Let myself pretend that sometimes, the good guys actually win.
Even when they're going up against men with money and connections and no conscience at all.
7
SAWYER
The lawyer's office smells like old books and expensive cologne, the kind of place that charges by the hour just to breathe the air. Rebecca Winters sits behind a mahogany desk that probably cost more than most people make in a month, but her reputation for destroying men like Derek Morrison is worth every penny.
Lisa is sitting beside me, holding Tommy on her lap while he chews on a teething ring and eyes the law books with the serious consideration of someone planning a hostile takeover. My wife looks professional in her navy dress, composed and ready for battle, but I can see the tension in the set of her shoulders.
She's been wound tight since this morning, despite my best efforts to reassure her. Still borrowing trouble, still expecting the worst. It's going to take time for her to trust that this happiness we've built is permanent, but I've got nothing but time.
And patience.
And a burning need to destroy Derek Morrison before he can hurt my family.
"So," Rebecca says, closing the file she's been reviewing. "The custody hearing is scheduled for Friday. That gives us four days to prepare." With anyone else, just a few days to prepare would terrify me, but Rebecca has taken the McKenna brothers through so many battles over the years that my confidence doesn’t falter.
"What are we looking at?" I keep my voice calm, and professional. "What's Morrison's angle?"
Rebecca's expression tightens. "He's claiming that Lisa is an unfit guardian due to emotional instability, financial insecurity, and unsuitable living conditions. His lawyer has also raised questions about the timing of your marriage."
Lisa's breathing goes shallow beside me. I reach over, take her free hand in mine, and squeeze gently.
"What kind of questions?" Lisa's voice is steady, but I can hear the fear underneath.
"Nothing we can't handle. They're suggesting that the marriage is a sham, entered into solely to improve your custody case. It's a common tactic when someone remarries quickly before a hearing."
"But we have documentation that contradicts that," I say. "Witnesses who can testify that Lisa and I have known each other for decades."
"Exactly. Which is why I'm not concerned about that particular line of attack." Rebecca leans back in her chair. "What does concern me is this."
She slides a piece of paper across the desk. It's a photograph, clearly taken with a telephoto lens, showing Lisa and me outside the courthouse after we got our marriage license. We're standing close together, and Tommy is reaching for my badge.
But that's not what makes my blood run cold.
It's the second photograph underneath it.
Derek Morrison, standing outside Emma's apartment building three days ago. The day before our wedding. He's partially concealed behind a parked car, but there's no mistaking his expensive suit or the predatory way he's watching the building.
Watching for Lisa.
"Where did they get this?" My voice comes out deadly quiet.
Rebecca's expression is grim. "Private investigator. Morrison hired someone to follow Lisa as soon as he filed the custody petition. So, I hired our own."
Lisa has gone completely still beside me, staring at the photograph like it might burst into flames.
"I never saw him," she says finally, her voice tight with shock. "I had no idea he was watching me."
"You don't need to explain anything to me." I turn to face her fully, my jaw tight with fury. "But I need to know what happened. Did he approach you? Did he try to contact you?"
The silence stretches between us, thick with tension. Tommy makes a soft sound, oblivious to the bombs going off around him.
"Derek sent me text messages," Lisa says finally. "The morning of our wedding. He said he was staying at the inn, said we should talk before I made any permanent decisions."
Something cold and violent unfurls in my chest. "And what did you do?"
