Lara curled up on the couch at home––her hair in a ponytail and jammies on. She had take-out.

Again.

She was so sick of it and would love to make her own food, but she was trapped at Buckley and Hartley killing herself with billable hours.

After interviewing Griff yesterday, Lara was determined to find out more about PASS. Griff was the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on. Her heart skipped a bit as she thought about his long wavy hair. It was dark at the top then blended into a blonde. He had a soft-looking beard, but it was his eyes that had mesmerized her–tiger eyes. For being in prison for so long, his skin was a light copper and he had muscles…muscles to die for. It took all of her attorney training to not lust over him like a horny teenager. His brother, Seth, was good-looking, but Griff made her want to take off her panties and spread her legs.

She was panting and sweating.

Get ahold of yourself, you’re his attorney, not his lover.

But it wasn’t just that he was the sexiest man alive. She didn’t think he’d torched that apartment building, but someone wanted people to believe it was him. The question was why?

She sipped her wine and kept surfing the internet. Her breath did a quick intake. She stumbled on a symbol of a purple mountain with a road whirling around it. Behind the mountain there was an angry eye. Chills rolled down her spine and she shivered.

She covered her mouth. “Shit, I’ve seen that before.”

In a painting in Mr. Hartley’s office.

But she had to be sure.

Mr. Hartley had all kinds of paintings from realism to impressionism to expressionism. Maybe she was wrong.

The next morning, she arrived at Buckley and Hartley early. Only the crickets greeted her in the garage. The sun was still asleep. The guards weren’t even there yet. She flashed her key fob and entered the building. She had on her tennis shoes to muffle her footsteps. She’d change back into her pumps when she returned to her tiny office.

She pushed the elevator button with her finger. Her heart skipped and leaped. No one went to the Mr. Hartley’s office un-summoned. She avoided looking at the security cameras that watched her every move. Sweat formed on the back of her neck. She tried to act natural as she entered the elevator. Her legs shook so hard she was afraid the cameras captured them playing the rumba.

She pulled her phone out of her purse. The elevator crept up…one…two….three…

“Come on, come on.” She yanked a hoodie out of her old beat up briefcase and slid it on. She took off her skirt and put on a pair of sweats, then pulled a baseball cap over her eyes.

Nine….ten…eleven….twelve…The elevators slid open to the hallway. The receptionist desk was empty and neat.

She forced herself to move. The security cameras were on her, but they wouldn’t see the same woman. This may be super stupid, since the cameras had caught her earlier.

Dim lights shone on the darkened highway. She walked down the hallway quickly, but stopped in front of an expressionist painting. Crap, this was it.

She immediately took a picture. No one would have thought anything different about it unless they know about PASS.

She hurried down the hallway to Mr. Hartley’s office. Thankfully, her key fob opened the door.

The room was eerily empty. A small expressionist painting of a mountain hung between two book cases. She immediately took a picture.

She clicked on his computer. Stuck. She needed a password, and on a hunch, typed in PASS. She was in. Dumb. How could he have such a simple password?

She had no idea what she was looking for until she found a file with the date of the fire. She didn’t have time to look at the contents, but something incriminating had to be hidden in it. She took a USB drive out of her purse with her shaking hand and plugged it into the computer.

“Come on, hurry.”

The file uploaded within seconds.

She was about to leave when something on his mahogany desk caught her eye–––a silver case with the same mountain and angry eye symbol engraved on it. She couldn’t resist and opened it. Business cards were stacked in there, and the one that made her heart stop was…Grant Sellars’s.

Mr. Hartley had his business card, a known drug user, or more likely, arsonist. What else was in that file?

Her fingers shook. She quickly put all of the cards back into the case and hurried out of the office.

She raced back to the elevator, pumping her legs and arms. Her lungs burned and sweat drenched her face. She changed clothes quickly and got off at her floor. What had she just discovered?

She immediately jumped into work, but every time her door opened, her heart nearly exploded. Mr. Hartley walked past her office and cast her a cool look. She froze, her fingers icing over her keyboard. Her heart banged against her ribs.

Stay calm…stay calm….stay calm.

He opened the door and casually walked around her office, which was a fourth the size of his. She didn’t even have a window. “Good afternoon, Ms. Black.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Hartley. Can I help you?” Her voice was strained and her eyes wide.

“I came to tell you that I’ve been monitoring your progress and your hours. I’m very pleased.” He stood in front of her desk, his shadow falling over her like a dark cloud. “Don’t do anything to jeopardize it.”

She nodded like a bobble head. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. We have a perfect understanding.” He went over to the door and glanced over his shoulder. “Remember…I’ll be watching.”

Lara’s throat dried up and she could only give him a small smile. Shit, did he suspect she’d been in his office?

She couldn’t keep the drive here. She had to hide it. She looked out the window and then glanced at her watch. This was her usual break time for coffee. She had the perfect place to keep it safe. Somewhere were none of Mr. Hartley’s little spies would think of.

Fifteen minutes later, she returned with her mochachino and worked frantically until 5:00. She had to get out of here and prepare for Griff’s case.

“Nancy.” Lara stopped at her receptionist who was a picture of Little Mary Sunshine. “I’ll be out tomorrow.”

