station. They can spot him a mile away.
“Adriani sounds like a mob boss,” I say.
“This coming from a woman with four names?”
Somehow, he always puts me at ease. Today, I need it.
“I, um, I wanted to say thank you,” I say slowly. “For not turning your back on me.”
“You were right,” he replies. “Mia, I never wanted to use you. I wanted to help you, but as Gianna would say, I forgot the tree for the forest.”
“No, Dom. You were right. I had the power to help …” my voice breaks. I flush, look down and clear my throat. “I didn’t. But I came to tell you, I’m meeting with the DA today.”
He’s quiet.
“I asked Chris not to drown your people in paper. I told him I have to do this. I owe it to Tanya. I owe it to the other girls.” I meet his gaze again. “I owe it to you.”
“I knew you would do it.”
I roll my eyes at him. “I can still walk away,” I tell him, crossing my arms. “I’ve done stupider things to prove idiots more arrogant than you wrong.”
“That reminds me. We need to make a new deal. I broke ours.”
I raise an eyebrow at him in a way that would make Molly proud.
“I’ll be straight with you, if you drop that defensive shit with me.” His slow smile is infectious and his direct gaze makes me warm inside.
I don’t want to smile. I won’t smile. “Prove you mean it,” I challenge him. “You broke our last deal.”
“Fair enough,” he agrees. “For the record, you won’t walk away, you don’t owe me anything, and you’re welcome.”
“Goodbye, Dom.” I turn away and start towards the doors then remember one of the real reasons I wanted to come. I hesitate then face him again. He’s still there, waiting. “Will you …”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know what I’m going to ask,” I say, perplexed.
He winks and walks away, back into the hallway leading to the office areas.
Irritated, I leave. Camera flashes go off the minute I step outside, and I glare at Fabio. If he wasn’t so conspicuous, I could sneak around more. My phone vibrates. I glance at it as I start towards the courthouse, expecting Chris to tell me I’m late or something.
Glad you saw the light.
If Dom’s text makes me curse him under my breath, his next makes me curse out loud.
The DA told me you volunteered to come in. He asked me to come today.
Somehow, he does know what I wanted to ask him, if he’d be there with me while I dive headfirst off a cliff. It’s freaky how he seems to read my mind sometimes. I don’t even think Ari can do that.
Chris and two members of his team are waiting for me at the top of the steps to the courthouse. He’s got his game face on and looks me over, probably not approving of my jeans and t-shirt. But I want to be as comfortable as possible today.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Not really.”
“Let’s go.”
There’s no turning back now. Even if I said no, I have a feeling he isn’t going to let me change my mind. I’m thrilled to have his full backing, but I’m terrified, too. I trail the three men in suits into the building. We walk a familiar path to the nicer side and to the same conference room where I learned about my community service. I’m relieved we’re not going to an interview room; that place was scary.
At one end of the large table, the DA sits with a clerk, two others in suits and two welcome faces: Dom and Kiesha. I haven’t seen Kiesha since the hospital, and I smile at her. Her lips are as ruby as ever, her large, dark eyes smiling at me, even if she doesn’t. She and Dom look stiff and sit against the wall behind the table.
The DA stands and shakes everyone’s hands, even mine. I’m angry at him still, because I’m pretty sure he was the one who used Dom to set me up. It’s definitely a lawyerly thing to do; I can see Chris doing something like that.
“I see you brought a team,” DA Tenet says. “I hope you haven’t changed your mind, Ms. Abbott-Renou.”
“I’m here to ensure her rights
“Adriani sounds like a mob boss,” I say.
“This coming from a woman with four names?”
Somehow, he always puts me at ease. Today, I need it.
“I, um, I wanted to say thank you,” I say slowly. “For not turning your back on me.”
“You were right,” he replies. “Mia, I never wanted to use you. I wanted to help you, but as Gianna would say, I forgot the tree for the forest.”
“No, Dom. You were right. I had the power to help …” my voice breaks. I flush, look down and clear my throat. “I didn’t. But I came to tell you, I’m meeting with the DA today.”
He’s quiet.
“I asked Chris not to drown your people in paper. I told him I have to do this. I owe it to Tanya. I owe it to the other girls.” I meet his gaze again. “I owe it to you.”
“I knew you would do it.”
I roll my eyes at him. “I can still walk away,” I tell him, crossing my arms. “I’ve done stupider things to prove idiots more arrogant than you wrong.”
“That reminds me. We need to make a new deal. I broke ours.”
I raise an eyebrow at him in a way that would make Molly proud.
“I’ll be straight with you, if you drop that defensive shit with me.” His slow smile is infectious and his direct gaze makes me warm inside.
I don’t want to smile. I won’t smile. “Prove you mean it,” I challenge him. “You broke our last deal.”
“Fair enough,” he agrees. “For the record, you won’t walk away, you don’t owe me anything, and you’re welcome.”
“Goodbye, Dom.” I turn away and start towards the doors then remember one of the real reasons I wanted to come. I hesitate then face him again. He’s still there, waiting. “Will you …”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know what I’m going to ask,” I say, perplexed.
He winks and walks away, back into the hallway leading to the office areas.
Irritated, I leave. Camera flashes go off the minute I step outside, and I glare at Fabio. If he wasn’t so conspicuous, I could sneak around more. My phone vibrates. I glance at it as I start towards the courthouse, expecting Chris to tell me I’m late or something.
Glad you saw the light.
If Dom’s text makes me curse him under my breath, his next makes me curse out loud.
The DA told me you volunteered to come in. He asked me to come today.
Somehow, he does know what I wanted to ask him, if he’d be there with me while I dive headfirst off a cliff. It’s freaky how he seems to read my mind sometimes. I don’t even think Ari can do that.
Chris and two members of his team are waiting for me at the top of the steps to the courthouse. He’s got his game face on and looks me over, probably not approving of my jeans and t-shirt. But I want to be as comfortable as possible today.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Not really.”
“Let’s go.”
There’s no turning back now. Even if I said no, I have a feeling he isn’t going to let me change my mind. I’m thrilled to have his full backing, but I’m terrified, too. I trail the three men in suits into the building. We walk a familiar path to the nicer side and to the same conference room where I learned about my community service. I’m relieved we’re not going to an interview room; that place was scary.
At one end of the large table, the DA sits with a clerk, two others in suits and two welcome faces: Dom and Kiesha. I haven’t seen Kiesha since the hospital, and I smile at her. Her lips are as ruby as ever, her large, dark eyes smiling at me, even if she doesn’t. She and Dom look stiff and sit against the wall behind the table.
The DA stands and shakes everyone’s hands, even mine. I’m angry at him still, because I’m pretty sure he was the one who used Dom to set me up. It’s definitely a lawyerly thing to do; I can see Chris doing something like that.
“I see you brought a team,” DA Tenet says. “I hope you haven’t changed your mind, Ms. Abbott-Renou.”
“I’m here to ensure her rights
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