Love, Lies & The D.A.

by Rohman, Rebecca

  He chuckles. “Come on. Get some rest. I’ve missed holding you in my arms.”

  After an afternoon nap, well maybe a little more than a nap, we all sit out on the verandah to relish my favorite shrimp pasta dinner that Bobby made. We talk about Bobby and Val’s upcoming wedding, Jonathan’s resignation, and a little about my last few days at the hospital.

  Frankly, I’ve been trying not to think about the fact that someone wanted to hurt or kill me. That I’m clueless about who would do this has left me very nervous. I’ve not admitted that fact to anyone, however.

  After dinner, Bobby takes a call from Val while Jonathan and I tidy up… well, Jonathan does. I sit on one of the bar stools at the island with my ankle propped up on one of the adjacent stools and watch.

  While he packs the dishwasher, he says, “Until an arrest is made, either I’m moving in with you or you should stay with me.”

  “That’s not necessary. I’m a big girl… I can take care of myself.”

  “That wasn’t a question.”

  “Are you always this controlling?” I ask. “I don’t like being told what to do.”

  “It’s for your own safety, Jada. I’m not just choosing to be an asshole.”

  “I get the feeling you like to be in control,” I say sweetly. “I should know… I like being in control too.”

  He looks at me. A wry smile touches his lips.

  “Guilty as charged. I’ll admit, I’ve been accused of being that way in the past. I don’t like surprises. If I’m in control, I’m less likely to get them.”

  “That’s all well and good, Counselor, but do me a favor and save your controlling tendencies for the courtroom, your family, wherever… just not here.”

  “I didn’t hear you complaining last Friday.”

  I blush. “I’ll compromise. If you ever want to control me, the bedroom would be the place. Please. If I wanted to be controlled, I wouldn’t own my own business. Is that going to be something I need to be concerned about?”

  “I’m protective of my family… you fit into that category.”

  “Do I need to worry about you becoming possessive?”

  “Protective, not possessive… There’s a big difference. In any case, I promised your brother I’d take care of you. If you fight me on this, I’ll tell him.”

  I erupt into laughter.

  “Is that supposed to in some way scare me? Bobby’s not my boss. I’ve already compromised with you… don’t forget.”

  He smiles. “Please. Sweetheart.”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere. All jokes aside, though, we can talk about things… There just needs to be a conversation. I know how hard it is—trust me. It took me years to master how not to bring my bossiness into my personal relationships.”

  “You’re driving me crazy. How can I get you to see things from my point of view?”

  “By having a conversation with me. Asking instead of ordering… suggesting instead of telling. And if you want to throw in a bit of flattery, it may or may not work, depending on the situation at hand.”

  “Okay… let me try this again. Sweetheart, I’m a bit concerned about you being here on your own. In addition to that, until you return to your normal health, you’re going to need some help. Maybe I should come stay with you or you with me, at least till an arrest is made.”

  “Quick learner. I understand where you’re coming from, but I think I’m pretty safe in this building.”

  “What about your health?”

  “Okay… I may need help in that department. But maybe we should play it by ear?”

  “Sure. Maybe my choice of words might have come off a bit strong. I didn’t intend to suggest that we merge our possessions yet.”

  I laugh. “I know that. I hate being told what to do. It might be better if you stay here when we do sleepovers, though. Crutches and staircases don’t necessarily go hand in hand.”

  “Fair enough,” he replies.

  He walks around the island towards me. Placing his body between the island and me, he leans over and kisses me lightly.

  “Jada, I really care about you. Someone out there tried to hurt you. I don’t want that to happen again. I don’t want you to take that chance.”

  “I won’t be reckless. I promise I’ll ask for your help when I need it.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  After he’s done, he leaves me in the living room while he takes a shower. Bobby joins me on the couch.

  “We’ve come a long way from the Mr. Asshole days.”

  “We have, haven’t we?” I chuckle. “Even if he were, he’d be my asshole. He isn’t, though… He’s nothing close to what I thought he was when we met. In fact, he’s the complete opposite.”

  Bobby laughs.

  “He can be a tad arrogant and even bossy sometimes, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  “Bossy? How’d that go over?”

  “I can handle Jonathan Kole.”

  “Are you happy?”

  “I am… Things are relatively new, though. It’s still a little scary.”

  “Scary?”

  “Yes. This is a big step for me. I have to admit, this is probably a reflection on me and not him. I’m scared like hell I’ll get hurt again.”

  “What are your instincts telling you?”

  “To let go… enjoy the moment… be in love. But the hard part is that’s exactly how I was with Richard, and we all know how that turned out. This whole thing with Richard and even Koto has made me question myself.”

  “It’s funny… I’ve spent more time with Jonathan this week than I ever did with Richard in the entire time you two were together. He’s a good person. Listen to yourself, though… trust your instincts. I’m sure, knowing now what you’ve found out about Richard, you can look back and see there were clues that you either missed or ignored.”

