by Taylor Lee
Judge Mortenson gave an annoyed sigh. “I agree, if the facts are as you present them, it’s unfortunate for the young girl and even more unfortunate for the young man.”
Jorden couldn’t hold back. Freeing Jake’s grip, he stepped forward. Jake acceded to his brother, no doubt knowing that ultimately this was Jorden’s show.
Jorden’s voice was cool, controlled. However, only the most unaware observer would miss the rage in his granite hard eyes or the silky danger underlying his words. Holding Sylvia Mortenson’s gaze, he said almost mildly, “I’m intrigued, but not surprised that your greater concern is for the perpetrator of the crime, rather than the victim.”
Mortenson waved her hand dismissively. “You know what I meant, Jorden. After all, if the charges are true, Mr. Brogan will likely go to prison and while being pregnant at fifteen is unfortunate, I presume the family will terminate—”
“Do not say it, Judge Mortenson. First of all, it’s none of the court’s business what the Staples parents and their daughter will choose to do. And as a reminder, Judge Mortenson, I am the Assistant United States Attorney Justice and require that you address me formally in this courtroom.”
Mortenson muttered something under her breath, but the red splotches flooding her cheeks left no doubt as to how she felt about that admonishment.
“Now, Judge Mortenson, I want to turn to the petition before the court. Miss Staples’ rape took place in Francine Justice’s condominium. We have the sworn testimony of the victim, as well as from my daughter Chloe Justice and four adult guests who either saw Mr. Brogan assaulting the teenager, or heard his bragging about ‘knocking up the jailbait’.”
When the judge started to speak, Jorden raised his hand. “As you know, Judge, I am not here to litigate the rape. I’m here to insist that you grant my petition to prevent my underage daughters from going to their mother’s condominium. In addition, I insist that you put a restraining order on the former Mrs. Justice, preventing her from seeing my daughters under any circumstances.”
“Are you quite finished, Assistant United States Attorney Jorden Justice, with your dramatic appeal to the court? Which by the way, seem more frequent than whores in church.” Smiling at her own poor version of a joke, Mortenson continued. “First, I have received your petition and am considering it. In addition, I have seen the injunction that you and Commander Justice filed against this court asking that I be removed from the custody suit due to gross prejudice. As you know, that is a serious charge, which I am, of course, contesting. That said, just because the as yet unconfirmed crime may have occurred at Mrs. Justice’s home—”
“Do. Not. Say. It. Judge Mortenson.” Jorden’s pressed his lips together and clenched his jaw, hoping that his back teeth didn’t crack from the pressure. Jake’s looming presence behind him gave him the wherewithal to continue in a relatively calm voice. “Whether or not the former Mrs. Justice observed the rape of the underage girl, the crime took place in her home. Six witnesses, including the rape victim, have testified to that fact.” Jorden sucked in a deep breath and managed to keep his voice controlled. “Given that fact, I ask that you immediately restrain the former Mrs. Justice from seeing my daughters, and remove the visitation privilege ensuring that the girls are not allowed to visit their mother’s home.”
In the silence that followed, Judge Mortenson studied the file in front of her for several moments as if considering his request. Finally, she glanced up and said, “For the immediate future, until the court has confirmed all the facts regarding as yet unconfirmed crime, I agree that Chloe and Emma should not go to their mother’s house. Accordingly, temporarily, I’m vacating that component of the custody arrangement. However, the girls may visit their mother—” She raised her hand to stop Jorden’s interruption, “May I finish please? The girls may visit their mother in court-supervised visits. That is their right and hers.”
Jorden forced himself to keep from responding. He knew that his next step was to push the injunction, forcing Judge Sorenson off their case. His chances of success were close to one hundred percent. Her prejudice was shockingly clear. As if she knew she was likely to be removed from the case, Judge Sorenson must have decided she wouldn’t go without brandishing one more weapon.
