Justice for All Read Online Free Page B

on her clutch, sending it flying across the floor. She didn’t even spare it a look though because the expression on his face was something that so alarmed her she couldn’t speak. What she’d said was true. Thomas was a bad drunk. He got loud, he got annoying, and he got grabby. None of those were things she wanted connected to her at her company party.
    But right at this moment, Thomas looked angry. Red-hot angry, causing Kay to recoil a little as she swallowed.
    “You know, Kay, you should be a little nicer to me. I’m the guy who hung out with you during late nights while you were studying. I’m the guy who took you to the urgent care when you had the flu last year. I’m the one who’s been your friend, following you around like a fucking puppy for years now. You’re just too stuck up to notice I’m the guy.”
    Her face fell, and she immediately felt contrite. Still, she couldn’t help that he always saw things that weren’t there. “I’m sorry, Thomas. I was always straight with you. Right from the start I told you that we could be friends. There was no duplicity on my part.” She reached out to put her hand on his shoulder, but he slapped her away, then headed out of the room
    She wanted to go after him but couldn’t quite convince her legs to move. He should never have forced this issue. She wasn’t even sure how he’d known where the Christmas party was to be held. Her blank stare remained focused on the door he’d left through.
    After a moment, she heard someone approach. Kay looked back, expecting to see Tamara, but instead Van’s imposing form was there. He held out his hand, and she saw her cell phone there. “I’m not sure if it’ll work. It smashed into the wall pretty hard.”
    “Thanks.” She took it and held down the power button, surprised to see the cracked face flicker and start back to life. Rubbing the glass against the side of her slacks, her gaze rounded the room looking for her clutch purse. Tamara was on her knees picking it up, replacing her lipstick and other small items before standing and bringing it to her.
    “Here ya’ go. Good as new. You okay?”
    Kay could only nod, afraid to look either of them in the eye with all the mortified embarrassment she was feeling. She dropped her phone into her purse and tucked it under her arm. She was about to turn around when Van’s hand grabbed hers, and she was so startled by the intimate meeting of their flesh that she gasped. He grinned and placed a cold glass into that same hand.
    “Thought I’d buy you a drink.”
    She hadn’t realized her hands were shaking until she saw the way the ice jingled in the glass of bourbon and water. She took a long sip and let the warmth settle over her before meeting Van’s eyes. “It’s an open bar.”
    He shrugged, and she found the simple gesture on his broad shoulder somehow intensely attractive. “An open bar that I helped pay for. So, in some form or fashion I’m still buying the drink.”
    She lifted and dropped her head in one long nod. “And how did you know what I was drinking?”
    “Tamara told me. C’mon, let’s go sit down and relax.”
    She followed him without question to a table in the far corner of the room. She knew there were lots of eyes on her, but she focused on Van’s back instead.

 
    “Oh my word, these are good,” Kay moaned as she devoured one of the quesadillas Van brought her. The way she rolled her eyes and savored the bite made him want to see how she would look savoring something else. Shaking his head at his wildly roaming thoughts, he focused on his own plate of hors d'oeuvres instead of her mouth.
    She was a little more at ease now, partly because she’d had a few drinks to calm her. He wasn’t sorry about that, but he had transitioned her to water this round. Getting her drunk wasn’t what he necessarily wanted. He just wanted to distract her from the scene Thomas Bergen had made.
    “I love Tex-Mex. It’s something I don’t get at