Page 21 of Hooked on Mack
“Accidents happen,” he replied, giving me a lopsided smile. “Besides, now we have a great story to tell, right?”
“Right.” I laughed, despite myself. “The time Larissa Montgomery decked Mack Harrington in the middle of a courthouse lobby.”
“Exactly.” He grinned. “Now that's a tale for the ages.”
“Maybe so,” I agreed, smiling back as I finished bandaging his nose. “But let's try to avoid any more accidents in the future, okay?”
“Agreed.” He chuckled, and for a moment—just a brief, shining moment—all the chaos around us seemed to fade away, leaving only Mack, me, and the bond we'd forged in the heat of battle.
“Excuse me,” I said, gently nudging a gawking bystander as I helped Mack to his feet. We turned just in time to see security guards and police officers swarming Mark and Zippy like bees to honey.
“Mark Kennsington!” Zippy shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger at him as the authorities separated them. “You lying scumbag!”
My eyes flicked from Zippy's enraged face to Mark, who had the audacity to look sheepish. He tried to smooth out his disheveled hair and clothing, but the damage was done. Ava, meanwhile, stood off to the side with an air of smug satisfaction plastered across her face.
As the commotion began to die down, I realized that the responsibility of untangling this mess fell squarely on my shoulders. With a sigh, I turned to Mack. “I suppose we should start figuring out what happened here.”
“Agreed,” he replied, touching his bandaged nose gingerly. “Though I must say, this is one of the more… interesting cases I've been involved in.”
“Tell me about it,” I muttered, scanning the room for any clues or witnesses who could shed light on the situation.
“Hey. You don't think this will affect our case, do you?”
“Unfortunately, I have no idea,” I admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt for punching him earlier. “But I promise you, I'll do everything I can to make sure it doesn't.”
“Thanks,” he said, and I could tell he meant it. His faith in me warmed something deep within my chest, and I couldn't help but smile.
“Alright, let's get to work,” I declared, rolling up my sleeves. “We need to talk to Mark, Zippy, and Ava, and then we'll see if any of these fine folks”—I gestured to the crowd that had yet to disperse—“witnessed anything useful.”
“Lead the way,” Mack said with a grin. Together, we waded into the aftermath, determined to find answers amidst the chaos.
13
Mack
“I might have underestimated how quickly things would escalate.”
“Underestimated?” Larissa snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Mack, what part of that didn't scream disaster to you?”
“Ah, but where's your sense of adventure?” I teased, nudging her. Her laughter bubbled up, infectious and bright.
“Adventure,” she muttered, shaking her head as our laughter died down. “You're going to be the death of me, Mack Harrington.”
I winked at her, trying to ignore the pounding in my chest. The truth was, I'd follow her on whatever adventure she chose. Even if it meant sitting on this cold floor, surrounded by police and security guards who were no doubt wondering how two lawyers managed to land themselves in such a mess.
I tilted my head back to stem the flow. My nose throbbed with each heartbeat, and I held my suit jacket against it, the once pristine fabric now marred by bright-red stains.
“Are you okay?”
“Never better,” I mumbled through my makeshift bandage, offering her a lopsided grin. “I've always wanted to see how I'd look with a crimson accessory.”
“Very fashionable. Go clean yourself up. There’s a bathroom over there.”
I glanced around the hallway, noting the uniforms and walkie-talkies that surrounded us like a swarm of bees. “I think our friends in blue might have something to say about that.”
“Can't hurt to ask. Excuse me, Officer? My friend here could really use a trip to the restroom.”
One of the officers approached us, his face stern and unreadable. “I'm sorry, but we can't let Mr. Harrington leave this area. We need to preserve any potential evidence, and for safety reasons, we have to keep everyone contained.”