“Given your concern about the living conditions at Mrs. Justice’s home, you might want to pay attention to the conditions you’re subjecting your daughters to in your home.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Judge Mortenson continued. The sly smirk on her face telegraphed that she was about to throw a grenade. “You seem determined to blame Mrs. Justice for the actions of the people around her. While I can understand your need to dishonor your daughter’s mother as much as possible, you might want to be sure to clean up your own backyard. Remember, people who live in glass houses…”
Paul Ojakangas leapt to his feet and put a restraining hand on Jorden’s arm, holding him back. “Judge Mortenson, if you have a complaint against Mr. Justice, I demand that you enter it professionally.”
Sylvia Mortenson’s eyes gleamed with malice. “While it may not rise to the level of the charge you have brought against Mr. Brogan, Chloe Justice and her mother thought it was important enough to raise it with me.”
“What the fuck are you taking about?”
“Now, now, Mr. Justice, remember you are in a court of law and just as you requested I address you by your title, I demand the same of you.” Before Jorden could repeat his demand, Mortenson said, “I only repeat that your daughter and her mother are concerned that the woman you are forcing Chloe to spend time with, McKenna Durant, was fired from her last position for an improper relationship with a professional colleague. An illicit relationship that caused the attempted suicide of one of the parties…”
Jorden barely heard the rest of the evil woman’s accusation. The patently false concern she’d assumed turned his stomach. The rest of the hearing was a blur.
Chapter 31
After a challenging conversation with Superintendent Peters, Jorden knocked on Mac’s door. The expression on her face confirmed her response, but he forced himself to ask the question that he already knew the answer to. “Tell me, Mac. For God’s sake, tell me it isn’t true.”
Mac studied him narrowly. As always, Jorden was commanding and impressive. And, she conceded inanely, astonishingly handsome.
She stood in her doorway and met his angry frown. “You already know the answer, Jorden. But if it’s important to you for me to answer your question, yes, it’s true.”
When she stood her ground and returned his hard stare, his eyes narrowed. Making an obvious effort to speak calmly, he said, “Let me confirm the charge Judge Mortenson made in open court this morning. After she reluctantly agreed that my daughters would not be able to go to their mother’s house given that the rape of an underage girl may have taken place there, she raised her concern about what was happening in my home.”
When Mac didn’t respond, he continued. “She said that Chloe had come to her, upset that I was forcing her to associate with a dishonorable woman. A woman who had been fired from her previous position because she had an illicit relationship with a married colleague, an act that was understandably considered morally inconsistent with her position in the high school where she was a psychologist.” He added in a halting voice, “And that in addition to the immoral activity, one of the wronged parties in the incident tried to commit suicide.”
When Mac merely continued to meet his gaze, Jorden’s expression cracked. “Jesus Fucking Christ, Mac! Say something! For God’s sake, I’ve spent most of my adult life dealing with the destruction a cheating woman caused, not only to me and my children, but to everyone she touched. You have to know how this news would affect me. I need to understand…”
“What don’t you understand Jorden? You spoke with Superintendent Peters. In addition, you have your daughter’s and ex-wife’s version of my departure from my previous position. What more do you need than the testimony of those tw
o?”
“Good God, Mac, one of the wronged parties tried to commit suicide. How can you live with that? You have to understand. Mac, I don’t know how to deal with this. I…I need time to think—”
Mac interrupted him. “There’s nothing to think about, Jorden. I’m quite aware of how you feel about cheating women. What I don’t know is how you feel about cheating men. Tell me Jorden, as a married man, when you turned to other women for comfort, or God forbid, for sex, that wasn’t cheating, correct? Because in your worldview, men don’t cheat. They merely seek the comfort of other women to deal with the wrongs visited upon them by their cheating spouse.” Glaring at him, she didn’t hide her contempt. “Do you have any idea, Jorden, how disgusting that chauvinistic view is? Do you have a sliver of comprehension what an arrogant asshole that makes you? Not to mention cowardly?”
Jorden’s expression darkened. “What the hell are you talking about, Mac? Be careful. You’re creating a divide between us that once we cross we can’t go back.”
