Legal Heat

Chapter Ten


“Ohmigod, lookit the boots! Not really what I pictured you in, but damn, girl, you look hot.” Trixie gave Katy a friendly hug. “But what are you doing here? With Val gone, I didn’t think we’d see you again.”

Katy bit her lip, hoping Trixie wouldn’t see it tremble. “I bumped into Mark earlier this evening at a legal function and he said he was coming here. I need to talk to him.” Actually, she needed to go home, calm down and think through what to do about Jimmy. But instead, like an idiot, she had asked the cab driver to bring her here.

Trixie studied Katy intently and her forehead creased into a frown.

Katy’s pulse kicked up a notch. Was it Mark? Was he here with someone else? “What’s wrong?”

“You’d better come into my office.” Trixie led Katy into a spacious room, decorated in warm, earthy colors. Filing cabinets lined the far wall and a glass desk took up most of the center space.

She dropped into a huge, overstuffed, beige chair, motioning for Katy to sit on the chair beside her. “You don’t look so good. In fact, I would go so far as to say you’re in shock.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“I’m sure it will surprise you to know that I don’t work here all the time.” Trixie leaned over to pat Katy’s arm. “I’m a registered nurse, and I know when someone is in shock. Even if you didn’t have the pale and clammy skin, huge pupils, dazed look and trembling hands, I would be concerned about the bruises around your neck.”

Katy’s hand flew to her throat. She’d been so glad to get away from Jimmy, she hadn’t even thought about her injuries. “It’s nothing.”

“Ha. I’ve seen marks like that before on…someone else. It isn’t nothing. Who hurt you, babe?”

Katy shook her head. Much as she wanted to tell Trixie, she couldn’t breach an ethical duty to her client, no matter how evil he was. And that meant she couldn’t talk to Mark either. What had she been thinking?

“I shouldn’t have come.” She stood up but Trixie grabbed her hand.

“No, stay. I’ll look after you. Also Mark would kill me if he found out you were here and I let you go. Why don’t I bring James in for a chat while I get the first aid kit? He’s here tonight.”

Katy shook her head. “I don’t want to talk to the police. Not yet. I have a few things I have to do first. Plus, I’m sure he’s here to relax, not work.”

Trixie drew Katy back down into the chair. “James is always working. I can’t tell you how many times he’s arrested people at the club when he’s supposed to be here having fun. Actually I think it is fun for him, wandering around, drink in hand, pouncing on the assorted criminals who make it through the door. He needs to find himself a girlfriend. Someone who’ll lighten him up and show him there is more to life than catching criminals.” She cocked her head. “You sure you don’t want me to get him?”

“I’m fine, Trixie. If you could call me a cab, I’ll get out of your hair.”

Trixie tucked a blanket around her and put a hand to Katy’s forehead. “How about you wait for Mark and let him take you home?”

“I don’t need him,” Katy said. “Actually, I really don’t want to see him. This evening…we went too far. I can’t face him. I don’t even know why I came here.”

Trixie gave her a soft smile. “Because part of you knows he would care. I’ve known him for a long time. I know what kind of man he is. He would want to know, and he would keep you safe.”

“That’s just the problem.” Katy sighed. “He’s the one person who can’t keep me safe.”





“Well, look who’s in trouble again.”

Lana sucked in a breath as the cop from the alley walked into the tiny, windowless room at Carpe Noctem. The same cop who had scolded her over the phone for daring to put a brochure on his vehicle. Too bad he hadn’t told her his name. Up close, she could see he wasn’t as old as she had first thought. He probably had eight to ten years on her at the most. A strong jaw complemented the chiseled planes of his face, and his offset nose, obviously broken many times, only added to his appeal.

Dangerous. Exciting.

A woman followed him in and closed the door. Short and curvy with a shock of platinum hair, she had a pleasant face and a warm smile.

“Where’s the camera?” The cop leaned against the wall and folded his arms, studying her with sharp, steel blue eyes. She suspected those eyes didn’t miss much.

She shrugged. “What camera?”

“I’m not in the mood for games. Three different people saw you taking pictures, including the owner of the club.”

