He stopped his pacing and passed her, going into the kitchen. “Do you have any coffee? We’re going to need it.”
She followed. “What did Lisa say?”
Nick leaned against her counter. “The county completed the autopsy and has authorized the release of Alyssa’s body. As her husband, Jaxon should have control, but her parents are contesting it, as well as Alyssa’s will, which stated she wished to be cremated after her death. They’re also petitioning the court for an injunction barring Jaxon from Alyssa’s funeral. The motion was faxed to us last night and hand-delivered this morning.”
She switched on the coffeemaker and filled it with fresh water. “When did the medical examiner officially authorize the release?”
“This morning, which means someone gave her parents a heads-up.”
She added a scoop of coffee grounds to the coffeemaker. “Who? How?”
Nick shrugged. “Money talks, and the Merriweathers are well-connected.”
“But Jaxon is wealthy too.” She didn’t have the exact number of his net worth, but she knew he was a millionaire.
“The Merriweather family is old money. I’m sure they’ll tell you their ancestors came over on the Mayflower. Compared to them, Jaxon is destitute.”
If Jaxon was destitute, what did that make her? “When is the motion hearing?”
“Since they filed it as an emergency, the hearing is today at one. Emergency motions don’t require the usual seven-day notice or have any filing requirements. Do you have access in your apartment to a legal database? I need you to do research on case law for the motion.”
She nodded and poured the coffee into two mugs and handed one to Nick. The whole scene felt oddly domestic. Comfortable. “I have a subscription through the law school.”
“Great. I’ll forward you the motion and you can draft the response. Have it to me by eleven and I’ll get one of my paralegals to file it. I’ll pick you up at noon to bring you to the courthouse. And Kate?” He took a swig of the coffee and grimaced.
So sue her. She didn’t make coffee any better than the firm did.
“Yes, Nick?”
He smiled. “Today is all yours. You’re going to argue the motion before the judge.”
Chapter Three
WEARING HER BLACK suit, Kate rode the elevator to the fourth floor along with Jaxon, Nick, and two prostitutes dressed in multicolored spandex and five-inch heels. Likely at court to fight a solicitation charge, the women didn’t appear to have a care in the world. They spent the entire ride talking trash about a girl named Vera who probably wouldn’t show for court.
Meanwhile, standing in an enclosed space with both of the men in her life, Kate couldn’t stop shaking. The pill she’d taken before leaving for court hadn’t calmed her enough to handle the two alpha men she wanted but couldn’t have. Besides, with all the secrets she was keeping from them, an entire bottle wouldn’t help.
Jaxon’s gaze didn’t rest on her for more than a second before it jumped to Nick. And when he did look at her, it was with nothing more than the familiarity of a client for his attorney. No one would possibly guess he’d climaxed inside of her last night.
As much as it had hurt, she didn’t blame him for walking out on her. The man just lost his wife and was under the suspicion of murder. She only wished he would’ve walked out on her before she gave him a piece of her heart. Now nothing could ever erase the feel of his mouth on her skin, the taste of his come as it slid down her throat, or the stretching sensation when he’d thrust inside her.
But judging by his current behavior, last night meant less than nothing to him.
The elevator stopped on the second floor, and the prostitutes departed, leaving her alone with Jaxon and Nick. She quashed the fleeting fantasy of the three of them getting stuck in the elevator and making good use of the time and instead took a deep breath to ready herself for presenting their opposition to Alyssa’s parents’ motion.
Nick raised a brow at her, and she gave him a little smile to display her confidence. He’d probably noticed her trembling and thought she was nervous for court. Better he believe that than the real reason she couldn’t stop shaking.
When they reached the fourth floor, they got off the elevator and headed toward the courtrooms. The heels of her shoes clicked on the tiled floor as they made their way down the abnormally crowded hallway.
Someone had alerted the paparazzi. Several of them milled outside Judge Cross’s courtroom.
Why hadn’t they anticipated this? They could’ve bypassed the journalists if they’d come through the back entrance where they brought the criminal defendants in from the holding cells.