Page 85 of Omega's Fever

“No.” I look at them, at Penelope’s swollen belly and Damon’s set jaw. “Absolutely not. Do you know what he’ll do to you? To all of you?”

“We know.” Penelope’s voice is steady despite the fear I can smell on her. “But we can’t let you go down for this. Not when we know the truth.”

“The truth doesn’t matter if you’re dead.”

“We have a plan,” Milo insists. “Sutter wants the real criminal, not you. You’re small-time compared to—” He stops, still not saying the name even here. “She’ll deal. We just need to offer it to her. We’ll get witness protection for all of us.”

“You can’t trust—”

“Three minutes,” the bailiff announces.

Milo grabs my face between his hands, forces me to look at him. “Trust me. Please. Just this once, trust me to save you instead of the other way around.”

I want to say no. I want to tell him to run, to take our baby and disappear somewhere safe. But I’m looking into those fierce blue eyes and seeing something I should have recognized from the start. Milo Warren doesn’t run. He fights. Maybe he fights in a different way that I do, but he’s a fighter, same as I am.

I also notice that he hasn’t apologised once for doing this. No“I’m sorry” as if he needs to apologize for living and I am loving that.

“What do you need me to do?”

Relief floods his face. “Take me back as your attorney. Let me handle this.”

“Milo—”

“Two minutes.”

“Trust me,” he says again, and God help me, I do.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” He blinks, like he expected more argument.

“I trust you.” I catch his hand, squeeze it once. “But if this goes wrong…”

“It won’t.” He squeezes back, then straightens his tie with shaking fingers. “Get ready to look contrite.”

“One minute.”

We break apart, returning to our positions. Milo stands beside me at the defense table, every inch the professional lawyer despite everything. Penelope and Damon retreat to the gallery, but their presence is like a weight in the room. Whatever evidence they found, they’re all in now. No backing out.

“Time,” the bailiff calls.

“Your Honor.” Milo’s voice rings clear and confident. “My client wishes to withdraw his guilty plea and proceed to trial with myself as counsel.”

Melkham looks like he’s swallowed something sour. “Is that correct, Mr. Hayes?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“You understand that by withdrawing the plea, you’re facing potential life sentences on multiple counts?”

“I understand.”

“And you’re requesting Mr. Warren as your attorney, despite having dismissed him previously?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

Melkham sighs, the kind of deep, put-upon sigh of a man who’s seen too much bullshit in his career. “Mr. Warren, you’re willing to resume representation?”

“I am, Your Honor. However, there’s another matter that needs addressing.”