Straight from the Heart. Linda Warren

banged his gavel. “So be it. Sentencing will be in two weeks. The jury is dismissed.” The gavel banged again.

      Blair got to her feet and put papers into her briefcase with methodical movements. Outwardly she was cool and reserved, as always. Inside she was ecstatic. She had finally beaten Lucas Culver. She was determined that he wouldn’t beat her again. She felt like jumping up on the table and doing a dance of victory, but she would celebrate later.

      As the guards came to escort Hector back to his cell, he suddenly jerked free and began to fight them. It didn’t take the guards long to restrain him.

      “I’ll get you, bitch,” he screamed at Blair. “I’ll get you.”

      Blair’s jubilance vanished in a wave of nausea and she had to take several deep breaths. She knew she had to get out of the courtroom and fast.

      Lucas was taken aback at Hector’s outburst. He did his best to believe in his innocence, but he’d never liked the boy. He’d taken over the case from a colleague who had become ill. It was a bad situation, but he didn’t regret his decision to help Jim Tenney. The case was known as an open and shut, and there was very little he could do to throw doubt on Hector’s guilt. The loss didn’t sit too well with him, though. But in light of Hector’s behavior, he was thinking that maybe it wasn’t a bad verdict.

      He’d looked at Blair during the disturbance, and her creamy white skin had paled. Of course, it was hard to tell with Blair, since she always wore that cool facade, but he knew Hector had gotten to her.

      He picked up his briefcase and turned at the same time as Blair. They came face-to-face. She had dark hair, almost black, pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck, giving her a stern, businesslike appearance, but he was mesmerized by her eyes. They were the most gorgeous blue he’d ever seen, clear and bright like a summer sky, and they seemed to look right through him. She had made it very plain on more than one occasion that he was not on her list of favorite people.

      “Congratulations, Counselor,” he said, his lips curving into a slight smile.

      “That’s one criminal you won’t be putting back on the street,” she replied sharply, unmoved by his smile.

      Lucas sighed. “Why do you always feel that it’s my goal to put criminals back on the street?”

      “Because it’s what you do—represent vermin.”

      “Have you forgotten that everyone’s entitled to a fair trial—even people like Hector Raye?”

      “You live with your ethics and I’ll live with mine.” With that, she whirled around and headed for the door.

      Someone was going to shake Blair Logan one of these days, and it just might be him, Lucas decided.

      Blair was receiving congratulations from her assistants when Lucas emerged from the courtroom. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him hugging a blond woman. Jennifer Walker, Judge Barrett’s clerk. Lucas must be dating her, Blair thought idly. She’d heard the rumors about Lucas. He changed women the way most men changed their shirts. And the women didn’t seem to mind. Lucas was known for the affable breakups and lasting friendships with his lady friends. Well, they were welcome to him. His dark good looks and charming smile did nothing for her.

      Why did he make her so angry? Because he’s an arrogant man, she told herself. And arrogant men seemed to have that effect on her.

      All thought of Lucas left her as she spotted her brother, Blake, standing to one side. Being twins, they had the same dark hair and blue eyes, but they were different in so many other ways. Blake had been the wild one, always in trouble. She’d been the quiet, studious one, always striving for excellence.

      She walked over to Blake and he smiled at her with an impish grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Something was obviously bothering him, but she had no idea what.

      “Hi.” She smiled, and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Blake was six feet tall and she was only five foot four. “What are you doing here?”

      Blake lived in London and he was home for a brief visit. She hadn’t expected him in the courtroom today; she assumed he’d be spending time with their parents.

      He grinned again and rocked back on his heels. “I just came to watch my baby sister in the courtroom.” Having lived in London on and off for sixteen years, his voice now had an attractive English intonation that still surprised her whenever she heard it.

      Adjusting her purse strap, she said, “We’re the same age, Blake. We’re both thirty-two.”

      “But I’m three minutes older.”

      “Big deal.”

      “It is,” he said. “I’m older and male and…” His voice trailed off, and she knew exactly what was on his mind.

      “Blake—”

      He interrupted her. “When they told Dad he had a son, he probably thought all his prayers had been answered. Little did he know I’d be nothing like him.”

      Growing up as Sam Logan’s son hadn’t been easy for Blake. In fact, it had almost been a nightmare, with Blake rebelling every chance he got. In his teens, he was uncontrollable, and their parents sent him away to boarding school in England, hoping a change of environment would help him. It was the first time Blair and Blake had been separated, but the miles hadn’t diminished the bond between them.

      They’d always been close, but Blair was the stronger one, protecting and shielding her brother from their father’s wrath whenever Blake did something stupid. That happened plenty of times. Blake seemed bent on a course to upset their father and Blair was generally caught in the middle. For someone she considered mild and loving, Blake sometimes had an obstinate side she didn’t understand.

      Blair glanced at him now. “I thought you’d gotten over all that.”

      He shrugged offhandedly. “I have, but seeing you in the courtroom today, I couldn’t help thinking how proud Dad must be of you and how disappointed he must be in me.”

      “Oh, Blake, I—”

      “Evan wants to see you.” The district attorney’s secretary came up to her, cutting her off in midsentence.

      “Tell him I’m on my way,” Blair answered, knowing Evan wanted to talk about the trial. For once, it was good news.

      Blair quickly kissed Blake’s cheek again. “I’ve got to run. We’ll talk tonight after dinner.”

      As she hurried down the corridor to the underground tunnels that connected many of Houston’s downtown buildings, Blair thought about Blake and wished he’d come home to the States to live. Maybe that would mend the rift between father and son, but she knew it was only wishful thinking. Since Blake’s rebellious youth and his decision not to go to law school, things hadn’t been the same in their family, and she didn’t think they ever would be again.

      Blake worked as a journalist, but he spent a lot of his time at a school for delinquent youths in London, helping and teaching troubled teenagers. It wasn’t the future Sam wanted for Blake, but Blake was good with kids and he seemed determined to steer them away from drugs, drinking and rebellion. Blair decided not to think about her father’s reaction. She’d concentrate on spending quality time together as a family.

      It was a short walk from the criminal-courts building to the district attorney’s office, a walk that gave her a chance to clear her head. She tapped on the district attorney’s door and entered when she heard Evan’s “Come in.” Evan Holt was of medium height and almost completely bald. He stood in the middle of his domain with a golf club in his hands. He was an avid golfer and had a small putting green in his office. He studied the ball in front of him, then glanced at the cup some distance away.

      “I’ll be right with you, Blair,” he said, and swung the club. When the ball rolled in, he turned to Blair with a triumphant smile. “Well, you did it. You beat Culver.”

      “Yes,”