I swallowed a curse, knowing that it would be all over town before I got to the Sheriff’s office.
“Nutty, can you give Tiss the instructions and take her money. Cancel my clients for the day.” I didn’t glance at Nutty but looked straight at Cranford. “I take it I won’t be back today?”
The grin that crossed his face caused my stomach to knot. It was full of glee like he had a dark secret. “You’ll be lucky to have a business to come back to by the time you get out, boy.”
His condescending tone was nothing new, but the guy with Cranford looked more than a little alarmed by the unprofessional behavior.
“Nutty, there should be a number in my book out back for a lawyer based in Killeen, Steven & Davenport. Ask for Mr. Davenport and tell him I need a lawyer. You know what to do about River.” I kept all the emotions riding through me locked down as I was led away like a criminal, giving the quiet neighborhood yet another show at my expense.
Chapter Two
Mason
“Oh, I’m glad I caught you Mason,” came a deep voice from the doorway.
I glanced up from the desk I’d been tidying to get ready to go to court. “Yeah, I was just getting ready to leave. Can whatever it is wait? It’s Judge Olsen and you know he hates it if you disrupt his golf plans for the afternoon.”
My father came fully into my office, chuckling. His feet moved silently over the thick plush carpet. His suit was navy, as was his tie. The white shirt showed off his tan. It still shocked me some days that his hair was now full grey and there were deep lines around his eyes. He continued to keep his athletic body through some punishing work outs that I avoided because I wasn’t stupid.
His military background was evident in the way he stood, as if he was getting ready to salute a commander. A niggle of regret wormed its way past my defenses. Defenses I’d built to stop the remorse I felt at not doing as he’d wanted and follow him into the military like my brothers. It didn’t matter that he’d not once said he was disappointed. I could see it on his face, hear it in his voice when he talked about my brothers. I consoled myself that I’d gone into law and joined the practice he’d started when he’d left the service, though it made little to no difference when the feelings of failing him crept up on me.
“I need to ask a big favor. Do you remember a few years back when I took on the case of Lincoln Stone, head of Dark Angels motorcycle club? The man whose sister died tragically during labor in Belton.”
I twirled a pen between my fingers, a habit I’d developed when I thought about something important. “Yeah, didn’t the baby get stuck inside the pelvis? Shoulder dystocia caused a uterine rupture and she bled to death if I remember correctly, right in front of Mr. Stone.” My heart bled for what the man must have gone through, regardless of his reputation around the county. I couldn’t even imagine losing a member of my family in such a traumatic way. “Wasn’t there a battle over the guardianship of the child, too?”
My father’s face became saddened. “Yes, I managed to sort it all out, but with his past, it was a hard battle. The sister had the foresight to register guardian status for the child. It was debated whether you could do that for an unborn infant. Some court clerk, new to the role, filed the paperwork without checking. Anyway, we managed to use that to show what the sister wanted. He got compensation from the hospital, which he used to set up a trust for the child when he became sole guardian.” My father tapped at his lower lip, his expression remaining unchanged which unsettled me.
“Why are you bringing this up now?”
“I’ve had a call from one of his friends. It would seem that he’s been arrested for rape. He’s asked me to represent him again. This isn’t my area of speciality—”
I held up my hand, “Dad, my caseload is already overloaded, you know this.” I sounded exasperated, but I knew damn well he’d given me the back story because I was sucker for a bleeding-heart story.
“He’s innocent. I know this man, for all his rough edges, this isn’t something he’d do. I’d bet my whole military career medals on it. He’ll be distraught at being away from River, she’ll be around five years old now and without her father...” he trailed off, leaving the meaning hanging between us.
I scowled and my shoulders drooped. “Alright, I’ll go and meet him, but if I don’t think he’s innocent then I’m sending him back to you, regardless of experience.”
“Son, don’t judge a book by its cover, that’s all I’m going to say.”
***
Later that afternoon, after winning my case, I was riding a high as I drove up to the Bell County Jail where I’d been informed Lincoln had been taken. The place housed maximum security prisoners, so it took nearly half an hour to get through the building to where I would meet my client.
By the time I was seated in the room they allocated for lawyers to meet with their clients, my good mood had all but disappeared. I placed my briefcase on the table that was bolted to the floor in the nondescript room that only held the table and two chairs. I pulled out the file my father had given me, but I’d had no chance to read until now.
As I skimmed through the meager information, a sense of injustice made it hard to swallow. I re-read it again, with a sinking heart at how the law could be twisted to incarcerate people with so little evidence. My blood was boiling when I heard the rattle of chains outside the door, my nerves thrumming under my skin. The door opened and my father’s words ran through my mind. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Holy fuck!
Lincoln was huge and had to be well over my six feet two. He was powerfully built and the white top and elasticized-waist pants he wore didn’t detract from that. His long, wavy brown hair hung around his powerful shoulders and wasn’t in the least bit effeminate. Then, I was held captive by deep brown eyes that looked as if they’d been threaded with gold. In their depths was a wealth of suffering no mask would ever be able to hide completely, and they struck at a cord deep inside me.
Motherfucker! I hated my Dad right then for playing on my sympathetic side.
This man had suffered, and it was as if he were daring the devil himself to call him out for it. The room seemed to shrink as we continued to hold each other’s stare. There was a flicker of something that I recognized, and my body reacted without my permission. The look was quickly gone, and left me wondering if I’d imagined the dark arousal in his eyes as he seemed to assess and dismiss me before he’d taken two steps inside the room.
“Where’s Mr. Davenport?” he rasped. His voice sounded like he’d just smoked fifty cigarettes and drunk a quart of liquor.
A shiver raced down my spine as I worked to mask my reaction to him. “I am Mr. Davenport. My father has little experience in dealing with this type of case, so he asked me to meet with you.” I waited to see what he would do as he towered over me while I remained seated, working on showing him I wasn’t intimidated by his aura of power. No, I was anything but intimidated.
“I trust your father,” he paused, and scrutinized me again. His face showed nothing as he walked to the chair and sat with a bored expression.