The Riches of Mercy by C.E. Case

Author:C.E. Case [Case, C.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780982898925
Google: erhaLwEACAAJ
Amazon: B008L4VBZU
Publisher: Supposed Crimes LLC
Published: 2012-06-15T18:32:10+00:00

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Chapter Twenty-Eight

Patrick met Natalie at the airport. He'd pulled rank to meet her at the gate rather than at baggage claim. With his presence came a price. The photographer next to him took pictures of a smiling, tired, triumphant city prosecutor on crutches.

"I'll take that," Patrick said to the flight attendant who'd carried her carry-on up the ramp and kept her from falling.

Not, "Can I help?" or "Let me take the bags," but "I'll take that." Natalie wondered how long Patrick had been getting his way. But when he shooed the photographer away and helped her into the handicapped golf cart, she was grateful. The cart beeped and rolled. Natalie laughed at the people scattering in front of its progress. She should have felt guilty. She'd always been annoyed by those cars and the passengers. Instead she was happy to be in Charlotte.

"Sleep on the plane?" Patrick asked.

"No." She'd been thinking of Meredith, and biting her lip, and writing a letter.

"Where's Hollingsworth?"

"Staying in Tarpley for now," Natalie said.

"Oh, Nat."

"Holly took to the kids. There was a whole cat thing. You wouldn't understand."

"Okay. You'll miss him."

The golf cart dumped them at the baggage claim and he called for his driver.

"Something happened while you were on the plane," he said.

"What?"

"They found Roland guilty." He grinned.

"On a Sunday?"

"You're back in the city now."

Her heart twisted. "That's wonderful."

"It is. Congratulations, Natalie."

"I'm going back," she said.

"What?"

She produced her letter. "This is my two month notice. I'll need that much time to get things together. Job hunt. Pack. Sell my condo."

She'd bought it two years ago after a promotion. Charlotte was so cheap she could have bought two. She'd pretended to love the space. She'd tried. But it never felt like a home.

"You're going down there without a job?"

"I'll find one. There are a thousand things I can do."

"Like what?" He swung to face her, to meet her eyes, to give her the death stare that got so many confessions--so many people to stop acting in their own self-interest and act in his.

"Nat, you'll get another case like Roland. Don't make it about that. Your career--"

"My career? I'll find another."

"This is more and you know it. You can have anything you want. A.D.A. Hell, D.A., if you showed one ounce of ambition."

"Patrick. God."

"Sorry." He ran his hand along the back of his head. "Natalie, you don't know this woman."

"Pat--"

"Listen to me. Hear me out. She's going to go to jail for a long time. A very long time. And you're going to be, what, stuck with the kids? Do you want that? Them?"

"Yes."

"She's going to use you. She's going to hit you up for money and--"

"Patrick!" she took his arms, shaking him. The crutches clattered to the floor. People glanced at them.

She took his arms more gently. "I don't care about any of that stuff."

"Nat. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Just help me." She let him go, hanging her hands at her sides. "Okay? Help me screw up my life."

"Okay. Okay. Get your apartment on the market as soon as you can.

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