I walked down the aisle and out of the courtroom. “You two need to keep it civil,” I said over my shoulder.
He didn’t answer. All right. As a lawyer, I was duty bound to do my best. I’d done so for him, and I’d work hard the next day. Yet he was a jackass who probably deserved to go to prison. It was all right to feel two things at once. We walked out of the building and toward the parking lot in the still warm afternoon.
A note was stuck under the windshield wiper of his truck. He snatched it and read it. “Damn it. Krissy said she’s sorry and needs time.” He took out his phone. “Yeah. Hi. We need to get the deal done tonight. I have to split.” Then he clicked off.
I took a step back. “You can’t flee. I can’t let you flee. We have to finish the trial tomorrow.”
Pucci crossed his arms. “What could I get?”
It was surprising he hadn’t asked any of his attorneys that question before. The guy must really be overconfident. “Another felony conviction, up to five years in prison, and up to a five thousand dollar fine.”
He rubbed a scratch on his neck. “After all of that, the judge will nail me if I get convicted.”
“True. Even if you’re given five years, you could get out early with good behavior,” I said. “I can call Alice to make a deal.”
He grimaced. “Five years doesn’t work for me. I’ll have to go with plan B.”
“You can’t,” I said. “You have to face this. Just get through it.”
“No.” He looked around the quiet parking lot. It wouldn’t fill up until around five. “Sorry about this.” Before the words sank in, he grabbed the back of my head and smashed me toward the grill of his truck. Pain exploded in my brain and I struck out, screaming.
He jerked me back, I caught my breath, and he smacked me against the truck again.
Everything went dark, and I fell into nothingness.
Chapter 34
Iawoke with a blazing headache and a loud groan. “What the heck?”
“Ah, good. I was afraid you were dead.” Pucci’s voice came from far away.
I opened my eyes, and sharp blades of pain slashed through my irises right to my brain. “Oh, God.” My stomach rolled over and I held it, shutting my eyes again. I was sitting on the passenger side of his truck, and it felt like we were parked. “Are we still at the courthouse?” I needed to reopen my eyelids but couldn’t quite force myself to do it.
He chuckled and the sound was grating. “No. Man, you were really out. Sorry about that. What is today?”
“Thursday.” I gingerly felt the two lumps on my forehead. “You just committed a battery and a kidnapping. Have you lost your mind?”
“No. It’s self-preservation. Can you get out of the truck or do you need me to carry you?”
I forced my eyelids open to see the campground outside. People were hustling around and packing up chairs, tents, and belongings. “Touch me and I’ll kill you.” Since I’d been in court, I didn’t have my gun. However, there were tons of guns in this place, and I could find one. “What’s your plan?” I asked.
He sat back as he watched his people scurry around. “We’re packing up and leaving first thing in the morning. I figure nobody will know you’re missing until court starts, and even if there are cameras outside that building, nobody will look at the footage until then.”
Dread swam through my nerves like a shark playing with prey. “Okay. Then what?”
“Well, that’s up to you.” He looked at my forehead and winced. “Geez. You really bruise purple and ugly. Are you seeing double?”
“No.” My head hurt, but my vision had cleared. “All I see is one asshole in front of me.” I didn’t have the balance yet to jump out of the truck and run, so I took several deep breaths to regain some strength. “Why not scurry away now?”
He pointed at a couple of guys carrying large boxes toward a truck. “Money. I need to get paid for the business venture we’ve been creating and move on to rebuild all of this. We had a long-term deal in place, but I’m going to need to start my part over, and I need immediate funds to do so. This is just a temporary glitch.”
“You’ll be a wanted felon,” I said, my head still swimming.
“Yeah, but I’ll get a new identity and move on from there. It’s not as difficult as you’d think.” He sat comfortably as his people worked around him. “I can still do business with the Lordes but will have to do it from my secondary location. It’s too bad. I like this campground and the other location needs a lot of work. Hence, the payment I’ll get from Devlin today.”
I turned toward him, which put my butt closer to my door. “Do you think Aiden will be okay with this? That he’ll still do business with you after you’ve given me a concussion?”
Pucci’s lip twisted with what actually looked like sympathy. “Oh, he’ll be pissed, I know. But Devlin isn’t going to lose millions because I’ve given you a little bump on your head.” He leaned in. “Two bumps. Get over yourself.”
