by Krysta Scott
“There are worse things a person could be.”
“Like what?” His expression remained civil, but coldness crept into his voice. He crossed his arms, and a small green gemstone on his finger winked at her. Her focus shifted to his ring. She knew the pattern instantly. It matched the amulet in her purse. A cold shiver passed through her. He’s one of them. She looked him straight in the eye, hoping to gain some insight as to why his people were all of a sudden knocking on her back doorstep.
“Like the parents of a son who has a propensity for beating his wife senseless and abusing his daughter, that’s what.”
For an instant, his eyes turned into small, icy slits. Then he recovered, and his face went blank. “Have it your way. You need to be aware that I know Judge Abernathy.”
“So do a lot of people. So, unless you’re suggesting I file a motion to disqualify you from this case, I would chuck the bravado.”
“Bravado, huh?” His lips curved in an inviting smile. “I’m not suggesting anything.”
“I didn’t think so,” she said through clenched teeth. There was no way she would be taken in by his glib charm. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed in court.” She whirled and strode over to the receptionist without giving him a chance to respond. The receptionist buzzed her in, and she breezed through the door, leaving Garrett Nightshade on the other side.
A modicum of guilty pleasure swept through her when the door promptly closed on his shocked face.
She pulled the amulet from her purse. The disquiet she’d felt earlier returned as she studied the necklace.
What the hell was going on?
Chapter Three
Garrett cracked his knuckles and stepped off the elevator onto the family court floor. It had been a mistake to sneak up on Nikki Angelus, but he’d been so sure she would succumb to his charm. She should have been an easy mark. After all, a Guardian Ad Litem was nothing more than a social worker in attorney’s clothing. Nikki had thrown him with her intelligence and sure-footedness. Not to mention her out-and-out sex appeal. He wouldn’t let that happen again. For now, he needed to do a little extra reconnaissance.
With steady purpose, he approached Judge Abernathy’s chambers and pulled open the door. The bailiff looked up from her desk, a large smile spreading across her face. She was semi-attractive, with blue eyes accented by silver-framed glasses. Fluorescent lights from above highlighted the shine in her blonde hair.
“Good morning, Mr. Nightshade. What can I do for you?”
He pulled his suit jacket straight, attempting to take solace that at least the bailiff was receptive to his charms. But it did nothing to ease his bruised ego. Her pleasant expression held none of the fire Nikki Angelus had. Strange after that one short meeting he reeled with self-doubt he’d never before experienced. He considered her words. The Hanovers did raise an abuser. But it didn’t necessarily follow they weren’t good parents. Bad seeds cropped up out of nowhere. He groaned. Nikki Angelus be damned. He knew the best course of action. It was only a matter of time before he swayed Nikki’s opinion to be more in sync with his. Until then, there were more practical ways to get what he wanted.
Garrett sat on the edge of the bailiff’s desk and leaned in, making her blush. “Hi, Judy, is the judge available?”
Judy’s smile never wavered, but a hint of sadness shadowed her face. “I’m sorry, Mr. Nightshade, but the judge won’t be in today. He had to take the day off for personal reasons.”
“Really?” Garrett frowned. Although he was aware Judge Abernathy had recently separated from his wife, he was under the impression the judge had his personal issues under control. Apparently, he’d been mistaken on that count, just as he’d been with Nikki Angelus. An odd sort of apprehension filled him. He’d never been so off his game before. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
If his response sounded insincere to him, he was certain Judy would think so too, but the silly schoolgirl grin never left her face. It was as if she only had one setting.
“Did you have a case set with him today?” she asked.
“Yes. The Hanover matter.”
“I see.” Judy referred to a docket sheet on her desk, her finger tracing each case until she reached the one whose name matched. “Ah yes, actually this case has been consolidated with the lower case number. Judge Weatherly is handling this case. A transfer order has already been executed.”
“Thank you, darling.” Garrett was out the door before Judy could respond.
The morning kept getting more complicated. Judge Weatherly had only recently been appointed to the bench, and Garrett wasn’t familiar with him.
