.

  What she needed was another shark.

  Or a barracuda.

  On not quite steady legs, Faith crossed the hall to her bedroom. Going into the closet, she dug around the back until she found the firebox. Matthew’s phone was still there along with its charging cord. She took both out of the box and plugged the phone in by her bed.

  It took a while to boot up after all this time, but when it did, she went to the video section of the phone and pulled up the video that had shattered her world. She’d watched it a dozen times before, but seeing her husband fucking Lydia Klein still stabbed a knife through her heart.

  The high-powered lawyer was dressed in leather fetish gear with a ball gag stuffed in her mouth. Her hands were tied behind her back and her butt was stuck in the air.

  Faith turned the sound off, not wanting to hear her guttural moans or Matthew calling her disgusting names as she came.

  Faith took out her phone and did a quick internet search for Matthew’s old firm. When she got the number, she placed the call, refusing to consider the repercussions.

  “Markum, Dobratz, and Klein, how may I direct your call?” an unfamiliar voice answered the phone pleasantly.

  “Lydia Klein please.”

  “Ms. Klein is in court today. May I direct you to her voicemail?”

  “Yes, please.” Faith waited for the automated message to finish while her stomach churned. Finally, a beep. “Lydia, it’s Faith Prentice. I need to meet with you. There’s something I think you should see.” She left her cell phone number and disconnected.

  Faith wasn’t sure if Lydia knew about the recording, nor did she care. Lydia wouldn’t want word to get out about her proclivities, and Faith needed a lawyer with teeth. Even with the extra money from Sam, Faith couldn’t afford a lawyer of Lydia’s caliber without resorting to blackmail. She wasn’t above using what leverage she had to keep her daughter.

  Still, the whole thing left a bad taste in her mouth. She shut off Matthew’s phone and stuck it in her nightstand, then stared at her hands, not sure what to do next. Her head was spinning. Needing to hear Piper’s voice, she called her parents.

  “Mommy, why are you calling in the middle of the day?” Piper answered the phone.

  “I’m going out tonight with Mrs. Michaels, remember? I thought I’d talk to you now in case I’m out too late to call later.”

  “Oh. That’s good. Guess what we did today?”

  “What?”

  “I got to ride a horse. We went to Grandpap’s friend’s farm, and he raises horses, and there were ponies and donkeys and all sorts of animals. Grandpap said maybe someday he’ll get a horse he’ll keep at his barn, and I can ride him whenever I visit. What do you think of that?”

  Before Faith could answer, Piper went on, chattering a mile a minute. Faith let her daughter’s voice wash over her, soothing the ragged nerves that Nadya’s call had brought. How could the Prentices think she’d let her baby go without the fight of their lives? She’d post that video of Matthew on the internet for the whole world to see if it meant keeping her daughter. She hated the thought of showing that video to anyone, but if the Prentices thought she’d post it, maybe they’d back off. Not that she actually would do something that could come back to hurt Piper, but they didn’t know that.

  “Hold on, Grandma wants to talk to you.”

  “Okay, love you, baby.”

  “Love you more.”

  “Love you most,” Faith answered.

  “Hey, honey. You’re calling early today,” her mom said when she got the phone from a laughing Piper.

  “I’m going out tonight, so I wanted to talk to her before it got too late.”

  “Oh good, I’m glad you’re taking advantage of this time. Where’re you going?”

  “To a place in Canton.”

  “Fun. Are you driving? That’s a long ride if you’ve been drinking.”

  “I’m not driving, and Nadya’s married to the police chief, so I doubt she’ll drink and drive.”

  “That’s smart. Oh, hey, we ran into your friend from school, Reba? Rebecca? Yesterday in town.”

  “Rebel?”

  “Yes, that’s right. She was the one with the red hair who sang with that country band, right?”

  “Yup. We email from time to time, but I haven’t heard from her in months.”

  “She said she’d give you a call soon to catch up. Apparently, she’s living back home for a while as her mom isn’t getting on too well.”

  “Is she still in a country band?”

  “No. She said she’d gone back to school and got certified as a music teacher.”

  “I cannot picture her teaching children. It boggles the mind.”

  “You can ask her all about it when she calls you.”

  “Believe me, I will.” Faith heard barking and a commotion in the background. “What’s that?”

  “Oh dear, I need to go. Have fun tonight, and we’ll see you next week.”

  “Love you,” Faith said as her mom clicked off.

  She felt steadier now that she’d heard Piper’s voice. Nadya was right. She’d go out tonight and have a great time and forget all about this. Tomorrow, if she hadn’t heard back from Lydia, she’d call her again and keep calling until she had her say.

