ChapterOne
“Libras, today is looking good for you! It’s the perfect day to pitch that idea at work, have that heart-to-heart with your spouse, or talk your friends into taking that trip you’ve been planning in your head for the past few weeks. When you talk today, people will listen, which should make today’s Congressional Debates particularly riveting. Now, Scorpio…”
Tuning out the rest of the daily horoscope broadcast, Cyrus Banks leaned back in his chair with a grin. What a perfect day for court, especially since the defense attorney he was going up against was a Cancer, and if Chadrick Cummings was right, she wouldnotbe having a good day.
And even if ol’ Chad’s readings were a little off today, it wouldn’t matter. Like so much of the world, Sandra Barnes took every word out of Chadrick’s mouth as gospel, so odds were, she’d be off her game anyway. Which suited Cyrus perfectly fine, considering the man she was defending was accused of selling tainted drugs that had caused the deaths of five teenagers, with two others in rehabilitation centers struggling to regain the most basic motor skills. If a shitty horoscope helped him convince the jury to put the asshole away for multiple life sentences, Cyrus wasn’t against using that to his advantage.
With Chadrick’s horoscope still buzzing in his brain, Cyrus pushed to his feet and wandered out to the main hub of the District Attorney’s office. The herd of young interns and paralegals they employed were already rushing around, doing everything in their power to ensure the men and women walking into the courtrooms today had everything they needed at their fingertips to win their cases.
A stack of manilla folders came barreling towards him and he just managed to slide out of the way before being run over. Snagging the top half of the stack, he fell into step beside the weary-looking blonde who had been hiding behind the tower.
“Thanks, Mr. Banks. I have to get these filed with the court today or Hanover is going to have my you-know-what.” Bonnie’s smile was as bright as usual, if a little strained at the edges.
“No problem. If you need help, grab one of the interns. That’s what they’re here for.”
Swinging into her cubicle, Bonnie dropped the folders on her desk and waved him off. “I can handle it. The interns are already overworked.”
“As are you, it seems.” Setting his stack beside hers on the crowded desk, he put a hint of steel into his words. “Find an intern, Bonnie.”
A pretty blush crept up her neck at the order. It was a shame they worked together. In another lifetime, he would have enjoyed finding out if the rest of her blushed as prettily when she was…flustered. “If I can find someone who isn’t already juggling a million cases, sure.”
Glancing around the office, he locked on to one of the newer interns, a slick to the point of slimy frat boy who Cyrus was fairly certain had only gotten the job because daddy had called in a few favors.
Money, in his experience, facilitated a multitude of sins.
With a wink for Bonnie, he stepped out of her cubicle and headed for the small group of interns currently hanging on the frat boy’s every word.
“...and then we took the boat down to Greece for dinner. There’s this little place near the Acropolis that just has the best moussaka. We always eat there at least once whenever we’re out that way.”
Ugh. Could the kid be any more pretentious? Ignoring the urge to roll his eyes and instead flashing the group his best courtroom smile, Cyrus clapped a hand down on frat boy’s shoulder. “Mason! Just the man I wanted to see.”
Mason’s already slimy smile turned smug. “I’d be happy to assist you with whatever you need, Mr. Banks.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” With his hand firmly latched onto the boy’s shoulder, he guided him over to Bonnie’s cubicle. “Bonnie, Mason here just informed me he’d behappyto help with whatever it is you need today. And since he just got back from what sounds like a rejuvenating vacation, he should be perfectly rested and full of energy today, so don’t be afraid to put him to work.”
The corners of Bonnie’s lips twitched as she took in Mason’s wide-eyed shock. “Thank you, Mr. Banks.”
“Anytime.” Leaving them to it, Cyrus headed back in the direction he’d been going when he’d almost been run over by Bonnie.
The door to Margaret Hanover’s office was open, inviting him in. She barely glanced his way when he dropped into one of the stiff, uncomfortable visitor’s chairs. Sometimes he wondered if she’d deliberately chosen the most uncomfortable ones she could to discourage people from overstaying their welcome.
With a click of her mouse that bordered on violence, she turned to face him. In another context, Maggie might have been considered almost grandmotherly. Dark hair streaked with gray was almost always pulled up away from a face lined by years of battling the worst criminals Washington had to offer. But all it took was one look into those pale gray eyes to disabuse you of the notion she was anything but a shark out for blood. Even the most hardened criminals had been rumored to burst into tears after five minutes alone with the city’s highest ranking lawyer.
It was what Cyrus loved best about her.
“Are you in court today?”
Head tilted to the side, he raised an eyebrow at her. “Hi, Maggie, I’m doing well. I had a lovely weekend, thank you for asking. And yourself?”
“Smart ass,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes. “Are you in court today or not, Cyrus?”
Resisting the urge to poke her some more, he settled into business mode. “Yes. Wrapping up the Compton case. We should be able to get to closing arguments by tomorrow.”
“You feel good about that one?”
He allowed himself a small smirk. “Don’t I always?”
Now she grinned, one of those rare smiles of hers that was somehow gleeful and predatory at the same time. “You do. I’ve never seen anyone with a win rate like yours. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were paying off the juries.”