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Chapter 24
Alex glanced over her shoulder as she and Mel left the dining room and smiled at Gideon. He smiled back, and she drew in a deep breath. Turned to focus on what Mel was saying. She’d find Gideon when she finished her meeting.
This yearning for a man was foreign to Alex. A little disturbing. She had Sierra. Her friends. Her work. But they all had their places in her orderly life.
She immersed herself in her trials, had all the information at her fingertips. That level of engagement and knowledge gave her the edge in the courtroom.
This fascination with a man was new to her. She’d never been consumed by anyone the way she was with Gideon.
When she saw Mel, standing by the open door to her office, she realized she’d been lost in her thoughts. Giving Mel an apologetic smile, she stepped past her and settled into one of the visitor chairs.
Mel sat in the chair on the other side of her desk. “How are you doing, Alex?” she asked, holding her gaze.
Alex pursed her lips without looking away. “Fine, now. The past week was very… stressful.” She sighed. Hunched her shoulders and recounted her story, with careful omissions. Finished with, “I didn’t feel safe until we drove into the compound yesterday.”
Mel raised one eyebrow. “Even when you were staying in that shuttered motel with Gideon?”
Alex nodded, ordering her thoughts. “That was better than other parts of the trip,” she said slowly. “The storm was so bad that I was pretty sure no one would be able to get to me. And no one knew we were there because we’d hidden my car in their barn. I was afraid Jerry was behind me, but he would have had to stop for the storm, too. But in spite of all that, I was still on edge. I’d tense up every time a car slowed as it passed the motel. A bunch of snowmobilers roared past one evening. I was still shaking an hour later.” She blew out a breath. “And then the Russians showed up.”
Mel nodded slowly. “I can imagine how nerve-wracking that week was. I’m sorry you had to go through that, but it sounds as if you handled it well. Gideon was very complimentary about you.” She smiled. “Said you were the ideal client.”
Alex’s cheeks heated. “He’s glossing over the part where I thought he was a hitman hired to kill me. The part where I pulled a gun on him.” She studied Mel for a moment. Should she share some of her past?
Mel was non-judgmental. Alex took a deep breath. “I grew up rough. Learned early how to deal with what was. Wishing things were different was a waste of time when I was struggling to survive. I had… have… major trust issues.”
Mel leaned back. To give her space? She tilted her head as she studied Alex. “Whatever happened when you were young made you strong. Resilient. I Googled you, as I’m sure you expected I would. You’ve had a lot of success in your law practice. You’re highly thought of by your associates, your peers and your opponents. That says a lot about a person.”
Alex pressed into the back of the chair. “Yeah, well, it’s not like I’ve done it all by myself. I have a great partner. And a lot of talented employees who’ve contributed significantly to my success.”
Mel’s expression didn’t change, but Alex was skilled at reading body language. Mel was closing in with the coup d’etat.
Alex straightened, bracing for the blow.
“You’re also very smart,” Mel began. “Smart enough to make sure you’ve covered all the angles. Smart enough to take some insurance with you when you ran. So why don’t you tell me why your husband is chasing you, after he hired Gideon to kill you? Why not let Gideon do the job Mr. Trotter paid him a lot of money to do?”
Alex stared at Mel, impressed. The head of Blackhawk Security had set that trap very smoothly. Led her through the steps until the jaws snapped shut.
She stared down at her hands for a long moment, wondering how much to tell Mel. Realized she’d have to tell her the truth. Mel was smart. She’d know if Alex was lying.
Alex lifted her head. Held Mel’s gaze instead of staring at her hands like she was guilty of something. Embarrassed about what she’d done. Clearing her throat, squaring her shoulders, she said, “I took some things out of Jerry’s safe before I left. Most of the cash he had, but not all of it. I left a few thousand dollars behind.” She smiled. “I fluffed it up so it looked like more.”
Mel’s mouth curled into a smile. “Smart not to take all of it. Less obvious.”
“Yeah.” Alex relaxed into her seat. “I also took some file folders that were in the safe with the money. Jerry kept his files in a filing cabinet in his office, just like I did. I figured if he’d locked those two up, they were important. I thought I might need… need a bargaining chip. Or something to control Jerry.”
Mel frowned. “Did you suspect he’d come after you?”
“I’d heard him hire the hit man. Gideon,” she corrected herself. “I figured he’d leave the dirty work to the guy he’d hired. But…” She bit her lip. “I was afraid he might come after me if he realized the money was gone. The files were my bargaining chip.”
“What was in the files?” Mel asked.
Alex shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to read them yet. But I suspect it has something to do with the Russians. With their contacts at the FBI. Or the CIA.”
Mel froze for a brief moment at Alex’s mention of the CIA. Then leaned forward as if to obscure the tiny jolt hearing CIA had given her. Too late. Alex noticed everything. It’s what gave her an edge in court.
Frowning now, Mel said, “You and Gideon were in that motel room for two days. Why didn’t you read them then?”
Alex sighed. “I didn’t tell Gideon about the files. When he caught up to me early on, I was afraid he was the hitman I’d heard Jerry hiring. By the time we got to the motel, I didn’t think he’d kill me.” She flattened her lips. “He’d had a damn good chance and hadn’t taken it. So I finally got past my fear that he was the hitman.
