The Cartel Lawyer by Dave Daren (popular books to read .TXT) 📗

were in place before I gave the rest of my apartment another once over. I didn’t see any dangerous cartel members, or the giant Alvaro, so I let myself relax a little. For the moment, at least, I was safe from the dangerous people I’d entangled myself with.

The bed called to me as I set my briefcase down on the kitchen counter, but I hadn’t checked my email from the Public Defender’s Office in almost a week, and I knew that the exit interview was still waiting for my attention in the digital inbox. I tugged my laptop out from inside my briefcase and then plopped down on my couch so I could finish the last of the paperwork from my previous job.

There was a new episode of Law and Order: SVU in my DVR, so I pressed play while I booted up my computer. I shrugged out of my suit jacket while I kicked off my shoes and then curled up on the couch with the laptop balanced on my outstretched legs. By the time the episode ended, I’d finished the exit interview and answered the last few questions my old coworkers had for me. I was completely done with the Public Defender’s Office, and Osvaldo was officially my only employer.

I stood and stretched as I thought about the cartel leader. He was terrifying, with a scowl that could melt bones, but his son had been wrongly imprisoned. I couldn’t fault his rage there because I had my own regarding the situation, and despite his threats, he’d been relatively patient so far. I just needed to prove to him that I hadn’t lost my touch, and to do that, I had to get Camilo released while I handled the other cases he’d given me.

The first one, Luke, had already been given community service and was back in school. He’d been relatively easy since I’d been able to have the case dismissed, but Michael’s would be a bit more difficult. He was a repeat offender with a violent rap sheet, so there was no way I could get him a walk, but I was confident that I could get him a reduced sentence. His trial was the next morning, and I knew that Osvaldo would have someone watching to make sure that I didn’t fail him again.

I sent a quick text to Michael to make sure that he would be there in the morning and had just finished brushing my teeth when the gruff man replied. He’d confirmed that he’d be there, that he knew the drill, and that he’d be on his best behavior.

It was the best I could hope for, so I sent him a thumbs up emoji and finished getting ready for bed. I planned to sleep later than I usually did because I didn’t have to leave my apartment until eight-thirty. I could stay in bed until seven-thirty and catch up on some much needed rest before court.

The morning light peeked in through the closed blinds on my windows as my alarm went off, and for a second I thought I’d slept too late, but I relaxed when I remembered that I didn’t have court until ten a.m..

I threw off my blankets and started the process of getting ready. My five o’clock shadow had started to become a scraggly mess so I made sure to shave, and then I ran some water through my wavy hair until it resembled something resembling styled.

The coffee pot had finished the brewing cycle when I emerged from the bathroom, and the decadent smell of freshly brewed coffee washed over me. I closed my eyes and breathed deep before I shuffled over to fix my cup.

I tugged open the fridge door to see what I had that could pass as breakfast. There were still a few pieces of fruit on the top shelf from my trip to the corner market so I grabbed one of the oranges. I leaned over the counter as I peeled the rind off and drank my coffee. The juice from the orange dripped down as I ate, so I wiped it up with a paper towel.

As soon as I was done I brushed my teeth and finished getting ready. I’d picked out a dark-gray suit, white button up, black tie, and my most comfortable black dress shoes. It looked good on me, and as I grabbed my gear for the day, I felt like I could conquer the world.

The drive to the courthouse was short, and I’d picked the perfect time to leave so that I’d only catch the tail end of rush hour traffic. As I pulled into the parking garage, I even found a spot on the first level which I took as another good omen. I checked my hair in the rear view mirror because I’d driven with the window down, and when it was presentable, I climbed out of my car and headed toward the courthouse.

Michael stood halfway down the massive stone steps of the building with a cigarette in his mouth. The bottom half of his hair had been freshly shaved, and the top half was pulled up into a tidy bun. His tawny beard has been trimmed, and his dark-brown suit was clean and pressed. He nodded his head when he caught sight of me and then tossed his cigarette to the ground to grind it out with the toe of his brown leather dress shoes.

“Hey,” he said as I neared. “That gray suit looks sharp.”

“Thanks,” I said with a nod. “Got it a few years ago. Are you ready for today?”

“Sure,” the burly man answered with a one shoulder shrug. “You really think you can get me thirty days?”

“Yes,” I responded. “I’ve already talked to the prosecutor and that’s what they’ll recommend. With a full year of anger management classes once you’re released.”

“I don’t have an anger problem,” Michael grumbled. “But