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“Shewasa prisoner!” Allison’s blue eyes, which he suddenly realized were so very much like Heather’s, were snapping fire. “They took advantage of her. They threatened her life. She was frightened out of her mind, but her feelings for you weren’t a lie.”
He shot to his feet and paced behind his desk, tension coursing through him until he thought he would snap. Because the thought of Heather sitting in a jail cell was driving him mad with guilt and worry, even though he was the one who’d put her there. He gave a sigh of resignation, knowing that he couldn’t continue down this path. “I’ll release her into your custody as long as you promise you’ll keep her safe.”
Quinn nodded. “Of course, we will. We won’t let her out of our sight.”
Drake met Quinn’s eyes. “I can’t be seen to be going easy on her. She’ll have to testify against those bastards when we find them.”
“I’m certain she’ll be happy to,” Quinn said, his manner finally gentling. “I heard that your meeting with the magistrate didn’t go well.”
“They won’t prosecute Danbury,” Drake snapped, still furious. “There’s not much else we can do.”
Quinn sighed and shook his head. “Ness and I were afraid of this. We’ve been working on a plan, but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
“Tell me,” Drake demanded. “At this point, I’m willing to try anything.”
Quinn gave a nod in his wife’s direction, and Drake realized he didn’t want to talk about it in front of her, which didn’t bode well. “Why don’t the three of us get together later at your house? We can talk then.”
“All right,” Drake agreed, hoping whatever they proposed would be something he could actually direct all this anger into. He needed something else to focus on before he went mad.
“So Heather’s not being charged with anything? We can take her home?” Quinn verified, as though not certain Drake had meant it the first time.
Drake gave a sharp nod. “But I’m counting on you to protect her. With Lindon still out there, it isn’t safe for her.”
“Sebastian and Jocelyn’s house is as secure as it can possibly be,” Quinn assured him.
Allison had been quiet for a while, but now she gave a brittle laugh. “You seem to care quite a lot about her safety for someone who had her thrown in jail for no reason!”
“There were plenty of reasons,” Drake fired back. “But I never said I didn’t care about her.”
For some reason, Allison gave a triumphant smirk at that. “You need to decide what you want, Drake. Before it’s too late.”
With that, she swept out of his office, leaving him to share a bemused look with Quinn before the man trailed obediently after her.
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER, HEATHERwas back in her room at Jocelyn’s, soaking in a luxuriously hot tub, trying desperately to scrub away the memory of jail. She didn’t know if it was possible. Though she’d only been held there a few hours, the stench of fear, rot, and piss seemed to have somehow permanently ingrained itself in her skin.
She’d been so afraid that she was going to be locked in that cell for years. It seemed a bit surreal that she’d been let go so easily, although Quinn had explained that her release was dependent on her testimony against the other members of the Citizens Committee.
She hated to be disloyal to anyone, but she didn’t think she could live with herself if she remained silent after what they’d done. Jacob needed to be stopped and perhaps that was how she could atone for her part in the bombing.
A wave of intense emotion washed over her, but she wasn’t even certain what she was feeling. Was it anger or relief? Guilt or regret?
She still couldn’t believe that Drake had refused to listen to her, that he’d been so quick to believe the worst of her. In the end, she supposed that she’d just proven she was as worthless and low class as he’d first thought her.
Whenever she remembered the look of betrayal in his eyes, she was filled with despair. She hated that she’d disappointed him. He’d given her his trust, something she knew he didn’t do often, and she’d completely destroyed it.
Part of her wanted to go to him, to beg him to give her one more chance to explain herself, but could anything she said really change things now? Once trust was broken, it was nearly impossible to get back again.
Dunking her entire head underwater, she told herself she should just be glad that she’d gotten through this with her freedom and her life. Drake had never truly been meant for her, so she needed to just let him go.
At least she had a few beautiful memories to take with her into spinsterhood.
Hopefully, that was all she took with her...
She pushed herself back to a sitting position and her hand strayed to her flat belly. She didn’t want to bring another bastard like herself into the world.
He’d said he’d take care of her and any child she bore, even offered to marry her, but that was before he knew who she really was. If she tried to foist a child off on him now, he might even doubt it was his, and she couldn’t blame him.