  …

  Faith swiped the mascara brush over her lashes one last time. She looked pretty damn good for a thirty-year-old mother. Apparently, putting on makeup was like riding a bike, once learned never forgotten. She left her hair, which she’d had trimmed yesterday, falling straight to the middle of her back. It was hot as hell now, but the bar would be air conditioned, so she should be okay. Just in case, she’d put a hair tie in her purse.

  “
For the love of God, when I don’t need one, I can find a thousand,” she muttered as she scanned the bathroom counter. Not a single freaking hair tie in sight. Her nightstand. There was always at least one there from when she took her hair out at night.

  Faith tidied the counter and grabbed her phone before heading to the bedroom. As she snagged a hair tie, her phone rang. She expected Nadya saying she was on the way, but the number was unfamiliar.

  “Hello?”

  “Faith? It’s Lydia Klein. I got your message.”

  Immediately, Faith felt the old sinking feeling in her gut. It was like the past six years hadn’t happened, and she was still the country-bumpkin wife trying to fit in among the city folk.

  Fuck that.

  “Thank you for getting back to me. How have you been?” she asked.

  “Busy, could you please cut to the chase and let me know what you have that you think I’d want to see?”

  She sounded hard and in control as usual.

  “I think you know. I saved Matthew’s phone, you see. He was always taking pictures and videos. He took one of your time together.”

  “What do you want? Matthew’s been dead for years. I can’t imagine you suddenly want restitution.”

  Faith’s heart was pounding darn near out of her chest. Was she actually going to blackmail this woman? Piper’s picture on her nightstand caught her eye. Her baby girl was counting on her. Faith would blackmail her preacher if it meant saving her daughter.

  “I’d like to hire you. I need a lawyer to fight Matthew’s family. They’re trying to get partial custody of Piper, and you’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “Or what? You’ll show my partners the video? Trust me, they don’t care what I do in my free time as long as I bring in the clients.”

  Faith’s knees turned to water as Lydia called her bluff, but she pushed on. “I saw online that you’re going to run for the assistant D.A. position next fall. How do you think the good folks of Atlanta would feel about the video?”

  “Found out about that, did you? You’re more resourceful than I thought.”

  “You’d be amazed at what I can find out, what I’ll do, when it comes to protecting my child. When can we meet to discuss the case?”

  “My schedule is jam-packed right now. I don’t have time for a custody case.”

  “Make time.” Faith wasn’t budging.

  Lydia heaved a sigh Faith could hear over the phone. “I suppose I could meet with you Sunday. I’m going to Darma tomorrow for a long weekend, and that’s in your neck of the woods, isn’t it?”

  Darma was an uppity suburb about half an hour from Canton. It was filled with high-priced spas and resorts. Just the type of place Lydia would frequent.

  “Close enough. Why don’t we meet in Canton?”

  “Fine. I’ll text you when I’m leaving the hotel, and you can tell me where to meet you. Bring the video, I’m not doing anything until I see hard evidence.”

  “I’ll send you a copy now if you want it.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Lydia hung up without even saying good-bye.

  All strength washed out of Faith in a rush, and she collapsed on the bed. Dear God, had she really just threatened Lydia Klein? Her stomach roiled, and for a moment she was afraid she was going to vomit. She was doing this for her child. No, blackmail wasn’t right, but neither was screwing someone else’s husband—and that wasn’t the least of Lydia’s sins.

  Lydia owed her.

  Anger chased the nausea away. It had been years since she’d felt this pissed over Matthew’s betrayals. She’d thought she’d put it behind her. Apparently not.

  Faith picked up the framed picture of Piper and traced her finger over her daughter’s image. Matthew’s eyes shined out of Piper’s face, full of mischief and laughter.

  He might not have wanted a child, would never know the beautiful being they’d made, but Faith knew the miracle she had. Blackmailing Lydia was the least of what she’d do.

  But, boy howdy, it was scary. Lydia intimidated the crap out of her. Faith couldn’t believe Lydia wanted to see the video as evidence. Did she really think Faith would lie about something like this?

  There could be a problem, though. Matthew’s phone didn’t hold a charge anymore. Faith would have to find a place where she could plug the phone in to turn it on. She couldn’t send the video to Lydia, either, because Matthew’s phone wasn’t in service.

  She could take a video of the video on her phone. She glanced at the time and realized Nadya would be here in a little bit to pick her up for girls’ night. There wasn’t much time.

  Grabbing her purse and her ankle-breaking shoes, Faith took Matthew’s phone out of the nightstand where she had stashed it and brought everything downstairs. She’d copy the video in the kitchen so she could keep an eye out for Nadya.

