Page 12 of Hooked on Mack (Hooked #7)

Larissa

Just as the courtroom was about to call it a day, the doors swung open with a dramatic flourish.

In strode the surprise witness: a petite woman in her late forties, sporting a pixie haircut and wire-rimmed glasses.

Dressed in a smart navy-blue pantsuit, she had an air of confidence that commanded attention.

She took the stand, and the room fell silent, hanging on her every word.

Unbelievable!

As we prepared to cross-examine the witness, things were about to take a turn for the worse. A storm was brewing, and it threatened our case.

“Your witness, Ms. Montgomery,” the judge said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Thank you, Your Honor,” I replied, forcing a smile. As I approached the witness stand, I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

“Can you please state your name for the record?” I asked, my voice wavering slightly.

“Maria Reynolds,” she answered, her voice shaking as well.

“Ms. Reynolds, can you please explain your relationship with Mr. Kennsington?” I continued, my mind racing as I tried to focus on the task at hand.

“Um,” she hesitated, clearly unnerved by our earlier argument. “I was… involved.”

“Involved how?” I pressed, my heart in my throat as the tension mounted.

“Objection! Leading the witness!” Mack barked, his voice strained.

“Overruled. The witness may answer.”

“We had an affair,” Maria finally admitted, tears filling her eyes.

“Thank you, Ms. Reynolds,” I said quietly, feeling the weight of her confession settle heavily on my shoulders. As I walked back to my seat, I could feel the storm inside me growing stronger, threatening to tear apart everything I'd worked so hard to build.

“Your witness, Mr. Harrington,” the judge announced, and I braced myself for the worst.

“Ms. Reynolds, isn't it true that you have a history of dishonesty?” Mack asked, his voice tight. It was clear he didn't want to attack her character, but he had no choice.

“Objection! Character assassination!”

“Overruled. Continue, Mr. Harrington.”

As Mack continued questioning Maria, I couldn't help but think about the future, both of our case and our relationship. If things continued down this path, what would be left when the dust settled?

“Ms. Montgomery,” the judge's voice interrupted my thoughts. “Do you have any further questions for the witness?”

“No, Your Honor,” I replied, swallowing hard.

“Very well. You may step down, Ms. Reynolds.”

“I will be taking everything into consideration and will give my ruling tomorrow. Court is adjourned.”

As the courtroom began to empty, I stood frozen in place, my mind racing. The unresolved conflict between Mack and me felt like an unbearable weight, and the storm inside me threatened to break loose at any moment.

“God, I hate cheaters.” The hypocrisy of it all didn't escape me, given that Mark was the very man I was trying to protect. But then again, a lawyer can't always choose their clients.

“Ms. Montgomery, wait!” an intern called after me, struggling to keep up with my long strides.

“Handle it,” I barked over my shoulder. “I've got things to do.”

As if on cue, the lobby erupted into chaos. A crowd gathered near the entrance, their curiosity piqued by the spectacle unfolding before them. Security guards were scrambling to break up a scuffle between none other than Mark and a woman who could only be described as his mistress.

Who does he think he is? This isn't some trashy reality show!

“Mark!” I yelled, fighting my way through the horde of onlookers. “What do you think you're doing?”

“Stay out of this, Larissa! This doesn't concern you!”

“Are you kidding me?” My voice cracked. “I'm trying to save you, and you're out here brawling with your mistress like a caveman! Get it together!”

Ugh, men are such idiots!

The security guards were having a hard time separating the feuding pair, their efforts only adding fuel to the fire. It was obvious that they had no idea how to handle such a volatile situation—not that I could blame them. Mark Kennsington was a force to be reckoned with, but so was I.

“Enough!” I shouted, drawing myself up to my full height and channeling every ounce of authority I possessed. “Let the guards do their job!”

“Fine!” Mark huffed, finally allowing himself to be pulled away from his mistress. “But don't think this is over, Larissa. Not by a long shot.”

“Mack?” I blurted out, caught off guard by his unexpected presence. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to help,” he replied with a rueful grin. “But it seems I might have only made things worse.”

“Join the club,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

“Look out!” Mack suddenly cried, lunging toward me with outstretched arms. But instead of protecting me from some unseen danger, his sudden movement only served to startle me further.

“Ah!” I shrieked, instinctively swinging my fist in self-defense. Unfortunately, my impromptu haymaker found its mark square on Mack's nose, eliciting a yelp of pain from the hapless attorney.

“Ow!” he groaned, clutching his face. “Larissa, what the hell?”

“Mack, I'm so sorry!” I stammered, horrified by my own actions. “I didn't mean to?—”

“Never mind that now,” he interrupted, wincing as blood began to trickle from his nostrils. “We need to stop this before someone else gets hurt.”

