“Because then you don’t have access to our ace in the hole.” Taggart pushed back from the table. “She should be waiting for us. Kyle, go bring the car around. Deke and I will escort them out. I don’t trust you not to kill someone.”
Kyle’s grin was slightly sinister as he walked to the door. “It’s been a while. Fine. I’ll get the car, but with that crush, I can’t promise not to roll over someone.”
Taggart groaned. “I need more insurance. The younger generation is going to kill me. I swear. I’ve turned into the old man who looks at all the shitty times of long ago like they were some golden age.”
Deke held the door open. “Ms. Jones, if you’ll follow me.”
“Where am I going?” It was a little surreal. She’d expected to spend a few days here before she could figure out how to get out on bond.
“Back to Michael’s.” Taggart was on his feet. “He’s being released, too. The press already has the story that he beat the shit out of Junior when Junior tried to falsely accuse you of blackmailing him. I think you’ll find they’ve also gotten a press release detailing how he hired someone to falsify those photos.”
Her head was reeling. “But you said you couldn’t prove it.”
“Not to the police,” Taggart admitted. “The press is a whole other animal. I know you’ve been told to keep your mouth shut and that staying silent will make them go away, but they won’t as long as Junior feeds them.”
“So we feed them something new,” Deke finished. “And we send Junior a very specific message. He thinks you don’t have a single person who’ll protect you. Let’s give him a fucking tiger to deal with.”
She looked up ahead, and standing at the opposite end of the hall was a petite figure wearing a fabulous designer suit, her hair in a chic bob. She was the queen even in the gloom of the precinct house.
“Ava?” Was she here to pick up Michael?
Ava Malone turned, and her face immediately went sympathetic. She quickly crossed the space between them, her arms opening as she came Vanessa’s way. “My darling girl, I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner. Come here and let me look at you. Did that disgusting man get his hands on you?”
She found herself wrapped in the older woman’s arms.
Like a mom would wrap up a beloved daughter. Like she was cared for and protected. Tears blurred her eyes, and she found herself holding on. It wasn’t a good idea. Ava wasn’t her mom. Her mom would have left her here and told the press she belonged in jail.
“I’m okay. Where’s Michael?” He had to be here somewhere. Why else would Ava be here?
“He’s almost through. He’s going to join us in a moment.” Ava stepped back, looking her over like she was checking to make sure she wasn’t damaged. Her hands came up to smooth back Vanessa’s hair. “I know you don’t want to see him, but I’m asking you to just get through the next hour or so and you can properly yell at him when we’re safely behind closed doors. That’s how this family works, love. We show a united front to the outside world and hash it all out in private. Trust me. I have a few choice words for him as well. We have to understand that men are not as intelligent as we are. They’re missing a chromosome and it shows.”
She was so confused. “Why do I have to go back to Michael’s?”
“He’s ready, and the car’s in place.” Taggart had his cell to his ear. “Deke, go meet up with Michael. He’s coming out now. I’ve also got security at Michael’s building. The press is there, too, but we’ve got a back way in.”
Deke jogged down the hall.
The thought of facing the press made her physically ill. “Can’t we find a back way out?”
Ava’s lips firmed. “I’m sorry. We can’t. We need them to see us all together. We need them to understand that from now on if they come for you, they come for all the Malones.”
Oh, that trap was sprung. “Mrs. Malone, I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Of course you can. Sweet girl, I think my son is in love with you. He obviously screwed up. But whether you ever forgive him or not, he wants to do this for you, and this is something he’s never done for another woman. He doesn’t ask anything of us, but he begged for this. So let him…let us do this for you. It doesn’t have to be forever.”
“Ava has talked to the PR expert,” Taggart explained. “They believe this is the best way to move forward and to start to change public perception of you. It could help your appeal.”