She went back to sucking her thumb and left me struggling to blink back tears. Using the years of experience I’d had dealing with difficult situations in court, I stood and looked at the silent Nutty. Her face showed her distress. A single tear slid down her flushed cheek and dripped off her chin.
I took a steadying breath and swallowed twice before I found my voice. “I’ll make sure I bring your Poppy home to you and Nutty.”
Please let me keep my word!
Chapter Five
Lincoln
The same mean-eyed fucker from the day before opened my cell door. I remained lying on my bunk, waiting to see what he wanted.
“Get up. It seems your fancy pants lawyer has managed to get you in front of Judge Rains.” His ugly face morphed into an equally ugly sneer as he carried on. “You’re out of luck, Killer, Rains hates scum like you.”
I slowly rose off the bed and stood, realizing he’d used my club name. My eyes narrowed. How had he known my club name? Had this fucker applied to be a prospect of the club? There was nothing familiar about him, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t applied and been rejected. Could this be why he hates me?
As I raised my hand to push the hair off my face, the stupid fuck shifted back. I kept the smile inside as I stared at him, saying nothing. Silence was my biggest weapon in a place like this.
“Sit the fuck back down while we chain you,” he said, his left eye twitching as another guard came in behind him.
“Geoff, you ain’t supposed to open the cell without backup,” the other guy muttered loud enough for me to hear.
Geoff’s face resembled a ripe tomato as he glared at the other guy. His lips firmed, and he kept whatever he wanted to say to himself.
Back to walking down endless halls, I ignored the cat calls and bravado. Chains rattled as I walked up the steps to the box in the courtroom. My gaze swept the room and found the usual gawkers from the local news. Mr. Davenport stood at the front of the room, his suit today a gunmetal grey. His shirt was white, and the tie was the same color as the suit. He wore an expression of deep concentration as he spoke to a woman with dark, spiky hair that had her back to me but was very familiar.
What was Nutty doing here? Fuck, where was River? Had the courts taken her? Tension crept up my spine and my neck stiffened. Panic, that always came with thoughts of anyone taking River from me, stopped me thinking rationally.
The chains chinked together while I sucked in a few calming breaths, and at the same time, I went through the mental list of activities I’d planned for River this week. The tension eased a little as I recalled today was one of the days she spent with Mina and her brood.
Mina lived five houses down from mine and popped babies out like she was shelling peas. I wasn’t sure if she was on number four or five, but she was great with kids and her middle child was the same age as River, and River’s best friend. Mina was happy to have River two days a week during school vacation because I paid her with tattoos that she couldn’t afford with so many mouths to feed. It helped both of us.
Working to keep my expression blank, I sat on the hard seat behind the perspex the guards led me to.
Only once I was seated did Mr. Davenport glance in my direction. He gave a nod of acknowledgment, his sea-green eyes holding mine for a second longer before he turned his attention back to Nutty.
The noises in the room made it impossible for me to hear what was being said, but Nutty nodded several times before she went to take a seat. She glanced at me and gave a thumbs up, her expression one of confidence.
She mouthed, “River’s cool.”
It helped ease the last of the anxiety I’d covered with a blank expression. Nutty continued to smile at me, knowing me all too well not to be offended by my lack of response under the circumstances.
My gaze moved back to Mr. Davenport, who’d walked toward a man I’d seen around town once or twice. Mr. Winter had a fancy lawyer’s office on Main Street. The guy had a reputation as a shark. To me, he looked like he’d been slicked up with motor grease, an oily fucker that thought he was top of the food chain when really, he was nothing but a shrimp. Some of the club members had used him in the past for minor shit they’d been hauled in for.
I frowned. Had someone at the club told the skank to go to this greasy fucker? The sense something was off, came back.
Mr. Davenport’s posture went from relaxed and easy to stiff and, although he offered his hand, it appeared to be more of a courtesy than anything else. It distracted me from my thoughts as words were exchanged before the door behind the judge’s table opened.
A silence fell over the courtroom.
“All rise, Judge Rains presiding,” a voice requested respectfully.
Following the command, I waited until directed to return to my seat. I intertwined my fingers in my lap to hide their shaking. To show weakness was something I loathed, but with everything that was riding on today, my body wasn’t listening to reason.
There was a load of legal jargon to go through, and I zoned out. It was only as Mr. Davenport stood that I tuned back in.
“Your honor, I respectfully request bail for my client. Having reviewed the evidence, or what little there is, I see no reason as to why he cannot be released on ba—”
“Your Honor, I disagree, he raped my client. Miss Fink is at risk if he is released,” Mr. Winter pointed out abruptly, talking over Mr. Davenport.
Biting my tongue to stop from shouting out, air got stuck in my chest as the two men argued back and forth until the judge interrupted.
“Enough. I’ve read over the file. You both have valid points.” His fingers templed as he sat forward, his elbows resting on the table as he stared at both men. Then he glanced at me for the first time.
“Taking into account the rather large number of previous altercations with the law Mr. Stone has had, bail will be set at two-hundred-fifty thousand dollars.”
There were several gasps, and people muttered amongst themselves before there was a call for silence. Folks were probably thinking I’d be stuck rotting in the cell, but the club had more than enough funds to pay the bail, so I wasn’t worried. For the first time in three days, I breathed easy, knowing I’d be free.
The judge continued to put restrictions on me as he talked about a tracker being attached to me that was given to all sexual predators. I didn’t give a fuck as long as it got me out of this place and back to River.
When the court proceedings were over, Mr. Davenport looked up at me and mouthed. “I’ll be through to see you as soon as I can clear it.”
Mr. Winter walked over to Mr. Davenport and laid a hand on his arm. I tensed. What did the sleazebag want?
I watched the heated exchange as Mr. Davenport shook off the hand, his expression hard as stone as he turned his back on the other guy. If I hadn’t been watching closely, I might have missed how Mr. Davenport’s hands trembled as he collected the papers he’d laid on the desk he’d been sitting behind through some of the hearing.
What had the dude said to upset Mr. Davenport?
With no time to dwell on it, I was led back to the jail and taken to the room we’d met the previous day. There must have been a quicker way from the courtroom, as he was already sat in the same seat, his expression showing no emotion. His ever-watchful eyes held mine as I entered the room.