Blood blossomed from Mack's nose like a crimson rose, and for a moment, we both just stared at each other in shock.

“Mack, oh my God,” I whispered, horrified at the damage I'd done to his perfect face. “I'm so sorry.”

“Ah… it's fine,” he said, trying to grin through the pain. The effect was more of a grimace, and he looked like he might pass out. “Just… didn't see that coming, that's all.”

“Here, let me help you.” I reached out, steadying him as he swayed on his feet. “You're bleeding pretty badly. Sit down, and I'll find something to clean you up.”

“O-okay,” he stammered, bravely attempting another smile. “Thanks, Larissa. I appreciate it.”

As I guided him to a nearby bench, I couldn't help but feel a sudden rush of protectiveness toward him—a strange emotion, considering I'd just pummeled him in the face.

But now that Mack was injured, it was like some primal part of me had kicked in, demanding that I do everything I could to make things right.

“Here,” I said, pressing a crumpled tissue against his nostrils. “Hold this while I find something better.”

“Y-you don't have to do this,” he protested weakly, but I silenced him with a stern look.

“Of course I do. I hit you, remember? The least I can do is help patch you up.”

“Right.” He sighed, wincing as he applied pressure to his nose. “Fair enough.”

“Okay, just sit tight,” I told him, scanning the lobby for something—anything—I could use to stem the flow of blood. My eyes fell on a first aid kit, and I hurried over, my heart pounding with a mix of adrenaline and guilt.

“Here,” I said, returning to Mack's side with gauze and antiseptic wipes in hand. “Let me take a look.”

“Thanks,” he murmured, gingerly removing the tissue from his face. “I hope it's not as bad as it feels.”

“Only one way to find out.” I gently tilted his chin up, my fingers ghosting over his jawline as I examined the damage.

The sight of his bruised and bloody nose made my stomach churn with remorse, but I forced myself to focus.

I was responsible for this mess, and I'd be damned if I didn't do everything I could to fix it.

“Okay, it doesn't look broken,” I announced after a few tense moments. “But you're going to have one heck of a shiner tomorrow.”

“Great,” he groaned, wincing again as I dabbed at his wounds with an antiseptic wipe. “Just what I need.”

“Sorry,” I said, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “This is all my fault.”

“Hey,” he said, reaching up to squeeze my hand. “It's okay, Larissa. We're both caught up in this madness, remember? And besides… you were just trying to protect yourself.”

“Still,” I sniffled, blinking away the tears. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Accidents happen,” he replied, giving me a lopsided smile. “Besides, now we have a great story to tell, right?”

“Right.” I laughed, despite myself. “The time Larissa Montgomery decked Mack Harrington in the middle of a courthouse lobby.”

“Exactly.” He grinned. “Now that's a tale for the ages.”

“Maybe so,” I agreed, smiling back as I finished bandaging his nose. “But let's try to avoid any more accidents in the future, okay?”

“Agreed.” He chuckled, and for a moment—just a brief, shining moment—all the chaos around us seemed to fade away, leaving only Mack, me, and the bond we'd forged in the heat of battle.

“Excuse me,” I said, gently nudging a gawking bystander as I helped Mack to his feet. We turned just in time to see security guards and police officers swarming Mark and Zippy like bees to honey.

“Mark Kennsington!” Zippy shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger at him as the authorities separated them. “You lying scumbag!”

My eyes flicked from Zippy's enraged face to Mark, who had the audacity to look sheepish. He tried to smooth out his disheveled hair and clothing, but the damage was done. Ava, meanwhile, stood off to the side with an air of smug satisfaction plastered across her face.

As the commotion began to die down, I realized that the responsibility of untangling this mess fell squarely on my shoulders. With a sigh, I turned to Mack. “I suppose we should start figuring out what happened here.”

“Agreed,” he replied, touching his bandaged nose gingerly. “Though I must say, this is one of the more… interesting cases I've been involved in.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered, scanning the room for any clues or witnesses who could shed light on the situation.

“Hey. You don't think this will affect our case, do you?”

“Unfortunately, I have no idea,” I admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt for punching him earlier. “But I promise you, I'll do everything I can to make sure it doesn't.”

“Thanks,” he said, and I could tell he meant it. His faith in me warmed something deep within my chest, and I couldn't help but smile.

“Alright, let's get to work,” I declared, rolling up my sleeves. “We need to talk to Mark, Zippy, and Ava, and then we'll see if any of these fine folks”—I gestured to the crowd that had yet to disperse—“witnessed anything useful.”

“Lead the way,” Mack said with a grin. Together, we waded into the aftermath, determined to find answers amidst the chaos.