“You’re happy you left it?” he asked with a quirky grin.
“Terrified I don’t have a job now, but yeah. Happy. Dr. Hun was a wonderful boss, but I don’t think teaching was ever my life goal.”
“What do you want to do?”
I froze. He was the first person to ask me that since I’d graduated law school. I’d had all these grandiose ideas back then of who I wanted to be, and I had no idea when it all went sideways.
“You know what? I don’t know.” I frowned out the window at the brown brick buildings we passed as we headed toward River’s office. “I went into law to help people, but I never felt like I did that to the best of my ability. I made a lot of money once in criminal law, but I hated it. I didn’t want to represent the bad guys.”
“What made you go into a classroom?” He squeezed my hand, and I returned the gesture as I focused on him again.
“My mom.” I tilted my body so I could lay my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes again. “You would’ve loved her, she was fiery and strong and always took care of her own. She fought for women’s and LGBTQ people’s rights—and a hundred other causes—until the day she took her last breath. Sometimes I wonder why I never got her strength.”
“You do have it,” he said fiercely, turning slightly to graze a kiss over my forehead.
“I used to. I was a magician in the courtroom, Judge. Great at making a jury see what I wanted them to focus on and ignore important facts that went against my case. It made me feel bad about myself.” I inhaled deeply and exhaled again. “I burned out after a few years. I was so tired of seeing criminals walk free because of me.” He stayed silent and I suspected he was waiting for me to say more. “My friend River excels at it. He works for the bikers around here, the Kings.”
“I know all about them.” Judge laughed. “My parents hate them.”
I chuckled and straightened, looking at him. “They aren’t all terrible. There are worse people in this city. I’ve met a couple of them. King, the president, is pretty hot.”
His hand tightened on mine and he glared at me. “Remember who you belong to.”
“Who do I belong to?” I teased.
He harrumphed. “I’ll remind you tomorrow night at Triple X.”
“Promises, promises, Charming.” I nudged my shoulder against his and laughed again. Judge stopped at a red light, and an elderly woman waved at us as she crossed the street with a stroller. A poodle stuck its head out of the top, tongue lolling from the side of its mouth, and I returned the wave.
“I like that.”
“Hm?” After being distracted by the lady and her cute dog I’d forgotten what we were talking about.
“You calling me Charming, I like that. I fucking love when you call me Sir, but I really like Charming, too.” He smirked at me and unlinked our fingers so he could wrap an arm around my shoulders to drag me close. We kissed, his mouth eating at mine until someone behind us beeped their horn. Judge gave them the finger through his back window, and I rolled my eyes as he settled into position again and hit the accelerator.
“Smooth.” I shook my head when we reached a double lane and the sleek white Prius that had been behind us moments ago flew past, but not before the man driving gave us a nasty glare. Judge went to retaliate, but I grabbed his hand before he could flip the bird again. “We don’t want to get into a road rage incident.”
He grumbled but gave me a wink as he focused back on the road.
The car slowed in front of a brown-brick building with wide, rectangular windows and a weird-shaped light brown roof. It reminded me of an old Pizza Hut restaurant. Judge turned the car in to a driveway, which led to a small parking lot at the back. Once he’d pushed the button to kill the engine, we got out and went around the front to the entrance.
We walked inside the firm’s warm reception room, which was much bigger than the one they had at the other place downtown. The standing desk that the receptionist, Becky, worked behind was tall and mahogany with a top made of gray stone. I could only see her head because she was so short. She was one of the most adorable women I’d ever met. With red curls that bounced around her shoulders, big green eyes, and freckles across her pale skin, she was a ray of sunshine everywhere she went.
Behind her, gray stone bricks created an accent wall with a blue sign that had the wordsDemchenko, Weston, and Poluninwritten in swirly silver letters. To the right was a door I assumed led into the offices.
The large waiting area wrapped around the space, and there were comfortable brown couches and a coffee table stacked with newspapers and magazines. A TV hung on a light brown wall and appeared to be set on a news station because an anchorman was talking while a picture of motorcycles flashed beside his head. I had to wonder if he was discussing one of the clubs around New Gothenburg. It wouldn’t have surprised me.
Becky grinned when she noticed me. “Flynn!” She sashayed her way around from the other side of the desk, and I met her with a hug. She plastered her curvy body against mine. I liked Becky, and while she hadn’t been around when River and I worked together about a thousand years ago, she was always around when I stopped by to visit him.
“Hey, Becky, how are you?” I laughed as she popped a kiss on my cheek and stepped back, staring me up and down as though checking if I was taking care of myself. She was a young woman but had the soul of someone much older.
“Are you eating? River told me about that dirtbag, Chris. I’ll kick him in the crotch with my favorite stilettos if you want. They have a sharp heel and could do some serious damage.” She looked so dire when she delivered the line that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“That isn’t necessary. I upgraded.” I tilted my head back at Judge, who winked. I saw the moment Becky nearly swooned, and her dark red lips shaped anO. She let out a nervous giggle.
“Yes. Yes.” She turned wide eyes on me with a blush spreading over her cheeks. I didn’t blame her a bit. “Work. I have to work.”
“We’re here to see River.”
