Page 46 of Entice

“Mr. Frost, would you care to comment on the case you’re working on for Ms. Montgomery?”

“What the—” Jordan clamped his mouth shut.

“Mr. Frost has no comment, and you’re disturbing his lunch. Please leave.” Crystal stood and faced the woman reporter.

“And you are?”

“None of your business.” Crystal stepped forward, her body language giving the woman the choice to either step back or get pushed. “Out.”

“Freedom of the press,” the woman said.

“Not in a privately owned business. Once again, Mr. Frost has no comment.” Crystal waved her hand toward the door. “You’re interfering with the cafe’s business.” People had stopped and stared, causing a bit of a stir.

“I’m the owner, and I’m asking you to leave now and stop bothering my patrons,” Lara said approaching them.

“I have a right to be here.” The woman continued.

“The owner has asked you to leave. You are now trespassing. Does she need to call the police?” Crystal kept her tone even. No sense in letting this reporter see she was upset. Which she was. More than upset. There were stringers at the courthouse, and because the judge had denied a motion to seal the record, the case was public. She couldn’t see the press being interested since this was listed as a domestic abuse case. Crystal suspected she might know how. Brady’s family.

The woman huffed. “You haven’t seen the last of me.” She turned and stomped out of the cafe.

“Thanks, Lara,” Crystal said.

“I swear, some people don’t understand personal space.” Lara turned and went back to work.

Crystal returned to her seat, her stomach churning. “Now we have a problem.” Thank goodness she’d already finished her sandwich. Her stomach was in knots.

“Yes. Stringers are my least favorite people.” He gestured out the window to the Channel 5 news truck parked at the curb.

“We need to warn Sage.” Should she tell him her suspicions? She didn’t have any proof. “I have a feeling Brady’s family is behind the reporter.”

Jordan swore and pulled his phone out. Crystal put her notebook away and took their empty dishes to the clean-up station. The second they walked outside, the reporter would pounce. They needed another way out.

“Lara,” Crystal said. “Can Jordan and I slip out the back to avoid the reporter?” Thank goodness they’d parked in the back lot.

“Sure. Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Thank you.” Crystal went back to the table. Jordan’s forehead was lined with worry.

“I told Sage. She’s not happy. What a mess.”

“Lara told me we can use the back door to leave without the reporter seeing us.” She motioned with her head to the news vehicle. Luckily, the occupants couldn’t see where she and Jordan were sitting due to the tinted windows.

“Let’s go.” He took her hand, and they followed Lara out the back.

* * * *

In the following two weeks, they hardly had any time to see each other. The depositions had been completed, and she was busy preparing briefs and doing research, while Jordan was working on his other cases. She was tired, but glad to meet up with Sierra and Tessa for book club night.

“So are you going to tell us about Jordan?” Sierra said as she drove to the adult store on Wednesday night.

“I’m so curious,” Tessa said from the back seat.

“Jordan’s a nice guy.” Oh yeah, very nice. They hadn’t had much alone time since they both had to dodge the reporter every morning and afternoon at the office. Thank goodness, once the woman was escorted from the law office, she didn’t come back, but it didn’t stop her from being outside every morning and evening.

They were being very careful not to give her anything to speculate about, but Jordan was grouchy.

“Of course, he is,” Sierra said.

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