hand.
“I’m not interested in old times.” His lids hood low as his lips curve with wicked intent. “Besides, I had a first happen today. I had very naughty fantasies about a juror sitting in my courtroom. I should be ashamed.” That budding smile widens because clearly he is not.
“You should be punished.” I glide my hand down the front of his chest. “And disrobed. Now take me to your chambers so I can do both.”
Everett does just that, and I make good on both of those threats.
Everett Baxter is going to rue the day he locked me into a month-long sentence in the confines of his courtroom, but for now he’s very much enjoying himself.
I never said I was going to make him suffer.
But someone has to pay.
And whoever killed Angel Face Flo is as good a candidate as any.
Chapter 6
“You got picked for jury duty?” Carlotta riots as if it were the greatest offense, and in a way it is.
Everett and I stopped off at the bakery on the way home, and he’s seated at a table noshing on a stack of waffles while going over plans for our new home with Bear while I regale Keelie, Carlotta, Evie, and Flo by default, with tales from the legal eagle’s nest.
Keelie clucks her tongue. “I’m sorry, Lottie. You should have squawked like a chicken or started taking your clothes off. Or puking. You are with child. You’ve gotta learn to use this sort of thing to your advantage.”
Carlotta shakes her head as she looks over at Everett. “I can’t believe Sexy is holding you against your will. I think it’s high time you withhold something yourself.”
“That’s gross,” Evie says as she cuts off a piece of that golden waffle in front of her, doused in fresh Vermont maple syrup. “But if Dad tried to pull a stunt like that with me, I’d never speak to him again. We all know he had the power to send you back to the bakery.”
“No way, Lot.” Flo breaks off a piece of Evie’s waffle, and to my horror pops it into her mouth, so I quickly mimic the motion before both Keelie and Evie realize that jury duty is the least of my problems. “You keep that man satisfied. In fact, you’d better work double time at it. When you’ve got a hot commodity like that, you have to work twice as hard to keep him from straying.”
“Mom.” Evie looks as if she wants to kick me. “Get your own waffle. I’m half-starved after the day I’ve had. Dash and I went out to Fallbrook and raided Cressi-duh’s ridiculous closet boutique. Can you believe she actually has armed guards patrolling the place? Trying to watch us change?”
My eyes bulge wide. “Evie! Those were nothing but perverts with guns. Why would you change in front of them?”
“Don’t worry.” She sets her blue eyes to mine. “Once I saw how interested they were in watching a sixteen-year-old take off her clothes, I started filming the whole thing and told them I was making a documentary for my class on child predators. Then I mentioned the fact my uncle was a top cop and my dad was a judge who likes to make people suffer. And what do you know? They suddenly had to go out for a smoke.”
Flo honks out a laugh. In all seriousness, it sounds as if the horn on my minivan went off three times fast.
“This girl’s got hutzpah.” Flo takes another bite from Evie’s waffle, and I’m left filling in as the guilty, albeit hungry, culprit. It turns out, Flo has hutzpah, too.
Evie gives me the stink eye. “Do it again and die.”
Flo titters. “I like this kid,” she says as she snaps off another bite, and for a second I consider letting Flo take the heat on her own, but for the sake of everyone’s sanity, I bite the bullet and risk my own demise.
“Mom!” Evie wails. “Fine.” She slides the plate my way. “It’s as if that kid has you possessed. I forgive you.”
Keelie belts out a laugh. “Don’t worry, Evie. I’ll get you another stack.” And she quickly does just that. “You can’t really blame your mom. She’s programmed to eat everything she can for the next two months.” Keelie pats her belly. “And maybe a little beyond that. Who knew it would take so much energy to be a mom?”
Carlotta waves her off. “Who cares about being a mother?” She turns to Evie. “Tell us about the