Chapter 42

Soren

"Y ou son of a bitch. You actually put me on the stand."

Huffing, I turned to face Dion, who walked toward me until we stood face-to-face in the hall.

"You know it's not personal," I teased him back.

"Screw you, you cold bastard." He slapped my chest, then pulled out the toothpick he was chewing on. "You're lucky I still need you, Dane, or you'd be dead right now." He spoke while my attention carried to his thick eyebrows and hooded eyes.

Dion always had a tired expression accompanying his face, although by now, I knew he wasn't tired or bored as it might have seemed to a stranger. Hours of studying his appearance, out of mere curiosity, brought me to the conclusion that it was the combination of his deep blue eyes and thick eyelashes, along with the shape of his brows, that gave off this unique impression.

"Did you honestly just threaten me in court?" I asked, eyeing the guards behind him. To Dion's credit, he and his men always looked neat. It made focusing on the conversation a lot easier.

"Did I?" He looked around the empty hall, amusement in his eyes. "Because I don't recall doing so." He brought his toothpick back to his lips. Now, playing with it with his tongue, he tilted his head. "What were you trying to do back there?"

I knew Dion would come to find me after today's testimony, but I expected it to be a lot less civil. Thankfully, I was too useful for him to toss me out over some slight inconvenience.

"Don't worry." I looked around us to ensure no one was listening. The only people around us were his guards, who stood a few steps back. "It's not you I'm after."

"You're after the dad." It wasn't a question, but my lack of answer was an answer, and he laughed. "That son of a bitch…" He ran his fingers through his tousled dark hair. "He called the feds on my club. You knew about it, right?" Dion had his hand in many legitimate businesses, but his favorite was the Venetian, the allegedly illegal club where Shay-Lee and Camilo's love story bloomed.

"Well, since it is a legitimate business, I assume they found nothing?" I stated the obvious while locking eyes with him.

"Of course they came up with nothing. But it doesn't matter. What Christian did was a clear declaration of war." Shaking his head, he chuckled. "What a piece of shit that man is."

"So why not give me the evidence I need and help me get even with him? I bet you have it." I tried my luck, but all I got in response was a throaty laugh from Dion.

"That was a good try, Dane." He patted my chest, his evil eyes letting me know that he did, in fact, have the key evidence to end this case. But like everything in his life, Dion kept his secrets close to the heart and even closer to the trigger.

"Now, between an attorney and his client, what do you have against Camilo? He's just a kid." Clearly, Dion held some sort of animosity toward Camilo, which made no sense to me. Camilo was nothing but a small fish in a tank full of sharks.

"He's an arrogant brat who needs to learn a lesson or two before he comes to work for me again."

Now it was my turn to laugh.

"He's facing life in prison."

Dion shrugged, seeming unfazed by the situation. "But you're gonna get him out of it."

"Let's hope."

"Hope is for the religious and the fools, my friend," he snorted before his eyes locked on something behind me. Turning around, I saw Ashton waiting for me.

Shit.

"Let's just say Camilo and I have a bond we have yet to fulfill…" He dragged out his words while still eyeing Ashton. "Who's that pretty baby?"

"No one important," I answered calmly, hiding the strong sense of protectiveness that just took over me with the slightest interest shown on Dion's face. For a split second, I wished him death but quickly came back to my senses with the teasing smile he gave me.

"Well, it looks like ‘no one' has some unfinished business with you, so I'll leave you to it." He patted my shoulder and was ready to go when he paused, his lips nearly brushing my ear as he leaned in close. "And just so we're clear: ever mention my father again, and I'll be forced to find a new lawyer since mine will miraculously disappear."

Our eyes met as unspoken understanding crossed between them. He studied me closely for a few more seconds before his lips quirked up, and he left with his guards right behind him. Even though I knew Dion wasn't spewing out empty threats, I couldn't say I was particularly scared. Being a criminal defense lawyer came with its own list of risks, which I knew all too well. So, while being threatened by a mob boss didn't affect me, the sight of Ashton's stern face as he walked toward me did.

Ash

My first mistake was deciding to have a talk with Soren. My second mistake was agreeing to have it in his car.

Once we were both settled in with the doors closed behind us, I turned to face him.

"What were you thinking today?" I snapped, unable to hold back anymore. Since the second he began questioning Dion on the stand, all I could see was the tension building up in Diesel. Long minutes passed, one question following the other, in which Soren didn't even look back at Diesel once .

"If you had just glanced at him, you would have seen how he reacted to your questioning and could have stopped before he snapped."

Diesel's suffering from listening to this awful man was clearly evident through his posture and stern face. Yet Soren had completely ignored him, and eventually, Diesel couldn't hold it in. Months of him being locked up and away from the boy he loved, and now he had to endure this crap?

"Please calm down, Ashton." Soren placed his hand on my shoulder, but I pushed it away.

