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 press my fingers to my temples and try to breathe as Santi explains how there’s surveillance footage of me. How they know I was at the courtesan’s apartment, and her brother has brought it forward to The Tribunal. He doesn’t come out and say how bad this is, but he doesn’t have to. I know. This isn’t a matter of someone just disappearing. I’m linked directly to it, and that’s a problem for The Society. Outside attention on these matters does not bode well for members. Everyone knows that. The consequences for something like this will be far worse than a slap on the wrist. They could toss me in a Tribunal prison cell. Or worse yet, they could actually demand physical punishment.
I’m starting to hyperventilate when I feel Judge’s hand on my back, but it doesn’t help. Nothing is going to make this better.
“Pull over!” I screech, slapping a hand against my mouth as I start to gag.
Past the blood pulsing through my ears, drowning out the noise, I vaguely hear some muttered curses. The car comes to a halt, and Judge doesn’t even have time to help me out before I’m crawling halfway over his lap and puking out the door.
“Oh, God,” I choke out, another heave coming.
“It’s okay.” His hands hold me in place across his lap, my head hanging out over the ground as I puke again.
“Jesus,” Santi mutters. “Mercedes, are you okay?”
I can’t answer him because I’m too busy puking, but after a few minutes, it seems there’s nothing left in my stomach. I’m weak and humiliated when Judge pulls me back into the middle seat, using a handkerchief to wipe my mouth.
“We need to postpone,” he growls. “They’ll have to accept that.”
“They won’t.” Santi’s tone makes me think this has already been postponed for some time.
They start to argue, so I intervene. “It’s just the initial meeting, right?” I croak. “It will be okay. It’s not the trial. Let’s just get this part over with.”
I can feel their gazes on me, but I don’t dare look at them. I don’t want them to see the fear in my eyes.
“It’s just the initial meeting,” Santi assures me. “You’ll need to answer some questions today. That’s it.”
“Okay.” I stare ahead at Raul. “Then let’s go.”
“Mercedes, so nice of you to finally join us,” Hildebrand remarks dryly as he stares down at me from the dais in The Tribunal courtroom. Gone is his easy manner from the night we all had dinner together, and now I know I’m dealing with Councilor Hildebrand, rather than the man.
At his flank are two other councilors. They are the same men who presided over Abel’s trial. The same men Ivy had to face when she was accused of poisoning my brother. I was here on both those occasions, and I know they are not men who will be swayed by the charms of any woman. They are all wearing severe expressions as they look down on me in shame, and if it weren’t for Santi holding my arm, I might pass out entirely.
Judge is on my other side, his body rigid, and he’s not touching me. I don’t have to guess why. I’m certain he’s already received a few strange looks from my brother as I was laid out across his lap hurling my lunch up.
“I’m waiting for a response, young lady,” Hildebrand chides me, and Santi gives my arm a little squeeze as he speaks for me.
“It’s my fault,” he says, taking on the burden himself. “Mercedes wasn’t aware of the situation at hand. We thought it best not to worry her. She’s been… in a fragile state.”
“Fragile, how?” Hildebrand arches a brow at me. “It didn’t appear that way when she was at dinner, flirting away with Theron Montgomery without a care in the world.”
I swallow when Santi clearly doesn’t know how to respond to that, and I’m sure he’d like to believe I’ve lived without any guilt or remorse for the things I’ve done. But that’s simply not true.
“If I may.” Judge directs the councilor’s attention to him, stepping forward in a way that shows no fear. And for a moment, it makes me feel like maybe things will be okay. Because he does this every day. He knows how these situations work. Only that’s in the outside world. In our world, we all know nothing is ever certain.
“You may.” Hildebrand nods at Judge.
“As you are aware, Mercedes has been in my care for quite some time.”
“We are aware. A result of her involvement with her own brother’s poisoning, no doubt.”
Santi tenses beside me, and I want to look up at him and see his expression more than anything, but I know I can’t.
“It was a result of many different factors,” Judge replies coolly. “But first and foremost, I would say that it’s a direct result of her grief, the loss of her family, and the uncertainty of navigating such dark times. I will be the first to admit that Mercedes has had her troubles, but I will also be the first to tell you that she has come leaps and bounds from the young woman I first took into my care. She has proven herself to be generous, intelligent, soft-hearted, and gracious. Mercedes De La Rosa is a Society daughter, and with that comes expectations. She has learned, as many of us have, to portray herself in a favorable light at all times, despite any turmoil that might be lingering beneath the surface. I can assure you that the Mercedes you saw at dinner is not an accurate representation of the many layers in her. She has put on a brave face for the world, but there is more… so much more to her than anyone could ever know. I’m kindly asking you to take this into consideration before we proceed with a messy trial that will tarnish her reputation or the De La Rosa name.”