Page 28 of Gideon

An hour later, I went looking for her and found her asleep next to Haley. A soft smile tugged at my lips as I quietly closed the door.

14

Laney

“Hello,”I said hesitantly into the phone. I had doubts about calling David. He’d tried to save Haley and me from Jonah before, and he was an excellent lawyer. But he was still involved with the mob. Did he know Jonah was dead? I planned to meet him in Oklahoma and have him bring my truck and boat to the courthouse.

“Hello, David.”

“Laney, where the hell are you?”

“I’m safe. Can you do something for me? I need your help.”

“Jonah is dead. You don’t have to hide anymore. They’ve arrested almost everyone who worked with him.”

“David, did you hear me? I need your help to get my brother out of prison.”

“Your brother? I thought you were an only child.”

“I just found out about him a few days ago. I haven’t met him yet. He’s been in prison for six years for murder. He punched a man who brutally raped his girlfriend. The guy fell backward, hit his head, and died. Mike’s been locked up since he was eighteen. It’s long past time he got out.”

“Give me the details, and I’ll look into it. I can’t promise anything, though. Why is he still in prison if the guy tripped and hit his head?”

“Because the guy was the district attorney’s son.”

David chuckled darkly. “My favorite kind of case.”

“I’ll meet you in Oklahoma at the courthouse,” I said.

“You’ve got a lot of faith in me.”

“If you could keep mobsters out of prison, then you can help free an innocent young man.”

David paused. “Let me ask you something. Did you already know Jonah was dead?”

“Yes, I knew.”

“Good. I don’t want my name tied to the Reeves family anymore.”

“You won’t have to worry about that. Haley and I took back my original name. So, when can you leave?”

“I’ll leave today. You can pick your brother up in three days. I’ll meet you at the prison. Since this should never have been a case, I’ll make sure it’s wiped from his record.”

“What about the D.A.?”

“I’ll handle him. All you need to do is show up.”

“David,” I said softly, “thank you. It took a lot of courage for me to call you. I appreciate this, and I won’t forget it.”

“I won’t tell anyone where you are. By the way, your truck and boat? Jonah set them on fire.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Okay. I’ll see you in three days.”

My body shook when I hung up. David hadn’t been there when Jonah beat me, but sometimes he saw me afterward, bruised and broken. I’d seen the anger in his eyes. Once, I’d even overheard him arguing with Jonah about it.

I packed the few belongings Haley and I had and called for a taxi.

“Where are we going?” Haley asked, frowning. “I don’t want to leave here. Who’s going to watch Bear?”

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