Bishop (Sin City MC New Orleans Chapter)

1. Emmy Landry

EMMY LANDRY

S ix months ago…

It hurt to breathe. Everything hurt so badly on my broken and bruised body.

I’d done it, though.

I’d escaped.

Wind was rushing over my body as I ran through the forest, with only the moonlight to guide me. Chills were making their way down my spine, like alcohol being eaten up by a flame.

“Ungh!” I landed with a thump, falling face forward.

Looking back, I saw that my foot had been caught by a stomp sticking out of the ground.

“Emmy, you gotta get yourself up girl,” I whispered, not daring to be much louder.

If he caught me, he’d drag me back to that hell.

I wondered briefly if anyone was even looking for me.

How long have you been missing?

The thought rolled through my mind but I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure if it’d been weeks, or…

Months?

My thoughts tumbled as I worked to free myself. Something low whistled in the darkness.

Was it him?

Sweat broke out over my body and I stilled in my movements.

“Emmy, you can’t stay out here,” I whispered again.

My body was saying otherwise, ready to give out on me. I wanted to stay in that field forever, and rest.

So tired…

Taking just one more moment, I freed myself and peeked around spotting nothing.

Satisfied, I eased up and started running again.

Where I was running to? I had no idea, no real sense of directions.

I just needed to get the hell out of here. I needed to get to safety.

I needed to get to the police.

A horn honked from behind me and brought me out of the memory. I zoomed away from the spot I’d been stuck in. My breathing had sped up rapidly but began to slow as I approached the French Quarter of New Orleans.

This was my brand-new start.

Kind of…

I was back home in New Orleans. I’d spent more time here than any other place in the world, though and considered it home.

My mom had brought me and my sisters and two brothers back here when I was around fourteen. We’d been crammed inside of my grandmother’s little house like sardines in a can but I mostly looked back on it with a certain fondness.

Finding a park spot, I turned the car off and reached over to grab the black Coach bag. Pulling it into my lap, my fingers moved over the worn leather. It was soft to the touch, with a few scratches here and there. I’d bought the bag after my first big legal win a few years ago.

My cellphone dinged inside the bag, and I pulled it out.

The screen was illuminated with a text message from my mother, whom everyone called Mama Kay.

Emerald, just wanted to wish you good luck today. So happy you’re home. Love you.

I was about to type a message back but decided I'd reach out around lunch. The clock on the screen was already glaring at me. Warning me that I was about to be late. Tucking the phone away, I pulled down the visor of the car and stared at my reflection. My edges were already threatening to pucker up from the humidity of New Orleans.

I still didn’t know how I was going to deal with this heat but after my experience in California, I was going to have to make it happen.

I pulled out some Chapstick and ran it over my lips, I tucked my freshly blown out bob behind my ears and exited the car.

Throwing the strap of the bag over my shoulder, I headed towards the front of the building. Florrick and Heart Law offices were one of the best law firms to work at and I’d had an inside track to getting a position.

My finger pulled on the brass handle and entered the lobby. I was hit in the face with a gust of cold wind.

“Air-conditioning,” I murmured out loud.

Approaching the desk, I mustered up some confidence before speaking to the secretary. He was nice enough and gave me the welcoming packet for the new hires right away.

New hire orientation was sure to start at any moment and I took a seat with a few other people who didn’t even make eye contact, except for one.

She was a tall leggy blonde. “You look familiar.”

The words tumbled out of her mouth.

Looking around, I realized she was talking to me. “Huh?”

“Yeah, you look familiar. I’m sure I know you from somewhere.”

Shaking my head, I fixed my hair again. “I don’t think so.”

She leaned forward, pensively staring as if she were drinking in my features like a Coca-Cola.

“I just moved back,” I shrugged, adjusting the collar of the flowery printed shirt I’d purchased for today.

Jesus, I thought as she began to tap her lip.

“I’m sure I do,” she smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Luckily, I was saved by the bell and a paralegal came to gather us all. She began to give us a tour of the building showing us all the usual spots. It was still early and a lot of people weren’t in the building just yet.

Then I saw him. Will Florrick. Our eyes locked, and he mouthed that he’d come by later. I nodded, smiling brightly, my heart giving a few extra beats and my palms starting to sweat.

We’d met at Duke Law School , where he’d been one year ahead of me. We’d kept in touch over the years and then I’d found out he’d moved here and settled down.

He has a wife, I reminded myself.

“Alright, Emerald,” the paralegal said.

“Emmy,” I offered up.

“Huh?” Confusion clouded her face and I found everyone turning to stare at me.

Taking a deep breath. “I go by, Emmy.”

“Oh…well, this is your office. You’ll find everything on your desk including your first case file.” She pointed to the door that had my first initial and last name on it. The small crowd of first year associates moved on without me but a few steps ahead. Letting my mind wander, and not paying attention, I entered my brand-new office.

The entire space was bland and there was no decoration in sight. A single couch was pushed up against one of the walls. A laptop with dual monitors sat on the heavy oak desk, along with keys to my office and the case file the paralegal had mentioned.

Taking a seat in the cushy chair, I picked up the file. It was a standard yellow tinted office folder with a name on the tab.

“Hey neighbor,” a knock came on my door.

Glancing up, I noticed it was the associate from the lobby and put the file down.

“I’m just across the way,” she jerked her thumb towards the other side of the office.

“Umm, hey,” I nodded.

“You know,” she finally strolled in and I began to get a read on her. “I’m still trying to place you.”

I sighed. “Again, I’m not sure we know each other. Where did you go to law school?”

Her lips that were covered in bright red lipstick carved up into a smile as she gave a toss of her blond hair. “Yale, and you?”

Taking a breath, I didn’t return the smile. “Duke. So, I guess that settles that.”

She tapped her lip in thoughtfulness. “No, that’s not it. Wait…I got it…”

It was as if a lightbulb had gone off inside her head.

“You got what?”

“I know where I know you from…you’re that lawyer that got kidnapped by the guy in California.”

How in the fuck, I thought.

Her face turned sympathetic. “They were talking about it on the news this morning.”

I stood up, the chair nearly flying back against the wall. “What and why?”

“He died…the guy, Walter Wallace…. there was a prison riot.”

Relief flooded through my body and the associate whose name I still didn't know began to sashay back towards the door.

“Nice office by the way,” she said with a hint of attitude.

That bitch was going to be a little bit of a problem but it was nothing that I couldn’t handle. Sitting back down, I realized that my hands had started to shake. I took several breaths as my eyes watched them move of their own accord

“Just focus,” I whispered to myself. “He’s dead.”

Picking up the file, I finally flipped it open and came face to face with a mugshot of the man I was going to be helping.

His brown eyes stared back at me from the mugshot.

Holy fuck, the thought tumbled around.

I knew him.

He’d been an asshole to me in high school.

Really a sort of bully…

Zane Bishop had been locked up in county jail for over twenty-four hours, and I was due in court in less than….

“Fuck!”

I was gathering up all my belongings and speeding to the elevator, nearly knocking down a few people.

I rapidly and repeatedly tapped the down button before the elevator arrived. My ass had twenty minutes to make it to the courthouse and represent him.

What a first fucking day it’d already been, and it wasn’t even noon.