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“Destiny is a small town, miss.” Ethel leaned forward. “Trust me, young lady, this court will be impartial and fair. Mr. Strange, you are acting legal counsel for the plaintiffs, correct?”
“Yes, Judge,” Cam answered.
The judge’s eyes narrowed. “Just one attorney? I would think a billion-dollar company like Two Black Knights would have a sea of lawyers at their disposal. Why just one?”
Cam bristled. “I assure the court that we are more than prepared to present our case.”
Ethel waved him off and turned to the beautiful defendant. “And I assume you are…” She looked down at a paper in front of her. “…Megan Lunceford. Is that correct?” The judge looked back at her.
She blinked. “Yes, Your Honor.”
Ethel leaned forward slightly. “Are you an attorney, Mrs. Lunceford?”
Megan shook her head. “No, ma’am.”
A murmur went through the crowd. What was going on here? Was Megan going to represent herself in court?
Ethel frowned. “What is your profession?”
“I was a secretary for three years.”
“Was?” Ethel asked. “And now?”
“I’m currently looking for work, Your Honor.” Megan lowered her eyes as if embarrassed by the admission.
The more the little vixen talked, the more he wanted to get closer to her. But she was the enemy, right? She was the one mucking up the code, right?
Eric turned to Cam and Scott, his voice low. “Secretary, my ass. She’s got to have hacking skills that would make Google, Yahoo, and all the rest weep.”
“Or she’s in touch with Kip, which would be my guess,” his brother offered. “Look at her, guys. She doesn’t look like a criminal mastermind to me.”
She didn’t look that way to him either. In fact, she looked more subbie than anything else, which made his lust boil hot in his veins.
“Either way,” Cam said. “She’s going to pay.”
Ethel put on some glasses and read the papers in front of her.
Eric had never seen her wear them outside the courtroom. It made the grand lady judge look even more stately, if that was even possible.
“That’s our sweetheart,” Patrick whispered from a couple of rows behind.
“Ours indeed,” Sam, his brother, answered. The O’Leary brothers were both in their mid-eighties. Patrick and Sam were highly decorated vets. They’d both served in the Korean War, and between them they’d earned three Purple Hearts and two Congressional Medals of Honor, among other notable accolades.
“Order in the court.” Ethel pounded her gavel twice. “I will clear the courtroom if those in the gallery continue talking.”
She sent a harsh stare past Eric to where her husbands sat, but then followed it up with a cute little nod. Those three were so in love even after decades of being together. They were the A-list family in Destiny. Patrick, a retired physician, earned his first million in the mid-sixties in the import business. He and Sam, the current town shrink, pooled their resources in ’72 and built O’Leary Global. The two old corporate giants still ran the company and had been early advisors, though not investors, in TBK. Their knowledge had helped rocket the venture into the stratosphere. Eric and Scott had a long way to go to catch up with Patrick and Sam, whose company was currently valued at twenty-seven billion. TBK had only entered the billion-dollar club seven months ago, but if the new venture panned out, it would triple its profits in less than eighteen months, increasing the company’s worth by leaps and bounds.
Ethel’s voice brought him back to the present. “Mrs. Lunceford, have you brought the documents this court ordered for this hearing?”
“I have, Your Honor.” Megan stood, scooping up the folders into a single pile. “Whom do I give them to?”
“The bailiff will take them, young lady.” Ethel’s tone was softer than Eric had ever heard it when she was wearing the black robe, more like when she was serving pancakes to the morning crowd during Dragon Week. Not good. She was taking a shine to Megan Lunceford. That wasn’t good for TBK or for him.
Megan stood and handed the files to the bailiff, who then handed them to the judge.
“Miss, have you at least consulted an attorney for this case?”
The beauty turned to him. Eric got a clear view of her green eyes. The golden flecks made her look like some kind of gentle angelic creature. He could look at those eyes until the end of time.
