Chapter 51

Soren

"Y ou are far too good of a lawyer to have been blindsided as you were today in court," Daniel said, slamming the briefs I'd handed him a while ago on his desk.

I was currently in his office, giving him the summary of today's events. Or should I say I was getting scolded for it?

I didn't need him to scold me. I already knew I'd fucked up in court when they pulled out the gun evidence. None of my arguments seemed to have done the job, and from the look of it, we were heading toward the finish line as the losing team.

My failure burned in my chest, not only because I wasn't used to losing but because of Ashton. I would give my career to win this one case for him.

"If they planted the gun, as you are so sure of, why didn't we know about it before? Why did we find out about it now, one week before the closing arguments?" Daniel's brows pinched close, his strong jaw set tight. He was angry, and so was I.

And the worst part? That hideous clock was still in his office, driving me insane.

"Soren." He barked my name. "Stop looking at the damn clock and give me answers."

Annoyed, I turned to face him with a snarl on my lips. "I told you, they play dirty."

A vein popped on his thick neck as he clenched his fists together. Taking a deep breath, he turned around to face the window.

"Do you think he did it?" he asked.

"Are you asking me as a lawyer or as a person?"

He glanced at me over his shoulder before turning back around. "Both."

"As a lawyer, I think the evidence leaves little room for doubt," I said, my eyes locked on the clock. The ticking sound also annoyed me. "But as a person, I have no doubt he's innocent. He loved that boy—and still does." While speaking, I thought about the hours I'd spent with Camilo. He might never have said much, but if you paid close attention as I did, you could see the picture loud and clear. "It's not just love, though. They found sanctuary in each other. You don't need me to tell you how rare it is to find a person like that, a person who completes you in every sense of the word." By now, Daniel was fully facing me. "And when you find that, that life-changing love, you don't just toss it away."

Daniel's expression, angry thus far, softened. "Who knew you were such a romantic?"

"Aw," I tsked, pretending to be hurt. "Now you're just being mean."

The corner of Daniel's mouth quirked up just as the intercom in his office beeped.

"Yes, Cole?" Daniel asked while pressing the button to take the call.

"Sir, Christian Rogers is here for you," his secretary said.

Daniel's eyes snapped to mine as we held each other's suspicious gazes.

"Very well, let him in," Daniel said, ending the call.

I stepped aside just in time for the door to open, and Christian, with all of his might and glory , walked in. One quick look my way was the only acknowledgment I received from him before he turned toward Daniel.

"Christian, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Acting like he owned the place, Christian strolled toward the bar cart in Daniel's office and began making himself a drink.

"Remember that vacation we all took together in Monaco?" he asked, filling his glass.

"Yes, I do."

"I've been thinking about those days recently. About how happy my son was, how lovely he was." He turned to face Daniel while sipping from the scotch he invited himself to. "Now he can't even get up from his hospital bed," he hissed, eyes cold. "And you're trying to help the guy responsible to get away with it."

Daniel sat back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other. "While I'm heartbroken over what happened to Shay-Lee, I'm also a firm believer of the saying ‘innocent until proven guilty.'"

Christian snorted, taking the chair across from Daniel and mimicking his stance. "Don't mock me, Daniel. That criminal is guilty, and he will pay for what he did to my son."

How about you pay for what you did, asshole?

"I won't lie about how disappointed I am with you," Christian went on, his face cold. "To think I saw value in our longtime friendship. But I guess it all means nothing to you in the name of fame?"

Daniel leaned back in his chair. "I didn't take this case as a publicity stunt but because I believe in Mr. Gómez's innocence."

Aww, Daniel. Who knew you were such a kind man?

Christian snorted, placed his half-full glass on the table, and stood up. "I couldn't be more disappointed," he leered. "But I didn't come here for that. I came to warn you that if your guys keep snooping around my son, who is currently not even able to form actual words, then there will be consequences." With that, Christian turned to leave, but not before giving me a look full of disdain.

"What do you think?" Daniel asked as soon as Christian closed the door behind him.

Smirking, I stepped closer to his desk. "That an innocent man would not bother coming here to spew empty threats."

"My thoughts exactly," Daniel said, crossing his arms over his broad chest and moving his fingers along his thick stubble.

"Besides, he's lying. From what Eiv managed to gather about Shay-Lee's condition, the kid might be in a bad state, but he's able to talk. Christian just doesn't want him to."

The disgust on Daniel's face couldn't have been more evident, and he shook his head. "To think this man had been near my son for years." He then turned to me. "We've wasted enough time. Get back to work. I want to see this case end the right way," he said before going back to read the briefs on his desk.

Knowing better than to argue, I walked toward the door but stopped when Daniel called my name.

"Yes?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Last week, Jones Brown was attacked in a car hijacking. As you know, he came out of it with nothing but a few bruises."

Jones Brown . The prosecutor who'd brought my sweet Ashton to tears.

"So that's why he looked like a raccoon in court today," I snorted, yet Daniel didn't seem amused.

"If I find out you had anything to do with it, you will be fired, Soren." This was the first time since I'd started working for Daniel that he'd said something of the sort. Over the years, I'd had my fair share of incidents that got us into high tones, but not once did it get to the point of him threatening to fire me.

"Well, good thing I had nothing to do with it, then. Right?"

Daniel studied me carefully before nodding. "You can go now," he said.

I quickly stepped out, not risking another second in there. After all, I had a lot on my mind and didn't plan to waste it on Jones, the moron.

