Love at First Flight (26 page)

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing now that I'm talking to you.
Are you okay?”

“I just had a run-in with Jeremy.”
Michael went still. “What kind of run-in? What happened?”

She told him about finding Jeremy at
their house and the conversation they'd had.

“Why did you agree to meet him in a
month?” Michael asked, despondent to hear their two remaining months had been
cut in half. “You said three months.”

“I'm sorry, Michael, but I can't let
this go on for another two months. I'll work myself into an ulcer by then.”

“You could've just told him today that
it's over between you guys. Why didn't you?”

“Because it's not over. You know that.
Why are you being this way?”

He sighed. “I'm sorry. Paige is pregnant—or
at least she's claiming to be.”

Juliana gasped. “How, I mean—”

“Meet me at my office, will you? I'll
tell you when you get here.” He gave her directions. “I'll be there in ten
minutes.”

“I'll wait for you in the car.”

Ten minutes later, Juliana slid into the
passenger seat of Michael's car and reached for him.

He fell into her arms and held her close
for a long time. “God, baby, I'm so glad to see you.”

When Juliana finally pulled back to look
at him, she kept her hands on his face. “How can she be pregnant?”

“That last night, the night of the
engagement party, she got in bed with me when I was asleep. I'd had a lot to
drink so I thought I was dreaming and didn't realize I wasn't until it was too
late, if you know what I mean. I found out about it today when a reporter asked
me if it was true that I'd recently left my pregnant fiancee. I didn't return
Paige's calls, so she leaked it to the media.”

“Oh, Michael. What are you going to do?”

He shrugged helplessly. “First of all, I
don't believe her, so I'm not going to do anything. Not now anyway. She said if
I don't marry her, I'll never see the kid.”

“She can't do that!”

“I know, honey. I told her she's not
dealing with an idiot. She's the one who won't see the kid if she wants to play
hardball with me.”

Juliana put her arms around him again. “I'll
never understand a woman who'd stoop to blackmailing a man into marrying her.”

“That's because you could never be so
evil. She hasn't cancelled any of the wedding plans. Can you believe that?”

“She still thinks it's going to happen?”
Juliana asked, incredulous. “After everything?”

“It's not even about marrying me
anymore. It's about saving face. If she cancels the plans, she'll have to deal
with the humiliation of being dumped. She'd rather blackmail me with a fake
pregnancy than be embarrassed.”

“I'm sorry. It's just one more thing on
your already too full plate.”

“Which is exactly why she dropped it on
me in the middle of the trial.” He reached for her hand. “Where's the ring?”

Juliana found it in her pocket and
reached around to unhook his chain to return it to its place next to the St.
Christopher medal.

Michael kissed her left hand. “I liked
it better here.”

She leaned over to press her lips to his
and combed her fingers through his hair. The kiss turned hot when Michael
tilted her head so he could delve deeper. For a moment they both forgot where
they were and that four cops were watching them as they feasted on the comfort
only the other could provide.

Michael groaned when he finally pulled
away from her. “Why couldn't it be
you
who's pregnant with my baby? I want it to be
you.
”

Juliana tightened her hold on him.

After he took a few more minutes to
collect himself, Michael led her into his office where several of his
co-workers stopped what they were doing to watch them walk by. He knew they
were curious about the woman who had been hurt at his house, but he wished they
wouldn't stare. Outside his office, he introduced her to his assistant Angela,
who handed him a stack of pink message slips. Michael asked Angela to pull the
mug shots of the Red Devils. He ushered Juliana into his office and gestured
for her to have a seat. “Nice office.”

“Thanks.” Michael tossed the messages
onto his cluttered desk and draped his suit coat over the back of his chair.

Angela came in with the mug shots. “Here
you go. Let me know if you need anything else.” She closed the door and left
them alone.

Michael sat down next to Juliana and
handed her the book. “Take your time, hon. See if you recognize anyone.”

Juliana nodded and flipped open the
book. “You don't have to sit with me. I'm sure you have work to do.”

He glanced at the disaster on his desk. “I've
got a few things I could do.” With a kiss to her cheek he got up to weed out
the messages that needed immediate attention. Then he rolled up his
shirtsleeves and turned his attention to his email. When Angela buzzed in with
a call from a reporter, he told her to tell him “no comment.” He checked on
Juliana and found her looking at him. “What?”

She smiled. “I like watching you work.
Very sexy.”

“The book, Juliana. You're distracting
me.”

“You're easily distracted.”

“I'm always distracted when I'm with
you.”

“The
computer
,
Michael,” she said, mocking his tone. “You're distracting me.”

He grinned and turned back to his
computer.

Juliana went through the book twice but
didn't see anyone she recognized. “I'm sorry.”

“It's okay. Thanks for trying.” He got
up and came around to her. “What are you doing the rest of the day?”

“I'm going to clean my mother's house.”

“You're good to her. She's lucky to have
you.” Juliana shrugged. “You do what you have to.” He hugged and kissed her. “I
should be home early.”

“Good. I'll make something for dinner.”

“Mmm,” he said against her lips. “I
can't wait.”

“Are you okay?”

“I am now that I've seen you. Somehow
you manage to make everything better.” With one last kiss, he walked her out to
meet her police detail.

CHAPTER 22

THE NIGHT BEFORE RACHELLE WAS DUE TO
TESTIFY Michael lay awake while Juliana slept with one arm wrapped around him.

