by Donna Grant
“I know,” she said in a whisper.
Chapter 8
“Let’s start from the beginning.”
Skylar tried not to fidget, but sitting in the office at the East Ranch with the woman she’d hired as her attorney was anything but normal.
“Sure,” Skylar said as she looked at Leslie, sitting in the chair opposite her. Neither had gone near the huge desk.
Leslie’s soft brown eyes watched her like a hawk. She wore an olive green houndstooth plaid jacket that looked as if it had been custom-made. Beneath was a cream shirt, all paired with a black skirt and knee-high suede black boots with four-inch heels.
The attorney had come highly recommended by both Danny and Abby, and after a brief phone call with Leslie, Skylar had hired her. To her shock, Leslie had dropped everything and immediately came out to the ranch so she could get all the facts.
“I’m sorry,” Skylar said and shook her head, realizing that she had just been sitting there. “It all started one night when I was out with friends. It was a Thursday. We met up after work for a drink at a bar in downtown Houston just a few blocks from my apartment.”
Leslie nodded as she listened. She wasn’t taking notes since the conversation was being recorded. “Did you drink?”
“Yes. I had two glasses of wine. Even though I wasn’t driving, that was always my limit. I liked to be aware of my surroundings.”
“That’s good.” Leslie crossed one leg over the other. “What happened next?”
Skylar picked at the chipped polish on her thumbnail. “One of my friends pointed out that we were being stared at. I looked over and saw three guys sitting together. Sure enough, all three were looking our way. I didn’t pay much attention to them. There were five of us, and three of them, and to be frank, I wasn’t looking for anything. I’d been single for six months, and I liked things just as they were.
“Then Matt walked up to the table. Once more, I ignored him since I assumed he was there for one of my friends. But it turned out he wanted me. He struck up a conversation. I don’t even remember what he asked me, but we began talking. His two friends came over then. The table got crowded, so we moved off by ourselves and kept talking.”
“So, he was nice?” Leslie asked.
Skylar bobbed her head. “Very. He was polite and attentive. He tried to buy me another drink. When I declined, he accepted that. I had two glasses of water while we talked.”
“And what did he drink?”
Skylar had to think a moment. “Um … I believe it was bourbon, but I could be wrong. I know it was just a shot of something. He had two while we sat there.”
“Do you know how many he had before that?”
Skylar shook her head. “I didn’t ask. Why is that important?”
“It’s the little things,” Leslie replied. “Did he appear drunk?”
“Not at all. But I will tell you that he liked to drink. Sometimes more than others.”
“Did he hit you when he drank?”
“No. When he got that drunk, he was too out of it. He’d yell and say all kinds of horrible things, but he couldn’t stand up straight, much less hit me.”
Leslie perked up at that information. “In other words, he was sober when he beat you.”
“Absolutely.”
The lawyer smiled gleefully. “Go on.”
“There isn’t much to say about that night. It got late, and I decided to head home. He asked if he could see me again and gave me his number. He didn’t even ask for mine. All I knew was his first name, and all he knew was mine. I thought he was nice-looking, and he was certainly a gentleman. But I didn’t call him on Friday. Or Saturday. I didn’t contact him until Sunday afternoon.
“When I told him it was me, he said that he’d hoped I’d call. We talked for an hour on the phone before he asked if he could take me to dinner. I agreed but said I’d meet him at the restaurant. He was waiting for me when I got there at seven. We were the last to leave when they closed for the night, and honestly, I didn’t want to go home. He was so easy to talk to.”
Leslie folded her hands in her lap. “Did he tell you his surname at this point?”
“Yes. I asked him if he was related to the Gaudets I always hear about in Houston. He laughed and said it would be great if he was, but that they were no relation. I didn’t think twice about it.”
“Did you have sex that night?”
Skylar was a consenting adult who didn’t have to answer to anyone, yet she knew that others would likely judge her for her actions. “We did, yes. He kissed me when we got to my car and then asked if I wanted to go to his place. It was close, and I ended up staying until about two in the morning.”
“When did you see him after that?”
“He called the next day at lunch,” Skylar said. “We met up for dinner that night and were with each other nearly every day after.”
Leslie tilted her head to the side, causing her straight, jaw-length, dark brown hair to move with her. “Did he ever raise his voice at you?”
“I think we had a few disagreements, as all couples do, but no, he never raised his voice to me. He was always a gentleman. I never saw anything that would’ve led me to believe otherwise.”
Leslie’s lips pressed together. “Mr. Gaudet and his team will use that against you.”
“Can’t we use it against him, as well? He led me to believe he was one person, when he turned out to be another.”
Leslie grinned in response. “That’s exactly what I’m going to tell the judge. Now, I need you to think back. Did Mr. Gaudet ever get jealous of anyone you spoke with? Did he want to know your every move, etcetera…?”
Skylar had to think through an entire year. She tried to search her memories, but she couldn’t come up with anything. “I was very independent. Matt said he liked that about me, that I wasn’t clingy or needy. When I met up with my friends to get pedicures or go shopping, he never seemed to mind. He used that time to hang out with his friends.”
