Zoe smiled. “That’s good.”
His eyes went wide. “Excuse me if I don’t think my father going to jail is good.”
She leaned forward and rubbed her hand over his jaw, feeling the roughness of his whiskers. “Your father has come to his senses. This is a good thing.” She paused. “Besides, you’re a damn good attorney. You’ll get him out of jail.”
“You’re not calming me down. Crap.” He pushed to his feet. “I need to go over there.”
“I know,” Zoe said. “I’ll find my way home. You go take care of your parents.”
“No,” he said. “Stay. I’ll be back soon.”
“I need to write up last night’s review. I’ll go home.” She waved him on. “Go, Declan. I’m a big girl. Your parents need you.”
He hesitated and then bent down and kissed her cheek. “You’re amazing.”
Zoe felt a sizzle of awareness and even satisfaction from his words. “You can prove it later.”
Straightening, he winked. “You can count on it.”
Chapter Fourteen
Zoe walked in her front door and heard the phone ringing. She ran for it just in time to hear a dial tone. Her cell was dead so she plugged it up and then headed toward the bedroom to take a shower. She made it two steps when both phones started to ring and someone knocked on the front door. About to reach for her cell, she stopped when she heard her brother Mike call her name.
“Zoe Marks, open up. I know you’re there. The doorman told me you were here.”
Her brows dipped as she stomped toward the door and yanked it open to expose her scowling brother. “What the hell are you doing, Mike? I have neighbors.”
He shoved a newspaper at her. “What the hell are you doing?” Pushing past her he entered her apartment.
Zoe made a frustrated sound and slammed the door shut, turning to face her brother. “You have a lot of nerve—” She stopped mid-sentence as she read the paper’s headlines. Her hands started to shake as she read it again hoping she’d seen it wrong.
Marks’ daughter and opposing counsel…up close and personal. The words were above a picture of her and Declan coming out of Serendipity.
Her eyes lifted to her brother. She couldn’t seem to read the rest of the page. “Who is he?”
Her brother gave her a hard look. “You don’t know?”
“No. I mean I do. I know he’s an attorney.”
“Representing Ray.”
Zoe’s mind went back to the night before. To their conversation about her father and Ray. Betrayal stung hard. “I…didn’t know.”
“You have to be careful—”
She cut him off. “Careful? You tell me nothing. How the hell am I supposed to know what’s going on and with whom?” She glared at him. “How?”
“Zoe—”
“I’ve had it this time, Mike,” she bit out in a tight, harsh voice. “Had it.” She tossed the paper across the room and it flew in pieces all about. “You…you let me get used. You made me a victim.”
He took a step toward her and she did the same. “Mike, leave. Go home. Go to Dad. Go to Rick. Hold your little meetings and leave me out of it.” She didn’t yell or scream though she wanted to. God, how she wanted to. Somehow, she kept the words low and cold. Had to. If she let her emotions take hold she was afraid she would lose it in a big way. And that was something she preferred doing alone.
For a moment he looked as if he might argue then he walked toward the door. She kept her back to him, doing her best to keep the tears from falling until she was alone.
“We were wrong, Zoe. I’m sorry.” And then the door opened and closed.
She didn’t let herself cry right then. Instead, she followed Mike’s exit path and flipped her locks in place. Right now she felt as if she’d been raped. It hurt. Really, really hurt. And she felt more alone than she had her entire life.
With slow steps, she found her way to the shower and stripped off her clothes. She stepped under the spray of hot water and let it deliver warmth and ease the strange ache that had taken hold of her body. It was then that she cried. Alone. In the privacy of her shower. She’d been a fool to let down her guard with Declan. A part of her had wanted to love him. That thought sent a jolt of pain through her chest and stomach. She hugged herself, water trickling over her lips and face, mingling with her tears. Zoe let it come. Let it take hold. Because when it was done, when the hurt had torn her insides out, she would heal.
And she would never let her guard down again.
* * * * *
Since he’d arrived at his mother’s apartment, Declan had succeeded in getting his father out of the hallway and that was about it.