"A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green."
- Francis Bacon
"Morning, gorgeous," I warmly greeted, placing a gentle kiss on my mother's forehead. I drew up a chair beside her at the breakfast table, turning to my sister with a soft smile, "Good morning, sweetie."
"Good morning, honey," my mother smiled and her hands moved to my cheek, caressing it with a tenderness that I had grown so accustomed to. "Heard anything from Daniel?" A shadow of sadness spread across her features.
"No word yet," I admitted, anxiety evident in my tone. "But I will find him."
"I still can't believe what's happening," Maddie added with a sad shake of her head. "How could Daniel betray his own father like this? Theo hasn't done anything to deserve this!"
Her words rang true. Theo was the innocent party in all of this. After losing our father, Theo, took Maddie and I under his wing. He loved and cared for us like we were his children. An uncle who was more like a father to us. I loved and respected him immeasurably, which only made my rage toward Daniel that much fiercer.
"Let's avoid bringing it up around Theo, okay? He's got enough going on," I warned before turning back to my mother, "Can you try again to get him out of his room?"
"Don't worry, dear, I'm making his favorite meal for lunch later, I'll give it another shot," she reassured me.
Suddenly, the roar of an engine echoed outside. As I left the house in a flurry, Zane arrived and stopped at the driveway. "Where are we headed?" he asked, curiosity evident in his tone.
Despite my seething anger, I tried to remain composed. "We have to find Daniel," I declared.
"Nathan's?" he asked, failing to mask his irritation by the mere mention of Daniel's name.
"Yeah," I confirmed.
We drove off to Nathan's place, Daniel's friend, with the hope that he might know where to find him.
The apartment was an utter mess, it reeked of alcohol cigarettes and weed. Nathan was passed out cold on the couch in the frunchroom with two naked girls sprawled next to him.
One of the girls, a brunette, stirred and looked at us blearily. "Who are you?" she mumbled, before her eyes focused on me and she grinned. "Oh, you're new! Come party with us!" She sat up, completely naked, and tried to pull me onto the couch with her.
I yanked her off and jabbed Nathan in an attempt to wake him. "Rise and shine!"
His eyes shot open in confusion. "Who the...who are you?"
I glowered at him, losing patience as he fumbled to put a name to my face. "Oh. Hector. What do you want, man?" he groaned, only partially awake.
"Where is Daniel! Where's he at?" I demanded loudly.
"He's gone, took off with Sarah last night," he answered through another yawn.
"Did he say where to?" I demanded, my patience running thin.
Nathan let out a heavy sigh and dropped back down onto the couch.
"Dig deeper!" I snapped, frustration lacing my voice.
With a great deal of effort, he began rubbing at his temples, wracking his brain. "Right, right, Sarah's... yes, her old apartment!"
Satisfied with the information, I rushed out of the apartment and darted to the car.
As we pulled up to Sarah's old apartment, I was caught off guard by the sea of police cars littered outside. Officers swarmed the street, joined by a forensics team who had sealed off the area with crime scene tape. My heart dropped with the fear that something might have happened to Daniel. Without any hesitation, Zane and I leapt out of the car and barged inside, shoving past the officers that blocked our way.
"Hold on, sir! This is a crime scene. You can't go inside," A female cop stopped me, blocking my way further inside.
"I need to know what happened! Who is it?" I pleaded, my voice brimming with urgency.
Evidently, she could see how important this was to me. "Sir?" she called out for one of the detectives that were on the scene. "I think this man could have information on the case." Then she addressed me, "Detective Hansley, he's the lead detective, he can help you."
Detective Hansley, was a tall man with a broad build, and he had an air of authority about him. He was the type of man that commanded respect. "What can I do for you?" He asked, looking me up and down.
"I'm here for Daniel Pierce," I blurted out. "What happened here? Is he okay?"
When it came to my family, I was weak, I was very weak.
