Atonement (The Protectors 6)

Mel hadn’t shown up for closing arguments, but Magnus and I had seen her stroll confidently into the courtroom a few minutes before the judge had taken his seat for the reading of the verdict. She’d sat in the second row on the defendant’s side, right behind the man’s stone-faced young wife and battalion of lawyers.

“Defendant will rise for the reading of the verdict,” the judge ordered as the bailiff took his time making his way back to the jury forewoman.

“Finally,” I muttered under my breath. Magnus squeezed my hand and I saw him shoot me a grin.

Him and his damn perfect hearing.

I had no idea how he was keeping it together so well. While I really didn’t have a personal stake in this trial since I had no connection to the victim, I wanted the win for Magnus. I wanted those twelve people in the jury box to say they understood that Magnus was perfect in all the ways that mattered.

It seemed to take forever as the juror read the charge, but then she finally got to the important part, and that word – that one word – flowed over me like water.

Guilty.

There was a mix of gasps and applause as the verdict registered with everyone, but all I noticed was the sensation of Magnus’s fingers briefly squeezing mine before he released my hand and stood to shake the prosecutor’s hand. I glanced at the defendant’s table to see an infuriated Lachlan Trent quietly arguing with one of his attorneys as court officers were putting him in cuffs. My eyes shifted to Mel who looked equally pissed, though I doubted her fury had anything to do with Trent’s predicament. She flashed me a hateful look as she rose and left the courtroom.

“Let’s go home,” I heard Magnus murmur in my ear.

Gladly.

I was tempted to take Magnus’s hand in mine as we left the courtroom, but I knew we weren’t at that point yet. The fact that I even wanted to hold hands with the man was a monumental leap for me. I’d somehow gone from dreading being in a relationship to suddenly wanting all the things that came with it like hand-holding and attaching a cutesy label to what Magnus and I were to each other.

I almost laughed at myself at the need to call him my boyfriend.

It was insanity.

The best kind though.

There was a throng of reporters standing outside the courtroom doors, but Magnus ignored them as they asked for his comments. Luckily, they didn’t follow us since they were waiting for the more important prey like the lawyers for both sides and the defendant’s wife. Much like the day Magnus had left the courtroom in a rush after his humiliating encounter on the witness stand, we saw Mel waiting by the elevators. She saw us coming towards her, but this time Magnus was calm and he didn’t veer off towards the stairs. Despite the several people around waiting for the elevator, Mel came right up to us. “This isn’t over,” she bit out, her pretty features twisting into a mask of fury.

The real Mel.

“I’ve already contacted a lawyer in Seattle. Tell your little queer friends that I’ll see them in court.”

“If you go near them-” I began as I reached for the woman’s arm, but Magnus grabbed me and pulled me back.

“Try it, Mel,” he said calmly. “And I will come at you with everything I have. Every guy you fucked behind my back, every drug you put up your nose or in your arm, every time you left our daughter alone in the house to go meet up with your dealer.” Magnus motioned to the courtroom behind us. “Trent will look like a fucking choir boy compared to you when I’m finished.” Magnus stepped closer to Mel until he was practically nose to nose with her. “No court is going to give you custody of the child you tried to have aborted before he was even born.”

Mel opened her mouth and then closed it again. She finally managed to stammer, “That was Jenna’s choice-”

“No it wasn’t,” Magnus snarled. “She told me you took her to that clinic. I believe your exact words to her were, ‘This kid will ruin your life. Trust me, I know.’”

Mel paled and stepped back. “No one will believe you,” she sputtered, though there was no confidence to her words.

“Stay away from Matthew and his fathers,” Magnus warned, not caring that we’d gathered quite an audience around us. To me he said, “Come on, let’s take the stairs.” Then, to my shock and most certainly to Mel’s, he took my hand in his. “I’m ready to go home.”

I didn’t even spare Mel another glance as I followed Magnus towards the stairwell. He kept holding my hand. “Nicely done, Strider,” I said as we began making our way down the steps.