Page 95 of Hidden Ties

Confused by her behavior, when she looked at him pitifully, she didn’t realize he was staring back at her the same way. Talking to Valerie was like stepping into La La Land, where you couldn’t understand a fucking thing anyone said to you, not because you couldn’t understand the language, but it didn’t make any fucking sense. He had to get her out of jail. It wasn’t good for her, mind wise.

“The Carusos are dangerous.” Her voice dropped even lower, and she began distracting him with the way she was wiggling her lips.

“Everyone in KC knows they have ties to the mob.”

Kent was finding it hard to keep a straight face. He had been the one who told her about the Carusos. Of course, she didn’t know it had been him who had told her.

There wasn’t much he didn’t know about Valerie. They had been playing video games together for years. While she hadn’t had any inhibitions about telling him her life story, he had made up one for her. When he had heard Valerie getting arrested through his headset, he had already decided to represent her. He’d devised a way to get Lucca to pay his bill to keep her safe and find out who had framed Valerie. Whoever had framed her had an ulterior motive, and he didn’t have the time to find out why, nor play bodyguard.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“No.” He was, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

“You sound like you are,” she hissed at him. “Listen up. It’s nice meeting you, but I’m going to decline your offer to represent me. I’ll hire my own lawyer.”

He grew serious real fucking quick. “Do you have enough to pay a lawyer? There’s going to be a hearing Monday morning to arraign you. The DA is going to ask for a two-million-dollar bail.”

Her jaw dropped. “What the frick! I can’t afford that!”

Kent nodded. “I’m aware of that fact.”

“How?” Suspiciously, she stared at him.

“I researched you before I took your case.”

She looked at him hotly. He wanted to slam his face onto the table.

“Your house was two hundred thousand when it was last listed, but you’re behind on two mortgage payments, and your credit cards are in even worse shape. Currently, you have nosource of employment. You’re a flight risk with no known family in the area, or anywhere I could find. The Horseshoe is pressing charges that they lost over one point four million dollars before they could get their computers online. The DA wants to make an example out of you to keep others from attempting the same crime. He’s going to go for the maximum sentence he can get.”

“I’m going to rot in prison …” she began to gasp, as if she were having a panic attack.

“Val—” He cleared his throat, catching himself. He couldn’t tell her who he was. He had already given her a fictitious persona online. While what he had told her was a lie, Valerie was the only person in the world whom he had shown his true self to. In some ways, she was the only real friend he had, which was why he had no intention to ever tell her he was her online friend Justice.

“Ms. Monroe, are you all right?”

“Do I look all right?” She looked around the room wildly. “I need to get out. I can’t stay in here any longer! I need my Twizzlers!”

“Breathe!” Kent started to get out of his chair then sat back down. If he got up, the officer monitoring the room would come in and end the interview. “Dammit, put your head between your knees.”

Turning sideways in the chair, Valerie put her head down to her knees.

“Now, take deep breaths,” he instructed her firmly.

Thankfully, she started breathing slower.

“Better?”

“Yes,” she mumbled with her head still down. “Is a public defender going to be able to get me out of here?”

“No.” Hell,hewould be lucky to get her out.

“C-can you?”

“Yes.” He might have to use a few of his favors owed to him, but he would do everything he could to get her out.

Raising her head, she looked searchingly into his eyes.

“Are the Carusos going to off me if you get me out?”