Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Cassie
Splashing my face with water over a public bathroom sink isn’t going to cut it. I need a shower. A long one, where I can scrub my body clean. Not that it will wipe away the horrible feeling I have inside me. No amount of scouring my skin will wash that away.
The image of her crying is embedded in my gray matter, it will never go away. Every time I close my eyes I see her fighting it, so hard. I’m certain the inside of her cheek is raw from chewing it to stop herself, but she couldn’t stop a few rogue tears falling.
It should have been enough to make me falter, to call it to a stop. The line of questioning tore that poor woman apart. I had to go through with it and then sit there and watch as she pulled herself together, stood up with her head held high and walked out of that room as strongly as she could.
For one split second she looked at me, maybe thought there was some spark of decency within me but her face hardened against me. I’m the enemy in her eyes.
Being part of the reason she cried is tearing me up. My work doesn’t usually get to me this way. Taking depositions is one of the easiest parts of the job. This time, not so much, because I believe her.
Now it’s my turn to put on a show. To harden all my edges and sit through this meal with these so-called men. Celebrating and congratulating themselves on knocking her down, on destroying her when she is fighting so hard to be that rare person who stands up to the man who hurt her.
Being dragged along on this dinner with Vance and Harry, watching them behave this way is leaving an even worse taste in my mouth.
I’d seen the way her lawyer looked at me too. The judgment, the disdain. Wondering how the hell I can defend a man like him.
They told us today there are other women who are coming forward, which we should be worried about as his lawyers, but Vance says they have nothing.
And Harry is buying it. A fact he keeps reiterating as he sits at the exclusive restaurant in his expensive suit, with his stupid hair and his beautiful face hiding a fucking monster.
“You okay, honey?”
The voice startles me and I slap a hand over my chest.
“Oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” The woman walks to where I’m standing with a sympathetic look, she reaches for a paper towel and hands it to me so I can dry my face. “It’s always the beautiful, rich ones that hurt the most.”
I’m not so much confused as I am surprised to learn this woman has seen who I’m with and how I’ve reacted to him.
She’s jumped to the wrong conclusion, but I don’t have the energy to correct her.
It’s what Vance wants after all and he’s been edging closer to my seat the whole time we’ve been here.
Trying to ply me with alcohol which I’ve politely refused, drinking only water.
The woman looks to be in her mid-sixties, with elegant silver hair, immaculate make up and is wearing a designer dress that’s stunning on her petite figure.
I’m not used to women talking to me in bathrooms. They usually steer clear. And I don’t encourage anyone either.
“Whatever he did, remember we don’t need them if they aren’t making us happy.”
She gives me a kind smile as my chin wobbles. Oh dear God, am I going to cry? Is that all it takes, one stranger being kind to me, looking out for me. When I couldn’t spare Cara Dempsey even the tiniest modicum of grace today.
I let her cry and said nothing.
The woman mistakes my shame for something else and pats my shoulder. “You need help, say the word. I have a driver outside, we can escape in seconds.”
“Thank you,” I finally find my voice. “But I can handle him. And don’t worry,” I turn to look at my reflection. “He wishes he was getting anywhere near me. Ever.”
“I like your attitude honey. Just remember though,” she meets my eyes in the mirror. “Men can be slithering, venomous little assholes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
She slips into a cubicle, and I steel myself to go back out there. He won’t get to me. I was raised in a motorcycle club, I’ve dealt with idiot bikers my whole life and some not so idiotic. Some that are really…
Nope, we will not go there. No remembering what the goddamn president of an MC chapter did to me two nights ago. I refuse to think about how I’ve accidentally fallen into bed with two bikers, when I’ve been so determined to never let any of them touch me.
I can handle one venomous, slithering asshole. My lips twitch into a smirk at the description.
It falls from my face when I re-enter the restaurant and see Vance sitting alone at our table. Something tells me Harry hasn’t gone to the bathroom. This is what Vance has wanted all along. To get me alone.
Instead of getting worried, nervous or annoyed, I’m just tired. I contemplate making up an excuse to leave but I’ve never run away from any situation in my life. There is no way I’m letting this man change that.
