Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 183 -

James.

I'd gotten home late after Sasha's testimony, and I had to admit, that woman had a bite to her bark.

She'd faced off against a really dangerous family, one who threw money around to get what they wanted on the regular. Everything was against her, and yet she took the risk.

Not only would this put a stain on Chad Cartwright, but perhaps their whole twisted family. More importantly, Alessandro would now have more of a chance to live a good life with Becca and me.

Becca was a wonderful mother. She put her all into caring for both Alessandro and Dahlia. Two beautiful children that deserved her love and care.

I wanted to be there for them too, but so many problems kept on dragging me down, and consequently, her as well.

She was growing wary, no doubt. I could tell by the way she looked at me sometimes that she questioned the validity of our relationship.

I did my best to show her I was worthy of her time, of the kids, as well. I had my flaws, I messed up. I hoped I could atone by doing well on the stand.

Becca knew the obvious, that Chad was a twisted scumbag who would not do right for the child. What I knew about him, and the Cartwrights in general, was far worse. Tally had told me much about her ex, and none of it had been any good.

At the moment, I was loading groceries into the kitchen from the trunk of my car. Becca had stated she needed time alone, so I gave that to her, opting to run late-night errands for the family instead.

She would appreciate that. During this alone time of my own, however, I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.

Tally had been taken from me too young when the mafia connections I'd had in the past had caught up with me. The thought of Tally caused my heart to lurch, and I felt grief pool in my soul. Licking my lips and taking a deep breath, I composed myself and finished my work.

Eventually, I headed to the bedroom, wanting to lie down with Becca for a peaceful sleep. The children were already asleep, though I entered the nursery and planted a gentle kiss on the forehead of both Dahlia and Alessandro. Dahlia gurgled a bit in her sleep, opening her eyes briefly to stare at me drowsily. My breath caught in my throat. Did I wake the baby? Evidently, not enough for her to fully come to. She smiled at me before closing her eyes again, causing my heart to flutter.

Finally arriving at my destination, I climbed into bed with Becca and pulled her close to my chest. She snuggled into me, relaxed at least. She'd been kept up lately due to the stress of the trial, so I hoped she would get a more restful sleep with me tonight.

Sleepily, she said, "James, welcome home. Thank you for taking care of the groceries."

"You're very welcome, Becca," I replied, leaving a soft kiss on her lips when she turned toward me. She smiled, warm and comfortable, as I pulled the blankets up over us. We would have another rollercoaster tomorrow, but tonight, we could try to at least get a little bit of sleep.

*****

The next day, I contacted Janet, making sure everything was squared away. As Becca made breakfast, I spoke with the attorney on the phone. I asked, "Any idea what the jury thought of last night's session?"

Janet Loveless, always headstrong, professional, and blunt, said, "Unclear. They weren't happy. Whether they believed Sasha or not we will have to see. You'll be testifying today. Can you handle it? I have a feeling the Cartwrights and their hound Kennsington are going to pull something nasty."

"I can," I said, hopefully not a lie. Even I was prone to being nervous. There was a lot on the line here. Becca served some eggs and bacon on a plate in front of me. I smiled and nodded in thanks, starting my meal and eating quickly so we could proceed to the courtroom.

The call ended quickly, and the ride to the court was swift. We both needed quiet, so neither Becca nor I opted to play music on the road. The sun was out, and the atmosphere was cheerful. It didn't reflect my mood, that sinking feeling in my gut that something was about to go very wrong.

Reality was going to hit me like a truck in a little while, I felt, causing me to clench my jaw and remain incredibly tense. I sat there in the driver's seat after we parked, my hands white with how strong my grip was. Becca broke the silence with, "It's time, James."

We returned to our regular seats in the courtroom, only this time, I was called to the stand. In a dream-like state, I held up my hand and agreed to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Bruce's scrutinizing gaze was on me, like a hawk regarding a rabbit.

That couldn't be good.

My testimony would work out just fine, it had to.

When Judge Hopper indicated to proceed, I fastened my eyes upon Janet, who cleared her throat and started things off. Janet said, "James Valentino, partner of Rebecca Woods and grandfather to Alessandro. Please tell me what Alessandro means to you. We are aware rights have been given to Becca, but you will be in the child's life as well."

"He means the world to me," I said honestly, my voice firm. "With Becca, I want to lead him toward a prosperous life, one with many smiles. I want to be there when he cries, and lift him up through life's hardships. I have been through quite a bit myself. No support is a terrible thing, and Alessandro deserves all the love he can get."

Kennsington frowned deeply at my response, shaking his head. "Objection," he muttered, a twisted grin spreading across his face.

