Deadly Silence (Blood Brothers #1)(34)

Ryker scratched his head, warning tickling at the base of his neck. “Are you giving her legal advice?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Just a couple of loans.” She looked down at the bed.

Oh man. The woman was a terrible liar. Just terrible. For some reason, amusement attacked him. Yet he tried to keep it out of his voice. “Zara. Are you telling Julie about your case?”

She winced. “Kind of. I mean, we’re turning over all discovery requests, but I might have directed her to tell her attorney where to look for hidden assets.”

Ryker huffed out a laugh as he tried to order facts in his mind. “That’s totally malpractice.”

“I know.” Zara wiped her hands down her face. “But Jay is such an ass, and he has all the money, and Julie’s attorney sucks. You know who Jay’s family is.”

“Yeah. Isn’t he supposed to run for governor or something?” Well connected or not, the man was about to take a beating for touching Zara.

“The U.S. Senate,” she mumbled. “He’s announcing early next year, after the divorce is all complete. By then he’ll probably be dating a perfect debutante, and their romance will be part of the campaign strategy.”

Ryker shook his head, grateful she’d told him the truth about the bruise. Finally she was trusting him, and damn if that didn’t feel good. He could do what he did best and shield her. He now understood where the threat was, which put him in control of the danger. His heart warmed that she’d let him in. “Why Julie?”

“Huh?” Zara focused her pretty blue eyes on him.

“You believe in the legal system, and you’re a straight shooter normally. Why are you sticking your neck out and breaking rules for this woman?”

Zara stretched her neck. “She’s my friend. I mean, we became really good friends when I came back from college, and Julie got me out into the world and out of books and work for a while.” She cleared her throat. “We kind of lost touch when she married Jay five years ago, and I should’ve seen what was happening.” Color tinged her cheeks.

“Wasn’t your fault.” Ryker shoved a hand through his thick hair. “Is Pentley dangerous to you?”

Her eyebrows drew down. “No. Julie was staying at a different motel, and he found her. I happened to be dropping off some essentials for her, and there was a fight. We got away.”

So the bastard thought he could hit Zara since she couldn’t tell anybody what she was up to. Ryker would have to discuss that with the mayor. “What about the three thousand dollars you’ve been withdrawing each month?”

She jerked back, and fire flashed in her eyes. “You’ve been investigating me?”

“Yes.”

She really was pretty when furious. “How dare you.”

“You should’ve leveled with me, baby,” he drawled, fighting his own temper. “Money?”

“None of your business,” she ground out, her teeth definitely clenched.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He was about done being reasonable.

Whatever she saw in his gaze had her blinking. He could actually see the very second she decided to work with him instead of against him.

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.”