Irrevocable Trust (Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller Book 6) (27 page)

She faked a laugh even though she could tell he was as worried and angry as she was.

His olive skin had paled almost to white, and he was doing that tense, jaw-clenching thing he did.

“
Why did he do this?
”
she whispered, asking the question more to herself than to Connelly.

But he looked up from the pinstriped suit he was trying to salvage and locked eyes with her.

“
He wanted to do two things: send us a message and vent his rage,
”
he said analytically.

“
Well message received. What rage specifically are you talking about, Mr. Special Agent? I can tell you have a theory, Connelly. When are you going to realize I can read you just as well as you read me, hmm?
”

The tension around his eyes melted, and he managed a brief grin. But it didn
’
t last long.

“
The personal nature of the vandalism, the invasion of our space, the viciousness of the destruction
—
they
’
re all indications that he
’
s reacting to what he perceives as
our
invasion of
his
personal space. He wants us out of his kids
’
lives.
”

She nodded.
“
But he
’
s getting sloppy. What
’
s the term
—
decompensating?
”

Connelly
’
s face was grim.

“
He may be. Bricker
’
s hallmarks have always been organization, control, and precision. Even the violence of the attack on Allison isn
’
t completely out of character. But, this
…
this is uncharacteristic.
”

Sasha
’
s pulse raced just under her skin, so fast that she felt faint. If Bricker was falling apart, what would that mean for the kids?

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Friday

Sasha twisted the wedding band around on her finger, while she waited for the coffee to brew. In the predawn gloom, she could just make out the thin ring of metal. She replayed the words Connelly had spoken before slipping it onto her finger.

Were they partners
—
in good times, in bad, for better or worse
—
or not?

Of course they were, she chided herself. But what did that mean now, in practice, in light of what he
’
d asked to consider?

Java slunk into the room, creeping low on his belly, as if he could sense her tension. He wrapped himself around her ankles.

She knelt to pet him. As she scratched the spot between his ears, the image of her engagement ring, hanging by a ribbon around his neck, popped into her mind.

Darn you, Connelly.

Of course she wanted children. Maybe. But six of them? At once?

The coffee maker beeped. She stood and filled her oversized mug. She inhaled the deep, satisfying scent of fresh coffee, hot and strong, and took a long swallow.

Her tired eyes burned from lack of sleep.

Java mewled and turned to face the door, his tail swishing expectantly.

A moment later, Sasha heard footsteps in the hallway.

She rested her mug on the counter and waited.

Connelly padded into the room, barefoot and shirtless, wearing nothing but his blue and white striped pajama bottoms.

The side of his face was lined with a red pillow crease. He blinked in the dim light.

“
There you are. It
’
s not even five o
’
clock,
”
he yawned.

“
Yeah, I couldn
’
t sleep.
”

“
Are you worrying about the hearing tomorrow?
”

“
No.
”

“
Thinking about the damage at the condo?
”

“
No.
”

She fixed her eyes on his.

He waited.

The room was so quiet she could hear the soft tick of his wristwatch.

Finally she found her voice.

“
I
’
ve been thinking about what you said. About kids.
”

He reached for a coffee mug and filled it before responding.

“
You mean about adopting the Bennetts?
”

“
Yes.
”

He looked at her closely.
“
That
’
s a big decision.
”

She arched a brow at the obvious statement.
“
You think?
”

A slow smile spread across his mouth.
“
Yeah, kinda. So what are you thinking?
”

“
I don
’
t know what I
’
m thinking. I mean, six kids?
”

“
They
’
re great kids.
”

“
Connelly. There are six of them.
”

His gray eyes grew serious.
“
I know, Sasha. And they
’
re unlikely to get to stay together if they enter the system. Imagine losing your mother, effectively losing your father, and having what
’
s left of your family split up like a litter of puppies.
”

She could feel tears building behind her own tired eyes.

“
I know.
”

“
Well?
”

She looked at her husband for a long time, for what felt like days.

She had the hard-won ability to will herself not to cry
—
a skill she
’
d learned as the youngest of four children and the only girl. For once, she didn
’
t employ it.

