CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Newman’s eyes felt gritty and his head ached. He missed Hope, there was no getting around that fact. He wanted to hold her, talk to her about this emptiness he seemed to be carrying around inside him.
Leaving the building after the meeting that had lasted three painful hours, most of which he’d participated in on autopilot, he looked for a cab. Finally, those idiots had seen reason, and just maybe he could keep them out of bankruptcy. Sleep first, and then he was going home and making her talk to him.
I should have tried harder , Newman thought, turning on his phone. Made her speak to him, instead of walking away because she’d asked him to. For once in his life he should have gone after what he wanted, and not done what someone else told him to.
Looking at the screen, he noted messages were waiting for him, and three missed calls from Cubby. He hit redial.
“What’s up?”
“Your girl’s in trouble, Newman.” He listened as Cubby outlined what had happened. How he’d found the backpack at her house, and how the Linears wanted Hope charged. His body shook with rage by the time Cubby told him that the governor had wanted to take Hope to Brook for questioning, because they thought Cubby would be too lenient on her.
“What! Tell me you didn’t let them?” Newman’s chest literally hurt at the thought of Hope scared and alone in Brook.
“Don’t insult me! Do you think we would allow that to happen?” Cubby roared down the phone at him.
“No, okay, sorry.” Newman exhaled.
“You should be!”
“Okay, so where is she then, if you didn’t let them take her?”
“I deputized Jake and Tex, and they locked her in the cells and handed her the keys, so only she can let herself out. I have the other set, and they’re hidden.”
He didn’t have a laugh in him, so he snorted. “I owe you, bud.”
“Yes, you fucking do, because it’s damn lucky I was voted into my job, or I’d be unemployed. That pencil dick Tyler and Daddy Linear are pushing my buttons, so to say the looks on their faces were pleasing when they didn’t get what they came for, is an understatement. Now get your ass home, because your girl needs you.”
“She did not say that.”
“She did actually, seems she has a thing for you. Now haul ass, bud.”
“On it,” Newman said.
The next few hours were the longest of his life as he thought about how Hope was suffering. One thing that had become abundantly clear to Newman as he walked into the Lair, tired and seriously pissed, was that Hope meant a great deal to him, and he wasn’t about to let her walk away from him again.
“Newman.”
“Tank.” He nodded to one of Cubby’s deputies as he entered the reception area. Seated on a bench was another man dressed in a black suit, who Newman guessed was there keeping an eye on things for the governor, and the Linears.
“Who are you?”
Newman looked at the man as he spoke. “And that’s your business why?”
“I’m on official business from Governor Tyler.”
“I’m sure I should be impressed, but as I’m not, you’ll excuse me,” Newman said, walking around the desk Tank still sat at, now smiling. He made for the cells.
“No, Hope, it’s knit one, pearl one.”
“Seriously, Ms. Roberts Haigh, I’m not sure knitting is for me.”
He smiled as he recognized Hope’s voice. Some of tension inside him eased as she came into view.
The entire book club was seated outside Hope’s cell, knitting.
“These squares are to be made into blankets and sent to those in need, Hope. It’s an excellent cause,” Helen Todd, local schoolteacher and Declan O’Donnell’s girl, said.
“I’m sure it is, Helen, but it’s hard.” Hope’s tongue was clamped between her lips as she concentrated. She looked so cute he felt warm all over.
“Ladies,” he said, but his eyes were on Hope. Her head shot up, and the flash of joy was very real in her eyes.
“About time you got here,” Militant growled.
“I had to go away on business.”
“Not excellent timing, but understandable,” HRH said, standing.
She was head of the infamous book club that everyone in Lake Howling knew was the real authority in this town.
Branna O’Donnell, Dr. McBride, Lizzie Heath, and Militant. A weird combo of women if you asked him, but as he knew the selection process was as strange as the club, he guessed it was bound to happen.
“I’m glad you’re back, Newman.” Branna kissed his cheek. “She may not say it, but she needs you.”
He nodded, but kept his eyes on Hope, who still sat on the floor of her cell.
They all hugged him, even Militant, which was like being hugged by an ironing board.
“I’m working on the governor,” HRH said. “Man has no right to come in here throwing his weight around, and I’ll be speaking to his father about the matter.”
HRH, he’d come to realize, had far-reaching tentacles.
“I’d be grateful,” he said, because he thought a reply was expected. She slapped him on the back, hard enough to force the air out of his lungs.
Newman dropped down before Hope when he heard the door shut after the women. She came up on her knees and gripped the bars.
“You okay?” He wrapped his hands around hers.
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He touched her cheek, and she leaned into his hand, something she’d never done before.
“It’s not. I had no right to turn you away, or treat you as I did. You were suffering too.”
She bit her lip, and he realized it was to stop herself crying.
“Pass me the keys now, Hope.”
“I-I can’t, Cubby made me promise.”
“Now, Hope.”
“He found a bag at Mom’s house—”
“I know the details.” Newman cut her off. “Get the keys now, Hope.”
She stumbled to her feet and went to the cot, returning with the keys. Newman unlocked the door and entered, locked it behind him, then pocketed them.
“Hey, you,” he said, and she was in his arms seconds later. He held her while she cried. They weren’t loud sobs, just soft, heartbreaking ones.
“I have you, sweetheart.”
“I-I’m scared, Newman.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You can’t make that promise.”
She was right, he couldn’t, but he wanted to. He hated feeling helpless. Hated that she was locked in here.
“No, you’re right, I can’t, so how about, I’ll be with you whatever happens.”
