A Twist of Betrayal (18 page)

“I don’t want to fight with you over our jobs.”

“You think he’s guilty, don’t you?” she asked.

Dan shrugged again. “You have to decide that for yourself.”

Justine smiled from across the supper table. “I just don’t know how to feel about this,” she replied. “What I do know is that I don’t like the feel of this case. And I haven’t from the beginning. I’m so certain he’s not guilty. Still, I can’t help but get the feeling that he doesn’t think I’m doing my best to get him off.”

“You have to admit the prosecution has a lot of evidence against him,” he pointed out.

“Yes, but my client has a pretty unshakable alibi. Not to mention, we’ve got witnesses that confirm Paulie Madison’s alibi, too. We’ve got blood samples and foot prints and fiber samples that are all circumstantial and don’t match anything, especially anything regarding Madison,” she reminded Dan as if he didn’t already know any of this.

“He scares you, doesn’t he?”

“Oh, yes. Paulie Madison has a lot of money and friends, both in high and low places. He’s scared me from the first moment I looked at him.” She poked at her supper with her fork but never ate a bite.

“Do you really think there’s a chance the jury won’t acquit him?” Dan asked.

She shrugged lightly. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just scared, and I don’t know what to think.”

“This is your first murder case, I don’t blame you.”

“I’m starting to wonder that if he doesn’t get off,” Justine went on, “I think we’ll have to move.” She looked up at Dan. He didn’t look all that worried, but then he seldom let her see him worry.

“We won’t have to move,” he assured her.

“Maybe I’m just not cut out to try murder cases. I should probably stick to misdemeanors.”

He smiled at her comment. “Listen, you just have to practice with some caution, that’s all.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“Like don’t leave your office or court at odd times when no one’s around and don’t stay at your office after dark. Don’t park in the parking garage if you can help it, it’s dark in there. Find a place out in the light on the street, even if you have to go out and feed the meter every couple of hours. Pay attention to what’s happening around you, both when you’re walking to the car and when you’re driving.”

It was Justine’s turn to give him a small smile. “I already do all of that. I check inside my car before I open the door and get in. I have my keys ready to unlock the door, so I don’t have dig through my purse. I lock the doors after I get in. That’s just common sense stuff.”

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Good. After we eat, I’ll show you a few maneuvers to help you in case you get grabbed.” He took a bite.

Justine pushed her plate away, too anxious to eat. “Show me now,” she requested. “Please. I’m not hungry anyway.”

Dan paused, and for a moment, Justine thought he was going to refuse and ask her to wait until he finished. Then, he pushed his plate a few inches away. “All right. I’m not really hungry, either.”

She figured it was probably a lie, but she loved him for it.

They stood up and Dan faced her. Justine watched him and waited.

“Now, I’m not going to teach you to fight or anything that would take months of practice. Besides, if you did want to learn some form of self-defense, you should learn it from a professional. I’m just going to show you a few moves that are to give you the few seconds you might need to escape. Just in case something happens.”

“Okay,” Justine said.

Dan grabbed her suddenly and held on to her sleeve. “What do you do?” he asked.

Justine twisted her arm and tried to twist away from him, but he held her too tightly.

“You’re wasting time,” Dan instructed. “If I had I knife, I could have used it already. If I wanted you in a car, I could have dragged you there.”

“All right, so what do I do?” she asked. His touch was warm through her sleeve. No one else’s touch would be.

“Slide out of it,” Dan told her. “If someone grabs you by your clothes, just slide them right off, leave the guy holding your jacket.”

Justine did as he instructed, letting one arm slide through the sleeve. The other followed, and she was free. In less time than it took her to struggle and try to twist free, she was. “Damn,” she laughed, “that was easy. But what if I’m not wearing a jacket?”

“Then let ’em have your blouse or T-shirt or whatever. Just let it slide right over your head. Then run. You can run without a shirt on. You can’t run with a knife stuck in you. You can’t run if your attacker manages to get both hands around you or starts choking you.”

“I know.”

“This has got to be instinctive, Jus,” he pointed out. “When someone grabs you, he isn’t going to wait for you to get your bearings and try to think of a way to escape. He’s going to be ready, and you have to be, too. You have to make these moves without having to think about them.”

