“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Cass, you can hide a lot from me, but I still see that fear in your eyes. Everything’s gonna be fine.”
Sighing, she let the facade fall. “I know. I wish I could tell you that I’m not worried. I mean, I’ve watched you a lot over the last six months. I know you’re good. I just…I hate this guy!”
“Me too,” I chuckled. “But I’m ready. More ready than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“I just wish it was over. I hate the lead-up to it all. My stomach is churning and I’m constantly worried. I just don’t like this part.”
“But you like the part where I come home a winner,” I grinned.
“Well, yes, but I can’t say I like wiping blood from your face. I really wish you would allow someone with a stronger stomach to do that.”
“Duly noted.”
“Ready to order, hotshot?” Cora asked, winking at me.
I still wasn’t used to so many women older than me flirting with me. But I’d been reassured on multiple occasions by Mav that none of them would actually put the moves on me.
Honestly, I was pretty sure he was lying to make me feel better.
“Give us a minute, would you, Cora?”
Speak of the devil…I jerked my chin at Mav as he pulled a chair over and sat between us.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Can’t complain. The judge came back with a verdict.”
I gripped Cassidy’s hand, hoping this came back in our favor.
“He gave him a year.”
That was not what I was expecting. “A year? That’s it?”
“We could only get him on the hit and run. Cassidy’s testimony helped, but the rest?—”
“He set fire to the apartment building,” I snapped. “Archer and Cheyenne could have died.”
“I know, but?—”
“And what about my sister and her family? What about everyone else? Roy and Kasey are dead!”
“We have nothing that linked Austin to those crimes,” Mav said calmly. “There were no money transfers, no emails, nothing in his phone records. However he did it, he didn’t leave a trail. The jury had nothing to convict him on.”
Fury threatened to overcome me, but when I saw the disappointment and fear on Cassidy’s face, I held it back, squeezing her hand tighter.
“Well, that’s a year we don’t have to deal with him.”
“And he’ll be on probation when he gets out. One foot wrong, and he’s back in prison.”
That wasn’t the best news, but it did seem to relieve some of the tension in Cassidy’s body.
“It’s better than we hoped for,” she smiled tightly. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure the jury would take me seriously when they found out how long it took me to remember the accident.”
“Well, everything lined up with witness accounts. Other than the fact that Austin was driving, your memory was spot on.”
“Still, they might have chosen to believe that I made up the part about Austin, so I guess we should call this a win and be glad he’s out of our lives for now.”