Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

  “Then what’s on your mind?” she asked.

  “I attended a status conference in front of the judge yesterday. I got to see Sophie Dawson in action.”

  “And what was your impression?”

  “Well, this type of hearing isn’t that substantive, but she had a commanding presence in the courtroom even when she was talking about dates and motions and lawyer stuff.”

  “How focused did she seem?”

  “Very. She made the statement a couple of times in front of the judge that she intended to push this to trial. She wasn’t pulling punches at all. Shelton’s lawyer took a few verbal jabs at her, but she struck back just as hard. If you were thinking that she would be easily manipulated in the courtroom, then you’ll need a new game plan.”

  “I was hoping we’d be able to handle this discreetly through our contacts in the prosecutor’s office and get a plea deal. I’m still going to focus on that effort on my side of things.”

  He needed to get down to the bottom line. “What about me? Is my direction still the same for now? Just recon and intel gathering?”

  Whitney didn’t immediately respond. “Tad, I hired you because I was told that you could handle anything and that you had the utmost discretion and judgment. What I need you to do is start making judgment calls. I can’t have Sophie taking this case against Shelton to trial. Whatever you can do on your end while I’m working more diplomatic channels, please do it.”

  “Don’t worry, Whitney. You’ve hired the right man for the job.”

  Sophie checked her cell. If she didn’t leave now, she was going to be late for lunch with the girls. Their schedules had all been so crazy lately, especially with Kate deep in wedding planning, that they hadn’t seen each other as much as she would like.

  Sophie grabbed her purse and rushed out of the building. Looking over her shoulder, she half expected to see Cooper. But there was no one. At least no one she could see.

  He’d made it clear that he was going to operate in the shadows, and she knew for a fact that he had her full schedule, including that she was going out to lunch today. It did provide her with some comfort to know that he was watching her back, especially after the incident at her house.

  One thing she knew for sure: at the end of the day, if Juan Wade wanted her taken out, he had his ways. Would he take such drastic action, given the high-profile nature of the case? She hoped the answer was no. The media scrutiny surrounding the case was intense.

  All she could do for now was go about her business and rely on Cooper to do his job. But given the unique circumstances, she had to be cognizant of the possible risks. As she started her car, she replayed in her mind the words in the notes she’d received. And then there were the strange phone calls and the creepy lurker.

  Whether they were linked to Wade or something else, the bottom line was that she had to testify against Juan’s baby brother. That wasn’t something she could brush aside. But thanks to her father, she had Cooper on the lookout, so she didn’t have to be stressed out about it.

  Her mood instantly shifted when she walked into the restaurant and saw the smiling faces of her two best friends—Kate Sullivan and Mia Shaw. She quickly walked over to the table and greeted both women with big hugs.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  “We’re so glad you made it. You have your hands full right now.” Kate’s hazel eyes zeroed in on her. “We went ahead and placed your usual order.”

  “Thanks. You know me too well.” While her two friends always got salads, she opted for a turkey burger and fries. Her friends had long stopped hassling her about her atrocious eating habits.

  “What’s going on with this case I saw on the news?” Mia asked. “You were super vague in your texts.”

  She had purposely not given out many details. Especially via text messages, because those could be discovered in the lawsuit. “I’m in a weird position, since I’m not the lawyer but a witness. I really can’t talk about the case to anyone, because Ashley could ask me about those discussions on the witness stand.”

  “That woman is infuriating.” Mia twisted her long dark hair up into a bun. “I haven’t even dealt with her on a case, but we work on the same AWA subcommittee, and it’s always her way or nothing. She doesn’t understand the meaning of teamwork or cooperation. I have to bite my tongue constantly around her. I’ve given up trying to fight her. It’s just easier to let her have her way.”

  All three of them were very active in many of Atlanta Women Attorneys’ programs.

  “I’ve been up against her in court numerous times,” Sophie said, “but having her questioning me was unsettling. Getting on the witness stand was surreal. It didn’t get too far, because I think she wanted to do her homework before creating a record that she might regret later. It was a bit of a circus for a few minutes, though.”

  Kate looked at her. “I’m worried about you. From what I’ve heard, this gang is no joke.”

  “Well, since you brought that up, you’ll find this very interesting. My father hired Cooper Knight to keep an eye on me.”

  “As in Landon’s partner Cooper?” Kate asked.

  “Exactly. I guess Landon didn’t say anything to you?”

  Kate shook her head. “No, but they are careful to keep their cases confidential. Landon doesn’t share many details about his work, and I don’t ask.”

  “What is Cooper doing?” Mia asked.

  “Right now, I don’t see him but he’s around. Especially making sure I get to and from work okay. He has my schedule mapped out.”

  “Have any specific threats been made against you?” Kate asked.

  “Some threatening letters and other random things. My dad worries, and if it makes him feel better, I’m willing to have Cooper follow me around. You know how much Dad means to me.”

  “Cooper is a solid guy,” Kate said. “You’ll be in good hands with him.” She paused. “And it doesn’t hurt that he’s super cute either.”

  Sophie sighed. “He is, and the thing is that so far he meets all the items on my checklist. But I’m sure there’s something wrong with him that I haven’t found out yet.”

