Their Queenpin (The Ridge MC #6)

Chapter 31Adelina

Chapter Thirty-One

Adelina

Melanie was waiting for me on the courthouse steps, a computer bag slung over her shoulder and her mobile phone in hand. Her sharp gaze swept over me before she gave a curt nod of approval.

“You ready for this?” She was all business, but there was concern beneath it.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I gave her a small, tight smile.

The courthouse loomed above us, all cold concrete and authority, and I took a deep breath before cresting the final step. Melanie led the way through the revolving glass doors.

People hurried through the bustling entryway and filed into the security lines. The metal detector buzzed intermittently, punctuated by the chatter of guards and attorneys. Melanie gestured for me to follow, and I did—until I froze.

My hand instinctively clutched my purse and the hard outline of the gun beneath the leather.

Melanie stopped and looked back at me, her eyes going wide when she saw what, I’m sure, looked like terror on my face.

She placed a hand on my forearm. “What is it?”

I leaned in, keeping my voice barely above a whisper. “I brought my gun. I didn’t know what my father’s plans were.”

Melanie’s eyes widened, but she didn’t miss a beat. She nodded once, lips pressed into a thin line as she pulled out her phone and typed a quick message. A moment later, her expression went soft, reassuring. “Angel’s on his way. He’ll take care of it.”

She pulled me off to the side, and we watched the river of people.

“How’d you manage to get a hearing?”

Melanie smirked. “You’ll see.”

An objection formed on the tip of my tongue, but Angel appeared from deeper inside the courthouse, shutting me up before I started. I doubted he intended to cause a stir, but the man had an uncanny presence.

People naturally moved out of his way as he stalked toward the exit. His dark hair fell around his shoulders with that white streak catching the brightness of the fluorescent lights.

One woman, a lawyer by her looks, turned to stare at his broad-shouldered and steady movement. He didn’t seem to notice her or anyone else, always bringing a silent measure of calm with him as he moved through chaos.

I followed his stoic and fixed gaze to Melanie, and she smiled back at him.

He pushed through the exit turnstile and veered over to us.

“My Lanie,” he said with his soft lilt, and I could hear her real name in the words. Not just Lanie.

Then, he crashed his lips down on hers.

I looked away, rubbing the back of my neck and wanting to have that. The sensation of being claimed in public. Damn the onlookers who gasped at the outrage of it all. They were only jealous they didn’t have such passion in their lives.

After a second, I cleared my throat.

When they came up for air, I fished in my clutch and pulled out my phone.

“Here,” I said, handing him the bag.

“Not really my color,” he said as he turned it over and inspected the red leather.

Melanie curled her body next to his, resting a hand on his chest. Loudly, she said, “Take it to the car for us, would you? It’s got all the paperwork inside.”

I’d been trying to be careful not to draw any unwanted attention—well, no more than the huge biker had. Damn, even I struggled to take my eyes off the sharpness of his cheekbones and the double scar through his brow. Sas was taller, but Angel took up more space.

“No problem, my Lanie. Knock ’em out in there.” He dropped another kiss on her lips before tucking my clutch under his arm and walking away.

Melanie watched him go for a beat, letting out a soft sigh of clear appreciation, then turned back to me, her eyes focused.

“Let’s get through this,” she said, leading me through the security checkpoint and into the main hallway.

As we walked, Melanie spoke in low tones, explaining what I should expect. “This is an appeal of Sas’s bail. We’re going to argue for a reduction or for the judge to reconsider his eligibility for release. It’s all going to come down to how we present Sas, and, honestly, how we present ourselves too.”

I frowned, glancing sideways at her. “How did you get this through so fast? I don’t understand the normal timeframe, but this seems... expedited.”

“Oh, it definitely is.” Melanie shot me a small, knowing smile. “I had help. A friend in the DA’s office in LA—my ex-boss, Grey Rollins called in a favor.”

“What the hell’s that mean?” I worried it was the kind of favor my father often called in.

“Don’t worry. Nothing illegal. Grey found me a co-counselor here in Vegas, Harper Fitzgerald. They’ve got the right connections to get a hearing on the docket quickly.”

She paused, her gaze flicking toward the end of the hallway where the courtroom doors stood. “Harper has almost everyone’s ear in the Vegas legal system, especially when it comes to defense work—anything from murder cases to civil rights violations. Their name alone gets shit done.”

As we approached the courtroom, my nerves buzzed beneath my skin. It felt like a thick rope had been wound around my midsection and someone was ratcheting up the tension with every step we took. Melanie stopped outside the doors, turning to face me fully.

“Listen,” she said, her eyes serious. “You need to be perfect in there, Adelina. The judge will be watching you as much as she’s watching Sas. It doesn’t matter that you’re not the one arrested or charged. The way you act, the way you re act—it’ll all be under scrutiny.”