“Have a great weekend. See you on Monday.”

“You too.”

Finally, she was able to go home. Tomorrow was Friday and Griff Reese’s parole hearing.

She got onto the elevator and went down to the parking lot. She headed toward her car. The sound of a grumbling motorcycle made her jump.

A man, wearing sun glasses and his long white hair in a tail, zoomed passed her, making her hair swoosh in front of her face. She darted to the side, her heart pounding a million beats a minute.

“Asshole.”

The PASS symbol was stitched on the back of his leather jacket.

She felt the blood drain from her face and her breath fizzled up.

The silver and black motorcycle roared again.

She sprinted toward her car, hit the keyless remote, and yanked opened the door.

The growling got louder and louder.

Lara threw everything inside. She locked the doors and gripped the wheel trembling and sweating.

The same man rolled passed the back of her car. He skidded to stop then slowly rode away.

“Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.”

She immediately called Cora.

“Cora?” Her voice shook.

“Lara, what’s wrong?”

Lara immediately told her everything that had happened over the last ten hours.

“Cora, I’m afraid to leave the garage. What if he has a gun?”

“You can’t stay there, Lara. You’re a sitting duck.”

She kept looking in the rearview mirror, but there was no sign of the man. Lara’s whole body shook. “I know. Stay on the line with me.”

“I will. Don’t worry.”

Lara pulled out of her parking space. The garage had shadows in every corner where he could hide. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn’t breathe. She drove down one level, then two, and reached the basement. Escape was only a few feet away.

“Lara, are you still there?” Cora’s voice made Lara jump.

“Yes…yes.”

Another mechanical growl sent her whole insides in a frenzy.

She looked around wildly. A motorcycle was in the dark shadows next to a Mercedes. She knew that car. It was Mr. Hartley’s.

“Cora, he’s here.” Her low voice squeaked.

“Don’t panic. Just get out of there.”

Lara fumbled flashing her card at the ticket machine as she kept watching the man on the motorcycle. He hadn’t moved. The bar slowly raised up. Not looking behind her, she burned rubber peeling out of the garage.

“I’m out, Cora.”

“Is he following you?”

“No, but I think I’m in real trouble. I think the man on the motorcycle and Mr. Hartley’s weird visit were both warnings.”

“Does this mean you’re not going to represent Griff?” Her sad voice tugged at Lara’s determination.

“No. Cora, I think there’s more going on here than just a building being burned down. Mr. Hartley’s hiding something, and I’m going to find out what it is.” Her voice sounded braver and stronger than she felt. She was just a peon, taking on a corporate power house.

“Call me when you get home.”

“Sure, I will.”

Within minutes, she was at her home safe and sound. She peered out of her plantation shutters, but didn’t see or hear a motorcycle.

Her phone rang and she picked it up without thinking.

“Cora, I’m home.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you won’t go to the parole hearing tomorrow,” a menacing voice warned.

Her heart jumped around inside like a jack rabbit. “Who is this?” Her voice was hard and loud.

The phone immediately went dead.

Lara sat slowly on her couch and stared at her phone. An unknown number. The man on the motorcycle?

What had Seth and Cora and Gerri Wilder gotten her into? Why did PASS want Griff to remain behind bars? Did he remember something that would hurt them? Maybe he knew something, something small, that he didn’t even realize was significant. She was now more convinced than ever he was innocent. An innocent man serving a twelve year sentence for a crime he didn’t commit.

It was up to her. She had no doubt tomorrow at that parole hearing he’d be railroaded again. He didn’t deserve that.

She called Cora and told her about the threat.

“You can’t go down to Buena Vista by yourself tomorrow, Lara. Seth and I will go with you.”

“I’d like to go tonight.”

“Fine. How about if we drive and you leave your car at your house?”

Lara’s stomach twisted into a tight ball of fear. “You think I’ll be followed if I drive by myself, don’t you?”

“Yes. Gerri’s coming, too.”

Lara exhaled a shaky breath. She was relieved she’d have a wolf and two tigers to protect her from motorcycle man. “Okay, pick me up in about an hour.”

“See you then.”

Within an hour, Lara was packed and ready.

Seth pulled up in their SUV and honked. Lara grabbed her small suitcase, her laptop, and brief case. She flew out the door, looking cautiously up and down the street, but didn’t see a motorcycle.

“Hey, Lara.” Seth was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans like always. He gave her a big hug then he gripped her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

She tilted her head up. “Yes, I’m fine.” Not exactly true. “But I don’t back down easily.”

“Hi Lara.” Cora reached over the front seat and squeezed her hand. “You okay?”

“I am now, since my troops are here.”

“Good.” He took her bags. “I’ll put these in the back.”

“Thanks.” She climbed into the SUV and skidded next to Gerri who looked at her with concern.

Gerri patted her knee. “I’m sorry, honey. PASS never plays fair.”

“I’m beginning to see that.” She frowned. “Gerri, why do you think PASS is determined to keep Griff in jail?”

She frowned. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve been going over this puzzle in my head. I think they’re trying to protect their arsonist, or Griff knows something that could jeopardize their organization.”

