I could hear Tony moving around in the other room, the quiet sounds of him gathering his briefcase, his files. We were preparing for the same day, the same courtroom, but we might as well have been in different worlds. The silence between us was deafening, a physical thing that filled every corner of the house.
By the time I emerged from the bedroom, Tony was standing by the kitchen counter, his briefcase in hand, checking his phone. He didn’t look at me. He didn’t acknowledge that I’d entered the room. He just stood there, waiting, his expression carefully neutral.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I answered. “Ready.”
The drive to the courthouse was silent. Tony kept his eyeson the road, his jaw clenched. I stared out the window at the familiar streets of Diamond Creek, at the shops and houses I’d known my whole life. Everything looked the same, but everything felt different now.
I wanted to reach over and touch his hand. I wanted to say something that would bridge the gap between us. But I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I’d say the wrong thing. Afraid that he’d pull away. Knowing this silence was all we had left.
The courthouse parking lot was already filling up when we arrived. I could see the Silver Shadows MC cuts in the crowd. King, Cash, and Goliath with several others who had been here every day of the trial.
Supporting Tony.
Supporting me.
My parents’ car was parked near the entrance. Tony pulled into a spot and turned off the engine. For a moment, we just sat there.
“We should go in,” he said finally.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “We should.”
We walked into the courthouse together, but we didn’t touch. There was a careful distance between us, the kind of distance that screamed to anyone paying attention that something was wrong. And people were definitely paying attention.
My mother rushed toward me the moment we entered the hallway, pulling me into a tight hug. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?” she asked, her eyes searching mine.
“I’m okay, Mom,” I said, even though it was a lie.
My father stood behind her, his expression grave. We should have been happy; we should have been celebrating that this was almost over. Instead, there was something knowing in my father’s gaze when he nodded at Tony. Like maybe he understood exactly what had happened between us last night. Like he could see the fractures in our foundation.
“Simon,” Goliath called out, approaching with his characteristic easy stride. He clapped me on the shoulder, hismassive hand nearly knocking me forward. “The truth comes out today.”
“Thanks, Goliath,” I said, managing a small smile.
King and Cash flanked him, both offering words of encouragement. I could feel Tony standing slightly behind me, his presence like a weight at my back. He wasn’t touching me, but he was there. For now, he was still there.
“The jury’s going to see the truth,” King said, his voice low and certain. “They’re going to see that you’re a good man who was protecting his sister.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I was protecting my sister, but I wasn’t protecting myself. I wasn’t protecting Tony. I wasn’t protecting us.
Keys appeared from the crowd, his expression tight. “Sadie’s in the witness room,” he said to Tony. “She’s nervous but ready.”
Tony nodded curtly. “Good. I’ll check on her before we go in.”
He walked away without looking at me, and I felt the absence like a phantom limb might throb with a pain that no longer existed but was still deeply felt. My mother squeezed my hand, and I realized she was watching the exchange with concern.
“Simon,” she said quietly, pulling me aside. “Are you sure you’re okay? You and Tony seem—”
“I’m fine, Mom,” I cut her off gently. “Just nervous about today.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t push. Instead, she pulled me into another hug, and I let myself lean into her for just a moment, drawing strength from her presence.
The hallway was filling up with more supporters, the energy building toward something inevitable. And then I saw her.
Rosalind Winthrop walked through the courthouse doors like she owned the place. Dressed impeccably in a navy-blue suit, her blonde hair pulled back in a severe bun. Her expressionwas composed, professional, but there was something cold in her eyes, something that made my stomach clench.
She didn’t acknowledge me. She didn’t even glance in my direction. She simply walked past, her heels clicking against the marble floor, and disappeared into the courtroom.
