Page 90 of Kane's Awakening
Feeling optimistic that morning, I offered him a hopeful smile. “It hasn’t been long. Maybe he needs some time.”
Those words couldn’t have been any truer for Kane. Time didn’t necessarily heal all wounds, but it could—when combined with patience and a loving support system—make them more bearable.
“Yeah, or a backbone,” Max suggested.
I shook my head with a laugh. “Try to have a good day, Max.”
“You, too,” he said, giving a small wave before closing the window.
A car pulled in behind me, so I drove forward and continued on my way to work. I had court at one that afternoon, so I was going into the office to catch up on any documents needing signing and to brief myself on the case before the hearing.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a big case, just a speeding ticket.
In those cases, a deal was usually accepted of a lower fine depending on their record, or I could recommend community service if the client couldn’t pay the ticket amount. My client was an eighteen year old kid in his first year of college, so I would request the latter. School was expensive enough, and it was a favor for one of Eric’s friends to take it pro bono.
Once I got to work and went into my office, I sent Kane a text telling him I made it okay, and then took the stack of papers from the basket on my desk and looked over them.
There was a quick rapping on the door.
“Come in,” I said, looking up from the set of interrogatories.
Felicia walked in, wearing a form-fitting blue dress and a huge smile. “Hey! Do you have a sec?” When I nodded, she walked farther in. “I just got notice about a court date. July fifteenth.”
My eyebrows shot upward. “Wow that was fast. Only three months away. They’re moving fast on this case.”
“Yes, they are,” she said before nibbling her bottom lip. “Which is why I need to ask abigfavor. I think I bit off more than I can chew. I admittedly was a little quick to take on the case, thinking it was no big deal. I also know the aunt of the kid involved and she begged me to defend him, saying he’s a good kid who just went down a bad path and needs a second chance.”
She took a seat and leaned forward, watching me with an expectant expression. “Will you please be my co-counsel?”
Crap.
My face must’ve given away my thoughts, because she continued, “I know it’s a lot of me to ask, especially since your boyfriend was involved that night, but Ryker, this kid is only nineteen. He could spend the rest of his life in prison for one stupid mistake.”
When Kane and I had agreed to make it official between us, I’d openly talked about him, so Eric and Felicia knew about him and constantly asked when they’d get to meet him.
“Oh, wait.” She sat straighter in the cushioned chair and re-crossed her legs, probably a nervous tick. “Would that be a conflict of interest? Since he was one of the arresting officers and you’re dating him?”
There was my way out of it; however, I sucked at lying. And another part of me—the one that had so much passion for what I did for a living—couldn’t stop thinking of the nineteen year old. That was young.
What if he reallywasinnocent? Without the best representation and defense, he could be charged as guilty and sent away to rot in a cell for the rest of his life.
“Not exactly,” I confessed, scratching at my jaw. The short stubble had grown out a bit more and itched, but Kane seemed to love it so I hadn’t shaved yet. A trim was needed, though, or I’d go crazy. “Kane isn’t directly involved in the case. He’s just an element of it. Unless the prosecution has an issue with it, it’ll be fine. Any word on who’s the opposing counsel?”
“Michael Kingston,” she answered, cringing at his name.
The cringing was justified. He was a hard-ass and rarely lost, but I’d gotten a few past him before.
“I’ll talk to him about Kane and see what he says,” I said, seeing Felicia’s face light up. “It shouldn’t be a problem as there is no advantage to the case of me being with Kane. No insider information or anything that’d be unfair to the other side. At most, Kane will only be called to testify about the night of the arrest, but there were other officers, too, so he may not be called at all.”
“So, you’re agreeing?” she asked.
I nodded. “We need to submit an Entry of Appearance to the judge to get her approval on it, but yes.”
“I owe you big time for this.” She stood and reached across the desk to shake my hand. So formal of her, but I accepted it. “Thank you.”
“No problem. Have you filed the Motion for Discovery yet?”
“Yes. I’ll let you know when I get everything.”
