Preston sipped at his third cup of coffee. I wasn’t sure how he functioned. All I ever saw him consume was caffeine and very little substance. The sandwich on his plate was untouched.
“You know how this works.” He set his mug down and smoothed back his blond hair. “We’re the villains in this story. We always are.”
Clenching my jaw, I suddenly lost my appetite. I grimaced down at the grilled chicken I’d taken one bite of. “Everyone deserves a fair trial.”
Preston nodded, sneering. “No one cares about that until they’re the ones behind bars.”
I understood how it was; of course I did. I’d been working for this firm for eight years. And before that…well, I was intimately aware of how people treated the accused. It never failed to enrage me, though.
I had long ago decided that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Never have I had aspirations of being well liked, and that was needed in criminal defense. A thick skin. Mine was one toughened by time and experience.
What kept me going was knowing my work made a difference. Even if ninety-nine percent of my clients were guilty, it was worth the fight for the innocent. Even the one.
I stifled a shiver, pushing my food around my plate as Preston and George prattled on about the case. We were happy to get this win today, no matter how small it felt. After our motion to move the trial outside of Ember Hollow was rejected months ago, it was hard to hold on to any hope. We doubted there was a soul in the county who hadn’t heard of our client—of the murders he’d allegedly committed. He was a serial killer, everyone said. A monster.
Even if it was true, it was my job to fight for his rights.
“Your direct examination of the psychologist was…impressive,” Preston said, gaining back my attention.
I blinked at him. His hair was slicked back, beard perfectly trimmed as if he’d come straight from the barber this morning. Preston wasn’t even forty yet, but the firm was his family’s legacy. He’d taken his father’s place after his sudden battle with cancer took him much too soon.
Preston’s dark eyes roamed over me, and I forced myself not to fidget under his heavy gaze.
Preston was someone I’d long looked up to. His father, Gary Holloway, hired me as an intern. He’d believed in me, something I’d never experienced before. It made me crave the hustle even more. Made me starved for the opportunity to work my way up.
I’d always had my sights set on being a partner one day, and his father had made me believe it was possible.
Gary was the only person who’d ever said he was proud of me. He had become like a father figure to me. A mentor. He was gruffaround the edges, but he knew how to push people to want to be better and work harder. I’d been honored to work for him and his firm.
When he died, Preston took over and so much changed. When he looked at me, something had shifted in his eyes. There was a different kind of hunger in them. The kind that soured my stomach and made my blood cold.
Preston knew how much I wanted partner someday, too. Unlike his father who had used it to motivate me, Preston used it to get something else.
Perhaps he was taking advantage. Or perhaps we were both using each other. I didn’t trust him, either way.
His lips pulled back in that smile that wasn’t quite a smile. It was too cold for that. Everything was a game with Preston, and I’d been playing for far too long.
It wasn’t clear when I’d ever get the upper hand.
I returned the smile, nothing more than a flash of my teeth. “Thank you. I’ve been working hard on it.”
Doctor Ramsey being the same man who I’d ran into at the library wasn’t expected, but I thought I handled it well. Those stupid baby blues had been so…distracting.
Preston and George shared a look, and something in the way George shifted in his chair made my nerves resurface.
“You know how much we value you, Quinn. We wouldn’t have you assisting with this case if we didn’t,” Preston began.
George looked away, his wrinkled face pinching with something that could’ve been disapproval.
“I’m glad to help. I’m always willing to do what needs to be done.”
Preston’s mouth curled into another grin, and I tried to ignore the clawing shame digging into my spine. “That’s what I’d hope you’d say.” He took another gulp of his coffee, pushing his untouched food away as he leaned his elbow on the table, hisface suddenly serious. “We’ve spoken to our client today after your impressive performance. He’s requested something a little—unusual.”
“Unusual?” I echoed.
“He wants someone here in Ember Hollow to keep him updated on his case until his trial. He’s requested that you meet with him once a week in the jail now that we’ve managed to get him transferred locally.”
I stared at him, not comprehending. He wanted to meet with me once a week? The trial was still a couple of months away. “That’s—that’s a lot of travel,” I said, slowly, unease seeping into me. “With the workload I have, I’d be afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up with his trial preparations.”
