chapter 5
CALLUM
I’M ABOUT TO WALK to my car, exhaustion filling me, when I see Judge Williams walking to hers with hands full of paperwork, folders, and that giant handbag she lugs around every day. I have no idea what’s in there, but it’s big enough that she must be prepared for any situation life may throw at her. I also don’t know how she walks around in those high heels, but it can’t be comfortable. I rush to help her, calling out her name. She stops in her tracks, whirling toward me, her soft, red hair billowing all around her.
I hold out my hands as I reach her. “Here, let me help you with that.”
“Oh,” she murmurs, sounding surprised. “It’s okay; you don’t have to.”
She’s stubborn and doesn’t like to ask for help; that much is clear. Without bothering to argue, I grab the two large folders and her giant bag and nod my head toward her silver Mercedes-Benz SLC, eyeing the two-door beauty that suits Judge Williams perfectly.
“Great choice,” I murmur, waiting until she unlocks the car and opens the passenger door, setting all her belongings on the seat.
“Thanks,” she says, and I don’t know if she’s thanking me for the compliment or because I helped her carry her things, but I nod and smile.
“Any time,” I say, meaning it. I close the passenger door, then walk around to her side and open the door for her. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning?”
She’s about to answer when a black van skids up right next to us, the side door sliding open hastily.
A masked man jumps out of the van and pulls Judge Williams back against his chest, lifting her in the air as he starts trying to pull her inside the van. She screams and starts kicking and squirming against his hold.
“Callum!” she yells out, fighting him off like a hellion. I see her trying to claw his face, doing anything she can to him to let her go. Judge Williams is not getting into that van, at least not while I’m still alive and breathing.
Knowing I don’t have time to fuck around, I rush to Judge Williams and hold on to the only thing I can—her legs. I kick out my own leg and hit the guy in the balls, making him drop her. Before she’s safely away, he grabs on to her hair, trying to pull her back.
“Let go of me, you asshole!” she yells, reaching her arms up to her hair. Without thinking, I move behind him and hit him across his head. He lets her go, then turns his attention on me.
“Run!” I call out to her, but instead of listening to me, she jumps on the guy’s back and starts hitting him across the head with her small hands. I punch him in the stomach as hard as I can, and he doubles over, so I give him another hit to the face this time.
The man driving the van gets out and runs toward us, pointing a gun at me. I put my arms up and take a deep breath. Is this how it’s going to end? In the parking lot behind the courtroom? At least the gun is pointed at me and not her.
“You don’t want to do this,” I tell the man.
“Put her in the van and you get to live,” the gunman says to me.
I hear Judge Williams cry out and turn to see her on the ground, hands covering her face, the first man towering over her, his hand forming a fist. Gunman forgotten, I jump on him and start attacking him, getting in as many hits as I can.
No one hits a woman in front of me—no one—and especially not this woman.
Just when I think this is going to be all over, that they’re just going to shoot me dead and take her with them, sirens approach and the two men hurry to get back into the van and speed off, the police chasing after them. I rush to the judge, she’s so small and I shudder to think of the damage the man double her size just inflicted. I feel so fucking shitty; why didn’t he hit me instead? Why wasn’t I able to get to her in time? I cup her face with my hands. “Are you okay?”
Her nose is bleeding, but I don’t think it’s broken. Bastard hits like a pussy. “I am, thanks to you,” she replies, looking into my eyes. “If you hadn’t moved quickly, a few more seconds and I would have been in that van.”
“Yeah, but you still got hit,” I murmur, running my thumb along her cheekbone.
“Nothing I haven’t endured before,” she replies, confusing me. Who has hit her before? “I’d rather that than an abduction. Besides,” she adds, a smug look entering her eyes, “I scratched him, hard. They should be able to do a DNA test from what’s underneath my nails and find out who he is.”
My eyebrows rise—I’m impressed. Even in a moment of crisis, she’s thinking of ways to bring criminals down.
“You’re something else, Your Honor.”
“I think after everything we’ve just been through, you can call me Trinity,” she says as I help her up. She stumbles a little, but I hold on to her arm to steady her. Her skin is soft and warm, and she is so calm even after everything that just transpired. It’s almost like nothing can shake her. Either that, or she’s extremely talented at hiding her reactions and emotions.
“Trinity,” I whisper softly.
Beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Somehow the word beautiful seems to be lacking, but it’s all I can come up with right now.
“You’re lucky he didn’t break your nose,” I tell her, shaking my head to myself. “Why didn’t you run when I told you to?”
“I know,” she agrees, touching the bridge of said nose. “He would have if he used a closed fist. His backhand hurt enough as it is. And I wasn’t just going to leave you. It was me they wanted, not you.”
