Page 44 of Double Standards

I don’t smile. Not yet. “He’s still got two weeks to scrounge up something. We’re not out of the woods, yet.”

We walk in silence until we’re outside the courthouse. The steady rhythm of Jada’s heels on the pavement is the only soundbetween us, but my thoughts are anything but quiet. Inside, I know I look calm, but my heart’s still hammering behind my ribs like it’s trying to warn me something’s coming.

I replay the judge’s words in my head, every syllable echoing with weight:Dismissal denied… Court will reconvene… Conditions of bail.We got what we came for.Barely. And yet, I can’t shake the unease curling in my stomach. This case is already hanging by threads, and threads snap when you pull too hard. Daniels is scrambling, desperate to see Axel behind bars. But desperation makes men reckless, and Daniels’ will slip up eventually. I know he will.

My fingers itch for my phone, for the files waiting on my laptop, for somethingsolid. I need something I can control, something I can hold up in court and say:This. This is the truth.But Axel Bonanno doesn’t deal in things that are easy to hold. He hides behind sharp smirks and calculated silences, and I’m the one tasked with translating that into innocence. I can’t tell the court the exact truth, but I can pull apart Daneils’ defense. I just need to figure out how.

Jada glances at me sideways as she hails a cab for us. “You good?”

“Yeah,” I breathe out.

She waits a beat, then smiles mischievously. “Liar.”

I huff a soft laugh, the kind that sounds more like surrender than amusement. My eyes flutter closed for a beat, but the image of him—jaw tight, that stubborn glint in his eyes—flickers behind my lids like a brand.

A taxi pulls up to the curb and we both step in, Jada reeling out our office address to the driver. To be honest, we could’ve probably caught a ride with Axel, but right now I need all the space from him that I can get.

“He’s a complicated client,” I murmur.

“That’s one word for it.” Jada taps her nails against the side of the tablet, watching me from the corner of her eye. “Do you believe his alibi?”

That’s the ultimate question.I have no choice but to believe it.

She blinks. “He did tell you, right?”

I don’t answer that directly. Just tilt my head and say, “It wouldn’t help him to make it public.”

Jada whistles low under her breath. “So you’re sitting on it.”

“I’m protectinghim,” I correct, my voice even. “That’s my job.”

She studies me for a moment, something unreadable flickering in her expression. “That’s a hell of a job.”

“Not really,” I reply. “I saw it in Daniels’ face the second I said the word ‘alibi.’ He flinched. He doesn’t have a damn thing on Axel. Just conviction based on reputation and a weak theory.”

Jada sits up straight, lips pursed. “You sure you’re not too close to this?”

“I’m sure I’m the only one who can handle it.”

She exhales, long and low. “Alright. So we double down. Tighten the paper trail. Lock in every timestamp, every call log, every witness that can back him up without compromising whateversecret Batman shithe’s doing.”

I nod. “Exactly. We make it airtight.”

The cab pulls up to our building and Jada pushes through the door. I follow closely behind, the sound of our heels echoing against concrete.

“You not heading home?” Jada asks.

“There’s still work to do.”

She frowns at me like she’s disapproving of my work ethic—like this is the hundredth time she’s caught me neck-deep in a case long after any sane person would’ve gone home. But she also knows I don’t half-ass my job. I never have, never will. Especially not when someone’s life is hanging in the balance.

“Cass, it’s past six,” she reminds me, her voice soft but firm.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not a robot,” she taunts, and it’s half concern, half scolding.

“Could’ve fooled me,” I mutter.