Defending My Mobster (BWWM Romance) (2 page)

“Ready to put this behind you, Mr. Romano?” I asked. Seating myself, I felt confident that today would be the day. It was my first trial on this case, even though Angel had been through this three times already. I was confident. I had done the homework and they had nothing I couldn't shoot down. I had a serious ‘bring it on’ mindset. That was always a good sign.

“Yes, I am. You seem to be in a good mood,” he told me. Smoothing down the white shirt under my bland black skirt suit, I nodded firmly but didn’t offer a verbal response. It wasn’t like I could tell Angel I had slept for the first time in a week. That would not be a confidence builder. It wasn’t very professional, especially not in a courtroom full of people. Even if that were not the case it would be bad for my reputation. I may be expected to work my ass to the bone, I am just not expected to admit it.

“I need to talk to you after the trial in private,” I told him. I fully intended to tell Angel about what happened on Tuesday night, or Wednesday morning depending on how it was perceived. Judging by his cocky little smirk though, he took it expectedly wrong. No surprise there, considering his aim for most of the time we have worked together. Here we go, I thought.

“Finally decided to go out to dinner with me, bella?” he asked, practically purring as he leaned over to whisper in my ear. Angel’s smile widened a fraction when I shook my head. Frowning a little, though, I kept my mouth shut. If we won, I’d agree, but only to celebrate. Now I had to focus on doing just that, it wouldn't happen by itself.

Two hours, three cross examinations and two closing statements later, I was noticing a pattern. I’d watched the tapes of the previous trials, and Angel’s cousin was in all of them, sitting behind the prosecutor’s table. When previous defense lawyers had gone up, something would happen and he was right in the center of it. To say it was disturbing would be an understatement. Furrowing my eyebrows, I tapped my chin absently as I glanced over.

“In the sole count of murder in the first degree, how do you find?” The bailiff asked the jury. I snapped out of my thoughts, I didn’t think the jury would’ve been back so soon, they’d only been gone for five minutes. It gave me mixed feelings because such a quick deliberation could go either way. Watching a pudgy woman with bleached blonde hair stand up with her little note card, though, I felt a rush. I held my breath, and my heart pounded in my chest. This kind of thing happened every time I went into court because it was so exciting. There are few rushes to being a lawyer and this was the biggest. The chance I had of winning was high, and made it more intense this time.

“We, the jury, find the defendant, Angel Romano, not guilty,” were the words spoken by the forewoman of the jury. Goosebumps washed my skin at the strong, sure, feminine voice. I’d done it. The surge of accomplishment I felt made me tense up before I relaxed again and a smile crossed my face. Always a good time.

I had done what no one else could do.

“The defendant is acquitted of all charges,” was the verdict. Heaving a sigh of relief, I looked around before my gaze settled on that familiar frame behind the prosecution’s table. Angel’s cousin’s shoulders were hunched, he looked kind of angry and I could see through the rows that his hands were clenched. It was only a split second before he managed to reign himself in though and I couldn’t help but frown. He had made me nervous the other night, now it was worse. Shouldn't he be happy his cousin got off on the charges?

“Thank you, Nia. If you ever need anything, give me a call,” Angel’s murmur was filled with gratitude, and broke me from my sour thoughts just as his cousin stood up with a totally different attitude.

Standing up, I gave Angel a pat on his arm since I still wasn’t okay with a hug, but I did manage a smile. He’d been a fantastic client, and I was glad to add him to my case log. A high profile, exciting case with a decent client all add up to one of the biggest of my career. In other words, a really good day.

“We still need to talk, Angel. I don’t know if it’s serious but you should know,” I told him. The dangerous flash that crossed Angel’s eyes wasn’t lost to me, but I chose to ignore it as his cousin came up beside us. He was either a very good actor, or genuine, but because of what I’d just seen I would’ve guessed the first option. He didn’t sit right with me, and my moral compass was strong. There was something up with that guy.

