Page 32 of Free to Judge (Amaryllis Heritage #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I’m stunned. Flabbergasted. And, not a little hurt.

I thought what Kalie and I shared was under attorney-client privilege, but here, it was being discussed by her family. I figured eventually my cover would be shared with her family, but now, they’re openly aware of why I’m undercover, my op, and the reason I went under in the first place.

Jon lays a hand on my shoulder, in support which I appreciate but I shrug off. I need to feel angry and him trying to placate me isn’t helping. Especially when he says, “She did what she needed to.”

“Let all my secrets out in the wind? Got it.”

Jon frowns. “Kalie didn’t share anything with anyone.”

“Right. First Kalie meets with her father. Then, Keene calls and tells me he plans on looping in his wife because his baby girl demanded it. Now, we’re here and everyone’s spilling their guts—and blowing my cover?

” Before Jon can give a rose-colored glass version of what just went down, I plow on with my own.

“Someone broke a promise to me, and I sincerely doubt it’s been the men covering my fucking ass the last few years. ”

Jon’s mouth opens and shuts without sound.

“She convinced your uncle to tell them, Jon. She broke my trust even as she swore she wouldn’t due to attorney-client privilege.”

He rubs his hand over his chin while I pace around the now empty conference room like a caged animal. Finally, he suggests, “Why don’t you talk with her? Find out what really happened?”

I stop in my tracks, the idea holding all kinds of appeal. “Yeah. That’s a good idea. Which office is hers?”

Jon gives me directions and I exit the room, heading down the corridor. Glancing to confirm I’m at the correct door, I shove it open without knocking.

Kalie looks up from where she’s unpacking her briefcase. “Declan. What’s wrong?”

My lip curls as I slam the door. “Like you don’t already know what I’m here for.”

Her eyes widen comically. “What are you talking about?”

“Kalie, why the hell did you betray me like that?” Before she can speak, I launch into my diatribe. “Your cousin calls me this morning telling me to meet him, and what do I walk into? A coffee klatch where my undercover op is the main topic. What the fuck is all that about?”

Her mouth falls open, then shuts again. “I didn’t tell them. All I did was encourage my father not to lie to my mother.”

“Look at what the hell that did!” I shout.

“How in the hell is that my fault?” she yells back.

My pulse is throbbing through my veins so hard, I’m afraid my head is going to explode. “What did he do? Have lunch with his little princess then sit down and tell her mother every detail he’s been hiding from her for almost a decade?”

Kalie’s face pales but I ignore her reaction. “So, because you’re worried about lying to your precious little family, Daddy spoke to your uncle and called a damn family meeting about who I really am? I mean, Christ! Now, one mistake, one slip up and I’m compromised. Dead. Is that what you want?”

“No! Of course not. I didn’t know he was going to—”

“Bullshit. You wanted your mother to know. You said it last night that they had a right to the truth.”

She recoils at my words like I slapped her, and while part of me hates that for her, the truth hurts more.

I despise being the one to hurt her, but it’s also better than either of us winding up on the wrong side of a bullet and that’s if the Byrnes are feeling generous.

But despite the way she wraps her arms around herself protectively, I don’t retract a single word.

“What the hell kind of lawyer are you? What I told you was in confidence and you sat there while your father told everyone in that room what was happening,” I sneer. “You just let it happen.”

Her voice cracks. “You think I planned this? I was just as blindsided as you were. I walked into that conference room a few minutes before you.”

“That whole thinking on your feet thing must have been a class you skipped during your Olympic training.”

“Enough,” comes a harsh voice from the door.

Both Kalie and I turn and find her mother standing in the doorway.

If I’m being honest, Alison Freeman-Marshall scares me a little with the way her cold blue eyes lock onto my face.

“My daughter had no say in what my husband chose to tell me about you, Mr. Conian. I haven’t spoken with my daughter since Friday afternoon. ”

I whip around and find Kalie won’t look at me.

Crap.

God, she didn’t sell me out.

Keene’s the one who shared the intimate details of the case with his wife. “Mrs. Marshall—”

She cuts me off. “Also, you should be reassured I’m one of his attorneys of record, so nothing discussed in that conference room can leave it.”

I thought I couldn’t feel even worse than I did until I hear the huskiness of Kalie’s voice as she addresses her mother.

“Thank you, Mama. However, I was just about to explain to Mr. Conian that I didn’t, in fact, discuss or share any privileged information without his consent.

However, if he’d like to retain you or Uncle Jared to pursue a suit if he feels he was wronged, perhaps that would be best.”

Alison steps up next to her daughter and slides her arm around her shoulder.

“I think your godfather would be an excellent resource for him.” She shoots me a filthy look.

“If you feel the need to make a complaint, Mr. Conian, we’ll provide you with the contact information for the American Bar Association.

They take all ethical complaints seriously and will certainly send someone to investigate the claims you are making against my daughter. ”

I feel about as gross as dog crap that’s stuck to the bottom of a shoe that has a tread filled with old gum. “Let me offer my apology,” I grit out.

“Fine,” Kalie manages.

“Now, please leave,” her mother tacks on.

I want to rant that as awful as I feel about my baseless accusations, these people are still in danger.

It doesn’t negate the fact that my life is now in more danger than ever.

Whispers in back alleys raise questions in places where there should be none, and that’s what gets you killed.

I make my way to the door when Kalie calls my name.

I pause and look over my shoulder at her, “Yeah?”

“Good luck on your hunt. I hope you and the rest of the team find what you’re looking for.” Kalie’s voice is excessively polite. However, her eyes burn with something I can’t name.

Or maybe I’m afraid to because if I do, I don’t know how I’m going to live with myself for putting it there.