"Yo, Dane!" Eiv called, catching me right as I was about to go into my office.

"What is it, Eiv? I'm busy," I said impatiently, already walking to my desk.

"Well, you better make time for this." He waved a folder in his hand. Usually, when he handed me new evidence, he seemed rather pleased. Not this time. The worry on his face only made me more eager to discover what that folder held.

"It had better be good." I snapped it out of his hands.

"Remember that lead you asked me to follow a while ago? About Camilo and Shay-Lee's visit to the hospital?"

A few weeks ago, Ashton had mentioned something about those two visiting the hospital after Shay-Lee was allegedly beaten by his father. I asked Eiv to look into it, just in case.

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, good thing you did because this shit is nasty," he hissed while I'd already begun reading.

The more I read, the harder it was to believe until I had to sit down. My heart rate increased, and nausea took over me, but I forced myself to finish reading. By the time I reached the last word printed on those damn papers, I was sure of two things. The first being that we'd just found the key evidence we lacked. The second was that Christian W. Rogers was a far worse monster than I had ever thought him to be.

"You're such a pretty boy," the man whispered through chapped lips. "Such a good, pretty boy." His sickening voice danced around the dark room that smelled of rotten wood. "And you know what good boys do?" he asked, the reek of his hot breath fanning over my cheek. "Good boys keep their mouths shut."

The door to the room opened, and I turned in time to see Camilo being brought in. The rustle of the handcuffs danced on my nerves, and I bit my lip until he sat down, and the noise stopped. Realizing I was sweating, I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and dabbed my forehead.

I waited for us to be left alone before sitting down on the chair across from him.

"How are you holding up?" I asked, not at all surprised when Camilo didn't respond. Instead, he continued to stare at me with his intense, dark eyes. When I'd first met him years ago, he was just a troubled youth who'd shot a man in a fit of rage. I didn't know what to make of those eyes then. But now, on our second time around, I did. They were the eyes of a man constantly on the brink of war. A fighter who'd fought far too many battles but was far from defeated. He was a tiger, a panther. A brutal beast locked in a man's body, and it was scary. Yet, I also saw his humanity, the piece of his soul Shay-Lee had managed to touch. Only that part was now lying under rubble, making it far harder to reach.

Opening my briefcase, I pulled out the reason I'd come here for. Placing the folder between us, I waited for him to take it.

"What's that?" he rasped, voice low, as he finally reached out a hand and grabbed the folder.

"It's what's going to get you out of here," I said while he opened it.

Camilo glanced at me before he focused on the documents. Sitting quietly, I watched the tension slowly growing between his pinched brows, his jaw tensing and his head moving.

"What the fuck is this?"

"The report of the rape kit Shay-Lee took when you visited the hospital together last year," I explained calmly despite the waves of repulsion clashing through me.

The lines around Camilo's mouth tightened as he held his lips together, fury burning in his eyes. " Rape kit ?" He hissed the words like a curse.

"My guy managed to get a handle on the nurse working that day. She said Shay-Lee agreed to take it while you went out to buy some things."

He looked away from me, eyes back on the files. "That can't be true." He shook his head. "He was beaten that day… not—" He swallowed back whatever he was about to say, pain coating his words.

"He took it anonymously, but cross-checking the data confirmed that this kit belonged to him. Since he never pressed charges, the hospital just kept the results on file."

"S-Shut up," he snapped into my words, but I went on.

There are much bigger demons lurking between those pages.

"The DNA results show a perfect match between the victim and the—"

"I said shut up!" he shouted, clenching the folder in his fist. He then looked down, covering his face with his hands before moving them up to his scalp. "Just shut the fuck up."

My stomach flipped, and my throat dried. I'd never held any attachment toward any of my previous clients, but this? Camilo? He was different. I knew he hated me, as he hated everyone around him, but his pain reached me.

"I know that with what happened to your sister, it's hard for you to accept that this happened to Shay-Lee, too, but—"

"Don't you dare say his name," he hissed, voice hoarse. "Don't you dare say his name like you know anything about him." He finally looked at me again, his murderous eyes filled with so much rage and hate.

"I know that he was raped by his own father."

"Shut up!" he roared, then tossed the folder away and charged at me. Despite his cuffs, he managed to get his hands around the collar of my shirt and pulled me closer. Everything happened so fast, and he was in my face before I could even recall my words.

"If you spit that shit to even one person, I swear to God I'll murder you." By now, the guards had already come into the room and tried separating us, only Camilo didn't budge and held my shirt so tight it was hard to breathe. "You hear me?"

I nodded.

"So don't you dare bring it up in court, or I'll confess. I'll confess to everything they are accusing me of." He finally dropped his hands, and I gasped for air just as the guard pulled him away from me.

"You got that?" he hissed while fighting the man pulling him out of the room.

"Y-Yeah," I gasped, my throat burning with the need for air.

Camilo was already out of the room, but I still heard his shouts. He was screaming, and so were the guards, but his voice was stronger, carrying through the halls like thunder. Eventually, the voices stopped, and shocked, I stared around the empty room.

I knew Camilo would take it hard, but I didn't expect him to react this way. This new revelation was supposed to be my way of getting him out of here. Yet, he refused. More than that. Camilo said that he'd confess if I were to take this thing public. I thought we finally had the upper hand, only to discover that we didn't, and instead, we'd only added more pain to this horror show.