Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 59287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
For some reason, she looked like she belonged there.
Shit.
Her eyes fluttered open briefly, and then she rolled over.
I was tempted to join her, but I’d fucked up enough for today. Hell, enough for the rest of my lifetime.
I hit the lights and retreated to my living room.
I couldn’t afford to let too much more idle time get away from me. I had to focus on Grant Jenkins.
New trial or not, I had to make sure he was put right back behind bars.
SPECIAL (ADJ.):
SOMETHING RESTRICTED TO A SINGLE PERSON, SPECIFIC PURPOSE, OR DISTINCT CLASS, STANDING APART FROM GENERAL RULES OR THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.
OLIVIA
My back was pressed against a cloud, and my skin was being massaged by angels.
At least, that’s what it feels like…
I rolled over in bed and opened my eyes, ready to shower and go to work, but the room I was in was not mine.
Neither was this bed.
Jerking upright, I gasped.
Where the hell am I?
On my left, the sun was slowly rising over a gray Manhattan that matched the sheets I was tucked under.
Getting out of bed, I rushed straight toward the door and down a long hallway.
I stopped when I saw Liam sitting in the living room, staring at a laptop. His robe was hanging open, revealing his abs.
“Good morning.” He looked up at me. “Did you sleep well?”
“A little too well…” I crossed my arms. “Why didn’t you wake me up and make me drive home?”
“Because that would’ve been reckless as hell,” he said. “You would’ve lasted one mile on the road.”
“Oh. Well, thanks…Um, can you walk me down to get my car now?” I asked. “If I leave now, I can take a shower and get to work on time.”
“I could’ve sworn I told you it’s a court holiday for the rest of the week,” he said. “You can shower here.”
“I don’t have any clothes.”
“I ordered you some.” He pointed to a pink box on a chaise. “Besides, I instructed everyone to work from home today. You can do that from here with me.”
I blinked, unsure of what type of fever dream I’d walked into.
“We did have sex last night, right?”
“Yes.”
“Multiple times?”
“Yes.”
“And so—”
“Go take a shower, Olivia.” He prevented me from asking another question. “We can talk about it later.”
“I’m not really a casual-sex girl.” I couldn’t resist. “I like dates, surprises, and conversations along with the sex.”
He blinked.
“I mean, if you’re thinking about getting any more from me, I just thought you should know that if I gave you the wrong impression—”
“I guessed that you weren’t the casual-sex type the first time I kissed you,” he cut me off.
“What? I mean, how?”
“I figured it out from the way you slightly flinched when I fingered you, and the way you came hard as hell after I devoured your pussy.”
My cheeks flushed red.
“We can talk about the specifics and everything you want later.” His eyes darted to the pink box, then back to me. “Take your shower before we end up having sex right here.”
I stepped closer to the box and scooped it up.
“It’s down the hall and to the left of my bedroom.” He smiled at me. “You have ten seconds to get there.”
I walked away, feeling his gaze on my back until I was out of his sight.
NEW MATTER (N.):
ANY NEW FACTS OR LEGAL ISSUES INTRODUCED INTO A LEGAL PROCEEDING OR DOCUMENT THAT GO BEYOND A SIMPLE DENIAL OF PRIOR ALLEGATIONS.
LIAM
Later that night
Olivia paced in front of my windows in silk pink pajamas, tapping her bottom lip as she read over my notes.
We’d spent most of the day reconstructing the whiteboard from my office.
Well, most of it.
I’d left some things off it for personal reasons.
As far as I was concerned, everything that was staring back at us would secure a second guilty verdict for Grant, and I couldn’t wait to “privately” mail everything to the state’s lawyers.
“So, Olivia?” I couldn’t take the anticipation anymore. “What do you think about my defense?”
She stopped walking and sighed.
“I think you’re looking at a hung jury at best.”
“A what?” I sat up. “How do you figure that?”
“Because all this evidence is good, but...I don’t think it’s enough.”
It’s more than enough.
“I mean, I understand your obsession with people who don’t obey traffic laws—trust me—but it really seems like this Grant Jenkins guy swerved too hard into a family’s van by accident.”
I clenched my jaw.
“I know you don’t want to hear this for whatever reason,” she said, “but…He was only slightly tipsy that night. He wasn’t driving drunk.”
“So, he gets to cause generational trauma twice?”
“You mean five times for five deaths, right?”
“Sure.”
“Well, no. That’s not what I’m saying.” She walked over to me, lowering herself into my lap. “But, with a new judge and new jury, you can’t control how the verdict will go this time.”
But I could still try.
“Why does this case bother you so much?” She looked into my eyes. “Honestly.”