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.Standing for hours and walking through crowds wasn’t possible for her if she was worried about her ankle giving way.So low heels were all she’d ever wear.She peeked down at her pretty red toenails then lowered her gown to cover her feet.No, much better to keep them hidden and hope anyone who saw her glittery silver sandals would be distracted by the sparkles and her toenails instead of by the fact they weren’t miles-high fuck-me shoes.Not being a tall person, who was also going to be escorted by two men who were both over six feet tall, she’d been able to have her hair done in a graceful updo with a riot of curls falling from a topknot.That made her look several inches taller and several pounds leaner.Besides, she liked it.It suited the dress.And the men were right.Blue was a better color choice for her skin, hair, and eyes than black.She clasped her only really nice piece of jewelry, an eternity necklace, around her throat and was ready and waiting in the foyer of her apartment building when the limo pulled up at the door and both men climbed out of it.They handed her into the classy vehicle, and she sat back in the buttery-soft leather seat with a sigh of pure luxury.“This is wonderful.Thank you both so much.”“You look stunning,” said Cam, squeezing her hand gently.“Breathtaking,” added Hammer.“Did you get your homework done?” asked Cam.“Yes, I did.I’m sorry, there’s quite a long list of people I want to speak to, if I get the opportunity.”“That’s not a problem.Tonight is all about your career.We know that,” said Hammer.She looked at him, hoping this evening wasn’t going to be too difficult for him.“Are you okay with this?” she asked softly.“I am.I’m not a kid to be pushed around anymore.”She was still a little bit worried.He’d chosen to leave this world, which could be hard and horrible at times.But then people could be douche bags in every level of society, not just at the top.For the first hour, she walked through the crowds, greeting people and stopping to talk to friends, associates, and people who she wanted to meet.After that she indulged herself by dancing once with each man and sat for a while as they ate some tiny finger foods.“Time to get back to work,” she said softly, standing up.The men followed her as she entered the crowd again, working her way steadily from one end of the room to the other and then moving to the other side of the room for the return journey.She was congratulating herself mentally on having spoken to most of the people on her list when she came to a group that included the man she’d opposed in court just the day before.His nose and cheeks were red, indicating that he’d been over-indulging in the abundant, high quality liquor being handed around.“Well, well, well.If it isn’t Little Miss Shit herself,” he said loudly.If this had happened outside a courtroom, Allegra would have kept walking and pretended she hadn’t heard him, but here that wasn’t an option.The room was crowded, and likely twenty or more people would all know exactly what he’d said.“Mr.Lillington-Hall, how nice to see you again.”“What are you doing here all dressed up like that? Are you hoping to crawl into some rich judge’s bed? That’s the only use a real man has for a woman anyway.I bet that’s how you win all your cases.”Some of the men around him were snorting and sniggering.Lillington-Hall himself had a huge, greasy smirk across his face.Evidently he thought he was being mighty clever with what he said.Allegra longed to slap him across the face and wipe the grin off it, but that would only ruin her reputation, not his, so she remained looking politely at him.“See, you can’t answer me, can you? You’re not that clever without the puppeteers to tell you what to say.You’re just a stupid, worthless little bitch.You should leave the courtroom for mature men to take their place in it.”Allegra smiled as sweetly as she could.“Mature men? What’s that saying about middle age? Something about when a man’s broad mind and narrow waist exchange places?” She flicked her gaze down to his potbelly and then looked up into his angry face again as the men who’d laughed at her now laughed at him.“You fucking piece of shit.You’ll never defeat me in a courtroom again.I’ll smash that broken ankle of yours so thoroughly you’ll never walk again.”Allegra’s enhanced senses were all hyper-alert.Time seemed to slow down to a crawl.She was aware of Cam and Hammer moving from behind her to either side of her and of Hammer giving the glass of wine he’d been holding to someone beside him.She felt the waves of anger rolling off Lillington-Hall and knew the moment he pulled back his right foot to kick her.His right foot, and he was standing opposite her, which meant he’d hit her good ankle, the left one.Drawing on every lesson she’d ever learned in gymnastics, Allegra bent both knees and then launched herself up into the air and to her right, away from her opponent’s kick and into Hammer’s arms.She used all her muscles and agility to make the leap, pulling her legs up tight against her ass so Lillington-Hall wouldn’t hit them.Hammer took a step or two back, but he caught and held her safely and securely and then put her down and behind himself.“I really don’t think attacking a defenseless woman in a social gathering is a very clever move,” Hammer said firmly into the silence.“Yeah, buddy.You’ve maybe had one or two vinos too many,” added one of Lillington-Hall’s friends.Allegra was still breathing heavily as Judge Laughlin pushed her way to the front of the crowd [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]