XVI. lunch

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TW: Rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse

"Let me take you to your table," Hyeon-Ju said, ignoring Alex. She led them to a table for two right by the window facing the New York skyline.

"I'll be back to take your orders," Hyeon-Ju stated before disappearing into the back. Probably to gossip with the others about his "date".

"What would you recommend from the menu?" Virginie asked, her eyes skimming the menu. They had a hint of humor in them. "It seems that you spend a lot of time here."

Alex cleared his throat. "Yes, it's close to my job and the food here is excellent. I get the Prime Rib most of the time, but I don't know if that's what you're interested in."

"Prime Rib for lunch?" Virginie eyed him curiously. "Isn't that a bit heavy?"

"It is but I go to the gym after work most of the time, so that keeps me until my post workout meal."

"Oh, you like to workout? What do you like to do?"

"I love doing weights like ab work, squats, lifting, that kind of thing. Cardio is the worst." He hated running with a passion. He hated breathing hard, it was embarrassing. He also felt like it was boring. Being on the treadmill made him feel like he wasting time but he did it anyway because it kept his heart healthy.

"Hm, I can see that." Alex thought his eyes were playing tricks on him but he swore he saw a hint of lust in her eyes. "I hate cardio too. I prefer kickboxing and martial arts."

Alex was an expert in Jiu-Jitsu but he couldn't let her know this because then she would ask more questions about it. He wasn't ready to let her in that deep yet. "Martial arts, huh? What are you trained in?" This would let him know whether she was playing secret agent or if she was the real thing.

Virginie looked bored. She sighed. "Ugh, I don't know...Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu...the deadly stuff. I've done a lot of traveling."

Alex choked on the water he was sipping on. How can you admit something like that so nonchalantly? This woman continues to surprise and impress me every moment I'm with her. "How did you―"

"Are you ready to order?" Hyeon-Ju's chirpy voice interrupted their conversation but Virginie looked grateful for the distraction.

"네, 바베큐 돼지 고기 배를주세요." (Yes, I'd like the barbecue pork belly please.)

"마실 것이 있나요?" (Anything to drink?)

"나는 핑크 라이치를 가질거야." (I'll have the Pink Lychee.)

"Can you two stop doing that and speak English? I have no idea what you're saying!" Alex shouted, causing some stares from other patrons in the restaurant. Virginie and Hyeon-Ju only laughed in response.

"Maybe you should take some notes from your friend and learn some. You do come here often enough, you'd think that you would pick some up along the way." Hyeon-Ju replied smugly.

"Hmph," Alex snorted, not knowing how to respond. "I'll have the Prime Ribeye."

"Excellent choice, as usual, Alex-sshi. And the usual wine?"

Alex nodded.

"나에게 아무 것도, 현정시," Virginie requested. (None for me please, Hyeon-Ju-sshi.)

Hyeon-Ju nodded to acknowledge Virginie's request and headed towards the kitchen to place their orders.

"What did you just say to her?" Alex asked.

"I told her not to give me any wine," Virginie responded. "I don't drink."

"Oh." He wanted to press her on why but from the way she spoke about it, it didn't seem like something she wanted to share.

"So what's the current case that you're working on?" Virginie leaned in, ready for the tale.

"It's kind of a personal case for me." I have to right my past somehow. "We're defending a rape victim who killed her attacker."

"Oh my goodness. Is it somebody you know?"

"No, it's not. But it is pro bono. I know a lot of firms do pro bono to look good but as I told you earlier, I got into this to help people. Just because I made it to the top doesn't mean that I can't still help the people who need it most. This girl is a first generation American and her parents barely have money to cover the rent, nevertheless pay for a lawyer for her defense." He realized that he had been babbling and paused but Virginie had been listening intently. "When the case came up in the possible pro bono case pool, I knew I had to take it. I felt like nobody was going to give the same care and attention that I could."

"I'd be glad to help. What's the story?"

"Her name is Andreìna Avilés Guevara and she's 20 years old. She was dating this guy, Daniel Ragland, who was way older than her and he had been abusing her for some time but she stayed with him because he provided her with a lot of financial support and she did love him. One night, he got drunk and was convinced that it was time to take their relationship to the next level. Andreìna was not interested at all. Daniel proceeded to violently rape her with a knife to her throat. Once he was done, she took the opportunity to fight back. There was a struggle and she ended stabbing him in the heart. She did call 911, so she did not intend to kill him. But by the time they got to the scene it was too late. He had lost too much blood."

"That's awful. I don't even know why she has to go through this. She's been through enough. How could they think she maliciously killed him after what he did to her?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. The sick bastard's family has been crying crocodile tears so the prosecutor will be out for blood. But I have no idea how she's going to win. I don't even understand why the DA is allowing her to pursue this. It's an obvious case of self defense."

"Has anything been mentioned in the meetings with the ADA?"

He scoffed. "Just the usual nonsense. They keep going on and on about how she killed him because he was going to expose her for being a whore or that she had buyer's remorse after having consensual, very rough sex. I can't believe she tells herself that and can sleep at night."

"What did they originally offer you?"

"Murder 2, 20-30 years. Possibility of parole in 15 with good behavior."

"That's half of her life gone for a charge that doesn't even fit the crime."

"I know, that's why I told them that we had to go to trial. I knew once people saw this guy for who he really was that there wouldn't be a jury on earth that would convict her. Obviously the grand jury didn't agree with me, but that's because they haven't seen the defense that I got lined up yet."

