Dylan finally cracked a smile at Kelsi’s ex-fiancé, who smiled back before his eyes widened at something over Dylan’s shoulders. Tom yelled, “Stand down! It’s okay!”
Dylan slowly turned to see a short, elderly Black woman in a security uniform creeping up behind him, her stun gun aimed threateningly. Dylan raised his hands, palms outward, showing her he wasn’t a threat to anyone. Well, anymore.
“Dina, really, it’s okay. I had that one coming.”
The security guard, Dina, looked over at Tom, incredulity in her expression.
He looked sheepish but elaborated, “This is Kelsi’s man.”
At that, Dina showed a gummy smile at Dylan and let out a loud guffaw. She lunged forward and clapped his left hand, still slightly upraised, with her own. “’Bout time someone did it to him. I’ve been thinking ’bout it for months, but I didn’t want to get fired over this asshat. And if anyone comes asking, I didn’t see anything.”
Dylan snorted a surprised laugh and smiled warmly at Dina. “Happy to have the honor. Although, truth be told, I kinda owe him for messing it up with her too.”
Her eyes twinkled at him. “You’re right about that one. Kelsi deserved way better than what this guy gave her.”
Tom sighed behind them, obviously used to this treatment from her. “Yes, Dina, I treated Kelsi like shit, and she deserves the world. You’ve been telling me that every day since she left.”
She huffed at him, eyes narrowed, before giving him a nod. “At least you can admit it. That’s something, at least.”
“Come on, Dylan. Let’s head upstairs and get some ice.” Tom looked at Dylan’s swelling knuckles. “For both of us.”
CHAPTER 35
Kelsi
1 Day to Trial
Kelsi walked upthe stairs of the courthouse’s back entrance, where the prosecutor’s office was located. She’d delayed this meeting as long as she could, but now she was risking running late for their jury selection.
She took a deep breath, trying to settle her queasiness over seeing everyone who witnessed her humiliation a few months ago. Kelsi knocked on the glass door until the security guard noticed her and got up to let her in.
“Well, hello there, Kelsi! Where you been, girl? It’s not the same around here without you!”
“Hi, Miss Dina!” Kelsi smiled at the older woman. Dina was a courthouse legend. She’d worked there for the last thirty-odd years and never ran out of stories to tell about the cases she’d seen in her days. A defendant who killed his brother and sister-in-law before fleeing the state, leaving his car as a decoy at the Norfolk Airport, then bus-hopped until hiding in a homeless shelter in Chicago? She’d cuffed him. A defendant who pretended to be dead for his entire jury trial, laid out on the floor with his tongue lolling out? She’d held exhibits over his face while he gave no response, so he knew what was being presentedto the court. A defendant who’d launched himself at the judge, only to find out the judge was armed? She’d held the judge back.
“You did not.” Dina’s smile as Kelsi held out the nondescript white paper bag eased some of Kelsi’s nerves. Dina snatched the bag and pulled out a chocolate croissant from the bakery up the street. It was Dina’s favorite place, but she hardly ever treated herself. So, whenever Kelsi went, she made it a point to bring something back for her.
She took a large bite from the croissant, eyes closing as she chewed. After swallowing, she cracked one eye at Kelsi and smirked at her over her croissant. “Your man is a certifiable hunk, honey.”
Kelsi paused and snorted. “No, Dina, Tom and I are one hundred percent done. He is in no way my man. And he is most definitely not a ‘certifiable hunk.’” Kelsi made sarcastic air quotes.
Dina slapped her thigh and guffawed loudly at that for a minute longer than Kelsi thought the situation warranted. Finally, she settled down, wiping away a tear at her eye. “No, Tom is definitely not a hunk. I meant Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.”
“Dylan? You’ve met Dylan?” She fully turned to look down at the older woman. “And how did you know he’s my man?”
“Oh, he came by earlier and we got to chatting.” Her mouth was so wide with her smile that it had Kelsi on alert.
She narrowed her eyes at Dina. “You just happened to start talking about me? How did I come up in your conversation?”
She laughed. “Well, the conversation started with his fist hitting Tom’s face, and after Tom told me not to tase him, everything came out.”
Kelsi’s mouth hung open and she pinched the bridge of her nose as a headache began pounding behind her eyes. “Do I need to go bail him out? Is Tom okay?”
“Oh, honey, don’t worry. Your man is upstairs in the office. After the one hit, they seemed to get along fine. Even laughed with each other when they went up the elevator. So I pretended it never happened and didn’t radio it in.”
Kelsi couldn’t help laughing with her, even while her nerves ratcheted upward at dealing with both of them, especially if they were already coming to blows. She gave Dina another hug before walking to the elevator bay, heels clicking across the floor as she went.
The entire ride up the elevator she braced herself for the tension she was about to walk into. When the elevator doors opened, she hurried into the commonwealth’s attorney’s reception area. The receptionist waved lazily at her in recognition before buzzing her through. Kelsi took a deep, steadying breath, and opened the door.
