Protecting Justice (The Justice Series Book 4)

by Adrienne Giordano

  Fallyn set her compact and comb aside. “Pull up a chair, Lieutenant.”

  He did as instructed. “I’m not supposed to be here. With you. I’m in the hot seat right now, even though it hasn’t leaked to the press yet. My lawyer told me to stay away from you, because I…”

  “I know all about it,” Fallyn reassured him. “Heather left me a video about you and what happened with CanAir 702.”

  “Oh.” He looked worried. “You know about what I did?”

  “I know it was under orders from your commander-in-chief, who happens to be your father. I would imagine that could be awkward on a good day. Throw in the target your father ordered you to shoot down and I imagine you’re having a hard time living with yourself.”

  Two large hands worried the cap in his lap. “I never meant for any of this to happen. Heather’s dead because of what I did.”

  Oh, these men and their guilt trips. “My sister is dead because a woman whom my entire family trusted was a money-hungry bitch. That’s not on you, Ryan.”

  “Heather was so fond of Jordan. I can’t believe Jordan did that.”

  “Jordan’s father can’t believe it either. Carl visited me and he’s devastated. She was his everything.”

  He was silent for a long moment, his voice subdued when he did speak. “We talked about getting married, you know. Heather and I. Right before all of this happened. I was in town before she died and I had planned to propose to her. We drove to Virginia, to a bed and breakfast there, for a few days. We wore disguises so no one would recognize us, but I couldn’t do it.”

  The receipts. The ones Heather had saved on her tablet. “Why not?”

  “I was afraid. We couldn’t keep a lid on CanAir, it was so, so wrong.” He glanced up at the ceiling, drawing a deep breath. “My father was… He shouldn’t have done what he did. That day, when I got the orders, I didn’t know why I was going out or who was on that plane. I just did what I was told.”

  That’s what good soldiers did. “It’s not your fault.”

  Seemed like she was saying that a lot right now.

  “We had to tell someone, but we didn’t know who. She suggested you. I had to think about it. Then I tried to end things with her. I knew she’d be flayed by the media once it all came to light, and I didn’t want that for her. She had this bright, shining career ahead of her and there was no way I could ruin that. So I told her I would go public with the information and we had to break up. She refused to let me.”

  Fallyn smiled. “Bullheadedness runs in our family.”

  Ryan’s eyes shone with tears. “I hate to ask you this, but I need your help.”

  Of course he did. He needed a fixer the size of King Kong. “My sister loved you, Ryan. I’ll make sure you get a copy of her video, so you get to hear her gush about what an incredible man you are. You were a hero in her eyes for wanting to do the right thing, and I agree. Going up against your father, testifying to what he ordered you to do, will be the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your life, and even though it’s the right thing to do, you’ll never forgive yourself, so you need to be prepared to live with that. He may have committed a terrible act, but he’s still your father.”

  “I have to do this.” His face contorted with anguish. “For Heather.”

  She had to do this for Heather too. “I know someone at Justice who can help you, and I’m friends with one of the best JAG lawyers in the Northern Hemisphere. You’re done with the old one. Don’t talk to him any more today. Give me and my team until tomorrow morning and we’ll have a game plan for you, okay?”

  Ryan Nicols stood and stretched out a hand. “Thank you.”

  Fallyn eyed his hand for a second before shaking it. “Thank you for loving my sister. She was happy, Ryan. Even with this horrendous situation the two of you were dealing with, she was happy. She loved you so much, and I can understand why.”

  A brief smile passed over his lips. “She loved you, too, you know. Talked about you nonstop. She was pretty proud of you.”

  Fallyn’s heart clenched. Her father had said the same thing to her earlier that morning. Their relationship seemed to be morphing, growing. Fallyn realized she might not have been the easiest child to handle and maybe—awful thought—she had reminded him of his wife. There was still space between them, but the gap was closing. “I appreciate you telling me that.”

  He released her hand and returned the chair to its original place. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then?”

