Exposure - Kelly Moran Page 0,93

water. He cleared his throat. "The Rizzoli verdict's in."

Every muscle tensed in Noah's body. His stomach revolted. He hadn't heard they'd gone in for deliberation. Last he checked, the defense was doing closing arguments. "And?"

"It's after business hours, but because of the publicity, they're bringing everyone back into court. Should be live in an hour, at least." Max offered Raven a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "McCannon and Hintz are meeting us back at the condo. I said I'd wait for you and drive you home."

Noah nodded. "Let's go."

He had no concept of the drive home or of any conversation along the way. The deafening roar through his ears was stronger than the tide and he couldn't unwind the tension from his shoulders or gut. Ten years. Ten long years. Most of his family was dead, he'd been forced to put Aubrey in hiding, they'd come after Raven, he had no damn life of his own, and his future now depended on what twelve people would say.

In autopilot, he unlocked the condo door and ushered Raven inside. Hintz stood behind the sofa, eyes glued to the flat screen mounted to the wall. McCannon paced in front of the balcony doors, his FBI badge and service revolver clipped to his belt, reminding Noah just how fucked up his life had been. His living room had two body guards, a federal agent and Raven. No family, friends or displays of life on the walls. Because he hadn't had a life.

"Anything yet?" Raven asked, looking at the news channel footage of a quiet courtroom. Updates scrolled along the bottom of the screen, replaying the same loop that the verdict was in after six hours of deliberation.

Six hours. He'd been in hell a decade and they'd taken six hours to render a verdict.

"Not yet." McCannon stopped pacing. "They're reconvening now. It's been over an hour."

Raven sighed and met Noah's gaze. Frenetic worry looked back at him through wide chocolate eyes. She shook her head and went into the kitchen.

Noah took a seat on the couch and dropped his head in his hands.

Some time later, Raven set a plate of sandwiches and a bowl of pretzels on the coffee table. She handed everyone a beer and sat next to him, hand on his thigh. His other knee bounced incessantly.

"Sit down, guys." Raven held her beer up to punctuate her point. "No one's on the clock tonight. Drink your beer and try to relax."

As if unable to deny her, they each took a spot. No one, however, relaxed. Including her.

Noah looked at Max. "Did someone notify the team at Aubrey Castle?"

His bodyguard nodded, his thumb picking the label on his beer. "Called while I was waiting for you at the dock. They're keeping it from Miss Aubrey until you say otherwise."

McCannon leaned forward. "It's on." He turned up the volume and tossed the remote aside.

The TV flashed images of spectators in the courtroom as a voice-over recounted a summary of the proceedings. They zeroed in on Rizzoli at the defendant table, along with his attorneys. Rizzoli's mouth twisted as if put out to be there, and his glassy eyes seemed more than a little confused. He'd dropped weight and his skin was pale, sagging. If Noah didn't know the prick and what he was capable of, he might feel sorry for him.

"All rise."

"Holy shit," Noah muttered, dropping his head in his hands again. Every hair stood erect on his body.

Raven leaned closer and rubbed circles over his back, which did little to ease the knots of tension.

He clenched his fists, glaring at Rizzoli's craggy face as the judge read off the charges against him. "The jury has reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor," a male voice said off screen.

Noah released a shallow breath and froze.

Mutters filled the courtroom until the judge banged her gavel.

Raven's soothing ministrations over his back stilled as the judge called for the verdict.

"What say you?"

Everyone in the room leaned forward. Raven clutched Noah's forearm in a death grip. Noah's lungs refused to draw in air.

"We find the defendant, guilty."

A gale force wind expelled from Noah's chest. He shook from the inside out. Tears burned in his throat, behind his lids. He pulled Raven sideways into his lap and buried his face in her neck. "Thank Christ. Thank fucking Christ."

Her arms banded around his neck. "It's over," she whispered for his ears only. "It's going to be okay."

He yanked her closer, unable to let her go with the deluge of a shitstorm