She hasn’t considered what the consequences will be when the truth about her relationship with Billy comes to light. And it will come to light. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually, someone will fuck up, and an entire family will implode. Maybe Billy’s marriage will survive the fallout, and maybe it won’t, but either way, the kids who are completely innocent will suffer. Meanwhile, Jamie will walk away completely unscathed and likely marry some other guy who either has no idea about the kind of woman she actually is—or is okay with the shit she’s done just because she’s pretty and has nice tits.

“Thanks.” I set the cup aside. It’s too late in the day for coffee, and I already have a hard enough time getting to sleep at night lately without the extra caffeine.

“You’re welcome.” She walks around the side of my desk and comes to stand too fucking close. “Do you need anything from me?”

“I need you to move.”

Realizing I’m not joking, she takes a step back. “You’re never any fun.”

“I don’t get paid to be fun.”

Hearing a knock, I turn to the door as Mary steps into my office with a folder in hand and her eyes on Jamie.

“Can you leave? I need to speak with Dayton,” she says coldly, her hand on the door indicating it’s not a question but a demand.

“Of course,” Jamie says quickly, rushing out of my office, and Mary shuts the door behind her. Turning back to face me, she walks to one of the two chairs in front of my desk and takes a seat.

If the role of District Attorney was filled based on experience and results, I have no doubt that Mary would hold that position. She’s smart, articulate, and wise beyond her years. But since she refuses to submit to anyone and doesn’t have a penis to get into the good ol' boys club, her climb up the ladder has been slow-moving. She started working for the DA’s office right after graduating from Yale, and it took her too many years to get promoted to Assistant DA.

“Is everything okay?” I ask her.

“I have a case that I want to go over with you.” She leans forward and passes me a file, and I flip it open. The first sheet of paper is the printout of a grainy photo. It’s of a woman who I would guess to be in her early twenties with a mass of curly blonde hair, wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She has a bright smile on her face as she looks at someone off-camera.