Page 74 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
After today, she’d either go to jail or…she’d be free to move on with her life.
She met Mia on the steps of the courthouse, and they walked inside together. Mia had on a black skirt suit with a cranberry-colored blouse underneath, her hair swept back in a neat twist, and she looked gorgeous, but more than that, she looked like a lawyer. As she led the way through the lobby, her heels clicking against the marble floors, Lauren couldn’t help feeling that Mia looked in her element here in a way she didn’t at the café.
Then they were standing at the doors to the courtroom, and Lauren couldn’t breathe. She hugged her coat around herself as something cold slithered over her skin. “Mia, I…” She broke off as her chest constricted, squeezing the air from her lungs.
Mia rested a hand against Lauren’s back, rubbing up and down over her blazer. “It’s going to be okay. I know the judge and the ADA, and they’re both reasonable. We have Josie’s statement from when she came to the station with us. There shouldn’t be any surprises.”
“What if…” She gave Mia helpless look.
“I never make promises when it comes to legal cases, because nothing’s ever definite, and in the end, it’s up to the judge, not me,” Mia said, and did that sound ominous? Lauren’s head went fuzzy. “But you’re going to walk out of here a free woman, Lauren. I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it.”
Lauren dragged a desperate breath into her lungs. She knew she’d make it through a prison sentence if it came to that, but right here, right now, it felt so overwhelming. She’d have to leave her apartment and her job at the café. Mia had said she’d wait for her, but it would behard. Tears burned her eyes.
“Mia Solano, as I live and breathe,” a deep voice called.
Mia turned with a smile as a man in a gray suit approached.
“Didn’t think I’d see you walking these halls again.” He stuck out a hand, and they shook.
“I’m just here today as a favor for a friend,” she told him, then glanced at Lauren. “Lauren, this is ADA Benny Ramirez. Benny, Lauren Booker.”
Lauren might have been insulted that Mia had introduced her as a friend, but she knew it was probably because of the circumstances. Was Mia even allowed to represent her girlfriend in court? Lauren had no idea, and her brain wasn’t exactly functioning right now. “Hi,” she managed. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too, Lauren. You’ve got yourself a top-notch lawyer here,” Benny said. With a wave, he headed inside the courtroom.
“Is he the ADA on my case?” Lauren asked.
Mia shook her head. “No, Shia Nader is assigned to your case. She’s probably already inside. Shall we?”
Lauren nodded. She’d been cold before, but now she was hot, sweat causing her shirt to stick to her skin beneath the borrowed blazer. Her stomach felt like she’d eaten rocks for breakfast.
Mia pulled open the heavy wooden door in front of them, leading the way into the courtroom. It didn’t look quite like Lauren had expected, but then again, her only frame of reference wasLaw & Order. This room was relatively small, with bright white walls and windows to the left. Neat rows of chairs faced the area at the front of the room where the judge sat.
Mia led the way toward a pair of empty seats, and there was a swagger in her stride that Lauren hadn’t seen before. She looked calm and confident, Lauren’s exact opposite.
“They’ll call your name soon,” she told Lauren as they sat.
“Okay,” Lauren mumbled, trying not to hyperventilate. First, she hadn’t been able to breathe, and now she was gasping for air like she’d just gone for a run.
“That’s ADA Nader,” Mia murmured, gesturing to a woman near the front of the courtroom. She wore a beige suit, her black hair pulled back in a tight bun. She looked serious, but if anything, Mia looked more intimidating than the ADA.
Lauren had never been more glad foranythingthan she was that Mia would be standing beside her when she faced the judge. As she waited, she watched a man sentenced for selling drugs and another whose charges were dismissed because the prosecution’s witness didn’t show up. All the while, Lauren became increasingly agitated while Mia watched the proceedings with laser sharp interest, looking cool as a cucumber.
“Lauren Booker, docket number 22 Cr 4502 GL.”
Lauren bolted to her feet on wobbly knees. Mia gave her a confident smile before she led the way to the front of the courtroom.
21
“These charges are dismissed.” The judge banged his gavel.
Mia pushed her shoulders back as the all-too-familiar thrill of victory raced through her system, something she hadn’t felt in damn close to a year. She nodded briskly. “Thank you, Your Honor.”
Beside her, Lauren looked like she might cry with relief. She’d been heartbreakingly anxious this morning, when Mia had known it would end like this. The ADA hadn’t even put up a fight when Mia made her case. Thanks to Josie’s sworn statement and Lauren’s otherwise spotless record, this had been a no-brainer.
Mia turned to thank ADA Nader, and then she led the way out of the courtroom with Lauren at her heels. She kept walking until they’d made it outside. Then, as she stood on the front steps of the courthouse with crisp November sunshine glinting off Lauren’s glossy brown hair, Mia pulled her in for a hug. “See? I told you it would be okay.”
“I’m so relieved,” Lauren murmured against Mia’s jacket. “I can’t quite believe it’s over.”
