Page 3 of Inside the Maelstrom: Part Two
“Like I’m going straight to Hell,” he growled, pulling me close again, and kissing me hard. Yeah, he didn’t seem real worried about that anymore.
Chapter2
Sampson
Hendrick was tapping his lace-free shoes against the floor of the jail cell, and it was grating on my nerves. I watched him from the corner of my eye as his face went through the full range of emotions. Anger, outrage, fear, sadness, relief, then circling back to anger to begin the cycle once more. He was in the relieved part of the process right now, and I kind of wanted to know what was going on inside his head.
“What's with your face?”
He scowled at me, but still rubbed at his cheeks. “What’s wrong withyourfucking face, asshole?”
I huffed a laugh. “I mean, why do you look relieved? Because you didn’t end up in the psych ward?”
He went to shake his head, but hesitated. “That’s part of it—I’m relieved I’m not in a padded cell, for sure. I’m just happy my father finally made his move, so this shit won’t be hanging over me for another decade, you know?”
Yeah, that made sense. I was still kicking myself for not getting the guy assassinated though.
Hendrick sighed. “Mostly, I’m glad Aviva wasn’t with us. I know that makes it more difficult for you to clear that trafficking charge, but we both know it isn’t going to stick. He just needed you out of the way for a bit.”
Senator Kenley hadn’t taken into account how fucking stubborn his son was though. If it had gone to plan—if Hendrick had gone to the psych ward, and I’d been stuck in here for a day or two to be arraigned—then god knows how we would have gotten him out. This gave my lawyers time to find a workaround.
“I’m glad she's not here either. So fucking glad.” When I’d had my phone call with my lawyer, he’d advised me to say nothing. Duh. But he’d also advised me to not contact Aviva. Easily done. The less she knew about this bullshit, the better.
A cop appeared in front of the bars, and his face was drawn into a frown. Once the cops from the airport had dropped us here, they’d fucked off. The other cops here at the station had read our charges, taken one look at us and decided we were here because of some trumped-up bullshit. Though that didn’t stop them being a little too rough with Hendrick after he’d cold-cocked one of their own.
“Rubio. Kenley. Get up. It’s time for your bail hearing.”
Thank fuck.
They re-cuffed us and transported us a short distance to the courthouse. I found my lawyer in the crowd, and he gave me a firm nod. Something loosened in my chest. He was also Hendrick’s lawyer, and apparently he had it all under control.
I also spotted Otto and his parents at the back of the courtroom. Otto looked like shit, tired and stressed. His parents were frowning, equally concerned, their eyes flitting back and forth around the courtroom. His mom gave me a warm and somehow comforting smile. The world really didn’t deserve that family. They were too sweet.
We were ushered to a spot just behind the lawyers, and we sat down. The judge was old, and not familiar to me, which I hoped would work in our favor. Someone not under Senator Kenley’s thumb was always the best case scenario.
“Sampson Rubio.”
I stood, stepping forward toward the long table in front of us. “Yes, Your Honor.”
The judge sifted through my paperwork with a frown. “These are quite serious charges, Mr. Rubio.”
“Nuisance charges, Your Honor, without any substantial evidence. Quite frankly, they are unlawful,” Tobias, my lawyer, argued.
The judge harrumphed. “That isn’t for this court to decide today, Mr. Lecter. An easy way to prove your innocence would be to produce the girl you are accused of trafficking.” He scanned the pages. “Miss Aviva Robinson? Where is she?”
“Hong Kong, I believe, sir.”
“You believe?”
I nodded, my face impassive despite the cold trickle of sweat down my spine. “Yes, sir. We broke up in Yokohama, and she continued her trip by herself.”
“That’s fortuitous for the prosecution's case, Mr. Rubio.”
I gritted my back teeth and nodded. My lawyer stepped forward, handing a sheaf of papers to the judge. “Your Honor, this anonymous tip is slanderous at best, and a grievous sleight against the judicial system at worst. As you can see, there are messages from the girl in question to her parents, including selfies and holiday snaps.”
“Easily forged, Your Honor. The parents are concerned,” the opposing counsel argued. I didn’t recognize the guy from the D.A.’s office, but he looked like a shark.
The judge pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t rule on this, Mr. Lecter.” He turned to the other lawyers. “If it was the parents who were concerned, Rodriguez, then there would be a kidnapping report and not just a tip-off from an anonymous source.” He eyed the D.A. with hard eyes. “I do not believe Mr. Rubio poses a threat to the community. The bail is set at two million dollars, and he will turn in his passport. However, the prosecution has already wasted enough of the court's time, and I hope they take a long, hard look at their case and its merits before proceeding with this farce any further. Next case.”