“Congratulations, cousin. You’re officially in the clear,” he told Angel. The two shook hands, but I was very interested in their exchange as I gathered my papers to stick them in my briefcase. Whatever happened between them would give me more insight.

“Thank you, Roman. How’s the family?” Angel asked. It wasn’t a secret that with everything going on, Angel had to stay low on the radar. From what he’d told me, he’d been rather distant because he didn’t want this accusation to come back at him. Furrowing my eyebrows, though, I started searching through my bag for my car keys.

“They’re good. What are your plans now that you’re officially a free man?” Roman asked.

“I’m going to go out to dinner with a pretty lady and tomorrow I’ll go back to work.” Angel and Roman were walking out from behind the table, and I stiffened a little when a hand, probably intentionally, brushed against my butt. We were still in the courtroom, in full view of everyone, but the space was small and it could be passed off as an accident. Unfortunately for me, I knew better. Angel had been subtly expressing his interest for the past four and a half weeks, but had never been so bold. Now that the trial was over, it was no secret he’d be more pronounced in his efforts. He was not a man who let his desires go unfulfilled. It had become apparent that I was one of his desires.

On a broad spectrum, it made me feel good, but from a professional standpoint I couldn’t get much lower. The conflict had been something I had been dreading for the past month. It was time to deal with it.

Chapter 2 - Angel

Pulling up in front of Nia’s apartment at five minutes to 6 pm, I popped open the door to my Lincoln MKZ and let out a sigh. The past four weeks had been intense, and I was glad I could finally take a breath. Luckily for me, I had gotten the best up and coming defense attorney in the business, and it had paid off. Nia had defended me with pride, professionalism and straight facts, and it was marvelous watching her. Her skill was undeniable, her passion for her work unmatched, and her intelligence was amazing. Being drop dead gorgeous was a nice bonus too. Her last words said to me, though, were disturbing. Just thinking about it made me frown as I pulled myself out of my car to walk up the stairs of her building.

Pressing the buzzer to her apartment, I was kind of excited to see what she’d wear. As of yet, all I’d seen her in were business suits. Which were great for the imagination, but I wanted to see more. Maybe Nia would wear a dress that made her bronzed skin stand out, something that was just a little revealing. It was a pleasant thought as I waited, although the anticipation was almost crippling. As I had told her, I wanted to take her on a date when the trial was over. I had known she’d say no, but there had always been a quiet connection between us. There was something there, I could feel it. That was enough to try to look into, at least. The fact that she agreed was still a buzz.

Shoving my hands in my suit pocket, I waited for Nia to emerge and thought about the night. It was simply dinner, but with a bit of luck I would end up in her apartment. True, it was a stretch, but a man could dream and I had a vivid imagination. She was exactly my type, after all: smart, driven, confident and sexy as all hell.

“Nia,” I said. It took a few moments, but it was worth it. Nia was wearing a shimmering black dress that hugged her sensuous body and would’ve had me drooling if it were appropriate. Her ears sported a pair of black dangling earrings, and they made her neck look longer. It made me want to kiss her neck.  One of these days, I told myself, there was no hurry.

“Angel, thank you for inviting me to dinner.” Smiling a little, I held out my hand and the click of her heels sounded against my skull. I loved the sound of sexy heels. You didn't even have to see them to know they were sexy heels. Fortunately I could see these and that made it all the better.

“It’s my pleasure, bella.” It was a good thing Nia wasn’t oblivious to my advances, but was still comfortable with me. It made me confident that tonight would end well, even if we parted ways.

Instead of taking Nia to a classy restaurant that was under my scope of business, I took her to one of the best places in the city. It had a nice atmosphere, good food and I’d have a chance to talk to her. She hadn’t divulged much about herself, but I planned on fixing that with some wine. We all have our limits and I wanted to see hers.

