Star Witness - By Mallory Kane Page 0,66

I approach the bench?” he shouted over his client’s curses and the gallery’s whispers and mumblings.

The judge was ignoring Yeoman. He looked at Drury over his glasses. “No, you may not.” He banged the gavel again and shouted, “This court is adjourned.” He thanked the jurors, then stood and left the courtroom.

Natalie Shallowford turned to Dani. She smiled and held her arms out.

Dani came around through the gate and hugged her. “Great job,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

“Oh, honey, Harte had all the paperwork in order. And your testimony, not only about the night of your grandfather’s death, but your ordeal the night of the storm, cinched it.”

“Oh,” she said, gripping the bar that divided the courtroom from the visitors’ gallery. She covered her mouth with her hand.

“Dani, are you okay?”

She nodded. “I am. For the first time since the night Granddad died, I’m okay.” She blinked away the burning behind her eyelids. “He’s really going to prison.”

Natalie squeezed her shoulder. “I’m so glad. And don’t forget, the three men who attacked your grandfather are going to prison too, on plea agreements.”

Dani nodded. “Thank you again, Natalie.”

Natalie waved a hand, then turned to pick up the piles of papers and cram them into her briefcase.

Dani turned toward Harte. Her knees felt weak and she had to grasp the back of a chair to steady herself. She hadn’t seen him since the EMTs had put him in the ambulance at Paul Guillame’s house. She’d been locked up in that damned hotel room while he’d lain in the hospital fighting for his life.

He looked so awful. Pale and thin and—almost breakable. And it was her fault. He’d protected her and doing so had nearly killed him.

He smiled the crooked smile that made her heart hurt. Somehow, she managed to walk up to him, even though her knees still felt boneless.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Your surgery was only four days ago.” A movement to Harte’s left caught her eye. It was Lucas, approaching. She turned an accusing gaze on him. “He shouldn’t be here,” she snapped.

“Yeah? Try telling him that,” Lucas shot back. “I’ll be outside.” He put his hand on Harte’s shoulder. “Try not to undo all the work the surgeon did, okay, kid?”

Harte gave him a brief nod. “I wanted to be here,” he said. His voice sounded hollow. “So, Natalie did a great job. Congratulations. Yeoman’s going to prison.”

“She said you did all the work,” she responded.

He shrugged, then winced. “So you can go home now. No more ‘incarceration.’”

“Yeah. I’m not even sure I believe Yeoman’s really going to prison yet. It’s a lot to process.” She gestured toward Harte’s arm. “So how—how are you doing?” she asked, working to keep her tone light.

An odd expression flickered across his face. “I’m doing okay. Mom’s taking care of me.”

She noticed his hand was white-knuckled on the chair arm. “I’m glad,” she said. “Let her spoil you.”

“I don’t have much of a choice right now.”

She nodded, looking at his hand, wanting so badly to touch it. “Lucas told me that the surgery was touch-and-go—” Her voice gave out. She cleared her throat. “I mean—”

He inclined his head. “It was, although I didn’t know it until it was all over. The first thing I remember after they put me in the ambulance is waking up in the hospital. Ethan was there, looking exhausted and worried.”

“Everybody was worried about you.”

The crooked smile played about his mouth again. But the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I know,” he said. “A lot of people came by—and called.”

Dani winced. “I wanted to call. I asked Lucas about you, but he said your family was there. And that’s who you needed. You needed to rest and get better with your parents and your brothers around you.” The more she said, the lamer her excuses sounded. But what was she supposed to say?

Get well soon? Thanks for keeping me alive and for taking a bullet for me? By the way, did the mind-blowing sex mean anything to you?

She’d been his star witness. He’d taken care of her, protected her, made sure the bad guys didn’t kill her. He’d have been here in the prosecutor’s chair, fighting for justice for her granddad, if he’d been able. But it was over now. He’d done what he had to do. He’d go back to being a prosecutor and a Delancey, and she’d go back to being a public defender.

“Dani, it’s okay. I understand. We Delanceys can be intimidating.”

She