16 #2
“So you heard something and didn’t know how to make sure it reached my ears,” I said for the court clerk. “And your idea was to bother the shop owner of the place I like?”
“Well, it worked, Your Majesty,” she defended quietly.
I snorted. “You have me there.” I gave the shop owner a look. “This is why I was worried. The next one could be your death. People will use you and—”
“Maybe, but the choice was mine, and I stand by it after what she told me,” she defended, but then winced. “I keep forgetting I can’t interrupt you. I get nervous.”
“I hear I’m scary,” I said with a smile before focusing on the court clerk. “What did you hear? And are you supposed to know it?”
“No.” She swallowed loudly and looked scared. “No, I’m not, and it was an accident that I did. No one knows that I do, and I—please, I don’t want to be involved. I’m not brave.”
“Oh, darling, child, you are so brave,” Belinda praised. “You are here and you know the risk. You are brave. You are just not a fighter and that’s okay. But never say you aren’t brave again.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Maple added. “You did well. Unload this burden and we’ll handle the rest. We’ll make sure your bravery is—we’ll finish what you started.”
She blinked back tears and looked at Maple with awe like she understood exactly what the woman was feeling. “The judge is going to throw out Kole Conley’s plea deal and turn it into some joke of a slap on the wrist. I heard him on the phone talking with—I think it was the Alpha—not the acting one.”
“Vex?” I checked. “Kole’s father?”
“I think so. I’m not sure. I only heard the judge’s side, but it sounded like it from what I heard,” she answered.
“He came into the filing room and had no idea I was there. I couldn’t believe how—how can you be so brazen to flaunt you’re not going to remotely follow the law to stick it to you and not even take that call in your office? ”
That seemed like a wild thing for her to focus on, but when facing something insane… The mind could lock onto something random and just stay there.
I knew that feeling well.
“Did you hear any specifics?” I asked, instead of focusing on where her mind was.
“Not about what he was planning on ruling that was a fair punishment,” she answered.
“Only that he would make it clear that the prosecutor went too far with the demands at your request and he should have more integrity than cowering to whatever you want. That the court system wasn’t for petty grievances between ex-lovers, and just because you were cheated on doesn’t mean a bright future should be ruined.
“You needed to grow up to be our leader especially after saying you could handle so much and throwing out the elders. It was an unhinged rant, Your Majesty. I’ve always hated him—most of us do, not just the women—but I’ve never heard him be so gleeful.
It was creepy like he’s been waiting for this chance. ”
“Monsters normally do,” Fraser complained and did a double take at whatever was on my face. Obviously, I knew he wasn’t remotely referring to me, but… That word would be sensitive to me for a while.
Probably forever given my own parents thought I was a monster.
“And he knew you wouldn’t leave his ruling alone since he was sure the next level of court wouldn’t go against him. That’s not how it normally works in these matters, so you would have to get involved as the queen, and he—he’s setting a trap that you’re not as honorable as you say.”
I snorted. “By being completely corrupt and…” I swallowed the rest of what I wanted to say. I smiled at her. “Thank you. I’ll figure out what to do and handle it.”
“The hearing to finalize the plea deal is tomorrow,” she worried. “How can you handle it by then?”
“I think it’s best you do not know that,” Fraser chuckled and I agreed.
I really did.
We thanked them and I warned the shop owner not to get involved again. She nodded along, but it was clear that she would if it could help me. Maybe Thovudin, but it was more about me.
What a sweet fool. She could get hurt.
“Right, and people aren’t always calling for your head?” Iris mocked in my head.
Fair enough.
“Up for some fun tonight?” I asked Fraser, not bothering to wait for the answer before glancing at Myriam… Which made Fraser burst out laughing.
Glad we could have some fun in this kind of crazy. I was actually impressed with us that we could.
“I’ll find where the judge will be,” Myriam told me looking tired.
“No need. I have someone tapped in with people now,” Belinda told us, smirking when it was clear that we would all want details about that.
I just knew better than to bother asking. Really, I did.
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll be the diversion and make up something where you should both be with me?” Maple… Offered. It seemed like an offer. She glanced between all of us. “Is that what I should be doing when you go to the fights too?”
“I was sneaking in and out just fine,” I said easily, ignoring the death look Benson gave me. “Even after someone said he was going to plug all the holes to catch me and make me confess—”
“Yeah, got it, I’m an asshole. I know. And one you want to fire too. I get it,” he snapped and stormed out of there before I could reply.
“He knows that’s another reason to get fired, right?” Myriam drawled, snorting when the rest of us did.
I went about my day and then Maple came through and had a whole thing arranged. We were going out to restaurant with a private dining room that had an easy way to slip out.
Horrible security issue, but awesome for what we needed and clearly one she’d used before.
“I’m making note of this place,” Myriam said, understanding it was why Maple knew of it. “Have fun.”
Yeah, sure, fun.
Benson was waiting with a different vehicle and my favorite guard, Lydia, who was clearly read in. She was all in and understood that this was off books and what was best for Thovudin. She cracked a few jokes about being the coolest getaway driver since she would drop us off and pick us back up.
Nothing would get us caught faster than walking to and from where we parked or an SUV with the royal plates was spotted there.
Luckily, the judge wasn’t still at the courthouse because that would have been a nightmare to sneak into. Even with Belinda’s magic—the security was amazing there for a reason.
I actually laughed when I realized where we were, leaning against Belinda who evidently had been hiding this gem.
“What am I missing?” Fraser asked.
“I fight here all the fucking time,” I gasped before laughing again.
Yeah, the honorable judge was at one of the illegal fighting and gambling dens. That apparently Belinda now owned.
My life was so fucking insane that I needed a new word besides crazy even.
The judge was a bit too into cards and had even hit a run of bad luck, so he didn’t think anything about it when he was brought to a separate room from where everyone else was. To say his demeanor changed when I walked in was an understatement.
I simply smirked at him. “So, here’s how it’s going to go. You’re retiring or you will be retired.”
And then I pointedly looked at Fraser to make it clear I wouldn’t just sign the judge’s retirement papers.
Not by a long shot.