“So, before we jump into anything I want you to know that your cousin, Roman, he showed up at my office two days ago at like two in the morning and started grilling me about your case.” We were halfway to downtown when Nia decided to speak up, and since it was Thursday and the roads were fairly clear, I didn’t have to worry about an accident as I slammed on the brakes. The suddenness with which I stopped made her squeak, and her hands braced against the dashboard. I did not like it that Roman would do anything behind my back. It was hard to believe. I mean, shit, he was family!

“He did what?” I asked in shock. Maybe I had overreacted a bit too much, but Roman staying out till such a late hour just for something like that was worrying. He knew the law, and he also knew that Nia was off-limits. A lesson I would be reinforcing to make sure he understood. I owed her a debt, and she would always be under my protection. Roman was known to enjoy women, but there was no doubt in my mind that it was the last thing on his mind at the time.

“Yeah, maybe it’s nothing, but…” I trailed off. Roman and I were very close; he was like a brother to me. Still, in my business, there was no such thing as too careful. He was family, though, but then again he’d always been ambitious. Holding the steering wheel, I let the idea roll around in my head for a while before sighing heavily. Trying to see any angles to what Roman had done, I came up blank.

“It has to be nothing. Roman was probably just worried. He’s stupid when he worries,” I responded. I didn’t want this to ruin the night, and I was glad when Nia didn’t offer a response. Reaching over to take her long, slender fingers in mine, I looked her over for a moment before deciding she was just a little ruffled. No harm, no foul.

“You look beautiful,” I honestly told her. It only briefly occurred to me that I hadn’t yet told her so, but she still smiled. Pressing down on the gas pedal though, I forced myself to relax. Tonight wasn’t about work and it would stay that way. I was determined to make sure of that. We had far more interesting things to discuss and learn about each other. Mostly I wanted to learn about her. She already knew a lot about me due to the trial. My turn.

The inside of the restaurant that I was taking Nia to was low lit and everything from the chandelier to the white tablecloths, gave off a golden glow from it. It was romantic, and each table had a candle bowl and a tea light. Pulling out her chair, I could tell I had made the right decision and she looked perfect in such a setting. She was a woman who deserved the finer things. I happened to be a guy who could give it to her.

“Why did you become a lawyer, Nia?” I asked. Glancing over the menu, it wasn’t hard to decide to go with something safe, pasta Alfredo with shrimp. I wanted to get this conversation ball rolling, though. There just seemed like so much to talk about and Nia was finally willing to do so. I had waited a long time for this and I was going to milk it as much as I could.

“I’m good at it. I always have been. I used to get into arguments with my parents and they’d always lose,” she told me. Chuckling at the mental image, I leaned back in my seat to watch her go over the menu with avid interest. Nia was so elegant, sometimes it blew me away. It was like she was from another time, a more romantic time and she was merely blessing us with her presence.

“Why did you join the Mafia?” she questioned in return.       

“It’s a family thing. My father is the head, and I’ll be taking over when he dies. At least in America,” I pointed out. I could see that Nia was surprised I had offered such information. Up until now, my position had been kept on the down low. If anyone knew that I was next in line to take over, the charges I’ve faced wouldn’t have been so easy to escape. Smirking a little, I was glad I had some things up my sleeve. After all of the talking she’d made me do, it was almost a relief that I had anything in me she didn’t know or suspect. I liked surprising her, although it was obvious she was not fond of surprises.

Our back and forth questioning was nice, there was only a gentle probing on Nia’s side and I was finding it hard to avoid telling her things. She’d always had that effect on me, since the moment I stepped into her office a month ago. Leaning back in my chair with a slight chuckle, her laughter floated across the table just as the food we’d ordered arrived.

“So let me get this straight, you were in your middle school marching band?” Nodding, I took a sip of my wine and tried not to cringe at the memory. Ever since that horrible mistake, I had worked hard on cultivating my image. It was something that had faded into history and that’s where it was going to stay. It is a difficult reputation to loose and I was glad it was gone. It did not seem odd that I would tell Nia. It felt right, even with her laughing at me.