CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
(part four)

Friday afternoon – 3:30 P.M.

Jill reached over to hold Honey’s hand. The lawyers had just presented the twelve jurors and three alternates to the judge. If the judge agreed, they would start the trial on Monday.

Seeming almost to enjoy the sound of their own voices, the lawyers talked endlessly. Jill wished she had Samantha Hargreaves with her to explain what was going on. The assistant DA looked over to Jill and Honey then nodded. The judge accepted the jury.

The trial was in motion!

The judge began giving instructions to the jury. They wouldn’t be sequestered. They shouldn’t talk about the trial and on and on. He acted like a protective Canada Goose over his juror goslings. Their victim’s advocate’s voice lifted with excitement as she told Jill and Honey how lucky they were that the juror’s were so easily selected.

MJ shifted his body away from the trial.

That’s what Jill noticed first. She looked at MJ’s stern face. Following his eyes, she looked toward the courtroom.

Honey’s sister glared at them. The hatred and evil in her eyes sent shivers down Jill’s spine. She was about to run out of the room when her sight was blocked by a man’s blue jeans.

Jacob. He kneeled down in front of her.

“You don’t need to look into the darkness,” he whispered.

When he held her to him, Jill closed her eyes to avoid the step-whore’s cursed gaze.

“Let’s get out of here,” MJ said. He touched Honey’s back. “Just close your eyes.”

Shaken, Honey nodded to MJ. One of MJ’s teammates ran to get the car. They surrounded Honey’s wheelchair to effectively block her from her sister’s sight and moved out of the courtroom together. They were all the way to the car before Honey said:

“Oh my God, she hates me.”

“She hates herself,” Jacob said. “You just remind her of her own self loathing.”

Honey and Jill nodded at what seemed like wisdom. Jill couldn’t shake the feeling that this was going to be a long, painful trial. And in the end, the step-whore would be certain she and Honey had ‘done’ this to her. The woman would despise them for the rest of her life.

Jill nodded to herself. That step-whore needed to be locked up for life.

Denver Cereal continues tomorrow….