13. Claire

CHAPTER 13

CLAIRE

MONDAY AFTERNOON – REMANDED?

M y heart pounded, and every step away from Luca was a test of sheer willpower. My jaw ached from biting the inside of my cheek, holding back the scream threatening to break free as I watched him being led to jail. I’d failed him.

I had barely made it to the courtroom in time, rushing from another case, my chest tight with panic until I saw him. Relief washed over me the second he appeared, composed in a sharp suit, even after a weekend in that god-awful holding cell. Miki must have arranged it—his own clothes had been taken, blood-soaked evidence. Seeing him, looking so unaffected, standing so strong and handsome, made my knees weak. All weekend, I had done nothing but think about him, worry about him.

Everything had gone as expected. Until it hadn’t.

Bail denied.

Shock hit like a punch to the gut. It was beyond outrageous. My client was made an example of, sacrificed to appease the media’s obsession with serious offences and bail. These were the same three judges who had granted the MP bail, a man with an extensive list of charges—assault, kidnapping, murder, and a ton of evidence against him. And yet, they remanded Luca, a man with no criminal record, charged with a single count of rape and murder, on circumstantial evidence. Un-fucking-believable.

I could hardly wrap my head around it. These judges had either caved to the media storm as they said, or they were corrupt. Either way, my belief in the justice system had taken another hit. There were too many people meant to uphold the law who were proving to be corrupt—at least half of them worse than the so-called criminals I’d dealt with so far. It was getting harder to believe in what I once held so highly.

As I walked towards the exit, anger and shame coursed through me. I’d never failed to get a client bail before, and I sure as heck didn’t want to break my record with Luca—a man I cared for more than I should.

Guilt threatened to take me to my knees. This was my fault! He’d gone home to his flat because of my rejection, leaving him with no alibi when I couldn’t resist his allure but refused to commit.

When I spoke with him just now, I’d found it hard to contain my worry. The prospect of him being in jail was terrifying. I knew the kind of things that could happen in prison.

My stomach clenched. If I hadn’t been such a stupid bitch, he might have stayed at the party and been accompanied home by me, or he could have come to my place—either way, he would have had an alibi for the time of Julie’s murder. The poor woman may still have been killed, but at least Luca wouldn’t be accused of it, and the MP wouldn’t be getting his revenge so easily. This was a bloody mess, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that my actions had made things worse for him.

Luca told me it wasn’t my fault and tried to comfort me. That only made me feel worse. I should have been the one to comfort him.

I had it bad for the sexy Russian. When he held me in his arms, putting my feelings over his own, I’d wanted to kiss him right then. But I stopped myself. Why? Because I was still hung up on his criminal status—not the stuff he was accused of, but the things I knew he’d done for real. Why couldn’t I get past that?

Shit, I needed to push aside my confusing feelings for Luca and focus on what had to be done. Those feelings could be dealt with later. For now, it was more important to confront the battle ahead to win his freedom. With that thought at the forefront of my mind, I pushed aside my unprofessional desires and put my professional head back on.

“This case has so many holes in it. I’ll help your lawyer, and together we’ll get you out at the pre-trial hearing,” I had told him, though I wasn’t sure how easy that was going to be.

As I stepped out of the courthouse, Miki and his brothers were waiting with Anton. I hurried over and gave them a quick run-through of my conversation with Luca.

Miki assured me he’d see to Luca’s safety. I assumed that meant he’d either get his men—if there were any currently in jail—or his allies to watch Luca’s back. I was glad of that, but it didn’t reassure me. Where there were allies, there were also enemies, and the MP obviously planned to make use of them. The thought of Luca being hurt sent shivers of despair through me.

However, I appreciated that Miki would do what he could to keep Luca from harm.

“I told Luca I’ll help your lawyer—or whoever else you appoint—with this. I want Luca free, and I’ll do everything I can to make that happen,” I told the men.

They nodded and murmured their thanks.

“Great. I was hoping you would say that. In fact, I took the liberty of letting Bradley know you’ll be assisting him. He’s a good man and an even better lawyer. He’s served my family well over the years and told me he wouldn’t let anyone else defend Luca. But with his ailing health, he’ll be glad of your help,” Miki said, smiling.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about working with a lawyer who had been on the payroll of the Bratva for years, and I wasn’t sure I would agree that he was a “good man” in my opinion. But under the circumstances, there was nothing for it. I wouldn’t let Luca stay in prison any longer than necessary, and I wouldn’t leave his freedom to chance, so I was willing to put my prejudices aside on this occasion and work with the man.

“I’m in court all day tomorrow. Set up a meeting for me with him first thing Wednesday morning,” I stated, before heading off to get my car. As I walked away, a sense of purpose filled me. I would do whatever it took to free Luca; his future depended on it.