George’s face reddens. “Yes, but we were playing.”
“Right, of course, another joke.” Thomas pulls a pocket-sized voice recorder out of his pocket, and this time, there are no objections as he sits it down in front of George. “Can you tell me whose voice this is?”
The recording starts with a round of obnoxious laughter, but then George’s voice comes through loud and clear. I wrap an arm around Cici, hating that she has to listen to this all over again, but it’s necessary for the judge to hear it.
“She’s a virgin, Carl. You can do better than that.”
“Fine, eleven million, and I get to knot her first.”
George laughs on tape.“Before your sons, huh? Dirty bastard. Fine. You can knot her first, and then you can do whatever you want with her.”
Cici folds in on herself, trying to make herself small as the rest of the recording plays. There are a few counteroffers, but none of them quite match what Carl offered.
Thomas stops the tape. “Who was that?”
“Me,” George says through gritted teeth.
Josh and Lalo are growling low under their breath. Thomas shakes his head at my dad. The judge’s face is twisted in fury. Even he is struggling to keep his composure.
Thomas levels a look at the judge. “My clients would like full custody. No visitation and no contact.”
“Granted,” the judge says quickly, ending the case with one swiftsmackof his gavel.
“Your Honor!” the other lawyer calls.
Thomas glares at George. “You’re disgusting.”
No one celebrates. Not after that tape, but Josh and Lalo pull Cici into their arms, smoothing her hair, murmuring fatherly things, and promising her the world. Liv’s fingers are threaded through mine. She gazes up at me, sadness shimmering in her gaze, but she’s trying to be strong for Cici.
George’s shoulder knocks into me as he passes. “Watch it,” he snarls.
“Fuck you.”
He turns and lunges, but the court officer is there before he can even take a swing, hauling him back and locking his arms behind his waist. “This isn’t over! You can’t keep her from me!”
“We just did,” I tell him, shaking my head.
“I’ll appeal. You wait,” he says, jerking against the restraints.
The knock of the gavel has us all swinging our attention toward the judge. “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear,” he begins, palms resting on his wooden desk. “My judgment is without question. There will be no appeals. Being the father of an omega, I highly doubt you are unaware of how strict and absolute the laws protecting their designation are. And if youwereunaware, you aren’t now.” He scowls at George. “As for the matter of you inciting violence in my courtroom, you’ll have to wait in jail without bail before your sentencing.”
“You can’t do that!”
“I can and I did,” the judge snaps, slamming his little hammer down and nodding at the officer.
George is hauled away, kicking and screaming. Best-case scenario, it takes a week or so for him to get out, and then he’llbe at the mercy of the courts. Either way, George won’t be fighting for custody anymore.
“Good riddance,” Liv mutters. “No offense, but your dad is a total asshole.”
I chuckle. “That’s an understatement.”
She nods in agreement, and we both look at Cici, who is blowing her nose as Josh and Lalo talk to her.
“Do you think she’ll be okay?”
“This hurts,” Liv says. “But she’ll heal. She may have a scar, but Cici will be okay. She’s strong.”
I nod, because she is.
