Treachery Prequel

Eye’s wide, Marjorie went stock still.

“May I approach the bench, Your Honor? I’m not sure what you’re referring to because I am certain I haven’t cancelled my hearing.”

“Both counsel may approach.”

While Marjorie stormed forward to review the documents the judge claimed to have received from her office, Ta

Ta

Marjorie, on the other hand, was practically in hysterics. For a bulldog attorney accustomed to powerful men, she was already losing the battle against Ta

The conference ended as Marjorie spun to storm in my direction, the feet of her chair screeching over marble floors from her weight. On a whisper, she told me what I already knew.

“I don’t know what is going on here, Luca, but I can promise you I did not cancel our motion today. The judge is allowing Ta

There was no point in telling her how it happened. Anybody who knew the Inferno would easily guess that their resident hacker, Taylor Marks, had his hands all over this.

The urge to lay my head on the table was too much. I closed my eyes instead, tears stinging the rims that I refused to shed. Marjorie continued whispering, but her voice was an inaudible hum, the judge’s voice accompanying hers when he gave Ta

None of the words made sense to me, everything mashing together into an incomprehensible stew of white noise punctuated by the beat of my broken heart.

“...Petitioner would like to call a witness.”

My eyes snapped open. A witness? To what? Damn it. I should have been paying attention.

Marjorie leaned my direction, her hissed whisper that of a cracking whip. “Is there something you need to tell me, Luca?”

“I don’t know what’s going on.” The whispered admission was hard to choke out, my stomach rolling over the painful boulder my breakfast had become.

Bile crept up my throat, sweat beading at my temples.

Marjorie scoffed. “Did you or did you not have an affair with the man currently approaching the witness stand?”

“What?”

My head snapped up, eyes focusing on a middle aged man I’d never seen in my life. With thi

I had no idea who the man was, but I had no doubt Ta

THAT SON OF A FUCKING BITCH!

“I’m going to be sick.”

Taking my cue, Marjorie shot to her feet. “Your Honor, my client feels quite ill and needs to use the restroom. May we take a short recess before the witness’ testimony begins?”

Obviously put out by the interruption, the judge’s expression softened to look at me. Breathing out, he waved his hand at the witness. “Return to the viewing gallery, Mr. Hillcox. Court will take a fifteen minute recess.”

I couldn’t wait another second. Dashing from my chair, I cleared out of the courtroom to run down the hall and burst into the bathroom. I’d barely reached a stall before my stomach gave, bacon and eggs coming up with the acidic tinge of disaster.

Tears streamed down my cheeks and my hands shook over the seat of the toilet. After three painful heaves, the sudden illness had passed, the muscles of my stomach locked from the violence of vomiting. Behind me, the bathroom door creaked open, the sharp click of Marjorie’s heels marching in my direction.

Her knuckles rapped on the stall door. “Are you going to be okay?”

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “Yes. I just need a few minutes to clean up.”

Silence settled for a brief moment, then: “Tell me you didn’t have an affair, Luca. That’s all I need to know.”

More tears escaped my eyes, burning their way down my cheeks to drip from my jaw. “I didn’t have an affair. I have no idea who that man is. I’ve never seen him before in my life.”

“Perfect. That’s all I need to hear. I’m going down the hall to make a few phone calls. Take your time cleaning up and I’ll see you in the courtroom.”

The sound of her retreating steps was followed by the creak of the door. Silence filled the bathroom for several minutes while I gathered myself together. Normally, I would have fought tooth and nail against an accusation as false as an affair. If anybody cheated, it was Clayton. Yet, with Ta

When the door creaked again and footsteps entered, I pushed myself to my feet to clean up and leave. I wasn’t in a rush to return to court and hear the lies they would level against me. But not showing up at all would only make things worse.

After exiting the stall, I turned a corner and stopped dead in my tracks to see Ta

“Long time no see, Luca.”

The deep tenor of his voice shook me to the core.

“Are you ready to make a deal?”