Page 26 of Brutal Kingdom

I thought I’d seen the last of him when I stopped going to the casino with Frankie. I guess he’s still trying to buy me that free drink.

Graham is more than a casino owner. I looked him up the night Frankie told me who he was and I know all about him turning his back on his family. Wanting to do better doesn’t mean forgetting your history. If you grow up in a criminal enterprise, you don’t just unlearn those behaviors. I’ve read a lot of books and seen plenty of crime movies about what happens when a man that powerful takes an interest in a woman. I’m not willing to assume it’s all creative license and let my guard down around him.

Right now, I’d say I have a fifty-fifty chance of Graham getting bored and moving on, as long as I don’t see or hear something I’m not supposed to. I exit the cab and hurry up the steps of City Hall. I’m meeting my lawyer, Archie Kellett, here, because he’s in court all day.

Archie’s kind and detailed oriented and has a thing for cartoon characters on bow ties. Fashion choices aside, I’ve been filing paperwork and looking up laws on my own and I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. It’s a relief having an actual legal team at my disposal. He’s reviewed my application and is returning it, with the stipulation that I don’t file it before Monday.

When I asked why he’s telling me to wait, he said it’s because he always advises his clients to sleep on it. That’s sound advice, and I’m secretly happy that I have a few more days before tossing a grenade at what’s left of my normal life.

Archie’s pacing in front of the courtroom door, talking on his phone. His tie is a little crooked and his face is flushed. Must be a tough phone call or case. He sees me, disconnects the call, and rushes toward me.

“I’m sorry, am I late?” I ask.

“No. Not at all.” He says, looking behind him before ushering me into the hall opposite the courtroom doors. “We’re still on recess, and people will be coming back from lunch soon. I saw a few people from the town council here, and I think it’s best if we avoid them seeing us together. At least for now.”

He passes me the envelope and I open it to look at the documents inside. My signature is still in the exact same place as before. He puts a hand on top of mine, giving it a small squeeze. “You have time, Jordanna.”

“Right. Monday, afternoon, and for the next three days…”

“Go about your life. Forget about what’s in that envelope and then pull it out on Monday and decide if you really want to do this. If you do, you drop it at the courthouse and the return service will deliver a notification to my paralegal. If not, well, then it was nice meeting you and I wish you luck in all your future endeavors.”

He turns, hurrying back towards the courtroom doors, while I head back down the stairs to the exit. Forget about this for the next few days. I’m going home to see my mother this weekend, so I should be able to do that.

TWELVE

JORDANNA

The dining hall is packed. I look around for somewhere to sit, my gaze settling on the far left corner of the room where I used to eat with my friends. Grad school classes start next week. Noel and I have plans to link up when he comes back on campus. The first thing I’m gonna ask when I see him is why he kept his history with Logan a secret.

Bella’s shriek pulls my attention to the middle of the room. “Take this back and get me one without this ridiculous garnishment.”

“You can just pull it off.” The server says, draping a towel over her arm.

Bella flicks her wrist, fluttering her fingers. “The scent and taste have already tainted the steak. I don’t want it.” She shoves the tray upwards, the girl loses her grip, and it falls to the floor, the plate shattering on impact. Some of its contents land on Bella’s shoe. “Agh. Look at where you’re shaking your fur, you cow. Now get down there and clean it up.”

“I’ll get the janitor.”

Bella holds her hand out, preventing the server from walking away. “Do it yourself. With your shirt.”

“But. But.” She looks at her shirt. “I don’t have another one.”

“Not my problem. Now take it off and clean my shoes.”

Before I register what I’m doing, I’ve crossed the room. My hand reaches out to touch the girl’s shoulder when she moves to unbutton her shirt. Reading her name tag, I say, “Wendy, don’t do that. You were right, the janitorial staff should take care of the spill. The plate’s shattered, and the floor is wet. It’s a safety hazard to all the students.”

Looking at Bella, I say, “A good leader doesn’t want anyone under their care hurt. Guess that makes you a crappy one.”

“This is none of your business, Jordanna.”

“That plate and serving tray look expensive. So if the school investigates the destruction of their property and wants someone’s parents to reimburse them, I’ll be happy to act as a witness for Wendy.”

“You would?” Wendy asks, gaping at me.

“Yes. I would.” Titling my head to the door, I say, “Looks like someone else has already told the facilities staff about the accident.”

Bella gets to her feet, glaring at me. “I thought we agreed you’d stay out of my way.”

I’m here, alone, with no support. It’s how I’ll be spending a lot of my time when people find out what I’m doing, so I need to embrace it. “Did I agree or did you assume?”

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