Mafia's Ex Wife

Chapter Twelve

"Elisabeth Hale?"

Hale. My stomach lurches.

I turn slowly to see Kevin, who hasn't changed a bit—right down to the patchy beard and worn out khakis.

In our county, the courthouse and the jail are in the same building, and Kevin is a bailiff. The first time we met, I was here on shoplifting charges a few weeks after I got out of the system. Years later, when I was back as a defense attorney, Kevin was still here and we worked together a lot. He loved to tell my success story to other offenders, and there is a small part of me that's happy to see a familiar face.

"Hi Kevin." I grin, making my way over towards him. "It's good to see you!"

"Well, I'll say! It's been years. I didn't think you were practicing anymore."

"I'm not." I say. "I'm just here on a special favor."

"For Jax?" He arches his eyebrow at me.

"Uh, no, actually. Jax and I.... Well, it's Elisabeth Mason now." I say without missing a beat.

Kevin chuckles. "Am I allowed to say I'm glad?"

"No." I smirk, and Kevin holds his hands up.

"Not a word. Come on. I'll escort you down to a meeting room."

Kevin takes me to a meeting room and a few minutes later, Steven Arias is brought in. He's dressed in a standard jumpsuit, his hands secured tightly in restraints. He doesn't look at me until he's seated, and when he does, confusion rushes his face.

"Mr. Arias," My breath is shallow as I stand. "I'm..."

"I know exactly who you are and I want nothing to do with whatever bullshit you're here for... Guards!"

"No, please." I stutter. "Wait. Just hear me out, okay?"

Steven isn't convinced, but when the guards get to the door to take him away, he waves them off. "You're Jax Hale's wife."

"Ex-wife." I clarify.

He leans back in the chair, chuckling as he sets an unreadable stare on me. His eyes are empty, and a violent shiver blankets my body as I realize that these might be the last set of eyes Emily ever saw. "Don't matter. In this world, you're always his."

"Steven, I'm here because you and I have something in common." I change the subject as best I can. I need to get Steven on my side before things start to go south.

"Oh yeah. What's that?"

I fold my hands on the table, tapping my pen against the cool metal. "We both hate the Hale family."

"Maybe. But how is that going to help me?" He says.

"Because we can work together here. I can help you."

"I don't need help. I killed the girl, and I'm prepared to do the time."

"How?" I press. "How'd you kill her?"

He glances toward the door and then back at me. "These meetings are private. They can't listen to anything you have to say. Now tell me, how'd you kill her?"

"I was watching her. Two, maybe three days. Knew when she came and went. I saw the opportunity, and I took it. Grabbed a tire iron, and I bashed the bitch's head in."

I clench my jaw, stomach churning as he spews off the details. "Who made the call?"

"Me, myself, and I."

My hands nearly tremble, listening to him. The flat tone of his voice is eery and disarming, and for such a personal attack. It feels off. I don't believe for one second that this was on him. Arias is an errand boy, and someone had to give the green light. Maybe if any good can come out of this, I can find that out for Jax.

"Okay. Then we need to get to work building a defense."

"Did you not listen to what I said? I don't need your help. I don't need an attorney. I committed the crime, and I know I'm going away. Case closed. There is no defense."

"That's not case closed, Steven." I have one last card to play here. "Do you know what's going to happen to you inside of prison? Jax has reach that the people you're protecting can only dream about. Inmates, guards... hell, even the warden is in bed with the Hales. Are you really ready for all of that?"

It seems like I finally strike a chord with him, because he pauses and I can see the wheels in his mind turning. Doing the time is one thing, but being a punching bag for the entirety of this sentence is another.

"How do I know you're not still working with Jax? Or at the very least, fucking him?" He asks. "How do I know this isn't all part of the game?"

"Because Emily was my best friend."

My admission stops him in his tracks.

"And I want to see the person responsible for her death be punished more than anything in the world. And if that person isn't you, then I need to know who it was. And if I get to make Jax a little angry in the process, then that's a win-win."

Steven rubs his jaw and then stands. It seems like my answer was enough for him. "Come back next week and we can talk some more. I'll decide if I'm going to let you help me out or not."