Page 22 of False Evidence

Kendall had tolerated her fickle friend. After all, she had her own problematic boyfriend.

They’d been quite a pair.

Now the senator whose infidelities had widened the cracks in their relationship was long dead. JT’s loathing of Alexandra was a known fact in certain social circles, Kendall had committed suicide, and Alexandra was wanted for killing a cop.

She finally had the child she’d always wanted, but her daughter might end up being raised by someone else. If Alexandra was arrested and convicted, she’d give up parental rights and ask Erica and Lee to adopt her.

She took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air. A puff of white vapor released with her breath as she moved uphill. She usually avoided thinking about her breakup with JT, but being here on the very property where their relationship had first shattered, she couldn’t escape the thoughts.

She should focus on her situation, but now she knew she’d yet to process the pain she’d ignored for years. Hell, she’d never found another man to love because she couldn’t get over the pain of loving JT.

She would never forgive him. Never love him again. But she probably also would never get over him.

Thank god for vibrators. She didn’t need him.

There are no vibrators in prison.

She let out a laugh-cry. That was literally the least of her problems.

She reached the top of the ridge and looked down the hillside toward the house, not for the first time wondering what it felt like for JT, or his father before him, to look over this vast wilderness and know that all the land he could see was his.

Alexandra hadn’t wanted to marry JT for his money, but the security of it had certainly been appealing. Until the end, when his wealth was his primary reason for distrusting her.

Just the thought of JT’s words that last night caused her anger to spike.

Wait until he found out what she’d done with his jewels.

Family jewels indeed.

She had something a million times more precious.

She stood for a long moment on the top of the world, breathing deeply, disappointed to discover that answers didn’t await her on this peak.

Movement on the hillside below caught her eye, and she gasped as she stepped behind a tree, instinctively taking cover as she watched an SUV navigate the long, winding driveway to the house.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Ohshit!

Someone was here.

Was it JT?

His girlfriend?

Someone else?

She thought about the house. She’d cleaned up after herself in every room. Dishes washed after eating. Bed made. Leftover beans and pork were in the fridge, but that might not be noticed right away.

Only someone paying sharp attention would know she’d been there at first glance. Unless, of course, they spotted her car in the garage bay.

The dark SUV disappeared into the trees. Was it JT’s vehicle? Or had someone figured out where she was? Could it be police here to arrest her?

She debated her options, finally deciding to retreat into the woods and wait. If someone had come for her, they’d find the car and search the woods. She needed to be ready to bolt.

But if it was JT…maybe he would help her? If he didn’t still believe she was a gold-digging bitch. Erica had assured her he no longer believed that, but his complete and utter failure to acknowledge how out of line he’d been in the seven years since their final split spoke volumes.

There wasn’t any vantage point from which she could see the driveway and front of the house, so she had no way of knowing who it was as long as she remained on the ridge.

She had no choice but to hide until after dark. If she waited until JT was asleep, maybe she could steal his phone and slip out without him ever knowing she was there.

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