“All right.”

“Do it again,” he insisted. He waited for her to put on her jacket again. Then he grabbed her again, only in a different place.

In less time than Justine could take a breath, Dan was left standing there holding her jacket.

“But blouses don’t wear as loose as a jacket or T-shirt,” she pointed out.

“Don’t be afraid to lose a few buttons,” he said. “Just like the shirt, they’re replaceable.” He looked at her, his eyes twinkling with stars. “And just think how running half naked might draw some much-needed attention.”

She raised a brow and grinned at him. Then she ran her tongue over her lips, slowly, seductively. “You think so?” Justine asked.

“I know when I see you half naked, it sure gets my attention.”

“You’re supposed to be teaching me how to protect myself,” Justine pointed out.

“Yes, I am, so stop trying to distract me and turn me on with your tongue.” And he didn’t hesitate to grab her from behind, his arm around her neck.

Justine waited, not really knowing what to do. Instinctively, she reached up and grasped his arm with her hands as she tried to pry his arm away from her.

“Listen, honey,” he said, his voice warm in her ear. “You’re at a disadvantage because you’re not very big. That means you could be overpowered by sheer strength. There is no way you could get me to let you go holding on and pulling like you are. I can sweep you right off your feet this way and have you gone before anyone could stop me.” He showed her by lifting her right off her feet.

It was frightening to see how easy Dan made it look. “So what should I do?” Justine asked when he set her back down.

“You have to know how to turn your weakness around to work for you, so you can still get away. To grab my arm was what I expected you to do, it’s almost a natural reaction. Your attacker would probably expect it, too. If you forget and grab an arm anyway, grab your attacker’s thumbs.”

“Why?”

“Thumbs guide the hand, but without the rest of the hand, they’re weak. If you grab someone’s thumbs and pull, the rest of the fingers have no choice but to follow. The only bad thing about that is you’re still in contact with your attacker. As soon as you let him go, he’s probably going to grab you again,” Dan explained. “So let’s try something else. Put your arms down.”

Justine put her arms down at her sides.

“Now, what can you touch like that?” he asked quietly.

With both hands, Justine reached behind her. And touched him. She brushed her hands against his thighs, his legs. With one hand she found the juncture between his legs, and she wasn’t a bit surprised to find him hard.

Justine giggled.

“Don’t laugh, this is serious,” he said, but was unable to keep his voice from cracking. “You’ve got your hand on one of the most vulnerable parts on a man. And it’s much closer than reaching up and trying to pull my arm away from your neck. All you have to do is grab, pull and twist, and I promise he’ll let you go,” Dan informed her.

“You want me to grab, pull and twist, just to make sure it works?” Justine asked, a hint of laughter still in her voice.

“No, I don’t, but I want you understand that grabbing an arm, or whatever is holding you is usually not the answer, no matter how much you want to, not when there are other vulnerable pressure points.”

His words were hot against her cheek.

“What are the other vulnerable pressure points?” Justine whispered. The entire length of his hardness was pressed up against the back of her. She couldn’t help but lean back against him.

“The ribs and solar plexus. You can use your elbow to reach them, but if someone is holding you close, like this,” Dan demonstrated, “you might not get the chance to move that much.”

“What should I hit instead?”

“An instep,” he said.

Justine thought she could almost feel the way he had to force the words out. She felt his desire as he pressed against her, and she nearly giggled again.

“A knee,” he went on. “It may be awkward from behind, but a hard kick to the knee would hurt enough to maybe give you the few seconds to get away. Or even a kid’s move—a hard kick to the shin—can hurt like hell. Or one of these—” He pinched the underside of her arm between her elbow and her shoulder. It was a tiny pinch. Still, it caught her by surprise and a great deal of pain.

“Ow!”

“See? That’s all you need to cause a little pain. On the inside of the arm, it can really hurt. And a few seconds of sharp pain can give you the leeway to escape.”

“What if none of them work?” she had to ask.

“Then just let your body weight fall to the ground.”

“You just got finished saying I don’t weigh much,” Justine pointed out.

