“Actually, I’m pretty sure she’d be damn proud of me for finally manning up and doing what needs to be done to protect my loved ones from you.”
Watching his father’s face go from purple to deathly pale in an instant might have been one of the most satisfying moments of Keith’s adult life. After every second spent with Mickie, of course.
“Have a good life, old man,” Keith said as he turned and strode away, lighter than he’d felt in ages. Fuck, it was good to have that albatross off his neck.
As he emerged from the police station into the cold, crisp evening, he inhaled a deep breath to cleanse himself of his father’s filth.
One hurdle down. One to go.
The thought of begging Mickie to take him back terrified him.
There was a chance, maybe a high one, she’d tell him to shove his apologies straight up his ass.
What the hell would he do then?
CHAPTER THIRTY
MICHAELA SMOOTHED DOWN the front of her professional black dress as she stared through the two-way mirror.
“Nervous?” her attorney asked.
Apparently, the two-way mirror gave the law firm’s staff the advantage of observing clients for a few moments prior to meeting with them. Also provided victims of crime a chance to see their accuser without having to be face to face.
“More like anxious. I want this over with more than you can imagine.” She fiddled with the simple silver bracelet on her right wrist. In a few moments, she’d pull it together and act in the most important role of her life, portraying cool, calm, and collected, but for now, she allowed herself to fidget as jittery energy coursed through her blood stream.
Once upon a time Scarlett and Angelica French had been friends as well attorney and client. Their social relationship ended after Angelica told her she could no longer keep up with Scarlett’s heavy partying lifestyle. The friendship breakup came after a particularly embarrassing night where Michaela ended up passing out in the bathroom of a club.
“It’s nice to have you back, Scarlett,” Angelica said with a genuine smile.
“Oh, I’m not here to stay. I’m heading home as soon as this is done.” She had some serious groveling to do. That and she missed Vermont a hundred times more than she’d ever missed LA.
“No, I mean it’s nice to have you back.”
Mickie met her lawyer’s accepting expression with a smile of her own. “Well then, please call me Mickie. I shed Scarlett almost a year ago. And I can’t tell you how nice it is to be back. Thank you for being willing to do this on such short notice.”
With a snort, Angelic said, “Please, sticking it to assholes like these two is one of my favorite pastimes. Ready to go?”
Mickie took one last look at the conference room table where Mark and Chuck waited, awkwardly not speaking. They’d been brought in under the false guise of facilitating the money transfer to Chuck in exchange for the video. “Let’s do this.”
Dressed in a cobalt power suit with four-inch nude heels, Angelica strode into the room ahead of Mickie. “Good afternoon, gentlemen,” she said with all the authority she commanded.
“’Bout fucking time,” Chuck muttered right before noticing Mickie walk into the room well. “Wait! What the fuck is she doing here?” His head swiveled to Mark, whose face paled.
Angelica pulled out the chair at the head of the mahogany oval table. “Please, Ms. Hudson, have a seat.”
“Thank you,” Mickie said, biting her lip to keep from smirking.
Once Mickie was settled, Angelica click-clacked to the other end of the table. “Let’s not waste any time. Don’t know about you gentlemen, but Michaela and I are busy women.” She laid out three stacks of paper.
“I asked what the fuck she is doing here?” Chuck snapped. He hopped to his feet, pointing at Mickie as though he needed to identify who the she was.
“I’ll get to that in a minute, Mr. Pierce. Please sit so we may begin.” Angelica indicated the chair Chuck had been in a moment ago. Her long honey-colored hair had been sleeked straight and hung halfway down her back. Minimal makeup and jewelry complemented her professional and authoritative presence.
Grumbling, he sat back down but refused to look Mickie’s way.
Her lawyer remained standing. “As I was about to say, I am Angelica French, attorney for Michaela Hudson who used to go by the stage name Scarlett. You gentlemen have been called here today to sort out a manner involving a video taken of Ms. Benson’s boyfriend’s mother, used in attempt to blackmail Ms. Hudson.”
“What?” Chuck burst out. “I didn’t blackmail nobody.”
Mark turned green. He knew he was fucked.
Holding up her hand, Angelica said, “Mr. Pierce, please try to refrain from any more outbursts.”
Damn, she was cool as could be while Mickie’s insides popped and fizzled with nerves, though she kept them well hidden from the rest of the room.