Jay pushed his chair away from the table. “Excuse me for a minute. Restroom is down the left hall?”
Brock nodded. The second Jay left, Brock quickly texted something on his phone. “What happened to your jaw?” he asked Zara.
“I told you. Nothing.” Zara crossed her arms. They engaged in a small staring contest, and heat soon filled her face.
Ryker strode into the room and slipped his phone into his back pocket. “You texted me?”
Brock frowned. “Yes, but now I’m wondering just how long you’ve been in town, Ryker.” He glanced at the bruises on Zara’s face, his lips pressing into a white line.
Ryker eyed Zara and then crossed to take the chair opposite the one Jay had vacated. “I arrived in town after the bruise on her cheek but before the one on her jaw,” he said without an ounce of discernable sarcasm.
Brock narrowed his gaze. “Did you hit her?”
“Of course not,” Zara burst out. “Geez, Brock.”
“No.” Ryker sat back.
Brock looked from one to the other of them. “If you did hit her, I’m coming after you myself.”
Zara snapped her lips shut. While he was coming from a point of sweetness and friendship, the guy was way out of line. He’d made a couple of nice moves on her to go to dinner, but she had to keep her professional and personal lives separate. Then Ryker had entered her life, and she could no longer even think of another man. “Brock. For goodness’ sake. Ryker did not hit me.”
“Then who did?” Red bloomed in Brock’s wide face. He made a strangled sound as he took in Ryker’s bruised knuckles. “I’m calling the cops.” Reaching for his phone, he held out his other hand when Zara began to protest. “This isn’t okay, Zara. The evidence is on his hands as plain as day.”
Panic heated her lungs. Things were getting way out of control. “Jay hit me,” she blurted out.
Brock stopped mid-dial. “Excuse me?”
“I’m so sorry.” Zara clasped her hands together. If Brock called the police, too much could go wrong. “Julie was my friend, and she needed help. Jay beat the heck out of her, but there wasn’t any proof, and I just lent her money until she could get a settlement.”
Brock studied her and then slowly set his phone down. He put his lawyer face back into place. “Go on.”
“Julie stayed at different motels around town, and I took her money and clothes out on Route 27 last week. Jay was there, and they were fighting. He punched her in the face, and I jumped in.” Zara rubbed the almost faded bruise along her cheekbone.
Jay strode back into the room, his usual gait lurching. He stopped by his chair and looked around, his body stiffening at the obvious tension. “What?”
“Zara just told me about the altercation and that you’re a wife beater,” Brock snapped.
“That’s slander.” Jay retook his seat, his face flushing. “I believe it’s also malpractice and a whole shitload of other stuff.” He glared at Brock. “Your paralegal shared privileged information with the opposition. I have quite the case against you.”
“Did you hit her?” Brock asked, his voice hoarse.
“No. It’s her word against mine.” Jay put on his mayor expression. “I’m the victim here.”
“You’re about to be,” Ryker said evenly.
Jay paled. “I admit Julie and I got into a scuffle, but she hit me first. Then your employee jumped in, swinging while also violating attorney-client privilege. Everyone had better settle down, or I’m calling another attorney to sue your asses.”
Brock pinched the bridge of his nose. “Zara? Did you reveal privileged information?”
“Of course she didn’t,” Ryker answered for her. “However, the fact that she did see Jay physically abuse Julie is relevant, don’t you think? Especially since Julie is now dead.”
“I didn’t kill Julie,” Jay spat, his tone heated. Emotion swirled in his eyes. He drew a shaky hand through his thick hair. “I can’t imagine anybody killing Julie.”
No. Just beating the snot out of her.
Jay looked at Ryker’s hands. “Zara committed malpractice for the firm, violated privilege, and then sent her boyfriend to rough me up at the office.”
Brock coughed and swung his head to Ryker, completely losing the professional look. “You did what?” His voice had risen at least two octaves on the last.
Ryker bobbed his head to the side. “I can see how this might upset you, Brock.”
“You think so?” Brock shoved back from the table and swung his hands out. “You’re all assholes. Jay? We’ve been friends for decades. Did you really beat your wife?”
“No. There was only that one scuffle,” Jay said smoothly. “Things were contentious during the divorce, but before that, and before Julie got all depressed and started self-medicating, we were happy.”
Ryker lifted an eyebrow at Zara.
She cleared her throat. “That’s not what Julie told me.”