  She nodded. As he left, her team started piling in.

  “Was that…?” Maureen said, pointing over her shoulder as the door closed silently.

  “Yep. Lieutenant Ryan Nicols. First Son. He’s our new client.”

  “We come to see you, and what do you have us doing?” Dani slouched in a chair and set her laptop on her knees. Her hair was shocking pink today and the multitude of rings on her fingers clinked against each other as she typed. It looked like she had a new tattoo on her left wrist. “Working.”

  “I agree,” Maureen said, eyeing Fallyn over her reading glasses as she brought out her notepad and pen. “You almost died. This is a bit extreme, even for you.”

  Fallyn sat up in bed—as upright as she could stand, anyway, thanks to her sore chest and back—and ignored their complaints. Work was all she had right now. Work and a steady supply of pain pills.

  Neither of which was keeping the pain away. Her body ached all over, her chest was still taped, and she was fucking sick of the antiseptic smell in the air.

  Maureen, Tabitha, and Niles hovered around the bed while Dani played on her laptop. Katrina was still in New York, handling the office.

  Tabitha held up a gold box with a red ribbon in her hands.

  “Tell me you brought chocolates,” Fallyn said.

  Tabitha opened the box from Fallyn’s favorite shop on 5th Avenue and handed it to her. Fallyn dug in.

  The first bite of chocolate nearly made her pass out, it was so good. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. “Chocolate. Better than painkillers.”

  The box made the rounds so everyone could take a piece. “Do you have the lease agreement for the new office?” she asked Maureen.

  Their client load had expanded exponentially after the press got wind of the fact Heather had been murdered and Fallyn had been shot by the killer.

  If it hadn’t been for Tony, I’d be dead too.

  The thought of Tony sent a spike of pain through her chest. She gritted her teeth and ignored it.

  “Just came in,” Dani said. “I’ll sign it electronically for you if you want.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Niles asked. “A second office here in DC? Moving?”

  He wasn’t worried about her moving back to Washington. He was worried about taking over the New York office. “We need a presence here.” She finished chewing her chocolate and swallowed. “No more constant commuting for me, and you’re more than capable of taking over the New York office. Need I remind you, you have an excellent staff.”

  The ladies all smiled at him and Niles rolled his eyes.

  “Go ahead and sign for me,” she told Dani.

  Maureen wrote something on her notepad. “Will you be moving in with your dad?”

  “I’m keeping Heather’s townhouse for now. It’s an easy commute to my father’s and I need…”

  What did she need? Time to process everything. Time to mourn. Time to work out things with that bullheaded lug who hadn’t been to see her yet. “I feel close to Heather there,” she admitted. The memories of Tony aren’t bad either.

  Tony, Tony, Tony. Her damn brain wouldn’t let up on him. Where was the bastard anyway? He’d told her he loved her, then disappeared to work the case.

  Don Fox had been questioned and given up the information needed to arrest Barnard Shaw, a billionaire businessman with a boner for the West Wing. He’d bribed Jordan to find dirt on Ryan’s dad once he’d found out Heather and Ryan were meeting in secret. Grey, who was in a matching roo
m down the hall, had told her all about it. So Barnard was toast and Fox was free. Metro had turned everything over to the FBI since they now knew the whole thing involved the murder of a senator and the FBI had taken over slogging through the details of Heather’s death while working with Justice on how to sort it all out. What did Tony possibly have to do?

  Of course, he’d killed Jordan, who’d tried to finish what she’d started and had shot Fallyn in the back. Granted, it was self-defense, but still. He might be tied up with the police.

  He’s not coming back.

  Just like Mom.

  Everyone was always leaving her.

  Or maybe, I just keep driving them away.

  Beep, beep, beep. Her heart monitor sped up, echoing in the room and drawing everyone’s attention. Fallyn’s eyes seemed too tight, tears threatening.

  “You okay, Fallyn?” Tabitha asked. “Maybe you should pass on the chocolates.”

