Page 60 of Where Secrets Lie

“Oh.” Savannah’s shoulders sagged. “Can you beat their motion?”

He rubbed his eyes. “I’ll need to read it before I can answer that.”

“Got it.” She gave him a small smile. “I’ll take the hint and get out of your hair.”

“What’s left of it.” He grinned and rubbed his head, which he’d trimmed down to a buzz cut so it was all the same length as his surgical site.

He bent his head and turned his focus to Hornbrook’s motion. It was well written, organized, clear, and to the point.Hez went on Westlaw and checked the legal citations in the motion. Those were all accurate. He researched every legal argument he could think of to beat the motion—and hit a brick wall each time. Jess’s final words were proving prophetic: it really did look impossible to get out of this loan, even through bankruptcy.

His mind went back to that last meeting with his ex-sister-in-law. She had been as icy as ever until the end—almost. Had there been the hint of a thaw? She had warned him about Hornbrook’s surveillance system. She didn’t have to do that. And Savannah seemed certain that Jesus came for Jess. Had that been just wishful thinking brought on by stress? Maybe—

His phone buzzed, interrupting his train of thought. The screen showed an incoming call from Martine Dubois. He hesitated for a heartbeat. “Hey, Martine. What’s up?”

“Hey, Hez. It’s good to hear your voice. I saw the news about you almost being killed in an attack.” Genuine concern filled her tone. “How are you?”

“I’ve got a new scar and a bad haircut, but otherwise I’m fine.”

“I’m very glad to hear it. Are you back at work?”

He shifted uneasily in his chair. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I also saw that TGU filed bankruptcy. Are you handling that?”

He winced. “Don’t tell me you’re on the other side.”

She gave a musical laugh. “No, no. We’re on the same side this time. I have a client who has information related to the bankruptcy. I’ve been instructed to share that information with Tupelo Grove University’s lawyer. Would that be you?”

He leaned forward. “It would indeed. What’s the information?”

“My client is very security conscious, so my instructions are to say nothing further by phone. We need to meet in person somewhere we can’t be overheard.”

He stared into space and thought. This could be legitimate, but it could also be an ambush. If it was an ambush, though, Martine wouldn’t be involved. They were friends. More important, she had an excellent sense for self-preservation and she was very good at reading people. If someone ambushed him while they were together, she’d be in danger too.

“Hez?”

“I’m here. Let’s meet on the beach down by the boardwalk. The noise from the surf will keep our conversation private.” And it was a public place with few spots for an assassin to hide. “How about two o’clock?”

“Perfect.” There was a smile in her voice. “I look forward to it.”

Hez tensed as he ended the call. Savannah wouldn’t like him meeting Martine alone.

Chapter 34

Savannah knelt beside the budding azaleas in the garden outside her office and methodically pulled new weeds. Another few weeks, and the bushes would explode with blossoms. She dropped the weeds into the bag she’d brought out before settling on the bench beside Hez. Bees hummed around them, and if not for her grief, she might have enjoyed the warm sun on her face. But Jess’s death had faded the colors of life to a dull sepia.

Hez pulled her against his side, and she leaned into his embrace. The familiar scent of his skin—a sage soap that blended perfectly with his spicy cologne—made her move closer. He pressed a kiss on the side of her head, and his sympathetic presence was enough to lift a few of the gray clouds in her heart. Her eyes blurred, and she swallowed down the lump forming in her throat at the thought that Jess would never see the shrub’s white blossoms burst forth from their buds. Savannah would never hear Jess’s voice again and would never coax another smile from her.

Hez trailed his fingers along the skin of her bare arm, and his touch brought her out of her thoughts. She tucked her hair behind her ear and straightened. He’d texted her for a reason,and she needed to rouse enough from her stupor of pain to help figure out their situation. “So what’s your update? Have you come up with a Hail Mary pass for TGU?”

“I don’t know yet. I got a call from Martine.”

She tensed at the woman’s name but managed to control her expression. “She had an idea?”

“She has a client with information on the bankruptcy. He’s skittish so he wants to meet privately.”

“Privately? What if it’s an ambush?”

He fingered his scar. “Her client is wise to be security conscious. He’s putting himself in danger by helping us. She says we’re on the same team, and I believe her.”

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