I shake my head and question why the hell I care. If anything, a headache benefits me. Maybe she’ll be distracted. Though that feels like a cheap way to win. Not really my style.
I should hate her. God knows half my colleagues think she’s the devil wrapped in Dior. But what I told her yesterday was true—she helps the system work the way it’s supposed to. The NYPD has been forced to take shit far more seriously since shecame on the scene. So, I respect the hell out of her. Not that I would tell her that part.
Though my tendency to watch her hips sway in her tight pencil skirts isn’t based on respect. I’m certain most people would find how frequently my thoughts turn to wondering what her juicy, plump peach of an ass would feel like in my hands downrightdisrespectful.
Ava Kendrick. Manhattan’s most ruthless defense attorney, my personal nemesis, and the only woman who has ever made me want to strangle and kiss someone in the same breath.
I wonder sometimes if we’d have been friends under different circumstances. Possibly even date, since I’m obviously attracted to her. From all the times I’ve caught her looking, I think it’s a fair bet that it’s mutual. Not to mention we’re both “prodigies” in NYC’s law scene. I’m the youngest elected district attorney in Manhattan’s history, and Ava has to be one of the youngest women partners at any of the major firms in the city.
Fate placed us on opposite teams, though, so we are forever stuck being adversaries. She is decidedly unpopular in all the circles I’m in. The cops hate her for the number of cases she wins, especially since she got a cop killer freed earlier this summer. My attempts at point out that she’d won because they’d mishandled evidence and ignored interview protocol tended to fall on deaf ears. To them, she’s the viper. Nothing more.
The fact that she’s become one of the loudest champions in the city for omega rights hasn’t gained herany favors either. Takes on pro bono cases no one else will touch for them—workplace discrimination, custody battles, you name it. And because she’s a powerhouse of a lawyer, she almost always wins.
The more conservative alphas that run the city do not appreciate this. And those are the ones I have to butter up if I have any hopes of them donating to my eventual mayoral campaign. I just can’t figure out why it’s so important to her. She’s a beta, and so is her entire family other than a couple of alphas somewhere back in her pedigreed family tree.
She lifts her head, green eyes meeting mine, and I have to look away. No more distractions; I need to focus on beating her. I do have a reputation to uphold, after all.
After the bailiff calls us to order, Reynolds looks to me and nods. I clear my throat. “The prosecution calls Detective Marisol Vega.”
“Objection, Your Honor! Surprise witness,” Ava says sharply.
I spread my hands. “Merely following the path the defense set up with her questioning of Detective Stephens, Your Honor.”
He nods. “I’ll allow it, though keep the scope within the chain-of-command questioning,or I will allow Ms. Kendrick time to prepare for the witness.” There’s an unspoken threat in his wording that annoys me. As if he’s saying,you don’t want to give her that, do you?
It’s not incorrect, which annoys me more. The more time Ava has to prepare, the likelier she is to find something to attack.
Vega takes the stand, and it’s obvious she is flustered and nervous, which actually helps what I’m attempting to do.
“Detective Vega,” I say evenly, “you are Detective Stephen’s partner, correct?”
She nods. “Yes, sir.”
“And how long have you been on the force?”
Color stains her cheeks. “I’ve been with the NYPD for seven years.”
“At the time of Mr. Simmon’s arrest, how long had you been a detective?”
“Objection, Your Honor! I thought we were sticking to the chain of command, not going over Detective Vega’s resume,” Ava says.
A fair objection, but it’s early in the day to be so sassy, especially with Reynolds already annoyed with us. A little off her game today.
The judge shoots her a warning look, and I suppress my grin. He looks at me and raises an eyebrow. “I’m assuming there’s a point to this, Mr. Taylor? Let’s move it along.”
I nod and look backto Vega to await an answer.
She sighs. “It was my first day as a detective when we arrested Mr. Simmons.”
I give her a gentle, understanding smile. “First days on the job can be overwhelming. New responsibilities, new expectations, new paperwork. Fair to say?”
She lets out a small, nervous breath. “Yes, sir.”
“Despite that, though, you were still a trained NYPD officer with seven years of experience in the field.”
“Yes.”
“Please explain how the evidence got to the lab and what state it arrived in.”