“Did he buy you expensive things?”
“He bought me a gold necklace with my initial on it for my birthday. We spent a long weekend in Napa Valley, California, to celebrate me moving in, but we split the cost of that trip. So, no, I wouldn’t say that he spent any significant money on me.”
Leslie’s smile said she approved of what she was hearing. “No designer purses, shoes, or clothes?”
“I’ve always bought those things for myself. I never asked him for anything like that.”
“Great. That proves you weren’t after his money. Now, you said that you never met his parents.”
“That’s right. Just his brother,” Skylar explained. “Matt told me his parents died in a car crash several years ago. It seemed to upset him, and he didn’t like talking about it, so I didn’t push.”
Leslie uncrossed her legs. “I plan on speaking with Sheriff Oldman about last night, but before we get to that, I need you to tell me about the times Matt attacked you.”
Skylar had only ever told one person about it—Danny. Now, she would have to tell Leslie, the judge, and probably others. She took a deep breath and went through each time with Leslie, just as she had done with Danny.
“I know it’s tough, but thank you. You did good.” Leslie reached over and squeezed Skylar’s hand while giving her a reassuring smile.
“How many more times am I going to have to tell that story?”
“I don’t know,” Leslie said as she puckered her face. “I wish it was just once more in front of the judge, but you should be prepared for Matt and his family to fight this.”
Skylar jerked back. “What does his family have to do with it?”
“Their name is important to them, and they will likely go after anyone who dares to try and besmirch it.”
Skylar got to her feet and walked to the window overlooking the back of the ranch. She spotted Hope and Abby with a horse in a small paddock. Abby held Hope, who draped silver and red tinsel over the horse’s neck. Clayton came out
then and took Hope from Abby. Once the toddler was out of sight, Abby quickly removed the tinsel from the animal.
“This is going to get ugly, isn’t it?” Skylar asked Leslie.
“That’s definitely a possibility. I like to tell my clients to prepare for the worst.”
Skylar turned back to her attorney. “And the worst for me is?”
“They dig up every shred of dirt on you and sue you for defamation.”
“All I want is my life back!” Skylar squeezed her eyes closed after her outburst. A few deep breaths later, she looked at Leslie. “I’m asking for a restraining order so Matt will leave me alone and I can get on with my life.”
Leslie got to her feet. “From what I know of the Gaudet family and their lawyers, they aren’t going to simply sit back and let that happen.”
“Even if their son is at fault?”
“I’m betting they know exactly what Matt has done. But that isn’t the point. Their oldest is in politics. Everyone in Houston knows he wants to be governor of Texas and then president.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. How in the world had she stepped into such a pile of shit? “You’re telling me that even if I drop the restraining order, they’ll still come after me?”
“Probably. You had their son arrested.”
“I didn’t do anything. Matt did that all on his own, and I’m not the one pressing charges, the district attorney is.”
Leslie shrugged. “Be that as it may, that’s not how the Gaudets will view it. First things first, we need to get the order of protection paperwork filed immediately. You need to sign the petition for the order, along with the affidavit of everything you told me today.
“Everything?” Skylar asked.
“Just the facts about the case. The judge will read what you told me. How you and Matt met, how you came to date, how he acted during those nine months, and how things changed once you moved in together. The affidavit will detail each incident of abuse, where he hit you, and why you didn’t report it. I need you to email me every photo you took. Those will be printed out and used as evidence.”
Skylar immediately got her phone and began emailing said pictures so she didn’t forget. When she finished, she set her phone aside and met Leslie’s brown gaze. “Have you taken many cases like this?”
“It’s not my first, if that’s what you’re worried about. And just so you know, I often go up against attorneys in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, so they don’t scare me. I’m a fifth-generation lawyer. There isn’t anything someone in my family hasn’t dealt with.”
Skylar grinned at her. “Abby told me you were fierce. I didn’t hire you simply because you’re a woman or because they recommended you. I hired you because of how you spoke to me on the phone.”
“You have to trust the attorney representing you, and I want you to know that I will fight whatever the Gaudets and their team throw at us. You were physically, emotionally, and verbally abused. You shouldn’t be victimized more simply because of who Matt is.”
But they both knew that’s exactly what would likely happen.
“What about Danny?” Skylar asked. “Is he really cleared from Matt saying that we set all this up?”
Leslie rolled her eyes at the mention of it. “That’s such a load of bullshit. Yes, Danny has been cleared.”
That was a relief. “Which means that Danny is off the hook.”
Leslie gave her a peculiar look, one Skylar couldn’t read. “Yes, you could say that. Since he was the one who came upon you and Matt, and the fact that you and Danny were classmates, things could get interesting. Not that I’m telling you not to jump right into Danny’s arms.”
Skylar’s eyes widened. “What? That’s not what I mea—”
“Listen,” Leslie interrupted her. “Just keep things quiet with Danny, okay? I’ll be in touch in the morning.”
Skylar watched the attorney walk from the office.
Chapter 9
“What the hell do you mean, I can’t talk to her? She’s my fucking girlfriend. I can do whatever I want.”
