30. Noah
Noah
I 've always fucking hated lawyers' offices.
Lawyers in general too.
I mean, what kind of lawyer puts his clients' thirteen year-old on the stand to defend the parents who neglected and beat him?
They were counting on my testimony for the drug charges.
Thought it would look good if a scrawny kid begged the judge to not put his mommy and daddies in jail.
You would think out of three dads, one of them might have protected me.
But nope. To them, time spent sober wasn't time worth spending.
Who cares about basic necessities, like food and water?
Not my parents. I snuck water from the neighbors garden hose for two days before the bastards ran out of the bottled water they hoarded like it was gold, and then they called the city to turn the water back on.
My hand is tight in Hannah's as we walk through the lobby of the bastard's office building. Herman & Sons. What the fuck kind of last name is Herman ? What, and then you plaster it all over your building like you're proud to have a name that sounds like you collect fucking stamps?
A shiver runs through me when we pass the front desk, and Hannah looks up at me. "You okay?"
"Yeah, princess. I'm good," I lie through my teeth. I'm her alpha. I'm supposed to be strong for her. Her support. Not needing her to coddle me because I'm currently reliving the trial that was the worst week of my life.
Even if it ended up giving me my freedom.
Sure, I played along with my parent's lawyers.
Rehearsed the words they wanted me to say, made them think I was their salvation, when in reality, I would be the final step of their damnation.
They put me up on that stand, and I told the judge and jury e verything.
How we wouldn't have money for food because they spent it all on drugs.
How we had fucking rats living in our furniture, and they wouldn't let me call anyone for help.
How I was beaten within an inch of my life by my most temperamental father, Jonah Barnes, if I told them I was leaving.
Every. Single. Detail.
Parents went to jail, and no court would grant a thirteen-year-old emancipation, so after bouncing around a few homes, off to Georgia Falls, South Carolina I went.
I'm not sure what kind of higher powers exist in the world, but I thank them every day for Angie and Darryl Sullivan.
When I asked her what made them decide to open up their home to an unruly foster kid, she told me that they had Austin when they were still young.
She was twenty when he was born, and by the time she realized she only had a few child-bearing years left, they weren't successful.
Then she thought, it might be a blessing because if they got pregnant at that point, there would have been a fourteen year age difference between Austin and the new baby.
When they applied to be foster parents, they indicated they'd take any age, and then they got me.
I'm brought out of my thoughts by the approach of another alpha. He doesn't look as sleazy as the lawyers I've dealt with in the past, but then I realize I recognize him. "Brody Sheffield," I say, reaching my hand out to shake his. This is the lawyer Cady set Hannah up with?
"Benson," both Hannah and Brody correct me at the same time, causing me to smirk.
"He's not a part of their pack anymore," Hannah says quickly. My alpha gets a little pissy that she's defending another alpha to me, but I don't let it show, because that's ridiculous. Of course she's going to defend the lawyer that will help her win this case.
"Seeing as he's not in jail, I'd have to agree," I tighten my grip on his fingers a fraction as I shake his hand, "Noah Jameson. I work for Titus Mendez. I'm actually the one who got the proof needed to send your pack to jail."
No, I don't know why I say it, other than the fact I feel the need to test his loyalties.
But…what if I just pissed him off? Shit, with my luck he might just tank Hannah's case to spite me.
Instead, he shocks the hell out of me by laughing .
"Oh, shit, no way?" Then he fucking takes his free hand pats the top of our joined hands like we're friends.
"Good. They were…" he lets out a breath and shakes his head, "they were a danger to society at the end there.
I mean…yeah. They really deserved everything they got. "
Okay, he might be alright.
"Good to see you again, Hannah." Brody turns to my omega. "They're already set up in the conference room. Are you ready?"
Hannah lets out a sigh, pushing her shoulder back. "As ready as I'm going to be, I guess."
I wrap an arm around her shoulders, and we follow Brody into the conference room, where there are six people waiting for us.
"Gentleman," Brody nods, going straight for the empty chair at the clear side of the table.