He maneuvered his way around people in the hallway, some meeting with their lawyers in the middle of the corridor, others leaning against the marble walls or reading the names on top of the doors, no doubt looking for the right judge’s chambers.
When Garrett stepped into the courtroom, Judge Weatherly was already on the bench. Garrett made his way to a vacant seat where he eased onto the cool wooden surface and waited his turn.
He searched the sea of faces, but Nikki Angelus was not among them. His clients, looking every inch the sweet old grandparents, right down to the wiry gray hair and horn-rimmed glasses, were in the back corner of the room.
As the judge called case after case, each attorney stood and announced their presence. Finally, Judge Weatherly said, “Hanover vs. Hanover.”
“Garrett Nightshade, present for the grandparents, Your Honor.”
“Sam Carr, present for the maternal aunt,” a thin voice said.
Garrett looked in the direction of the speaker. The man was elderly, with gray hair, watery blue eyes, and a body so frail it was a wonder his torso was strong enough to support him. He had the air of an attorney who had practiced law far beyond a reasonable number of years.
“I see Ms. Angelus has been appointed as Guardian Ad Litem,” the judge said. “Has anyone heard from her?”
“I met with her early this morning, Your Honor,” Garrett said. “She should be on her way.”
“We’ll give her fifteen more minutes.”
Garrett allowed himself a slow smile as Mr. Carr fidgeted with his tie. Garrett hadn’t lost this case yet. Like him, Mr. Carr had probably been hired the night before, possibly even this morning since, despite his discomfort, he gave the impression he hadn’t lost a minute of sleep. Given the fact that Carr’s client was a stripper, it shouldn’t be too hard to craft an argument in the Hanover’s favor.
He turned to view the people sitting in the galley, searching for Mr. Carr’s client. His eyes slid over all the occupants until he saw the most likely candidate—a woman with long blond hair and a tight fitting pink tank top. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she gazed off into nowhere. She couldn’t be more than twenty, but already, lines had formed at the corners of her eyes and around her mouth. She wasn’t emaciated enough to argue a meth addiction, but maybe she was tacky and spacey enough to discourage Nikki from recommending her as an appropriate custodian. Even if that were not the case, the matter hinged on whether Judge Weatherly respected Nikki’s opinion. Was his estimation of her high enough for him to blindly follow her recommendation?
He was summoned from his brooding when Nikki Angelus swept through the door. She never once looked in his direction. Instead, she nodded and smiled at someone over the top of his head. Garrett swiveled around to see Judge Weatherly returning her smile. That answered one question. A surge of competitiveness engulfed him. Let the games begin.
****
Nikki entered the courtroom feeling more confident than she should, considering she was only armed with current information from an eight-year-old child. But, it was a relief to know that Judge Weatherly would be hearing the case instead of Abernathy. She wouldn’t have to fight Abernathy’s good ole boy mindset and penchant for skirt chasing. She was free to concentrate on the facts and not tussle with side issues.
“Welcome, Ms. Angelus, glad you could join us.” Judge W
eatherly’s bottom lip twitched, signaling his sarcastic sense of humor.
Nikki grinned. “It’s my pleasure, Your Honor. Sorry I’m late. I reported to Judge Abernathy first and was informed about the transfer order.”
“Are you ready to proceed?”
“I haven’t met with both attorneys yet.” She set her file on one of the tables next to an empty seat.
“Very well. Let me know when you’re ready.”
Judge Weatherly continued to call his docket. A flutter from Nikki’s periphery drew her attention to a tall, thin, gray-haired man. Sam Carr waved in her direction. Some of Nikki’s optimism sank at the sight of his strained expression. Mr. Carr meant well, but was seldom up to date on new developments in the law. If he was the maternal aunt’s lawyer, it would take more than being in the court’s good graces to keep her ward from ending up with the paternal grandparents.
