The Perfect Liar (Last Stand #5)(5)
Author: Brenda Novak

"She accused me of using her, that sort of thing."

Edward sighed loudly. "Sex means something to a woman. You can’t sleep with her and expect it to be taken in stride. I taught you better than that."

His mother rushed to his defense. "Ed, he’d just heard about Phil! He was grieving, looking for a diversion."

"That doesn’t give him the right to hurt others."

"This is the first call we’ve ever received like this!" she argued. "You know Luke’s not a womanizer."

The last thing Luke wanted was for his mother to fight his battles.

"Dad, I didn’t think it would hurt anything, least of all her. She was the aggressor. Once we got to her place, she offered to…" He considered trying to explain what a three-way was and decided against it. Old-fashioned, religious and disciplined, his father would never unders tand a woman like Kalyna. "Never mind. She’s unbalanced, okay? That’s what I’m trying to tell you."

"You’re going to need a top-notch lawyer," he said.

"I already have one."

"What can we do to help?" his mother chimed in. "Would you like us to come up there and be with you?"

"No, Mom. This is Jenny’s last summer at home. She’l be miserable if you pull her away from her friends, and Lord knows you can’t leave her there alone." Jenny hadn’t been hanging with the best crowd. Beach bums, all of them, his father said. Luke thought she was too pretty for her own good.

"It might not be convenient, but we can make arrangements," his mother insisted. "We’re your family. We’l do whatever it takes."

Luke leaned his head back. He was stil in trouble, but his parents were standing behind him. For now, the moral support was enough. "Don’t do it yet. It helps just to have you believe me."

"Of course we believe you!"

"I hate the thought of Jenny hearing about this," he grumbled.

"We won’t tell her." It was his mother who made this promise.

"Someone else could. It’l humiliate all of you."

"No, it won’t."

"I’m sure some of our friends wil wonder if it’s true."

"The only ones who’l wonder are the ones who don’t know you very well," his father said.

Luke gazed up at the ceiling. "I think most people try to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. I always have."

"That shows you’re a good man," his mother said. "What does this Kalyna look like, anyway?"

His stomach churned as he pictured her, naked and in bed, glowering up at him as he dressed. She’d been unhappy in the end. But she’d been very vocal about letting him know she liked everything before that point.

And he hadn’t used her. He’d been sincere in his desire to please her during the time they were together. He’d thought it was a give-and-take, a mutual escape from regular life.

He closed his eyes as if that might dispel the vision of her screeching obscenities at him. "I suppose some guys would say she’s pretty."

"What do you say?"

"I can’t see it. Especially now."

His call-waiting beeped. Surprised, he sat up straight and held the handset away from him so he could check caller ID. It read Unknown.

"I’d better go. I’m getting another call."

His father caught him before he could hang up. "How are you for money?"

"I’m fine."

"The legal fees won’t be cheap. Not for something like this."

No kidding. Luke had already written a ten-thousand-dollar check–

what his attorney required as a retainer. Fortunately, he earned a decent salary and his expenses were low. He had a nice car, a BMW M3, which felt like a jet on wheels. He had a hefty monthly payment for the pleasure of driving it, but most of what he made went into savings. "I’l let you know if I need anything."

"Fight for your reputation, son," his father said.

Luke had every intention of fighting–for his freedom, as well as his reputation.

After telling his folks goodbye, he switched to the other line. "Hello?"

"Luke?"

It was a man. "Yes?"

"Pledge McCreedy."

His attorney. But why would McCreedy be calling him so late at night?

A surge of hope shot through him. Maybe the case had been dropped. He hadn’t been violent, hadn’t harmed Kalyna in the slightest. He couldn’t believe she’d be vengeful enough to keep this going. "Tell me you have good news."

There was a brief hesitation. "The opposite, I’m afraid."

Luke braced himself. Was Kalyna pregnant? "What now?" he asked.

"There’s a woman from The Last Stand–"

"The Last What?" McCreedy hadn’t said "pregnant." Yet. Luke jumped to his feet and began to pace in an effort to disperse some of the nervous energy pounding through him.

"The Last Stand. It’s a victims’ charity in Sacramento. You haven’t heard of it?"

"No."

"It’s run by three women who investigate various cases, retest evidence, offer counseling, self-defense classes and money for attorney’s fees–whatever they feel the victims who come to them might need."

This wasn’t what Luke had expected. He would’ve been relieved, except that his attorney seemed so concerned. "What does that mean to me?"

"More than you might think. Sergeant Harter has enlisted their help. I just picked up the messages from my answering service. An Ava Bixby from The Last Stand has been trying to reach me."

"And?"

"Let me put it this way. She could go to the media. Any exposure you get there would almost certainly work against you. These women are viewed as champions of the weak and afflicted, which would add to the appearance of guilt on your part. They could dedicate time and resources to helping the prosecution build its case. From what I’ve seen, they’re absolutely dogged once they have someone in their sights. They could even drag the local police into this, a possibility that brings the potential for a second trial."

Great. Kalyna winding up pregnant wasn’t the only way his situation could get worse. "How do we stop them from getting involved?"

"I don’t know that we can."

"But I’m innocent."

He’d muttered those words to himself, but apparently Mr. McCreedy heard him. "Al my clients are innocent, Captain Trussell."

Yeah, right. McCreedy believed Luke was innocent because he was being paid to believe it. He looked no further. And why would he? Not all his clients could be innocent. Believing any of them to be guilty as charged would risk a conflict of conscience. Provided he had a conscience. "What is it Kalyna Harter wants?" Luke asked. "My head on a platter?"