Jace cut his gaze to Cooper, who sat in the booth opposite him. They had been following Matt Gaudet and his attorney ever since they left the sheriff’s station that afternoon.
The smug look on Gaudet’s face made Jace want to punch him, but since he and Cooper were supposed to keep their distance, he couldn’t give in to such rage. Which was really too bad, because no one needed to have an attitude adjustment more than Matt Gaudet.
“And to think I voted for his brother,” Cooper mumbled while dipping a fry into some ketchup before eating it.
Jace shook his head. “You know politicians. You can’t believe anything they say.”
“Yeah, but you have to vote for someone. It’s always a toss-up, you know that.”
“I just don’t get why people can’t be honest.” But that was always Jace’s problem.
He believed that people should do what they said, and actually do the jobs they were supposed to. It never turned out that way. He should be used to it by now, but people still disappointed him.
His thoughts halted as their targets began talking again.
“Matt, keep your voice down,” the attorney whispered urgently as he looked around to see if anyone was staring.
In response, Matt glared at the lawyer. “Rodney, if you tell me to calm down one more time, I’m going to throw this drink on your expensive suit.”
“You may not want to hear it, but it’s what you need to do,” Rodney said. “This is a small town, not Houston. Things are different here.”
Matt snorted. “Exactly. No one knows me.”
“Not yet,” the lawyer cautioned. “It won’t be long before everyone knows you.”
Cooper smiled at Jace and pulled out his phone. “That just gave me an idea.”
Jace grinned, knowing exactly what his friend was doing. After the text had been sent, Cooper handed Jace the phone so he could read the message. Sure enough, Cooper had alerted Beverly Barnes of Matt’s whereabouts so she could hopefully get a picture of him and print it in the county newspaper, along with an article.
Beverly replied immediately, saying she was on her way.
“Hot damn,” Cooper said when he saw the text after Jace had handed him back the phone.
“Good idea.”
Cooper’s forest green eyes crinkled. “Say that again. I need to record it.”
“Kiss my ass,” Jace replied, but there was no heat in his words.
The two had been friends since the first day of kindergarten. They had been inseparable ever since. The duo had quickly hit it off with Brice and Caleb Harper, and the four of them did everything together—including joining the military.
Though they’d each joined different branches, they kept in touch weekly, if not daily. One by one, they finished out their tours and returned home. The same, but different.
And their friendships were just as strong as before. In fact, it was as if they hadn’t spent years apart. None of them had actually said they would return to their hometown, but they all had. They had been watching each other’s backs for years, and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
“I can’t hear what they’re saying anymore,” Cooper complained before he finished off his beer.
With the angle of their booth, Jace was able to see both Matt’s and Rodney’s faces. The two leaned in close to each other, their voices pitched low.
Jace looked back at Cooper and shrugged. “Me either.”
“Do you think he’ll be stupid enough to go after her?”
Jace didn’t need to ask who her was. Skylar Long was safely ensconced at the East Ranch. It would take some creative and well-trained men to get onto the ranch without being detected. And he and Cooper should know since they often tested the system to see if they could beat it. They hadn’t yet.
“He’d be a fool,” Jace answered his friend.
Cooper’s eyes burned with fury. “I kinda hope he tries. Any man who thinks it’s o
kay to beat up on a woman deserves whatever is coming to him.”
“That’s not what we’re doing.” Jace waited until Cooper looked at him.
Finally, his friend nodded. “I get it, but I don’t have to like it.”
“I certainly don’t,” Jace said.
Cooper ran a hand down his face and sat back in the booth. “It all has to be done by the book. That’s what Clayton told us. I’m not sure how Danny does it.”
Jace didn’t either. He was proud to call Danny a friend, but he’d seen on several occasions how the sheriff’s hands were tied in certain situations. But that’s how it had to be in order to keep the law running.
It was also one of the reasons Danny had enlisted Jace’s and Cooper’s aid. And they were always ready to help a friend in need.
Cooper blew out a breath and set his elbows on the table, clasping his hands as he sat forward. “Did you notice the way Danny was looking at her?”
“A blind person would’ve noticed that.”
Though they kept their voices down, they wanted to make sure not to say Skylar’s name. There was no sense in drawing attention their way, especially from Matt or his attorney.
“I call bullshit,” Matt said loudly.
“Matt, please,” the lawyer begged.
The abusive bastard shook his head of blond hair. “She has no grounds. How did you find out what she was doing anyway?”
“It pays to have friends,” Rodney answered.
Jace flattened his lips. So much for Skylar and Leslie filing the restraining order before Matt found out. Before he could call Danny, Cooper beat him to the punch.
Unfortunately, it proved that Skylar would have to be extra careful. If Matt’s lawyer could discover that she’d gotten the paperwork to file a restraining order, then they could find out almost anything. The problem was, had they learned it from someone there, or was it someone in Houston?
Matt’s laugh went through Jace like a hot brand. He glanced to the side and found the asshole looking at him.
“You got a problem?” Matt demanded.
Jace saw Cooper tense, readying for a fight. But Jace wouldn’t let it come to that. Not yet, at least.
