Quinlan: Foster’s Pride – Lion Shapeshifter Romance (Foster's Pride Book 3) by Kathi Barton (read a book TXT) 📕

“She seems to be doing all right.” Missy turned back to the judge. “So, what’s it going to be? Do I pay you as I did the other guy, or are we just going to call it a day and I get my things back? Either way is fine by me. I just want this over with. And also, can you make it some kind of rule that she can’t do this every few years? It’s ridiculous to have me locked out of my home and having my life disrupted again and again.”

“Oh, I think we can call it a day.” She was happy. It wasn’t going to cost her an arm and a leg to get this thing done and over with. “And I think I can assure that Ms. Fisher won’t have to come back to you for the money and property anymore. Melissa Tyler, I find you guilty on all counts brought before me today. Since you have willingly and without any encouragement simply told us all that you’re not above bribing me or anyone else that will get things moving for you, I find no reason to waste the taxpayers’ money on what I would think would be a short trial. You will be taken to federal prison upon leaving here, and—”

“Wait. That’s not going to work. I have to get home and take a bath.” He looked at her oddly again. “Seriously. Just let me write you out a check, and we’ll call it even. All right?”

“Bailiff, I want her out of my courtroom now. I cannot stand to hear her voice anymore.” Missy told him he was making a huge mistake. “And why is that?”

“I’m not going to go away quietly. I know people.” The judge asked her what sort of people she might know. “The kind that will take you to task if you don’t listen to what I’m telling you to do.”

“Did you just threaten me?” She just stared at him, knowing he’d get it sooner or later. “Get her out of here now.”

Missy thought things did end up well until she was put back into the van she’d come here in. Telling the person locking her into the seat that the judge had let her go, no one would answer her about when she was going to get to go home. People needed to realize this wasn’t the way things went. When she told them she’d pay, she would. Didn’t they realize how much she was worth? Apparently, she was going to have to have a talk with someone about this. They’d have to get her out of this mess, or she’d have to take action.

Missy sat back in her seat and waited. She tried to tell herself they were just running her by the jail to get something, but she had a feeling she wasn’t going anywhere just yet. Whatever happened in the next few hours, someone was going to pay. And it wasn’t going to be her. Missy wasn’t stupid like the cow Lily was. She needed to get her things in order and take her to court once again. It wasn’t that she thought she was above the law, but if there was money, that should count for something. Missy wasn’t going to be pissy, but this really was going to make her have to hold onto her temper a little tighter for a few hours, then all bets were off. She was going to have to make some serious promises with money. People were starting to get on her nerves just a little too much.

“Ms. Tyler?” She nodded, asking the guard if she was going to get to talk to the judge again. “No. He’s made his decision. I have a list here that I’m to read to you if you’d like. Or I can give it to you. So you know, it’s going to be recorded that I read it or handed it over to you.”

“What sort of list?” The guard nodded and pulled open the envelope. “Just give it to me. You’ll be stumbling over words, and we’ll be all day.”

Once she was handed the envelope, the woman just stood there. Asking her what she was doing now, she said she had to stay to see if Missy had any comments after reading it. Pissed off, she started reading the list, as it was called.

“This says I’m to give up the money, the cars, houses, and property that now belong to Lily. That’s not what we agreed on.” She asked her if the judge had said those words. “Well, no. But I was going to give him a kickback for helping me get the things back to the way I wanted them.”

“Apparently, he can’t be bought.”

The guard walked away. No matter how many times Missy called for her to return, she didn’t. Picking up the paperwork again, she read on. There were other things she was going to be giving to the cow, like her own bank account money and any and all homes she might own. But—and this was the real kicker—she was still going to be paying on the unpaid bills she’d accumulated while enjoying—it actually said enjoying—her time in prison.

Missy sat there thinking about what had happened. It occurred to her that she was in deeper shit than she’d ever been. Not only that, but she was also going to prison, and it seemed there was very little to nothing she could do about it.

“Maybe she was a little smarter than I was.” She’d never say that to the other woman, but she knew it to be true. “I’ve been royally fucked, it seems.”

Chapter 7

“That takes care of the newspaper articles that Missy took out slamming Rogue on her work. With that, along with a retraction from Missy’s attorney on all the trouble caused by her bribing the judge, the bill collectors you had before are being taken care of. You need to decide what you want to do