Page 14 of Graves

“Zayden Graves, rise for sentencing.”

Zayden stands, that same innocent look splashed across his face as he stares up at the judge hopefully.

“For the charges of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, I find you guilty and sentence you to five years in the Washington State Penitentiary, with the possibility of parole after three years.”

With that, the gavel is banged and gone is my calm and collected brother. A roar rips through him as he attempts to jump over the table. I’m not sure what his goal was once he got over, but several prison guards rush him immediately, slamming him to the ground before wrapping him up in even more restraints as they haul him out of the room.

His screams are heard even after the door is shut, and his lawyer shakes his head as he packs up his briefcase.

“Sorry, Mr. Graves. Looks like the judge had his mind made up before we even showed.”

I look at him but don’t respond as I stare at the judge. Judge Allen Martinez. I’ll come up with his home address later and make sure to check on him. I heard there was going to be a terrible gas leak.

Chapter Eight

BLAKE

It’s been over a month since I last saw Dominic. He gave me an earth-shattering, heart-palpitating kiss and then said he had to go. I didn’t know that he meant forever. I can’t deny that I was more than a little disappointed when he stopped coming around. But that’s just the way it is, I guess. People come and go, right?

I pop my car trunk as I fill it with the groceries I’ve just bought. Today is my first day off in a while, so I’m just going to go home, stock the cabinets, and then waste the restof the day watching trash TV. It’s gonna be glorious.

When I slide into my seat, I put the key in the ignition and turn, only for nothing to happen. What the fuck? I try it again, but still nothing. No lights pop up on my dash, but those things only work half the time anyway. Letting out an irritated exhale, I pop the hood and throw my door open.

As I lift my hood, I quickly realize I have no fucking clue what I’m looking at. I see some wires and I try to wiggle them. I don’t know, maybe it’ll do something.

“Need some help?” a familiar voice asks from behind me.

I startle for a moment before I look up to see Dominic staring down at me. He’s wearing a black button-down shirt tucked into black dress pants. I don’t know what he does for work, but he’s always dressed nicely. Never suit-and-tie style, but just clean and put together. Oh, and hot as fuck.

“Hey. What are you doing here?” I ask.

He holds up a single bag of groceries, effectively making me sound like an idiot.

I don’t know, Blake, what is he doing at a grocery store?

“Car won’t start?” he asks.

I shrug. “Guess not.”

“Can I try?” he asks.

“Be my guest.” I nod as he attempts to sit in the driver’s seat. I say attempt because he’s so tall and my car is so small that his head literally has to bend just to fit inside it.

He goes to turn the key, but nothing happens yet again.

“It’s probably your battery,” he says as he steps out of my clown car. “I have a shop in town that can get you set up with anew one and do a once-over on your car if you want.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think I can afford all that right now. I hardly use the thing anyway.”

“I insist. I know the owner, money is not gonna be a problem.”

I hesitate for a moment before I relent. Fuck it, if he wants to help me get my car fixed, who am I to say no?

He nods before I can even respond, apparently reading my face or something, as he pulls out his phone and shoots off a text.

“A tow truck will come pick it up within the hour. I can take you to the shop now, or maybe we can get you lunch?”

I tilt my head at that. “Just me?”

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