by Naomi Niles
“That was a long time ago, Mia,” Helen said. “I’m sure he’s forgiven you by now.”
“Men are proud creatures with fragile egos,” I said darkly. “And, they never forget a rejection. Trust me, he hasn’t forgotten, and he mostly certainly hasn’t forgiven. I know Kent enough to know that he’s not used to being turned down.”
“Remind me again, why did you turn him down?” Helen asked. “I mean…he’s an accomplished lawyer. He’s from a rich family, and he’s handsome, in a pretty boy kind of way. You could almost forgive the fact that he’s a prosecutor.”
I laughed. “That was barely a year after Clint passed,” I said. “I was definitely not ready to start dating. And to be honest, I could never overlook the whole prosecutor thing. It’s…icky.”
She laughed. “Fair enough.”
“Anyway, I’ve got to head out. My meeting with Jackson is in an hour, and I want to be early.”
I waved goodbye and headed to the bathroom first. I washed my face and touched up my lipstick. I decided to keep my hair lose around my shoulders. I had opted for my lucky black pantsuit today. It was well tailored and chic, yet professional. I always wore it when I needed an extra boost of luck or confidence. Once I was ready, I headed for the meeting.
When I arrived, I was told that I would need to wait for Jackson and his lawyer. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. It was just the kind of passive aggressive move Kent would attempt. It was a power play; he was obviously going to keep my waiting on purpose. I sat down and waited patiently. Fifteen minutes later, the door opened and Jackson walked in, followed by Kent.
Jackson looked pale and miserable. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his skin had the kind of sallow looseness that told me he had lost weight in the last few days. I hoped guilt was the motivating factor behind the changes –if it was, that was something I could manipulate in Sam’s favor.
In comparison to Jackson, Kent looked like some shiny version of a Ken doll. I suppressed a laugh as I realized the irony of his first name being Kent.
“Jackson,” I nodded curtly. “Kent…it’s been a while.”
“It has,” Kent replied without a smile.
They sat down opposite me.
“What are you here to talk about, Mia?” Kent asked directly. “Because I certainly can’t imagine any reason why you would have cause to talk to my client.”
I had expected Kent’s hostile tone and brusque manner. It was all so predictable that it was almost amusing. Men were so fragile sometimes, it was laughable that they considered women the weaker sex. And, I was certain Kent was one of those men who subscribed to that belief.
“You can’t imagine why I would want to speak to your client?” I repeated in obvious amusement. I nodded and turned to Jackson. “Maybe Jackson might have an idea why I might want to talk to him.”
Jackson held my gaze for only a moment before dropping it quickly. Kent, looking smugly satisfied, turned to me with hard eyes. “It’s best you address me, instead of Jackson.”
I suppressed a sigh, but chose to ignore Kent and talk to Jackson, whether or not he looked at me. “We have evidence that ties you directly to the drug ring, Jackson,” I told him. “But no evidence that puts Sam anywhere near these dealings.”
“His name was on the documents, the contracts, and the financial statements,” Kent said curtly. “Enough said.”
“Those signatures could have been forged,” I pointed out.
“Can you prove that?” Kent asked with a raised eyebrow. “It seems pretty convenient to talk about forgery after your client has been brought up on charges. He was part owner of Jackson’s Bar was he not?”
“He never wanted to be a partner in the business,” I said. “All he thought he was doing was helping out a friend in need. And, Jackson needed money to start the bar. It was Jackson’s decision to make Sam a partner in the first place.”
“Hearsay,” Kent said briskly.
“I’m sorry…hearsay?” I repeated incredulously.
He gave me a challenging smile. “It sounds like your client doesn’t have much of a defence, Mia,” he said. “Sounds like you’re grasping at straws.”
“I’m trying to grasp the truth,” I responded. “Which is admittedly a little hard to do when you’re surrounded by liars.”
“Why did you request this meeting, Mia?” Kent asked in a condescending tone.
“You know what? The better question is why did Jackson agree to meeting me in the first place.” I turned to him and stared him down, despite the fact that he was refusing to meet my gaze. “Why, Jackson? Considering you won’t look or talk to me?”
Jackson opened his mouth slightly and then closed it again. Kent was staring daggers at him as though willing him to keep his mouth shut.
“Jackson?” I prompted, softening my tone slightly.
“I wanted… I wanted to know… How Sam was doing?” Jackson stuttered, in drips and drags, never fully committing to the sentence.
I could sense immediately that it was guilt I saw written all over his face. Instantly, I changed tack and decided to use that guilt to my advantage.
“How do you think he’s doing, Jackson?” I asked without any accusation in my tone. “The man he considered his best friend, the man he thought would always have his back, completely betrayed him. How would you feel?”
Jackson looked down at his hands, and I went in for the kill. “You know, despite everything that’s happened, he still asked about you,” I said.
“He did?” Jackson asked, looking up at me abruptly.
“He did,” I nodded. “I asked him why he even cared. And do you know what he said? He said that despite everything, he couldn’t forget your history together.