Detective Hansley nodded and motioned for me to follow him into the apartment. Sarah's body was laid out on the kitchen floor, covered by a body bag. She was ghostly pale and lifeless. Not far from her was Daniel, kneeling with his hands soaked in blood, looking as high as a kite. It looked bad..really bad.
Could he have killed Sarah?
With Daniel being the only person at the crime scene, he instantly became the prime suspect. And in Daniel's case, his bloody hands were more than enough evidence to incriminate him. Even I couldn't tell if he was innocent.
Two police officers came forward. They slapped cuffs on him, hoisting him to his feet before guiding him to their car. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you." They then drove him away.
I quickly whipped my phone out, urgently dialing Theodore. "Theo," I began as calmly as I could muster. "You need to meet me at the police station."
──●◎●──
"Hector!" I heard my name shouted as I entered the police station. "What's going on?"
"The cops areested Daniel," I replied.
"What!? Daniel?" he thundered, disbelief heavy in his voice. "What's his charge?"
I swallowed hard, dreading his reaction when he heard the answer. "They found him at Sarah's, next to her... dead body."
"No way! This is a nightmare! There's got to be a misunderstanding somewhere!" In a fit of rage and desperation, Theo rapidly dialled his lawyers, trying to straighten out this mess.
I approached the Desk Sergeant one more time, pleading for permission to see Daniel. "Sir, I'm sorry, but he's in custody and he's not allowed visitors except his lawyer." The Sergeant repeated, an air of sternness in his voice.
My patience was running thin and I was acutely aware that if they got Daniel to start talking, he could dig himself an even deeper hole. In a short span, Theo's team of hotshot attorneys flooded the precinct, storming into the room where Daniel was detained.
Zane sidled up to me, anxiety creasing his face. "What's the update?" he asked.
"It's not good," I replied, shaking my head. "They're testing him for drugs, and that alone is enough to sink him."
"That kid is gonna be the death of his father," Zane muttered under his breath. "Do you think he really did it?"
"I honestly don't know. But when it comes to Daniel, anything is possible," I paused, mulling over an idea. "What was Ronan's attorney's name again?"
"Frank.. Frank something.. Monroe! Yes, Frank Monroe," Zane recalled.
"Get me his number, right away!" I ordered.
I knew Conor had a really damn good lawyer who had a knack for getting him out of sticky situations, and I heard that same lawyer was able to get Ronan off the hook without breaking a sweat. I had to get in touch with him. I was certain this attorney was Daniel's only hope.
──●◎●──
Theo and Zane insisted on coming with me to the appointment I had arranged with the lawyer. "Good afternoon," I offered a polite greeting to the secretary.
"Good afternoon, sir. What can I do for you?" she responded with a friendly grin.
"Hector and Theodore Pierce," I declared. "We are here to meet Frank Monroe."
"Of course. Right this way." She guided us through two lavishly furnished offices, separated by a door. A young, blonde gentleman sporting an Armani suit, briskly made his way over to us from behind his desk.
"Dalilah, thank you, I've got it from here," he mentioned, directing us into his office. "I'll let Frank know that you've arrived."
He disappeared into the second office, only to return a short while later.
Breaking the silence, Zane announced, "I'm coming in with you."
I gave him a nod of affirmation.
"Frank will meet you now." The man motioned towards the door. As he held it open, I was met with a sight that almost rendered me speechless. Frank Monroe was... a woman."
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." She stood tall, greeting us with an air of authority. "Please do have a seat."
Frank Monroe, was stunning. With flawless, fair skin, light brown hair elegantly pinned back in a bun and penetrating dark brown eyes twinkling with a devious gleam, she was intimidating. Her palpable authority gave off the vibe of someone who regularly made life-altering decisions. Definitely not someone you would want to mess with, but then again, I wasn't just anyone.
"Thank you. We're-" I started, but she interrupted me smoothly.
"Hector Pierce, Theodore Pierce and Zane Dawson," she acknowledged, confidence saturating her voice. "I am well aware of who you are."