As the clock edged toward four, he
thought about how badly he wanted this trial to be over. After tomorrow, the
prosecution would rest. The defense would take a week, maybe two, to present
its case, followed by closing argu-ments and jury deliberation.

Everything had gone perfectly so far.
The detectives and ballistics witnesses had been unshakable. The kids who
witnessed the fight between the victims and the Benedettis in the arcade had
been nervous, but they managed to get through their testimony and presented a
cohesive, consistent story that established a firm motive.

Based on the reports of the consultants
who tracked jurors' body language, Michael had won them over thus far. But it
was Rachelle's testimony that would ensure a win. She really was his “slam
dunk.” No way would the jury fail to convict after they heard her chilling
account—or so he hoped.

Michael had spoken to her the previous
evening. She had been subdued, but she'd assured him she was ready to testify
and to put the whole ordeal behind her. After she appeared in court, a police
escort would deliver her and her mother to a private jet that would take them
to their new life in St. Louis, Missouri, where they would be reunited with
Rachelle's father and brothers.

Juliana stirred and rested her cheek on
his shoulder. The T-shirt of his that she had worn to bed had ridden up, so he
laid his hand on her warm back and pulled her closer to him.

In her sleep, she curled around him and
sighed.

How
did I ever live before her? How will I ever live without her if she chooses
Jeremy over me? She won't. She can't. Not after everything we've shared and
been through together. She’ll stay with me
. The alternative was
unimaginable. He was doing his best not to think at all about Paige and the
possibility that she could be pregnant. He would deal with that once the trial
was finished and not one minute before. If she was in fact pregnant, she still
would be after the trial.

Michael must have dozed off because he
was jarred awake by the ringing of the phone just after six.

“Mm, Maguire,” he said, struggling to
wake up.

“Michael!” His co-worker George
Samuels's frantic tone got Michael's full attention.

“George? What's wrong?”

“Jesus Christ, Michael, they've been
poisoned!
” George cried.

Michael sat up. “Who has? What're you
talking about?” His gut clenched when he remembered assigning George to stay at
the hotel in Annapolis so he could escort Rachelle to court in the morning.

“Rachelle, the cops, all of them,”
George whispered.

Michael released an anguished wail.

“Michael!” Juliana said. “What is it?
What's wrong?”

He fought through growing hysteria to
ask, “Is she dead?”

“No, but she's really sick. One of the
cops is in a coma.”

“Call me as soon as you know more.”

Michael put down the phone and dropped
his head into his hands. “God,” he whispered. “Oh my God.”

“Michael, you're scaring me,” Juliana
said. “What's wrong?”

He reached for her hand. “Rachelle's
been poisoned,” he said. “George said she's really sick.”

Juliana inhaled sharply. “No!”

Michael drew her into his arms, and they
held each other until the persistent ringing of his cell phone reminded him of
the job he still had to do. “I've got to find out what happened.” He pulled the
covers up over Juliana's trembling body and reached for his cell phone.

“Yeah,” he said softly.

“Michael,” Tom Houlihan said, his tone
grim.

“How did this happen, Tom?
How in the world did they get to her?
”

“Their food was poisoned. Probably
arsenic.”

“Arsenic?” Michael asked in disbelief.

“Her mother found them, Michael. She's
out of her mind.”

“Oh, God, I promised her this would
never happen!
I gave her my word!
”

Juliana sat up and put her arms around
Michael from behind. He reached down to clutch her hand.

“You did everything you could to keep
her safe,” Tom said. “We all did.”

“Clearly, we didn't do enough. Where do
I need to be?”

“Stay put for now. I'm on my way to the
hospital. I don't want you anywhere near there, not after they've already come
at you once.”

“She's my witness. I need to be there.”

“No. Stay there until you hear from me,
you got it?”

“All right.” After he hung up Michael
lay down next to Juliana. “I should've put her on first. She would've been long
gone by now.” He blinked back tears.
“Why
didn't I put her on first and get her the hell out of here ?”

“Don't do that to yourself, Michael.
This isn't your fault.”

“I could've prevented it.”

“No. They were determined.”

“I don't even know what I should do right
now.”

“Should you go to the office?”

“Tom told me to stay here. He's really
scared now. I could hear it in his voice.”

“Michael,” Juliana whimpered, her lips
brushing over his hair. “What if they try to hurt you, too?”

“What if they try to hurt you ?” He got
up abruptly. “This is what I've been trying to tell you was going to happen.”
Stalking into the bathroom, he slammed the door.

***

Taken aback, Juliana rolled her face
into the pillow and thought about Rachelle who dreamed of having a boyfriend
and wanted to see her father and brothers again. Juliana prayed harder than she
ever had before for her young friend, a girl who had shown more courage in her
fifteen years than most people did in a lifetime. Michael came out of the
bathroom, his hair wet and his face shaved. He put on a suit and was knotting
his tie when he came over to sit next to Juliana on the bed.

“I want you to take a leave of absence
from the salon for at least a week,” he said in a flat tone she had never heard
before. His eyes were dull with shock. “Call your brother and tell him you
won't be able to take care of your mother. I want you to stay home until we get
a handle on what's happened. I just can't deal with worrying about you right
now. If they've been watching us, then they know by now that you're my weak
spot. I know it's a big thing for me to ask and that you can't afford it, but
I'll take care of anything you need. Will you do this for me, Juliana? Please?”

“Of course. Where are you going?”