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My jaw sets before I answer. “I don’t know. Evidence from my home? I don’t drink. I don’t do anything untoward at home, so I don’t know—”
“So, they’re bluffing?” Joan meets my eyes.
“You’re my lawyer. It’s your job to find out, isn’t it?”I grimace. “Just name your price, Joan. I need this done. I can’t lose Ruby.” My scowl deepens as I look over at the Fishers.
The proceedings continue until the judge finally bangs her gavel and adjourns the pretrial. The Fishers walk briskly out of the courtroom. I straighten my black suit and hurry to catch up with them.
Joan rushes behind me to keep me from saying something I may regret, but I get to them in the hallway before she reaches me. A man with an ugly neck tattoo in an undersized suit bumped into me. I ignore him.
“Ellen, what game are you playing?” I raise my voice.
Ellen stops, removes her hat to reveal her graying hair, and then turns to me. “What do you think? I’m fighting tooth and nail to keep Ruby away from you.”
Jacob hangs beside her with an unlit cigar between his fingers. He glances at the revolving door at the end of the hallway like he can’t wait to be out so he can smoke his cigar. I stroll to them.
“You want to play it like that?” I smirk. “I can play it like that.”
“What are you talking about?” Ellen’s face tightens, her eyes narrowing.
“Visitations will be off for further notice,” I declare, sinking my hands into my pocket. “I won’t subject my daughter to a toxic, emotionally manipulative environment.”
“What?!” Ellen pushes her hat against Jacob, who grabs it. She comes closer to me, and I smell Jacob’s cigar on her. “You can’t keep our granddaughter from us! We have rights! I won’t let this stand, I swear—”
“You may want to lower your voice,” my smirk widens. You’re causing a scene.”
Ellen stops and looks around. The passing people quickly tear their eyes away from her and resume their strides. She takes a deep breath and rubs her face with both hands.
“Judging by the look on your lawyer’s face—” I point to Mr. Burns, who looks like he just sucked on a lemon, “—he knows I’m well within my rights to withdraw visitation. So, since you’ve decided to play hardball, I’m going to go ahead and do the same.”
“You’re going to regret this, you smug son of a bitch!” Ellen shouts at me. Jacob steps forward and grips her arm to stop her from lunging at me.
I smile at her without taking a step. My smile infuriates her more as she screams vulgarities at me, drawing the attention of some of the guards at the end of the hallway. They approach, and she finally calms down when she sees them.
“Let me go!” Ellen shrugs Jacob off, her eyes not leaving my face. “You’re going to regret this, Tristan.”
“Am I?” I glance behind toward Joan, who looks uncomfortable in her expensive suit. “I don’t think so.” I return my gaze to Ellen and shrug.
Ellen fixes her hat on her head, then turns away from me without a word. Jacob and Mr. Burns follow behind her.
“Ellen,” I say levelly.
She stops without turning. The two men behind her stop as well.
“The evidence you have,” I wet my lower lip. “It’s bullshit. You’re just stalling for time while you look for stuff on me.”
Ellen continues walking without giving me a response. I keep an eye on them till they enter the revolving door and disappear out of the door. Joan comes beside me.
“Do you think it’s a good idea to make them mad?” Joan mutters, her finger twisting her wedding ring.
“They already hate me,” I say, then walk down the hallway. I turn back to Joan. “Find out what they know, Joan. I can’t afford to be in the dark.” I resumed walking.
“Tristan!”
I stopped where Ellen stopped earlier.
“Do you trust the people around you?” Joan throws the question at me like a projectile.
A small wave over my head is all the response she gets as I resume walking. Do I trust the people around me? Do I trust Layla? Images of kissing her flash in my mind. Images of her defending me from the Fishers who are out to get me.
