57

Joshua

Being inside a courtroom had taken on an entirely different meaning. The truth was I relished it, basking in the glory of being able to clear my name. For a mafia guy considered a monster, that would be a tremendous feat all by itself. To a man like me, it brought a chance at living my life entirely differently.

Not that I was giving up my business acumen for something less ruthless. Hell, a leopard couldn’t change all his spots.

Greg had discovered damning information about Jennifer Zimmer, which had been relayed to my strong-willed woman. She’d been forced to admit she’d made a phone call to her friend, which had in turn alerted all the players involved that the veil of secrecy had been lifted. From there, Erica had decided she could handle taking out Selena on her own, afterwards using Christopher to ambush me. When I’d learned what a fool I’d been in hiring Margaret, it had almost ripped me apart. They’d originally planned on eliminating Christopher as soon as I wassentenced, destroying my life in one fell swoop. It had taken the love of my life to yank me down from the ceiling, keeping me from hunting the older woman down. She’d get hers in the end.

Liam had been advised of everything, his work continuing on cleaning up not only a portion of Louisville since Omar had sent soldiers to the city but New Orleans as well. That would take time, the deed something he enjoyed and understandably, one I couldn’t be a part of. Not with a noose hanging around my neck.

“You ready for this?” Greg asked from the other side of the cramped space we’d been provided as we waited for the grand jury to begin.

“Oh, I’m ready,” I said without hesitation. I was more than ready. I was chomping at the bit to return to Montreal, even though the question of whether or not my lovelycheriewould return with me loomed over me like a guillotine.

In the two weeks since the horrific events at my house, she’d returned to being the prosecutor she’d been well educated to become. I’d had a perfect opportunity to see the way she worked, her masterful mind as she’d weeded through the volumes of information, Pandora’s Box remaining in the locked open position. I was damn glad I was no longer on her hit list, as she’d come to call the people who’d wronged us.

Her focus, her dedication to my family and hers, and the determination she’d had to clear my name had resulted in this day. It all came down to this.

Fortunately, she’d been quickly exonerated of all crimes just the day before, used as a ploy just as we’d suspected. I’d been so proud of her standing in front of dozens of reporters, answEricag their questions while remaining on her best behavior. It hadtaken chutzpa for her to keep the smile on her face. She’d worn red on purpose, her face glowing in the overbearing lights.

Meanwhile, I’d watched the show on the television inside the limo I’d hired, waiting in the shadows with a chilled bottle of champagne.

The night had been… extremely memorable. We hadn’t shoved our relationship in front of anyone, but after today there would be no doubt that we’d been involved.

Whether or not our relationship would continue weighed heavily on my mind.

“Of course he’s ready. He’s a James, for crying out loud,” my father said. “This is just a bullshit formality. We shouldn’t need to be here. My son is an innocent man.” He pounded his fist on the table, growling afterward.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pops,” I said, amused at how aggressive he was being. His support meant more than I was able to say at this point. As far as being innocent, well, he and I both knew that wasn’t the case, but I didn’t kill Ronald and his wife.

“Don’t raise your blood pressure, dear,” my mother chastised as she patted him on the shoulder. “You know what the doctor told you.”

“Fuck the doctor. I need a drink.”

Both Greg and I grinned at each other. Our parents had insisted on coming with us, determined to make a stand with the reporters and members of the court. That unnerved the hell out of me. I’d expected him to show his ass, but he’d been a good boy on his best behavior, even providing very lucrativecharitable contributions to the police fund, the cancer center for children, and the animal rescue sanctuary. If he continued doling out millions in cash and checks, he’d squander away the family fortune.

And he might be considered for sainthood. All I could do was chuckle. The press adored him, ignoring both Selena and me most of the time. That was fine by me.

While I was innocent of the crimes I’d been accused of, that didn’t mean I hadn’t worked with Liam and his soldiers to initiate a plan of annihilation of the Bratva. Even though Omar had gone into hiding with his family, tips had offered us the exact location.

I’d heard only moments before walking into the courtroom that the man and his son had been killed in an ambush.

As far as Erica Clinton’s involvement and her betrayal of her own family, the concept of a woman doing anything for the love of her life rang truer than anyone wanted to admit right now. She’d fallen in love with Omar’s only living son, coerced into helping not only to bring down the Voltair family so the Bratva could easily roll into Louisville, but also to destroy my family.

She’d seen nothing wrong with it, other than she’d placed her own family in harm’s way.

I’d heeded Selena’s plea with regard to Erica’s welfare, turning her over to her family to deal with. And I’d honored my promise to Shawn, but instead of working with me directly, he was bridging our two families, trying to mend fences and heal the wounds. The kid was going to make a powerful leader one day, whether his father wanted to believe it or not.

I took a deep breath, checking the time.

The truth was nothing was ever a slam dunk when it came to cases like this. There were still enough people in Louisville who wanted to clean the streets of violent, organized crime that all it would take was the right judge to shove my ass back into jail for the long term.

“We got this, Mr. James,” Baron said. While he and the attorney he’d hired were still considered the attorneys on record, they were taking a backseat to the surprises my beautifulcheriehad in store for the grand jury. I imagined fireworks would follow.

“Whatever happens, you will take care of Christopher and ensure that Selena has everything she needs including protection. Won’t you?” I glanced from Greg’s face to my father’s, waiting for him to acknowledge that there was still a chance my life would be stripped from me.

Pops waved his hand, my brother clapping me on the back.

“Don’t worry, bro. I’ll take care of both. Very closely.” He was teasing me, but I pointed my finger in his face.

“You remember what I told you. You touch her and you die.”

He laughed until the door opened.

“The court is ready for you, Mr. James.”

I smoothed my hands down on my jacket, giving a nod. I was ready for them. I thought about my beautiful son, who was now chattEricag away, almost never stopping his words. I owed it all to the woman I adored. She’d given me her trust and her love, remaining strong during the crisis. Now it was time to face whatever the future had planned.

Because of the stunning woman, I was even stronger than before.

A family man.

A lover.

Who knew. Maybe one day I’d be a husband.