Prologue

July 2023

Dawn sat in the first row of wooden seats in the courtroom. Her stomach fluttered. She felt her sweaty palms as she took her hand away from Luke’s. He noticed.

“You, okay?” Luke asked.

“No! I can’t believe I have to testify.”

An officer entered the room with Dimitri. Dimitri wore an orange jumpsuit, and his wrists were cuffed right at his waste. His ankles were cuffed as well. He stared right at Dawn as she happened to glance at the door opening. Chills ran up and down her spine while the rat bastard smiled at her.

“That mother fucker!” she whispered to Luke.

“What?”

“He’s smiling at me!”

“You got this babe. I love you; I got you!”

She sighed. The courtroom was closed off to the public. It was just her and Luke, the Judge, the Bailiff, and Dimitri with his lawyer. Dawn growled lowly and couldn’t believe someone was representing that scumbag.

“Dimitri Alexander McQuade is found guilty of the murder of Jacob Anthony Malone.”

Dawn rose from her seat and walked toward the high-rise desk where the judge sat. She held out her hands and pointed at Dimitri.

“Your Honor, Dimitri, is a menace. I request that he be put in a special lockdown. He tore my family apart!”

“Mrs. Hudson, you are interfering. I will decide on an appropriate punishment. Sit down or be held in contempt!” the Judge spoke.

She sighed and shook her head as Dimitri continued to laugh quietly at her. She nodded to the judge and sat back down next to Luke.

“Dimitri Alexander McQuade, you are hereby sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. I will request that you be put in a special lockdown. Your sentence starts now.”

“I protest! This is bullshit, Your Honor!” Dimitri swore.

The Judge pounded his gavel. Dimitri fought hard against the Bailiff as he rose from his seat. He glared over at Dawn.

“You, Bitch! Mark my words, Hudson, this is far from over. I know something you don’t. Good luck getting that out of me now!”

“Mr. McQuade, that is enough!” the Judge demanded while he pounded his gravel.

“I mean it, Hudson. Watch your back. You are marked forever now. No matter that you took down the Triads. I have people all over. They will now know! You, Bitch!”

“Bailiff, take him away! Add contempt of court on him as well.”

The Bailiff took Dimitri away and Luke grabbed Dawn. He held her close to him as they walked out of the courtroom.

“You’re trembling. You never tremble,” Luke said.

“Yeah. He scares me, babe. He said he had a secret. What is that secret?”

“He’s just playing you, babe. Let it go.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

They walked out of the building and arrived at her SUV. Luke inspected it and deemed it was safe. He drove them home.