He studied her until she finally asked, “That was your old girlfriend?”
“I thought you’d recognize the name. Yes, it was. We haven’t seen each other for a year and a half, if you wondered. We had run into each other at a fund-raiser and it was…awkward.”
“So why is she calling now?”
He contemplated his answer for a few moments then launched into an explanation. “At the end of last month, someone I know approached me about leaving the D.A.’s office and taking a new position.”
At the end of last month. Around the time she was worrying about losing the baby. “What kind of position?”
His arms were still crossed, but his gaze was direct. “A benefactor left an endowment to start a legal firm dedicated to helping first-time offenders. I was offered the job of setting it up and heading the team.”
Although Sierra had felt she was getting to know Ben, now she realized he still hadn’t let her into important parts of his life. “Are you considering the position?”
“As I told Lois, I haven’t had much time to think about it.”
“What does she have to do with it?”
“Apparently her firm put in a bid to do the PR work and they won the contract.”
“How did she find out you were being considered?”
“Word gets around. She didn’t want me to take the position and then find out about her working on it after the fact.”
As Ben had said, Lois’s motives could be thoughtful ones. But Sierra could also guess that the woman just wanted contact again…that maybe she was sorry they’d broken up…that maybe she’d realized what a good man Ben was. Maybe this was her way of holding out an olive branch, then pulling him toward her.
All that aside, Sierra had one other burning question. “Why didn’t you mention this to me?”
“I didn’t know if I wanted to consider it.”
“Are you considering it?”
He pushed away from the counter and said, somewhat frustrated, “I’m not sure. There’s been a lot going on.”
“We’re married, Ben. Decisions you make affect me. Decisions I make affect you.”
“I didn’t make a decision,” he responded with a bit of anger now.
She knew he was under a lot of pressure with the trial starting tomorrow. She knew the work he was doing mattered. “In some ways, I don’t feel as if I’m part of your life. I feel as if you shut me out.”
He didn’t deny it.
“If you take this new position—”
He started to protest.
“Just let me finish. If you take this new position, and if you’re working with Lois again, will I have anything to worry about?”
She was hoping for a flicker of emotion in his eyes, on his face, something that would tell her or at least hint at what he was feeling.
But she could read nothing when he replied, “Lois and I are over. If I ever work with her, that relationship will have nothing to do with you and me.”
Sierra wished she could believe that. But she also knew that a gap in a marriage could leave room for an interloper, or problems or disintegration altogether.
“I’ve got to get back to work.” For Ben the discussion was closed.
His back straight, his shoulders stiff, he took a seat at the table again, rifled through a file and pulled out a typed report. Sierra felt shut out and had no idea what to do about it. If she couldn’t break down Ben’s barriers, then their marriage wouldn’t have a chance.
On Tuesday evening, the second day of the trial, Sierra was driving to Camille and Miguel’s town house. Ben wasn’t home. He had a strategy meeting. He hadn’t gotten home last night until after ten. It didn’t take a clairvoyant to foresee this was the way it was going to be until the end of the trial.
Ever since the phone call from Lois Driscoll on Sunday, there had been a strain between them. They hadn’t made love the past two nights and Sierra missed Ben in an elemental way. She would only spend a short time with her friends. She wanted to be home tonight when Ben arrived. Somehow, she’d get him to relax. Somehow she’d find a way to draw them closer together instead of wedging more of that gray space between them.
The white SUV that had been shadowing Sierra ever since she went to work yesterday morning—it was Ben’s retired friend—followed her at a discreet distance. She had Dave’s cell number and had informed him that she would be heading to a friend’s after work rather than home. He’d assured her that was no problem.
She flipped on her turn signal a little sooner than usual to warn him she was going to take the Bernalillo exit. As she veered toward the ramp and checked her rearview mirror, she noticed a black pickup truck had cut between her and Dave. Turning off the main road, Sierra spotted headlights glaring into her rearview mirror. They were lower than Dave’s. They must still be from the black pickup.
Sierra’s cell phone rang. It was buried in her purse on the seat next to her, and she knew she should let the call go to voice mail. But what if it was Ben?
Plucking out the phone with one hand, she opened it and put it to her ear.
“Sierra, get off the road. Pull over now!”
Although she’d only spoken to him once, she recognized Dave’s voice. But before she had the chance to ask a question or even find out what he meant, her car was rear-ended. She flew forward, her elbow hitting the door, then flopped back again to her seat, held secure by the seat belt. Her phone landed on the floor. What was happening?
She’d no sooner caught her breath when she was rammed again—harder this time. Dave’s voice commanding that she get off the road echoed in her ears as she sped up, hoping to outrun the pickup behind her. But even through her closed windows, even through her frightened panic, she heard the roar of its engine as it pursued her once more. This time it didn’t rear-end her. The pickup zoomed up beside her and crashed into her left fender.
Her wheels squealed and rubber burned as she tried to keep control. But it was no use. Her speed and the thrust of the other car against hers sent her off the side of the road into scrub pine and sage. She circled her belly with her arms as if she could protect her baby, not knowing if the car would continue to crash into her, not knowing if she would ever hear her baby’s first cry.
