Chapter 21

Abby spent the morning settling into the office. She got to know the people she'd be working with. Her coworkers were good people and a couple were really funny. If anyone noticed the scratches and bruises on Abby's face they didn't say anything. Elle ordered lunch in for the office. Abby sat with some new made friends and had a few laughs. Elle tapped Abby on her shoulder as she was finishing her salad.

"I just got a call- the things from your desk have been sent over- they are waiting for pick up in the lobby," Elle said.

"Alright, I'll get down there," Abby replied.

"I'm going with you," Elle said. The blonde older attorney barely let her trainee out of her sight the entire morning.

Together they got into the elevator and went to the lobby. When they stepped out into the lobby they found Jax holding the box of things from Abby's old desk. He was the last person she wanted to see. Abby wished she had gotten time to refresh her makeup. She worked her hair with her fingers to camouflage the edge of the scrape. It didn't help much. Once she was in front of him his eyes roamed her face.

"Hi," Jax swallowed. Abby could tell he saw passed the makeup.

"Hello," she replied, "I'll take them." Abby held out her hands for the box.

"I can take it up for you," he offered.

Abby took the box, "Thanks for bringing my things over, I can handle it from here."

"Are you ok?" he caught her arm firmly. This was the one shot Jax needed. He wasn't about to let her walk away.

"I'm fine," she pulled out of his grip.

"Right," Jax muttered, "You like fine."

"So kind of you to notice," Abby kept a polite tone in her voice.

"You were attacked and you're scared," he reasoned.

"I really am ok," she said.

"No thanks to that Michael-," Jax rolled his eyes.

"Stop right there," Abby cut him off.

"What?!" Jax scoffed.

"I will not let you or anyone else talk about my boyfriend demeaningly," she asserted, "Mike is a wonderful man."

"Have you thought that something else could happen?" Jax asked trying to get back on course.

"Your concern is noted, but totally unnecessary," Abby shut him down.

"This time you were roughed up, but next time could be even worse," he warned.

She frowned, "Who says there will be a next time?"

"Don't be naïve, Abigail," Jax chided, "Do you think these people your precious Mike brought into your life will just stop going after you to get to him?"

Abby saw red. She tightened her grip on the box. Abby inhaled and exhaled slowly. Thankfully her hands were full. She was a lady and they don't use their fists. No matter how satisfying punching Jax would have felt in that moment- Abby had been taught to use her words. "I told you not to talk about Mike like that," she glared, "He is not to blame for other people's actions."

"I haven't stopped caring about what happens to you- I like you in my life," he said trying to sound really sincere.

"Keep your jealous entitlement to yourself. It doesn't do you any favors," Abby retorted.

"You won't be safe with him," Jax argued.

"You just expect me to leave the man I love?" she threw out.

"It would be for your own safety," he answered.

"If that's the cost of being safe- then maybe I don't want to be safe," Abby said. Jax frowned. He looked into her eyes. "Goodbye, Mr. Fleming," she spun on her heels. Elle followed her over to the elevator. Jax rubbed the back of his neck and stared after them. How did that go so horribly wrong?

Mike took Vincent place in the observation room. His attention was spilt between learning from his mentor and trying to read the suspect. Jeremiah Woods looked more bodyguard than assistant. He sat back in the

"What exactly am I being accused of?" Jeremiah crossed his arms over his chest.

"Assault and interfering with a federal investigation- you hired someone to intimate a FBI agent so he'd stop pursuing the case against your boss," Vincent leveled.

"What proof do you have of that?" his lawyer challenged.

"The man your client hired to rough up the FBI agent's girlfriend just identified your client as such," Vincent began.

"That's not enough to take to court," his lawyer scoffed, "If that criminal's id is all you have you better get ready to release my client."

"We have another witness that confirms the two of you met at the drop point alleged by the first witness," Vincent said.

"You mean the assailant," the lawyer corrected.

"We also found corroborating evidence," Vincent added. He laid out a credit card report and a picture of a duffle bag on the table in front of the two men opposite them. He tapped the picture of the duffle bag, "We found your finger prints all over this bag that Dean says you gave him- you remember Dean."

"I may have met with the guy and gave him a bag- none of that is illegal," Jeremiah said.

"Why did you give him the bag, Woods?" Vincent asked, "If you have a totally innocent explanation tell me now."

"I can't remember," Jeremiah push a little farther away from the table.

"Do you remember what was inside the bag?" Vincent inquired. Jeremiah shook his head. "5,000 dollars in cash- that's what Dean tells me," Vincent answered, "Feels like a payoff to me."

"You can't prove that."

"This was in the bag when we found it," Vincent place the photo in its evidence bag down beside the other evidence.

Mike set his jaw. That burned just as much as the first time they found the picture.

"I can think of only one reason you would give this man the money and a picture of the woman he was to scare,"

"How do you know my client put that in the bag? The assailant could have planted it."

"Dean doesn't have a motive to go after this woman," Vincent looked over to Jeremiah, "Your boss does. Did you do his dirty work for him?"

"Don't answer that," Jeremiah's attorney advised.

"Mur-," Jeremiah started under his breath.

"Murdoch?" Vincent drawled out. Jeremiah's eyes widen in surprised. "I have heard of Murdoch," Vincent rested his elbows on the table.

"I never said that name," Jeremiah deflected.

"Who is Murdoch?" Vincent inquired.

"I say another word and I'm dead," Jeremiah replied. He turned to his lawyer, "We're done here."

"Are you sure he's even real? I'm beginning to think he's a fairytale they tell to keep guys like you in line," Vincent interjected.

"You heard my client, Agent Rossabi," the lawyer terminated the interview, "We're done."

Mike's hands clinched into fists as he watched the interrogation room clear. They had been so close. "Damn it!" he hit the wall. He shook his hand as Vincent and Piers joined him in the room.

"He's not going to give Titus up," Mike stated. Piers shook his head. Mike was right.

"Young doesn't know that," Vincent mused.

"You want to bring in Young and make him think Woods flipped?" Piers said.

"We've got nothing to lose at this point," Mike said.

"Call Raleigh- we're picking up Young," Vincent directed.