Page 32 of My Sweet Poison
“Sorry? Sorry? Let me tell you what, young lady. You’re going to be sorry. I don’t give a hot damn what the jury verdict is. You turned my courtroom into a fucking circus. I’m a laughingstock. I’m going to throw the fucking book at you. You won’t see the light of day until you’re eighty.”
The judge wheeled away from me with a disgusted huff. “Get her out of my sight.”
One guard cleared his throat and elbowed the other.
Taking the hint, the other one spoke up. “Your Honor, we were thinking we should take her down to the tombs and do a proper search of her person.”
The judge nodded, his swollen jowls jiggling with the movement. “That’s a good idea, do it.”
Without a backward glance, the judge stormed off, slamming the door shut behind him.
The guards fist-bumped each other. “Your pretty ass is ours now, princess.”
My salty tears stung the heated and bruised skin of my cheek.
I uselessly twisted my wrists in the handcuffs till they were raw and chafed.
As the guards closed in around me and hauled me out of the chair, the door opened again.
I didn’t even bother to look over. What was the point?
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to mentally separate myself from the physical horror I was about to endure.
A hand touched my chin, raising my head.
The touch was gentler than I would have expected.
My eyes sprang open and clashed with the intense silver stare of Pierce Worthington.
The air in my lungs froze.
He tilted my head to the side, surveying my red cheek.
Without taking his eyes off me, he asked, “Who did this?”
The one who’d grabbed my skirt puffed out his chest. “I did, sir. The murdering bitch deserved it for getting mouthy with me. Don’t you worry. We know what she did to your brother. She’ll get more of that when we get her down into the tombs.”
I tensed my body to keep from trembling.
He released my chin and stroked his knuckles down my cheek.
An almost affectionate gesture. Some new game?
He moved me away from the table then stepped back and unbuttoned his suit jacket. After he shrugged out of it and tossed it onto the table, he faced the guards while rolling up his sleeves. “Gentlemen, we have a problem. You have harmed someone I consider my property.”
His property?
HIS PROPERTY?
The guards exchanged a confused look but caught on quickly.
The first one lunged, overextending his arm in his effort to punch Pierce in the face, but Pierce was too quick for him. He bent low and punched the guy in the ribs, before risingand giving him a brutal uppercut, which sent the guard flying backward to land with a hard thud on the linoleum floor.
Pierce rounded on Steve. The one who’d actually hit me. He raised his clenched fists.
Steve pulled his handgun, aiming it at Pierce’s head. “I’m going to enjoy shooting that arrogant rich boy smirk off your face. You waltz around here like fucking God, but you’ll die like any other bitch.”
Pierce’s gaze hardened. “I was just going to beat you to within an inch of your life for touching her. Now I’m going to kill you.”
