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I look back at Gia, who smiles encouragingly. I wanted her to sit with me, but Jett thinks it’ll cause a distraction.
“Ms. Bernard, please call your witness.”
I puff out some air. My stomach lurches. This is it—this is fucking it.
“Thank you, Your Honor. The prosecution calls Ms. Daniella Lana Sokolov.” The door opens, and a waifish, almost ethereal-looking woman walks up to the stand. She’s petite with long dark hair and red lips. Her cheeks are pale, but she’s quite stunning. I look over at Eve who is frowning at her. And I almost smile. If you want loyalty, get Eve on your side.
“Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?” The court clerk finishes swearing her in, and she steps up to the witness stand. She smiles at the judge, who smiles kindly back at her.
Jett leans over to say something to Rodney, as Ryder simply stares at her. She clears her throat and straightens her plain black skirt.
Ms. Bernard, the prosecutor whom the FBI apparently brought in, is good. Not as good as Jett Powers, but good.
She smiles at the jury, then focuses on her witness. “Good morning, Ms. Sokolov.”
“Good morning.” Daniella looks at her, then looks over at Ryder, and Eve takes my hand again.
“I know none of us like to remember things that are so terrible that it’s hard to imagine that a human being can actually commit such atrocities, but unfortunately they do, and you have been witness to not just one, but three cold-blooded murders.” She pauses as if she’s waiting for Jett to object, but all he does is lean back and listen.
“I was.” She nods.
“Your Honor, I’d like to show the witness three pictures of the deceased before Mr. Leo DeLucca brutally—”
“Objection.” Jett stands. His whole vibe is as if this is all so absurd, he can barely believe she would show the witness anything.
“Objection sustained. Watch it, Ms. Bernard. It’s a little early for that kind of behavior.” The judge takes a sip of his coffee and nods for her to continue.
“May I at least show the witness the pictures of the deceased, so as to make sure these were the men she saw murdered?” She looks at the judge.
“I will allow it.”
“Your Honor, I’d like to see those pictures, just to confirm ours are the same.” Jett holds up his pictures. Ms. Bernard smiles sweetly and walks over to him. Jett looks at them and nods.
“Now, Ms. Sokolov, are these the men you saw murdered that day?”
Daniella takes the pictures, her hands slightly shaking as her face turns paler, if that’s possible. It’s clear seeing these men upsets her.
“Yes,” she snaps and hands them back to the prosecutor as if they have poison on them. So much so that Ms. Bernard frowns.
“Do you need some water, Ms. Sokolov?”
Daniella shakes her head and says, “No.”
“Something’s wrong,” Eve whispers. “Holy fuck, she played them.” She stares at Daniella as her nails dig into my hand.
“How can you tell?” I whisper, wanting to tell her to let go, but my heart is racing, and my face is flushed, so who cares if she draws a little blood.
“Because I’m an expert at lying. And even better at conning people.” She says this almost breathily. Blade looks down at her and grins as if he thinks she’s the most amazing thing to walk the planet.
“Again, I know this is painful.” Ms. Bernard’s voice directs my attention back to her.
“But our job, your job, is to remove people who have zero remorse. Get them off the street. They can’t walk among us. You need to put them away so they can no longer be a threat to society.” She walks to the jury, looking at them.
She’s definitely stepped it up a notch. The jury seems enthralled with her dramatics today.
“Ms. Sokolov? Do you see the person who killed these three men sitting in this courtroom today?” She motions to Ryder.
“I’m going to puke,” I lean over and whisper to Eve. She holds up her hand, a small smile on her face, as we both watch Daniella look at Ryder.
“Ms. Sokolov? Is that person sitting in this courtroom?” Ms. Bernard walks toward her.
Daniella speaks loud and clear. “No. I’ve never seen that man before in my life.” She motions to Ryder with her head.
Black dots dance before my eyes. I try to blink them away and breathe. The courtroom explodes with talking. The judge pounds his gavel as Jett frantically talks with Ryder, who sits calmly while the world implodes around him.
“Order,” the judge yells. “I will not say it again.”
Eve leans back and smirks up at Blade, who laughs and kisses the top of her head. “You’re amazing, my queen.”
“I hate to say I told you so, but…”
“You love to say you told me so.” He grins.