As she headed in his direction, a hand wrapped around her wrist sending warm shivers up her arm. She stared down at the man whose long fingers held her captive. His thumb traced small circles on the tender area of her wrist. How could the man who aggravated her earlier do something that was just so…pleasant?
“Ms. Angelus.” Garrett’s smooth voiced crawled inside her. “Weren’t you going to greet me, too?”
He sat casually at the counsel table, totally at ease. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he was draped over a bar stool, ordering a drink. But his gaze was far from relaxed. He was focused in on her like a hawk tracking a fish.
She removed his hand from her wrist. Not only was he being too familiar, she didn’t like the warmth his touch evoked. A flicker of something not entirely unpleasant—attraction—desire? No, no way. She wouldn’t allow it. With all the disdain she could muster, she said, “As I recall, we’ve had our meeting, Mr. Nightshade.”
“I didn’t think that went so well the first time. I was hoping for a do over.”
“I’m not into do overs.” Nikki moved past him, keenly aware that he watched her progress and not entirely sure she disliked the attention. Good grief, Garrett was going to be a pain in the ass. She couldn’t wait for this case to be finished so she wouldn’t have to contemplate the many ways he stoked her heat barometer. She sat next to Sam Carr and smiled as if nothing bothered her.
“Hi, Sam, you on the Hanover case?” Nikki kept her voice low, as much to prevent Garrett from hearing their conversation as to keep from interfering with the cases in progress.
“Yeah. I represent the maternal aunt. She was going to try to do this herself but I warned her she shouldn’t proceed without an attorney.”
Nikki agreed, but didn’t add that sometimes having an attorney wasn’t much better than having none. At least Sam always tried to do the appropriate thing, and that was a step in the right direction.
“What do you know about Mr. Nightshade?”
Sam wasn’t the best person to ask, but some information was better than no information.
“His main focus is estate management and criminal law. He only recently started taking family cases. A sign of the economic times, I guess.” Sam leaned back, pondering his opposing counsel.
Nikki resisted the urge to turn around and look at the subject of their discussion. She sat stiff in the wooden chair, feeling Garrett’s eyes bore holes into her back. His attention shouldn’t have bothered her, but it did. It wasn’t the first time she’d been annoyed by opposing counsel, but Garrett’s scrutiny unnerved her. Her skin tingled as if he could see through her façade and reach into the depths of her psyche to pull out every buried insecurity. She bent in closer to Sam, hoping Garrett didn’t perceive the shudder that passed through her.
“This case doesn’t strike me as a big money maker.”
“I believe he knows the family.”
“Hmmm.” No longer able to stop herself, Nikki glanced in Garrett’s direction. Just as she suspected, his eyes were on her. He cocked his head and smiled. That same odd sensation traveled through her, and she forcefully pushed it away.
Hoping to tamp down the unsettling feelings his intense gaze elicited, she took stock of him—purposefully clinical—detached. His style of dress didn’t indicate a man merely scraping by. The parents had no money, so it had to be the grandparents paying his bill. But, if they had the funds, why hadn’t they gone the route of hiring a high profile family attorney? Garret’s presence fit right into her weakness for solving puzzles. She would crack his code soon and be done with him.
“He doesn’t intimidate you, does he?” Sam’s paternalistically worried expression almost made her laugh.
“No, but I think he’s going to be trouble. What’s your client’s story?”
“She’s the mother’s younger half-sister.”
“Is she a stripper?” Nikki held her breath, hoping the answer was no.
“She says she tends bar in a strip club. She doesn’t make a lot of money, but she has her own apartment and a place for the child to stay.”
“A bartender’s probably a step above a stripper from the Court’s perspective. But that could mean she works nights.”
Sam exhaled, his slight frame diminishing even further. “I don’t have a strong case, do I?”
She patted his gnarled hand. “You’re not defeated yet, Sam.”
****
Nikki and Sam leaned in close, their heads bowed, like long lost friends planning a surprise. Garrett strained to hear, but only indistinguishable whispers reached his ears. He peered at them over his steepled fingers. Their discussion was taking far too long for his liking. How much could they have to go over? He suspected Nikki was the type of woman who didn’t give in too easily. In another circumstance, he would find that quality fascinating. But in this instance, it just plain pissed him off.