  Honest to God, the last thing she wanted to see was a replay of the video that had started the avalanche of anger toward her dead husband, but she plugged the phone in and waited for it to boot up.

  When the police had given her Matthew’s belongings, she’d been surprised his phone was intact after the accident that had taken his life. She’d lovingly scanned through the photos, remembering their time together. The video was the last thing he’d recorded, and seeing her husband with another woman had devastated her. The last thing she wanted was a second copy of the filthy thing, but she had to do what she had to do to keep her baby.

  As soon as she showed the video to Lydia, she’d delete the copy from her phone so Piper would never find it. It took a little fiddling around, but Faith managed to line the two phones up so she could video the video. She made herself watch every second of it, hoping that would harden her resolve, but it just made her feel dirty. When it was done playing, she turned Matthew’s phone off, tucked hers into her purse, and washed her hands.

  She felt a flash of sympathy for Lady Macbeth. “Out damn spot.” When this was over, she’d throw Matthew’s phone out and never think about it again. Honestly, why had she kept it all this time anyway? Could she really say she’d moved on if she still had this thing in her closet? For right now, she was darn glad she had it if it meant Lydia would take on her case. The woman was a bitch, but she was a darn good lawyer.

  “Don’t think about it. Shake it off for one night and have some fun,” Faith ordered herself. She bent down to put her heels on, figuring Nadya would be there any second. Before she could straighten, the door burst open and a wild-eyed Sam stormed into the kitchen.

  “Do you have any rice? It’s an emergency. I dropped my—whoa.”

  He stood as if frozen. Faith glanced down and realized her bent over position had her breasts practically spilling out of her dress. She slowly straightened and a shiver of pleasure skittered down her spine as Sam’s gaze followed her every movement.

  “Why do you need rice?” she asked, enjoying the way he couldn’t take his gaze off her.

  “What? Oh, yeah, rice.” He seemed to shake himself out of a daze. “I dropped my phone in the toilet. I remember reading that if you put a wet phone in rice it will suck the moisture out of it and you might not lose everything.”

  “Oh dear. I’ve got a bag in the pantry. Hold on, I’ll get it. Get a bowl out of the cabinet.”

  “I got it.”

  Faith came back with a sack of rice. “I’ll look up what we should do. I don’t think you just stick it in there.” After a quick internet search, they had the battery and the phone in the bowl. “It says it should sit overnight. Hopefully, it’ll be as good as new by tomorrow.”

  “I hope so. Half my life is on that phone.”

  “Don’t you back it up to the cloud?”

  “What? And risk some hacker getting in and selling my shit to the tabloids? No way.”

  “I hope you don’t need anything on it for twenty-four hours.”

  “Crap. I don’t need anything on it right now, but I need the phone. I’ve been using it to record my songs so I can get t
hem down on paper. I don’t suppose you have a digital recorder?”

  “No, I don’t record much. If I need to, I just use my phone. Sorry.”

  He ran his hand through his hair and growled. “Shit. Things had been going so well, too. I’ve got two more songs down and another is pounding in my head trying to get out.” He banged his hand on the counter and his gaze lit on Matthew’s phone. “What about this old thing? Can it record?”

  It sure can. “Uh, yeah, but it only works if it’s plugged in. It’s not hooked up or anything.”

  “I don’t need to surf the net, I need to record my music so I can write it down later. Can I borrow it?”

  Faith felt a tremor of unease trickle through her. What if he broke the phone or erased her leverage? Don’t be ridiculous, you have a copy. Let him use the phone for one night. “I guess so. Just—just be careful. It was my husband’s phone, and it has videos I can’t replace.”

  “I’m only going to use the voice recording feature, and I’ll return it as soon as mine is fixed. I won’t touch anything else.”

  “Okay. The code is ten-nineteen.” That was their anniversary.

  “Ten-nineteen, got it. Thank you so much. When the muse is knocking on the door, you let her in. I’ve got to get this down before I explode.”

  His green eyes shone with an intoxicating glow. Faith had never seen someone so passionately creative before. It was fascinating and oddly sexy. Of course, he could be scratching his nose and she’d think it was sexy right about now.

  He unplugged the phone from the wall and took two steps toward the door before stopping. “Have fun tonight. You look really good. Really, really good. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Faith laughed out loud. “Why do I feel like you just gave me a lot of lee-way?”

  “Because you’re a smart lady.”

  Before she could blink, he was across the room and had her pressed against his chest. His mouth was over hers in a kiss that scorched her to the tips of her freshly painted toenails. “If you’re going to take a walk on the wild side tonight, take it to the blue cottage.”