Page 63 of Dirty Judge

“But you did survive, right?”

He didn’t give me the chance to answer.

“Three, I thought about what you said regarding a rental car and I definitely can afford that so…” He hesitated. “You can rent one and use that to pick me up until my personal cars are working again.”

“Four, you will?—”

“No.” I threw the notebook to the floor before he could finish his sentence. “I can’t take any more of this from you.”

“That notebook is rather small for the rest of my list.” He glanced down at it. “You should pick it up and go get a bigger one.”

“I’m not getting anything.” I kicked it instead, feeling a familiar surge of hatred rush through me. “I’m done putting up with you.”

“Good to see your true vigilante colors coming through again.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” My chest heaved up and down. “Better yet, can you just tell me why you keep treating me like I’m beneath you?”

“Youarebeneath me.”

“Like I’m beneath everyone else.” My blood was boiling. “You’re purposely trying to drive me insane, and I swear, if you do one more petty ass thing, I might have to check myself into an asylum.”

“Be careful, Miss Spencer.” He pressed his hand against the door. “The insanity defense hardly ever works on anyone, especially me.”

“You are a terrible boss and an even worse human being.”

“With your writing degree, I’m sure you can come up with better insults than that.”

“I would like for you to reassign me to another judge’s chambers.”

“That’s never happening.”

“So, you’d rather me stay here under you and remain miserable?”

“Yes.”

Silence.

“Can you get the other notebook now?” he asked. “I’m not exaggerating about the length of my list.”

“Then you should probably ask some other people to help you with it.” My blood was boiling. “I’m done with the whiplash under you, and I honestly haven’t done anything to deserve how awful you’ve been to me, so?—”

“Cut this emotional bullshit.” He interrupted with a hiss. “You stalked me at my fucking condo and took a crowbar to not one, but two of my cars.”

My jaw dropped to the floor and all the air left my chest.

He KNEW?!

“You honestly thought you’d gotten away with that shit?” He glared at me. “Did you think I would never figure it out?”

“I…” I couldn’t breathe. “I…”

“Go ahead and finish your little speech,” he said. “Tell me how I have no idea how to treat you, but quickly follow it up with how the fuck you treated me…”

I was utterly speechless.

“Yes, I treat you worse than everyone else here,” he admitted. “Yes, I will continue to be very petty and ‘mean’ to you, but ifwe’re keeping a running balance, you still owe me about two hundred thousand dollars in damages.”

I felt like a deer in headlights, but there was nowhere for me to run.