The Risk: A High School Bully Romance (Kings of Linwood Academy Book 3) by Callie Rose

Author:Callie Rose [Rose, Callie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

14

Oh, fuck.

He knows.

I don’t know how he found out. Maybe Summer ratted on us, or maybe Dunagan mentioned my call to one of the cops Judge Hollowell has in his back pocket.

At the moment though, the how doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he knows.

Hollowell is still standing in front of me, his body too close to mine, his gaze steady. He’s waiting for a response, waiting to see if I’ll try to bluff again or admit the truth.

“I just wanted to ask him some questions about Mom’s case,” I say thickly, my tongue feeling too big for my mouth.

A little smile creeps across the judge’s face, as if he expected me to say that. As if he’s been waiting for it.

“Now, that’s not true, is it? You wanted to tell him a few things about the case.” He pauses for a beat. “About me.”

I don’t answer. I don’t know what to say. There’s nothing I can say, no lie he’ll believe.

Because he knows.

And it turns out I don’t need to say anything. Hollowell takes my silence as the admission it is and nods thoughtfully. He glances over his shoulder to make sure no one is nearby, then reaches for my arm and tugs me around the corner into the foyer, even farther away from the dining room.

I jump at the contact, at the horrible feeling of his long fingers wrapped around my arm. But before I can jerk away, he releases me, holding up his hands as if to assure me he won’t hurt me.

Not that I believe that for one damn second.

“Harlow.” His voice is soft, even, and straightforward. “Your mom is going to be convicted. It’s an unavoidable fact at this point. But not all sentences are created equal. If you stop poking your nose where it doesn’t belong, if you keep your mouth shut and don’t tell Dunagan anything, I can pull some strings and make sure she gets a reduced sentence. Involuntary vehicular manslaughter. She’ll be out in five years, tops—maybe less with good behavior. She’s young. She’ll still have her whole life ahead of her.”

“If I do what you say,” I force out, my voice unrecognizable.

“Yes.”

“And what about you?” A hot wave of anger rises up in me, making me stupid and reckless. My voice is still a quiet whisper, but it’s taking everything in me not to let it become a shout. “You slept with a fucking teenager and then killed her because you got her pregnant, and you just get to keep living your life with no consequences?”

There’s a flicker of… something in Judge Hollowell’s eyes. For a half-second, I think it’s remorse, but it’s not. It’s almost like surprise. Then he clears his features, banishing the micro-expression.

“Yes.”

Dozens of emotions bash around in my chest, colliding with each other and making my pulse race.

Five years. Could I let my mom go to prison for five years? Let a murderer walk free to make sure she gets a light sentence? Do I

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