Page 23 of Worship Him

I stride out of the courtroom, my jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth. The rushed court date I'd pulled strings to arrange has blown up in my face. Two fucking weeks of calling in favors, and for what? To watch Destiny flee the room in tears?

The courthouse doors swing open under my hands. The bright sunlight assaults my eyes, momentarily blinding me.

As my vision clears, I spot them.

Destiny and Barrett, huddled together on a nearby bench. Her shoulders shake with silent sobs while he rubs her back, murmuring something I can't hear.

The sight twists my gut. Are they...? Could Barrett be the father? The thought sears through me like acid, but I force it down.

I turn on my heel, re-entering the courthouse. The cool air inside does little to calm the heat burning through me. Thomas is waiting just inside the door, his brows knitted in confusion.

“Back so soon?” he asks, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“I don’t pay you for lame jokes, Thomas,” I say, my voice a low growl. “I need you to dig into Barrett. Thoroughly.”

Thomas raises an eyebrow. “Barrett? Destiny’s lawyer?”

“Yes, him.” I glance around to make sure no one’s listening. “I want to know everything about the man. His family, his finances, his hobbies, his sins, his connections—everything.”

He nods slowly, catching onto my urgency. “You suspect something?”

“Yeah,” I say through gritted teeth. “He’s too close to Destiny. Something doesn’t sit right. He may be the child’s father.”

Thomas strokes his chin thoughtfully. “Well, it’s not exactly legal to dig into someone’s personal life without cause...”

“Since when have you been squeamish about bending the law?” I glare at him.

He shrugs. “Point taken. But we need a plausible reason for the judge if we’re going to use any of this in court.”

I dismiss his warning and think for a moment, the gears in my mind turning rapidly. “Start with his personal relationships,” I say finally. “Find out just how close to Destiny the bastard is. See how much time they spend together. If he’s the father, his days as a lawyer are over.”

Thomas nods again, pulling out his phone to make notes. “Got it. But Adam...”

“What?”

He looks me dead in the eye. “If Barrett's clean and you're wrong about him...”

“I’m not wrong,” I interrupt sharply. “And if by some miracle he is clean, then at least we’ll know for sure.” I run a hand through my hair in frustration. "I want to know everything. No more ugly surprises."

"Fair enough," Thomas says, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "I'll get on it."

“Good.” I take a deep breath, trying to quell the storm inside me.

“And Adam,” Thomas adds as we start walking towards the exit again.

“Yeah?”

“If you’re wrong about Destiny too…”

I stop in my tracks and turn to face him fully. "I'm not wrong about her," I say firmly.

Thomas studies me for a moment before nodding again. "I'll get started immediately."

When I step back out into the sunlight, I catch sight of Destiny and Barrett still on that bench, still talking softly. I keep my eyes on the horizon as I walk past them without another glance.

The courthouse parking lot is a maze of steel and glass, every car reflecting the relentless sun. As I approach my car, I spot a family nearby. The dad, sturdy and sure, holds his toddler’s hands while the kid wobbles on uncertain legs.

The mom hovers close, ready to catch her child if he falls.

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