"No need to waste any more time then," I responded, my tone matching her audacity.
"Very well, what can I do for you gentlemen?"
"My cousin, Daniel, was arrested yesterday morning." I informed her.
"Could you walk me through it?" she asked.
"All we know is that he was found in his... girlfriend's apartment, drugged, covered in blood, and hovering over her lifeless body." I detailed."
"Anything else of importance I should be aware of?" she asked, her penetrating gaze unyielding. "A history of substance abuse, maybe?"
"No, none at all," Theo affirmed, his face set in a grim expression.
"Alright. Why did you choose me? There's a lot of lawyers out there, why me?" she posed the question.
"Word is you do everything and anything to win a case, hence why they call you The Dirty Lawyer." Theo pointed out, eyeing her with suspicion.
She fell silent momentarily. Strolling to the opposite side of the room, she seated herself on the black leather couch before directing an unreadable look at Theo. Slowly, a mischievous grin crept onto her face.
"That is correct. I stop at nothing to win a case," she confirmed. "But the nickname Dirty Lawyer is nothing but a reflection of the clients I represent." Her voice took on a bolder edge.
Fury rippled across Theo's features as he sprung up, charging towards her. "You have no idea who you're disrespecting," he growled, slamming both hands down onto the conference table.
"I believe I mentioned at the beginning of this meeting that I'm aware of exactly who you all are. Maybe you missed that?" She stared him down, almost as if she was defying him. "Now, if this is how it's going to be, then you have a good day." With those words, she strode towards the door, swinging it open and gesturing for us to leave.
"Everyone, let's take a deep breath and refocus." I interrupted, attempting to smooth things over. "Ms. Monroe, I apologize for the misunderstanding, Can we get back to why we're here? We really need your help."
Theo's silence was all the confirmation she needed. She moved back to her desk, her heels clicking on the marble floor.
"I have a few rules of engagement," she stated. "1 - Don't question my approach. 2 - Don't bombard me with calls asking for progress, if there's anything to report, you'll know. 3 - If there are any other lawyers working this case, fire them, I don't like company. Quite simple."
"Agreed." My response came quickly.
"Excellent. Now, if you don't mind, I have a client to see." She stood and extended a hand toward me.
Something strange washed over me as our eyes locked briefly. Her gaze seemed to onvey both menace and tenderness, like a malicious angel or maybe an angelic demon.
"Scotty, move it!" I called out, rushing out of the door and heading towards the parking area.
Rage filled every pore of my being around Theodore, all I wanted to do was to jump on him and sink my teeth into his flesh, and teargnash his flesh from his bones. My hands were shaking uncontrollably no matter how hard I tried to still them. I struggled to stop my hands from shaking, clenching them tightly into fists but it was to no avail.
Sawyer hurried my way, his usually stoic face etched with concern. He quickly seized my hands, applying a gentle pressure, and looked me directly in the eye. "It'll be worth it, Frankie," he said. "It'll all be worth it. Just be patient." His soothing voice made its way through the haze of my fury.
His words washed over me with a sense of calmness, a reminder of what I was doing and why I was doing it.
I took a moment to draw a deep breath, before following the guard into the dank, dark cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The chill in the air was palpable, and the only light source was a single, dim bulb that hung from the ceiling.
Even though it had been our plan all along, I still had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that I was about to represent, and consequently defend, the son of the very man responsible for my father's murder.
Daniel Pierce, sat at the table before me, shackled to the heavy steel chair. His face was etched with confusion and fear, and it was a beautiful sight to behold.
"Who are you?" He quivered.
"Your only ticket out of here," I countered.
"Why are you here?" Daniel yelled tears streaming down his face. "You won't trust my words any more than they did, so why?"
"I'm here to help you," I declared. "But I first need a clear picture of what happened, and for that I need your complete honesty."
