“So you’re in danger too? Because of me.”

He gave me a soft smile. “No, Rose. My career was in J.R. Simmons’s hands long before you entered the picture. Don’t forget that he’s the one who had me sent here after Savannah’s death.”

“But you don’t know that for a fact. You only have suspicions.”

“My conclusion is based on circumstance and instinct, but you and I both know he was behind it.”

I shook my head, trying to wrap my head around what he was suggesting. Gather evidence to put Joe in prison? I couldn’t be a part of that. “I can’t. No matter what stunts Joe pulls to try and get me back, I’d never do that to him. Ever.”

“Rose. There’s more.”

My eyes sank closed and I pressed my back into the sofa. “Okay.”

“You told me that the information he has on Violet is true. She did have an affair with Mayor Brody MacIntosh. But something else is also true.”

My insides quaked. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

“Mike did bribe county officials.”

My eyes flew open as my anger erupted. “How can you say that, Mason? My brother-in-law would never do that.”

He gave me a sad smile, keeping calm against my sea of rage. “It was when he was first starting out. He was in rough financial shape, and he faced having to redo a commercial building’s plumbing. It was going to cost him thousands of dollars he didn’t have. He was young and he had a brand-new baby. He was scared, so he bribed an inspector one time. He regrets it. Deeply.”

I shook my head and whispered, “How do you know?”

“I went to see him this afternoon, Rose. I wanted to find out how J.R. had twisted the truth to use against him. That man’s favorite thing to do is take a small seed of truth and transform it into a scenario that’s exponentially worse.”

It was too much and my stomach revolted. I jumped off the sofa and ran to the powder room, barely making it to the toilet before losing the meager contents of my stomach. I hung over the commode dry-heaving through my tears.

What was I going to do?

Mason stood in the doorway and when I was ready, he helped me to my feet. I washed out my mouth and the tears from my face before turning toward him.

He grabbed my face in both hands, his eyes burning with intensity. “I love you, Rose. And I’ll do anything and everything in my power to protect you. Don’t for one second think you can ask me not to.”

I shook my head. “I can’t condone this, Mason. I just can’t.”

“I know you and Violet are fighting, but would you really subject her to public ridicule? Because you know what will happen if this town gets wind of her affair. Will you stand by and watch Mike go to prison for a stupid mistake he made years ago? Do you want him to lose his business and the kids?” Tears filled his eyes. “And then there’s you, Rose. J.R. could put you in prison for a long time. If you’re pregnant, what about our baby? Do you expect me to stand back and risk letting all that happen without doing everything I can to take away this man’s power?”

“There has to be another way. There has to be. You just said J.R. has evidence to put Mike in prison for something stupid he did in his youth. Well, you’re trying to do the same thing to Joe.”

“No.” His mouth pressed into a thin line. “Mike made one mistake when he was twenty. Joe’s still screwing up. I can give you a list from just this year. I’ve heard rumors of multiple DUIs, along with instances of obstruction of justice and misuse of power. Never mind the drunk and disorderliness and assault charges.”

“No.” My voice broke.

His eyes darkened with anger. “Not to mention the fact that he killed my sister, Rose! He may not have held the knife in his hand, but he stripped away any bit of protection she might have had by turning the police against her.” Rage radiated off him.

“Is that what this is? Revenge?” I shouted. “Is this your way of punishing him for what he did?”

His hands shook at his sides, but his voice was deadly calm. “Do you really believe that? You think I’ve been waiting to strike at him, using you to get back at him?”

“Joe said you were known in Little Rock for your patience in the courtroom and that you’d lull the opposition into complacency before going in for the kill. He told me that you were only with me so you could hurt him. That you’d destroy us both to avenge your sister’s death.”

He took a step backward, his face ashen. “Do you really think me capable of such a thing?”

I started to cry. “No. I don’t know.” I shook my head. “But maybe there’s some truth to some of it.”

“Which part, Rose?” His voice sounded strangled. “The part about me using you or planning to destroy you?” He turned around and headed for the living room.

“That’s not what I meant, Mason.” I followed in his wake. “Mason, please.”

He didn’t stop until he reached the front door, his hand on the knob, his back to me. “Joe claims I have some master plan… Did it ever occur to you that maybe he has one instead?” He turned around to face me, the pain in his eyes gut-wrenching. “Congratulations to Joe Simmons and the entire Simmons family. Once again they’ve stolen someone I love.” He opened the door and stomped down the steps.

“Mason, please don’t leave. Please.”