You've Got Me

"So what you're telling me," Julian uncrossed his arms and pinched the bridge of his nose, "is that even though you have no idea who this woman is, you still want me to take her case?"

His friend Alex leaned forward pleadingly. "Come on, Julian. You have a perfect record anyways. If you lose this one, it won't affect you all that much, but I could lose my job!"

"I don't do pro-bonos, Alex. Especially not for criminals."

"Just this once!" Alex begged. "I'll owe you forever, man. Really. Just help me this one time. Please?"

**

Less than 30 minutes later, Julian closed his eyes and cursed himself internally, already feeling pangs of regret. His hand tightened around the door knob of the prison's visitation room. What on earth had possessed him to say yes?

He groaned, tugging his hand away from the knob and through his hair agitatedly. A corporate lawyer taking a criminal case? For free? He must've been crazy. "Goddamn Alex," he muttered in frustration. "He owes me big for this."

Reluctantly, he pulled open the door and stepped inside. As soon as he did, a female voice accosted him.

"Who are you?"

I knew this was a bad idea, he thought in annoyance. He signalled to the guards to leave the room before turning to meet the woman whose case he'd so irrationally taken on.

"I'm your lawyer, Julian Kade," he replied, trying not to let irritation seep into his tone. "I'm here to—"

Julian's voice abruptly died in his throat. His lips parted as he laid eyes on her, all faculties of reasonable thought arrested.

The first thing he saw was her hair. A deep, beautiful red, it fell over her shoulders and down her back in waves of auburn fire. In sharp contrast, sea-green eyes greeted him, staring up at him fiercely but with an undeniable allure. Long lashes paired with plump pink lips completed the picture. In any other setting, he'd ask her out in a heartbeat. This was the woman he'd been sent to defend?

"You're here to what? Throw another one of the prosecution's deals at me?" Those green eyes he'd been so enchanted by narrowed at him in suspicion, and Julian shook himself out of his stupor. Stupid, he chastised himself. Unprofessional. Beautiful or not, she was a criminal, and he her lawyer. Any semblance of romantic thoughts had to be stomped out immediately.

He cleared his throat, taking a seat at the table in the middle of the room, directly opposite her. "I'm afraid not." Smoothing over his expression, he gazed at her detachedly. "Cutting deals isn't my style. My plan is to win and for you to walk free, either through a trial or other means."

She sat back, the handcuffs on her wrists clinking. A hint of surprise coloured her features. "You . . . you plan on winning?"

"I don't like repeating myself," he said drily, "but yes, that's the general idea."

She hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly. Julian tried not to be distracted by the way her hair swished from the movement.

"Just to be clear," she said quickly, her courage from before seeming to desert her, "you have read the details of my case, haven't you?"

Julian held her gaze for a moment longer before opening his briefcase, extracting a file and reading the contents aloud. "Name of the defendant is Sofia Eliot. No prior convictions. The charges against her are obstruction of justice, tampering with a crime scene, and," he paused, feeling an obscure twinge of sorrow, "murder in the first degree."