She drew back and nodded. “I may need your help in getting Julie to safety after her competency hearing on Monday. Her stupid husband is challenging her sanity.”
“If her lawyer sucks, I can ask Heath to represent her.” Although what a clusterfuck that would be. Heath had a serious blind spot when it came to battered women, and he hated being in court. Plus, Jay Pentley was the mayor, and the news outlets might be covering the divorce. Not to mention they needed to keep a low profile. “How bad is her lawyer?”
“Terrible. New kid right out of school…and if you ask me, it’s shocking he got into a law school. Guy’s a moron.” Zara’s body visibly relaxed. “Julie has bills from before they were married—mainly school, credit cards, and her car—and so far, the court hasn’t ordered Jay to pay them. I’ve been loaning her three thousand dollars a month just so she can keep her head above water.”
Well, that explained the money and the motels.
“There’s more.” Her voice hitched.
Of course there was more. “Tell me.”
She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “I actually introduced Julie and Jay. After I first came back with my paralegal degree, I interned at the mayor’s office. Jay’s dad was the mayor then, and Jay worked for his dad.”
That wasn’t all. “And?” Ryker asked, going on instinct, warning tickling the base of his skull.
She winced again. “I may have dated Jay a little bit. I mean, we went on a few dates, but it wasn’t serious. Not at all.”
“Wait a sec.” Ryker ran through the new tidbit of information, an unwelcome jealousy ripping into his gut. “How did Julie end up with him?”
Zara shrugged. “I wasn’t feeling it with him, so I called it quits. Julie showed up to meet me for lunch one day, and they hit it off. Turns out I was right about the guy.”
“Did he hit you?”
“No. We just didn’t…mesh.” She sighed. “I’m so relieved it didn’t work out between us, but I still feel a little guilty about encouraging Julie with him.”
Ryker breathed out, irrationally glad she’d dumped Jay. “It’s not your fault.”
“I know, but still…”
Ryker watched her carefully. “Did you sleep with Jay?”
She tilted her head to the side. “Would it matter?”
“No, but I’d like to know.” He had no right to ask the question, but it didn’t stop him. Right and wrong rarely had.
“No.” She faced him head-on, the truth glimmering in her eyes. “I broke it off before that point. Well, mainly because he was pushing that point, and I just didn’t trust him.”
Good instincts. Relief, wrong and inappropriate, still filled him. “Thanks for telling me the truth.”
“Always. You and I are always honest with each other. We just don’t share much, do we?”
“I’d like to change that.” He blinked as the words flew out of his mouth.
“Would you? Really?” Her upper lip curled. “I think you’d like for me to tell you everything and for you to not have to say a word. I don’t know a thing about your childhood except for the scars that you share with your blood brothers.”
He could give her more than that. “We lived in a hellhole masquerading as a boys home. Those were pretty bad years, and I don’t like to talk about them. Heath and Denver really don’t like to talk about those days, so please don’t ask them.” All he needed was Zara poking into the past he was still shielding them all from.
“I won’t,” she said softly, her intense gaze proving she probably noticed much more than he wanted her to see. “I like, ah, knowing more about you. The real you.” Vulnerability shone in her eyes.
His chest thrummed. “You can trust me, Zara.” She didn’t need to feel vulnerable with him. Ever. “I’ll protect you.”
“That’s what you do, right?” she asked thoughtfully.
He opened his mouth and nothing came out. Then he cleared his throat and gave her the truth, because he’d said he would. “Yeah. That’s what I do.” It’s who he was and who he needed to be. “I imagine it’s not easy being on the other side of that.”
She smiled. “We’ll see, won’t we? For now, I, ah, have to get to work. Jay Pentley is actually compiling documents for us today so we can answer discovery requests from Julie’s attorney. Kind of answer, I guess.”
Yeah. Enough sharing. That meant Pentley would be at City Hall, working on his discovery documents. Ryker nodded. “We’ll swing by your place for fresh clothes, and then I’ll drop you off at work.” He held up a hand to stall her question as she started to ask it. “I don’t know when your car will be ready, but I’ll find out. Denver can fix anything.” Although, the idea of having Zara dependent on him for transport, especially while Jay Pentley was still walking, held definite appeal.
By her quick snort, she somehow read his mind.
Good thing she couldn’t read past that.
*