VERSUS (Second Chances 2)

“The old ticker needs a tune-up.” Kurt pats the middle of his chest with his hand. “I’m having heart surgery the day after tomorrow.”

“I’m genuinely sorry to hear that.” The judge’s gaze shifts from Kurt to me.

“My co-counsel needs time to get up to speed on the case.” Kurt’s arm waves in front of the woman I fucked last night.

The judge leans forward, her eyes pinned to the woman I had pinned to my bed just a few hours ago. “I haven’t seen your co-counsel in my courtroom before. An introduction is in order, Mr. Sufford.”

I turn my full attention to the woman I took home with me last night.

Kurt clears his throat, but her hand on his shoulder stills him.

She looks to the judge before glancing in my direction. Her eyes lock with mine. “I’m Eden Conrad, your honor.”

“No fucking way,” I blurt out. “There’s no way in hell you’re Eden Conrad.”

I hear the distant thump of the judge’s gavel as she calls order in the court and warns me that she’ll hold me in contempt if I use that language again.

I stare at the woman I fucked last night. There’s no goddamn way she’s the same girl I knew in high school. That girl has haunted my thoughts constantly since I last saw her on the night I graduated.

With all hell breaking loose around me, I fall into my chair and rest my head in my hands.

Fuck my life.

Chapter 5

Dylan

“Counsel will approach.” Judge Mycella dips her chin. “Now.”

I drag my ass off the chair without glancing to my left.

I’m stuck in some alternate reality where the sins of my past are finally catching up to me.

Kurt takes a spot next to me in front of the bench. The woman calling herself Eden Conrad stands next to him.

“What’s going on, Mr. Colt?” Peggy asks tersely. “You know better than to have an outburst in my courtroom.”

“My apologies.” I keep my gaze on her as I adjust my light blue tie and button my suit jacket. “I need time to regroup, your honor.”

“You’ll get time.” She looks over at Kurt and the woman next to him. “I take it you know, Mr. Colt?”

“We’ve met,” she answers in that same soft voice she spoke in last night when she was in my apartment.

Fuck this woman. What the fuck is she doing to me?

I finally turn to look at her. “Who put you up to this?”

“Mr. Colt.”

My name lashes off Peggy’s tongue with an unspoken warning. “What is your problem?”

“She’s not Eden Conrad,” I say it with conviction because there’s zero chance in hell that the woman I’m looking at is the same Eden Conrad I went to high school with.

“I am Eden Conrad.” She tilts her head.

“You’re not that Eden Conrad,” I snap back.

“That Eden Conrad?” Peggy scratches her eyebrow. “You’re going to clarify what that means, Dylan.”