I lick my lips, and his gaze zeroes in on my mouth.

“Reed! Ella!” Callum yells. “Study. Now!”

I jerk away. “Let’s go.”

I swear I hear him say cockblocker under his breath.

In Callum’s office, we find Steve leaning against the desk while Callum paces. All traces of humor evaporate when we spot Halston Grier sitting in one of the leather club chairs situated in front of the desk.

“Mr. Grier,” Reed says stiffly.

Grier rises to his feet. “Reed. How are you doing, son?”

Reed reaches around me to shake the lawyer’s hand.

“Should I leave?” I ask awkwardly.

“No, this involves you, Ella,” Callum answers.

Reed comes to my side immediately and places a protective hand at my back. I notice for the first time that Callum’s tie is askew and his hair is sticking up, as if he’s dragged his hand through it a hundred times. My gaze skips over to Steve, who’s wearing jeans and a loose-hanging white shirt. He doesn’t appear to be concerned.

I don’t know who to take my emotional cues from. My eyes bounce between the rattled Callum and the calm Steve. Does this have to do with me and not the murder case?

“You should sit down.” This comes from Grier.

I shake my head. “No. I’ll stand.”

Sitting seems dangerous. It takes longer to get up from a seated position and run than it does if I’m already on both legs.

“Dad?” Reed prompts.

Callum sighs, this time scrubbing the heel of his hand down one side of his face. “Judge Delacorte came to me with an interesting offer.” He pauses. “It’s regarding the DNA they found under Brooke’s fingernails.”

Reed frowns. “What about it?”

“Delacorte’s willing to lose this evidence.”

My jaw hits the floor. Daniel’s father is a judge. And he’s willing to “lose” evidence? That’s the most corrupt thing I’ve ever heard.

“What’s the price?” I demand.

Callum turns toward me. “Daniel would be allowed to come back to Astor Park. You would recant all your accusations and admit you took the drugs willingly.” He glances at his son. “When you and your brothers found her, she made up a story so you wouldn’t dislike her more than you already did. That’s the price.”

Every atom inside of me revolts at Callum’s scenario.

Reed erupts like a volcano. “That motherfucker! No way!”

“If I do it…” I take a breath. “Will Reed’s charges be dropped? Will the case go away?” I direct my questions to the lawyer.

“You’re not doing this,” Reed insists, his hand clamping onto my arm.

I jerk out of his grasp and advance on the lawyer. “If I do this,” I repeat through gritted teeth, “will Reed be saved?”

Behind me, Reed yells at his father for even entertaining the idea. Callum tries to soothe him, explaining that he’s not recommending I take this path.

But obviously he wants me to or he wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. It hurts, a little, but I get it. Callum’s trying to save his son from life in prison.

Steve, meanwhile, says nothing. He’s just taking it all in. But I don’t care about any of the other men in this office. Only the lawyer has the answer I need.

Grier folds his perfectly manicured hands in his lap, clear-eyed and unruffled by all the chaos in the room. I’m not sure what he sees when he looks at me. A frail girl? A stupid one? A silly one? How about one who loves her boyfriend so much she’d be willing to swallow swords for him?

This…this would be nothing. A few months of Daniel Delacorte in my life, a few more awful Astor Park kids whispering behind my back, a reputation as a drug addict? All of that in exchange for Reed’s freedom?

It’d be worth it.

“It can’t hurt,” Grier finally admits.

And Reed loses it again.

10

Reed

“No way!” At the attorney’s words, I immediately abandon Dad and storm over to Ella’s side, stepping between her and the snake before any more damage can be done. “That’s absolutely not happening. Ever.”

Ella shakes me off. “What about the video evidence?”

“It can all disappear,” Grier replies. “It seems that getting rid of evidence is something Delacorte has some experience with.”

“I can’t believe any of you would even consider this a good idea. Daniel shouldn’t be within a hundred miles of Ella,” I say hotly. “This is so fucked up.”

“Language,” my dad chides, as if he’s ever cared before when I’ve dropped F-bombs.

“Is it?” Ella counters. “How about going to prison for twenty-five years? If swallowing my pride means keeping you free, it doesn’t sound fucked up to me.”

Nobody reprimands Ella for her language, which just pisses me off more.

I turn toward Dad because he’s the one who needs convincing. Ella can’t pull off this trade by herself. Only Dad and this gutter lawyer can.

“This is the lowest thing ever. That asshole is a psycho and you’d bring him back? Worse, you’d subject Ella to a lifetime of harassment?”

Dad glares at me. “I’m trying to keep you out of prison. It’s not a great idea, but it’s one you both deserve to hear. You want me to treat you two like adults? Then you get to make the adult decisions,” he snaps.

“I’m making it then. Daniel stays where he is and we win this case on the merits, because I didn’t. Fucking. Kill. Her.” I enunciate each word so that there’s no mistake.

Ella grabs my wrist. “Reed, please.”

“Please what? Do you know what it’ll be like at school if you say you lied about Daniel? You wouldn’t be able to walk the halls alone. One of us would have to be with you at all times. Jordan would tear you up.”

“Do you think I care about that? It’ll only be for a few more months.”

“And what about next year? I won’t be around to protect you,” I remind her.

At the desk, I see Steve narrow his eyes. “I appreciate the sentiment, Reed, but Ella doesn’t need your protection. She has her father to protect her.” He purses his lips. “In fact, I think it’s time for me to take my daughter home.”