VERSUS (Second Chances 2)

I glance at the bartender, but her attention is laser focused on a guy sitting in front of her at the bar.

“Can we put it behind us?” Hope edges her words. “The Alcester case is important to Kurt and I promised him I’d do right by his client… our client.”

“Your client doesn’t deserve you.”

“My client has faults, but he’s a good man,” she says with conviction.

“Your client is a cheating coward.” The words spill out of me without any thought.

Christ. I need to temper myself around her. Eden is not like every other attorney I go up against.

I know her heart. She’s compassionate and caring. She was that one soul in high school who would befriend the kid nobody wanted anything to do with.

She rescued injured cats and worked at a homeless shelter on the weekends.

She’s everything I’ll never be.

She leans her elbows on the table. “You don’t know your client as well as you think you do.”

I scratch my chin. That lures her gaze to the light beard that covers my jaw.

“She’s not perfect, Dylan.” Her finger taps the table between us.

“You’re itching to say something, counselor.” I pat my chest. “I’m dying to hear what you think you know about my client that I don’t know.”

“You want me to hand my advantage over to you?” She pushes back in her chair. “That’s not going to happen.”

Seeing Eden like this is new for me. I like it. My cock fucking loves it. I’m hard as stone.

“Give me a hint.” I smirk, because I know she’s got nothing.

Trudy Alcester is almost as good of a person as Eden is. She’s a philanthropist, a faithful wife, and a devoted mother.

One of her husband’s mistresses blindsided her with a visit to their doorstep to expose his sins.

I got a call from Trudy the next day.

Eden’s gaze darts around the bar. “Just between the two of us, when you saw me at Veil East the other night, I was there looking for someone who knows your client.”

I can’t contain a hearty laugh. “Who the hell in that club would know Trudy Alcester?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “You’re just going to have to wait until I call that witness to the stand.”

What the fuck is this? A bluff?

I had Trudy swear on everything dear to her that she wasn’t hiding anything from me. I trust her, but what sorcery is Eden trying to pull.

“She hasn’t fucked around.” I motion for the bartender to bring me another scotch, but she can’t take her eyes off the guy she’s flirting with.

My phone pings in my jacket pocket just as Eden’s starts ringing in her purse.

“Duty calls,” she quips as she fishes in her bag.

I slide my phone out and glance down at the text on the screen.

Gunner wants a minute of my time to go over a case that we’re closing out this week.

He can wait.