I nodded, swallowing the anxiety rising in my throat. I figured that everything I did today would impact Sas’s chance of freedom, but to hear it made me almost nauseous. I had to be my best for him. For us.

Melanie turned to the person waiting by the door, holding out her hand. “Adelina, this is Harper Fitzgerald.”

They were a little taller than me, but their slight frame seemed to carry a presence much bigger than their size. Harper wore a sharp, dark suit that fit them perfectly, the fabric hugging their lean figure.

Harper stepped forward, offering me a nod but not a handshake, their eyes flicking over me with a quick, efficient assessment. “Adelina, nice to meet you,” they said, their voice clipped and direct.

Their hair was slicked back, but with enough volume at the front to give a sense of deliberate style, and horn-rimmed glasses framed their eyes.

“Nice to meet—” I began, but they had already turned, their focus shifting back to Melanie.

“We’re short on time,” Harper told her, their tone leaving no room for hesitation.

They gestured towards the courtroom doors, more “all business” than Melanie, if that were possible. Harper’s fingers briefly pushed the horn-rimmed glasses up their nose, narrowing their eyes on me.

“Adelina,” they said, voice sharp but not unkind, “you’ll be sitting right behind your husband. The judge will notice you. You’ve dressed the part, so that’s a point in your favor.”

I nodded, swallowing the nervous lump forming in my throat.

“You do understand your role here, right?” They looked to Lanie, likely to confirm she’d prepped me enough.

Melanie gave a single nod.

Without waiting for anything more, Harper turned, heading through the doors with brisk, purposeful steps.

Melanie lingered at my side. “Take a breath, okay?” When I gave another nod, she said, “You’ll be great.”

“You’ve had a lot of experience with families of...” I waved toward the courtroom, letting the motion finish my meaning.

“Let me tell you something. Harper’s a hardnose, and I’ve worked with lawyers like them before. No emotion. That’s both a strength and weakness for them, but you and Sas have the best of both worlds with us teamed up for his defense.”

Inside the double doors, Harper glanced over their shoulder. “We don’t have time for second thoughts, Adelina. This hearing is as much about you as it is about Sas. Stay focused and stay strong. You’re representing more than yourself in here.”

I forced my feet into motion.

Harper checked their watch. “Ten minutes. Remember, Adelina, no matter what happens in there, you’re the strength behind your husband. Show the judge that.”

“Adelina!” came a voice from behind me.

I turned, my heart skipping a beat as I saw Rafe running toward us, his face flushed. He’d put on a suit, but it stretched so tightly across his shoulders I thought it might rip at the seams.

Relief washed over me as he came to a stop at my side, grounding me in a way nothing else had managed since I had stepped foot in my father’s limo.

“Adelina,” he repeated.

The energy sparked between us, and the sense that he wanted to touch me so badly. I wanted that too. But now was about my husband, and only him. Once we were all free, the rest would follow.

“Why didn’t you wait? I could’ve ridden with you and Mass.”

“I’ll explain my father’s conversation later,” I said quickly, my eyes searching his, hoping he understood.

“Sure thing. Is it about time?” He glanced into the courtroom—all dark wood and stuffy.

“We’ve got to get seated now,” Harper said, their voice calm but firm. “We can’t enter once the judge takes the bench.”

The courtroom was a cold, imposing space, filled with the quiet murmur of people settling into their seats. We took our places behind the defense table, and I reached for Rafe’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

A court clerk stood up off to the side. “The Honorable Lauren Hargrove.”

The words reverberated against the wooden paneling, and immediately, everyone in the courtroom rose to their feet in unison. The rustle of fabric and the shuffle of shoes on the polished floor filled the silence, and my heart pounded as I rose alongside the others, my eyes fixed on the door at the front of the room.

Judge Hargrove’s gaze swept over the room, and I caught a glimpse of the tired frustration in her eyes. She looked like she’d been pulled away from something she deemed far more important. She gathered her robe as she took her seat.

The same court officer stepped forward, commanding us to take our seats and giving the pre-hearing instructions to the audience. As much as I tried to focus, tried to calm the pounding of my heart, it didn’t work.

“We’re here to hear an appeal for The State versus Simeon Tate.”

The side door opened, and Melanie entered, followed by Sas, and then Harper. Sas’s eyes locked onto mine immediately, and my breath caught. He looked tired, worn down, but there was a fire there, a determination that hadn’t been extinguished.

I held his gaze, letting the warmth of Rafe’s hand still in mine ground me.

The judge dropped her gavel, the sharp crack echoing through the room.

“This court will come to order,” Judge Hargrove announced, her voice carrying a note of impatience. “I want to make it very clear that I was called in during my week off to handle this special case, so I expect all parties to be efficient and respectful of my time.”

Her eyes flicked between Melanie, Harper, and Sas. I held my breath, a cold sense of dread curling in my stomach. This wasn’t going to be easy, and I had a sinking sensation that whatever came next was not going to be in our favor.