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"You could have thought of so," I say

He nods slowly "Maybe But I’ve been working on Stark’s defense fro for over three weeks I’m not here just because I have a personal connection, I’m here because I understand the law I can be an asset, Nikki And you knoell as I do that Daet"

I force myself not to ask him what he means Maynard is aware of the abuse in Damien’s past, thatthat not everyone on the teaht makes me queasy, because I kno much Damien wants that aspect of his past to stay private I can’t ask without revealing the facts, though All I can do is hope that the reason Ollie isn’t in the currentis because he isn’t in that inner circle

"Are you sitting at the counsel table?" I ask, and aht I’d sit with you If that’s okay"

"It is," I say Things have changed a lot between h ht that he will be beside entle as he lays a soft hand on my shoulder His expression, however, is intense "You’re doing okay? I mean, you’re not--you know?"

"I’ood" I draw in a breath and fight the urge to cry,the loss of those days when I would have told Ollie everything How every day I’ve awakened expecting to battle the urge to cut, and every night I aet back in bed beside Damien and realize that the compulsion never came I am not "cured"--I know I never will be I will always crave that pain to keep et through a crisis without putting a blade to my flesh But I have Damien now, and it is him that I crave Da a knife on myself Damien who keeps me centered and safe

And that, I know, is another reason I a into his face "No blades, no knives Daood care of ret my words But it is only a momentary weakness Ollie has been an absolute shit about h I will always love hilad," he says, his voice for to be okay, you know No h this just fine"

I nod, but I also notice that he’s said that I will be okay--not that Daed with sadness rushes through er understands what I need If he did, he would realize that without Da in the hall a few feet from the wooden double doors that lead into the courtroom Now Ollie steps in that direction and holds the down the hall where Damien and Maynard went, but they have not coe, force my feet to move, and sweep past Ollie into the courtroom where the course of the rest of allery is already full of reporters who have come to watch the spectacle of Damien Stark on trial, the area behind the bar is empty with the exception of one man in a uniform who stands at attention and will, presues into the courtrooin

Ollie and I walk up the middle aisle toward the bench that sits behind the defense table As we do, the noise level in the roo theet a better look at us Despite the fact that I understand next to nothing in German, I can pick out the sound ofthe din I concentrate on walking forward and on not turning around and slapping the reporter closest toat the lot of them that this isn’t entertainether

My back is still to the crohen the rooets even noisier I turn, certain of what I will see, and sure enough, the doors are pulled open and there is Da at the threshold He is flanked by Maynard and Herr Vogel, his German lead counsel, but they are little more than white noise in my vision It is Da toward o weak

There are no cameras in the courtroom, so when Damien pulls me into his arms to kiss me, I know this moment will not be captured on filo around his neck, and I cling to hio, because I cannot clutch hi into ently brushes his thumb across my lips "I love you," I whisper, and see the words reflected back in his dual-colored eyes His smile, however, is sad

His eyes shift, and I realize he is looking over my shoulder at Ollie His expression is unreadable After a ain to ate in the bar to sit at the defense table next to his attorneys who have alreadytheir briefcases and pulling out documents and files and the other accoutrements of trial work

I collapse onto the bench, suddenly exhausted Ollie settles beside , but I hear the silent question, and I turn to him with a wan smile "I’m okay," I say, and he nods in response

All too soon, the judges enter the courtrooin

The prosecutor stands He begins to speak I do not understand Ger Daer, competitive athlete But e, Damien was driven by ambition He had a head for business, a passion for science

What he didn’t have wasin the prizean empire? And isn’t that exactly what he did? Isn’t Damien Stark now one of the wealthiest et that way? How did he earn that first million?