Straight from the Heart

Lucas glanced up as Joan burst through the door gasping for breath.

He stood immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I…” She held a hand to her chest and took a gulp of air. “I…ran from my car… I had to tell you…what’s happening…”

“What?”

Joan collapsed into a chair. “Sam Logan’s been arrested.”

There was a long pause, then Lucas smiled. “Did you have margaritas with lunch again?”

Joan shook her head. “I only did that once and it was my sixtieth birthday and you don’t have to keep reminding me.”

“Well, you’re talking nonsense.”

“I am not,” she snapped. “Sam Logan’s been arrested and so has his son, Blake.”

The smile left Lucas’s face. “What the hell for?”

Joan spoke in a rush. “Years ago Mr. Logan represented Todd Easton for the murder and rape of a young girl. Mr. Logan lost the case and Easton broke out of jail and beat up Sam’s daughter for revenge. The police shot and killed Easton.” She took another breath. “There were two sets of skin under the girl’s nails, but they could never identify the other boy. Now they have. They say it’s Blake Logan and that Sam paid Easton to keep quiet.”

“Oh, God,” Lucas said, sinking into his chair. None of this made sense. “I met Blake last night and he seemed like a nice guy—clean-cut and decent.” He looked at Joan. “Are you sure about this?”

She raised her eyes to the ceiling, then got up and switched on the TV set in the corner. There, in living color, were Sam and Blake in handcuffs being escorted to jail. Reporters hovered around, throwing out questions that went unanswered. The TV reporter was giving an update of the events and it was pretty much as Joan had said.

“See?” Joan muttered, switching off the set. “So do you think this had anything to do with Mr. Logan’s job offer?”

The same thought had occurred to Lucas. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Sam has a very good team. Why would he need me?”

“Lucas Culver.” She sighed in annoyance. “You’re better than all of them put together and Sam Logan knows it. If you ask me, you’ll be getting a call from him.” She grabbed her side. “God, I’m too old to be running. I think I’m having a heart attack.”

“Don’t you dare have a heart attack,” he called out as she walked into her own office.

“Such sympathy,” she mumbled, closing the door.

Lucas sat there, stunned. But one thought kept invading his mind—Blair. How was she taking this? She and Blake were twins—this had to be hard for her. He straightened. Oh, God, Blair worked in the D.A.’s office. How in the hell was she handling that? Even as he asked the question, he knew the answer. He’d bet she’d already resigned. He didn’t know Blair well, but he knew her loyalty was with her family.

He went over last night’s events in his head. Did Blair know what was going to happen? Was that why she seemed nervous and edgy? Blair suppressed her emotions, so it was difficult to tell. But his heart ached for her and that threw him. The woman had done everything but scratch his eyes out, yet here he was feeling sorry for her.

God, what a mess.

But it wasn’t his mess.

By the end of the week he’d be with Jacob, Miranda and the kids. He needed that peace and the serenity Jacob was always talking about. He sighed. The older he got, the more he was becoming like his big brother. Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing, though.

As he signed the last letter, his thoughts returned to Blair. He told himself that he shouldn’t waste his time; she wouldn’t appreciate his concern. She’d already told him that. Then why in hell couldn’t he stop thinking about her?

Dammit, Blair.

CHAPTER FIVE

BLAIR TYPED her resignation, signed it and handed it to Evan personally. She then cleared her personal belongings out of the office and left. She went immediately to the jail, hoping to see her father and Blake, where she was told that her father had been released on his own recognizance and Blake was still being processed. She asked to see him, but they wouldn’t let her. They said he could only see his attorney. She started to lie and say she was his lawyer, but they knew her and her position in the D.A.’s office. Unless Evan specified otherwise, she knew she wasn’t going to get anywhere near him…at least not today.

Although she tried to keep her mind blank, she found it impossible. The whole thing was too horrible to push aside. She had to have some answers, and the only way to get those was to talk to her father. She called his office, but his secretary said he wasn’t there, so she knew the only other place he’d be was at home with her mother.

On the drive to River Oaks, she thought about that time sixteen years ago. Her twin brother had been rebellious and uncontrollable. He’d been drinking, doing drugs. But in her heart she knew he had not committed this crime. She knew him as well as she knew herself, and even on drugs he could not have done such a terrible thing. There had to be another reason his DNA matched the skin under Bonnie Davis’s fingernails.

Evidence doesn’t lie. How many times had she proclaimed those words, believed them religiously and used them to seal a case? Now she’d have to take a second look at what had been driving her all these years. Had it been justice or plain old revenge? No, she couldn’t think about that now. She had to concentrate on Blake and on finding out the truth.

She punched in the code at the gate and it promptly swung open. She recognized the other cars in the driveway: Derek’s, Frank’s and Theo’s. The partners were plotting strategy, planning how to handle the situation. She knew her father would not rest until Blake was free.

She drove to the garages and parked in her usual spot, then hurried through the kitchen, as she had yesterday. God, it seemed like forever since last night. So much had happened and so much was still to come.

Greta met her at the door. “Oh, Miss Blair, it’s awful, just awful,” she cried, wringing her hands.

“Where’re my parents?” she asked.

“Your mother took a couple of aspirin and went upstairs to lie down, and your father’s in his study with his lawyers.”

“Thanks, Greta,” she replied, and headed for her father’s sanctum.

She could hear raised voices, but as soon as she opened the door everything became quiet—too quiet.

Sam was sitting on the leather sofa by the French windows. He looked haggard and old, and Blair’s heart crumbled in agonizing pain. She’d never seen her father like this and for a moment she didn’t know what to do. Then she did what her heart dictated—she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“Blair, darling, I’m so sorry,” he mumbled in her hair.

“It’s all right, Daddy,” she reassured him. “We’ll sort this out.”

“Blair.” Derek spoke up. “I don’t think it’s wise for you to be here. After all, you do work for Holt.”

Blair released her father and faced Derek. “Not anymore. I resigned.”

“Oh, no,” Sam choked out. “I never wanted that to happen. None of this should be happening.”

Blair took her father’s hand and held it tight. “Tell me what’s going on.”

His hand gripped hers just as tightly. “I’m so sorry you got hurt, but I was powerless to stop any of this.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“I do,” he admitted. “You’re my daughter and I handled last night badly. I wanted to convince Lucas to take this case. I didn’t think about much else.”

“Let’s forget about last night,” she told him. “I understand now why you did what you did. I’m just sorry I ruined the evening.” She didn’t want to think or talk about Lucas, but she knew that she would…later. Right now she had to have answers. “Tell me what happened back then—and tell me the truth. I don’t need to be protected.”

“It’s not a pretty picture.”

“I don’t expect it to be, but I know Blake did not kill that girl.”