Chris shrugged. “Don’t think that matters now, does it? New trial, new judge.”
Dylan stared at him. “You’re sweating, Chris.”
“It’s hot in here.”
“No, it’s not...” Dylan glanced toward the guard, gave a nod.
The guard turned his back.
“Why’s he doing that?”
The guard walked away.
“Hey! Wait!” Chris yelled.
“He’s not going to wait. And you know what else, Chris? There’s not going to be any record of this little visit today...”
Chris gulped.
“Hank Patterson had a lot of powerful friends.”
“He was railroading me! He kept me locked up in here the whole time when I should’ve been out! My lawyer’s gonna get me out now—”
Dylan just kept his dark gaze focused on the prisoner.
“The guy thought I was guilty from the first minute I stepped into that courtroom! He didn’t give me a chance—”
“So you made sure that he wouldn’t be around long, didn’t you? You made your own chance.”
“I didn’t do anything!” Chris rocked back in his chair. “The guy got attacked. He died. Sucks, but that’s life.”
No, it wasn’t. “He had a family,” Rachel said. An image of Patterson’s body flashed through her mind. “A daughter. A son.” His wife had died years before.
“I got a family, too,” Chris snapped. “You think my old man likes that I wo
und up like this? He was military, too. Thirty years. Hell, no, this shouldn’t have happened, but that lying jerk McAlister said I got drunk and roughed up some girls. I didn’t. He did. McAlister’s ribs got broken because I was making him back off. That’s what happened.” His chin jerked into the air. “I should get a medal. Instead, they threw me into the brig.”
“I don’t care about your sob story,” Dylan fired out.
Chris blinked.
“I want to know how you found him.” Dylan pointed at Chris. “And you’re going to tell me.”
Chris laughed. “You’re crazy.”
“The FBI is checking your father’s bank account right now,” Dylan revealed. Rachel knew that the EOD was actually the one doing the check. “Are they going to see that it’s short by...oh, maybe twenty thousand? Thirty? That used to be Jack’s going rate.”
Chris’s smile dimmed. “I don’t know any Jack.”
“Sure you do. You had him kill Hank Patterson.”
Chris’s gaze cut over to Rachel. “Pretty lady, are you just gonna stand there and let your—”
“Eyes here,” Dylan snarled.
Chris jerked upright. His eyes flew back to Dylan.
“I’m not your lawyer.” Dylan’s words hit with a thundering intensity. “I’m not one of your guards. I don’t care about how much money your father has or who the hell he served with. I’m an ex-SEAL, and I am your worst nightmare.” He leaned toward Chris. “You think you’re safe in here? I’ve got you now. No guards will hear you if you cry out. No one will hear you but me.”