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The team of attorneys stared at Melissa before Jordan flipped his wrist and checked his Rolex. Strolling to the metal door, he gave a swift three-knuckle knock, and seconds later, the door buzzed then opened. The guards walked inside straight for Melissa. They stood her up and re-cuffed her wrists before coaching her out of the room. Behind them, the lawyers strutted out, making a left turn while Melissa was taken down a different corridor.

“Get me out!” Melissa shouted just as they disappeared around the corner. The attorneys passed through the double doors, and Phoebe covered her face with Christian Dior shades.

“Get me out; she says,” Phoebe mocked with a shake of her head. “Here she is, with a solid alibi and she won’t use it. Why is it that everyone thinks we can perform miracles?”

Jordan smirked. “Because we can,” he said with so much confidence Phoebe almost believed him. Usually she went into a case with the utmost certainty that she could come out with a win. After all, they say attitude is everything when it comes to what you want and believe. But this case was different. They would have to pull out all the stops to keep Melissa from going to a prison where they could possibly bury her and throw away the key.

“No sleep for the next few months, huh?”

Phoebe and Jordan climbed into his car, and she buckled her belt.

“We’ll pull all of the first-year associates on the case and get them to do some digging,” Jordan said.

“We may need a few of the interns to help out on this one, too,” Phoebe said.

Jordan nodded and looked out the window. “Aye yo, sis, you know I didn’t mean anything by what I said back on the beach.”

Phoebe sighed. It wasn’t something she cared to discuss. “Let’s just focus on the case,” she said, needing desperately to keep her mind on anything but Quentin.

“You know I sent Quentin after you thinking he could calm you down, but when you returned you seemed even more frustrated,” he said. “Anything you want to talk about?”

Phoebe turned to look at him, and Jordan glanced over at her. “I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“No, you said let’s just focus on the case, but I just want to make sure you’re okay. I’ve never seen you flip out like that even during your so-called angry times. You tossed beer on me and then threw the bottle at my head.”

Phoebe twisted her lips and rolled her eyes, swooping her hair back off her shoulders. “I did not throw a bottle at you.”

“Lies,” he said. “I thought lawyers were supposed to tell the truth.”

Phoebe smirked and waved him off. “I didn’t,” she murmured, “if I did, trust me, you would’ve been hit.”

“So cold,” he said, and she smiled.

“What’s cold is having you and Jonathon and everyone else breathing down my throat all the time.”

“Hey, we do that to Eden and Jasmine, too.”

“That’s beside the point. I’m a grown woman. You’ve slept with women my age.”

“Whoa!” Jordan said, “Calm down. You’re taking this too far. I understand your reference.”

Phoebe shrugged. “I told you I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Damn, if that’s your way of trying to get me to shut up, you win.”

“I told you I have a killer success rate.” Her mouth opened with a bright smile, and she stuck her tongue out.

“Touché.” Jordan became quiet. “Seriously, Phoebe, I get it,” he said. “Seeing you flip out like that worried me.”

Phoebe quirked a brow up at him.

“I’m not joking. From here on out, I swear not to pester you about being a child. You’re right, you’ve been old enough to make your own decision about love and life in general. So if you ever need to talk, you know, about anything, I’m here for you.”

Phoebe stared at Jordan as he drove. Was he actually telling her he would lay off from dipping into her love life or lack thereof? To test it out, she prompted.

“Are you saying if I get a boyfriend, you won’t run a background check and pull him in a stairwell to interrogate him?”

Jordan cut his eyes at her. “I didn’t say all that.”

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