Chapter 17: Meeting 20 Shots

__ George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse ___

Damian walked through a narrow corridor with Clara following at a respectable distance. She held his briefcase, her gaze fixed on his firm back as several thoughts raced through her mind. Damian, on the other hand, felt exhausted, both physically and mentally.

After the abyssal mating ritual Hazel carried out, he felt uncomfortable and refused to go any further with her, even when she proposed normal sex, which would have helped him recover. He spent the rest of the night preparing his defense, then slept for a little over five hours, but he still felt drained. Hazel offered him sex again that morning to help him recover, but he refused and came alone.

Damian wasn’t being salty or overreacting. He truly felt uncomfortable, and it hurt him that he felt that way toward Hazel, but it wasn’t without reason. The mating ritual incident reminded him of when she tried to stop him from going to work. The way she looked at him changed. The way she spoke changed. The way she acted changed. He didn’t think much about her abrupt shift then, but after experiencing it again last night, Damian knew this wasn’t something he should ignore.

Thinking back on both occasions, Damian realized that protecting him was the trigger for that wild behavior. She believed he needed to get stronger, and seeing how much time his work demanded, she decided it was best to use a more extreme but effective method. But that was the problem. When she felt he was threatened, she simply did what she believed was best for him.

’Hazel is just overprotective, and it leads her to take drastic actions. She’s not a bad person. It’s just a character flaw.’ Damian reminded himself.

“Erm…”

Damian looked over his shoulder when he heard Clara’s voice.

“Yeah?”

Clara hesitated a bit before asking, “Are you sure you’re okay? You look a bit pale.”

The man she saw on the call last night was tired, but he didn’t look this bad. On the other hand, Damian wasn’t surprised. Hazel did warn him that the mating ritual would exhaust his body and soul. That didn’t surprise him. Anything capable of making him jump ten levels in a few minutes should cost that much.

“I’ll live.” He shrugged and continued walking.

Two policemen guarding the side interview room nodded to acknowledge their presence before opening the door. Inside was a steel desk with three seats arranged around it. Damian silently noted the two cameras positioned at strategic points before returning his attention to the table.

On one end sat a black man with dreadlocks. He wore a black shirt that clung to his lean yet muscular frame.

’I’m planning to get a few tattoos here and there, but not like this.’

Damian inwardly cringed at the myriad of tattoos on 20 Shot’s body, the most notable being the number 20 drawn atop what looked like an explosion. A few here and there would be fine, but this was just an eyesore.

’Well, I’m not about that life, so let’s not judge. Maybe it’s the new fashion trend over there.’

“I see they left my fate to a pretty white boy. What the hell is your firm doing?”

20 Shot didn’t mince his words and began blasting the moment Damian sat down. Clara was taken aback. She wanted to speak, however, seeing Damian’s uninterested expression, she decided to hold back and see what he had in mind.

“Talking trash about someone who will be helping you secure a bond in an hour is just wild. Your survival instincts must be really trash. That explains why you’re here in the first place.”

BOOM!

Both Clara and 20 Shot were caught off guard by Damian’s brutal response. 20 Shot’s eyes turned cold, his gaze fixed on Damian, who didn’t attempt to look away. The two stared at each other in silence for several seconds.

In just a few days, Damian had seen a woman split the void and enter this world. That same woman had held him down several times against his will, and he lived with her. There were still two more people like her expected to arrive soon. A gangster was the least threatening addition to his life.

In fact, for that statement alone, he felt like reaching over the table and pouring out all his frustration from last night’s event on this wannabe gangster, but he couldn’t for two reasons. This was a VIP client who paid millions in legal fees yearly, and Hazel had warned him about his strength. She claimed he might not notice the difference now, but he was much faster and stronger than the average human. He could kill someone by mistake.

“I like this guy.”

20 Shot’s cold facade shattered, and he burst out laughing. Damian waited a second or two before joining in, leaving both men laughing and Clara confused.

’Male relationships are really strange.’ She sighed.

“So do you know the full story?”

20 Shot went straight to the point, and Damian casually nodded.

“I believe I have a fair understanding of what happened.”

“So, can you help me beat this case?”

20 leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he asked the question. He studied Damian for any crack or sign of doubt but found none.

“I will win this case, starting from today’s bond hearing. Just expect it to be a bit costly.”

A wide grin bloomed on 20 Shot’s face as he leaned back with his arms folded across his chest.

“Now that’s what I like to hear. Don’t worry about them bands, though. I got that shit covered. Just focus on getting me out of this hellhole.”

A thin smile appeared on Damian’s face as he stretched his hand across the table.

“Then I’ll be congratulating you on your release in advance.”

20 Shot’s grin widened further as he shook Damian’s hand firmly. This was the kind of lawyer he wanted. Damian didn’t ask whether he did it or not. He was confident and easy to speak with. He didn’t bore him with too many details, dos and don’ts, or rules he needed to follow.

Just quiet, definite confidence.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep