Derision (The Broken Bonds 7)

A bunch of dominant pricks flexing their muscles. Greedy little fucks.

Gannet is pushing to terminate representation while Mason demands to continue our efforts. Wells and I, oddly enough, are the only ones undecided. And truthfully, I feel as if Wells really couldn’t give a damn either way. He’s been preoccupied the entire length of this new development. He’s likely to side with my vote—when I come to a clear decision.

Once I have, it will be time to reevaluate the partnership. Suddenly an all-male practice headed up by The Firm’s elite players doesn’t seem like the most beneficial practice anymore.

As much as I loathe change, I’m getting used to the idea.

Alexis enters the living room, stealing my thoughts. Welcomingly. “Come here.”

She sets the bourbon on the table and then slips beside me on the couch. “I thought you might need a break from your brooding.”

A smile twitches at my mouth as I slide my hand up her thigh. “If it means tasting that sassy mouth, you thought right.” I toy with her panties, slipping a finger along the seam to feel her, as I lean in to capture her mouth.

Getting lost in Alexis is effortless. If I?

?m not careful, I could lose sight of everything else around us. That’s the one thing I can’t allow to happen. It’s my responsibility to make sure her world isn’t affected by mine.

I utter a curse, pulling her tighter to me once more before making myself release her. “Work first, then pleasure,” I say, separating us so I can think clearly. I stand and grab the bourbon. “I have to make a decision by tomorrow on whether or not I’m going to continue representing Bates.”

The confused draw of her eyebrows is clear as she rises beside me. She picks up one of the files I have scattered over the table. “Why would you not?” she asks. “Did the ACA announce another finding?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“It’s not because of me, is it?”

Alexis alone is reason enough to never represent another alleged rapist, but honestly, I’m no saint. Never will be. “This is about my own ethics,” I say, and her features relax. “I don’t defend people who I believe are guilty. It might sound heroic, but really, it’s just smart law. The partners are feeling the heat from the DNA discovery. Simply put, they’re not so much ethical as they are greedy. They don’t like losing cases.”

Alexis moves back toward the couch. “You truly believe he’s guilty.”

With a furrowed brow, I sink a hand into my pocket. “I have some doubt. But it’s not enough.”

“It’s not about the truth or justice, it’s about what you can prove,” she says as she sits on the couch and crosses her legs. Her deep eyes search me. “Julia once said that’s what you believe.”

I force out a heavy breath. “The law is black and white, Alexis. I’m not.” And that’s the most awakening revelation I’ve come to understand. “The law doesn’t change; people do. I do my best to work within the gray overlies.” Without taking a sip, I set the bourbon down and walk toward her, closing the distance between us. “I have to trust my instinct.”

She reaches out and takes my hand. “Which instinct? The one signaling doubt, or the one pressuring you to concede to your partners?”

Checkmate.

She didn’t conquer me all at once. Not with deceit or tactic. My beautiful temptress claims her victory with truth. I kneel before her, taking her face between my palms. “You astonish me.”

I kiss her, sealing my lips over hers and breathing in the sweet taste of her.

When I pull back, her eyes are glistening with understanding. “You would defend Bates,” I say, testing her reaction. She doesn’t flinch. “Even if he is guilty. After what you’ve suffered.”

“He’s not my rapist,” she says, her gaze unwavering. “And he might have questionable morals, but he shouldn’t be convicted for that. I do believe in the law, Chase. Something has to remain steadfast.”

My lips quirk into a slanted smile. “Damn, that’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. Rock-hard in a matter of seconds.”

Her bright smile sweeps through me, decimating the last of my uncertainty. “Work first?” she says, running her hands over my thighs, making me wish the casework was already behind us. “Then pleasure?”

I stand, adjusting my cock with a groan. “Sometimes I hate my rules.”

We break into the files, going over what we know and piecing together the case. I’ll never question Alexis’s determination again. Her ability to disconnect her personal life from a case is far greater than any of the lawyers in my firm, even me. I’m not sure if it’s the years gone by which has created a safe barrier, her introverted nature, or just sheer stubbornness—but she’s more than capable of seeing the details beyond a skewed perspective.

What’s more, I’m not one to work alongside anyone. I do so with the partners and mainly Gannet, when a case like this requires our vested collaboration. But even then I’m a soloist, developing my own opinions and angles.

I find a synchronization with her that thrills me.