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father.
Wow. Misty stared at this professional man before her, with his custom suit, a sparkle in his eyes, and
confidence screaming from every pore. He d been a foster kid? It didn t seem possible.
You can t just accept your fate, Misty. I had given up, as so many others do. But you can be whoever
and whatever you want. That s why it s so important that you stand up against this villain who took
advantage of you, used you, and made you run. Jesse Marcus took something from you, and now it s
time for you to take it back. I can tell you that when you testify, you will start to put the pieces of your
life back together, or better yet, make a whole new life that is even better than it was before. The fear
will dwindle, and you can pull yourself out of this prison you ve been forced into.
Misty listened to him speak, his words like molasses warming on top of a hot gas stove, coating her,
comforting her, offering her a place to go in a safer world. Oh, this man was clearly a pretty great
attorney. She d bet he didn t ever lose a case. Okay, maybe that was statistically almost impossible,
but she d still bet he hadn t lost in a very long time. He didn t seem capable of it.
What will I have to do? Will Agent Winchester be involved?
Yes, he will be involved all the way through, which is in your favor. I ve known Bryson for many
years, and he s a solid and a good man. You want him to be on your side. He keeps his word. The
only thing that would stop him from protecting you would be death, and I m telling you, I think he s
superhuman, because he s been in a few situations from which no man should have come out alive,
and yet he s still here, Camden said with a chuckle.
So what do you need from me? she asked again, since he d either ignored the question or gotten
distracted.
Do you know what a deposition is?
No. She didn t know any of this lawyer speak.
I will meet with you and Agent Winchester and the lead attorney on the case against Jesse in my
offices in Montana with a court-appointed recorder taking notes. You will make a legally binding
statement, explaining everything you know about Jesse and his criminal dealings. We have a lot of
witnesses, Misty. We just want this case to be open-and-shut. Not all the witnesses will be called to
the stand, and not all of the statements will be used in the trial unless we think we are losing.
That s it? I just make a statement? That wasn t so bad, not at all the way she thought it would be.
No Jesse in the room; nobody staring daggers at her.
I don t want to mislead you, Misty, he said, leaning forward in his chair, his elbows propped up on
his knees, his eyes intense. There is a very real chance that we will call you to the stand, that we will
ask you to repeat your story in front of a jury. From the evidence we ve found, you seem to know a
lot. There are a couple of other women who saw even worse crimes committed by Jesse, but you re a
valuable witness. What is going down is a very big prosecution with some even bigger players than
Jesse involved, and all testimony is valuable to the case.
Misty gazed back at Camden this man whom she normally would never have a conversation with,
someone she d pass on the street and not feel worthy enough to nod to, and it gave her a measure of
pride that he needed her. Yes, what he needed her for was her testimony, but that didn t matter. All
that mattered right now was that she was needed.
Her entire attitude changed. Not only could she do this, but she wanted to do this.
When will it begin? she asked. She couldn t get out of this anyway, so she might as well accept it.
The sooner it was over, the better.
Soon. Probably a week or two. But for right now I d like for you to tell me your story. He leaned
back.
Just start talking?
Yes. No pressure, no one recording anything. Remember, this is informal today. We re getting to
know each other. You tell me your story, and then I ll advise you of what comes next.
Okay, Misty said, and she began. She would tell this stranger everything she knew about Jesse,
everything she d been an unwilling witness to during the year she d been with him. A relatively short
period of her life had shaped her more than she cared to admit, and telling this man about it was oddly
freeing.
Chapter Seven
His doorbell rang at close to two in the morning, and Bryson didn t even blink. He d been waiting for
this visit.
You could have at least phoned me and let me know what in the hell was going on! he snapped as
he threw open the door, standing there in his sweats, a pronounced scowl on his face.
It s good to see you, too, Bryson, Camden said cheerily as he stepped over the threshold of
Bryson s temporary home.
I m really not in the mood for small talk, Cam. What happened?
I think it s better if you wait until the deposition, but what s important is that she is feeling much
better about testifying. I d prefer not to put her on the stand. I think she s strong, but this woman has
been put through hell, and I mean the deepest, darkest depths of hell. I really don t want to drag her
back there, but I m pretty sure she can handle it if it comes to that. Camden walked over to Bryson s
liquor cabinet and helped himself.
I don t want to do that to her, either, Cam. I want to protect her. But to hear it coming from you, a
lawyer who will do anything to win well, I m surprised. Bryson joined his friend and poured
himself a strong drink.
Camden ignored Bryson s lawyer barb. Hmm. I ve never heard you say you didn t want a witness to
testify. Are you breaking your own rules and getting involved? His eyes were twinkling.
Butt out, Cam, Bryson growled.
Camden laughed outright. Whoa, this girl has you tied in knots.
That s impossible. I hardly know her, Bryson snarled, but his temper immediately dissipated, and
he slumped into the nearest chair, suddenly exhausted.
You may hardly know her, but I don t think I ve ever seen you this twisted up. Damn! Glad I came
here to see this for myself instead of making an impersonal phone call. Camden sat down across
from him, looking far too smug for Bryson s liking.
I just& she s different. Why couldn t he put his finger on what he was feeling?
She most certainly is. If you aren t interested& Camden trailed off, but his message was perfectly
clear.
If you touch her, I will break both your legs.
You could try, Camden replied, fully unperturbed, while Bryson felt as if he were walking a high
wire and about to fall off with no safety net anywhere.
You re enjoying this, aren t you, Cam? I thought you were on my side. Bryson jumped out of his
seat and went over for a refill. This night was growing worse by the minute.
Camden and Misty had been at the meeting for far too long. Bryson had been pacing the house for
hours, imagining all sorts of scenarios. For one, Camden was known as a lady-killer. Bryson trusted
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