Page 99 of Contention

“I know you like to consider me a half-wit,” Kara replies suspiciously, not trusting that smirk in the slightest. He smirks like that when he watches movies, too. Usually when something unpleasant is about to happen to someone. “But, why today? The Mills case closes today. Seemscoincidental.”

“Does it?” The smirk intensifies as his eyes dismiss her, already looking at something over her head. “Good luck,” he says to her absently. “Remember, I said you’d lose this case.”

“Arrogant jerk,” Kara mutters to herself, watching him walk away. She does not glance at his ass. Definitely not.

Something doesn’t feel right.

With a sinking feeling twisting about inside of her, Kara goes to join up with Derrick and Bob, seeing Debbie looking pale and anxious beside them. Derrick frowns at her, noting the shadows under her eyes. He doesn’t think she’s taking care of herself. “Kara, we’re short on time. Let’s finish huddling in the conference room before going in.”

“Got it. Sorry, I just saw-” she starts to tell him about Nick seeing the judge privately, but Derrick is on edge already about final arguments and he cuts her off.

“We don’t have time. Follow me,” he says, leading them to one of the conference rooms, only fifteen minutes remaining until court reconvenes.

It’s almost funny, how terrible it goes.

“We find Max Dotaire, on the count of rape in the first degree, not guilty.”

Debra Mills groans from somewhere to Kara’s left, a noise that sounds like Debra’s just seen her cat die. There’s a growing racket as people start talking, a buzz of angry bees, drowning out the next sentence. Judge Canry calls for order in the court furiously, pounding his gavel. The jury spokesperson continues reading out their decision, saying they do find Max Dotaire guilty of Gross Negligence of a person paying for his services.

Debra is hiding her face in her hands, crying. Kara turns to her, feeling like garbage, feeling like a failure. “Hey,” she tries patting her on the shoulder tentatively. “At least we got him on something, right? He didn’t totally get away with it all.”

How could this happen?

Looking at her with red eyes and a puffy face, Debra hisses, “He got away with the one thing that mattered. You don’t know how I feel. You can’t even understand.”

The sinking feeling Kara’s belly increases with dismay, because Debra is right. The loss is a painful sting in her chest. So, what if they got him on Gross Negligence? That doesn’t excuse the violation of Debra’s person, or how Debra likely won’t be able to trust another person with her body. She’ll never get closure for what happened to her.

Kara tastes bile on her tongue.

Then, something even worse happens. Judge Canry demands order once more. With a grim expression on his aging face, he says, “Due to the lack of evidence to support otherwise, I am closing the secondary case on Paxton Brooker, owner of theDark Mirage. The entire accusation against him has been based upon the idea that he is routinely hiring people who rape and harm inside of his club, hinging upon this case on his employee, Max Dotaire. No pattern of abuse has been found. I consider the matter closed, unless better evidence is brought forth or a new charge is presented.”

The air collapses in Kara’s lungs as she stares at the judge in disbelief. Bob is cursing under his breath. Derrick keeps his emotions hidden, the consummate professional. He won’t add to the negative energy floating around their table. He rubs the bridge of his nose, the only outward sign of frustration and dismay that he presents.

Kara feels her teeth grind together precariously as she carefully connects the dots, thinking of what she saw earlier. Seeing her face going dangerously tense, Derrick says, “Kara, I know this is disappointing-”

“It’s not that,” she grits out, eyes sweeping the dispersing crowd. “I was trying to tell you earlier. Havenwood-Calais was here. Talking to Judge Canry. Just before we went into session.”

Bob utters a new set of extremely colorful curses, turning red.

Derrick goes still, face serious, eyes finally getting an angry glint in them that Kara has never seen before. Flatly, Derrick says, “He got Canry to drop Brooker’s case. That utter...bastard. How did I not see that coming?”

“I’ve always said to not trust that snake in a suit,” Bob huffs furiously, feeling robbed. “This is what happens when you don’t expect the worst from him!”

Kara glances downward at her phone and her stomach twists with nausea, anger pounding through her temples. Stars dance across her vision as her emotions grow darker. Nick’s texted her.Meet me at the hotel across the street. Mention my name and the front desk will give you a key.

No inflection. No hint of understanding how he’s backstabbed her. Perhaps it’s not personal to him, just business.

Too bad. It’s personal to Kara and her fingers clench dangerously around her phone.

So, he wants to have a victory fuck? He wants to gloat? Oh, Kara doesn’t play those games. Trying to keep her face clear of complete and absolute wrath, she excuses herself tightly, making her way to go across the street and strangle Nicholas Havenwood-Calais.

Stepping into the hotel room with the key she’s been given, Kara struggles to keep herself from biting through her tongue. She’s going to tear his lying, scheming head right off his shoulders.

It’s a nice, large suite. Of course. Not a closet of a hotel room that Kara would have normally been in by herself. Nice and expensive. She knows he’s here; she can smell the ghost of his cologne hanging in the air. If anything, it makes her even more angry.

She wants to scream. She wants to throw the lamps and tear down the curtains. How dare he do this to her? Losing the Mills case is one thing, but having the Brooker’s case dismissed in the same breath? Unbelievable.

Nick steps out of what must be the bathroom, his tie completely undone around his neck. There’s a trickle of water in his dark hair, indicating that he likely splashed water on his face before she walked in.

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