I felt myself scowling at his nonsense already starting up. The entire courtroom seemed to tense, just waiting for Bruce to explain why he objected to what I said.

"Your honor, this man is a known member of hte mafia!" Bruce stated in a bored tone, as if everyone should know that. My lip twitched in annoyance as eyes fell upon me.

"Mr. Kensington, please try to wait until cross-examination," the judge said, only slightly more fair than he had been in the past.

Janet looked me in the eyes. "Would you like to respond to that allegation, Mr. Valentino?"

I cleared my throat, focusing on the Cartwrights' attorney, trying not to scowl too much. "I plead the Fifth on anything that has to do with my past or personal life," I said. "That is neither here nor there. The children will not be in danger under my care given that statement is wholly false." This was, no doubt, going to be a challenge.

Now, I knew why I felt off before. Bruce was going for the throat, so to speak.

Janet continued with her line of questioning, taking great care to ask questions that presented me in a good light to the jury. A proud father, a doting grandfather, a good partner to Becca, a successful businessman. When she was finished with her questions, I felt like we had a chance to win them over.

Then, it was time for cross-examination from Kennsington.

"Mr. Valentino, earlier you said it was irrelevant whether or not you were involved with the mafia, did you not?" Kensington asked, squinting at me.

"Yes, I did," I reminded him.

"Oh? How could that be? Isn't it true your oldest daughter was shot and killed because you are involved in the mafia? The same woman who is the mother of Alessandro? The boy no longer has his biological mother because of you. It would be a shame if Becca was also slain in the same way."

I felt my face grow hot and needed to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Resisting the urge to rub at my temples, I gave him a steady stare. "Tally did not die because of me," I said, my tone soft and controlled.

At this point, Becca was giving me a nervous side-eye. She knew the signs of my growing agitation.

Perhaps she assumed I was going to snap at Bruce. I had far too much control for that, but this was a very sore spot. I just needed to keep concentrating.

Janet cut in quickly. "Your honor, I don't believe this is relevant. He is trying to spark an emotional reaction from the witness, something that may manipulate the outcome of proceedings."

Judge Hopper shook his head, glancing toward Janet. "The living situation and connections Mr. Valentino would have, either in the past or present, are very relevant with regard to whether or not the child would be in danger, Ms. Loveless. I will allow it."

Janet scowled, opening her mouth to say something, but the judge wasn't having it. Hopper said, "Mr. Kensington. Proceed."

"Thank you, your honor," Bruce said in a voice dripping with a bit too much delight. Bastard. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at the attorney. I probably looked as though I was challenging him to say more. Perhaps I was. There was a fire in my entire being brewing, waiting to erupt the more he spoke.

Things were no longer going well.

"Isn't it true you had no intention of leaving the mafia, either? Past associations are one thing. Daming, even. But, presently? You caused the death of your own dear daughter, and now, your connections will cost the life of your grandson. How many lives will be lost because of your selfishness, Mr. Valentino?"

My face was most definitely red now, and I clenched my fists. I spoke through my teeth now, my voice dripping with malice. "I have no intention of upholding any connections in my past. My daughter is not dead because of my decision, and you would do well to remember that."

Bruce gasped, feigning fear. "Your honor, I do think that was a threat. His tone is rather edged, and his body language indicates aggression. That completely confirms this topic is a sensitive one for him, given it resulted in the loss of his daughter. As I said, Alessandro being killed due to his foolishness would be tragic."

The jury whispered amongst themselves, but I tried to keep it together. I took in a deep breath, my eyes sliding toward Janet as she scowled. My attorney spoke up now, saying, "Objection! Your honor, Mr. Kensington is clearly trying to provoke a reaction from Mr. Valentino."

Bruce cut in right there, shaking his head. "He would not have such a strong reaction if it were not true. I encourage the jury to think deeply about this, and how the child's life is on the line. Chad Cartwright may have some hobbies he needs to work on changing, but Mr. Valentino's activities resulted in the death of his own daughter."

My voice caught in my throat as I simply couldn't replace the words to interject. My emotions wouldn't calm from this fiery storm rushing through my veins. My fists clenched harder as I stared Bruce down with more contempt than I had for a person in a while.

Which was saying something.

A wicked smile was plastered on Bruce's face as he knew he was pushing all the right buttons. Here I was, not losing it entirely, but definitely on edge. The judge could see it, and so could the jury.

I felt Becca's stare boring into me, likely filled with rage.

Not as much anger as I felt here and now, though. The guilt that swelled in my chest was unmatched. How dare these goons use my own daughter's death against me? I shouldn't have been surprised, and in fact, I should have expected it. By how the jury was whispering and frowning deeply, I knew I'd f*cked up.