Play With Fire [h.s]

One

Adera's POV 

It's somehow eerily quiet and abrasive at the same time.

The police station is not my favourite place to be. I like to be in court, smirking at the prosecutor, pouting at the jury. Twisting the witnesses in circles until they can't remember their name, then asking them why they can't get their words straight. Smiling a real smile when my client is found not guilty, shaking their hand firmly and knowing it won't be long before they call me again.

The life of a criminal defence attorney is a great one. There's no other feeling like it. But the police station? It's dingy. And like I said, despite the incessant screaming of some poor drunk being thrown in for the night, it's too damn quiet.

Nico Hernandez had his throat slit in a stolen car. The car was torched and left at the side of the road. And now here I am, hearing the light click of my heels down the hallway as I make my way toward the interrogation room. I'd had a late night call from an old family friend asking me to come and represent his son, Harry. He was down at the station being questioned for this murder, and I couldn't say no when William asked me. We went our separate ways years ago; he was friends with my parents and their death promptly ended any connection we had. But when a client calls, and more importantly when a client pays, you haul your ass down to that station. And besides, I took a look at the arrest papers and they have nothing.

"Detectives," I smile sweetly as I push the door open, standing in the silhouette of the doorway and watching as their faces whip round to see me. My dark brown hair flips over my shoulder, and I lick my lips in excitement as I catch them out. "Why are you talking to my client without me?"

The two officers roll their eyes, knowing they're done. Everyone knows me around here, I'm relentless and no officer wants me anywhere near their questioning room. I understand the game too well. After all, I'm not just a criminal lawyer. I'm a criminal lawyer.

"Leaving me out of all the fun?" I pout dramatically, throwing my files down onto the table. "You know, detectives, there are actually laws," I gesture patronisingly with my hands, widening my eyes in mock horror, "I think you need to read up on them before you start asking questions without me here."

Once I sit on the old creaky fold up chair, I allow myself to turn to Harry for the first time. I almost do a double take as I breathe him in. A man in his mid-twenties sits next to me, the kind of face that makes people stop in their tracks. It's sharp and his jaw is clenched as if in annoyance, long brown hair gracing his shoulders, broad and packed tightly into a black shirt. The attraction is instant, swirling between us like invisible ropes, a tangible thread in the stuffy air of the interrogation room. His bare arms are littered with tattoos, biceps tensing as we wait for someone to speak. He's intimidating, but nothing a girl like me can't handle.

"So, boys," I click my tongue, breaking the silence. I link my hands together and place them on the table in front of me. I try not to look at Harry next to me. I'm a professional, and I'm damn good at it; I'm not going to let this inhumanely gorgeous man distract me from getting him the fuck out of here. "I had a little look at the arrest sheet in reception, not looking like much."

"Yeah, unfortunately we couldn't get any fingerprints," One of the officers retorts through gritted teeth. I haven't seen these two around before, they seem like newbies. This would be easy. "Maybe because he torched his off."

"Accident when I was a kid," I hear Harry's deep voice lightheartedly quip from next to me. As I analyse his sharp jaw I allow myself to look up at his eyes. They are a deep, brilliant green, holding a touch of playfulness, as if he's finding this whole thing entertaining and he's down here every other weekend. To be fair, he probably is. In my line of work you're seeing the same client once a week at least. People just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Then again, a lot of them were just doing what we asked them to.