Dance With Me - By Hayden Braeburn Page 0,46

in a smug half-smile.

Dylan shook his head. “No, there were not.” He flicked his eyes to the judge before continuing. “When it became obvious there were no children present, and no evidence of children ever living on the property, I concluded Ms. McClaren had hired me in order to distract the operatives hired by Mr. Everett to protect Ms. Nemecek.”

“A distraction?” Peters prompted, his muddy eyes dimming.

“Yes. When it was apparent to me Mr. Everett was in danger, I teamed up with Mr. O'Dell.”

“Sergeant O'Dell just accepted you at face value?” Peters asked, his tone incredulous.

Dylan's lips twisted in a wry smile. “If you insist on using Sergeant O'Dell's rank, I ask you extend me the same courtesy.”

“I apologize, Master Sergeant Black,” Peters replied smoothly.

He smiled before answering the question. “No, Sergeant O'Dell did not accept me at face value. He had his partner run me, and I have no doubt he was prepared to take me out should it appear I was a threat to his charge.” He winced. The hard wooden chair was not comfortable in the slightest and Peters was questioning him like he'd done something wrong by protecting Mason.

“How would you characterize Ms. McClaren's mental state when she obtained your services?” Peters asked.

Dylan tilted his head, catching Cassidy's narrowed eyes from her seat behind the prosecution. “If you're asking if I thought she was insane, I am not a medical professional. All I can say is she was hysterical.”

“Hysterical over the endangerment of her non-existent children?” Peters asked, a laugh in his voice.

He knew he was being goaded, but answered anyway. “She was afraid she would never have them.”

Cassidy glanced at her watch. She hadn't expected Dylan to be questioned at all during Priscilla's competency hearing, much less for such a long time, but Peters had other plans. She poked J.D. Easton, giving him an eye roll. “Are you going to do anything?”

Her equivalent in the Commonwealth's Attorney's office turned slightly. “Your boyfriend is fine, Cassidy.”

“He's not,” she automatically started, stopping because arguing would only perpetuate the rumor. Instead, she whispered, “He was shot three days ago, and Peters is questioning him like a suspect.”

“He's trying to get him to say Priscilla is crazy,” J.D. surmised. “Just wait. I'll object if he gets really aggressive, but your boy is holding his own.”

Dylan Black was anything but a boy. She crossed her arms. She hated that she had to be a spectator here, even if it was just a hearing. She ground her teeth in frustration as she turned her attention back to the witness stand.

“You assumed Ms. McClaren meant her children were missing?” Peters asked.

Dylan shifted in his chair. What the fuck did this man want him to say? He wasn't the one on trial here. His side hurt, his arm was in a sling, and this pissant was making him mad. “Look, if you want to stand there and point out to the judge that I was played by a woman, fine. It's true. I believed her enough to go out there the next day. I'm thankful I did, since there is a chance Mason Everett wouldn't have made it through that day if I hadn't.” He shot a pained look at Judge King. “I am tired and sore and I was shot twice in defense of an innocent man.” He directed his gaze back at the attorney. “I will not sit here and tell you what you want to hear. As far as I'm concerned, I was coerced into a situation by a cunningly manipulative woman.”

Peters blanched. “No more questions, Your Honor.”

Dylan gingerly made his way off the stand. “I wasn't expectin' that,” he murmured to Cassidy as he took a seat beside her. He hadn't been kidding when he'd told the judge he was tired and sore, but he wanted to stick around to see who Gregory Peters called to torture next.

“You were awesome,” she said, admiration in her dark eyes, “Master Sergeant Black.”

They sat through the testimony of Dr. Kimberlynn Talbott next. The doctor's diagnosis of delusional disorder with erotomanic delusions centering on Mason making perfect sense. Dr. Talbott explained that Priscilla was high functioning outside of her delusions, yet within the them, she felt she was protecting her children and insuring their lives. Priscilla believed that Mason was her mate, and was threatened when he chose someone else. It was Dr. Talbott's opinion that Priscilla be remanded to psychiatric care and placed on psychotropic drugs, and was incompetent to stand trial