Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(84)

What the hell? “Listen—”

“No.” He leaned down and kissed her. Hard. “No negotiation on that one, little bunny.”

The door opened, and two guards waited.

Nick turned to her. “Let’s do this.”





Chapter 32


Nick tried to readjust his pants and will down his hard-on as they wound through the tunnels. What the holy f*ck had he just done? He’d mated Simone in a conference room right before she gave the most important testimony of her life. Oh, he’d had every intention of mating her that night as they waited until the Council announced a decision the following morning, but he’d wanted to romance her a little. It was crucial that she carry his mark before the sentencing, but he could’ve been gentle when mating her.

Instead he’d bent her over a table and f*cked her hard with the guards no doubt hearing every sound.

Not that he gave a shit about the guards, but even so, he would’ve liked to have charmed her.

They entered the courtroom, where more guards had been stationed around the perimeter. Peter watched Simone walk in, his gaze darkening. Nick kept his expression bland, but it was fairly obvious how he and Simone had spent their lunchtime.

Simone swept to the witness stand and took a seat. “Let’s begin,” she ordered the prosecutor.

Nick hid a smile and took his seat.

Colman stood. “Ms. Brightston, please tell the Council how long you’ve known you were part shifter.”

“For about a century,” she said evenly.

The Council kept it together, but Nick could see evidence of surprise.

“The Nine thought they’d exterminated multis, but it turns out the enemy were dragons. The proof offered by Phillipe Sadler confirms the existence of dragons, as unbelievable as it seems.” Colman clasped his hands behind his back. “For one hundred years you’ve known you’re an enemy the Coven Nine had thought was exterminated?”

“No. I thought I was part bear shifter,” Simone said, her hands resting easily in her lap. “I just found out two days ago that dragons even existed, much less that I have dragon genes.” She turned toward the Council.

Colman cleared his throat. “Surely you must have had an inkling.”

Her eyebrows rose. “That dragons actually existed? Ah, no. I had no clue.” The ring of truth definitely echoed in her tone. “Frankly, I don’t think they’re enemies of the Coven Nine or the witch nation. They’ve been hiding out to avoid persecution.”

“Where is your father now?” Colman asked.

“Dead,” Simone said.

“Did you kill him?” Colman shot back.

“No, and it’s irrelevant who killed him, so we’re moving on.” Simone shifted her weight in the seat.

Peter sat forward. “We’ll determine relevance. Who killed him?”

Her jaw firmed, and she met the Council’s stares.

“I killed him,” Nick spoke up. “Walked in, saw the bastard trying to kidnap Simone, and took him out.” She glared at him, and he shrugged. If she thought to piss off the Council by protecting him, she was sorely mistaken. “I don’t care who knows it.”

Peter narrowed his gaze, probably scenting for truth. “All right. Did Vivienne Northcutt know about dragons? About your father? Since she procreated with him, surely she knew he was a dragon.”

Simone laughed outright at that. “That’s your plan, Peter? To take my mother’s place on the Coven Nine by using rumor and dragons?” Simone shook her head, real mirth in her dark eyes. “Oh, my friend. You do not want to take her on.”

Peter’s ears turned red. “Continue, Colman.”

Nick gave her a look. She did not need to tick off Peter right at the moment.

Colman resumed questioning, going through the videos as well as all of the banking statements. Simone kept to the truth, admitted she wasn’t sure about a few, and vehemently denied signing several. Colman was good, but Simone was spectacular.

Nick clarified a couple of questions when he got the chance, and then he released her. She stood, all grace, and made her way to his side, right where she belonged.

Colman then gave a passionate closing about betrayal, country, and of course, dragons. Nick tuned him out halfway through his speech, his brain putting all of the facts into order. There was a lot of evidence against Simone, but she’d done a good job on the stand. The verdict would boil down to what the meager three-person Council wanted to do with her politically.

Finally, he stood. “You know Simone did not intentionally do any of these things. You know it.” He walked around the table to be closer to them. “This was a setup, albeit a good one. The man providing evidence admitted to a vendetta against all of you, and especially against Simone. How can you trust one iota of what he offered to the prosecutor?”

Nessa nodded as he spoke.

Good. One down for sure.

“In addition, dragons are now out. They’re not your enemies, and their connection to Simone is a good one. You do want a liaison there, right?”

Peter’s face settled into thoughtful lines.

“Finally, and please listen closely. Even if you wrongly, and I mean very wrongly, decide to convict Simone Brightston, you can’t sentence her to death.”

“Why not?” Peter asked.