"My client, Hannah Beckham." I see the moment Hannah's eyes meet her stepsisters'.
I can immediately tell which one is Cat, too.
Bleach blond hair, heavy face of makeup, sneer that could peel paint off a car.
To her left is an alpha with an honest-to-gods spray tan.
His hair is pushed back in a little bouffant, and his damn collar on his polo shirt is popped.
Fucking hell.
To Cat's right is a more subdued looking omega, I'm assuming Rue, with a blonde color a little less harsh, but she's still heavily made up like she's going to a photoshoot and not suing her step-sister for her grandmother's fortune.
On Rue's other side is a slimy looking asshole with his shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest, showing his rug of chest-hair.
"Oh look, it's Anna," Cat sneers.
I don't have a chance to say anything before Hannah snarks back. "Cat, if you can't remember my name after twenty years, that seems to be more of an indication of your mental capacity than a reflection on me."
Cat's jaw drops as she turns to her alpha. "Did she just call me stupid?"
The mediator speaks, sounding bored. "Counsel, please get your clients under control."
I grit my teeth. I fucking hate lawyers' offices.
Twenty minutes later, they're still talking in circles, "I've told you, my client will not be settling. The will is clear in it's terms, Hannah Beckham is the majority recipient of Sylvie Pearson's estate, and Rue, Cat, and Birdie Pearson are the recipients of one dollar each—"
"Stop fucking calling me that!" The voice on the speakerphone snaps, and the mediator responds in his same bored voice.
"The legal counsel will continue to refer to you as the name outlined in the will, unless you're saying you're not Birdie Pearson, in which case you will forfeit any inheritance."
"Fine." Birdie snaps. I don't really blame her for hating the name. What kind of parents give their kids all animal nicknames? I mean, my parents were abusive drug addicts, but at least they didn't name me so they could give me an animal nickname like…lemur or something.
Lemur Jameson.
"My clients are willing to settle and leave Ms. Beckham with five percent of the estate if she concedes the rest." The Herman lawyer says in a nasally voice.
Fucking stamp licker.
Suddenly, Brody stands, motioning for us to as well.
"I think we're done here. We've tried our best to make you understand that Ms. Beckham will not be giving a single dime to her step-sisters in order to preserve her grandmother's last wish, but you seem to be unable to accept it. We'll see you in court."
A feeling of relief fills me as we start to follow him out of the room, but Cat's screaming has me turning back. "She wasn't even your grandma, you selfish bitch!"
Hannah stiffens, but I keep my hand on her lower back. "She'll get what's coming to her. Let's just go." Woah. Things must be really bad if I'm the one keeping a cool head here.
The mediator's voice is cut off by the closing door. "Counsel, please keep your client under control—"
"I told you, ice cream makes everything better," I tell Hannah, watching her carefully as she stabs her scoop of ice cream with a spoon.
She seems more inclined to murder the frozen dessert than eat it at this point.
It may only be eleven in the morning and we haven't had lunch yet, but nobody can accuse me of not taking care of our omega's emotional needs.
We're sat outside Doctor Frosty's Ice Cream Parlor. My girl needed a serious pick-me-up after the disaster that was the 'mediation'.
"I don't think I'm the only one that needed the ice cream,"she points an accusing spoonful of ice cream at me before licking it off, drawing my attention to her fucking sinful lips, "you seemed kind of off when we went into the office."
Unfortunately, that's one of the few subjects that can distract me from ogling my omega.
She continues, her tone gentling. "I know there's…something…things…that happened when you were younger, but Austin was very respectful of your right to tell me when you're ready." She huffs out a breath. "I just mean…when you're ready, I'm here. If you want to talk about it."
"There's not much to talk about," I shrug, "but I can tell you about it. I mean, you should probably know."
Her brow furrows. "Noah, if you don't want to—"
"Oh, I never want to talk about it, princess." I let out a bitter laugh before grabbing her hand across the table and my tone softens. "But I do want you to know."
She nods, giving me this look like she's staring at a lonely puppy at the animal shelter.