Chapter 166
LORENZO’S P.O.V.
I already knew the case was going to be dismissed, I was just here for formality's sake. I could see the shock on everyone’s faces when Carmen arrived but I was the one who reached out to her. I had told her that it was her only chance of ever seeing Mac again and she leaped at the opportunity. She truly loved him in her own messed up way but I couldn’t care less about that. Even if he decided to take her back, she wasn’t welcome in the Famiglia anymore. She was a traitor and she knew that.
I saw Isabella speaking to her and I knew it wasn’t pretty so I waited. I sat spread eagle on the bench waiting for her to finish her discussion and once she did, she stormed over to me. She looked mildly furious which only made her look more beautiful to me. She was very much put together in suit pants and a button up shirt. She had a small bump already forming according to what Matteo had told me but she was hiding it today.
“You better have a good fucking explanation for me,” she snarled and I gave her a lopsided grin. “Don’t even think about it, Lorenzo. What the hell is going on? Why is she here and why wasn’t I told?”
“I couldn’t tell you so as not to ruin the surprise,” I joked struggling to keep my hands to myself. I wanted to touch her, it had been so long since I was able to freely hold her in my arms. “I a handling everything, don’t worry about it?”
She frowned. “Are there any more surprises I should be worried about?”
Just one, I thought to myself but I gave her a simple shrug. She let out an exasperated sigh before storming off. I watched her disappear and ran my hands through my hair. I turned to find Samson watching me carefully. His eyes were moving between me and her.
“If there is something you want to say then fucking spit it out,” I snarled and he held up his hands in mock surrender.
“You love her,” he said finally. “When people told me, I thought it was insane. I never would have thought someone in your position would be capable of love.”
I stared at him blankly. “Is that all?”
“Surely even you can see why it is alarming, Lorenzo. This isn’t your nature. This isn’t who you are.”
“Who am I?” I asked but he couldn’t respond, one, because there was no right answer to that and two, because we were called back into the courtroom.
When we got back in, I barely paid attention to what was being said. They kept trying to counter the evidence that we brought with Carmen. Even though his name was never mentioned once, the story checked out and it was easy to believe. They wanted to turn the entire case around on me shooting his arm but there was video evidence of him hauling Isabella into the room and of the stand-off.
Despite my threats, Dante refused to turn the cameras off which I was now grateful for seeing as they came in handy. He removed the audio and managed to get a copy to me. As it played in the courtroom, I saw Peter bury his face in his hands. It was obvious that there was nothing more that could be done to save his ass. Once it was done playing, his lawyer stood up.
“Permission to approach the ben-” he began but Samson cut him off.
“Before we do that and reach a potential deal, I would like to call on one more witness, is that alright, your honor?” The judge thought for a second before nodding. “I would like to call to the stand, Dante Watson, the son of the attorney general.”
There was an audible gasp that went through the courtroom and I could imagine that everyone felt the same way I did when I first found out. I was both pissed and impressed that he managed to hide his identity for so long and that he was involved in so much shady shit and his father wasn’t aware of it. Dante was in a well pressed suit as he made his way to the stand. He took an oath and started with his testimony.
“I was able to get some work emails between the commissioner and Peter where they both discussed in length the things they did to tamper with the investigation of Benito’s death.”
“That isn’t relevant to the case,” Peter’s lawyer exclaimed and Dante simply smiled.
“If you would have let me finish, I would have said that right after that, they discussed how they were also going to kidnap Isabella and kill both her and Lorenzo because quote, they have too much power in the city and it should be ours.”
“Let me see that,” the judge exclaimed and Samson rushed over to hand him the papers. He read through them at lightning speed and when he was done, he turned to Peter with disgust in his eyes. “You are a shame to the police force, young man. How dare you? Not only did you plan to break the law, you used your work email to do so, that is absurd.”
“He deserved to die!” Peter exclaimed jumping to his feet. “He always evades justice and I am the law, I will put him where he belongs.”
“Control your client,” the judge growled silencing the entire courtroom. “I can see how it is now. Mr. DeLucia, I apologize for having your time wasted like this. You shot the officer in self defense and you are free to go. As for you, officer, you will face the full arm of the law that you so claim to be. I will see you in court.”
I tapped Samson, now was his time to shine. He quickly jumped to his feet. “Actually, your honor, we would like to offer him a deal, if he will take it.”
“What would that deal entail?”
“Twenty five years with the possibility of parole, we can even throw in protective custody in a prison of his choice,” Samson shrugged. “It is a very generous offer.”
“I don’t want any pity from-” Peter began but his lawyer cut him off.
“We will take it.”
I smirked. The pieces were finally falling into place.