he’d been focused on other things—like proving my innocence—so he hadn’t even noticed that Richardson had put them in what had to be the smallest interrogation room in the whole world. Hell, it was barely bigger than—
“But if you go to prison, you will be in a cell for a very, very long time.” Gordon’s expression turned sad. “I warned you about that. Warned you about how tiny those cells would be. I told you that you had to control your rage and not strike out but you—”
“Oh, for God’s sake…” Chloe’s British accent was stronger than ever. “Can your license just be stripped away right now? Must we go through the whole process where Joel and I file a formal complaint against you?”
Gordon’s gaze shifted to her.
“Dr. Jennings…” Richardson’s voice was smooth as silk. No doubt because the jerk was confident once more. “I believe you know Chloe Hastings?”
Wait…how would his former shrink know—
Gordon blinked. “No, I don’t know her. Haven’t ever met the woman in my life. Why would you think that I knew her?”
“Don’t be concerned about the matter, Dr. Jennings.” Chloe shook her head. “The agent thinks many incorrect things. It’s simply what he does.”
Richardson’s gaze was jumping back and forth between Chloe and Gordon. “But you…” He pointed to Chloe. “You slipped up. When we were talking at Judith’s place, you mentioned him. You knew—”
“I knew about Joel’s shrink because he told me the man’s foolish diagnosis.”
No, I didn’t. Joel’s gut clenched. Went ice cold.
Chloe rubbed her hand down his arm. “Didn’t you, Joel? Didn’t you tell me about him?”
He nodded. Joel didn’t speak. He was afraid he wasn’t as good as she was at telling lies. He’d just realized that Chloe was very, very good.
Her expression didn’t change. Her breathing didn’t accelerate. Her voice stayed perfectly normal.
He had no doubt that she could pass any lie detector test with flying colors.
And he also realized…
Chloe has lied to me.
Because it was obvious that she knew a great deal about him. Things that she’d never said.
Richardson stalked around the table. He yanked out his chair and took up his seat once more. Gordon headed for the table, too, but he didn’t sit. Kind of just lingered. Looked. Studied.
“If standing up makes you feel more superior, by all means, do continue to stand,” Chloe instructed. “Pomp and circumstance are important to people with low self-esteem.”
Gordon’s chest puffed up. “I assure you, I am—”
“Wrong. That’s what you are. Your assessment of Joel was wrong from day one. You put him on a dangerous path. Instead of supporting him, you tried to rip him apart. And now, here you are breaking the standards of your profession because you want to reveal confidential information about a patient.”
“People are dying,” Gordon told her. His I-care voice had cracked. It was more of an I’m-getting-angry voice. “And the man that you are touching so familiarly—the man you are obviously romantically involved with—he threatened to commit murder in our sessions. I know things about him that I cannot keep quiet. If you think a patient will commit a crime, it is a doctor’s duty to—”
“Whatever. You believe you’re going to get a book deal or something out of this whole situation. Be on every TV news show. I’ve seen it before. With him.” She nodded toward Richardson. “Selling out the innocent to benefit yourself.”
The two men both glared at her.
She’s doing this deliberately. Trying to draw their attention away from me. Trying to make them angry with her. Because she was…protecting Joel?
“And, yes, I am romantically involved with Joel,” Chloe admitted easily. “Dr. Jennings, you wanted Joel to think he was a monster, a man that had to remain separate from the world, but that’s not who he is.”
Gordon’s hands slapped onto the table. He leaned toward Chloe. “Let me tell you who he is…”
Chloe’s hand caught Joel’s. Twined again with his fingers. “I don’t need you to do that. I already know exactly who he is.”
“You know who he was before he was cut open with that knife. You don’t know the man who crawled out of the grave.”
Joel was staring at Chloe. Looking at her profile because he didn’t want to look at Gordon any longer. That bastard—Joel had gone to him after the attack. Only to be told…
You’ll never be normal again.
Chloe angled her head so that she was staring back at Joel. “I like the man who crawled out of the grave.”
His breath seemed to freeze.
“Then you’re making a