Page 120 of Love Without Control

She paused, her eyes darting around the room, and Leana gave her an encouraging nod. “Could you see who was talking?”

Nita pulled her gaze back to the prosecutor. “They were yelling, actually. I was scared.” She wrapped two fingers around her braid. “There was a car parked in the alley. It was dark colored, but that’s all I could tell.”

“How many people did you see?” Leana asked gently.

“There was one man in the car… in the driver’s seat, but it was dark, so I couldn’t make him out. Just, like, his silhouette, you know?” She rolled her lips inward, obviously nervous. “I saw two other men standing outside of the car, and one of them had a gun. I didn’t want them to see me, so I hid behind the dumpster.”

Leana did her best to keep her voice measured, though it was obvious we were getting to the meat of the trial. “Could you see the two men well?”

Nita nodded before apparently remembering she was supposed to answer orally. “Yes. They were standing in the beams of the headlights. The one not holding the gun was Martin Love.” Her smile was tremulous as she shrugged. “I mean, I didn’t know his name then, of course. I learned it later. He was medium height, not tall but not as short as me either. Mostly I noticed his mustache. It was really bushy.”

A titter went up around the courtroom. The victim had indeed sported a very impressive mustache.

“And the other man?” Leana prompted. The witness’s eyes moved to her right and seemed to be frozen there. “Nita, what did the man with the gun look like?”

Nita’s eyes popped back to the prosecutor and then dropped to the floor, as if she were praying. Then her attention flicked to the right again before she inhaled a long breath. “The other man was very tall and very thin. Blond and pale, almost like one of those, um, albinos.”

Eden and I both gasped as murmurs went up around the courtroom. Nita’s description was the exact opposite of Luca Cappitani, who was olive-skinned and portly with black hair. The judge banged his gavel twice and ordered everyone to be quiet.

Leana Wallace was standing with her mouth agape, but she quickly recovered, stepping around to the front of the podium to put her a little closer to the woman on the stand. She straightened her suit jacket and drew her eyebrows together, eyes focused like lasers on the witness.

“Okay, Nita. Maybe you’re confused about which night we’re talking about. It was April eighth, three years ago. Do you remember that night?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like you to tell me what the man in the alley—the one holding the gun—looked like.”

Nita’s green eyes were as round full moons, and my heart sank, knowing what she was going to say next. “He was skinny and tall and pale,” she repeated. “I, um, that’s what he looked like… the man who shot Martin.”

A muscle twitched in Leana’s jaw as her case fell down around her head. “Nita, that’s not the description you gave to me before. You said the man who shot Martin Love had dark hair and was fat. Those were your exact words.” Her tone was sharp and accusatory. “You specifically identified Luca Cappitani. Why are you changing your story all of a sudden?”

The defense attorney objected, and the judge sustained it, but I could barely hear the words because my attention turned to my wife, who was looking up at me, horror filling her blue eyes.

“Dane, what just happened?”

“Luca fucking happened.” I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her. “The fucker got to the witness. Probably threatened her kid or something.”

The voices from the television raised in volume, and it grated on my nerves, so I hit the mute button on the remote, drenching our living room in silence. Eden curled against me, and I smoothed her hair away from her face, surveying her dry eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Eden contemplated that for a moment before speaking. “I don’t know. I think I knew deep down something would go wrong.” She scrunched her eyes shut and huffed out a gust of air. “I’m pissed that witness straight up lied, but I guess that would make me a hypocrite.”

I rubbed her shoulder. “What do you mean, baby?”

She pointed a finger at the silent screen. “Nita lied because she was scared. And isn’t that the same fucking thing I’ve been doing for eleven years? I’ve changed my hair and my name. I wear colored contacts every damn day. Hell, I’m pretending to be married.” Her voice rose. “And why? Because I was scared your father was going to hurt my family.”

Your father.While it was technically true, she never referred to him like that.

Her words were sharp as a jellyfish sting, and I dropped my head, shame coursing through me. “I’m sorry,” I breathed, and her arms instantly circled my neck.

“Shit. No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that.” Eden nuzzled her face into my neck. “I would never have found my soulmate if things hadn’t worked out like they did.”

I inhaled the fruitiness of her shampoo and the honey scent of her skin as we held each other. “I hate being associated with him.”

Her hand stroked softly through my hair. “I know. I’m sorry I said that.” She pulled back and pressed her lips softly to mine. “I love you, Dane, and I wouldn’t give up a second of what we have together.”

“I love you too, Eden.”

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