“He said he remembered the time that you pushed him out of the way of that concrete pillar and the time you jumped into an icy lake just to pull him out. And the time you refused to leave him in that burning building on Costa Lane.”
“I… He’s saved me just as many times,” Jackson said, and his voice shook a little. “That’s what we did – we took turns saving each other.”
“Which is why it is amazing that you would do this to him,” I said, meeting his gaze. “He lent you money for the bar because he cared about you, because you were his partner and his friend. He considered you a brother. Why would you have saved him all those times just to screw him over now? Even I can’t understand it.”
“I wasn’t supposed to get caught!” he cried desperately.
“Jackson,” Kent said sharply. “Stop talking.”
But it was like Jackson didn’t even hear him. “I thought I had covered all my bases. I never meant to pull Sam into all of this.”
“So you admit he knew nothing about the illegal funds coming in from the drug ring?” I asked pointedly.
“Jackson!” Kent practically yelled. “Shut the hell up, for fuck’s sake!”
“No,” Jackson said decisively. “He didn’t. He never read any of those documents I got him to sign. He trusted me that much.”
“And, you betrayed that trust,” I said softly.
“Fucking hell!” Kent screamed.
Both Jackson and I ignored him. “Yes,” he said. “I did.”
“You can still fix this, Jackson,” I said softly. “You can save Sam. He doesn’t have to go down with you. You have the power to exonerate him. You have the power to show him that your relationship still means something to you.”
He looked up at me and nodded. “What do I have to do?”
Kent was looking at me furiously, but I ignored him and pulled out the papers I’d prepared that morning from my briefcase. “These are legal documents that state Sam had no knowledge or involvement in the money laundering scheme. By signing these papers, you will be exonerating him of all culpability in this crime.”
Jackson nodded and took the papers from my hand. He was about to sign them when Kent stopped him. “I should read it first.”
“There’s no need,” Jac
kson said firmly. “I trust Sam.”
“For fuck’s sake!” Kent said, throwing his arms up in the air.
Jackson signed his name a moment later and handed them back to me.
“Thank you, Jackson,” I said sincerely. “You did the right thing.”
“Just…tell Sam that… I’m sorry.” Jackson’s voice was small. “For everything.”
“I will,” I nodded.
I grabbed my briefcase and walked out of the room. A few seconds later, I heard footsteps follow me down the hall. I turned to find Kent blaring towards me with his eyes on fire.
“What the fuck was that?” he demanded. “You coerced him into signing those papers.”
I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t coerce him into anything. No one forced him into signing – he did it of his own free will. Seriously, Kent, you can’t really be this mad. This will have no effect on you or your case. Sam and Jackson would have had different trials. One wouldn’t have affected the other.”
“I don’t give a crap!”
“You know Sam is innocent, and you’d let an innocent man go to prison for what?” I demanded. “To stick it to me because I bruised your ego an eternity ago? You are a fucking joke. Grow the fuck up, Kent.”
I turned and walked away from him, feeling practically buoyant. I headed over to Judge Cornell’s offices and handed in the documents Jackson had signed. It took fifteen minutes total, and then I was driving back to the jail. I was walking out of the parking lot when I saw Sam coming down the steps of the spartan building.
He stopped for a moment when he saw me, and then his face broke out into a brilliant smile. And really, that smile was all the thanks I needed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sam
“Where’s the party?” I demanded as Peter had the door open.
“What party?” he asked in confusion.
“I’ve just spent a harrowing stint in jail and you’re not throwing me a party?” I asked, as though I was genuinely distressed.
Peter’s confusion fell, and he smirked at me. “Please,” he said. “You’d need to have been in jail for longer than a week to qualify for a party.”
“Geez…tough crowd,” I commented.
“Stop shitting around and get in here,” Peter said, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me into the house. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I turned abruptly and grabbed him in a huge bear hug. He was obviously taken off guard by the hug because he froze for a moment before he started laughing and patting my back. “Alright there, tiger,” he said. “You can release me now.”
“That was my way of saying thank you,” I said sincerely. “For helping me out.”
Peter shrugged. “What did you expect me to do? Leave you rotting in jail?”
“Some brothers might have done.”
He smiled. “I’m not one of them.”
“I know,” I said.
“Did you call Mom?” Peter asked. “She’s been beside herself this entire time.”
“I called. She was thrilled. She kept insisting that she had foreseen this very outcome.”
Peter smiled. “She told me the same thing when I called her fifteen minutes ago. I took the liberty of telling Madison, too… She was delighted.”
“Not delighted enough to be here to welcome me home, though,” I sighed.
Peter laughed. “No one knew you were heading over here,” he reminded me. “And you must admit, your release was pretty unexpected.”
“It certainly was to me,” I nodded. “Just goes to show what an excellent lawyer Mia is.”
Peter got two beers and then we headed to the living room to chat for a while. “How did she manage it?” he asked the moment we had settled down on the tired old sofa.
“She requested a meeting with Jackson and he accepted.”
“Surprising,” Peter said with raised eyebrows.
“He had his lawyer present,” I said. “But Mia managed to guilt him into a confession.
