“What the fuck does that mean?” Jack growls, clearly fed up with the conversation. Meanwhile, Scott and I are laughing our asses off. Finally, Carly and Joella must catch on because they join in on the chaos.
Wiping her tear-stained cheeks, Joella jerks her chin at Jackson and smirks. “Carrie Underwood wrote a song about finding her man cheating. She fucked up his car in the same exact way you described.”
“So, who’d you cheat on?” I ask, waggling my brows, only because I know he’s single. Jackson heaves out an annoyed breath, ignoring my question completely, which is more telling than any lie he could have come up with.
“Focus! You said they left a note?” Sandra asks, practically frothing at the mouth.Drama queen.
He nods. “In red paint on my windshield, it just says ‘Mine’.”He darts a nervous glance in Addy’s direction.
“Are you sure it wasn’t blood?” Carly whispers, her eyes wide behind her glasses as she stares at Jack. He rears back as though he’s been slapped, his face paling at the thought.
“Holy fucking hell,” I groan, apparently louder than I’d intended, when everyone’s eyes snap to mine. I give an uncaring shrug because, honestly, I’m the least dramatic of the bunch right now. “What? This feels like a bad episode of Punk’d.” I say the words even as a weird sinking feeling forms in the pit of my stomach.
Swallowing thickly, the wordminereverberates through my head. Sounds more like payback or punishment than anything.Punishment…no. No way.
“Or the best book plot of my life,” Carly says. “This is better than any true-crime show I’ve ever seen, and it’s happening right in front of my face.”
“Carly, calm down. Yes, those were all criminal offenses, but I’d hardly consider them true-crime worthy.” I roll my eyes, tapping my pen on the table. “It’s probably just some kids playing pre-Halloween pranks.”
“It’s September,” Sandra deadpans unhelpfully, as though I’m an illiterate fool. “We’re two weeks from October. That makes your theory unlikely.”
“Holy shit, Sandra. Shut up,” Jackson snaps in exasperation. “No one wants to hear you talk, especially not this morning.”
I’m pretty sure the sound that comes out of her mouth is equivalent to a banshee’s cry. “How dar—”
“Enough!” Brandt barks,finallystepping in. What a great fucking leader we have, ladies and gentlemen. My eyes meet his, and he smirks at me before winking, and I literally want to crawl into a hole.
I hate people. I hate people. I hate people.
I knew it. I should have never gotten out of bed this morning.
“Before we get started, does anyone have any announcements for this upcoming week?” Brandt asks, hefting his left ass cheek onto the table instead of using his chair like a normal person.
I hope he gets a hernia.
The weekly announcements go off as normal, everyone catching each other up on their cases and client requests. When it’s my turn, all eyes land on me, some laced with pity, some with cold calculation. I’m not sure which I hate more.
Deciding to just get it over with, I exhale heavily. “Tinsley Snow has decided to follow Georgia Kingsley’s lead and drop her case against Sutton.” Crickets follow my heart-wrenching declaration. The silence and weighted stares make me itchy.
Last week, when I’d called Tinsley to let her know about Sutton and his legal team’s demands regarding the DNA test, she’d understandably had a meltdown. My soul shattered for her. I wish there was more I could do, and technically, there is.
I could go higher than the state. I could reach out to larger, more powerful entities to help me take down those who have wronged her. But, when I suggested this, she was adamant about just being done. She said the stress wasn’t good for her and the baby, which I totally understand, and that she wanted to move on with her life. I suggested that she take a week to think about it, which she did. This morning she called me and gave me her final answer.
Tinsley Snow is done, but I’m not.
One way or another, I will take down Sutton. Her backing out is exactly what he wanted. Not only did he and his cohorts dissolve all of the evidence, but they paid off a high-ranking judge to take their side. Hell, they paid off the entire police department, techs, and hospital staff. I can’t even imagine how deep the conspiracy and their pockets go.
What power do I have against all that? When I have an entire government and law enforcement branch swearing under oath that my client is lying, it feels impossible. So impossible that Tinsley’s not only decided not to pursue the case but has also decided to uproot her entire life and move somewhere new. I can’t blame her for wanting to run far away from this town and its corruption. Fuck, I wouldn’t blame her for leaving the entire state if she wanted to. Regardless, I will find a way to keep fighting, and I’ll do it for her, Georgia, and the rest of the women he’s no doubt assaulted.
“Oh, one more announcement,” Addy says, clapping with excitement. A puff of white power wafts in the air from the movement, making her sneeze. She waves the cloud away and grins at the table. “My birthday is this Friday, and I’m having a thing atNoboo. I want you all there, 10:00 pm sharp.”
“Yeah, I’ll be in bed,” I say, shaking my head as I respond to an email on my phone. “Sorry, girl. I don’t do clubs, and I don’t do late nights.”
“Fuck, Ray. You’re acting like your Margie’s age,” she scoffs, turning an apologetic glance at the woman herself. “No offense, Marge.”
Margie pauses in her notetaking to wave her off. “If I had an ass like yours, I’d be shakin’ it out on the dancefloor till 2:00 am every night.” Gasps and chuckles ring out around the table. She ignores us all as she continues to take minutes for the meeting.
“Please, Rayvn. I want you there,” Addy begs. She grabs my arm, making my phone clatter to the table. She gives my hand a death squeeze and turns a puppy dog look in my direction. “Please, please, please.”