Page 34 of Justice for the SEAL
“I was guarding her apartment when I was attacked by a man, clearly there to doherharm.”
“What were you doing guarding herapartment?”
“We’ve been seeing each other,” he said. “She was attacked on her street yesterday, but insisted on returning to her apartment last night. I wasconcerned.”
Jax narrowed his eyes at Gemma. “Dating coworkers of defendants, Your Honor? You realize that’s a conflict ofinterest.”
She raised her chin. “There are extenuating circumstances that make it impossible for me to recusemyself.”
“Go on.” Jax crossed his arms. “If you’re seeking protection under my roof, I’ll need all theinformation.”
Gemma looked to Logan, who nodded. She licked her lips. “The man who attacked me told me to find you and Leo Wilson guilty, or Royce will die. They said they’d kill him if I told theauthorities.”
She felt like Jax was looking through her, as if he could see every truth and lie she’d ever spoken, and she bristled beneath hisassessment.
“What can you tell me about this man?” heasked.
“Nothing. It was dark. He tackled me from behind. All I remember is the body odor. Then in the courtroom today, ‘we’re watching you’ was scraped into the handle of mygavel.”
“That’s why you hightailed it out ofthere.”
She nodded. “That’s when Logan suggested Icomehere.”
“Have you toldanyoneelse?”
“No.” She thought of the news footage of the burning car with Barbara trapped inside. “I was tooscared.”
“One last question, Judge Faraday. Who is Anthony Roycetoyou?”
Gemma felt her face heat. “We’re both judges, though in different courts. I see him at political functions,mostly.”
“I meanpersonally.”
From the corner of her eye she saw Logan turn toward her. A knot formed in her throat and she considered what to say. “We had an affair eight years ago. I wasn’t aware he was married atthetime.”
Logan’s voice was heavy with disappointment. “Why didn’t youtellme?”
“I was ashamed. It was in the past. I didn’t think itmattered.”
“It matters to the kidnappers,” said Jax. “They knew you would try to savehislife.”
She laughed without humor. “If anything, I’d be more likely to kill himmyself.”
Jax sat behind his desk, touching the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other. “You can stay in the empty office at the end of the hall. I’ll have my secretary take care of whatever you need. Logan, I’ll see you in the conference room for thebriefing.”
“Gemma should bethere.”
Jax nodded. “Fine. Bring heralong.”
Gemma followed Logan out of Jax’s office. He didn’t talk to her or turn around. He entered a small room with a desk and a file cabinet, waited for her, and closed the doorbehindher.
He wasangry.
She was sureofit.
“I’m sorry I lied to you about Royceandme.”
He moved close to her back. “I’m putting myself on the line for you. Will there be any moresurprises?”