"Who were you thinking of bringing on the stand?"

Alex pursed his lips and leaned back, thinking. He hadn't thought much about who he was going to bring to the stand. He certainly wouldn't force her parents because they were undocumented. Even though their testimony would be heartbreaking, he couldn't promise that they would be safe. "I hadn't thought about it much."

"I have a few ideas, if you don't mind me sharing them," Virginie offered, trying to seem nonchalant but Alex could tell that she was excited.
He waved his hand dismissively. "Please, go on ahead."

"I think that we should talk to the first responders to see what her state of mind was when they got there. We also need to interview the nurse or doctor who examined her in the hospital when she brought in for the rape. I bet they documented a bunch of other injuries if she was beaten as badly as you say. We could also get a sibling or some friends as character witnesses to talk about what kind of person she is and how her relationship with Daniel changed her mentally and physically. We want the jury to know how much of her spirit that he destroyed. Also, we also need to find her medical records. Maybe she's been admitted to the hospital a couple times for broken ribs or missing teeth or something. Find a medical expert who could take those and explain to the jury how they show a pattern of abuse. If she had head trauma, that would be even better." She paused for a second. "What plea did you enter under?"

Alex didn't understand why he continued to underestimate her because he was just going to continue being surprised. She had never been a lawyer before yet from the small amount of information that he had given her, she had come up with an amazing list of potential witnesses. The defense that she was creating was rock solid.

She's so fucking brilliant. It would be weird if I wasn't turned on, right? "Not guilty by reason of temporary insanity."

"Excellent." She started sipping her drink that Alex didn't even notice had come because of how engrossed he was in what Virginie was saying. He couldn't stop himself from staring at her lips as she sipped the drink, or how she licked the drop that was falling from the glass. "Are you okay, Alex? You looked a bit dazed."

Fuck, Alex! Focus! "Yes, uh, I'm fine. I was just thinking about how we were going to conduct all of these interviews."

"Isn't that what I'm for?" Her wink sent a wave of warmth through his body. She was pure sunshine. Happiness personified.

I think I'm falling for her.

The men placed their guns in their packs as they got ready to head to New York. Two of their brothers had been killed over this man and this mission needed to end. They would've given it up if the person who had ordered the hit in the first place hadn't doubled their offer.

Patron checked his watch. Their flight was going to be leaving soon but the men wanted to dawdle. "Hurry up, you pieces of shit! We already fucked this up once, we can't mess up again or the client will find someone else to do it. You know what happens when we lose a client."

The men scurried to collect their things and jumped into the black SUV waiting to take them to the airport. Patron enjoyed his power over them. He couldn't wait to watch them torture another man to death. His only regret was that he wouldn't be the one cutting the skin and pulling the nails. He hoped there would soon be a case where someone worth his talents would be offered up to him like a pig for slaughter.

But he didn't like a simple pork chop. He wanted smoked pulled pork with meat that had been cooked low and slow for hours with the meat falling off the bone. He wanted their screams to be so shrill his ears could taste them. He loved to savor. That couldn't happen with a quick meal.

He didn't know the reason why a death warrant was issued for this man, but he didn't ask and didn't care. He enjoyed watching people scream. That was the only reason why he took this job. It was probably the reason why he was offered the position in the first place. Not everyone could stand the sight of people being tortured to death day after day but he enjoyed his work.

He used to be an assassin but then he had started getting too creative with his kills. He began to love the sight of the life leaving people's bodies in different ways. Their screams, their trembling, the way they begged for their lives, the tears in their eyes as they sobbed...he loved it all.

In here he couldn't get arrested easily and he could watch people die every single day as much as he'd liked. He even had access to previous cases so he could relive his favorite kills. He didn't get to go out in the field anymore because his tastes were too unique for most people's tastes. He was fine with that. He didn't want to waste his talents on a simple sniper hit or strangling. His work was art and he needed a connoisseur. He had a feeling that one day he would be needed for someone who was as sick and twisted as he was.

One of his subordinates came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Monsieur, la femme qui le protégeait auparavant est maintenant son garde du corps officiel. Que voulez-vous que nous fassions avec elle?" (Sir, the woman who was protecting him before is now his official bodyguard. What do you want us to do with her?)

A ripple was sent through his spine. The woman who caused two of their agents to be brutally murdered was protecting him? The way they were killed was spectacular but they were his men and he mourned their deaths. But this woman? The famed Femme Fatale? She was beautiful and strong, just the type that he loved to rip apart. No one would ever mess with them again if they took her down. This would send a message to her bastard of a boss that Les Joueurs were not to be played with. "Je veux qu'ils se regardent torturés et meurent. Alors je veux la vidéo envoyée à son patron et diffusée en ligne. Je veux que les gens sachent que nous ne prenons pas la mort de notre propre légèreté." (I want them to watch each other get tortured and die. Then I want the video sent to her boss and broadcasted online. I want people to know we don't take the death of our own lightly.)

This request would've freaked out the average worker but the employees of the Players were used to statements like this from their sadistic leader. They were just glad they weren't the ones that he was orchestrating the deaths of. The man nodded and walked away to pass on the message to the agents that left.

He could not wait to watch her blood fall and to hear her delicious screams fall upon his ears. It wasn't often that he got to watch two deaths at once. He had to grip his chair to keep himself from shaking with excitement. This would be his most beautiful production to date.

But for now, he would have to be patient.

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