Page 4 of Love Set Me Free

It wasn’t her dislike to carry. Not really, but she did carry it because she really disliked Janelle. So much could change in a matter of twelve years. So much could change in a matter of a few seconds.

“You okay?” Tiana whispered, fingering her jet black curls and taking a step closer to Paisley, her waist touching Paisley’s shoulder.

Paisley looked up and shrugged. “Just ready to get this over with.”

Tiana gave a curt nod and then shifted her eyes toward the growing crowd of people, ever the bodyguard for her siblings. They all acted that way about each other. The Whitaker family was tightknit, and the siblings rode hard for one another, even though they bickered just as hard.

“You ready to do this?”

Paisley’s head snapped up at the sound of the deep, energetic voice. Steven Danielson, in all his glory, stood before her with a navy three piece suit and a large grin plastered on his face. She didn’t miss the hunger in his eyes as he subtly looked her up and down as best as he could since she still sat on the bench just outside the courtroom.

She had to admit that his smooth dark skin, bald head, and full beard made for a fine man, but he seemed too thirsty for her to take seriously.

Slowly, she stood, smoothing down her lilac-colored blouse that cuffed her round breasts tightly before making sure there was no lint on her black flared slacks. After giving herself a once over, she nodded and asked, “Areyouready? You’re sure you think we have a good shot at this?”

“I’m the best at what I do, sweetheart. Aren’t I?” Steven asked.

Paisley fought the urge to roll her eyes. Feeding his ego was something he set her up to do often, and she did it because italways got her what she wanted. With a curt nod as a response, she cleared her throat and looked back toward her family and the Coopers.

“Let’s go.”

Before Paisley could take a step, Linda rushed forward, gathering her in her arms. Charles patted Paisley on her back fondly, and Paisley melted into the embrace. She really loved the older couple. She’d spent so many nights at their house as a child and a teen. It was really too bad that their daughter turned out to be a bitch.

“I’m so proud of you, Paisley,” Linda said, pulling away from the embrace and holding Paisley by her hands while her family filed into the courtroom. “This appeal is because of you. You made this happen. I am in awe of you.”

“Me too, Paisley P,” Charles said, causing Paisley to grin softly at them. Paisley P was a name she came up with when she and Janelle were ten years old. They were convinced they were going to be the next hot girls’ band. Janey J and Paisley P. Charles got a kick out of it, and they never escaped the cringy nicknames.

“Thank you,” she muttered, looking down at the ground.

Linda gave her hands another squeeze before walking past her and into the courtroom, along with Charles.

When Paisley looked up, she noticed that Janelle still stood there, looking nervous as she peered at her old friend.

“Paisley—”

“We should get in there,” Paisley said, cutting her off. Whatever Janelle had to say could wait. Forever, as far as Paisley was concerned.

Janelle made a promise to Kydrick twelve years ago that she would stick by his side through this. That only lasted six months before she confided in Paisley that she was dating someone else behind Kydrick’s back. That someone turned out to be the manshe was happily married to with two beautiful children. At the time, though, Paisley couldn’t understand how Janelle could cheat on Kydrick while he was going through the hardest time of his life with a man she barely even knew. Janelle and Kydrick had history, which clearly meant nothing to her. It made Paisley angry—furious, actually—and it caused a huge blowout between them.

Thankfully, Janelle came clean to Kydrick pretty quickly. Paisley didn’t have to lie to him about the falling out, but the damage was done, and Paisley was the one who had to pick up the pieces—for both her and Kydrick.

She’d been holding that anger in for more than a decade, so as far as Paisley was concerned, there wasn’t a thing Janelle could say to her that mattered. She didn’t even understand why she was there.

Inside, the courtroom was pretty empty. Rage filled Paisley at that because Kydrick deserved more than this… so much more. He deserved people advocating for him other than the few people left in this world who loved him. Sadness quickly overtook her as she thought about Kydrick’s father. His mom, Nadia, died when they were sixteen, only two years before he went to prison. His father, however, passed four years ago. That nearly killed Kydrick. Paisley had only God to thank for him pulling through that depression. It took a very long time, but eventually, he found his fight again.

The way Paisley’s face scrunched up with fury when she noticed Thomas Jensen and his family sitting front row on the opposite side of her family should have been illegal. If he looked her way, he would have been dead on the spot just from the fierceness of her features alone. Paisley didn’t make it a habit to hate anyone, but Thomas Jensen was the exception. She wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire, and she meant that with her whole heart.

Her fists clenched tightly as tears swam in her eyes, but she stayed as composed as she could, slowly taking tentative steps toward the front of the room and sliding into the bench beside her brother, right behind where Steven sat.

After a quick scan, she noticed Annie Taylor was missing from attendance.Good.No need to have two liars funking up the space.

Bile rose in her throat as she remembered the night everything happened. Thomas was a foul man who used the color of his skin and his father’s title as dean of Barrington University. Underneath all the smooth golden hair and chiseled features was a monster, and Paisley prayed every day for his downfall.

Her glare was pulled away from him and immediately softened when the side door opened, and two officers accompanying Kydrick walked into the room. Her heart stilled. Time may not have been good to his emotional and mental state, but his physical? Whew! He was a work of art. A culmination of muscles, sharp features, and sex appeal. She doubted he even knew it. He walked with such confidence that he hadn’t had before he went to prison. He demanded everyone’s attention as he walked with his head held high and his back straight, towering over the guards.

Her eyes dropped to his hands and then his feet, which were cuffed, but the slacks and gray button down shirt that she got for him specifically for this day looked so good on him.Helooked good.

When their eyes met, his stone cold features melted, just for a split second, into relief before his stony exterior reclaimed him. That was enough for Paisley though. That was all she needed. The small sign that her presence made this day even just a tiny bit easier for him caused her emotions to fall into line and pride to swell within her.

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