Page 26 of Defend Me

Von shrugs.

“What about the papers?” I ask. I couldn’t bring myself to look this morning when Pop was reading them. I imagined it would be a lot of shouting headlines that I’m guilty.

Grayson flips open a copy of theNew York Posttucked under his arm. The photograph is of me and Daisy, as she took my hand before she left the courtroom. The headline screams:Love Behind Bars: Socialite Falls for her Mother’s Murderer?

My stomach drops into my knees. “What the…”

“I told you,” Von says, “don’t look at anyone. Don’t talk to anyone. Otherwise,thishappens.”

“What do we do about it?” I demand, my breath coming too quickly. My head spins. Daisy? First, I’m meant to be stalking Marion and now I’m romantically connected toDaisy? She’s like my little sister! I put my hand on Penny’s head to steady myself and she whines and licks my knee again.

“Calm down,” Grayson says. “Von, we need to release a statement. Like, yesterday. Before this gets out of hand and becomes the narrative.”

“I know,” Von says. “Let me call Alistair.”

She stands and grabs her phone. Grayson glances at the paw prints on her skirt.

“I love this new look,” he says dryly. “Very canine chic.”

“Right,” she says. “I’ll tell Al to bring me a new outfit.” Then she vanishes inside the house.

Grayson takes Von’s seat and studies me for a moment. Penny leans her head against my thigh. I like having her here. She’s keeping me sane.

“So,” Grayson says. “Did you do it?”

I’m shocked by his bluntness. “No. But I assume everyone you represent says that.”

His mouth twitches. “She’s an excellent lawyer, you know. You’re lucky to have her on your side.”

“Lucky is about the last thing I feel right now,” I growl.

Grayson shrugs and delicately picks at his cuticles. “Fair enough. But if I were you, I’d be grateful to have her in my corner. She’s a tiger in the courtroom.”

That’s easy to believe. Even seeing Von at the arraignment was enough to show me she’s got the chops. There was something utterly compelling about her fierceness, the way she stood up to Judge Warner, the passion in her voice as she defended me. I feel an odd tightening in my stomach at the memory.

Then Von appears in the doorway. “Alistair is on his way over. He’s very good at this sort of thing.”

“What sort of thing?” I demand.

“Press conferences,” Grayson says.

I leap up from my chair and Penny startles. “You want me to go talk to those people outside? Are you insane?”

Von levels me with a look. “No. I will be doing the talking. What is rule number one, Noah? What have I kept telling you?”

“Don’t talk to anyone,” I grumble.

“Don’t talk to anyone,” she repeats.

CHAPTER EIGHT

NOAH

Forty minutes later, I find myself outside the house, flanked by Alistair and Pop. Von stands in front of us, in a newly donned, paw-print-free skirt, with Grayson at her shoulder.

The cluster of reporters wait breathlessly, cameras and microphones pointed in our direction. Alistair gathered them around, cracked some well-placed jokes, and introduced Von. He seems completely at ease in front of the cameras. I wish I had that gift. I try to keep my face neutral. When I told Von I could look friendly and non-threatening, I thought she was going to slap me.

“You will be a blank slate,” she snapped. “Friendly comes across as creepy. Non-threatening will look like you don’t care about the stakes here. What will you be?”

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