“Enough, Counsel Patton. I am not interested in excuses but luckily for you, your defendant was also behind schedule. I was about ready to charge him with contempt.”
My lawyer, sex-on-a-stick Counsel Patton, nods her head, “Thank you, Your Honor, for your patience and generosity. If I could please just have a moment to get acquainted with my client.”
Judge Thompson nods his approval as the officer shoves me down in my chair.
“Prick.”
Her head whips over to mine at the sound of my voice, her eyes widening once she realizes who I am. She shoots a glare at the bailiff until he walks away, giving us the semblance of privacy on our side of the courtroom.
“What the hell happened last night?”
I raise my eyebrows as I watch her ass fill the chair next to me. It’s perfectly round. The perfect size to watch bounce up and down on my cock.
Fingers snap in front of my face and I realize I’ve just been staring at where her ass meets the chair instead of answering her question. Maybe I’m not so fucked after all.
“I’ve been framed, Counsel Patton.”
She narrows her steel gray eyes at me, the move sexier than it should be in the middle of a courtroom. “Well, I should be able to get you bail considering I don’t have all the details yet but be prepared to pay high since we are talking aboutmass murder.”
I shoot her a smirk, “You make it possible, and I’ll have no trouble paying.”
She watches me for a moment before nodding, offering her hand out to me. “Evangeline Patton.”
I take her hand, shaking it a single time beforebringing it up to my lips and pressing a soft kiss on her palm. “Roman Bavone.”
She smirks, laying her briefcase on the table and opening it to pull out two notepads and a few pens. “Nice to officially meet you, Roman. Put your game face on, we’re about to talk our way out of a murder charge.”
One million dollars in bail.
Not only that, but Counsel Patton is now directly responsible for me and anything I may get into between now and the trial – which could be next week, next month, or next year.
Needless to say, Evangeline is not happy about it.
“I thought when you said this judge was an asshole, you meant he didn’t give out lunch breaks!” Eve throws her hand up in the air as she spins around, her eyes darting around as the person on the other end of the phone responds to her outrage. “Yeah, well, he made me responsible for my client! How is that even legal?”
The person must say something she doesn’t like because she groans and hangs up, throwing her phone into her briefcase before closing it up.
I clear my throat from where I lean against the wall of the courthouse, “So, is it legal?”
She laughs, the sound hollow as she shrugs and wipes a few stray curls from her forehead. “Who the hell knows? Sawyer says he’s never heard of a judge pulling anything like this before, but he doesn’t think it’s expressly against the rules.” She groans and stomps her foot, making me chuckle at the sight of myattorney stomping her foot like a child. “I just don’t understand.”
I do. I can’t tell her, though.
The moment I tell her the judge has it out for me because he’s working for a man whose only mission is to bring down my family’s criminal enterprise is the day she locks me in the state penitentiary herself and throws away the key.
I shrug, pushing off the brick wall and walking over to her. “Who knows? I’m going to look at this as a good thing, though. I’m out on bail and you held your own in there, way better than most lawyers I’ve seen who are way more seasoned than you. I think we have a good chance of getting me off the hook.”
She levels me with a glare. “Getting you off the hook? I thought you were framed?”
“Tomato-tamato.”
The wind picks up, taking some of her curly hair with it. I smile as the annoyed look on her face grows. “I swear to God I’m going to chop all this shit off one day soon.”
I shake my head, reaching out to try and tame some of the wildness. “Don’t do that. Your hair is way too beautiful to ever cut.”
My fingers catch on a chain she has around her neck, bringing the whole thing out of her blouse. A diamond ring glints off the end of the necklace – a ring I haven’t seen in a decade.
My hand freezes and she grabs the chain and shoves it back inside her shirt, diverting her eyes away from mine. It’s obvious she doesn’t want any questions about it, but I can’t help myself, not when the answer could change everything.