Years of experience in the principal’s office had given her the ability to remain cool under pressure, but this cop unnerved her. She hadn’t expected hugs or kisses but she had thought he would at least acknowledge their phone conversation.

She steeled herself to continue the lies. “Maybe they confused me with someone else.”

“Not in that outfit.” He lifted his chin, motioning toward her.

Lana smiled and looked down at her electric-blue, fringed bra and matching spandex mini skirt. Okay, so maybe she shouldn’t have squeezed her generous ass and boobs into the unforgiving fabric, but damn did it highlight her curves. Plus, she couldn’t resist the color. Hell, why wear black when you were showing off the assets?

She winked. “You like what you see?”

He raised a warning eyebrow. Lana slammed her mouth shut. Dammit, Lana. This is serious. But he was so gorgeous; she couldn’t resist a little tease.

The woman with the platinum hair giggled and the tassels on her outrageous gold and green outfit shook with the slight movement. Lana liked her right away.

“Your lack of respect is going to get you in trouble.”

Lana didn’t take her eyes off him. “I’m thinking it already has.”

He leaned across the table, grabbed her purse and dumped the contents in front of her.

“Hey!” Lana frowned. “That’s an illegal search.”

He pawed through the pile of make-up, gum wrappers, condoms and parking tickets. “You waived your rights when you snuck into the club.”

“It was an honest mistake. I was dancing at the bar next door. I came out for a breath of fresh air. I saw the unmarked red door. I thought it was another entrance and followed someone in. Imagine my surprise when I found myself in a kinky sex club. My innocence has been corrupted. I’m the one who should be upset.”

He pulled a few condoms from the pile on the table and waved them at her. “Innocent girls don’t dress like that and walk around with a bag full of condoms.”

Lana winked. “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned my outfit. I’m flattered. And the bag isn’t full of condoms. There are only about ten. This is a sex club, isn’t it? Doesn’t everyone carry condoms here?”

The platinum blonde snorted a laugh.

Damn. Get the mouth under control. But something about him fired off all her cylinders.

His jaw twitched. Did she see the ghost of a smile? If so, it disappeared in an instant.

Lana pushed back her chair. “Okay. You’ve had your fun. You can see I have no camera so I’ll just collect my bag of condoms and get going. You can keep one as a souvenir. Or did you want to frisk me first?” She gave him a little wiggle and finished with a theatrical pose.

Hysterical laughter filled the room. The blonde dabbed at her eyes and gasped in a breath.

“Trixie.”

The blonde froze at the cop’s sharp reprimand. “Sorry.”

She had a soft, musical voice. The kind of voice Lana had always wanted. But no, not for her. At best her voice could be described as husky.

He ignored Trixie and glared at Lana. “Who are you following and who are you working for?”

Lana folded her arms. “A little professional respect here. I have to maintain client confidentiality.”

“Maybe we should take her to the back. I’ve always wanted to watch a good spanking.” Trixie’s voice took on a sharp, discordant edge.

Lana scowled at her new friend. Platinum is just so out.

The cop rubbed his hand over his chin. The five o’clock shadow looked good on him. Roughened him up just the way she liked ’em.

“Maybe…”

Lana jumped up. “You are not seriously considering spanking me. I’d have the police down here so fast your head would spin. Then I’d hire the best lawyer in the city to sue you until you didn’t have a dime. That’s after I take that paddle and stick it where the sun don’t shine.”

Trixie slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh.

The cop raised an eyebrow. “The police?”

Ooops. “I mean the other police.”

“Sit,” he commanded.

She sat. How did he do that?

He took the chair across from her. “I want the camera. I know it’s here.”

His eyes glittered as if he was a snake charmer trying to hypnotize her. Maybe he was hypnotizing her. Damned if she could look away. Liquid arousal shot through her veins, startling her with its intensity. Wow. When had she ever responded to a man that way?

Don’t look at the lipstick. Don’t look at the lipstick.

She dragged her eyes away and looked at the lipstick.

“Thank you,” he murmured. His soft rumble made her cheeks flame. She imagined hearing that sensual voice in her ear at night, telling her exactly what he planned to do with her body.

Holy cow. Get a grip. Danger situation here.

