Dead Law (Cass Leary Legal Thriller Series Book 11) by Robin James

Author:Robin James [James, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robin James Books
Published: 2023-04-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Judge Wentz adjourned us until the day after tomorrow. I gathered my things. Zoe hadn’t moved. She hadn’t spoken. She seemed frozen in place.

“It’s going to be all right,” I said. “It’s just words, Zoe. Your family hasn’t produced any real proof of what they’re claiming.”

“Family? I don’t have a family. I have vultures and thieves.”

I gave her the most encouraging smile I could. “You have time to grab lunch? Off the clock.”

“Sure. I’d like that.”

I felt protective of her. In a way, Zoe reminded me of myself. She was doing the best she could under horrible circumstances. Her father wasn’t that different from my own. He came around when he thought he could get something from me. As hard a shell as I’d grown over the years, it still hurt. It still triggered all my insecurities when he showed up.

We made it halfway down the hall before all hell broke loose. Bradley Paul stood alone in front of the stairwell we were about to enter. Zoe turned to stone.

“I see you,” Bradley said, his voice dripping with contempt. “I know what you’re doing and I’m not gonna let you.”

“Mr. Paul,” I said. “This isn’t appropriate. You have an attorney. You speak through him. Zoe’s got nothing to say to you right now.”

“Well, I’ve got plenty to say. She’s got you snowed too. She poisoned my own mother against me. It’s just like I said. That money? You hid it. You waited until Ma’s got one foot in the grave to cash it in. You thought you were going to do it without any of us knowing. If I can figure out a way, I’ll make sure you end up in jail for it.”

Zoe’s entire body trembled. Tears she’d been holding back sprang from her eyes. “Why do you hate me so much? I’ve never done anything to you. You haven’t bothered to visit me since I was twelve years old! And before that? You never showed up to a single thing for me. Not a birthday. Not my graduation.”

“Zoe,” I said. “Let’s go. Not here. Don’t give him the energy.”

It took some doing, but Zoe finally let me drag her into the stairwell. “You have to ignore him,” I said. “You cannot let that man have a piece of you. Do you hear me? It’s what he wants. Your power is in not showing him he bothers you at all.”

“She should have let them put me up for adoption,” she said. “I might have had a chance at a normal family.”

“It wasn’t always like that,” I said. “You have to hold on to the good times you had with your grandmother before her accident. She loved you. She showed up for you. She’s your family. The judge is going to see that.”

I stopped short of promising her. I wanted to. The truth was, I had no idea what Judge Wentz would do. He was indulging Chad Einhorn far more than I felt proper. I just hoped in the end it would work in our favor if he sided with Zoe.

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