Above the Law: Justice Hunters, Book 2

He let her go once

But he’ll risk his life to protect her

Attorney Amber Rashaad is more than ready to prosecute the serial killer who terrorized her city. But she wasn’t expecting to face Trent Mitchell as the defendant’s counsel. She hasn’t gotten past the hurt of Trent choosing his political ambitions over her. Past resentments are set aside when Amber becomes the target of a murder for hire. Now Trent insists protecting her is his top priority. But is he trying to rekindle the white-hot spark that brought them together? Or does he have a different agenda?

Above the Law: Excerpt

Trent Mitchell hadn’t changed. The realization was maddening—and somewhat comforting.

Right?

Wrong!

Not comforting. At all. Just maddening. Intensely maddening.

Amber Rashaad, assistant city prosecutor with the Columbus City Attorney’s Office, glared at the public defender seated on the other side of the chunky rectangular maple wood table late Tuesday morning. Trent was representing the accused serial killer Maeve Rhoades, whose case Amber was prosecuting whether he liked it or not.

“I’m not recusing myself from this case, Trent.” Amber gripped the ends of her black ballpoint pen with her fingertips. Her hands were stiff. Would they be frozen in this clawlike position forever?

Amber took a deep breath, drawing in the smell of commercial-grade disinfectant and a trace of Trent’s cologne. The familiar sandalwood fragrance triggered an avalanche of memories she struggled to hold back.

Trent’s request that they meet to discuss the case wasn’t unusual. But she knew him. Their pending trial wasn’t the true motive for this appointment. That’s why Amber had reserved the small conference room. She didn’t want Trent in her office. She didn’t want him in her life. Yet here he was.

It was a miscarriage of justice that he looked even better today than he had the last time they’d seen each other one year, four months, one week and a day ago—not that she’d been counting the restless nights since he’d broken her heart.

His skin was a smooth brown with warm honey undertones. His full lips softened the effects of his sharp cheekbones and square, arrogant jaw. The intelligence in his calculating, almond-shaped ebony eyes had once excited her. She ignored her tripping pulse.

Trent sat back against the aging padded black cloth seat. “Amber, the key witness against my client is a homicide detective who happens to be your sister. Those optics are bad. The jury will hear that Columbus Division of Police Homicide Detective Crystal Rashaad apprehended the defendant who’s now being prosecuted by Amber Rashaad.”

“In addition to three charges of first-degree murder, your client has also been charged with assaulting and attempting to kidnap Crys.” Amber was proud of how steady her hands were as she spread them above the table. Her pen didn’t shake once. “You’d better believe Crys is an important witness.”

Trent quirked one of his thick black arched eyebrows. A well-remembered affectation. “Will you be able to keep your personal animosity out of the courtroom? If not, I’m pretty sure your familial connection and your reaction to Maeve’s alleged attack will draw the jury’s sympathy. It could also be grounds for an appeal.”

Was he actually using her family against her? Amber squelched a snort of disbelief. “Our case against Maeve Rhoades is strong, but I hadn’t realized you were already planning an appeal. I’m willing to consider a deal. Put one together and we’ll reconvene at a later date.” She stood to leave.

“Good try, Counselor.” Trent called her bluff. “You may not think your sister being a key witness is a problem, but the jury might.”

Amber sat again. She laid her pen on her unused writing tablet, resisting the urge to flex her fingers. “I’m not required to recuse myself from this matter. As you know, my office made the court aware of my familial relationship with the lead detective. The judge doesn’t have an issue with it. If you have a problem with Crys being my key witness, then, by all means, you can recuse yourself.”

After a two-month investigation, Amber’s older sister had solved the case of serial killer Maeve Rhoades with the help of her temporary partner—now boyfriend—Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Lucas Gilchrist. Crys was a vital witness because she’d gone undercover to apprehend the suspect. She’d endangered her life to bring the former-security-guard-turned-vigilante-killer to justice. The risk her sister took was enough incentive for Amber to try the case. Trent would have to give Amber a rock-solid reason to recuse herself. She didn’t think he had one.

Besides, Amber hadn’t assigned herself to this matter. Her office had tapped her to prosecute Maeve in part because of Amber’s reputation for being able to handle and win high-profile, complex trials. These victims were former board members of Dragon & Kelp, a life insurance company. One of the entity’s principal owners, Roland Dragon, was a highly regarded, well-connected figure in the state.

Amber, Crys and their youngest sister, Jade, also believed Roland’s company was connected to their aunt’s unsolved homicide.

“I’m aware Judge Eaton-March agreed with your office assigning you to this case.” Trent leaned into the table, bringing his handsome face and hypnotic sandalwood-and-soap scent closer to Amber. “I was copied on her response. However, you should know this morning, I submitted a request for Judge Eaton-March to reconsider her decision.”

Amber’s lips parted in surprise. She told herself to count to ten before replying. She made it to five. “You asked the judge to reconsider her decision to allow me to stay on the case? That was a bold move, Counselor. How did Judge Eaton-March respond?”

“I haven’t heard back from her yet.” Trent watched Amber as though trying to determine how angry he’d made her.

Amber imagined there was smoke coming from her ears. Would that give him a clue? “What’s the real reason you don’t want to face me in court?” Her wording was deliberate.

A spark of humor brightened Trent’s too-handsome face. “It’s not that I don’t want to face you in court—”

“Then why are you wasting so much time, energy and effort to have me removed from this case?” Amber leaned back against her seat, wanting at least some distance between her and Trent’s mesmerizing scent. “This meeting. Your appeal to the judge. Actions speak louder than words, Trent.”

The flash of recognition in his eyes told Amber he’d remembered her saying those same words to him one year, four months, one week and a day ago. Her skin burned with satisfaction.

A deep sigh raised his broad shoulders beneath his gunmetal-gray suit jacket. Amber’s eyes lingered perhaps too long on the width of his chest. The man could make a worn bath towel look good, and he had. Amber briefly closed her eyes. She didn’t need those images distracting her now. She forced herself to focus on Trent’s words.

“As I said, I’m not afraid of facing you in court. And Maeve’s not interested in a deal. She wants to go to trial.”

Amber narrowed her eyes in silent warning. “Do you think my relationship with my sister will give me an unfair advantage in this case?”

Trent was shaking his head while Amber was still speaking. “No, you and Crys have too much integrity to do anything unethical.”

Amber stacked her hands on top of her blank writing tablet and resisted being distracted by his flattery. “If you aren’t questioning our integrity and you aren’t afraid of going against me in court, what’s the issue?”

Trent’s dark eyes scanned her features as though refreshing his memory. “You mean besides our broken engagement?”

Amber smiled without humor. “There it is.”

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