Page 28 of Luca
“Hell, yeah, when we get out of here, let’s get it set up,” Sean replied.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I told them, finally relaxing in their presence.
Within minutes, we were talking about everything but prison and the weight on my shoulders lightened just a bit.
About an hour later, I was called out to see my lawyer.
Since I knew Bradley was still recovering from his heart op, I was hoping it was Claire, and my heart skipped a beat as I saw her sitting there waiting for me.
“What the hell happened? Are you okay? Who did this?” Her voice cracked as she scanned my bruised face.
“I’m okay, Claire,” I said pleased to see how my appearance affected her. Seeing her worry over me, her guard down for once, made every bruise worth it.
“Did you file a report? Did you tell them who did it?” she cried again.
“Yeah, I reported it to get my stitches. But I didn’t grass on the bastards. I’m no snitch, Claire.”
“Besides, it’s just a few bruises. Nothing to worry about, babe,” I kept my voice steady, trying to ease the worry in her eyes.
She sighed heavily and chewed at her lip. “And the person behind the attacks, was that who I suspect?”
I nodded. There was no point denying it.
“What if it happens again? What if you’re not so lucky next time?” she asked, looking distraught.
“I’ve got backup now, Claire. You don’t need to worry about that,” I said softly, locking eyes with her.
Seeing her concern brought an unexpected warmth to my chest, and the fact that she didn’t flinch when I called her babe gave me a sense of satisfaction I hadn’t anticipated. But beneath that satisfaction lay an unsettling awareness of how misplaced my emotions felt in such a dire situation.
Was it really right to feel this way, to welcome the chance to be near her because of this crisis? I loathed the circumstances—nobody deserved to meet such a tragic end as Julie had. But as I sat there, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill at the knowledge that Claire was here with me. She was navigating the depths of one of the darkest times in my life, offering her support and care, and I found myself savouring every fleeting second of her presence.
Whether or not it was morally right, I was going to use this time to continue my pursuit of my Little Miss Sexy Ass, and maybe at the end of all of this, she’d decide that I was not just worth defending, but worth loving. Surely, something good had to come out of this terrible nightmare?
Over the next hour, we talked through the details of my case. Between the holes in the prosecution’s case and the assault toadd weight to things, Claire sounded confident she’d get me out at the pre-trial next week.
Regardless, I sensed she was holding back. Something was bothering her.
“What’s wrong, Claire? What’s got you so worried?”
She looked at me. “Nothing. It’s fine,” she said too quickly.
I leaned back, crossing my arms, eyes locked on her. I wasn’t buying a word of it. Others might not see through her stern countenance, but I could, and I knew my Little Miss Sexy Ass was not being truthful with me.
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. My gut twisted. Something was wrong—very wrong.
“Claire, tell me,” I demanded, my voice low and firm as I looked her in the eye.
“Damn it, Luca. You always see through me.”
Claire started pacing, and all I wanted was to pull her close. But I couldn’t—not with the cameras and prison officers watching every move.
“If I tell you, promise me you won’t panic,” she said. Of course, her saying that made me want to panic, but I did my best to hide it.
“Just tell me, Claire,” I said.
Sighing heavily, she sat back down and told me about her conversation with Elizabeth Traynor.
“The more I go over it in my head, the more awful it seems. I’m not sure what she meant by expecting it to go her way, though I assume she expects me not to fight for your release. Do you think the MP has got to her, and she’s scared? Or is she corrupt?” she asked, a slight quiver in her voice betraying her upset at the idea.