Page 111 of Dirty Judge

“For what?”

“So I can get some clarity on this story.”

“Which one?”

“The one that’ll actually matter years from now…”

DE NOVO (ADJ.):

LATIN FOR "ANEW," WHICH MEANS STARTING OVER.

LIAM

Two Weeks Later

Imiss you.

Come back to me.

We should pick up right where we left off…

Please, just come back to me…

My fingers hovered over the send button, but I couldn’t bring myself to settle on which message would be best.

I’d gone through this same routine of torture every night—all while sending Olivia her favorite coffee, flowers, and bookstore gift cards—hoping that she would say something to me.

What am I doing wrong?

Sighing, I zipped up my robe and slipped into court for a special early-morning arraignment. I figured I’d try my best to focus, but it was no use.

I was still struggling to get a decent night’s sleep without Olivia, and our simple text exchange was not enough for me.

I needed her back in my life, and if I had to confess to everything, I’d do it and hope she’d understand instead of running away.

“Case 789675,” Mara read. “The State of New York versus Lucas Hunter.”

I looked over to see Julia glaring at the defense and realized why.

I shook my head at the sight of Jameson Tate and braced myself for his usual performance in bullshit.

I’m not letting this go longer than five minutes…

“Multiple cases of racketeering, interstate theft, and…” I stopped reading. “Let’s cut straight to the chase, Mr. Tate. Why should I grant your client bail?”

“Your Honor, my client is a loving father who has deep ties to this community.”

“Yeah, mob ties.” Julia coughed.

“Let Mr. Tate finish.” I lightly tapped my gavel. “This isn’t a trial.”

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Mr. Tate smiled. “Like I was saying, my client keeps a rooftop garden full of a special collection of rose bushes that he would never risk leaving. They depend on his touch and care to survive.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“Also—” He cleared his throat. “He hasn’t traveled anywhere for the past thirteen months, which clearly shows he’s not a flight risk to the great state of New York or this amazing country.”

Here he goes…