He picked up the lipstick and pulled it open. The tiny camera lens glinted in the overhead lights.

“Nice piece of equipment. Whose pictures am I going to find on here?”

Her bottom lip quivered. Her best surveillance equipment and her best photos gone in a flash. Mr. S wasn’t going to be pleased. Poor old Jetta. It would have to wheeze along for another few months.

“No comment.”

He picked up her wallet and pulled out her ID. “Private Investigator Lana Parker, your license states you’ve been an investigator for all of one month.”

She blushed. “We all have to start somewhere.”

“Not in this club, you don’t.” He put the lipstick in his pocket and stood up. “Trixie, get Rick to escort her out. Tell him to make sure she doesn’t hang around outside.”

“Aren’t you going to give her your card, James? Just in case she needs to get in touch?” Trixie caught Lana’s gaze and gave her a wink.

Lana’s lips quivered with a repressed smile. “James is a good name for a cop.” She took the card from his outstretched hand. “Strong. Steady. Sensitive. James is a powerful name but soft on the tongue.”

He stared at her, his face impassive, his body still. But for the twitch of his jaw and a slight flare of his nostrils, she would never have guessed her words had affected him at all.

“My God,” Trixie muttered under her breath. “You shocked him.”

“You can go now, Lana.” The sensual rumble of his voice as he said her name grabbed hold and buried deep. Desire rushed up inside her, nearly overwhelming her with the need to touch him.

Distance. She needed distance.

Trixie’s eyes widened. “Um. Maybe you should get her contact information…you know…in case you need to…contact her.”

“Not necessary,” James said, his eyes lingering on Lana’s lips. “I already have them.”





“Hell.”

Mark slammed the door to Tony’s club office and threw himself into Tony’s worn, leather desk chair. He scrubbed his hands over his face and tried to get a grip on the extent of his stupidity.

What the hell had happened? If they hadn’t been interrupted on the terrace, he would have compromised both their careers. When exactly had he lost control? When he’d first seen her dancing with Tim? Or when Tim had crossed the line? No. He’d kept his cool. Tim was still alive.

The door creaked open.

“Here, Tony said you might need this. He’s tied up with a staff matter and won’t be in for a while.” James handed him a glass of whiskey and dropped into the chair across from Tony’s steel-framed desk. The décor in the office reflected the design of the club. Ultra modern, light and functional.

“Where were you all night?” Mark swirled the amber liquid in his glass.

“We caught a private investigator sneaking around the club. Cheeky little thing. I didn’t get much out of her, but I have her camera. I’ll take it to the lab and find out who she was following.”

Mark raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t realize you even knew the word cheeky and I find it hard to believe you weren’t able to get any information out of her. You. The esteemed and seasoned detective who has extracted confessions from dozens of hardened criminals.” His glass clinked when he put it on the table. “Something tells me you didn’t try very hard.”

“Don’t go there.”

Mark tried not to smile. He couldn’t remember the last time James had evinced even the slightest interest in a woman except for the odd fling. When he had his own problems sorted, he would have to look her up. He couldn’t imagine a woman strong enough to capture the interest of his oldest friend.

“You want to be left alone?”

Mark shook his head. He needed to talk and James knew him better than anyone. Even when Mark had pushed him away, James had never given up on him. He traced the scar across his neck. If James hadn’t come looking for him that day…

“I heard Katy came in.” James stretched out his legs.

Mark choked on his whiskey. “Katy came here? Tonight?”

James nodded. “Apparently she was looking for you.”

“F*ck.” Mark slammed his glass on the desk and threw himself back in his chair. “I told her I would be here, but Tony kept me at the damn banquet chatting up some mid-level firm looking for a merger.”

James sipped his whiskey, his blue eyes cool and calm. “Probably a good thing since you have a conflict and all.” He paused and lowered his glass. “Trixie said she was pretty upset.”

Mark took a sip of his whiskey. The bitter liquid suffused his taste buds before it burned its way down to his stomach. “Things got…complicated.”

“Complicated?” James leaned forward. “I’m hoping complicated isn’t the reason for the bruises Trixie saw around her neck.”

“Bruises?” Mark pushed back his chair. “Where is she? What happened?”

