Lucian
“Lia…talk to me, sweetheart.” She hasn’t said a word since we left the courtroom. We are back in the same office we used during the recent recess. I have taken one of the available chairs in the room and pulled her trembling form down onto my lap. I rub circulation back into her cold hands and whisper soothing words I know are meaningless to her right now. Her mother’s testimony had invoked a lot of strong emotions. I wanted to fucking kill the lying bitch; Max was also seething and Lia…she had simply come undone. Her shouts had echoed off the walls, making her the sole focus of the room. At Max’s urging, I had gotten her out of there as fast as possible. As I continue to reassure her, Max steps into the room, looking at Lia in concern.
“She okay?”
“What do you think? Her mother pretty much threw her under the bus and backed over her for good measure.”
Max winces before shaking his head. “I’ve met some messed-up people in my time, but that woman takes the cake. There is no question in my mind she was lying through her teeth; hell, everyone in the place knew it. Unfortunately, there’s not a damn thing that can be done. Brian is pissed as hell. He’s going to have charges brought against her for filing a false police report, along with anything else he can think of. He’ll do it, too. He’s a good guy, but she made him look like a complete fool in there.” Pointing to Lia, he adds, “He feels really bad about what happened to her, as well. Said he would have never brought this case to trial had he known her mother was going to get up there and lie her ass off.”
I run a hand through my hair before shifting Lia to a more comfortable position on my lap. “Whole thing blows my mind. That was just pure spite. I can’t believe Lia is even related to that woman.”
Max and I are both surprised when a voice interjects, “Maybe I was adopted. That would explain a lot. Well…except that I can’t see my mother wanting a child enough to actually go that far.” She looks at me, giving a half-smile before stretching her limbs. My jaw clinches, and I feel like a bastard for the immediate response of my cock to her movements. There is no way to tell the guy downstairs about bad timing; he doesn’t give a damn. When Lia’s tight little ass is wiggling in close proximity, all the blood flow rushes down south. I grab her hips, stilling her movements while I fight to control my reaction. I’m pretty sure Max is stifling a grin behind the hand covering his mouth. Bastard, I’d like to see him handle it any better. She turns to look at him, asking, “Can I go now or will I be cross-examined?”
“You’re free to go, Lia; that’s what I came to tell you. The judge has called it a day, due to the mess your mother’s testimony created. Brian needs time to deal with the fallout. I’ll give Lucian a call when and if we need to return, but I would hardly expect this case to continue. There is nothing more to be gained from a cross-examination at this point.”
Lia slides from my lap, and I discretely button my suit jacket as I rise behind her. “Thanks, Max, I appreciate you being here today.”
Max takes my proffered hand then claps me on the shoulder. “Of course. I’ll be in touch. Turning to Lia, he says, “I’m sorry again about what happened in there. Just try to put this behind you. As I said, I believe this will be the end.” We leave the courthouse and find Sam waiting at the curb with the car. I open the door, helping Lia inside. Sam, always discrete, climbs in the driver’s seat, giving us privacy. Max motions for me to hang back, so I close the door after telling her I’ll be another minute. “Luc, I’m a little worried about this whole thing. I didn’t want to mention this in front of Lia, but Brian will probably have no choice but to dismiss the case against Lia’s stepfather. I would expect he will be free within a few days.”
“Shit, and now she’s back on his radar again.”
Max nods in agreement. “She testified against him, tried to put him away. I think the mother was trying to get to Lia, but I believe, in the end, she was also scared to go up against him. He probably threatened her. Just tell Lia to be careful. The usual stuff: walk in groups, check the door before opening it, be more aware of her surroundings, maybe have someone stay with her for a few days.”