Free Jolie Blonde (Vigilare Book 3) by Brooklyn James

anymore.” His eyes now devoid of feeling, he has safely retreated, robotically detached to his father’s routine actions.
    Brianna lets the daunting subject rest, refocusing their objective. “So how do we get you out of here? Bail,” she quickly answers herself, her voice on the rise with a sense of urgency. “Where do I post your bail?”
    He shakes his head. “You can’t.”
    “But, I want to,” she argues. “Please, Johnny. You wouldn’t take my money last night for helping me. You’re in here because of me. It’s the least I can do.”
    “No. I mean, I haven’t met with the judge yet.” He lets his arms fall from the steel bars, defeated, they come to rest at his sides. “And I don’t even know that he’ll set bail this time.”
    “This time?” she asks. “How many times have you been in here?”
    “Enough,” he dismisses with a roll of his eyes.
    “What’s the charge? The charge for trespassing can’t be that bad…can it?” She remains hopeful.
    “Well…” he draws out the consonant. “It’s not that bad for a first offense. But, considering this is my second, I don’t think he’s going to take it easy on me.”
    “Ooh,” Brianna exhausts, her eyebrows flinching. “I’m so sorry. Maybe I can talk to the judge. Tell him the circumstances. Make him see that you wouldn’t have been trespassing if it wasn’t for me.”
    “You need to quit apologizing,” Johnny jumps in authoritatively. “I didn’t do anything for you. I did it for me. The rush. Man, I live for that shit!”
    She chuckles at the animated excitement whirling from his blue eyes, contemplating whether he is some kind of masochist. “Why don’t you take all of that thrill-seeking energy and focus it toward something legal? Like criminal justice or private detective…”
    “Ha!” he interrupts, finding the sentiment most amusing, given his reprobate juvenile history.
    “I’m serious.” Brianna eyes him, less than enthused by his berating outburst. “You would be really good at something like that. You’re resourceful. You’re quick on your feet. Look how you handled everything last night. Imagine the fun you’d have if you could do stuff like that all the time…legally.”
    “That’s just it,” he begins, leaning against the iron bars, his forearms resting outside their confinement, “you can’t do stuff like that legally. Too many laws and restrictions. I don’t like rules.” He bows his head, looking down at his feet, purposely avoiding eye contact with her for his next point. “Your parents are dead. Dr. Shaw…ETNA Laboratories…somebody there is responsible. You know it and I know it. But they have enough power, enough connections, Loverboy nearly took the fall. If you would’ve went through legal channels, he’d still be locked up awaiting trial for murder. What’s lawful about that?”
    Brianna is impressed at his fairness for Lon even though he cannot help himself from lacing his name with sarcasm.
    “Besides, I’m good with me. Just as I am. Some people hide behind badges, suits, positions…they appear good and decent,” he chokes on the irony. “Those are the ones you need to be leery of. Me…” Johnny shrugs his shoulders, “least you know what you’re getting.”
    She tilts her head, slightly enamored with his frank discourse. “Since you’ve got it all figured out, where do we go from here?”
    He pauses momentarily, his eyes pressed and trailing up and off to the right with his thought. “I got it!” He snaps his finger, Pop! The startling sound causes Brianna to jump to attention. “You have a dentist?”
    Her deliberation swiftly morphs into confusion. “Well, yeah, I have a dentist. But…what does that have to do with any of this?”
    “Schedule an appointment.” Johnny begins pacing. “An emergency. You have a killer toothache. Anything…whatever it takes to get in…today. You gotta find some dental stone casting. You know, the stuff they use to make