James held up a hand. “Calm down. Trixie looked after her. Any idea who might have hurt her?”

“Why are you asking me?”

James shrugged. “I thought she might have confided in you. I checked the system and she hasn’t filed a police report. If someone is assaulting women, he needs to be caught.”

Mark rubbed his hand over his head and took his seat. “She has an acrimonious relationship with her ex-husband and there was a guy at the banquet, a court reporter, who wasn’t too happy when I stopped him from pawing her on the dance floor. When I find out who hurt her—”

“Don’t even think about it.” James cut him off. “If she reports it, the police will handle it. If she doesn’t, she’ll have a reason. You know you can’t get involved.”

Mark shot back the last sip of whiskey. “I am involved.”

“So what are you going to do?”

Mark shrugged. “I’ve got a plan to resolve the conflict. But even then…I keep thinking about Claire. I pushed too hard, and look what happened.”

“You know what I think about Claire,” James grumbled. “Yes, you pushed her. You made her look at herself and realize what she needed. And what she needed you couldn’t give. You didn’t love her. She got that. She moved on. What happened afterward was the result of her choices. It had nothing to do with you. I have never understood why you can’t let her go.”

“She reminds me of who I am and why I can’t get seriously involved with anyone ever again.” A life on the streets with a drug addict for a mother had not prepared him for the give and take needed to sustain a relationship. How could someone who had never known love have anything to offer? He hadn’t been enough for Claire. He wouldn’t be enough for Katy.

“If you really believe that, then you’ll back off before it’s too late.”

Mark gave a bitter laugh. “It’s already too late.”





Dear Mark

Dear Mr. Richards

Mark

Katy deleted the email and checked her watch. Fifteen minutes until her next court hearing. With Mark. No time to run out for a coffee. She put her laptop on the seat beside her and leaned against the wall. A flurry of lawyers raced down the corridor, their robes fluttering behind them. Late for court. She knew the signs.

Palm fronds rustled in their wake and leafy shadows danced across the carpet. A beam of sunshine flooded through the atrium, catching the tips of her shiny, black Manolo Blahniks. She didn’t bother much about her suits, but she always bought nice shoes.

She flipped again through the document list Mark had sent over and snorted. Ten documents. What a joke. Hi-Tech had to have more than ten documents relating to Martha’s dismissal. Her performance reviews should have filled a file folder. What about board minutes, HR files, internal emails? Where were the security tapes? Even if they’d been erased, they should have been listed. He wasn’t even claiming the missing documents were privileged. Apparently they just didn’t exist.

She should call him and demand further disclosure. If he had been any other lawyer on any other case, she wouldn’t have hesitated to pick up the phone. But how could she call him after the banquet? What would she say? Would she tell him she regretted the risk they had taken or that she regretted they had not taken things further? Email would have to do.

She flipped through the amended pleadings he had sent over this morning, and her eyes narrowed. What the hell? She read quickly through the outrageous counterclaim and her mind clouded with anger. How could he do this to Martha? Why now?

“Am I interrupting something?”

Katy’s head jerked up at the familiar sound of her managing partner’s voice. “Ted! What are you doing here?”

As always, Ted was impeccably dressed in a starched white shirt, pressed black wool suit and a crisp red tie. He was rail thin, with sharp, hard features and silver-gray hair that matched his eyes. He had earned his court nickname, the Silver Fox, not because of his looks—he had been young and dark-haired when he was awarded the moniker—but because he was sly, cunning and an unabashed opportunist.

“I just wanted to check in and see how my favorite associate is handling her seminal case. I have to report back to the partnership committee on your courtroom performance, so I thought I’d sit in on today’s hearing.” He squeezed Katy’s shoulder. “I’m also worried about you after that incident with Jimmy Rider. I want to make sure you’re still able to do your job.”

Katy swallowed hard. No way would she tell Ted just how much Jimmy had shaken her. She hadn’t slept in two days nor had she been able to focus on preparing for today’s hearing. She had even contemplated asking Steven to sleep over after he brought the kids home on Sunday. Ted couldn’t have picked a worse time to assess her.

