“You’re not thinking anything I haven’t already thought myself. But this will be all right. I can make sure everything turns out okay. The first thing we need to do is get you an attorney.”
“Jade, you have to get me out of here. I don’t want an attorney.”
“If you want to get out of here, you need one. Marj is heading over to the firm right now to find one for you.”
“Those jokers? I wouldn’t pay one of them to represent me.”
“Talon—”
“I plead guilty, damn it. I fucking plead guilty. Send me off to prison.”
My brain was rattled for a moment. Had I heard him right? “Talon, I’m going to consider this all off the record. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“You are a representative of the city of Snow Creek and consequently the state of Colorado. I am pleading guilty to you, an officer of the court. Take my plea, and send me up the river.”
What was with him? Three seconds ago, he wanted me to get him out of there. “As I said,” I continued through clenched teeth, “this is all off the record. This conversation is not taking place. Any guilty plea you want to enter with me is not going to get entered. I will not be taking any pleas from you, only from your attorney.”
He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Suit yourself.”
“Now, I can help you. Colin is a reasonable man. I’m sure he will agree to drop the charges if you pay him restitution.”
“I’m not paying that asshole off.”
“Talon, you beat the crap out of him. He might have medical bills. You owe him that much.”
Talon said nothing, just crossed his arms and glared at me.
“Be reasonable.”
“Be reasonable? You want me to be reasonable? I had a cop come to the house this morning, took me away from my home in fucking handcuffs, like a common criminal. They locked me up, Jade. They locked me up in a cell. You have no idea…”
“Have no idea about what? What did you expect? When you beat the hell out of someone, that person might decide to file charges. You are a criminal, Talon. But this is fixable, if you’ll just let me help you.”
He closed his eyes. Dark circles rimmed them, his laugh wrinkles more apparent than usual. He obviously hadn’t slept last night. Where had he been? I opened my mouth to ask, but he spoke.
“Maybe I don’t want to fix it. Maybe I’m just too fucking tired to fix it.”
“Look, even if you do plead guilty, you probably won’t go to jail for a simple battery. Colin is fine. There are no lasting issues. You might get a fine, or restitution, maybe some community service and probation. You probably won’t do any jail time.”
“I happen to know that misdemeanor assault in Colorado carries a potential of three years jail time.” He raised his eyebrows at me.
“I see you’re familiar with the criminal code in Colorado.”
“I do a lot of reading,” he said. “I never sleep, remember?”
I sighed. What was I going to do with him? He seemed determined to destroy himself. Well, not on my watch.
A knock sounded on the door, and I turned.
A uniformed officer led a man in. “Mr. Steel, your attorney is here,” the officer said.
I stood and held out my hand. “I’m Jade Roberts with the city attorney’s office.”
“Peter O’Keefe.” The man took my hand. “Do you mind if I talk to my client alone?”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
Talon stood. “I mind. She stays.”