Left for Wild - Harloe Rae Page 0,2
good she looked sucking my dick.”
Before I can punch his teeth out, we arrive at the conference room where Paul is waiting for us. My lawyer is no dummy. One glance at my face probably shows I’m seconds away from getting thrown in solitary.
“You good, Halder?” If I wasn’t paying Paul to restore my freedom, it might appear that he actually cares about my wellbeing. Maybe he does. I’ve been his client for years, and there are only more to come.
A grunt comes from behind me. “He’s got his panties in a twist over that sexy social worker who’s been coming by lately. But our boy doesn’t need to worry about her. She’s all mine.”
Paul surveys my expression with a knowing appraisal, nodding at the guard’s explanation. “Glad to hear it. Thanks for escorting him over.”
He snorts again. “Just doing my job.”
“And you do it so well. But if you’ll excuse us?” My attorney signals for me to enter the small space, and I gladly comply. I can’t get out of that asshole’s sight fast enough. Paul closes the door behind us and takes a seat at the table.
“Hey, you surviving?”
I drag a hand through my shaggy hair. “Barely. This place is really getting to me. I need outta here, man.”
He taps a pen against his notepad. “Well, let’s see what we can do about that today.”
Survival tip #2: There’s always a choice. Never reveal which one is forced.
“You’re getting released.” Paul slaps a file folder down on the table between us. As my lawyer for the past five years, he’s had his fair share of delivering updates on my case. His news is almost always bad, so I’ve come to expect the inevitable letdown. But this bomb he just dropped is of a different variety entirely.
It’s safe to admit I’m not prepared for this punch to the gut. The metal chair squeaks under my shifting weight. “Don’t fuck with me, man.”
“You honestly think I would at this point?” The question is rhetorical and completely unnecessary. He’s the only person who’s been diligently attempting to uncover the injustice I’ve suffered.
I allow a grin to twitch at the corner of my mouth. “No shit. The charges are finally getting dropped?”
Paul scrubs a hand over his jaw. “The probation board is willing to grant you parole for good behavior.”
A bitter taste lands on my tongue. “Ah, so they’re not planning on reversing the ruling?”
“We’ve tried, Halder.”
“But nothing has changed.” My voice is devoid of the slight relief displayed moments ago.
His responding sigh is one I’m familiar with. Whatever he’s about to say is something I won’t appreciate. “Continuing to fight for a retrial could take another couple of years. By then, you’ll be released because this sentence will be served in full. This way, you’re getting out early.”
“Yet I’m still considered guilty.”
“Does it really matter at this point?”
I slam a fist onto the table, rattling the contents of Paul’s briefcase. “Fuck yes, it does. Proving my innocence will always be top priority.”
“And there’s no arguing that. This is a losing battle for now, though. Leaving you locked up for a minute more than required goes against my moral judgment. I’ve been considering all alternatives, no matter what it takes. Finding a more desirable outcome has been my goal. I think we’ve reached the point of agreeing on that.”
A churning swirls in my gut, inky and putrid. The cyclone settles into a solid mass I can’t swallow down. “I refuse to accept defeat.”
Paul rolls his eyes. “You’re not, Halder. We’re looking at the big picture. Don’t be such a pessimist.”
I stretch my arms out wide. “That’s fairly impossible considering the shitstorm my life has become.”
“Which is precisely why you need out, by any means necessary.”
That’s the second reference he’s made with hints of desperation. I stare at him, attempting to uncover any alternative motivations. But this guy has done far more than prove his loyalty. At this stage, I trust Paul more than myself. “All right, tell me what happens next in this grand scheme of yours.”
He averts his gaze, and my stomach sinks into a deeper pit. “Well, uh, you need to attend a hearing.”
The initial prickling of wariness eases slightly. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
He steeples his fingers in front of his lips, hiding the tension building there. “Listen to me before blowing a gasket, okay?”
I let a scoff loose. “You act as if I’m so unreasonable.”
A single brow arches my way. “They’ll expect you to own up to the crimes