You’ll be fine.” Because she didn’t intend to stay in jail. All she needed was to get public opinion on her side. “I need you to get John Reynolds in here, now. Got it?”
“John Reynolds?” His bushy brows climbed. “The DC Journal reporter?”
She nodded. “You’ll find him outside. Get him in here…because I’ve got a story to tell him.”
Harry glanced toward the mirror. “I don’t know…”
“Get him in here.” She stared in that mirror, too. “If the cops want me to talk to them anymore, then they’ll give me time with John. I don’t care if they listen to every word we say, but I’m talking to him.”
Do you understand me, Detective? I’ll talk plenty, but I’m going to make sure the right people hear my story.
She wasn’t going to rot in some jail cell while Julianna was out living it up with her new lover. No way was that going to happen.
John would help her. He always did.
Chapter Nine
She should go to bed. She should just walk away from Devlin. Go in the guest room. Shut the door.
Get as far away from temptation as possible.
She
should
do that, so why was she just standing in the middle of Devlin’s den, her hands twisting in front of her?
Julianna peered over her shoulder. Devlin had lit a fire and the warmth filled the room even as the flames cast flickering shadows over the walls. Darkness had definitely fallen in the city. She used to love the dark.
Before Jeremy.
Before her life had gone to hell.
“You look like you could use a glass of wine,” Devlin said as he headed toward the bar in the corner of the room.
Wine. Yes, that sounded good. She turned toward him—
But for just a moment, his den vanished. Devlin vanished. Instead of the cozy fire, ice seemed to wrap around her. Julianna could have sworn that she was back in Jeremy’s home. In
his
den. He was making her a drink.
“I’ve told you, Julianna. Divorce isn’t an option for us.”
“But why? You don’t…you don’t love me. I don’t love you.”
He laughed and handed her a wine glass. “What the hell does love have to do with it? You’re mine, I want you. And you’re staying…mine.”
She stared down into the wine glass. So red. Like blood.
“Drink up, sweetness.”
She hated that endearment. He’d called her ‘sweetness’ right after he broke her wrist. Right after the time he’d slapped her when they left the big charity party. He’d waited until they were in the limo, then he’d struck…telling her that she’d been flirting…right in front of him.
No one had ever hit her before him. No one had ever hurt her physically. Not until Jeremy. Not until the man who’d vowed to love her and honor her. She’d been stunned at first. Surely it couldn’t really be happening?
But it was. It had.
“Drink your wine.” His voice had hardened, taking on the edge that told her his temper was stirring.
When would he hit her again? She didn’t know, but it couldn’t go on. She wasn’t going to let it. She refused to be his fucking punching bag for the rest of her life. “I’m leaving.” Her fingers curled around the stem of the wine glass.
“Leave…and your darling little sister will get her ass thrown in jail.”
Julianna shook her head. “I won’t let you do that.”
He drained his glass. “Let’s see you try and stop me.”
“Julianna?”
She jerked at Devlin’s voice and the memory vanished. She was back in Devlin’s den. The fire was warming her skin and he stood before her, offering her a glass of…red wine. Her lips felt numb as she said, “I don’t drink red wine.”
“Oh, sorry.” He put down the glass. “I can make you anything you want.”
She didn’t want to drink anything. She didn’t want to eat anything. She didn’t want to talk about how twisted and tangled everything was.
She wanted him. “Will you make love with me?”
He stilled.
Okay, right. Love had nothing to do with it. He didn’t love her and she didn’t know if she could ever
“John Reynolds?” His bushy brows climbed. “The DC Journal reporter?”
She nodded. “You’ll find him outside. Get him in here…because I’ve got a story to tell him.”
Harry glanced toward the mirror. “I don’t know…”
“Get him in here.” She stared in that mirror, too. “If the cops want me to talk to them anymore, then they’ll give me time with John. I don’t care if they listen to every word we say, but I’m talking to him.”
Do you understand me, Detective? I’ll talk plenty, but I’m going to make sure the right people hear my story.
She wasn’t going to rot in some jail cell while Julianna was out living it up with her new lover. No way was that going to happen.
John would help her. He always did.
Chapter Nine
She should go to bed. She should just walk away from Devlin. Go in the guest room. Shut the door.
Get as far away from temptation as possible.
She
should
do that, so why was she just standing in the middle of Devlin’s den, her hands twisting in front of her?
Julianna peered over her shoulder. Devlin had lit a fire and the warmth filled the room even as the flames cast flickering shadows over the walls. Darkness had definitely fallen in the city. She used to love the dark.
Before Jeremy.
Before her life had gone to hell.
“You look like you could use a glass of wine,” Devlin said as he headed toward the bar in the corner of the room.
Wine. Yes, that sounded good. She turned toward him—
But for just a moment, his den vanished. Devlin vanished. Instead of the cozy fire, ice seemed to wrap around her. Julianna could have sworn that she was back in Jeremy’s home. In
his
den. He was making her a drink.
“I’ve told you, Julianna. Divorce isn’t an option for us.”
“But why? You don’t…you don’t love me. I don’t love you.”
He laughed and handed her a wine glass. “What the hell does love have to do with it? You’re mine, I want you. And you’re staying…mine.”
She stared down into the wine glass. So red. Like blood.
“Drink up, sweetness.”
She hated that endearment. He’d called her ‘sweetness’ right after he broke her wrist. Right after the time he’d slapped her when they left the big charity party. He’d waited until they were in the limo, then he’d struck…telling her that she’d been flirting…right in front of him.
No one had ever hit her before him. No one had ever hurt her physically. Not until Jeremy. Not until the man who’d vowed to love her and honor her. She’d been stunned at first. Surely it couldn’t really be happening?
But it was. It had.
“Drink your wine.” His voice had hardened, taking on the edge that told her his temper was stirring.
When would he hit her again? She didn’t know, but it couldn’t go on. She wasn’t going to let it. She refused to be his fucking punching bag for the rest of her life. “I’m leaving.” Her fingers curled around the stem of the wine glass.
“Leave…and your darling little sister will get her ass thrown in jail.”
Julianna shook her head. “I won’t let you do that.”
He drained his glass. “Let’s see you try and stop me.”
“Julianna?”
She jerked at Devlin’s voice and the memory vanished. She was back in Devlin’s den. The fire was warming her skin and he stood before her, offering her a glass of…red wine. Her lips felt numb as she said, “I don’t drink red wine.”
“Oh, sorry.” He put down the glass. “I can make you anything you want.”
She didn’t want to drink anything. She didn’t want to eat anything. She didn’t want to talk about how twisted and tangled everything was.
She wanted him. “Will you make love with me?”
He stilled.
Okay, right. Love had nothing to do with it. He didn’t love her and she didn’t know if she could ever
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