  “There were… After Charles told me all the things that he found out, they all came flooding back. I remember one time in particular, he told me he went to Oregon. When he returned, he gave me a Burberry bracelet. I remember being surprised that they had a store in Oregon. I even told him that. He said they did. I did some research recently and found out they’ve never had any stores there. Another time, same scenario, but he was supposed to be in L.A. He handed me a gift bag, and the bag had Las Vegas, Nevada printed on it. When I asked him about it, he hunched his shoulders like he was clueless. Now that I think about it, I don’t think he ever handed me a gift in a bag again.”

  “Well, that could be because we men don’t like carrying around excess baggage, but you now understand what I mean when I say don’t ignore your instincts. Can you imagine how things might have changed had you only checked to see if that store was in Oregon back then?”

  “So true.”

  “That doesn’t mean that you should go snooping, but our instincts usually tell us. You just need to listen… ask questions.”

  I sigh. “I’ve managed to follow my instincts so well when it comes to business decisions. I guess I need to apply that to my personal life again.”

  “You’ll be okay, Sis. I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll make it through this. And I am so much more at ease with Jonathan in your life.”

  When Jonathan returns from dropping Bobby off to the airport the next morning, Phillip and Douglas accompany him.

  “We have a lead,” Phillip says, opening his laptop.

  We sit at the barstools on the island. After it boots, he pulls up some photos and starts perusing through them.

  “Take a look at these. See if anything looks remotely familiar to you.”

  Jonathan stands above me as I scroll through the images of the profile of a man driving a truck. Both before the accident, with the vehicle in pristine condition, and after the incident, with a badly smashed front. They look like street cameras captured them. The man is dressed all in black. He looks somewhat familiar, but I can’t make out his face. He could be anyone. Nothing I see gives me an
y clue as to who this person might be. I go through the pictures repeatedly.

  “Fuck!” Jonathan exclaims.

  “What?” Phillip, Douglas, and I say simultaneously.

  “I think that’s Chris Hostin.”

  “Who’s that?” I ask.

  “He’s the reporter that approached you at Lake Tahoe and at the hospital.”

  “Are you sure?” Douglas asks.

  “No. I’m not, but there’s a strong resemblance.”

  “Why would he do this?” I ask. “I have no clue who he is.”

  “He’s not after you. He’s trying to get back at me.”

  “For what?” I ask.

  “About a year ago, a rape case came to my desk. A fifteen-year-old girl had been gang raped by four boys. They were tried as codefendants. Two were this man’s brothers. Their names are Troy and Trevor Hostin. They were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. One of the brothers killed himself while in prison. Since then, this man has vowed that he would get back at me. I used to think what he meant by that is writing some big exposé on me. He approached Megan once. I told him to stay away from her, and he never did again. I didn’t think he’d come after my family in this way.”

  “You said something about Lake Tahoe?” Phillip asks.

  “He accosted me one day while at a restaurant.”

  “What did he say?”

  “It’s mostly what he did. He asked me to comment on the impending charges against me, but he wouldn’t let me get past him. My brother threatened to sue him with False Imprisonment charges, and that was when he let me go by. He was very aggressive and creepy. I felt threatened by him. But that was before Jonathan and I were seeing each other.”

  “Do you remember what day this was?”

  “Yes. It was the day after Christmas. Later that night, someone followed me after I dropped my family at the airport. The police got involved, but they were never able to capture the person. A few days after that, someone tried to break into my house there.”

  “He also approached Jada last week at the hospital.”

  “It was minutes after I met with you, Phillip. Security escorted him out.”

  “That was also days after you received that phone call. Look, this is enough information for us to investigate,” Phillip says. Then he looks at Jonathan and continues, “Let us handle this. Okay?”

  Jonathan doesn’t respond; he rakes his fingers through his hair and walks away.

  In the time I’ve known Jonathan, the one emotion I can read is his anger, and right now, it pervades his body. Phillip and Douglas leave, and he walks away quietly onto the verandah. I am apprehensive about how to handle this. I don’t blame him for any of this, but I get the impression that he does.

  Hobbling on my crutches, I follow him. His back is to me as he looks out to the view.

  “You’re not responsible for his actions.”

  “Jada, I let down my guard. I underestimated this man. I, of all people, should know better. From the very first time he approached Megan, I should have put a stop to this.”

  “There’s no way you could have predicted that he’d go this far.”

  “I could never forgive myself for this. You’re in this condition because of me.”

  “No. I’m in this condition because a mad man you have no control over intentionally hit me in my car.”

  “I’m so sorry about this.”

  “There’s no need for you to apologize,” I say, poking him with one of my crutches. “Snap out of it. I’m going to be fine. Let’s find something fun to do… go skiing on my crutches or something.”

  Finally, he turns to face me.

  “How can you joke around at a time like this?”

  “I don’t want you to be upset over something that’s not your fault.”

  He looks at me, sighs, then circles me in his arms.

  “How would you feel about all of us—my family, you, me—going to Lake Tahoe for the rest of the weekend?”

  “I’d be lying if I didn’t say a change of scenery wouldn’t be good. I miss it there… and at Big Sur too.”

  “So you’re game?”

