My breath caught. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to see him this way—angry on my behalf.
Natasha’s face flushed crimson. She shot up, voice trembling, pointing straight at him. “You don’t get to—! You?—!”
Lincoln’s hand lifted slightly, palm flat on the table, and his voice sliced hers so sharply you almost heard the whistling of a blade.“Sit down.”
The words weren’t loud, but they carried the weight of someone who’d never tolerated nonsense from anyone. It even reverberated through me, somehow more commanding than the judge’s urges to the attorney to get the defendant under control. Natasha froze, fists clenched and shaking with fury, then slumped back.
Lincoln exhaled slowly, letting the storm pass over him, then climbed down the stand and rejoined the empty seat next to me. His expression was steady, precise, controlled as the judge announced the final charges, her pen tapping once, twice against the bench.
“This court has heard sufficient testimony,” she stated, her tone crisp, even. “Between witness accounts testimony, the medical records, and Ms. Dabrowski’s own statements here today, I am persuaded that this was an intentional act and not a momentary lapse of judgment.”
Natasha sucked in a breath, muttering under it, and Lincoln’s head tilted and his mouth curved in that sharp, dangerous smile.
“Accordingly,” the judge continued, “this matter will proceed to trial on the charge ofbattery. Bail conditions remain unchanged.” She struck the gavel once. “Court is adjourned.”
The word rang in my ears—battery. Not a slap on the wrist. My throat constricted at the realization that what I’d been through was seen as so… severe.
Lincoln stood, his broad shoulders cutting a line of quiet defiance. He didn’t look at Natasha again, not as she cursed under her breath, not as her lawyer tried to shush her. Not even when I couldn’t turn away when someone served her with a distinct envelope and her voice shrieked at the civil suit for defaming 3D’s and interfering with business relations.
Instead, he turned to me, his elbow brushing mine. Focusing on me, his eyes a little wild at the edges, he stared at me for a few seconds. He only turned away after assessing the pace of my breathing, glancing briefly at Natasha being escorted out in cuffs.
Carmen and Silas came up to greet us, and Lincoln offered his hand. Silas hesitated just a beat, heterochromatic gaze narrowing, before taking it.
“Thank you for that,” Lincoln said, voice low but carrying.
“It was in our company’s best interest,” Silas replied, straightening his tie. “Nobody should believe we condoned her actions. She put our reputation at risk.”
Silas then shifted, turning to me, and extended his hand, intention unreadable. “It’s a shame you turned down my offer.”
I shook his cool and smooth hand; it wasn’t the moment to burn bridges. “I guess you’re still on the prowl for a new creative director.”
“He’s not.” Carmen’s voice sliced in, smug. “I accepted the position yesterday. Can’t wait for everyone at that company to see what I have planned.”
“Don’t make me regret this, Carmen,” Silas cut in.
The air between them went taut, something sharp and knowing ran through Carmen’s smile and Silas’s cool stare.
“I only plan for the best outcomes,” Carmen said sweetly, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
Silas exhaled through his nose, a small, sharp sound, then headed for the exit. He waited a few feet away while Carmen wrapped me in a hug that nearly knocked the air from my lungs.
She winked before striding toward Silas. Lincoln’s breath stirred the loose hair at the back of my neck. “You have any idea what that’s about?”
I shook my head. “We better keep an eye on her.”
His gaze tracked Carmen, as if she could turn foe at any moment, and I couldn’t help thinking that Scary Weird Carmen had had my back all along.
Someone unexpected stepped into my line of sight. Lincoln’s shoulder squared next to me, then slid in front of me, keeping out of Vinny’s unblinking steely eyes. This was Lincoln, new and old conflating in one, able to charm or slash, but fightingforme.
Vinny’s jaw worked as if the words were physically hard to get out. “I know you decided to file charges against my parents. Fraud. Theft. All of it.”
I didn’t respond. It’d all come down to needing to clear my parents’ names. They deserved everyone to know they’d been good providers, even in their death.
Vinny met my eyes, desperate and searching. “Nina, maybe you don’t need me to say this, but I do.” He let out a shaky breath. “I’m really glad you’re okay and that this woman got the highest charge.” His eyes fluttered shut. “I don’t blame you for filing charges. I don’t want them in jail, but I won’t blame you if they end up there.”
Anger twisted in my chest. “You knew what they were doing,” I said, my voice rough. “You knew and you let them.”
His shoulders sagged, and he didn’t defend himself. He nodded once. “I did. All I have to give to you is…” He gestured helplessly between us. “All I can offer’s that I’m sorry.”