  “There’s no such thing as the perfect guy,” Mia said. “You want a knight in shining armor along with the happily ever after. You want a smoking hot, muscle-bound, romantic, off-the-charts smart guy with a great sense of humor and a steady job he loves who’s ready to settle down like, right now, and start a family … and oh, let’s not forget he has to share your faith. Did that about cover it?”

  “I don’t see you in a serious relationship,” Sophie shot back.

  Mia raised an eyebrow. “I’m not ready. But you are, Soph. All kidding aside, we all know how much having a family means to you. If you hold out for perfection, that will never happen.”

  Mia was right about Sophie wanting a family. Since she’d never known her mother, being a mom herself had always seemed very important. Like she could somehow make up for a tiny piece of that loss by having a family of her own. And to be able to have a family, she needed a husband.

  “I do want a family, but the man has to be the right one, or it’s all for nothing. I refuse to settle.”

  “Not to pile on, but we all have our flaws,” Kate said.

  “I know I have plenty of flaws, but I believe there is someone right for me. Who shares my values, who can make me laugh. Who can understand my passion for my work. And of course, being super handsome doesn’t hurt.”

  Her friends laughed.

  “All the guys I’ve dated before seem to have some sort of fatal flaw. Some deal breaker I can’t get past. I’m not being unreasonable.”

  “We’re not saying you’re being unreasonable,” Kate said. “Just that you have to give people a chance. You discount people right from the start without getting to know them fully.”

  “It also doesn’t help that you start every date by baring your soul,” Mia said. “Guys are easily scared off. You can’t hit them with that stuff on a first date—talk
of marriage and kids is too much before you even get past the first appetizer together. Makes them want to run for the hills.”

  “But I’d rather they know up front what my expectations are.” She didn’t have the time or energy to waste.

  “Just keep your eyes open,” Kate said. “I certainly wasn’t looking or expecting anything when I met Landon, and look what happened.” She lifted her left hand to show off her beautiful engagement ring. The diamond sparkled almost as much as her smile.

  Sophie wasn’t sure she was going to have a happy ending like Kate. As she listened to her friends continuing their conversation, she could only pray that she’d find the right person. But she thought it unlikely that Cooper Knight would be the one. Especially considering that right now he was on the clock. It wasn’t exactly a romantic situation, and she wanted to be swept off her feet. Was that so wrong of her?

  They finished up their lunch, and Sophie checked the time. She needed to head back to the office. She wanted to start preparing for the next SIB meeting. There couldn’t be any room for error, or Keith would shut her down. The nagging question was why. Was this a purely political move by Keith, or something more?

  A nice fall breeze blew her hair as she made her way to the car. It was still warm in Atlanta in October, but at least it wasn’t blisteringly hot. She’d parked in a metered flat lot near the restaurant off Crescent Street. Hopefully she’d put in enough change not to get a ticket. She groaned when she saw that she was literally only five minutes over. The city of Atlanta parking meter attendants were out in force today.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said out loud. That was what she got for talking about her love life at lunch. She yanked the bright yellow ticket from under her windshield wiper and shoved it into her purse.

  As she reached for the car door, a strong arm wrapped around her neck, pulling her backward. Immediately, she reacted. Thrashing, kicking, screaming.

  The man picked her up off the ground and moved her around to the front of the car. He grabbed her hair and tried to slam her head down on the hood, but she was able to break the impact with her arms. He attempted a second time, and her arms gave way. Her forehead connected with the hood, and she screamed. Anger and rage bubbled up inside her, and she fought back even harder. She would not let this man bash her head in on her own car.

  Then she heard a deep male voice yelling, and the next thing she knew, her attacker was gone.

  She turned around. Cooper was running toward her, but she could no longer stand as a wave of dizziness swept over her.

  She collapsed in a heap on the ground.

  Chapter

  Seven

  Cooper knelt beside Sophie and pulled her into his arms. It had all happened so quickly. One moment everything was fine. Then out of nowhere, a guy popped out and was attacking her. Cooper had run as hard as he could to get to her, fortunately scaring off the attacker in the process. He’d decided it was more important to stay with her instead of pursuing the man.

  He wished with every fiber of his being that he could have taken that guy on. Any man who would beat up a woman was the lowest form of scum. Watching the horror unfold before his eyes had taken him back to an awful place. It was like reliving his father beating up his mother.

  “Sophie, can you hear me?”

  She groaned in response. She looked up, and her blue eyes didn’t seem to focus directly on him.

  Dear Lord, let her be okay. He was worried she might have a concussion. “I know your head hurts. Do you feel pain anywhere else?”

  “Mainly my head. And my arms a little.”

  “I need to get you to the ER.”

  “I hate hospitals.”

  “We all do, but you have to get checked out. I’m going to pick you up and put you in your car, okay? We’ll use your car, since it’s right here.”

  She made a small grunting noise that he accepted as a yes. He pulled her keys out of her purse and opened the passenger side door. Then he lifted her off the ground and helped her around the side of the car.

