Page 3 of Adam's Fugitive

Two hours later, I’m sitting in a jail cell, regretting my decision to accompany Auntie O on this freaking mission. I should’ve listened to Scarlett when she warned me that her aunt doesn’t know moderation and I didn’t stand a chance of keeping her in line. The fact that the elderly woman has been banned from most of the businesses in Silver Spoon Falls due to her tendency to cause trouble should’ve convinced me not to listen to her crazy ideas. Now, I’m about to face the Texas judicial system. And the ticked-off policemen are ready to make us pay big time for our actions. Oof. I knew I should’ve stayed in bed this morning.

CHAPTERTWO

ADAM

Walking into the law firm, I find Fischer, the head of the criminal division, standing at the receptionist’s desk showing off pictures of his newborn son. “Good morning,” he tells me, and I wave but keep moving, hoping to escape before I’m forced to make up some shit about the wrinkly little newborn.

“Wait up,” Fischer calls to me, and I groan at my inability to escape the new father. “I need to talk to you about a new case.”

Oh. That’s better. I turn on my lawyer mode and listen as he explains, “One of Jude’s MC brothers needs our help with a little issue.” Fischer follows me into my office. “It’s actually a problem that affects me, too.”

I drop my briefcase onto the edge of my desk and walk over to grab a bottle of water from the little mini fridge. “What’s going on?”

“Well,” Fischer sits in the chair across from my desk, “do you remember Scarlett from the bookstore?” he asks, and I rack my brain to remember who he’s talking about. His wife, Maddie, owns the local bookstore, Gatsby Books, with Fischer’s little sister, Allie.

“I don’t recall that name.” I shrug.

“She’s buying out part of my wife’s share of the business,” he reminds me.

“Okay.” My usually agile mind isn’t keeping up with this fucking conversation. I’m too tired from several late nights of trying to pull this Hardison case together to understand what the fuck he’s talking about. “And how does this involve Jude’s MC brother and you?”

“Scarlett is married to Finn Taylor, Jude’s MC brother,” Fischer adds, and I’m starting to wonder if late nights with a newborn have turned my friend into a moron. “Her best friend and aunt got themselves into a little legal trouble in Houston over the weekend, and we need you to take the case.” Now, it’s all starting to make sense. “I can’t do it since I have a conflict of interest, and Jude is buried in work right now.”

“What kind of legal trouble?” I take out my pad and start taking notes.

“The two women decided to join the protest over the decision to tear down the old Livingston Library to add another set of high-priced condos to the growing area. Everything was peaceful until the police showed up and tried to shut the protest down.” A smirk crosses my friend’s face. “Aunt Ophelia accidentally smacked an officer in the chest with her cane, and Cora tripped another officer and they both fell down. She ended up kneeing him in the balls.” Fischer coughs under his breath. “Hard.” I blink several times as the name “Cora” slams through me. There are thousands of women named Cora in Texas. I know. I’ve spent the last seven years spinning my wheels, trying to find the Cora who slipped through my fingers. “The whole incident was all caught on video, and the motherfucking video has gone viral.” Fischer shakes his head.

I lose track of the conversation when long-buried memories of my gorgeous lost soulmate flash through my mind. Taking a huge sip of the cold water, I attempt to pull myself together before asking, “What have the two women been charged with?”

“A whole list of bullshit,” Fischer confirms my worst suspicion. The police don’t like to be made fools of. “The most serious is an assault charge for Cora. She’s a dialysis nurse and can’t work until we get these charges dropped.” Well, fuck a duck. I have my work cut out for me. He hands over the arrest record for Cora Hargrove, twenty-five-year-old registered nurse, and Ophelia Crawford, eighty-two-year-old retiree.

“Do you have a copy of the video?” Forgetting about everything else, I jump into work mode. Then Fischer hands me his phone, and one glance at the screen turns my world upside down and sideways. The video isn’t great, but one look causes my heart to pound as I wonder if I’m seeing things. When the beautiful woman screeches her apology, her familiar voice cuts through my soul. The knowledge that the curvy brunette ismyCora tears through me like a tornado, followed quickly by the realization that I’m going to get my chance to win over my girl.

My cock wakes the fuck up and joins the party. That asshole has been in cold storage since my girl ran out on me all those years ago. Now, it’s ready to tear through the front of my pants. Perfect timing. I’m sporting an award-winning boner while having a business meeting with Fischer. I change positions, hoping to relieve some of the pressure.

After I get the district attorney to drop their charges, I plan to spank her ass red for all the pain I’ve experienced since she ran out on me so many years ago. Little Miss Cora Hargrove has seven years, three months, and fourteen days of suffering to make up for.

I somehow manage to act like everything is normal, but I don’t think my performance convinces my friend and business associate. “Are you okay?” He sits back and stares at me.

Pulling my head out of my ass, I hand him back his phone. “Great. I’ll call Roman Laurent, the DA in Harris County, and see if I can find out how they plan to handle this situation.” Roman and I went to law school together, and I already owe him quite a few favors. What’s one more?

Hopefully, I can get him to drop these bogus charges against my girl without too much trouble. “Have they been bailed out?”

“Yes, Scarlett and Finn bailed them out Sunday morning,” Fischer confirms.

“Can you arrange for me to meet with Cora and Ophelia, so I can get their sides of the story? Then we can decide how we’re going to respond.”

“I’ll give Finn Taylor a call and arrange it.” Fischer stands and heads for the door.

He reaches for the doorknob, then turns back. “Have you been drinking the water in town?”

Fucking hell. Not this shit again. Everywhere I turn, I hear talk of the infamous Silver Spoon Falls water. There’s a rumor going around that the water in town is responsible for the unusual love at first sight phenomenon happening lately.

“I never touch the stuff.” I hold up my bottle of purified water. “It wouldn’t have any effect on me, anyway,” I add under my breath. My love at first sight happened years before I moved here and has nothing to do with the crazy town water.

Fischer shakes his head and walks out.

For the next several minutes, I sit back and force myself to think about this situation calmly. Who the fuck am I kidding? All I can think about is making Cora mine. Forever.

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