Page 93 of Talk About… Trouble

But all I felt now, after saying my piece to those assholes, was free.

My pack bond was burning with approval in my chest, pride and love filling it. I knew that this was never going to drag me down again.

I’d officially moved on.

“Miss Ellis,” Judge Bank said as he watched us walk to the podium in front.

“Actually, it’s Miss Harding now,” I corrected with a soft smile, gesturing to the pack behind me and the omega clinging to my hand.

The judge’s face broke out into a wide grin.

“I can’t even express how happy I am for you,” he said, then his smile faded. “And my regrets… While it should have been the happiest time of your life, I’m having to drag you back here and deal with those…”

He was going to say more but cut himself off with a shake of his head, taking a breath as if to calm himself. It was nice to know he was just as pissed off about the situation as I was.

“I do want to assure you that no matter what you show me today, at bare minimum, they will be further sentenced and fined for their lack of decorum in this courthouse today.”

“As her legal representative, I was able to acquire footage from the outside of the Omega Clinic where they were assaulted by the same omega who had confronted them prior. Upon further investigation into this omega and her past, it seems that there was correspondence between her and the alphas in question.”

“What?” I gasped, looking over at him. “So, it wasn’t coincidence that she had found me in that bar? But how did she know I was there?”

“Sorry,” Carl hissed back. “The more shocked you are by this, the harsher this judge is about to be. This isn’t all, brace yourself.”

His words had Devon’s arm tightening, and then I could feel all of my mates touching me, holding me steady while I faced whatever else was coming out.

“It seems this misguided omega had some hero worship complex going on. I’m unsure where it began, but when we had the police search her house, they found enough evidence to put her away with them. Videos and photographs that prove she has been stalking my client for quite some time. Along with that we have evidence of her plans to tamper with both Miss Harding’s job and housing by making false reports to her employer and the Omega Clinic.”

Then Carl turned to me.

“Before you have to worry, this will not involve you in any way. I have more than enough to charge her, too, and I won’t need your involvement.”

“You’re telling me an omega knew what these men did and was worshiping them?”

“Not to let the details out, but I believe it has something to do with her not actually being an omega. She’s a Beta. This ended up being bigger than I expected, but unfortunately, that is for a different case at this point, one that the federal council is taking over. She was taking hormone and pheromone-changing drugs. A beta that could smell like an omega. I think she was living out some delusional fantasy.”

“And they took advantage of that to attack Miss Harding,” the judge concluded, shaking his head. “You are right. This is much bigger than just this case now. However, I can assure you, these names on this investigation, they will handle it. This team does not hold back. As for the case at hand. With this footage, I’ve seen enough. And unlucky for them, there are protective stipulations in the law that allow me to add to their sentence for transgressions made from within prison. Because of their breach of contract and behavior, they will be further fined and will be going a year without contact with anyone outside of their lawyer. No correspondence, no family visits, nothing of that sort.”

Carl looked at me with a grin.

This was huge. There’s no worse punishment than isolating an alpha from his pack mate. And honestly, for a person to not be able to talk to anyone. They would be as miserable in prison as they had made me for far too long.

There was no sympathy left for them, not that I had any to begin with.

The rest of the hearing passed by in a blur. I gave my statement, my men added in details that I might have missedsince we were all present, then we were walking out, leaving this bullshit behind me.

I’d asked them to donate anything that was coming to me from their fresh fines to an omega fund.

I didn’t need the money, nor did I want it.

“Do you really have contacts in the prison system?” I asked Nash curiously, as I glanced over. My alpha gave me a wink.

“No, but I guarantee I could fucking find one.”

“Oh yeah, we could,” Shepherd said, all on board already. “I swear, I remember someone I worked with recently talking about having a partner who worked within the prison walls. Grease the right palms, and I’d say we’ve got ourselves a gossip, don’t you?”

“I’m telling you, one word around that prison that they were fucking with pheromones, and forcing omegas... they’ll end up in the wrong crowds.”

“You can’t tell me they’re the only ones who do that kind of thing,” I countered. “There’s plenty of alphas who aren’t afraid to hurt omegas.”

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