  Work the case. If Tony could do it, so could she. “I’m lying in fucking hospital bed, so no I’m not okay, but I will be.” I just need time. “Don’t touch anymore of my chocolates.”

  She reached for a salted caramel mocha truffle. Tabitha didn’t seem upset at Fallyn’s outburst—her team was used to her brusque, get-it-done attitude—and helped herself to a dark chocolate anyway.

  “Okay, moving on. Ryan Nicols. Hire Tim Plantar as his lawyer and let’s do a full court press on media before they even get their talons out. We also need to contact Aledo Walton at Justice.”

  “What the hell is going on here?” a deep male voice interrupted.

  Fallyn looked up, and yep, her world, her heart, exploded.

  Tony stood behind Niles, looking over the guy’s shoulder with a mean expression on his face as he sized up Fallyn in bed.

  He looked completely strung out. Three days’ worth of beard growth, eyes bloodshot, a permanent crease in his forehead…

  Still looks good to me.

  He met her gaze head on, crossing his arms over his enormous chest.

  Touch me. Please come over here and touch me.

  Then she would know it was alright. They were alright.

  Yes, she’d pissed him off and sent him away right before everything went south, but she’d had to. He never would have left her to help Grey if she hadn’t acted pissed off and told him to get out.

  Later, in his arms, she’d told him she loved him. She’d been woozy on the floor after Jordan had shot her, and she wasn’t sure about a few of the details, but dammit, she remembered telling him she loved him.

  Niles backed out of the way and the rest of the group skirted to the opposite side of the bed, putting Fallyn in between them and Tony, who was doing a damn good impression of Mad Max from Justice-dome.

  Fallyn couldn’t blame them. A pissed Tony Gerard past his expiration date was nothing to mess with.

  He didn’t make a move toward the bed. Didn’t act like he wanted to look at her, much less touch her.

  Ouch.

  “Leave,” he said to her team, and, in unison, they all looked at her.

  “We’re done here for now,” she told them with an it will be alright smile. “Update me on your progress before this evening.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Niles said under his breath as he leaned over and air-kissed her forehead.

  “Yes,” she said, seeing the look of anger Tony shot him. “I’ll catch up with all of you later.”

  Dani closed her laptop and stood as the others filed out ahead of her. She grabbed Fallyn’s cell phone off the bedside table and handed it to her. “I’m going to work here for awhile in the waiting room down the hall. You need anything, you text me.”

  How did I get so lucky to have such devoted employees? “Thank you,” she said, accepting the phone. “Now, get to work.”

  Dani—all five foot three inches of her—walked past Tony slowly, glaring at him with her chest puffed out and holding the laptop like she’d like to use it on him. Tony met her glare and returned it with a sneer, the two of them like dogs, circling each other until Dani finally walked out the door.

  Silence filled the room. Tony didn’t look at her. At least not at her face. He stared at her feet, encased in her favorite pink polk-a-dot socks.

  Fallyn waited, biting her bottom lip to keep from bursting out and saying something she knew she’d regret. Tony obviously had something on his mind. She needed to let him talk. To get it all out.

  Knowing Tony like she did, she figured he needed to tell her what he’d found out and update her on his situation with the Jordan shooting.

  He’d killed a woman to save her. She owed him everything. Yet…she sensed he didn’t see it that way.

  So much guilt.

  How could a man live like that?

  Her chest felt like it was a balloon filled with too much helium. The sensation pulsated all the way up to her throat. She had to break this god-awful silence before it choked her. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.”

  A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I’ve been at FBI headquarters since early this morning. Don Fox has agreed to testify against Barnard Shaw. The FBI found emails between him and Jordan proving she was willing to sell him the information once she obtained it from Heather.”

  “So what happens now to Ryan and the president?”

  He still didn’t look at her, her voice unemotional, dry. “Agent Bronco took it to Justice an hour ago. They’ll open a formal investigation today.”

  “It’ll take months to sort out, won’t it?”

  “At least.”

