Final Verdict (Final Verdict #1)

JAMESON

Every lawyer is a liar disguised in a smile and a threatening three-piece suit—a human snake that’s willing to swallow the worst client’s case for the right price.

What’s left of their tortured hearts is tucked deep in their pockets, all because the pain of living from verdict to verdict is far too much to keep in their chests.

Contrary to what we’re taught in law school, the courtroom is not a place to fight for justice; it’s a stage where the jury is the ultimate audience, and the best actor wins.

Unfortunately, I have yet to receive all the awards and accolades I deserve, but my undefeated record speaks for itself.

It’s only during moments like today, for cases like this, that I wonder if my A-list acting can overcome how much the jury despises my definitely guilty client…

“Spit out the gum,” I say to her. “And don’t roll your eyes when the judge reads the verdict.”

“It’s not gum.” She sticks out a tongue full of crushed red candy. “These are cherry Pop Rocks.”

“Spit them out. Now.”

“Okay.” She winks and bends down under our table, staring into my eyes as she drools into the trash can. Just like she drooled over an undercover police officer’s cock in exchange for drugs—the very incident that brought us here.

“There.” She licks her lips as she sits up. “Happy, Mr. Tate?”

I hope he locks your ass up for life.

“All rise for the jury!” the bailiff announces.

I stand to my feet and watch their faces, trying to see which way they voted, but their faces are stoic as stone.

“Has the jury reached a verdict?” the judge asks.

“Yes, Your Honor, we have,” the foreperson says.

The judge motions for the bailiff to retrieve the form, and out of the corner of my eye I catch one of the jurors—a brunette woman in the back—shaking her head at my client.

Dammit.

“On the first count of solicitation of prostitution,” the judge reads, “this jury finds the defendant, Clarissa Ridgeland, not guilty.”

Miss Ridgeland squeezes my hand.

“On the second count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance—the jury finds this defendant not guilty.”

Stunned, I slowly nod as he rattles off his appreciation for everyone. Then—as usual—I wait for someone to finally walk through the side doors to hand me an Oscar.

It never comes.

“Court is adjourned.” The judge bangs his gavel, and my client doesn’t even say thank you. She rushes out of the room at the speed of light.

You’re welcome…

Sighing, I slide my notes into a briefcase and slam it shut.

As I’m turning around to leave, I find myself staring right into the glaring eyes of the state prosecutor.

“Well, hello, Julia,” I say. “Tough loss for you today. No hard feelings.”

“Feelings?” She scoffs. “I’m shocked you even know what those are, Jameson.”

“Me too.” I smile. “I’ve read about them a lot, though.”

“Okay, seriously.” She shakes her head. “How the hell do you sleep at night?”

“I turn off the lights and occasionally put on some rain sounds. Would you like a link to my playlist?”

“I would like you to get fucked.”

“I don’t need any help in that department.”

“I mean, get ‘fucked over’—as in ruined.” She glares at me. “Your client was guilty as sin, and everyone in this courtroom knew it.”

“Everyone except the jury, apparently…”

“They gave the wrong verdict this time.” She stabs a finger against my chest, enunciating every syllable. “Protecting the guilty will come back to haunt you when you least expect it, Jameson. Trust me.”

“I wouldn’t trust you to help me walk across the street.”

“Sooner or later, the devil will come to address the debt you owe him.”

“Do you know if he’ll be paying via cash or check?”

Her face reddens and she lets out an unsteady breath. Then, as if she knows she’ll never—ever—win a war of words with me, her lips curve into an uneven smile.

“Until we meet again, Mr. Jameson,” she says.

Until you lose again, you mean.

I hold back my thoughts and push open the gate for her.

“Have a good night, Miss Bantam.”

She stomps past the pews and out of my sight.

I take one last look around at the empty courtroom, waiting to feel a morsel of regret for tampering with Lady Justice’s scales for a win today, but nothing comes.

The system fucking owes me…

Swinging my briefcase over the gate, I walk past the pews and step into the hallway.

“That prosecutor lady is right, you know?” Clarissa Ridgeland suddenly stands up from a bench. “I heard everything she said to you.”

“I was hoping you’d disappeared somewhere I’d never have to see you again,” I say. “Please go enjoy your freedom.”

“You blatantly lied to that jury.”

“No, I gently stretched the truth.”

“Gently?” She snorts. “I wish you would’ve told them the truth about my past instead of that ‘honor student gone astray’ nonsense you made up.”

“My apologies, Miss Ridgeland,” I say. “Cocaine lover who’s made a decade’s worth of terrible life choices didn’t have that good of a ring to it.”

“I love heroin, not coke.”

“Don’t admit that to anyone else.” I roll my eyes. “I just saved you from serving eight years in prison, so you shouldn’t be complaining about anything. You’re welcome.”

“Yes, well…” She steps closer. “Thanking you is what I wanted to talk to you about.”

I arch a brow.

“I can’t afford to pay the final three thousand on your invoice, so?—”

“Set up a payment plan,” I say. “That’s it.”

“I can’t afford that either.” She lowers her voice. “Since you clearly don’t have any morals, I can pay you with a night you won’t forget…”

I give her a blank stare.

“There are things I can do with my mouth that’ll blow you away.” She bites her lip. “Want to know the details?”

“Not really.”

“I think that’s a yes.”

“The word ‘not’ is literally ‘no’ with an added ‘t.’”

“I would make you sit down in your favorite office chair,” she says, continuing anyway, “unzip your pants and pull out your cock, rubbing it between my hands until it was rock hard for me.”

“Do you have a hearing problem?”

“I’d lick your tip until you moaned, until you looked into my eyes, and then I’d swallow all six inches of you down my throat.”

“It’d be nine, but it’s still a no. Thank you.”

“When I felt you throbbing between my lips, I’d let you finish on my face so you could leave it dripping wet with cum.” She presses her hand against my cheek. “You’d probably like that.”

“I like people who understand what the word ‘no’ means.”

“Depending on if you were up to it afterwards...” She bats her fake eyelashes. “I might let you fuck me for free. How does that sound for payment, Mr. Tate?”

“I’ll zero out your invoice.” I push her hand away. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Oh, I see how it is.” She looks offended. “You think I’m not good enough to have sex with you.”

“No.” I look at my watch. “I’m too good to have sex with you…”

“Excuse me?”

“Miss Ridgeland, even if I did sleep with clients—and I don’t—if I fucked you once, you’d get addicted and want it all the time, and then I’d have to charge you for taking up my time that’s better spent on legal cases.”

“You can’t honestly believe that.”

“It’s the truth.” I start walking. “But just so you know, next time you want to proposition someone like me for sex, lead with the pussy offer first. Given the fact that you struggle to breathe, a blowjob from you isn’t that good of a deal.”

“What?” Her face pales and she sucks in a breath. “I’m reporting you to the bar, Mr. Tate. You won’t get away with talking to me like that!”

Watch me…