Page 2 of Sackett (Demented Souls #17)

“B rant, can you bring in my next appointment?” Selena said, then released the intercom button and reached for the packet of papers she’d prepared.

Divorce wasn’t an uncommon thing for her, but one for an only possible, common-law marriage in another state?

That was a bit different. Still, it was better to file and be told there was no marriage to dissolve than to assume there was nothing and find out later they were wrong.

At least that was the position of her client and the man who had brought her in.

“Right this way.” Brant’s voice, as he opened her office door, had her standing to meet the client that was stepping into the room.

Donna, she recognized but the man with her wasn’t the one she’d brough with her the last several times they’d met.

Still, it wasn’t Selena’s place to judge, so she plastered on her professional smile, met them halfway across the room and shook their hands, Donna first since she was the client.

“This is Sackett, Savage couldn’t make it, so he arranged for a friend to bring me,” Donna introduced the tall man with longer, lighter colored hair than she remembered her client’s partner having, though they wore what appeared to be the same leather vest. “I hope that’s okay?”

“This is your case. Anyone you feel the need to bring is up to you. I just take care of the paperwork and fight for you in the court.” She invited them to have a seat, then went back around her desk and resumed her seat.

“I know we went over this once, but I want to make sure you completely understand the plan. We’ve searched the online records and can find no record of your supposed marriage anywhere in the state of Colorado.

That’s good, but to make sure all our bases are covered, we’re going to fill out all the paperwork to file, and I’ll take it up to Fort Collins and meet with a judge in person.

I’ll explain everything that’s going on and see what he says.

If he says file them, I will. If he says there is no marriage, and no need to file, I’ll get that in writing and come back, and we’ll be done.

Does that sound like what we discussed before?

” She did her best to keep her gaze on Donna, though her escort had a commanding presence and Selena found it difficult to keep from at least glancing at him now and then.

“That sounds right. If he says to file, how long will it take? Until it’s all final?” Donna’s voice was soft, but there was backbone there.

“That’s hard to say. If Mr. Harrison doesn’t contest anything, and there’s nothing in here that he should contest, then Colorado state law says ninety-one days.

If he does contest, for whatever reason, longer.

He could drag it out indefinitely unless the judge decides enough is enough and just orders the divorce.

But let’s not borrow trouble until it gets here.

Let’s hope the judge says there is no marriage, hence no need to file for a divorce.

” Selena fought to keep her eyes on Donna.

She found the man sitting beside her client intriguing, but she had to maintain professionalism.

“All right, so I sign all this, and wait to hear from you?” Donna scooted forward to the edge of her chair, as if she was eager to get this done so she could move on.

“Exactly. I’ve marked each spot for a signature here, so it shouldn’t take long.”

She flipped through the pages, indicating each place her client needed to sign or initial, and waited while she did it before moving on to the next.

In under five minutes they’d finished with the signatures.

She’d managed to keep her eyes either on the page or on her client.

Selena stacked the pages together and hit the end on her desktop to align them before adding the binder clip.

“All set. Any other questions today?” She looked back and forth between Donna and her escort, Sackett, she’d said. Selena wanted to let her gaze linger on him but refused the weakness.

“No. I’m good. Thank you again for taking care of all this for me,” Donna said, standing.

Sackett stood beside her and stepped toward the door, as if waiting for her to be ready before opening it for her.

She’d noticed that Savage did the same thing, as if it was second nature for these men do to everything they could to take care of their women.

Their women , where had that thought came from?

Women weren’t property, she’d been fighting against that concept as long as she could remember.

Selena had to wonder for a moment how it would feel to be able to let someone do small things like that for you.

Not that she could. No. She couldn’t afford to let anyone, especially not anyone she dated, feel like she was anything less than the strong, take-charge woman she put out there.

Softness would be seen as weakness and that was something she couldn’t afford, not if she wanted to be one of the premier divorce attorneys in the state.

And that was her goal. To work for the downtrodden and suppressed and get them what they deserved out of lopsided, oppressive marriages when they were ready to escape.

That was part of what had attracted her to Donna’s case.

The woman had been victim to an abusive boyfriend who claimed after she’d gotten the courage to leave, that they were legally married, and he would get her back one way or another.

Hearing the other woman’s story had lit a fire deep in Selena that made her even more determined to make sure that Donna was freed from this man.

And Selena didn’t accept losing. One way or another she would make sure Donna didn’t have to worry about him coming after her again.