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She’d seen nothing wrong with it, other than she’d placed her own family in harm’s way.
I’d heeded Sedona’s plea with regard to Erin’s welfare, turning her over to her family to deal with. And I’d honored my promise to Sean, but instead of working with me directly, he was bridging our two families, trying to mend fences and heal the wounds. The kid was going to make a powerful leader one day, whether his father wanted to believe it or not.
I took a deep breath, checking the time.
The truth was nothing was ever a slam dunk when it came to cases like this. There were still enough people in Louisville who wanted to clean the streets of violent, organized crime that all it would take was the right judge to shove my ass back into jail for the long term.
“We got this, Mr. James,” Baron said. While he and the attorney he’d hired were still considered the attorneys on record, they were taking a backseat to the surprises my beautifulcheriehad in store for the grand jury. I imagined fireworks would follow.
“Whatever happens, you will take care of Christian and ensure that Sedona has everything she needs including protection. Won’t you?” I glanced from Gregory’s face to my father’s, waiting for him to acknowledge that there was still a chance my life would be stripped from me.
Pops waved his hand, my brother clapping me on the back.
“Don’t worry, bro. I’ll take care of both. Very closely.” He was teasing me, but I pointed my finger in his face.
“You remember what I told you. You touch her and you die.”
He laughed until the door opened.
“The court is ready for you, Mr. James.”
I smoothed my hands down on my jacket, giving a nod. I was ready for them. I thought about my beautiful son, who was now chattering away, almost never stopping his words. I owed it all to the woman I adored. She’d given me her trust and her love, remaining strong during the crisis. Now it was time to face whatever the future had planned.
Because of the stunning woman, I was even stronger than before.
A family man.
A lover.
Who knew. Maybe one day I’d be a husband.
Sedona
As the door opened, I didn’t need to know who’d walked in. I’d know the sound of her heels anywhere. I continued to pore over my notes, the speech that I’d rehearsed a solid dozen times. It was now or never to highlight my skills, ensuring that the atrocity done to the James family was ripped apart.
Only I could do that.
“Someone I admire greatly once reminded me that there was no such thing as gray with regard to the law. It was either right or wrong and those who crossed the fine line would do so again and again.” Christine’s voice was soft, respectful. We’d spoken once on the phone as I’d confirmed details of what I’d learned.
“Who was that?” I asked, still not lifting my head.
“A lovely young attorney that I knew would go places. I just didn’t know how far. You’re a force to be reckoned with, Sedona. I hope that you’ve considered my offer of becoming District Attorney. I’ll be retiring in a few years and I would like you to take over.”
Now I lifted my head, studying her. I could swear the woman had aged in the two plus weeks since I’d seen her. She’d been through a battle of her own, the evidence she’d compiled against the governor and his cronies almost not enough to take the man down. But an indictment was on the horizon given I’d returned the strong evidence against him that I’d taken from her office.
I’d been wrong about the association of women. They had banded together, but to rid the city of an entirely different kind of organized crime. Given what I’d learned about the New Orleans Bratva, I hadn’t been shocked they’d been behind my stalking, the attempt on our lives, and killing Zephyr. The fact they’d greased the palms of the governor for his reelection campaign remained a black mark for dozens of lawmakers and politicians.
He’d made a mockery out of our government system, but he’d be going away for a very long time, enjoying prison life. I took great pride in helping Christine follow through with getting the evidence together in such a way that it was foolproof. That didn’t take away the fact she’d used the situation with Jonny to her benefit to finally bring the governor to his knees.
In the process, she’d placed Jonny’s life and mine in danger. Not that I suspected she knew the great lengths the Bratva would go to or had known about the decades-old vendetta, but that changed nothing. I couldn’t trust her completely ever again.
Maybe that was because I’d changed, becoming a much stronger woman. I wasn’t certain. I took an envelope from my briefcase, sliding it across the table before shoving the files and notes into the case.
She sighed, given I wasn’t talking to her. I’d exchanged heated words the first day and in truth, I was keeping the fire burning in my belly intact for one thing and one thing only.
Going in front of the grand jury, changing sides and professing Jonny’s innocence. In learning about Damien’s death from Jonny, I’d been able to sleep easier at night, but there were other monsters out there lurking in the shadows. There were also men in invisible capes waiting to swoop in and protect the damsel in distress when necessary.
And they weren’t always those considered honorable or just men.
