Fatal Attractions

XLVI

"Please don't burn my hair off."

"I won't burn your hair off, Princess."

"Pixie, you don't have any hair, and I'm guessing that it's been like that for a while, therefore you don't have much experience with hot tools."

She glared at me. "I worked at a hair salon for seven years."

I put my hands up in surrender. "Just making sure. I need my hair. I'm already going into this with a chunk missing and don't need another to make a worse impression on the judge than I already have." I said, rubbing the prickly bald spot that Hound had created.

"Just for that," She said, pulling a comb through my freshly washed hair. "I'm going to burn a section off just so you stay in this shithole with me."

I rolled my eyes as she ran her fingers through it, massaging my scalp.

"You've got nice hair." She sighed.

I couldn't help but smile a little, thanking all of my carefully chosen shampoos and conditioners I had tested over the years with Aubrey. My smile faded. I couldn't bear to think about her these days, I felt like I wanted to punch a wall when I did. Every time I got an evil glare in the cafeteria, or stared at while I peed, even when I got a bad bite of food at lunch, I just thought that she was the reason I was here. She was the reason I got caught after all the times I had protected her, she betrayed me and wrote my death sentence.

I glanced up at the TV on the wall, hoping to distract myself from her, the headline of the news reading

MADISYN SHARPE DUE IN COURT FOR ARRAIGNMENT

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Pixie sighed, looking up at the TV.

I bit my lip. She was right. Today during the arraignment, the charges are going to be read to me, then I will plead not guilty. Tomorrow, I have to go to a preliminary hearing where the city will have to present evidence that gives probable cause for me to go to court, then if they have enough cause for it, I'll stand trial. The next week or so is not going to be easy.

"What happened at your trial?" I asked.

"I pleaded guilty, my shit attorney didn't do much for me, they found more drugs in my apartment, and I was sitting in a permanent cell four days after my arrest."

"Was it scary? Do I have to do anything?"

"Probably not, your attorney will do most the talking. Don't worry about it, you're probably going to stay in here anyway. Who is your lawyer?"

"Jason Lange." I said.

"What?! How did you get Jason Lange?! He's a prosecutor!"

"He's also my ex." I muttered.

"Lucky you." She grumbled. "I don't know though, Princess, seems like it's not going to be an easy trial."

I chewed on my lip. "Stay positive."

"That's hard to do sitting in a shithole."

I took a deep breath, my nails digging into my palms. Just think about what Logan would want

The headline changed to

MAYOR PROPOSING NEW PLAN TO RESPOND TO VIGILANTISM

"Can you turn this up?" I asked one of the guards.

They nodded and did as I asked.

The screen displayed Blake addressing a group of reporters, looking dignified and completely unassuming like he always did.