“No, you don’t, but with this maneuver, that doesn’t matter. When I lifted you before, I lifted you from a standing position, but your weight is distributed differently. If you force your weight to the ground by letting yourself fall, it takes much more strength to lift you back up again. The guy would have to be really strong to lift you then hold you up, and it would take both of his hands. If anything, your action might be enough to take him by surprise so that he lets go for a split second. And that, in all reality, is what you’re trying to do. Just have enough time to get away.”

“What if he’s got a gun?” she asked.

“Then you hope you can outthink him. But if he’s got a gun, you make your stand right there. In a public place, there is help, at least closer help. If he gets you into a car, I promise you, he will take you where there is no help. But the main idea is to use whatever you have to get away,” Dan instructed.

“Funny,” Justine said softly. “I don’t feel like getting away now.”

“But it’s got to be instinctive, merely a reaction. You won’t have time for anything more,” he instructed as if she hadn’t spoken, as if she weren’t pressed against him and enjoying it.

“Instinctive,” she echoed.

“Are you still worried about Paulie Madison not getting off or the next guy being guilty?” he asked her. At the same time, he reached around her and touched her just as seductively as she touched him. It was easier for him, however, she wore a skirt from her day in court and he was able to simply slide his hand right up her thigh.

“You’ve eased my mind,” she assured him. “Made me feel safer already.”

“It’s been my pleasure, Counselor,” he said.

“What else would be your pleasure, Officer Franklin?” she asked innocently.

“Let me show you…”

Chapter 21

Well, it wasn’t exactly a lesson in the fine art of self-defense, but Justine remembered what Dan said about the pressure points. Deke had asked as if she was strong enough and knew the right moves to fight him off. She certainly hoped she did. Whether she did or not, she was prepared to fight until she had no strength left.

Deke still pinned her against the counter, his body pressed against her.

Perhaps she could outthink him. “Is that what you really want?” Justine asked sweetly, silently searching for the right words to fight him as she contemplated where she should kick or pinch him first. “An unwilling woman?”

The question seemed to take him off guard for a moment. “I don’t know. I’ve never had one who’s unwilling.”

Justine had to bite her tongue to keep from giving her two cents that he’s probably never had
any
woman then. She couldn’t imagine anyone being willing with him. “Then tell me if you like this…”

She pinched his arm and brought her knee up in an explosive move that she felt vibrate through him. She was certain the pinch probably hurt, but the whoop he let out was probably more for the pain that doubled him over.

“Bitch…” He coughed out.

She tried to maneuver away from him as he dropped to his knees.

“You are going to be so sorry.” His words were tight, biting.

Justine didn’t care. She ran for the door.

When his hand closed around her ankle and the floor suddenly came crashing up to meet her face, she cried out in both pain and frustration. From the floor, she kicked at him and worked to squirm out of his grasp. He held on tightly and dragged her to him. He pinned her with his weight.

Hell, Dan hadn’t showed her anything to get out of this. She screamed, loud and long, right in his ear.

He leaned away from the noise with an “Ahhh”. He held her wrists with one hand while he tried to unbuckle his belt with his other hand and keep her from squirming beneath him.

Justine screamed and fought, refusing to give up.

“So this is how you like it? Rough?” He baited her. “Funny, I didn’t get that when I watched you with Dan.”

“Go. To. Hell.” She tried to bite his arm.

“You like to bite? Let me show you what happens when you bite.” He stopped trying to get his fly open and he started to choke her with his free hand.

Justine continued to fight and kick, but all she managed was banging her heels on the floor. Black spots floated through her vision.

Then everything stopped and the room was suddenly, hauntingly still as a new voice cut through the cabin.

“Leave her alone.”

Chapter 22

Dan’s heart ached with the need to hold Justine. He breathed in deeply and thought he smelled the perfume he gave her for Christmas. As soon as he got her back—and he
would
get her back—he would hold her close and not let her go. He wished to hell he could concentrate hard enough to teleport himself or at least astral project himself to wherever Justine was. But at the moment, he couldn’t seem to think far enough to know what else he needed in his backpack, much less complete an out-of-body experience. He stood in his and Justine’s living room, where the table and chairs had been placed so the tile job could be done. His backpack and its contents were on the table. He stared at it.