Chapter Seventeen
I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain
Somehow, I’m still here to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun but when you gonna wake up and fight.
Sully
I wake early, too early, and take my time in the shower knowing I will see this sick son-of-a-bitch today. It is a preliminary hearing to address the court with his plea. I finally signed off on it and have yet to read the confession. I don’t know if I ever want to know the truth. I just want to have the choice.
I get ready. Suit and tie it up with my Armani tuxedo jacket, tie and jeans. I won’t walk in this courtroom looking like some stuffy suit wearing father who is fine with the plea. My tats on my face, hands, head, and neck should be a warning to that monster that I don’t play nice.
Mya is meeting me there, as are they guys from TAT and the Studio, my pop, the agents and police force.
By the time I get inside the courtroom, I kiss Mya on the cheek before hugging Deja and shaking Cordell’s hand. “How are you? You okay? Get some sleep?” I ask Deja, seeing she looks at bone tired as I do.
“Not really. I close my eyes and I see the nightmare.”
I feel the same way and nod, squeezing her close one last time. “We got this. For Kace, we got this De.”
She nods and hands me a small bag full of green ribbons with button pins with Kace’s smiling face on them. I see Deja’s family and friends from her studio wearing this and take one for Mya and myself before passing the bag down.
By the time the bailiff asks us all to rise, there is a sea of green ribbons and support for Kace in the room.
“You may all be seated,” The Judge says.
The defense attorneys and prosecution go back and forth over law shit that sounds fucking Korean to me until I see two-armed officers herd Levi Tenpenner into the courtroom and the podium.
Watching him stand there without a care in the world, not an ounce of remorse. I think about that movie ‘A Time to Kill’andSamuel L Jacksonshoots his daughters’ torturer. I wish I had hidden in a court closet to jump out guns blazing and kill this fucking waste of space.
“Mr. Tenpenner, how do you plead to the charges against you?” The Judge asks, looking at him with a foulness I feel.
“No contest, Your Honor,” Tenpenner says, and the gasps from everyone in the room is a loud force.
I want to be calm. I want to not catch a case of contempt, but I can’t stop myself. I stand and yell to Chris the DA. “No contest? No fucking contest? You said the plea was guilty!”
“Order in the court!” The Judge slams his gavel down as an officer makes his way to stand in front of me.
“Order? Really?” I yell to the Judge. “He is violating the plea. He fucking swore to plead guilty for a light sentence. This ‘no contest’ shit is him denying it.” I look at Tenpenner as my dad, Noah, Asa, Mya and Cordell try to pull me back from the now two officers in front of me.
“You killed my daughter you piece of shit scum!”
“Bailiff, please remove this man,” The Judge orders, pissing me off even more.
“I’m not the threat here, Judge. That piece of shit and his plea is.” I fight the two officers who try to hold me back until they have me pinned to the ground, arms behind my back and one of them kneeling on my spine.
“God, dammit, Samuel!” My father roars. “Stay down!”
A few minutes pass as hushed whispers and my deep breathing finally settle down.
“Mr. Sullivan, are you calmed down now?” The Judge asks me as the officer that was holding me to the ground, helps me stand.
“Yes, Your Honor,” I say, knowing it isn’t true, but I have to be or end up in jail.
“Can I have a moment with you?” He asks me, shocking me.
