Page 16 of Entangled

“Here we are,” Chris said, pulling the car over to the side of the road. “You’ve got a half an hour to get through security and see the judge. Tamper down the attitude, and pay your fines again.”

Gian flipped the enforcer off as he pushed out of the car. Leaning back in, he pointed at Chris and said, “This isn’t over.”

“Maybe they’ll send you for Driver’s Ed, boss!”

Gian slammed the car door closed as hard as he fucking could in response to that nonsense. Chris wasted no time pulling back onto the road, likely knowing he had pushed his luck with his boss enough for the day. Turning, Gian faced the courthouse and the busy steps filled with people coming and going. This wasn’t his first rodeo at the place, and likely wouldn’t be his last.

It took Gian twenty-five minutes, just to get through security because of the long line of waiting people. He slipped into the courtroom designated for traffic offenses and had just enough time to sit his ass down before his name was called. Like a robot, he went through the motions of the court as he had done many times before.

The only ticket Gian chose to dispute was the speeding ticket, because fuck, he had not been speeding that day. Since the officer in question didn’t show up, the judge tossed it out. Gian was still left with two demerits off his license, and a nearly thousand-dollar fine.

“Pay within thirty days, or on floor four,” the judge ordered, his gravel hitting down with a loud enough bang to make Gian’s headache pound.

Great.

Chris was going to have a field day with this nonsense.

Gian wanted to get the whole day over with, and while he could pay at home on the government website, he headed through the maze of people for the bank of elevators. One elevator opened, and a flood of people came out. Gian bolted for that one, not wanting to wait for the next. A few climbed in behind him, and the doors closed. From ground floor, the elevator went up one, stopped, and dropped half of the people off. Only one other person climbed in.

At the third floor, one used mainly in the courthouse for private consultations before appearances, the only other person got off the elevator. In their haste, they bumped into the one person coming on.

Cara Rossi.

She didn’t see him right away, as she was too busy glaring at the asshole over her shoulder who hadn’t even bothered to apologize for running into her. But when she did see him, the door was starting to close, she was already on the elevator, and Gian was frozen in place.

Cara seemed to be in the same state.

“Gian,” she said.

That was it.

That was all she said.

Just his name.

And good God, how he missed that sound coming out of her mouth.

The elevator moved up, closer to his floor.

Gian didn’t know why, as he knew better than to corner Cara, but the part of him that hadn’t seen her in three months, the piece of him that had been lost and torn and so fucking useless, made him move. He pulled the emergency switch, and the elevator jerked to a halt. A red light came on, illuminating the space. A bell-like sound dinged through the speakers.

He was well aware of the camera just above his head, but since he didn’t plan on doing anything that would get them in shit, he ignored it for the moment.

Cara shifted in her heels, the black dress she wore showed off all kinds of leg and skin, but was still long enough to be appropriate. “This is a courthouse, Gian, not your personal place of business or something. You can’t just shut off an elevator.”

“I just did,” he said quietly.

“And someone will start it back up if you don’t push the switch again.”

“So be it, but it gives me a minute.”

“To do what?” she asked.

Gian wasn’t sure how to answer that, so he went with the blunt truth that had been stabbing at him for months. “To just look at you, say hello, anything, Cara.”

“And if I’m not interested in any of that?”

“Then say so.”