Page 58 of Demon On Deck

I grab his hand and pull him back towards me. “Hey, I’m okay. He’s not worth you going to jail over.”

“He may not be, but you most certainly are,” he says with such devotion, my breath is stolen from my lungs.

The moment is, of course, ruined by the dumbass on the floor who is now wailing.

“Assault,” he screams as he sucks in deep breaths and chokes on them. “That fucking demon just assaulted me!” He yells as he scrambles away from us.

The harpy finally makes his way over to where we’re standing and looks between Evren and me and Matt. He turns his head, focusing his eyes on Matt before speaking.

“Sir, from what I saw and heard, you assaulted the mate of this demon. Not only did you break human assault laws, you also broke a metric ton of supernatural laws regarding mates. You try to press charges, and this courtroom becomes a witness list you don’t want. I’d suggest shutting your trap and walking out of here with what little dignity you have left.”

With that, he turns to the crowd and starts calling out for the room to clear so the next case can proceed.

Matt pushes to his feet and storms past his lawyer, who is looking like he is regretting his decision to be legal counsel for such a buffoon, knocking into several people as he shoves through the doors.

We watch him go, then look at each other, both silent.

Neeve appears by my side and whispers, “Let’s get out of the room. Actually, let’s get out of the courthouse. I don’t want to cause any more disruptions.”

Evren and I nod and turn for the door. He keeps a big, warm, reassuring hand on the small of my back all the way from the courtroom, through the many hallways, and out onto the courthouse steps. When we make it outside, we’re met by Mel and the demoness I assume is Evren’s mom.

Mel throws her arms around me, exclaiming, “I know you're pissed, and I owe you a massive explanation, but after that, I’d really like to do the explaining over a drink.”

“We owe her a massive explanation,” Evren says from beside me.

Mel releases me, and I nod. “Yes, and a drink sounds amazing.”

“Del Mar? Drinks and food. I drove myself, and Evren and his parents came together. Do you want me to leave my car and come with you?” Mel asks

So definitely his mom then. I can feel Evren stiffen next to me.

“Del Mar is great and no. I need a minute to myself to decompress.”

I can sense Evren wants to say something, but he remains silent.

I take a step away from him, missing his warm touch immediately as I say, “See you there.”

“See you there,” he says with such aching longing, tears prick my eyes.

The drive to Del Mar is as much of a blur as the drive to the courthouse. The only difference is that the stress and anxiety that had been hanging over me are gone. Instead, they’re replaced with nerves. Evren’s parents. Evren’s dad as part of my legal team.

Evren.

Parked outside the restaurant, I take several deep breaths. I can spot Evren hovering right outside the door, no doubt waiting to see if I show up or bail. The thought had crossed my mind, just driving straight home and avoiding Evren and his family. As much as his presence and defense of me had me flying high, he still got involved even after I told him not to. With a last breath, I exit the car and head to the restaurant door.

When Evren spots me, I see him sag slightly with relief. He says nothing, just opens the door and places his hand on the small of my back once again, leading me to a table in the back where Mel and his parents are seated. He pulls out a chair, the one sitting next to him, and takes a seat once I’m settled.

Mel touches my forearm. “Neeve was parked by me at the courthouse. She got a call and had to go meet a client. She said to tell you congratulations.”

“Always on the go,” I say, smiling and shaking my head as the waitress sets a lemon drop martini in front of me. I look to Mel, but she shakes her head and points to my right. Evren rubs his neck, giving me a sheepish smile.

“I took the liberty of ordering your favorite. To toast your victory.”

“Thank you,” I say softly.

A soft cough draws my attention across the table.

“Sorry, I’m being rude,” he says quickly. “Kallie, I’d like you to meet my parents. This is my mom, Una, and you’ve met my dad, Demmir.”