“I’m a little surprised you’re bothered I turned down the offer. I feel like my case is going amazingly well, and the jury is going to give Jenna more than your client is offering. Yet you seem truly troubled by this.”
I look closely at Reeve, waiting to see if anything surfaces to give credence to the uneasy feeling within me. Instead, he looks back at me with clear and confident eyes. “No, you’re not missing anything. I just happen to think it’s good money and you’re risking a lot to turn it down.”
“I understand the risks well,” I tell him calmly, my eyes still flicking to his to see if his countenance reveals anything. “I never think a verdict is guaranteed. I understand Jenna could lose, no matter how good I feel about it right now.”
No reaction but a slight tightening of his jaw, and Reeve gives me a small smile. “Well, that’s good. If you’re comfortable with the risks, then so am I.”
I follow Reeve back to Judge Henry’s office. We convey that the offer has been declined. Even though Reeve advised us there would be no counteroffer, the judge makes us go through the motions and exhaust negotiations in a formal manner. He demands that I send a number back to them, and I tell Reeve that Jenna will settle for two million. Our bottom line was actually a bit less than that, but I wasn’t going to shortchange us in case TransBenefit has more money.
Reeve talks to his clients and is back in less than two minutes.
No counteroffer is forthcoming, and true to their word, the $500,000 is pulled from the table.
This shouldn’t have bothered me.
I felt fine just minutes ago out in the hallway with Jenna’s decision to press forward. I felt confident, and again, understanding there’s no guarantee, I had no qualms about turning our nose up at that money.
But something doesn’t feel right to me, and it all boils down to Reeve. I can’t put my finger on it and I really can’t ask Reeve about it, either, because we promised not to discuss this case. While I feel pretty strong in our evidence and know exactly how the rest of the trial is going to play out, I can’t get over the feeling that I’m missing something critically important.
Judge Henry resumes the trial. I call Dr. Franklinton to the stand and he’s brilliant. The jury eats up every word out of his mouth. Reeve can do nothing to shake his testimony. Dr. Summerland sinks lower and lower into his chair, and the jurors all take turns leveling glares at him and fond smiles toward Jenna.
Dr. Franklinton does so well that by the time he gets off the stand and the judge is recessing court for the day, all of my earlier feelings of unrest have disappeared. I only have three more witnesses left, the ones who will forecast the economic damages. Then I’ll be done and Reeve will have a chance to put on his case. That will probably take another four to five days, and then Reeve and I will be arguing our cases to the jury. I’m more than halfway home. I can taste the victory on the tip of my tongue, and I’m not only excited about getting justice for Jenna, I’m excited to put this case behind me so Reeve and I can be together with no secrets or battles to wage between us.
CHAPTER 22
REEVE
This morning I was awake long before the sun rose, and long before Leary stirred next to me. Normally she’s the early riser, the one pushing me out of bed.
I didn’t get up, though.
Instead, I loosened my hold around her. Her face was turned so her cheek was pressed into my chest. One arm was curled under her, the other slung over my waist. I inched backward a bit and stared at her shadowy form in the gloom of the predawn hours.
As the sun rose, I watched as her features came into focus. The way her face was utterly relaxed, her lips slightly parted as she slept, her hair falling forward over her right eye. I tentatively reached up, pushed it back with my fingertips so I could have a completely unobstructed view of her. When my skin touched hers, I reveled in the sensation.
Then my chest squeezed in anxiety, as I was afraid our time was almost up.
I acted then on pure need, pulling her back against me. She moaned in her sleep, and when my lips pressed against hers, she opened her eyes to blink at me.
I felt the curve of her mouth against mine as it went from relaxed slumber to a welcoming smile.
I kissed her passionately, making sure she understood that this was far more than just a good-morning kiss. This had the potential to be a good-bye kiss, so I didn’t hold a fucking thing back. I poured everything that I am and will ever be into the kiss, hoping it would speak volumes and she wouldn’t doubt me later.
Kissing turned to stroking. Soft pants turned to rough gasps.
My hands wandered across her skin while hers did the same to me.
We made out like two teenagers in the backseat of a car on prom night, and when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I rolled her onto her back, pushed in between her legs and made love to her.
She arched her back, giving me access to her slender neck, where I murmured gentle words against her skin while I pumped slowly in and out of her. It was beautiful and damning all at once. The memory of how I made love to her will haunt me, I’m sure.
I’ll never forget how when I came inside her, she moaned, “I adore you.”
I answered her, “And I you,” and then I kissed her again.
“Okay, Mr. Holloway, Miss Michaels, it appears you both have concluded your cases before this jury. Are there any other matters we need to handle before we move on?”
I jerked and blinked my eyes as Judge Henry’s words penetrated my poignant memories of this morning. Leary stood up from her table and answered, “No, Your Honor. I believe that’s everything.”
Of course, she would think that’s everything. Last night she chattered at me like a little puppy, happy and relieved that all of the evidence was finished. Her case was wrapped up, and it took just a little more than three days for me to put on my expert witnesses. They, of course, gave testimony that was completely contradictory to Leary’s expert witnesses. They didn’t come off well because they weren’t as qualified and there was personal bias. I rested my case late yesterday afternoon, and Judge Henry adjourned us until this morning.
Rising slowly from my chair, my chest cramped with fear, I button my suit coat and say, “Your Honor, the defense actually has two more witnesses to call to the stand. I expect their testimony won’t take very long.”
“I’m going to have to object,” Leary says, and I don’t look over at her. I can hear the shock in her voice. “There are no other witnesses listed on the pretrial order.”
“May we approach the bench?” I ask Judge Henry, and he waves us both forward.
Leary’s head turns toward me as we both slide out from behind our tables, but I can’t even look her in the eye. Instead, I lower my gaze to the floor and motion with my hand for her to precede me.
I follow her up to the judge’s bench, feeling like I’m walking to my own execution.
“What’s this about?” Judge Henry asks me in a low whisper when we’re both standing in front of him.
“I have two rebuttal witnesses,” I murmur, the words tasting like ashes on my tongue.
“Rebuttal to what?” Leary hisses.
I still refuse to meet her gaze and instead look at Judge Henry. “Jenna LaPietra answered my requests for admissions, which were filed with the court and admitted into evidence yesterday. Request number nineteen specifically asked her to admit or deny if she had solicited and performed sexual acts on the customers in exchange for money. She denied the request. My two witnesses are prepared to offer evidence to rebut that.”