how to do? Maybe. But my position of knowing him in his youth allowed me to believe that this ability of his wasn’t all practice and experience. Even the first time we met, he had been all ease and class—not the usual bundle of nerves I was used to seeing when I met Dad’s students. On the occasions Dad allowed any of his “best and brightest” to meet me, they’d always been overeager to impress their professor’s only child. Sebastian, however, hadn’t. He didn’t put on airs, even from the beginning.
Maybe that was one of the reasons why I had been so smitten by him.
I was half sick by the time Sebastian was done making his argument to Judge Harris, but I wasn’t surprised that he managed to talk him into giving his client an additional 90 days to complete his community service. I watched the prosecutor swear under his breath before storming out with his colleague. Other than me, they seemed to be the only people who were unhappy with the outcome.
Meanwhile, Sebastian and his client exchanged pats on the back and smirks that were everything you’d expect from a lowlife. I closed the page of the brief and sat back down, the flutter Sebastian had filled me with now replaced with sickness. I knew what being a criminal defense attorney included, but it was entirely different, seeing the process in person. Somehow, the reality of it was more horrific than the mere knowledge of it. After everything my dad had warned me about, I really should have been more prepared for this. Yet somehow, I wasn’t.
Sebastian leaned over the galley and smiled at me. “Was it everything you’d hoped it would be?”
I shifted uncomfortably and stared at the ground. How was it that he could make me want him and hate him all at once?
“It went much faster than I expected,” he said. “You might be my good luck charm.”
I swallowed the rising bile in my throat. “Don’t say that.”
“What’s wrong? You look like Morgan was just talking to you again.”
I shook my head. “That was disgusting.” I had to swallow the taste of vomit in my throat. “What you just did was disgusting .”
Sebastian scoffed. Clearly this was something he had heard before. “I do lots of disgusting things Violet; you’ll have to be more specific.”
My entire body fluttered, a feeling I still hadn’t become used to since he had reentered my life. Of all the times he had to get my name right, it had to be now?
“That defense—” I practically had to spit the words out. Where was one of my father’s wines when I needed one? “You defended a thief, a murderer—”
“That’s what this job is,” he said proudly. “That’s what our forefathers fought for. What that imbecile did doesn’t matter—”
“Only whether or not he can pay his retainer?”
“That does help.” He smirked. “But everyone deserves a defense, no matter what they’ve done.”
“But you know he did it. You know he went into that townhouse to steal a rare parakeet and ended up killing a grandmother of three. How can you let him wander the streets without serving any sort of consequences for his actions? Sifting the shit out of a kitty litter box hardly makes up for taking the life of another human being.”
“And breaking a glass door.” He laughed. “Don’t forget the glass door.”
“Don’t make a joke out of this, Sebastian. This isn’t funny.”
“There was also the bird. If I recall correctly, its name is Stanley. I believe it was greatly startled in the struggle. Maybe the DA should bring Stanley up here for testimony. I’m sure it would make a riveting witness—”
“I’m not laughing.”
“Do you see me smiling?” His eyes were hard. “This is the real world, Violet, the world we work in, the world we lawyer in. If you can’t deal with it, then I suggest you find yourself a different profession.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this and you know it,” I argued. “Some people are genuinely innocent. They deserve to be
Maybe that was one of the reasons why I had been so smitten by him.
I was half sick by the time Sebastian was done making his argument to Judge Harris, but I wasn’t surprised that he managed to talk him into giving his client an additional 90 days to complete his community service. I watched the prosecutor swear under his breath before storming out with his colleague. Other than me, they seemed to be the only people who were unhappy with the outcome.
Meanwhile, Sebastian and his client exchanged pats on the back and smirks that were everything you’d expect from a lowlife. I closed the page of the brief and sat back down, the flutter Sebastian had filled me with now replaced with sickness. I knew what being a criminal defense attorney included, but it was entirely different, seeing the process in person. Somehow, the reality of it was more horrific than the mere knowledge of it. After everything my dad had warned me about, I really should have been more prepared for this. Yet somehow, I wasn’t.
Sebastian leaned over the galley and smiled at me. “Was it everything you’d hoped it would be?”
I shifted uncomfortably and stared at the ground. How was it that he could make me want him and hate him all at once?
“It went much faster than I expected,” he said. “You might be my good luck charm.”
I swallowed the rising bile in my throat. “Don’t say that.”
“What’s wrong? You look like Morgan was just talking to you again.”
I shook my head. “That was disgusting.” I had to swallow the taste of vomit in my throat. “What you just did was disgusting .”
Sebastian scoffed. Clearly this was something he had heard before. “I do lots of disgusting things Violet; you’ll have to be more specific.”
My entire body fluttered, a feeling I still hadn’t become used to since he had reentered my life. Of all the times he had to get my name right, it had to be now?
“That defense—” I practically had to spit the words out. Where was one of my father’s wines when I needed one? “You defended a thief, a murderer—”
“That’s what this job is,” he said proudly. “That’s what our forefathers fought for. What that imbecile did doesn’t matter—”
“Only whether or not he can pay his retainer?”
“That does help.” He smirked. “But everyone deserves a defense, no matter what they’ve done.”
“But you know he did it. You know he went into that townhouse to steal a rare parakeet and ended up killing a grandmother of three. How can you let him wander the streets without serving any sort of consequences for his actions? Sifting the shit out of a kitty litter box hardly makes up for taking the life of another human being.”
“And breaking a glass door.” He laughed. “Don’t forget the glass door.”
“Don’t make a joke out of this, Sebastian. This isn’t funny.”
“There was also the bird. If I recall correctly, its name is Stanley. I believe it was greatly startled in the struggle. Maybe the DA should bring Stanley up here for testimony. I’m sure it would make a riveting witness—”
“I’m not laughing.”
“Do you see me smiling?” His eyes were hard. “This is the real world, Violet, the world we work in, the world we lawyer in. If you can’t deal with it, then I suggest you find yourself a different profession.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this and you know it,” I argued. “Some people are genuinely innocent. They deserve to be
Similar Books