  “I think it would be great. It will give me a chance to get to know your family better. Be prepared to carry me up and down those stairs, though.”

  “I’d be more than happy to. I need to get out of this place.”

  By noon, after Jonathan speaks with Phillip, a convoy of vehicles arrive at the house. It’s a beautiful day in Lake Tahoe with clear blue skies. As I watch everyone offload their things from the vehicle, including the pooches, it’s clear to me why Jonathan asked for this. He needed this.

  I realize that he doesn’t always use his words to articulate how he feels. I’m going to have to learn to notice his subtle clues. I’m happy I agreed to do this. His whole demeanor changed from the minute we crossed the Bay Bridge.

  As I approach the snow-covered stairs, I hesitate. Before I know it, he sweeps me off my feet and he carries me up the stairs. I’m not sure who pulled away the crutches.

  It’s evident to me that everyone has their reserved bedroom in the house as they all disperse with their luggage into their respective rooms. It’s as if they have this down to a science.

  Megan and Pierce stopped to pick up some food at the store on the way here. Jonathan and Caroline unpack the groceries, and the rest of us, including Daniel and his girlfriend Wendy, gather round the island and start preparing lunch. Wendy seems somewhat familiar, but I’m not sure from where I know her. She says we’ve never met before.

  We all cuddle on the three sofas in front of the massive fireplace and watch a movie over lunch.

  It’s been a great experience for me. I admit the thought did cross my mind that I’d have preferred to come here alone with Jonathan, but this is very comforting. I’m not sure if Jonathan ever discussed our relationship with his family. He doesn’t seem to be holding back any of his affectionate feelings towards me.

  I’ve found myself on at least two occasions blushing uncontrollably at his unexpected show of fondness towards me. I suppose it’s something I will get used to in time.

  In the past, I haven’t had to deal with or be exposed to large families with any of my exes. It’s something new that I will have to welcome and embrace.

  While we watch the movie, I glance across at Caroline and realize that this must be the first family outing without her husband. She looks a little sad, but I get the feeling that she takes great comfort by her kids surrounding her for the greater part of two days.

  Halfway through the movie, I feel exhausted. The doctor did warn me that I needed to get a lot of rest over the coming weeks, but I’ve been greatly ignoring that. As I rest my head on Jonathan’s shoulders, I find myself giving way to sleep.

  Sometime later, I wake to a silent house. My head is on Jonathan’s lap. As my eyes travel around, it appears no one else is in the room. Jonathan is reading a book. I stick my fingers through the pages. He pulls it away and kisses me lightly on my forehead. I glance at my watch; three hours have gone by.

  “You were tired,” he says.

  “I guess I was.”

  “You were snoring so loudly, you scared everyone away.”

  I giggle. “Liar. I don’t snore.”

  “I’m teasing. Are you hungry?”

  “A little.”

  “We’re all going to go out to dinner in a while. We should get dressed.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To a nice restaurant in the mountains.”

  “What should I wear?”

  “Something elegant.”

  While fishing through the closet, I realize that a cast and a bandaged ankle can ruin an elegant look. However, I quickly get over myself and dress in a black jumpsuit that mostly covers my obvious ailments.

  Soon enough, we are all seated at the restaurant. The bright moonlight above makes the white snow glow in various shades of blue. Our orders have been placed,
and we indulge in great conversation as we await our food.

  “We’re dying to have you back leading the firm,” Megan says to her brother. She looks at him with such admiration.

  “Me too,” Jonathan replies. “We’ll have a lot of work to do…”

  My phone rings and I look to see who’s calling. The private ID appears on my screen. I decide to ignore the call. Within moments, my phone beeps again, and it’s a text message. I try to ignore it, but I glance at the message. It simply reads:

  Be prepared, come Monday I want my money

  I try to continue enjoying dinner. However, this message is a reminder that my troubles and stresses are far from over.

  My mind drifts and I think about the events of the last few months, then this week. I now have an awful headache.

  “You know, this is where Jonathan and Jada met,” Megan says.

  I wish she hadn’t felt the need to make this conversation about us.

  “Really? Tell us about it,” Wendy says, a little too excited.

  “I’d rather not,” I reply, laughing.

  “Let’s just say she told me off and put me in my place,” Jonathan says, holding my hand and kissing it.

  “I thought you two met because of your case?” Wendy continues.

  An uncomfortable silence hovers over the table. Then I suddenly remember why she seems so familiar to me.

  “What did you say your last name was?”

  “Bronson.”

  I turn my head over to Jonathan and whisper, “Are you aware that your brother’s girlfriend is a reporter from one of those tabloids? She’s been trying to get an interview with me for months.”

  “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “I’m not.”

  She doesn’t take a hint and continues. “So tell us, Jada, did you do it? What really happened?”

  “She’s not discussing this,” Jonathan says tersely.

  “I—” I start to respond, but then Megan interrupts.

  “Wendy, that question is extremely inappropriate. As Jada’s lawyers, we’ve advised her not to talk about this case with anyone, and that includes you. So if you want to find out the details of this case, you’ll have to do it like everyone else and watch it on the nightly news.”