I knock on the door, and after a couple of minutes, knock again. His sedan is in the driveway, so he’s here. But arrogant ass that he is, I’m certain he’s aware I’m here but is making me wait. Just as I raise my fist to rap again, the door opens.
“I’d like to say this is a surprise, but it’s not. Because inappropriate is who you are, Mr. Sullivan. You have no business being at my house and I’ll ask you to leave,” Terrance says, his cold brown eyes so like Lennon’s but so…not.
“I will,” I agree, then hold up the envelope in my hand. “After I speak to you. And I assure you, you want to speak to me.”
He glances at the manilla envelope. “Threatening a judge, Mr. Sullivan? I see you have no problem racking up crimes.”
“Threats, Judge?” I arch an eyebrow. “Me and this” I wave the folder, “can walk away right now and you won’t see us again. You’ll hear from us, though. That I can promise you. But,” I shrug, “sure. I can go.”
He studies me, and there’s a glint in his eyes. His lips flatten into a grim line. Finally, he snaps his chin down into an abrupt nod.
“Fine. You have ten minutes. You’d better make them count.”
“I don’t need but seven, Judge.”
He turns and strides down the hall, and I step inside the house, closing the door behind me. We enter a study full of dark woods and leather upholstery. I spare the built-in bookshelves, huge fireplace and heavy furniture a quick look, then focus on Terrance. He assumes the power position in the room, standing behind his wide, ebony desk. I smirk. He did the same thing when I was a sullen but scared twenty-year-old desperate to keep his brother out of jail.
I’m not that kid anymore.
I’ve made some serious mistakes in the last decade, that’s for damn sure, but I’ve learned many lessons and have come into my own. I’m not scared of him, and I have so much more to lose now that I’m ready to throw down and fight. And fight dirtier than Judge Terrance Ward could even imagine.
“Well? Get on with it.” He waves a hand. “You’re wasting your time.”
“Too true, Judge.” I move closer to his desk until I’m standing right in front of it and I stare him dead in the eye. “First, though. That stunt you pulled this weekend. Beneath you. I don’t know why I’m surprised. It’s not the first time you’ve used that robe you wear and bench you sit on to get what you want. Not that you give a damn.”
“Is this where you expect an apology from me? Still blaming others for your actions, Mr. Sullivan. If not for your behavior, you would not have been arrested. It had nothing to do with me. I just upheld the law.”
“Right. It just so happened that on the night you daughter refused to stop seeing me after you ordered her to, I was arrested in a traffic stop at five o’clock in the morning for running a non-existent stop sign. What a coincidence.”
He shrugs. “Sounds like an issue with the officers, not me.”
“You would throw them under the bus when they were just following your orders?” My lips curl at the corner in disgust. “I don’t think it would take that much digging to see who instructed them to pick me up on a ten-year-old warrant for parking tickets. As a matter of fact, my lawyer is on it right now. He’s paid a thousand dollars an hour to enjoy it.”
Terrance crosses his arms and cocks his head.
“I’m waiting for you to get to the reason you’re here.”
“Oh I’m at that point now, Terrance,” I say, narrowing my eyes on him, and because I’m watching him so closely I notice the anger flash in his gaze at the use of his first name. He needs to get used to it. I’ll never call him judge again because he doesn’t deserve the title. “It seems I’m not the only one offended by your actions. My attorney is as well. So incensed, he’s spent all afternoon writing this.” I toss the envelope on the desk. “A grievance ready to be filed regarding the judicial misconduct and unethical and unprofessional behavior of Judge Terrance Ward.”
Shock registers on his face. He blinks several times, his lips dropping open. For a moment, his gaze falls away from mine, and he sways lightly, but in the next second, his wide, solid body stiffens, and his mouth firms again. His eyes return to mine and they’re dark with rage, and his smooth, deep brown skin pulls taut over his blunt features.
He sneers, and he scans me from the top of my messy bun, down my leather jacket and hoodie to the jeans not hidden by his desk. “You think that scares me? Coming fromyou?” Theyoureeks, as if he’s just smelled shit on the bottom of his shoe.
I smile.
“Yes,” I softly say, palming the top of his desk and leaning forward. “Yes, I think that scares you. You, Judge Terrance Ward, without a blemish on your record. Mainly because no one would dare complain against such an institution in this county. But you fucked with the wrong man. I’m not the same man whose brother you jacked up so you could use him as leverage to run me out of town. You counted on still being able to manipulate me all these years later, but you tipped your hand. Terrance, I hate to break it to you, but you’re a county judge. A big deal here in Pike’s End. But I’m a famous national and international musician with so much money Midas touches me to get gold. I’ve played in the White House and ate caviar-topped hotdogs with senators after I performed private concerts at their daughters’ birthday parties. Who do you think will have their ear? Who has the most power here? You or me?”
I jab the envelope and shove it closer to him.
“And once that’s filed and it goes public, and I start talking about a small-town judge who thinks he’s the second coming of Jesus in a robe, it’s only a matter of time before other people you’ve wronged start coming out of the woodwork. They’ll all have stories about how the high and mighty Terrance Ward abused his power and position. My brother is probably just one case. And I promise you, Terrance. My Instagram account is bigger than yours.”
His gaze drops to the envelope and he's struggling not to show his fear. I really shouldn’t be enjoying this moment, but this bastard stole everything from me. Because that’s who Lennon was to me. Fuckingeverything. So maybe it makes me petty as hell, but yeah, I’m enjoying this.
“If you care about my daughter so much you wouldn’t expose her to that kind of publicity or ridicule. Or,” his sneer returns, and I have to give it to him—he doesn’t give in easily, “was your act this whole time just to get more of what you had of her at eighteen?”
I laugh and it’s rough, jagged and angry as fuck.
“Don’t pretend to be so concerned about your daughter’s feelings now. I loved Lennon ten years ago. And if you had bothered to actuallyseeme instead of look down your nose at me, you might have noticed. If you cared for your daughter, you wouldn’t have kept what you did to her a secret for a decade. You would’ve balled up and admitted to her that you were behind sending me out of town and why. But we both know your main concern wasn’t about protecting her as much as protecting your reputation. So don’t give me that”