Page 7 of Betrothed To Love

As he speaks, my mind is churning and boiling at the same damn time. I hate to admit this shit, but unfortunately, he’s right. Judges rarely, if ever, recuse themselves. When they do, it is truly a matter of record. Plus, he’s also right about the record. He said in open court that the defendant, his brother, was my brother-in-law. Annulments are also a matter of public record. As soon as it’s filed, anyone will be able to see it and ethical rules will be questioned and so will my impartiality on the bench.

There’s a fine line between judges and attorneys, especially those appearing in my courtroom. Even the hint of an improper relationship can end a career, especially during an election. Any appearance of a prior romantic involvement with the defense attorney whose case I just recused myself from screams bias and on its face looks like a violation of the judicial code of conduct.

Fuck! This is a nightmare.

I am running for re-election. Unlike my original bid, which was unopposed, I actually have an opponent, former district attorney Lyle Richardson. He would love to make something out of nothing to discredit me. On the bench, we are polar opposites. I’m letter of the law, fairness, and justice and he’s spirit of the law, biases, and case by case justice, all the things I’m against. I refused to let him claim my seat on the bench.

But am I willing to do this? Stay married to this stranger? I don’t know.

“I see you thinking over there,” he says, then sits back on my couch. “So I need to tell you everything.”

“You put something in my drink,” I snap.

“Nah. Quit thinking that shit. I would never do anything to hurt a woman, never. That isn’t me at all,” he says while shaking his head. “Ace is innocent.”

“All defendants are until proven guilty,” I spit, annoyed at not knowing. What the hell is everything?

“He’s legit innocent. Ace has a wife, twin boys, and a successful, national moving company. The drugs on that truck did not belong to him. He doesn’t fuck with drugs or anything illegal. He doesn’t deserve to be locked up, and as his brother, I had, well… have to get him out. I went to that ball for you. My plan was to chill with you, have a few drinks, and be seen with you so today you would feel obligated to recuse yourself. But this, I never meant for it to go this far. Drinks, in public, that was it. This whole marriage and shit was not the plan. I would never want to fuck up your rep or the election,” he says so apologetically but I don’t know him nor can I trust him.

“You were setting me up!” I exclaim loudly, too loud for judges’ chambers. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“It was wrong but innocent. I had no intention of a few drinks at the ball getting to this. I swear.”

“And I’m supposed to believe you? You came to the ball to set me up, compromise my courtroom, and blackmail me off a case. Please,” I hiss, furious as hell. My head feels like it’s about to explode; I’m so fucking angry.

“Not blackmail,” he insists. “I just needed you to get off the case. Five minutes in your court and that was it. Case moved to another judge,” he says. Although he sounds sincere, this situation feels calculated and I don’t like it at all.

Furious, I stand. “Get out of my chambers before I have my deputy escort you, Counselor,” I grit as calmly as I can muster.

“I know this sounds fucked up bu⁠—”

“Counselor,” I warn more sternly and he stands.

“I really am sorry,” he utters as he heads out of my office.

Is he fucking for real…

FOUR

“Fuck,” I utter as I walk past her aide’s desk. This was not how this shit was supposed to go. Fuck!

“Didn’t you see me calling you?” Aven asks frantically after she practically runs into me in the hall. “Judge Wright moved us up in his calendar. We are due in his courtroom in fifteen. When you didn’t answer, I went to holding and told Ace,” she fires out. “Quintus, did you hear me?” she asks, and although I barely heard her, I nod.

My mind is still in Mireya’s chambers. Her stern voice, tight face, fiery eyes, and anger are stuck in my mental. She’s pissed, and technically, I don’t blame her. I’m never going to regret doing what I had to for my brother but I regret the marriage. Real shit, that wasn’t the plan. Drinks would have been enough for a judge like her to remove herself from a case. The look of any inappropriateness is enough for her. That’s all it was supposed to be. Fucking up shit for a woman, a Black woman at that, was never the plan. I’m not built like that.

I fucked up, really fucked up, and I have to fix this shit after I get Ace bail.

“Yeah, I heard you,” I finally tell her. “You ready?”

She stares at me for a moment to gauge my true mood. Aven is good at that. She’s been my legal assistant since I opened the doors of Bako & Associates five years ago and she can read me like a book.

“If you are, I am.”

“I’m good. I’m about to get my brother out on bail and hopefully get this bullshit case dismissed.”

“You will,” she assures me before we head down the hall to Courtroom C.

Judge Wright is as easily influenced as I heard. With my practice and home located in Diamond Falls, over ninety percent of my cases and clients are. My interactions with the judges here in Crescent Falls are minimal, but a few defense attorneys gave me the heads up about Wright, so I took a chance. Seeing how fast he agreed and ordered bail, I’m glad I did. Things are looking good for Ace and this case.