"I.. I'm not sure," he stammered, sniffling. "We were just partying, having drinks, doing drugs... I have no idea how it occurred, but there she was...lying there, bleeding. I tried to help her, I swear! But I didn't kill her! I didn't do it!"
This man was nothing more than a spoiled brat, living off his father's wealth and not lifting a finger to do anything except party and be useless. Last year he had killed a family man in a hit and run, and since nothing linked him to the crime scene, he had gotten away with it, never looking back at the misery he had caused. And now, here he was now in this miserable cell, sobbing like a child.
How pathetic.
"I believe you." I forced reassurance into my tone.
In a surprising turn, his attention shifted from the cold floor and connected with my gaze, "You do? You really do?"
"I do," I confirmed, a smug smirk threatening to spread across my lips. "And I promise you, I will get you out of here."
My reassurance seemed to ease his worry, and it was glaringly obvious that he had completely put his faith in me.
Arrogant? Absolutely, but I'd always known my limits and always delivered on my promises. As for this situation? Well, it was akin to child's play.
Why?
Because it was all just a cog in a meticulously woven plan.
"Here are the documents you asked for," Scott declared, giving me a pile of papers as I climbed into the car.
"Excellent," I acknowledged, quickly flipping through them. "Where did you leave the package?" I asked Sawyer while we were on the way back to the office.
"It's at my place, waiting for you," he answered, giving me a grin through the rear-view mirror.
"Perfect," I nodded. My plans were falling into place nicely.
After leaving Scott at our office, Sawyer and I set out to his house. Steve and Irving were standing vigilant at the doorway.
Swiftly, we made our way inside and proceeded to the basement. Peering cautiously at the man who was firmly bound to a chair, he seemed to be in his mid-twenties, with jet black hair and a scruffy beard. His expression was filled with fear and confusion, he didn't look at all like a killer, even momentarily.
Sawyer was ready to enter the room when I grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?" I asked him, my voice stern.
"To get some answers," he replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"No. He can't know we're here. I might still need him to testify in court." I said. "Let's let Manny take the lead on this."
Sawyer nodded in agreement.
I'd instructed Manny and Steve to keep a close watch on Daniel Pierce, I had a gut feeling that he was a ticking time bomb. They monitored his every move for several days and finally caught up with him at Sarah's former apartment one night. They discovered Chris fleeing the scene with blood smeared across his hands and shirt. Swiftly, they pounced on him and brought him here.
After a short while, Manny returned, smug smile gracing his face, shaking his head slightly.
"What is it?" I questioned, curious.
"We didn't have to land a single blow to get him spilling his guts. What a wuss," he spoke, his strong Irish brogue colouring his words.
"Even better," I scoffed. "So? What did he have to say?"
"His name's Chris Collins. He too had a romantic relationship with Sarah...well, used to. He explained that they had hatched a plan for Sarah to seduce Theodore Pierce and trap him in a marriage. The aim was to leave him later and escape with his money. But when Chris discovered her secret affair with Daniel, he snapped. They got into a fight, and then one thing led to another, he stabbed her before running away."
The news blindsided me. My mind reeled, trying to process the fact that Sarah's murder was an unintended consequence of the video I had released at Pierce's gala. A heavy wave of guilt crashed over me, threatening to drown me.
Sawyer noticed me clutching at my chest, struggling for breath. He discretely reassured me with a squeeze of my leg, before he got up to lead Manny to the door. He knew I didn't want to show any vulnerability in front of my men.
"Where was Daniel during this episode?" Sawyer asked, effectively distracting Manny from my reaction.
"According to Chris, Daniel was so hammered that he was oblivious to everything," Manny reported, "We also found the knife."
He handed over a sealed plastic bag to Sawyer. Inside, a blood-soaked knife rested; the very evidence we needed to exonerate Daniel.
Sawyer hurried back to my side, his face creased with worry. "Are you okay?"
I shook my head, guilt overwhelming me, "I got her killed."
The cost of my revenge was the life of an innocent. Sarah was innocent, but she paid the price.