She sniffed, and then eased out of his arms. Slipping a hand into her pocket, she pulled out a white card.
“Mom’s looking for a good lawyer for me, but I have this.”
He took the card and read the words. “Who is this?”
“My father.”
Newman whistled.
“Why did you wait until now?”
“I don’t know, I guess I didn’t have the strength before.”
“But you do now I’m here?”
“Weird, but yes.”
“Good weird,” he said. “If this is what you want to do, then do it. If not, I’ll get you another lawyer.”
She drew in a deep, shaky breath and punched in the numbers. She put it on speaker so he could hear. Hope was opening herself up to him, he could feel it. Did she feel something for him, like he did her?
“Hello, Hope.” Her father had a deep, steady voice.
“I’m in trouble.”
“That does surprise me, given what I know of you.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
Newman sat on the cot and pulled her down between his legs. She was tense, and he guessed had been so since landing in this cell. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
“Not true. I’ve followed the lives of you and Ryan, even if I haven’t been involved in them.”
“Do I have other brothers and sisters?”
It would be a question he’d ask if he ever spoke to his birth mother. Newman had always wanted siblings.
“Yes. Two brothers, and a sister.”
Newman took the hand not clasped around the phone in his. Slipping her fingers between his, he made a fist with her hand trapped inside.
“D-do they know about me?”
“Yes. What trouble are you in, Hope?”
She told him then, the entire story, starting with Jay’s betrayal. Her voice stumbled a few times, but she kept going, finishing with details about the governor and Mr. Linear.
“I know that Linear bastard,” the deep voice said down the line. “He couldn’t lie straight in bed.”
“I just wondered if you had any advice for me?”
“Don’t say anything until I get there.”
“What? You can’t come here. I just thought you’d give me advice or something.”
“I will give you advice, but it will be in person.”
He disconnected the phone before Hope could speak again.
“I’m not sure I want to see him, and what if Mom gets upset?”
“Wasn’t she the one who gave you the card?”
“Yes.”
“Then she must know you’ll contact him at some stage.” Newman slipped his hand under the heavy fall of her hair, and stroked her neck.
“Sure, but not that he’ll come here.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
She nodded, but sat silently resting against him.
“FYI, I still want to be with you, even if you are a criminal.”
“What? No, you don’t.”
“I do, Hope. I’ve felt empty inside since you lost the baby and wanted me to go away. I don’t like feeling that way. I like how I feel when I’m with you. You make me stronger.”
She turned to look up at him.
“You’re already strong.”
“Not really, I just put on a good act.”
She smiled.
“I-I felt empty inside too. I don’t know how that’s possible, because we never met the baby, or even had a chance to adjust to the thought of parenthood.”
“It was our baby, Hope.” He touched her cheek. “We’re allowed to grieve its passing.”
She nodded, and then Newman pulled her close and for the first time, he really allowed himself to grieve for the child they’d lost, with the woman who understood, because she was hurting too.
“Newman?” She said the words into his chest.
“Mmm.”
“I’m not big on sharing emotions, but I’m going to say it because I believe it’s important we be honest with each other.”
“By all means, be honest.” Newman stroked his fingers down her hair. It felt like silk.
“You were the first person I thought of when Cubby came to get me, which should mean something, right?”
“It means you realize what a catch I truly am.”
Her laugh was more a tired sigh, so he continued to stroke her hair. Slowly her body grew lax until he was sure she was sleeping. Easing them both sideways on the narrow cot until they lay on the pillow, he pulled her back to his front, and closed his eyes. Peace settled over him for the first time in days. Hell was about to rain down on her, but he’d face it too, and make sure she knew he was there for her. For now, he wanted to hold her for however long he could.
“They look cute though, don’t you think?”
“This is not a hotel room, Macy, it’s a jail cell.”
Newman woke to a conversation going on outside the cell, but chose to keep his eyes closed and hold Hope a while longer.
“I know, but look at them. All snuggled up. He’s protecting her, Cubby, even in his sleep.”
“He really is.” Newman identified that voice as Katie McBride’s.
“Someone snap a picture. It’ll piss him off, and we’ll put it up on the Howling Facebook page that Walt and Lizzie have just started.” That was Buster.
“Wake them now, we have business to discuss.” Cubby sighed. “But okay, they do look cute. Nice to see him undone, don’t you think? All weak and pathetic over a woman.”
“I’ve never been weak and pathetic, and I’ll make you retract that statement when I get out of here.” Newman opened his eyes. Hope woke too, stretching. When she was done, he sat them both upright.
“You have the keys, pretty boy.”
“I do. Now tell me why the hell you’re all lined up outside the cell. Unless you’re shooting an episode of The Truman Show , you can piss off.”
“We need to let you know where we’re at on the investigation, and I have food,” Buster said, nudging the others aside to hand coffee through the bars.
“Anyone else here?” Newman said, lifting Hope from between his legs to sit beside him. He rose and took the coffee, handing her a cup.
“Both Linears are at the Wildlife base. The governor has gone back to Brook, no doubt to start making more problems for me,” Cubby said.
“I’m so sorry, Cubby, for bringing you so much trouble,” Hope said.
“Don’t be. Those assholes annoyed me, and it felt good to return the favor.”
“So what do we do now?” Newman said.
“I believe that may be where I come in.”
The words were deep and authoritative, and the man they belonged to was equally as impressive. Newman took him for about six foot, as he was close to Cubby’s height. He wore designer trousers and a shirt. No tie or jacket, but his clothes were expensive, as were the leather shoes on his large feet. Militant led him forward.
“This is your father, Hope.”