Unfortunately we’re not at a regular table, this is a booth and Vance has slid around to the middle, no matter which side I get in, I’ll be nearer to him. Harry was a buffer until the coward left. It’s so fucking obvious he folded like a bad hand so Vance could get what he wants.
He doesn’t realize who he is messing with. Neither of them do.
“Harry had an emergency come up,” Vance says as I sit back down. “He gives his apologies for leaving mid-dinner.”
“That’s unfortunate, I hope everything is okay,” I say with very little feeling.
Vance watches me. There is something very unnerving about this guy, he’s not going to intimidate me. It’s obvious he is capable of creeping women out, his intensity could unnerve anyone, men too I’m sure.
“One of his daughters,” Vance replies and picks up his glass of wine. “It doesn’t mean that you and I can’t celebrate the win today.”
Right, the win. A woman leaving in tears, fear written in every move she makes, and an opposing lawyer staring at both of us in disgust. Not to mention a client I fully believe is guilty. Instead of verbalizing any of that, I smile.
“You don’t agree?” he asks.
“We haven’t won anything yet. Depositions help towards your case but we can’t control how a judge will interpret any of what we present. Until we have a ruling, celebrating now may be a bit premature.” I make sure to emphasize that last word.
Vance’s head tilts as he studies me. Maybe I’m being more transparent than I’d like, or maybe Vance is smarter than I’ve given him credit for. In this moment, I realize what a conniving, manipulative sociopath he really is. With one look.
“However, you’re right it did go in our favor,” I force out the words, my face more neutral but I maintain eye contact with the bastard.
He grins, his lips stretching grotesquely. I’m sure he believes its charming. It’s amazing how you can see all the little things differently when you figure out someone’s true nature.
We’re interrupted by the server arriving with our meal. Fortunately, I ordered a salad because I never had any intention of staying long.
“So, Cassie, is that short for anything?”
“No.” I pick up my cutlery.
“I knew a Cassandra once,” he muses, cutting his steak. “She was a really special woman.”
“Oh,” I give him a cursory look then focus on getting food on the fork, instead of stabbing him with it. The undertone is making bile burn my throat.
“She moved away suddenly though. Some overseas job offer. It’s a shame really, we were getting on really well. Her friends called her Cass, but I much preferred Cassandra, it rolls off the tongue better.”
What do I say to this shit? Does he think he’s charming me?
“Well, my parents chose Cassie.”
“What do your parents do?” He pops the steak in his mouth and chews slowly.
Is it possible someone eating can make you want to throw up? “My mother is an accountant. My father is in security.”
That’s the party line. Though I’d love to tell him my dad beats and tortures assholes like him regularly.
It’s club business that, as their lawyer, I would never share outside of the MC.
He asks if I have any other family and I lie about being an only child.
I’ve gone to great lengths to hide my family.
The way he’s looking at me, I start to think he knows more. Harry knows where I come from and who I work for. Fucking prick, if that shit heel has told this guy my backstory, I’m going to lose my shit.
“What about you?” I ask. “Where are your family?”
His smirk is so fake it’s clear he knows. He chooses not to follow the line of questioning. “I was an only child and an orphan.”
“That’s terrible, sorry to hear that.”
“I made something of myself despite that upbringing. It made me stronger, made me the man I am today.”
Enough of the getting to know you bullshit. I’m not sharing anything else about my personal life with this freak.
“We should talk about next steps, that is what we are here for, after all.”
“Today has been so draining, listening to all those lies being told about me. I’d rather not discuss the case anymore.”
“It’s important to be prepared though, don’t you agree. If you want the best defense, then we should make sure you’re fully up to speed with the process.”
His eyes bore into me as I take a few more bites, needing to finish this food.
“You’re very passionate about your work, aren’t you Cassie?”
“It’s my livelihood. A role I enjoy, so yes I do strive to be the best I can be.”
“And that means you never switch off? Never have fun?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“So what do you do for fun, Cassie?”
Definitely not this. His voice is making my skin crawl. Does he really need to keep saying my name? It’s classic egotistical, controlling behavior. The more he stares at me, the more I believe Cara, and all the other women the lawyer was talking about earlier.
Him getting away with this and doing it to someone else is what really makes me snap.
“I’m too busy for fun.”
“Well you know that saying.”