She waited, preparing for the worst, hoping for the best, calling for Ben before she even realized his name had escaped her lips.
Chapter Twelve
“I want to talk to Sierra now!” Ben shouted into his cell phone.
“Calm down,” Dave demanded roughly. “The paramedics are checking her out. She said she was fine, but I called them, anyway. I didn’t want to take any chances with her being pregnant and all.”
With her being pregnant and all.
Ben wondered if this was what it was like forever when you were a parent. Were you always afraid you’d lose your child?
“I don’t think he meant to hurt her,” Dave went on. “He could have done a lot more damage.”
“How the hell did this happen?” Ben asked. He wanted to blame Dave. Yet deep down, he knew this was his fault.
“He slipped between us when we were getting off the exit.”
“You saw him?”
“Are you kidding? It was dark. And before you ask, the license plate was all muddied up. I couldn’t read it. That’s what tipped me off. I phoned Sierra, but she didn’t get off the road quick enough.”
No, of course she didn’t. She probably asked Dave all kinds of questions. She wasn’t used to situations like this, and people who might want to hurt her. He swore so loud, Dave probably had to take the phone away from his ear.
“I see the lights,” Ben muttered. “I’ll be there in two minutes.”
As he drove up to the scene, Ben’s heart hammered hard against his chest. He screeched to a halt behind a police vehicle and headed for the paramedics van, taking his ID from his pocket in case he needed to show it. Once he spotted Sierra, some of his panic subsided. She was sitting on a blanket on the ground not fa
r from her car, another blanket wrapped around her. She was holding a bottle of water and looked relatively okay. The fender was dented, but other than that…
His gaze targeted her again as he went to her and crouched down beside her. He wanted to take her into his arms. He wanted to touch her all over and make sure she was okay. He wanted to wrap her in a protective bubble until his trial was over and the danger had passed. Would the danger ever pass?
“How are you feeling?”
Her eyes locked to his, and he could tell she was holding emotion back, trying to stay calm for his sake. She didn’t say she was fine. He was glad that much honesty had taken root between them.
“I called Dr. Connor,” she explained, then hurriedly added, “I’m not having cramping or anything, but she said she’d meet me at the E.R., just to make sure everything is okay. But I don’t want to go in the ambulance. Can you just take me?”
Ben forced his own fears back and made his voice as gentle as he could. “Of course I’ll take you.”
One of the police officers came up to them. “Brickner told me what happened, but I have to get a report from her.”
Ben only had a passing acquaintance with the young officer, but he asked, “Can you do it at the emergency room? I’d like to get her there first and make sure everything’s all right. She’s pregnant.”
The officer looked from Sierra to Ben. “Sure. I can do that. I’ll follow you there.”
Ben put his arm around Sierra and leaned close. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. It’s my fault.”
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s the fault of whoever did it.”
He couldn’t believe she wasn’t blaming him because his guilt was monumental. She still might, after the shock of what had happened wore off. “I’ll have to figure out a plan to keep you safe. But first, let’s get you to the E.R.”
Sierra clasped his arm. “The officer said they’ll be taking my car. Something about testing the paint residue.”
“It’s evidence.”
“But I need my car.”
She wasn’t going anywhere in her car—alone—until his trial was over. But she was already upset enough and they could talk about that after the doctor examined her. “If you need a car, we’ll rent one until you get yours back. Don’t worry, Sierra, I’ll take care of it.”
He was going to take care of everything. One way or another, he would make sure she was out of this mess. He just had to figure out how to accomplish that feat.
It was well after 10:00 p.m. when Ben drove Sierra back to his house. After several phone calls, he’d established a plan of action and was ready to present it to her. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to like it. He couldn’t help that. She’d never go along with what he really wanted to do, but he was going to present that to her, too. Once inside the house, she went into the living room and sank down onto the sofa. He was too wired to sit, probably because of the two cups of coffee he’d drunk at the hospital. He still had a few hours of work ahead of him, but he had to take care of Sierra first.
He shrugged out of his suit jacket and tugged off his tie, then tossed them over one of the easy chairs.
Sierra took off her jacket, laid it on the sofa next to her and rested her head against the back cushion with her eyes closed. “I’m so grateful the baby’s okay.”
“And that’s the way we want to keep it,” Ben assured her.
Catching the determination in his voice, Sierra opened her eyes and sat up straight. “Stop pacing, Ben, and tell me what’s on your mind.”
He hadn’t even been aware he was pacing. Now he made himself stand still and gave her all of his attention. “You have two options.”
Her eyebrows arched, and he knew that probably wasn’t the best way to start, but he was beyond tact at this point.
“Those are…” she prompted, obviously holding her questions in check until she heard what he had to say.
“The first one is simple. I’ll put you on a plane to Rapid Creek and you can stay with my family, out of danger, out of the state, away from me and anything that could happen because we’re married.”