  Once he had her safely in the passenger seat, he jogged around to the driver’s side and jumped in. Thankfully, since they were in Midtown, the nearest hospital was only a few minutes away.

  “Sophie, I’m so sorry,” he said softly.

  “It’s not your fault,” she replied.

  He glanced over at her and then turned his attention back to the road. “It is. I should’ve been closer to you so I could’ve stopped him before he hurt you.”

  “You think Juan sent him?”

  “Don’t worry about anything right now. Let’s get you some help first, and then we can figure out all the implications.”

  “Okay.”

  The fact that she didn’t put up a fight told him how badly she must feel. He didn’t say anything else to her the rest of the way to the hospital, and then he focused on getting her checked in.

  Later, while Sophie was finishing up with the doctor, he texted Landon and Noah and let them know what had happened. Randall Dawson was going to be seriously ticked off at him for his mistake. Randall had hired him to keep Sophie safe, and he had failed. It occurred to him that Randall might even fire him, and given the gravity of the error, he couldn’t blame him if that happened. But he felt personally invested now. There was something about the way Sophie had looked up at him with her innocent blue eyes. He was going to fight to stay on this case and redeem himself.

  He’d given Sophie some privacy for the exam, but when the doctor exited the room, Cooper wanted to hear the prognosis. “How is she?”

  The petite, gray-haired doctor frowned deeply at him. She raised an eyebrow. “And you are?”

  “A friend,” he said. “How is she doing?”

  “A very mild concussion. She needs to take it easy. Did you report what happened to her to the police?”

  “Yes. I’m actually former Atlanta PD, so I know that’s important. An officer is supposed to be here any minute to talk to her.”

  His words seemed to soften the doc up a bit. “She’s going to have a black eye from the impact. I’m giving her a prescription for pain even though she said she didn’t want it. Keep a very close eye on her over the next twelve hours. But I’m hopeful that she will be just fine.”

  “Understood. Thank you, doctor.”

  A couple hours later, Cooper was at Sophie’s house, following the doctor’s orders. Sophie had given her statement to the police, and once they realized who she was, they started making phone calls.

  When her doorbell rang, he jumped up to get it. “Please stay put on the couch.” He didn’t want her getting the door for a variety of reasons.

  She didn’t argue with him as he went to the door and opened it. A man he recognized from the preliminary hearing stood on the other side.

  “Is Sophie here?” he asked.

  “Yes, she’s inside. Come on in.”

  “I’m Patrick Hunt.” Patrick offered his hand.

  “And I’m Cooper Knight.”

  “Sophie’s boyfriend?”

  “No. I’m actually in private security.”

  Patrick quirked an eyebrow and followed Cooper into the living room.

  “Sophie.” Patrick’s eyes widened when he saw her. He rushed to her side and sat down close to her.

  Almost too close.

  “This is even more serious than I was told,” Patrick said. “Tell me what happened.”

  Sophie told him the story, and just hearing it again made Cooper sick.

  “If Cooper hadn’t been there, I’m not sure what would’ve happened to me,” Sophie finished.

  “I only wish I were a minute faster.” He was having a serious guilt trip over that.

  “We need to reevaluate your security situation,” Patrick said. He looked at Cooper. “Exactly what is your current role?”

  Before he could answer, Sophie spoke up. “My father hired Cooper to provide personal security. I was the one who insisted that he keep his distance, but I see that
may not be practical now.”

  “Atlanta PD is always strapped for resources, but I don’t want them completely in the dark here. Cooper, do you think you could work with them as needed?”

  “I used to be one of them, so that isn’t an issue.”

  “Oh,” Patrick said. “That’s good then. We’ll work on trying to track down your attacker, Sophie, but I’m not optimistic. You know how these things go. The bigger picture is that we have to assume for the moment that he was sent by Juan Wade to rough you up as a message.”

  “Do they really think I wouldn’t testify because of that?” she asked.

  “It won’t end here,” Cooper said. “Which is why we’ll have to redevelop our security plan.”

  “Agreed,” Patrick said. “I have to admit that I feel so much better knowing that you’re going to be around, Cooper. I can’t have my star witness harmed, and resources are always an issue for us. As I’m sure you’re familiar with.”

  “All too much.” It was one of the reasons he loved having his own business. He could work more efficiently and had paying clients. Being in public service was often a thankless job, and you were always expected to do more with less.

  “Sophie, I’m going to go and let you get some rest. But I’ll be in touch.”

  “Thanks, Patrick.”

  Cooper walked Patrick to the door.

  “Don’t let her out of your sight,” Patrick said.

  “Don’t worry. I’m on it.”

  Cooper locked the door and then went back to the living room. He could hear Sophie talking on the phone.

  “He wants to talk to you.” She handed him the phone. “It’s my father. I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  His stomach sank. “Hello, Mr. Dawson.”

  “What in the world happened? I thought you were supposed to protect my daughter. That’s what I’m paying you for. And now I hear she was attacked in broad daylight.”

  “I completely understand why you’re upset. I’m upset with myself too. I was trying to give her the appropriate amount of space. I was able to intervene to stop the attack, but I wasn’t able to prevent it completely, and for that I am truly sorry. I can promise you it will not happen again.”