“Go back to what, Jorden? A relationship in which the women in your life are either angels or devils? Good or evil? No shades of gray, right Jorden? In your self-righteous, judge-and-jury worldview, women are either honorable or dishonorable.”
Ignoring the angry flush staining his cheeks, Mac sucked in a deep breath, fighting to contain her fury. With an effort she kept her voice reasonably cool but couldn’t couch her contempt. “Jorden, do me a favor. Leave and never again darken my door with your supercilious presence.”
Jorden’s frown darkened perceptibly. Pressing his lips together in a thin white line, his words were cold, clipped. “You can stop with the insults, Mac. They’re childish and unnecessary.” Making an obvious effort to control his anger, he asserted, “You don’t want to do this, Mac. You owe me an explanation. Surely you know that.”
Unable to keep her voice from rising, Mac spit out. “I owe you nothing, Jorden.” Fighting the angry tears threatening to overtake her, she pressed her lips together but couldn’t hold back the enraged words bubbling up in her throat. “Before you leave, let me interrogate you like you interrogate me. For all those years you stayed with a woman you desperately wanted to leave but didn’t have the courage to, was that because in your worldview that might be seen as dishonorable?” She sneered, “And, after all, Jorden Justice is the epitome of the long-suffering, but exceedingly honorable man.”
When he stepped forward and reached for her, a deep frown creasing his forehead, she batted his hands away. She refused to let his clear anger intimidate her. Fighting her rage and rising pain, she said through clenched teeth, “How dare you judge me, Jorden? How dare you?”
Needing to continue, she forged ahead, though shoving words past the swelling lump in her throat was painful. “I’m curious, Jorden. Among all the women that you used over the years to scratch your powerful male itch, did you ever seek the comfort of a much younger woman? One who was at least ten years younger than you and admittedly more than a little naïve? Did that woman look up to you? Fall in love with you? Indeed, were you the first man she’d ever loved?”
Horrified that her voice broke over the sobs rising in her throat, Mac forced herself to continue. “And did you tell her that you loved her? Did you pour out your anguish to her? Tell her that she was the only good, loving thing in your life? Oh, and by the way, were you her supervisor? The man who controlled her career? And when the word came out about your affair, did you disown your relationship and throw your sexual confidant to the wolves? Did you paint her as a cheating woman, a home wrecker? And after you had thoroughly discredited her, did you ensure that she was the one who was forced to leave the position that she loved and had worked so hard to achieve?”
Unable to stop the tears that were streaming unchecked down her face, Mac ignored Jorden’s troubled frown.
Reaching for her, his voice was thick with concern. “Look Mac, I’m sorry. I…I didn’t come here to accuse you. I came here because I needed to hear your side of the story—”
Shoving at his hand, Mac cut him off angrily. “Don’t touch me! Don’t you ever touch me again.” Fighting her choked sobs, she struck out. “In addition to being a coward, Jorden, you’re a liar. You came here for one reason only. To tell me how disappointed you are in me. How I’ve wronged you, let you down. Let me be clear, Jorden. I’m not your white knight, the perfect contrast to Francine. Sorry, just like Francine, I’m a deceitful, two-timing whore.”
“Mac, stop! For God’s sake, you know I don’t think that! That’s a cruel thing to say about me, and about yourself.”
“Why Jorden? What’s cruel about the truth? I’m proud of the fact that I’m self-aware enough to acknowledge who I am and what I’ve done. The good and the bad.” Reaching for the door, she glared at him. “Now, for the last time, I want you to leave my house and never come back. And, just so we’re crystal clear, I think you’re an overbearing, officious asshole and I never want to see or speak to you again.”
Mac slammed the door and turned the lock. Ignoring the fact that Jorden hadn’t tried to stop her from shutting him out, she grabbed a bottle of Maker’s Mark and headed for her solitary patio.
****
Three days later, Jorden knocked on his grandfather’s office door. At his gruff greeting, he entered to see the gray-haired man sitting behind his desk. Jorden wasn’t surprised to see the dark frown marring the elderly man’s creased brow.