  The straight line of his broad shoulders told her he was holding himself rigid. Why won’t he look at me?

  “Tony, I’m sorry about what I said that night at the shelter. Before…you know.”

  His gazed bounced to his shoes, back to her socks, then away. “You were under a lot of stress.”

  “That was no excuse. So were you. You shouldn’t have been put in the situation of choosing whether to stay with me or help Grey. All I was doing was trying to make your choice easier.”

  “And look what happened.”

  “What happened is I didn’t take my situation seriously enough, even after everything that had happened. You were right, and that’s on me. You did the right thing going to help Grey. Even if you had stayed, Jordan would have gotten to me sooner or later. So knock it off with the guilt train. You saved my life busting into the apartment when you did and…”

  “Stop it, Fallyn.” He rocked back on his heels, his face grim as a tank. “Stop making excuses for me.”

  “I’m not making excuses for anyone. I’m stating facts. I owe you my life, Tony Gerard. So does Grey.”

  He let go of a derisive snort and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?” Fallyn said.

  “Grey’s being released. I’m going to take him home.”

  “Are you coming back, then, after that?”

  He looked at her—finally looked at her—over his shoulder as he opened the door part way. “For what? That fight was inevitable, Fallyn. We’ve talked about this. We’re both too aggressive. Always pushing. Eventually, it’ll do us in. I think it’s better this way. Before we get too deep into this.”

  All the air went out of her lungs. He was leaving. As in never coming back leaving.

  Her throat constricted. “You’re human, Tony. You can’t protect everyone all the time. We’re good together. Damn good.”

  Another snort and he shook his head.

  “I love you, Tony. I’ll always love you. So when you’re done beating yourself up, I’ll be here, waiting.”

  Nothing changed for a moment. He glanced down at the floor, his knuckles white from the grip he had on the door handle.

  And then she saw the slight drop of his shoulders. It wasn’t much, only a fraction, but it was there.

  If only he would come back. Turn around and come back to the bed. Touch her, kiss her, hold her.

  She thought, in that moment, he might. He migh
t give up that tight string of control and let the guilt go.

  Come on, big guy. Do it.

  But he didn’t. Without a word, he swung the door open the rest of the way and left her lying there.

  The pressure in her lungs detonated, bringing with it a torrent of tears. She cried in silence, letting the grief take her. Grief for the life she wanted with Tony that would never be. The sisterhood she’d fantasized about with Heather that also would never be.

  She’d spent her whole adult life going after what she wanted. For the first time since she’d left home to go out on her own, she’d failed.

  Miserably.

  The coming days and weeks stretched out in front of her. The new office would keep her busy for awhile. All the new clients beating a path to her door as well.

  Her dad. Lot of fences to mend there.

  None of it mattered without Tony.

  She thought about Ryan and Heather and how much they had lost. How stupid would it be for her and Tony to let their relationship fall apart over guilt and a lousy argument? They could have everything Ryan and Heather missed out on.

  If only…

  Picking up her cell phone, she texted Dani.

  * * *

  “Why are we doing this?” Dani asked as she pushed Fallyn into the hallway. “I mean, I get that this guy trips your lust-o-meter. He trips mine too and I’m a total lesbo, but seriously, Fallyn, he’s demented. You said yourself two days ago that he has issues. You hate guys with issues.”

  Which might be why she was single. Fallyn took short breaths to keep the pressure off her lungs. They burned from the all the shifting to get up and into this damn wheelchair, but she couldn’t let Tony get away. “This one is different.”

  “Oh, God, you’re not going to try and fix him, are you?”

  That’s what she’d wanted in the beginning. She saw the wild drive in Tony. The pain that made him stay in fourth gear all the time like she did, trying to outrun it. The past couple of days—hell, the couple of minutes she’d spent with Ryan—had made her realize no one could outrun their demons.

  Tony didn’t see that. He wanted to walk away from his failure with her, probably because he saw himself as a failure and didn’t want to burden her with that.