Garrett glanced at his watch. Damn. Ten-thirty. Much later than he expected to still be dealing with this case. If other attorneys weren’t at the bench arguing another matter, he would have demanded they proceed. The other case droned on with no sign of stopping.
He rose and approached Nikki and Sam’s table. Nikki glanced in his direction, the flash in her eyes signaling she wasn’t too pleased with the intrusion. At least now he wasn’t the only pissed off person here. “Anything I need to be involved in?”
“No.” There was no apology in Nikki’s tone.
Garrett pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. A trace of lavender filled the air, urging him to lean closer. “You might want to rethink that train of thought. I suggest we agree that the paternal grandparents be granted custody while the mother is in the hospital.”
“Sorry. I’m afraid I can’t agree to that.” Nikki held his gaze but added no explanation.
“You can’t seriously be considering the stripper.”
Sam sputtered. “She’s a bartender not a stripper.”
“Are you honestly attempting to hand me that line? She works at the Blue Moon Saloon and while people do tend bar there, I happen to know none of them are women.”
“From personal experience, I presume.” Nikki’s lips curved as she cocked her head to the side, exuding innocence that Garrett didn’t buy for a second.
“Counsel?” The judge’s voice interfered with any response Garrett might have made. “Are you ready?”
Nikki stood. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“Please approach.” The judge motioned with his hands.
Garrett narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. He wondered if Nikki’s cool veneer would crumble when he turned up the heat. She couldn’t possibly win this fight, and he was going to make her pay for every agonizing second he had to wait to argue the case. Both Sam and Garret motioned for their clients to approach the bench. The woman in the pink tank top stepped forward, giving Garrett’s clients a wide birth as they walked toward him with measured steps.
Judge Weatherly thumbed through the documents before him. “This case looks a lot different from the last hearing. Apparently, we have all new players. Ms. Angelus, can you bring me up
to speed?”
“Your Honor, at the last hearing, the mother dismissed her case against the father. At that time, there were concerns over domestic violence and physical abuse perpetrated by the father. Apparently the reconciliation didn’t go too well. Last night, the father beat—”
“Objection, Your Honor,” Garrett interrupted. “Irrelevant.”
****
Nikki inwardly groaned, cursing herself for rising to his bait. She inhaled deeply, resolving not to allow Garrett to rile her. “Oh, I think it’s highly relevant since he was found at the scene with a gun in his hand.”
“I disagree, Your Honor.” Garrett waved a dismissive hand. “The GAL’s statements assume facts not in evidence and are highly prejudicial to my clients.”
Judge Weatherly peered over his glasses at Garrett. Nikki swallowed the impulse to grin. She knew what was coming next.
“Well.” Judge Weatherly shuffled his papers and tapped them on the surface of his bench before laying them back down in perfect order. “Is the father here?”
“No.” Garrett’s shoulders squared. A mottled red tinge crept up his neck when just moments before he sauntered arrogantly up to the bench. Not so comfy now, are you?
“Where is he?”
“May I say something?” the paternal grandfather interrupted.
Judge Weatherly silenced him with a quelling look. “No, your attorney will speak for you.”
Garrett’s hand flew to the knot in his necktie, but he didn’t loosen it. Instead, his arm drew slowly back to his side, as if he was forcing it to obey his commands. The corners of Judge Weatherly’s mouth raised in the familiar twitch that signaled he was going in for the kill.
Garrett’s Adams apple bobbed up and down as he choked out, “He’s in jail.”
Judge Weatherly raised a quizzical brow. “And why is that?”
“Your Honor,” Garrett started. “Neither the mother nor the father are able to take care of their daughter. Although the reasons may be relevant at a later time, the simple fact is that neither parent is present today, ready or able to attend to the child’s needs. The paternal grandparents are here to care for the child during this time—”