Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1)(18)
He needed to get his head out of his ass. He shouldn’t be noticing her clothes or her legs or her freaking collarbone. She was his client. Period.
“First, tell me why you care so much about my trial,” she said.
“Call me curious.”
“Nope.”
He cut a glance at her. “Nope?”
“You’re obviously not much of a talker, which is fine, but I don’t believe you just want to listen to me rattle on.”
He had to give her points for being perceptive.
“It’s relevant to the job I’m doing, so I want to know more about it.”
She turned to face him, and her shirt shifted again. “How is it relevant, exactly?”
“Your name’s been in the news. You’re my client. Anything that draws attention to you right now is relevant.”
“Well, what did you see in the news?” she asked.
Great, she was going to answer his questions with questions. This could take all day.
“Not a lot,” he said. “The defendant’s some wealthy drug dealer.”
“Wrong on both counts. In fact, he’s flat broke. Reggie took the case pro bono.”
“Nothing’s ever really pro bono.”
She arched a pretty eyebrow at him. “Cynical, aren’t you?”
“I’m realistic.”
“Well, in this instance you’re right. The firm’s getting free exposure out of it. This case has garnered some media attention, as you’ve noticed.”
“So why isn’t Reggie handling it instead of you?”
“He’s tied up with something big right now.”
“Bigger than this?”
“Yes. Anyway, I offered to take it.”
“What about Ross?”
“Ross is second chair. I’ve got more trial experience, so I’m taking the lead. It’s a good opportunity for me.”
Interesting. He would have thought uprooting her life temporarily and moving up to Dallas wouldn’t be much of a plum assignment.
“What’s that look?” she asked.
“Nothing. You were telling me about your case?”
She sighed and looked ahead. “Justin Sebring. He’s charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a college student named Seth Moore outside a pizza restaurant.”
“Sounds serious.”
“It is. But he’s innocent.”
“They all are, right?”
“No, actually, some defendants are guilty as hell. I take it you don’t like defense attorneys?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m used to it. But everyone has the right to due process. That’s in the Constitution for a reason. It keeps those in power from running roughshod over people’s rights.”
“So if your client’s so innocent, why is he going to trial? I thought prosecutors generally try to cut a deal if they don’t have a strong case.”
“That’s where it gets sticky. Justin’s not a drug dealer, but the prosecutor is saying he was working for a local distributor and killed the victim during a botched drug buy. The DA’s office is playing hardball, hoping we’ll cave and give them something on the big fish in exchange for a light sentence.”
“And?”
“And what? It’s not happening.” Her voice took on an edge. “Justin is eighteen. He was three months shy of graduation when his life got derailed. Now he could spend the rest of his days in prison for something he didn’t do. I can’t let that happen.”
He heard the determination in her voice, and he had to respect it. He also respected that she had the guts to take on such a high-pressure case. The stakes were high, which meant stress for her, which Erik understood, because his job was high-stakes, too. They both operated in a world where their performance had life-and-death consequences. So many people didn’t.
She shifted her legs out from under her. Then she looked at her watch, as if she’d lost patience with the conversation.
“Hey, any chance we can pull over soon?”
“Why?”
“Um, because I’d like to use the ladies’ room.”
“Don’t you mean because you want to sneak away and call Liz back?”
She looked ticked off, and he knew he’d nailed it. “Who I call is none of your business.”
Erik took his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Jeremy. He exited the highway and pulled into the first gas station. It was busy with weekend travelers, and he veered around the pumps to swing into a space by the convenience store.
Brynn grabbed her purse.
“Wait.” He caught her arm before she could jump out.
She glanced down at his hand, and he let her go.
“We need to get clear on a few things,” he said, tossing her own words back at her.
“Like what?”
He waited for her to look at him and held her gaze. “I know you don’t like this. And I know you’re used to being in control. In every area of your life, I’m guessing.”
She didn’t respond to that, just watched him with those deep blue eyes.
“Your private life is private. Full stop. You don’t have to worry about me, or anyone on my team, sharing your personal information with anyone. Our job is your safety. But we can’t keep you safe if you won’t let us near you.”