She leaned her head against Connelly
’
s chest and let her hot tears fall. She was scared, and confused, and worried.

Finally she whispered,
“
I don
’
t know.
”

He smoothed her hair with his warm, strong hand. She listened to the steady beat of his heart under her cheek.

“
You don
’
t have to know now. Just give it time and the answer will come,
”
he whispered back.

She closed her eyes and nodded, but she didn
’
t understand how he could be so sure.

“
Sasha?
”

“
I heard you. I
’
m trying.
”

He tipped her chin up and pierced her with his soft gray eyes.

“
I know.
”

Then he covered her lips with a kiss that promised no matter what she decided, he
’
d be there.

And then someone was tugging on the hem of her shirt.

She wiped her tears from her cheeks and glanced down.

Calla grinned up at her and thrust a brown hairbrush and a ponytail holder into her hands.

“
Will you do my hair, please? I want a braid like the princess in
Frozen
.
”

Sasha exchanged glances with Connelly over the girl
’
s head. His puzzled shrug told her that he was as clueless about Disney princess hairstyles as she was.

“
Um, sure.
”

She took Calla
’
s small, warm hand and led her over to the table and chairs in the breakfast nook.

“
While you
’
re doing Calla
’
s hair, I
’
m going to jump in the shower and then make sure Cole and Brianna are awake,
”
Connelly said.

She nodded as he left the room and focused on separating Calla
’
s fine, silky hair into sections.

“
Tell me again where you
’
re taking Cole?
”
the girl asked in her tiny voice.

“
Cole is going to come to court with me and Leo to talk to a judge about some grownup things,
”
she explained.
Over my strenuous objections.

“
Cole
’
s not a grownup.
”

“
That
’
s right. He isn
’
t, is he? But he
’
s
almost
a grownup. And now that your mom is gone, he feels like he should help take care of grownup stuff for your family.
”

She threaded the sections into a braid, careful not to tug too hard. She could still remember how her head used to smart when Valentina would attack her curls, beating them into submission with a brush and then twisting them into tight pigtails.

“
Oh. Because our dad
’
s a bad guy, right?
”

Sasha froze with the brush dangling mid-air.

How was she supposed to answer that one?

“
Um, your dad did some bad things. Do you remember him?
”

“
No.
”
Calla
’
s voice was matter of fact.

“
Oh.
”

She resumed braiding.

“
Is Naya going to come over and watch us?
”

“
She has a test today, so Uncle Hank is going to come over instead, okay?
”

“
Yeah, that
’
s great! He lets us have chocolate cake for breakfast!
”

“
Wow, that sounds
…
sugary.
”

Calla giggled.

“
Are you done? Can I see?
”

Sasha twisted the elastic band around the bottom of the braid and stepped back to admire her handiwork.

“
Yep, all done.
”

She picked up the girl and carried her over to the microwave so she could see her reflection. Calla flipped the braid over her shoulder and squealed.

“
I look
just
like Elsa! Oh, thank you, thank you! I love you, Sasha!
”

She threw both hands around Sasha
’
neck and squeezed her like only a toddler can.

Sasha rubbed her back.

“
You
’
re very welcome, Princess Elsa.
”

As soon as she returned Calla to the floor, the girl took over running, legs and arms pumping, as she raced to find her siblings and show off her hair.

Sasha picked up her coffee and sipped at it. She was so lost in thought, she didn
’
t really even notice that it was room temperature.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Andy knotted his tie and ran a shaking hand over his hair.

Courtroom jitters
, he told his reflection.

You
’
re full of crap
, he answered himself.

It was true, of course. It had been years since he
’
d gotten nervous before standing up in a courtroom. Big Gun Pulaski has nerves of steel and balls to match.

But here he was, twenty minutes until show time, hiding in a musty courthouse bathroom trying to get a grip.

He checked his watch. Twenty minutes until show time.

Acid swirled in his stomach. He hadn
’
t eaten a meal or caught more than a cat nap since receiving the call from Bricker on Wednesday. He was agitated and shaky from lack of food and sleep. And fear.