At first she looked totally astonished. Then she just looked defiant. “I am not leaving. I have no intention of running away. I have a business here…a life here.” She stopped abruptly. “Unless you want me in another state away from you. I mean, for other than the obvious reasons.”
She sounded hurt, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her or make her feel worse than she already did after what had happened tonight.
Rounding the coffee table, he sat beside her on the sofa, took her hand and looked straight into her eyes. “We have to keep you and our baby from harm.”
Her eyes grew shiny, but then she cleared her throat and asked, “You said there were two options?”
“The second one’s a little more complicated. Let me ask you this first. Would you consider not going into work until the trial is over?”
“No. I am not going to hide away somewhere and stop my life.”
Most women in this position would be cowering, would be glad to be sent away someplace safe where a family could give love and protection. Most women wouldn’t think twice about holing up in a safe cocoon with a guard at the door. But no, not Sierra.
“All right. If you insist on going to your shop, then here’s what’s going to go down. You’re going to stay with your aunt Gina. I’ve already spoken with her. She has an alarm system on her house already. Dave and another friend of mine are going to take shifts with you. You will not be driving. Dave will pick you up in the morning and bring you home in the evening. For the duration of this trial, you have to promise me you’ll let him drive you wherever you need to go.”
“Why can’t I just stay here with you? Your house has an alarm now.”
“Yes, it does. But I can’t be here as much as you would need me to be here while this trial is going on. I want someone with you, and Gina assures me she’ll stick with you like glue.”
Sierra sighed. “So we’ll both be prisoners.”
“Only for the duration of the trial.”
“What about you? What about your safety?”
“The police department is putting a man on me until the trial’s over. I really don’t think Levsin will hurt me. He wants to scare me.”
“What happens after the verdict’s in?” she asked, still sounding worried.
“After the verdict, there’s nothing anyone can do. Not even Al Levsin. Not guilty, he won’t have any reason to come after us. Guilty, there would be no point once it’s over.” He wasn’t going to mention the possibility that Levsin might want revenge. That idea would freak out Sierra. Ben knew the police department couldn’t afford to have an officer protect him forever. They were going to have to deal with this situation one day at a time.
Sierra still looked incredibly unhappy and he felt the discontent, too. Although there had been a strain since Lois’s phone call, they were physically closer. Their marriage had taken on a new meaning.
Encircling Sierra with his arm, he brought her to him and kissed her. It was a kiss filled with yearning and hunger and hope for better days ahead.
When he finally broke away, she asked him, “Can we go to bed now?”
He knew what she wanted. He knew what he wanted. But neither of them were going to be satisfied tonight. “You’re going to gather your things and you’re going to your aunt’s.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now. I have to leave early in the morning and I want you with her and safe, with Dave sitting outside the door.”
She looked so vulnerable, so lovely, so worried. And he was going to miss her. He kissed her again, letting desire help them escape for just a few minutes, then pulled back, readying himself for their separation.
Separation.
He didn’t like the sound of the word. He hoped this time apart wouldn’t destabilize their already shaky marriage. He hoped they could hold on…for their baby’s sake.
Ben walke
d into Gina Ruiz’s house Sunday afternoon after a week-long separation from Sierra, laid eyes on his wife and felt a mixture of guilt, responsibility and longing that had gnawed at him since he’d brought her here. The trial was going well…his marriage wasn’t. How could two people really be married and not live together?
Gina had opened the door to him, and the recriminations in her eyes seemed to ask the same question.
Sierra, on the other hand, smiled widely and looked as if she’d like to run into his arms. How he wanted her there. How he’d missed her in his bed.
To her he said, “I’m sorry about last night.” They’d talked on the phone every evening over the past week. Yesterday, he’d prepared witnesses for Monday, fully planning to spend the night with his wife. But he’d been called to a crime scene and had had to cancel.
As Sierra approached him, his body went tight with wanting her.
“You’re here now.” Her expression seemed to promise him everything they’d missed last night and more. But her aunt was here, too.
“You’re taking Sierra to dinner?” Gina asked.
“Yes. Then we’re going to visit Camille and Miguel.” If it were up to Ben, he’d make sure they weren’t tailed and then take her to a motel. But Sierra needed normalcy after what had happened to her, and their friends could provide that.
Gina’s perceptive gaze targeted Sierra, and then him. She went to the foyer closet and removed her coat. “I’ll be Christmas shopping and having dinner with a friend. What time will you bring Sierra home?”
“By nine.”
Gina’s eyebrows rose.
“I’m meeting with a detective at nine-thirty.”
Gina didn’t comment, but Ben felt her censure. He was putting work before an evening with his wife. He couldn’t tell if Sierra was upset with their “date” being cut short or not.
After Gina gave Sierra a long hug, she nodded to Ben. “I’ll make sure I’m home by nine.”
For as long as Ben could remember, he hadn’t cared about what other people thought concerning what he did or didn’t do, as long as his conscience guided him. But Gina Ruiz’s lack of enthusiasm for his marriage to Sierra bothered him. Would Sierra’s parents feel the same way?
The Daddy Verdict Page 15
