Deadly Silence (Blood Brothers #1)(35)

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.

Zara tugged down her moss-colored sweater and walked into the conference room, where Brock had files and notebooks haphazardly spread out. She gasped. “What in the world have you done?”

The lawyer looked up. “I’ve been trying to put all the data into some sort of order.”

She’d had it in order. “I see.” Pulling back a chair, she dropped down and slid manila files into organized stacks. Why was it that the smarter the man, the more chaos he created? “How far have you gotten on the discovery requests?”

“I’ve gone through all the documents supplied by Jay, and I read over his answers to interrogatories. We need to tweak a couple.” When he worked on weekends, Brock wore a dark blue golf shirt that emphasized his broad chest. “I also went through the affidavits you drafted for us. Good job on those.”

“Thanks.” She smiled. Brock was a stickler for procedure, and a compliment from him meant something.

He leaned forward, his gaze somber. “I know you and Julie Pentley were friends a while back, and I’m sorry you’re on this side of the aisle.”

She nodded. “I’m not sure Jay is such a great guy, you know?”

“He’s a politician.” Brock smiled. “Aren’t they all slightly less than great?”

“Says the lawyer,” she teased. An easy friendship with Brock was one of the best parts of her job.

Brock barked out a laugh. “Very good point.” He shoved a manila file toward her. “Here are the financials.”

She flipped the file folder open to read down a list. “Are we sure he gave us everything?” According to Julie, there was a lot more money than what was neatly laid out there.

“As far as I can tell. Why? Do you know something I don’t?”

Definitely. “No, but it seems like a man like Jay Pentley, with his family and trust funds, would have more income than this.” She pushed the file toward Brock. “I’d double-check with him. If Julie’s attorney hires a private detective or a forensic accountant, then we don’t want to be unprepared.”

Brock spun the file around with one finger. “It sounds like you do know something.”

“No.” She worked for Brock, darn it. The man was a master in trial and certainly didn’t need her help. “I just think Jay has more money than he’s showing. When I worked for the mayor way back when, Jay was always throwing cash around.”