“Like what?”

Gerri shrugged. “Hell, if I know.”

Nothing eventful happened on the way down to Buena Vista. Snow had touched the peaks of the Sawatch Range mountains. The Buena Vista Correctional Complex was the first thing Lara saw as Seth pulled into town. The blue and gray tower rose over the prison, but the Sawatch Range mountains behind the prison made it look puny. An old barrack style building with a green tile roof was where Griff Reese lived. What secrets was he hiding?

Seth glanced in the rearview mirror. “Do you really think you can get my brother out of there?”

“Yes, I do.” Her strong voice hid the doubt lodging in her throat. What lengths would Mr. Hartley go to keep Griff in prison?

No sense worrying about it. Tomorrow she’d have the answers. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she trembled. She just hoped they all came out of Buena Vista in one piece.

The next day, Lara was a bundle of nerves, but she managed to put on her no-nonsense strict attorney face. Seth parked the car in the visiting parking lot. “You ready for this?”

“You bet I am.” She got out of the car and immediately inhaled the sweet smile of pine and shivered at the crisp morning air. She grabbed her purse and briefcase with her clammy hands.

They all three walked in silence up to the guard house. Griff’s hearing was at precisely nine. Lara’s thumping heart was louder than their clamping footsteps on the pavement. She glanced at their tight faces, but none of them were looking at her.

Cora’s face was drawn and she was looking around the grounds as if she was afraid the boogey man would pop out. “Do you think your Mr. Hartley will be here?”

Gerri shook her head. “No. Jason Hartley doesn’t like to get his hands dirty. He’ll have some underling do his dirty work.”

Lara nodded her head. “Agreed.”

Based on the reports, she’d come to the conclusion that this was a professional job. Someone knew what they were doing, how to cover their tracks, and leave someone holding the match. In this case, Griff Reese.

She figured it had to be either Kevin Brown or Grant Sellars. Or was there a third player involved. The only one who had the answers was locked inside.

A guard greeted them from behind a metal door. “Good morning, what is your business?”

“I’m Lara Black, attorney for Griff Reese. He has a parole hearing at 9:00 AM.” She held up her badge.

“And they are?”

Lara gestured. “This is Gerri Wilder, witness for defense, and the other two are family members of Mr. Reese. His brother and sister-in-law.”

“Identification, please?” A metal drawer pushed out.

Gerri, Seth, and Cora all put their driver’s license inside the drawer.

The guard examined each license and studied Gerri, Seth, and Cora. He scanned each of the licenses and looked at a screen.

He buzzed them inside the prison and handed back the licenses. “Stand here, please.” He took out a security wand. “Please put your purses and bags on the conveyor belt.”

Lara put her purse, laptop, and briefcase on the belt. Gerri and Cora followed suit with their purses. The guard then rolled his wand over each of them. Nothing beeped.

He gestured toward the metal detector. “Please put your hands over your head.”

She nodded, feeling like she was the one who had committed a crime.

“I need to know where the parole hearing would be held.”

He checked his iPad. “For Griff Reese, it will be in Conference Room A, one hundred. It’s down the hall and to your left.” He frowned. “You’re about an hour early.”

Lara wiped her sweaty palms on her jacket. “I know. I wanted to time to prepare. Is the room available?”

“Yes.” He pointed to double doors. A guard sat at a desk. “Check in with the guard. He’ll let all of you inside. It’s the first room on your left.”

Lara smiled, hiding the fear clawing her insides. “Thank you.” She’d never conducted a hearing where someone had threatened her. People usually didn’t get up in arms over intellectual property.

Seth ran his hand through his hair. “This place sucks. I hope you can get him out of here.”

She winked. “I will.”

He didn’t smile and sighed heavily. His lack of confidence weighed heavy on her.

Lara glanced at a round oval silver mirror that was above a guard next to the double doors. In the reflection, a tall muscular man with his white hair pulled back in a tight ponytail caught her attention. He had a patch over one eye and reminded her of a pirate.

She stopped and gasped.

Cora clasped her arm. “Lara, what’s wrong?”

Chills trampled down the back of Lara’s spine.

“Lara?” Gerri looked behind them. “Is there anything wrong?”

Another mirror reflected the back of his leather jacket that had the PASS symbol on it. Crap, he was here.

He watched her and a smile spread across his face that reminded her of a serial killer ready to gut his victim.

Don’t show fear.

“Nothing.” She marched toward the guard. “I thought I saw someone I knew.”

Lara felt the man’s eyes on her back and refused to look over her shoulder at him. Gerri, Cora, and Seth hurried to catch up with her.

Seth stood in front of her. “What gives?”

Not wanting to cause a commotion and risk Griff’s parole hearing, she raised an eyebrow. “Nothing. I need to prepare before the hearing. Or do you want to stand and argue, making me lose this case?”

He looked over her head. “You were looking at a guy, weren’t you?” He released a low growl.

“Attacking him won’t help your brother, Seth.”

Seth clamped his mouth shut, but there was murder in his eyes. She should be scolding him for jeopardizing her case, but the coward in her, wanted a tiger, ready to spring and attack her enemy.