Nodding to solemn man, he said as he sunk into the chair across from his grandfather, “I’ve been expecting your summons, Judge.”
“I don’t know that I would call it a summons, Jorden, but yes, I do want to speak with you. Why did you think I was expecting you?”
“Well, Judge, as it stands, you’re the only one of the Justice men not to accost me.”
“And why would they do that, Jorden?”
“Apparently, the universal view is that I behaved badly to Mac.”
“Hmm, and did you?”
Before he answered, Jorden took a deep inhalation and blew it out. “Let’s just say, Judge, it wasn’t my finest hour.”
The Judge tugged at his chin and nodded in apparent agreement. “Can I assume by that response that you regret the conversation you had with McKenna?”
“In part.”
The old man sighed as if he had expected Jorden’s qualified response. He was quiet for a long moment, then said, “I’ve had several conversations with Craig Peters. Did you know that Mac has begun interviewing with other schools across the country?”
Jorden couldn’t hide his surprise or his dismay. Rising to his feet to gain time to process his grandfather’s unexpected information, he managed to say, “No, I didn’t know that, Judge.”
“You didn’t expect her to do that?”
Jorden stopped pacing and faced his grandfather. “No, Judge, I did not expect that.”
“Really? I would have thought you knew McKenna. Knew what a proud woman she is. But even proud, strong woman like Mac can only take so much abuse.”
Jorden glared at the Judge. “Are you saying that I abused Mac?”
The Judge shrugged. “I guess you’re the only one who can answer that question, Jorden.”
Jorden shoved at his anger, not willing to take it out on his grandfather. He wasn’t surprised that the Judge was supporting Mac. The old man hadn’t made a secret of his admiration for her.
“I will choose not to respond to that, Judge, only to say I’m as troubled by the situation as you are, likely considerably more.”
The Judge shrugged. “Perhaps. But unlike you, my goal, along with Craig Peters, is to do what I can to convince her to stay. After all, I’m the one who encouraged Peters to hire her in the first place.”
“Are you saying that you knew about Mac’s past, Judge?”
“Damn straight. Before he made the final offer to her, Craig came to me in confidence. He was one hundred percent behind her, but given that I’m the primary financial supporter of Wildwood and St.
Christopher’s, he wanted to run his decision by me.”
“And you agreed?”
“Of course. After I heard what had happened, I told Craig to hire her immediately before those fucking nuns at St. Mary’s got her.”
“You weren’t concerned, Judge, about the ramifications?”
“From what, Jorden? That a disgusting son of a bitch had an affair with a young woman, and when confronted by the truth, did his best to smear her? No Jorden, I wasn’t. Like Craig Peters, I was impressed that the first thing Mac did when Craig interviewed her was to describe the incident in detail, and unlike the asshole who threw her under the bus, took full responsibility for her actions. I think it would take a narrow-minded, self-righteous man not to be impressed by her courage.”
Swallowing the surge of bile in his throat, Jorden aimed for irony. “I assume that you’re talking about me, Judge.” He added with a grimace, “You’ll be glad to know that Mac agrees with your assessment.”
The Judge was quiet for several long moments, then said carefully, “No, Jorden, that is not how I think of you. You’re one of the kindest, most honorable men it’s my privilege to know. I’m exceedingly proud of my first grandson.”
Jorden quirked an ironic brow. “I believe I hear a ‘but’ coming.”
The judge nodded in agreement. “You have been through hell, Jorden, for the last two months. Fuck, for the last fifteen years, since that evil woman entered your life. Like you, I thought we were rid of her. But these last two months have convinced me that she won’t stop until she destroys you. That’s why your brothers and I, plus Hailey and Skylar, were so grateful when McKenna came into your life.”
Jorden stopped pacing and stood in front of the bay window, avoiding his grandfather’s penetrating gaze. The surprising tears in his eyes blurred the image of the magnificent grounds surrounding the mansion. Slamming his eyes shut, he clenched his hands at his sides and checked his tumultuous emotions the best that he could.