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But not if I can help it.
“Jodie?”
“Leo is innocent,” I tell her.
“I never said he was guilty, just…”
“I know he’s innocent, Gladys. I was with him yesterday. I was with him at that lake house.”
Gladys draws a deep breath. “Shit.”
Of course, we didn’t leave together, but I refuse to believe he was with a woman after we parted ways. I have a feeling that’s the story they’ll go with – we had a fight and he took it out on that poor woman. I refuse to believe he’s capable of treating a woman like trash. Yes, he slept around. Did he force any of them? I don’t think so. Weren’t they throwing themselves at him? And yes, he fought with Agent Chandler, but that’s a different matter. He’d never hurt a woman under other circumstances. He never hurt me.
I look at my bandaged finger.
True, my finger got dislocated, but that was my fault, not his. Leo admitted that he keeps hurting me, but I know he never means to. Contrary to what he thinks of himself, he’s not a bad guy.
“He didn’t do this, Gladys,” I say.
“Wait. If you were with him at the lake house, then you trespassed, too, right? Sure you want to come forward and confess that? Because I’m not sure that’s a good decision.”
“I’m not going to do that.”
It would be stupid and futile. It would be playing right into the ADA’s hands.
“But I’m going to think of something. There’s no way I’m going to let Leo go to trial and then to jail for something he didn’t do.”
I already have a few ideas, actually.
“Careful,” Gladys tells me. “You sound like you’re in love with him.”
“Whatever,” I say.
I don’t care about that right now. What I care about is getting those charges dropped and Leo’s name cleared, and I’m going to do whatever it takes.
I place my hand on my belly.
There’s no way I’m going to let my baby’s father be branded a criminal.
~
“You’re free to go, Mr. Ursini,” the officer says as he lets Leo out of his cell.
I get up from the bench I’m sitting on and give the officer a nod before I escort Leo out of the precinct. I stay calm as I walk beside him, giving nothing away. Inside, though, I’m jumping for joy.
I did it. I got the charges against Leo dropped. I had some help, of course, from Gladys, from Agent Chandler, even from my dad – thanks to his notes, I was able to get on DA Parker’s good side. Still, I did it. I saved Leo from the public humiliation of a trial based on false and malicious accusations. ADA Johnson can kiss my ass.
As soon as we’re inside the car, I finally let my smile out. I turn to Leo and place my hand over his.
“Hey. You can breathe now. You’re free. You’re not going to jail for a bunch of crap.”
To my surprise and dismay, Leo pulls his hand away.
“Did my dad pay to get me out of jail?”
“No,” I tell him. “I did the work myself, so yes, you can thank me.”
But he doesn’t. He won’t even look at me.
“Why did you do it? Because you feel sorry for me?”
What? Is he still mad at me? I just got him out of jail.
“No,” I answer. “I…”
“Or is it because you feel that you owe me for helping you out in investigating your father’s death? In that case, I’m telling you that you don’t. The footage from the camera near the warehouse is corrupted. It’s impossible to retrieve. So you see, I can’t help you.”
Footage? Oh, right. I’d forgotten about that. It’s corrupted? That’s a pity. I would have liked to see what happened at that warehouse. We could still look into other things, especially now that we know the person who killed my father likely works at Ursini Holdings.
“It’s fine,” I tell him. “We’ll…”
“Or maybe you think it’s what Antonio would have wanted?” he interrupts me again.
I frown. “I did it because it was the right thing to do. You didn’t do anything to that woman.”
Leo narrows his eyes at me. “Are you sure? You weren’t there.”
Is this some kind of test?
“I’m sure,” I answer without a doubt. “You’re a lot of things, Leonardo Ursini, but you are not a man who attacks and hurts women.”
“I hurt you,” he points out as he glances at my hand. “And didn’t you say I took advantage of you the first time we had sex?”
“You didn’t. And yes, you might have hurt me…” I hold my injured hand against my chest. “But never intentionally.”
He snorts.
My temper rises. Why? Why is he insisting on being the bad guy? Didn’t he say he wanted to be a good guy? I’m already telling him he is. Why isn’t he listening?
“Leo…”
“Stop.” He lifts his hand. “Just stop it, Jodie. Stop pretending you care about me.”
