~Prologue~

Amber

I walk into the building and head for my office hoping to hear some good news on a case I’ve been chasing. Being Deputy District Attorney has its ups and downs, but it’s the job I’ve wanted ever since I was young. I knew I wanted to be an attorney when I was twelve and watched a series about lawyers and police on TV with my parents. They supported my dream even though I wasn’t always sure they thought I could do it, but I did. My parents wanted me to be a nurse or doctor since they think all lawyers lie to win their cases.

I open the door to my office and sit my purse on the floor under the desk. I then step out into the hall to see if my secretary has arrived yet. I see that she isn’t at her desk, so I go back into my office and sit behind the desk. I find a sticky note stuck to the smooth wooden surface of the desk and I peel it off. My hopes are dashed when I see that it is a message from my mother wanting me to call her about a family gathering that was coming up. I had hoped it would be the news I am waiting for on the important case I’ve been working so hard on. I am so close to cracking the case and the waiting is the hardest part.

Just as I am about to dial my mother’s phone number, my secretary Abby, bursts into my office panting like she’d been running a marathon. “Sorry I am late, and the police chief is out here wanting to speak with you,” she says to me.

“You’re forgiven for being late, it happens sometimes. Go ahead and send him in,” I reply to her.

The chief and I have known each other for a long time since I dated his son early on in college. Things didn’t work out between us, but I still talked to his parents every once in a while, to see how he was doing. He’d been very humiliated by the breakup and stopped talking to me right after. The chief told me not to worry about it, that he’d get over it, but he still hasn’t. It’s been almost ten years since I’ve talked to him and I see him quite often since he’s a cop.

“Hey, Chief. How are you doing?” I ask as he walks in my office.

“I’m not too bad, how about yourself?” He asks as he sits in the chair opposite my desk.

“I’m doing pretty good myself, what brings you in today?” I ask with a smile.

I think I already know what he’s about to tell me, but I don’t want to get my hopes up in case I’m wrong. The look on his face tells me that I might be right, but I won’t let myself get excited until he says the words.

“We got a guy downstairs in a holding cell that could be used as a key witness in your case against the Silver Tongues and Dorian.” He tells me.

I squeal in delight, losing a bit of professionalism for a split second. I pull myself back together and the chief grins at my display. This was exactly what I’d been waiting for even though it still might not be quite enough to put him away indefinitely, I know it will help the matter immensely. After a few more moments of small talk with the chief, he stands to leave. As he opens the door to my office, one of his officers meets him in the doorway. “Sir, we need you downstairs, the guys have just seized a shipment and I think you’ll want to see this,” the officer says.

The chief looks back at me with a smile on his face. This is it; this is the moment I have been waiting for. I have everything I need now to take down the Silver Tongues and more importantly, Dorian. In that moment, I realize exactly why I love my job and I tell myself I have to do whatever it takes to make sure these guys get locked away forever.