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“So what part of Australia are you from?”
“The capital of Australia, Canberra. It’s about a hundred and fifty miles southwest of Sydney. Have you ever visited?”
She shook her head. “No, but I’d love to visit. Have you been in the states long?”
“Since the sixth grade. I met Kip not long after.”
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t realize you guys were childhood friends. From what it sounds like, you and Kip are family like Cami and I are. Having a lifelong friend who will trudge through the trenches with you is priceless and difficult to come by.”
“It’s one reason I trust him as a business partner.”
“That makes sense.” She smiled at me. “Are your parents still in the states or did they move back to Australia when you were old enough?”
A lump lodged in my throat as my chest tightened. I suspected the conversation about them would pop up tonight, but I was still hoping it wouldn’t. Shifting in my seat, I offered her a regretful smile. “They’re no longer with me anymore. I lost them after we moved here.”
The color drained from Ella’s face, and I reached out for her hand. “Maybe I’ll tell you more another time, but for tonight, I just want to enjoy our time together.”
“Of course. I would never want to intrude.”
“It’s fine, really. But tell me about your job. You’ve seen me at mine. Why a paralegal for criminal defense attorneys?”
She took a drink of her mai tai, peeking at me over the rim.
“The legal system intrigues me. I’m not sure if I’ll go to law school or not. Since it’s so expensive, I decided to get some experience first and see if I like it. The attorneys I work for let me attend trials, so that’s super helpful. I started working for them right out of college, and they’ve taught me everything I know. I have a lot of respect for both of them.” Her head tilted slightly to the side. “Call me crazy, but as I said before, I’m fascinated with the criminal mind.”
The more she talked, the more she reeled me in, which was a dangerous game. Even with Dope’s warning, I wanted to spend more time with her. “Do you think the law is fair?”
I could see her mind working as she pondered my question.
“No. I think it’s broken. There are instances where guilty individuals go free while innocent ones are incarcerated. The most effective method to assist those wrongfully convicted is to challenge the verdict and advocate for their release. However, the process is slow, costly, and lengthy.”
I leaned back in my seat, studying her. She was smarter than I’d realized, which was a huge plus. Not only was she beautiful, but she was intelligent. I bet all the girls hated her, and all the men wanted her.
“How do you feel about people who don’t find justice in the courts and decide to take matters into their own hands?”
One dark eyebrow slightly rose with my question. “You mean a vigilante?”
“Yeah, let’s say Robin Hood.” I grinned.
She stared at me, and a surge of intense energy coursed through my chest as she prepared to speak. I leaned into the table, mesmerized, as I didn’t want to miss a single word that came from her mouth. My fingers gripped my water glass, waiting for her answer.
“I think they do best if they don’t get caught. You can’t quote me saying that, though.”
“It’s true. If they die or get thrown in prison, it’s not much help to anyone.”
“The biggest reason I’ve not moved forward and continued the path to becoming an attorney is that sometimes the world needs someone who is morally grey. For instance, the television show Dexter. He was a crime lab tech but tortured and killed serial killers, which made him a serial killer.”
“Such a good show. Do you think things like that happen in real life?”
Ella leaned across the table, then whispered, “I fucking hope so.”
Dammit, I want to kiss her so fucking bad right now.
“And where do you stand on that same issue?” she asked.
I cleared my throat and opened my mouth to respond as our dinner arrived.
“This looks delicious.” Ella unrolled her napkin and set it on her lap.
