Page 1 of Reclaim

Prologue

Jagger

The metal rubs roughly against my skin, cutting deep into my wrists, as forceful hands press into the middle of my back, urging me forward.

My feet shuffle around the splattered blood decorating the tiled floor, and my eyes wander over the mess I’m leaving behind.

What have I done?

Stepping outside, I’m welcomed by the flashing strobes of red and blue lights and the prying eyes of everyone I’ve ever known.

Staring. Questioning. Judging.

I keep my head down, willing myself to wake up from this horrible nightmare. Praying my irresponsible choices didn’t just take away my whole family. With each step I take the sound of gunshots bouncing off the walls echoes through my mind. Mixed with the memory of Sasha’s bloodcurdling screams, I know I’m destined to be haunted by this moment forever.

“Ma’am, you’re going to have to move out of the way.” The officer’s stern voice has me looking up. I wondered if I would see her before they took me away. She stands before me, leaning on the police car. Her tears are uncontrollable, and her shoulders shake in grief. If a broken heart had a face, hers would be it.

I step closer, and let all the regret, the confusion, and the ultimate betrayal linger between us.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, my voice hoarse and broken.

The second the words leave my mouth, Sasha’s body stiffens. I know they’re inadequate. She straightens her back, and wipes tears off her face, ridding herself of any vulnerability.

“Sorry?” she spits out in a question. “I hope you fucking burn in hell.”

My head hangs in defeat, knowing those gates are open wide and ready to welcome me.

“Sasha, the ambulance is making its way to the hospital. Dakota needs you.”

I feel my brother’s disappointment before I see him.

Hendrix stares at me like he’s noticing me for the first time. Wondering what he missed, and how we got here. Shaking his head, he leaves me behind and follows his future.

“Drix,” I call out. His shoulders rise and fall at the sound of my voice. “I know how important she is to you. Take care of them for me. You’ll do a better job than I ever could.”

My request scratches the surface of many unspoken thoughts. Guilt swims in my veins, and regret cinches my heart. There isn’t a life around me I haven’t touched and stained, and the pain etched on all their faces is tangible proof.

Thisis the only thing I’ll be remembered for.

1

Emerson

“The navigator says we’ve only got fifteen minutes left before we get there,” Joe says, interrupting my concentration. “You’ve looked at that file for the last three hours. It can’t be that interesting.”

“What? No,” I mumble in confusion. Taking one last look at the mug shot, I discreetly close the folder. “I like to feel as if I know them before I see them.”

“What’s there to know? He’s a criminal, doing his time. The fact we’re visiting him in prison makes it obvious, does it not?”

I cringe at his frankness. Joe’s direct nature often means we’re at loggerheads with one another. He’s determined to see the world in black and white, and my tendency to try and find the colour in everything has him often thinking of me as incompetent and naive. Especially right now. An unwelcome shadow, he makes me feel nervous and inadequate, and keeps insisting that I could use his assistance with the drive up.His sexist views on a woman entering an all-male prison are hidden under the chivalrous guise of keeping me company.

We’ve known each other for five years, both starting out in a competitive Legal Aid Graduate Program, fresh out of university. We ventured on to becoming full-time solicitors. Like many people, Joe became jaded, cynical, and a downright arse to work with.

I fought tooth and nail to be accepted in the graduate program, and after five years it’s still the only place I want to be.

Working for Legal Aid isn’t for everyone. It’s often disheartening and the results can be really ungratifying. Being a purely government funded organisation we’re not at the top of the food chain when it comes to the legal world. This job is all heart and no cents.

I’ve only ever wanted to practice law. I come from a family of solicitors, the difference? It’s their speciality. They love property law, and when I finished high school, I thought I did too. I was going to follow in my family’s footsteps. Work for my dad and eventually his firm would be mine. There was nothing my father loved more than showing me off as his protege. Until he realised I wasn’t.

---