Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“I’d like to see it for myself.”
“It’s locked in a safe. It will be presented once she appears before The Tribunal, which she will voluntarily do within the week or else.”
“Or else?”
He sighs. “Judge, this is very serious for her.”
“I’d like to see the footage before I bring her to stand before The Tribunal. She is a De La Rosa. Remember that.”
“We are all equals before The Tribunal.”
I can hear the gossips already. If she’s hauled in here, she’ll be humiliated. And if the video surveillance truly shows what Hildebrand claims, it will be worse than humiliation. There will be payment. And it will be in the currency The Tribunal deals in and understands. Flesh.
He opens the same drawer to take out a flash drive.
“Because we are friends. Because of your standing and future here.” He hands me the drive. I take it. “Your charge is in very serious trouble, Judge. I’ll expect to hear from you tomorrow to arrange the time she will appear.”
23
Mercedes
“How are you feeling?” Solana’s eyes move over me in appraisal as she takes a sip of her tea.
“Same as yesterday.” I offer her an amused smile, but she doesn’t return it. “And the day before that, and the one before that too.”
I don’t mention that Judge has been acting weird all week, leaving me vague instructions to get ready to go to the IVI compound this afternoon. Other than that, he’s been keeping himself busy, and I have too.
“Mercedes, this is stressing me out.” Solana sets her cup aside and glances at Georgie for backup. “You won’t be able to hide this forever.”
“I know.” I shift on my seat, smoothing the hem of my dress over my legs. I’m already paranoid that someone will notice any day now that I’m dressing differently. That my stomach is softer and rounder.
“Do you really think Judge has no clue?” Georgie butts in.
“I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m just getting soft in the middle,” I mumble. “I don’t know. I’m not parading around naked in front of him in broad daylight, and I’ve avoided letting him near my belly. Let’s just leave it at that.”
“But you are still getting naked with him,” Solana says. “He’s going to notice any day now, whether it’s in the dark or not.”
I nod, accepting that they’re right. I was slender to begin with, so that’s worked to my advantage, but the clock is ticking, and I can’t forget that.
“So?” Georgie looks at me expectantly.
“Soon,” I choke out. “I’m figuring it out. My niece’s baptism is in a couple of weeks. I don’t want to do anything rash before then.”
Solana doesn’t look convinced, and Georgie is lost in his own thoughts. Neither one of them has any idea why I’m hesitating, but I can’t stop thinking about my conversation with Judge. He opened up to me. He let me in, even if it was only for a little while. It feels like a slap in the face to leave him now, but what choice do I have? I know it doesn’t change anything. He was giving me an explanation, not an opening to change his mind. If there’s one thing I’ve figured out during my time with him, it’s that Lawson Montgomery is not a man to be swayed once he’s come to a decision. And I don’t have the luxury of time to wait him out even if he was. I made this decision on my own, and I’ll face the consequence on my own.
“Do you love him?”
Solana’s innocent question sucks all the air from the room. I shake my head automatically in my default response. A De La Rosa doesn’t show vulnerabilities like that. But even as I tell myself as much, it feels like a lie.
“That must be the reason,” she says. “You’re holding back. Are you sure there isn’t something—”
The sound of the front door slamming interrupts her thoughts, and we all swivel our heads just in time to see Judge stalking into the sitting room. When he sees Solana and Georgie on the sofa, his eyes flare with irritation.
“Not today,” he growls. “You two have to leave. Now.”
“Judge.” I glare at him as I rise to my feet, but he doesn’t seem to hear me, or if he does, he doesn’t show it.
“I need you both to leave right now,” he clips out. “That’s not a request. You can come back another day. Mercedes and I have somewhere to be.”
“They aren’t going anywh—”
My mouth snaps shut when his gaze moves to mine, and I know without a doubt I’ve never seen him like this. I can’t tell what it is exactly, but something isn’t right. I can feel it in the tension vibrating from him. The hard set of his jaw and the uncertainty in his eyes. He looks guarded, but there’s something else too. Nervous, I think. And I have never once seen Judge nervous.