AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I just shake my head. He’s very aware that is not going to happen since I’ve already given my official notice and only have one more month.
“Jack…” I sigh “…you already kno—”
“I know, I know,” he resigns. “You can’t fault me for trying. I mean, how can you leave me for New York?”
Very easily.
Ignoring his question, I ask, “Is there something you need me to do? I heard you were looking for me earlier.”
“Oh, yeah.” He points to a stack of court dockets. “I need these delivered to the correct courtrooms. Apparently, the only thing going for one of the interns is her looks. She delivered these all to the wrong courtrooms,” he says, not even looking up from his computer. I used to have a comeback when he made asshole comments, but I’ve found it’s easier just to ignore them. And sometimes I agree with him, like this time. I grab the dockets and quickly walk out of his office.
It irritates the hell out of me when the interns get these dockets mixed up. It’s not rocket science. And it happens more often than I’d like.
I hand the last misplaced docket to the judge and he shakes his head, then gives me a lopsided smile. I shrug. I know they hate it more than I do. As I’m walking down the hallway, I hear someone yell.
“Add Cat!”
Only one person calls me that. I turn around with a smile as Frankie struts toward me. At least this time he doesn’t have handcuffs on. Frankie has been arrested for many things, so he’s at the courthouse a lot. He seems to know how to get anything illegal from drugs and guns to prostitutes. I wonder who he has in his back pocket since he never seems to go to jail for very long… if at all.
“Frankie, what the hell did you do this time? I told you that you can’t go streaking down the road.” I cross my arms and twist my lips trying to stop myself from laughing out loud.
“Haha, my little Add Cat. You know I’d only get naked for you.” He wags his eyebrows and winks.
“Whatever!” My voice comes out higher than I expect. My cheeks redden and burn. Clearing my throat, I say, “Really, what are you doing here? I thought you agreed to stay on the up and up?”
“I’m here meeting my probation officer. Chill out, girl, I ain’t done nothing wrong. I’m trying to prove I’m worthy to my Add Cat.” He gives me his lady-killer smile.
My eyes widen. “Would you stop!”
“Woman, you know how to break a man’s heart.” He puts a hand on his chest. Well, shit. He can’t be serious… can he? We’ve been friends a few years and he’s never shown any interest in me, which I’m okay with because bad guys usually aren’t my thing.
Now if he were a good guy, he’d definitely be my type. He’s over six feet tall with lots of muscle. He has naturally tanned skin with the lightest green eyes I’ve ever seen. I usually don’t care for guys with shaved heads, but on Frankie it’s hot. He is definitely good looking, but very much a bad boy.
“Gotcha!” Frankie throws his hands out, laughing. “Girl, I love ya, but I’m pretty sure you can kick my ass being a third-degree black belt. I don’t need no woman to protect me. It’ll take away from my street cred!”
Relieved, I laugh, too. Sometimes Frankie comes to the gym to take classes. He’s watched me spar a few times then comments that he pities the guy who ever messes with me.
Chapter Two
IT’S ALMOST SIX o’clock when I’m freshening up in the restroom before I leave for dinner. With a grumbling stomach, I leave the bathroom and hear yelling. What the hell? Usually the place is quiet after five; people scramble out of here like ants marching. Of course the commotion is coming from the hall that I need to go through to get back to my office.
I don’t like confrontation so I lean up against the wall, waiting, hoping they figure their shit out soon so I don’t have to interrupt. If this goes on for much longer, I could go downstairs and come up on the other side and hopefully miss them. My spine stiffens when someone yells, “Put the gun down.”
Wait, I know that voice.
Then another. “You don’t know what the hell you’re doing!”
Holy shit! That’s Frankie. I take off my shoes so my heels don’t echo. I glance down the empty hallways, hoping there is something or someone who can help. Dammit, I don’t see anything but marble walls and floor. The other man is yelling back at Frankie. I catch something about Frankie ratting him out. The two men go back and forth. The other guy’s voice is getting more and more agitated. Frankie is getting uneasy.
I start pacing. Frankie’s in trouble, and I can’t stand here and do nothing. My heart picks up speed as I walk slowly down the hall. I stop at the corner, taking a few quiet breaths, before peeking around it. The other guy has his back to me, waving around a gun. He stands about six feet away from me, so I size him up. He’s not quite as tall as Frankie, medium build. What the hell should I do? I’ve taken down guys at the gym much bigger than him so I might be able to get the gun away from him. Security has to be on their way up. If I heard all the yelling, I’m sure someone else has, too.
BANG!
I jump at the sound and Frankie screams. Peeking around the corner again, I can see he shot him in the leg.
“Aww, man, I fucking missed. I meant to shoot you in the head,” the guy with the gun says sarcastically. “This time I won’t miss.”
Not thinking, I drop my shoes and run toward the guy. I have the advantage of him not seeing me coming. I grab the arm holding the gun and twist until I hear it pop. The gun falls out of his hand as I throw him over my shoulder, body slamming him to the ground.