“I hope the cops caught them,” I tell her, starting to pace. “I can’t believe this happened. Did you recognize the man? I know his face was covered, but anything else seem familiar?”
She sighs and closes her eyes. “I see so many people every week. I have no idea. It could be anybody.” Her eyes open. “I don’t know, Callum. I don’t even know what to say right now.”
She starts to twist her hands. “How many people have I sentenced to prison? Any of them could be out to get me. Nothing like this has ever happened before, Callum. How bold can they be to try and kidnap me right outside the courtroom? It’s not even dark out. Someone needs to check who has been released from prison recently, or let out on parole. I don’t think they’re going to give up so easily.”
“We’ll find out who they are, even if the cops don’t stop the van,” I promise her.
She never should have ignored those letters. Those threats were real, and maybe we could have stopped this before it happened.
I’m in this now. I don’t know how everything changed in an instant, but it has. I’m not going to be able to rest until whoever did this today is back in prison, clearly where they belong. Trinity deserves to be safe, to be able to leave fucking work without worrying about her safety. I want to pull her into a hug, but I don’t know if she’d be okay with that. Maybe she needs one though. She’s still a judge—my boss—not a friend, and I don’t want to anger her after what she’s been through.
I decide to make it seem like I’m the one who needs the support. “Not going to lie, I could kind of use a hug right now. That was a close call, and some very fucked-up shit.”
She nods once and opens her arms, resting her cheek on my chest. She squeezes tightly, and I don’t know if she’s giving or receiving the reassurance, but whatever it is, it feels good. I run my hand in circles over her upper back, offering comfort.
“I can’t believe how calm you’re being,” I mutter to myself.
“I’m not on the inside, trust me,” she admits, her voice smaller than I’ve ever heard it.
And there it is.
She’s not emotionless; she’s just gotten so good at hiding it she doesn’t show anything, even in a life-or-death situation. I don’t think that’s a normal reaction, but who am I to judge the judge? She’s handling it in her way, and I need to do so in mine.
The cops return, two of them approaching us.
“How are you guys holding up?” one officer asks. Her eyes go to Trinity, full of concern. “You’re one lucky woman, Judge Williams.”
“I don’t feel very lucky,” Trinity replies, then lifts her chin and takes a deep breath. “Did you catch them?”
“We lost the van,” the officer admits, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. They will be caught though. You can be sure of that.”
Trinity and I share a look.
What will happen now?
“Did either of the men say anything? Were there any identifying features? Anything you remember?” Officer Daniels, as his badge states, asks as he pulls out a pen and pad.
“He told me to put her in the van or else he’d kill me—” I start to say before Trinity interrupts me.
“I said his name.” She puts her hand over her mouth in horror. “I called his name out. Have I just put him in danger? Callum shouldn’t be involved in this; he’s just my law clerk.”
I forgot about that. She did say my name, my first name anyway, but I doubt that matters much.
“We’ll take care of it,” the cop says, forcing a smile and walking away to join his partner.
Yeah, that doesn’t sound promising.
All we have now is a license plate number, some DNA, and video surveillance to find out who wants to hurt Trinity. It was clear she alone was the target. I don’t want to think what would have happened if I wasn’t here with her.
“Someone in one of the offices behind your building saw what was going on and called us,” the female officer explains, telling us that we were lucky they were close by.
Whoever made the call, I for one am thankful.
If the cops had never come, I’d more than likely be dead, and who knows where Trinity would be right now. I don’t even want to think about it. The ambulance comes and gives her a check-over, and the skin-cell DNA is extracted from her nails. We’re then taken to the police station for questioning.
“What will we do until the DNA comes back?” I ask the officer. “It’s not exactly safe for her to be alone. What if they decide to show up at her house?”
I should stay with her until this is all sorted out.
“It’s not safe for you to be alone either,” Officer Daniels replies, placing his folder on the table, then sitting down opposite us. “You’re a target now too, Callum. They know what you look like, your name, and you managed to attack one of them. Don’t think you’re not in danger as well.”
I open my mouth, then shut it. He’s right, I guess. “Okay, so what’s the plan? I’m not worried about me, I just want Judge Williams to be safe.”
I’m no superhero, but I’d do whatever I could to make sure she wasn’t hurt by anyone if I was with her. And I’d be so worried sitting at home, wondering what was going on.
Speaking of home, with everything that happened, I forgot to message Justin. He’s probably wondering where the hell I am. I pull out my phone and see three messages and two missed calls.
Yeah, definitely worried.
“Shit, give me a minute. I need to call my brother,” I tell the two of them, standing up and walking to the corner of the room like it will give me some privacy. I hit CALL and tell him I’m fine and not to worry.
I’m worrying enough for everyone right now.