Page 75 of Contracted to the Bikers

Connor’s eyebrows shoot up. Cruz chuckles delightedly. Rook smirks and squeezes my hip. Boone looks like the cat that got the cream.

“We should go, the jury is about to give the verdict.” Rook places his hand on my elbow, guiding me toward the main room.

“Wait, I don’t have your number,” Connor says, trotting alongside us.

I don’t look at him as I reply. “I have yours, I’ll call you.”

“You’d better hope your testimony was enough,” Cruz says. I can hear the laughter in his voice.

I brace myself, preparing for the outcome. I know that, no matter what, I have my men by my side and we’ll get through this. We won’t give up, even if we have to go through this circus all over again. The baby stirs, kicking me sharply, as if ready to fight alongside us, my little warrior.

As we walk into the courtroom and I see Briggs’ smug face, still confident he will walk, I bend over double in pain, clutching my stomach.

“You okay?” Rook asks, steadying me.

“Yep, just nerves,” I insist through gritted teeth.

He frowns, but he doesn’t push it; he knows that nothing would stop me from being here. We sit down, the wooden benches hard and unforgiving, only adding to my discomfort. I smile a little at the curious glances my men attract, though my heavily pregnant state draws more attention. Briggs’ wife scowls at me. I ignore her. It’s not my fault she married a bastard.

The jury shuffles in, their shoes squeaking and clipping on the floor, clothes rustling as they take their place in the jury box. The judge enters, and we all rise. David catches my eye, smiling at me, and I give him a thumbs up.

I zone out, focusing on my breathing, as the judge makes his usual opening remarks, words I’ve heard hundreds of times and know by heart. When he asks, “Has the jury reached a unanimous decision?” my gaze returns to them.

“We have, your honor.” The man’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as he nervously glances over at Briggs—a good sign.

The judge reads through each count against Briggs. His smug smile slowly slips, replaced by incredulous, outraged disbelief as to each of the counts, the foreman replies, “We, the jury, find the defendant guilty.”

Guilty.

I almost can’t quite believe it. Neither can Briggs. But then the charges keep racking up, and he finally loses his cool. His calm, respectable veneer drops. “This is a fucking outrage!” he yells, jumping from his seat. He ignores the judge’s calls for order. “You fucking useless, waste of money—” he descends into a tirade against his lawyers that strays into racism, earning a gasp from the crowd and making the judge bang his gavel repeatedly.

The bailiff moves to apprehend him as he rushes toward the crowd, unbelievably trying to make a run for it. Briggs’ eyes meet mine in the crowd, and his face twists into a feral snarl. “You fucking bitch, this is your fault! I wish you and that brat of yours had died in that bomb. I should have killed her when I had the chance!”

The bailiff isn’t quick enough, and Briggs is getting closer, moving with almost inhuman speed in his rage. The reporters are unable to believe their luck.

My stomach cramps again, pain flaring, as if my body is rebelling against the danger. But I’m not afraid. I don’t even move. I know I don’t need to. Cruz steps in with ease, expertly stopping Briggs in his tracks, wrenching his arms behind his back, and maneuvering him to the floor, ready for the bailiff to cuff him. A bead of sweat runs down the man’s forehead as he cuffs Briggs, kneeling on his back. “Thanks,” he tells Cruz breathlessly.

“Don’t mention it,” Cruz replies, stepping aside and letting the security do their jobs. One of them tells him he’s got a job if he’s interested, totally serious behind the jovial tone. Cruz just smiles and nods.

Briggs is still screaming as they lead him away.

“Are you okay?” Boone says to me, concern knotting his brows, followed by confusion when he notices the huge grin on my face.

“I’m more than okay; that idiot just confessed on camera in front of a room full of people. We’ll definitely be able to start a case for the bombing and kidnapping now!”

Boone laughs, kissing my head. Rook pulls me close, kissing me. “You did it.”

“He’s going to go away for a long time, especially after that,” I agree.

The prosecution team is all smiling and congratulating each other. David meets my eye and grins, giving me two thumbs up before waving for me to join. I shake my head, motioning for them to go on without me. There will be time to celebrate later.

“Ready to go home?” Rook asks me.

“Actually,” I say, looking between him, Boone, and Cruz, holding my stomach. “I think we’d better go to the hospital. The baby is on the way.”

Epilogue

Sloane