Page 82 of Broken Halo

“Do you know who I am?” Carl seethes. “Don’t talk to me that way.”

Teresa doesn’t waste a moment—extending her sharp and manicured claws in my direction. “I saw that public display of tasteless behavior—allowing this man to kiss you in a court of law. You obviously didn’t waste any time moving on, which only proves our point that your dedication to our son was shoddy at best.”

My breath catches at her audacity but Trig grabs my hand and pulls me tight to his side and I try not to cringe. “You’ll deal with me and only me. Don’t speak to my client and tell your lawyer to get ready. You’ll learn soon enough that when it comes to Ellie and Griffin, I’ve never been more serious. You do not want to mess with me in the courtroom. If I see you anywhere near Ellie’s home or business, I’ll slap the two of you with restraining orders faster than a Texas tornado.”

Teresa straightens her already stuck-up spine. “Don’t you dare threaten us.”

“You say that as you continue to make false allegations against Ellie and threaten her with what she loves most, her son. If you put the heat on her, I promise to throw that back at you tenfold in court. Be ready.” Trig looks back at Paula, who has paled and is white-knuckling her memo bag, shifting her weight on her clunky, low heels. “Good luck convincing a judge why you needed to be here today,” he nods to the Kettemans before returning his glare to Paula, “with them.”

With that, Trig turns me, gives me a gentle push, and without a goodbye to my parents, Jen, Eli, or the three people who’ve created hell on Earth for me, we walk out of the courtroom.

“Holy shit, Trig. Was that necessary?”

He picks up his pace and I have to double-time it to keep up with him in my heels. After pressing the elevator button, he turns to me and he’s not angry anymore, turning off the intense litigator like a light switch. A smirk plays on one corner of his mouth and his laser-sharp eyes warm. If they were capable of sparkling, they just might. “No.”

The elevator opens and his hand tightens on mine, pulling me in. My back is pressed to the wall where I’m now caged. “Then why did you do it?”

“It wasn’t necessary but it sure was fun.” His smirk disappears and he’s all tough-guy counsel again. “No one’s going to fuck with you and they sure aren’t going to threaten you with Griffin. I’ll make damned sure of it.”

I grab onto his lapels and pull as I lift to my toes. When my lips hit his, I kiss him with a force that equals my gratitude.

“Thank you,” I utter against his lips.

His hands dip into my hair, messing my smooth locks I worked so hard on this morning. “I don’t want you to worry.”

I shake my head and pull back. “No. I’m talking about Griffin. Thank you for being there for him as much as me.”

He stills and I might not know exactly what he’s thinking but I have an idea. Or I hope I do.

Because if he wants this to happen, him and me—to be an us again—it has to include my son. Griffin might not be ours, but he could be. The hints he’s given me that he knows this too might be small and subtle and even insignificant, but they’re there.

Trig knows and he’s trying.

I didn’t think it would be possible to love him more than I did ten years ago. I did everything I could to poison every feeling I ever had for him when he cut me out of his life. But now, he’s doing everything he can to be present in the life of another man’s child?

I’ve never loved him more.

“Let me take you home.” He leans down to kiss me again when the doors open to the elevator. He takes my hand and adds, “No more drug charges. This calls for french fries and condoms.”

I squeeze his hand and smile. And it’s genuine and real and comes straight from my heart.

23

Fancy as Fuck

When evil rears its ugly head, meet it head-on. Fight for what you love.

Ellie

Stars.

I grip at the pillow I’m face down on as Trig works my clit, sending me to a place I’ve visited more in the last ten days than I have in the last ten years.

I have no idea what time it is, but Trig woke me by rolling me to my stomach and pulling my panties off. Since I’ve been passing out barely dressed every night next to Trig in Faye’s guest room, there was nothing else to do to get me naked. His lips hit the skin below my ear at the same time he dipped his hand between my legs.

“Shift for me, baby.” His voice was heavy with sleep and his cock, heavier with need, pressed into my thigh.

He woke me slowly with his fingers and lips as his long, muscled leg pinned me to the bed. And just like he’s done every time he lays a hand on me since that day in his office, he made me desperate for him. This morning was no different.

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