Page 3 of Prey for You

Thank God the judge had ruled there were no cameras allowed. None of them had their phones.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

“Order!” the judge barked, slamming her gavel down once. When things quieted a little, she turned to look at me, her face a blank mask. “Is this true, Miss Reynolds? Are you legally married to the Defendant?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

I swallowed. “Six months ago.”

“Your Honor, this wasn’t—may we approach?” Derek snapped over the rising hubbub behind him.

“Order!” the judge barked at the room, banging her gavel again. She shot me a stern look but didn’t speak, beckoning to the lawyers. When the men hunched over the front of her raised bench, I could hear Derek hissing that this was new information, and I had blindsided them. That they had to understand the implications before they could proceed.

After a few hurried protests from Sam’s lawyer, the Judge shook her head and banged her gavel again.

“This will require deeper discussion. The witness may leave the stand. The defendant is not in custody, but will remain on Court premises. We will take a brief recess and reconvene at 2 p.m. this afternoon. Counsel, please join me in my chambers.Now.”

Then she banged that gavel again, and someone called,“Please rise.”Everyone in the courtroom stood up as the judge did, her robes flapping behind her like a cape as she stormed off the bench and towards a narrow door at the back of the courtroom that was opened ahead of her by one of the Bailiffs, his eyes sharp on the room as she passed through it.

Derek and the other guy who was prosecuting—his name was Laurence—both glared at me. Derek shook his head like I was a naughty child. He looked over his other shoulder towardsJeremy and something passed between them that I couldn’t catch, but then he and Laurence followed the Judge.

When I turned back, the courtroom was awash with voices, all the spectators hopping out of their seats and rushing for the door where they’d get their phones back and could get the word out. I looked for Sam, but there were a couple paralegals leaning over him, hissing questions. He shook his head, but then turned enough to meet my eyes and my heartleaped.

We were doing it.

I was shaky getting off the stand and one of the Bailiff’s offered a hand to help me, but I didn’t take it. I could feel Jeremy’s eyes on me—trails of fire raking the side of my face. I took as long as I could to straighten my clothes and thank the Bailiff before there were no more excuses.

Meeting eyes with Sam one more time, I started towards the swinging door into the gallery where Jeremy stood at the side of the aisle, glowering.

Even though his team was still talking to him, Sam’s eyes followed me as I crossed the floor. I couldn’t see him once I passed the table where he sat, but I didn’t need to.

I exchanged Jeremy’s fiery gaze of disapproval for Sam’s fierce protection.

Sure enough, as I made a bit of a process out of moving out of the legal space and into the aisle, Jeremy had shifted his glare over my shoulder towards Sam.

I tried to walk past him, but he caught my elbow and leaned into my ear.

“Married,Bridget? Are you serious?”

“I’m under oath, Jeremy,” I said quietly, watching the people ahead of me rush out into the hall so I didn’t have to meet his eyes. “Of course I’m serious.”

“When? When did—was this before or after the depositions? What the fuck, Bridget.What the actual fuck?!”

September

(Six months before the trial)

1. Really Mine

SOUNDTRACK:Fearless Pt. IIby Lost Sky and Chris Linton

~ BRIDGET ~

The morning after the wedding I was awakened by the sun pouring through the tall window because we’d forgotten to close the curtains.

My breath caught when I looked down at the bed and found Sam turned towards me, his face half-buried in the pillow, hair sticking in five different directions, and his cheeks stubbled with growth. The blankets had slipped down and gathered at his waist, so I was greeted with the sight of his beautiful shoulders and bare chest, one bicep curled up thick because he had the arm bent under his pillow, the other extended towards me, his hand flat on the sheet.

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