"Don't tell me to calm down," I hissed at him, the anger in my voice not coming close to the fury burning inside me.

"You're missing the point here—"

"No. You're missing the point." My eyes shot to his. "I know what you think—that the court is your stage, and you're the main actor. But that's not the case here," I said, recalling the conversation we'd had years ago in a vineyard in Sonoma Valley. Back then, I'd trusted him blindly, believing every word he said without a single doubt. Not anymore. I wasn't a clueless guy who needed the validation of others. "You're not the main actor, Soren. Diesel is. And it's about time you start seeing him like that, too." My expression hardened. "It might not look like it, but he has a kind heart. People are just too scared or simply don't care to look long enough to see it." I was one of those people. If only I had given him a bit more of my time and, instead of walking on eggshells around him, actually been there for what he needed. "He's also a proud young man who cares about respect. So you can't do what you did today, Soren," I urged him. "Don't allow others to disrespect him. Find a different tactic. In fact—" I pulled a paper from my pants, my fingers trembling as I offered it to Soren. "—I wrote a few ideas that might help." I tried reading the lines I scribbled during the trial, but the lines turned blurry and hardly made any sense now.

"Ashton."

"Look at this idea—"

"Ashton," he said again.

My breath caught as he slowly slipped the paper from between my shaking fingers.

"Look at me," he said, and even though his voice was nothing but soft, the order was loud and clear. Once I did, he placed his hand on my cheek. But unlike when he touched my shoulder, now I didn't feel like pushing him.

Soren's eyes softened as his gaze focused solely on me. "I will read your ideas later. I promise."

Swallowing hard, I slowly nodded, my eyes still locked with his. It was almost like the entire world stopped moving as we continued to look at each other in complete silence, the sound of the car's engine humming around us like a tweeting bird.

Little Sparrow.

My heart skipped a beat, and my whole body turned hotter. Immediately, I closed my eyes and leaned against his palm for one more second, allowing Soren to comfort me a bit more. For years, this man was the sole star in my sky. The only star I needed. But it wasn't like that anymore, so I forced my eyes open only to be met with Soren's silver irises that were still oxygen to my soul.

I hate it . I hated that after all this time, he still had that impact on my body. And while his touch felt good against my skin, I knew it was wrong. Not only because of our past, but because of our present. My focus must be on Diesel and the trial, and I couldn't afford any distractions.

So, when it felt like he was about to lean in, I pulled back. Breaking our stare, I took a deep breath to calm myself from what just went on.

"I often tell the kids that they should live life to the fullest," I began saying, thinking about all four of them. "I warn them of regrets, saying that it's a man's worst enemy. And yet, I'm filled with them." A soft smile pulled on my lips. "Diesel is not going to be another regret," I declared, turning to face Soren. "So start looking at him, too. Understand what he's like. You already managed to help him once, so do it again. But this time, actually see who he is because he's truly an exceptional young man."

Soren didn't say anything and instead kept looking at me like he never had before. What was up with that?

"What's wrong?" I asked when he finally snapped out of that weird vibe.

"Nothing." He grabbed the steering wheel. "I was just impressed with how mature you've become."

A sense of pride overtook me as dangerous warmth filled my stomach. Knowing better than to embrace this feeling like I did in the past, I huffed. "Well, that's what seven years does to you." Moving my body, I reached to open the door when he spoke.

"Let me give you a ride home."

"No need." I glanced back at him, a half smile on my lips. "Kai's coming to pick me up on his bike."

Soren's jaw clenched like he'd taken a bite from something sour, and chuckling, I got out of his car. But only after he drove off did I acknowledge how fast my heart was racing. One might think I'd just run a fucking marathon, but no. All I did was spend a few minutes in his proximity. Realizing spending time with him was becoming dangerous, I forced myself to walk faster to where Kai told me to meet him. My anxiety over the situation grew with each passing minute until breathing became difficult. But then, like a miracle, Kai called out my name, and I turned around to find him behind me. One glance at his easygoing smile was enough to put me at ease.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked after I tossed myself into his arms and buried my face in the curve of his neck.

"I'm just really tired," I muttered.

Wrapping his arms around me, he held me closer. His body was so warm, and his cologne was nice, smelling nothing like Soren's.

Shit . Why did I just think of him again?

"Wanna grab something to eat?" Kai asked, grabbing my attention from the unpleasant feeling that gnawed in my stomach.

"Only if you're cooking."

"You bet, babe." I liked it when he said that word. It was so dumb yet cute at the same time.

With his carefree personality, Kai managed to make me feel somehow better, and the night went off smoothly until later on, when we had sex and he came over my face. After he was done, he cupped my face in his palms, and I remembered when Soren did it earlier that evening. The same awful feeling once again swirled my insides, only now I realized what it was.

Guilt .