“She reminded him of all the times he’d saved my life and vice versa, and it turns out that Jackson still cares enough about me to feel guilty about what he had done. She managed to crack him – right there in front of his lawyer. And, there was nothing he could do to stop Jackson signing the documents that exonerated me.”
“Wow,” Peter breathed, obviously impressed.
“I know,” I smiled. “I’ll never see the inside of a courtroom. Is it crazy that I’m disappointed?”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “Don’t be an idiot.”
“I’m only kidding,” I laughed. “I’m thrilled. That wasn’t…the best situation to be in.”
“How are you feeling now?”
“Crazy good,” I admitted. “And really horny.”
“Urgh,” he said, scrunching his face up in disgust. “Prison really screwed you up, huh?”
“Fuck you,” I said. “I was thinking of Mia.”
“I hope you were,” Peter smiled. “Is that…still on the table?”
“I begged her to have dinner with me tonight,” I revealed. “She’s coming over with Renni, and I’m going to cook them dinner. So, it seems to be very much on the table.”
He laughed. “You realize you’re not going to get laid with her kid right there?”
“I’m aware,” I sighed. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m actually excited to see both of them. I can postpone sex if it means having a conversation with Mia.”
“Wow, this woman has really done a number on you.”
“I think I’m starting to realize that.”
“Have you?” Peter asked pointedly. “Really?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, wrinkling my brows at him.
“She has a child, Sam,” he said quietly.
“I’m handsome, Pete,” I smiled. “Not stupid.”
“What I mean is, you need to really think about this. Getting involved with her means committing to her daughter, too. If you get serious with Mia, it means you will essentially...”
“Become a father,” I finished for Peter when he trailed off. “I know, I’ve thought about that.”
“You’re a twenty-four year old man with a dangerous job and a flighty nature,” he said. “You’ve never actually been in a real relationship, and you’ve never actually dated anybody for any length of time. Are you sure you’re ready for a full blown commitment that involves parenting a five year old?”
Peter’s words got me thinking, and I felt a little hot under the collar. The discomfort was fleeting, but I couldn’t deny that it was there. He was right: I really needed to think about this.
It wasn’t that I was averse to the challenge; it was the fact that I was scared I wouldn’t measure up. It wasn’t like I could afford to make mistakes here because two other people were involved and they would undoubtedly suffer for my mistakes.
“I never thought I’d be a father,” I admitted softly.
“Why would you?” he said. “You never wanted to get married in the first place.”
“Fair point,” I nodded. “But I don’t know…something has changed.”
“What’s changed?”
“Being with Mia…and knowing that she has a child… It doesn’t scare me like I thought it would,” I admitted. “I mean, I love Renni. It’s hard not to – she’s a sweet, thoughtful kid and half the time seems more grown up than I am.”
“She’s still a five year old, Sam,” Peter reminded me. “And after awhile, she’s going to start looking at you in a certain way. She’s going to start looking at you like you’re her father. Can you handle that? Because it’s a huge responsibility.”
“I know,” I nodded. “I’m aware of that. Trust me… I’m not walking into this blindly.”
“Forgive me for checking,” he said with a smile. “You do have a habit of walking into things blindly.”
“Low blow,” I accused. “But nevertheless true.”
“Do you want to know my honest opinion about all this?”
�
�Of course.”
“I think she could be really good for you,” he said. “She’s a smart, intelligent, and beautiful woman. She’s grounded, sensible, and mature, and you’ve always needed that kind of presence in your life. I think this relationship could be good for you.
“I just want you to make sure it’ll be good for her, too. Otherwise, it would be unfair; I want to make sure you step up and do the right thing.”
“I know,” I said. “And, I appreciate that and all your advice. But now I need one more piece of advice.”
“I really should start charging,” he sighed dramatically. Then he smiled. “What is it?”
“Dinner,” I said seriously. “I’m cooking tonight and I want it to be special.”
Peter laughed. “Grab me a pen and paper and write this down. I’ll give you a simple, easy recipe that even a monkey can turn out.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said sarcastically as I went to retrieve a pen and paper.
After saying goodbye to Peter, I headed straight for the fire station. I didn’t want to postpone the meeting by a single day. I was sure I would get my job back, but there was still a little inkling of doubt that clung to me. Most of the guys were in the day room, so I managed to bypass them easily before heading to the chief’s office.
He was sitting behind his desk, looking impressive and intimidating all at once. I gulped, knocked twice and entered with some hesitation.
“Sam?” Chief Shelby said, in obvious surprise.
“Hi, Chief,” I greeted mildly. “Missed me?”
“You’re supposed to be in jail,” he said, with a cold edge to his tone.
“I’m here to explain,” I said. “May I sit down?”
“First, I’ll hear your explanation,” Chief replied. “Then I’ll decide if you deserve to sit down.”
“Good call,” I nodded.
I launched into the explanation of how everything happened, including the last part, where Mia had convinced Jackson to sign the papers stating I had no knowledge of the illegal transactions occurring behind the scenes in the bar.
“The judge released me and the charges were dropped without a blemish on my record,” I said. “I’m squeaky clean, Chief – always have been.”