She heard voices in the corridor and recognized the timbre of Mark’s deep voice. She spotted him outside one of the nearby courtrooms, talking to a client. His perfectly tailored gray suit highlighted his broad shoulders and slim waist. She couldn’t decide if he looked better in a suit or in his tux. Or maybe he would look best without any clothing at all…

No. Look away. But the warning came too late. When she glanced up again, dark eyes drew her in. Katy flushed under Mark’s scrutiny and managed a faint smile when he walked toward them.

“Ms. Sinclair. A pleasure to see you again.” The formality in his tone gave her the strength she needed to reach out and shake his hand.

“Mr. Richards.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. Not about the weekend. Not about the case. Not even about the weather. The memory of their kiss lingered on her lips even as her blood boiled.

He shifted his gaze to Ted who stood fuming beside her, unused to being ignored. “Knight.”

Ted nodded. “Richards. Haven’t seen you for ages.” The two men shook hands but their movements were stiff and forced. Katy frowned. They clearly knew each other, but what was the reason for their animosity? A heated case? Professional discourtesy? Or was it personal?

“I hope you’re not being too hard on my associate.” Ted’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“She’s definitely giving me a run for my money.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing that.” Ted winked at Katy. “I’ll see you inside.”

They watched him pull open the heavy oak door and disappear into the courtroom.

“Very nice shoes, but I think I preferred the boots,” Mark murmured. He stood so close, she could feel the heat radiating off his body and smell the familiar, spicy tang of his cologne. She gripped her bag so her hands wouldn’t be tempted to wind their way around his neck and pull him toward her.

Two men in gray suits walked past them and a group of court watchers stopped beside the courtroom door to check the court schedule. Katy waited until the hallway cleared before thrusting the amended pleadings at Mark’s chest.

“How could you do this? Your client is suing Martha for theft, libel and interference with contract? She has no job thanks to Steele. She’s mortgaged her house to pay my fees. If she loses, she’ll be totally destroyed.”

Mark shrugged. “I’m sure you advised her about the risks of suing a company with unlimited financial resources, especially after the regulators dismissed her allegations. Hi-Tech only wants to protect its reputation and to send a message to other wannabe whistle-blowers.”

“Maybe Hi-Tech isn’t the shining beacon of corporate responsibility you make them out to be,” she snapped.

“Maybe your client isn’t as innocent as you would like to believe.”

Katy sucked in a sharp breath and tightened her jaw. “She has nothing to hide. She was trying to do the right thing.”

“It’s not personal, sugar. It’s business.” He ran his fingers along the edge of the silk scarf Katy had tied around her neck to hide the bruises Jimmy had left behind.

“It’s bad business,” she mumbled, pulling away. She didn’t want him to see the state of her neck. Even Steven had been shocked.

“Why the scarf, sugar? It isn’t something you normally wear.” The steel threading his voice sent a chill up her spine.

Katy batted his hand away. “I wanted to try something different.”

“You wanted to hide something.” He yanked on the scarf and it slid off her neck with a violent hiss.

“No.” Katy grabbed hold too late.

Mark studied her neck and his voice dropped to a low growl. “Was it Steven? Tim? I promise you, whoever did this will never touch you again.”

Katy grabbed her scarf and wound it back around her neck. “It’s a law firm matter. Ted is handling it. There’s no reason to get involved.”

“Ted?” Mark barked out a laugh. “He doesn’t give a damn about your safety. All he cares about are his fees and his reputation. Did he tell you not to report it? I’ll bet he did. That means whoever did it is still out on the street. Give me a name, sugar.”

Katy blushed and looked away. Ted had been adamant she keep the incident quiet. Not only that, he had been reluctant to take her off Jimmy’s case. Only her threat to talk to one of the other partners had finally changed his mind.

“I can’t,” she whispered.

Mark’s lips thinned into a tight line. “Then, I’ll guess. Firm matter, which means he’s a client. Violent, which suggests criminal tendencies. I know one of your criminal clients. I also know he likes to throttle women who don’t give him what he wants. I saw the same bruises on Valerie’s neck. Tony and I had several discussions with him.”

Katy swallowed hard and gave him a worried glance. “Please, don’t do anything. He’s dangerous.”

Mark clenched his jaw. “So am I.”