*Author's Note*

Thanks for reading, faving, following, and reviewing.

When it comes to the hinted triangle I still have no idea what couple's going to be the endgame yet lol. Clearly Novella's going to have feelings for both Tolbert and Cap, but I just have to figure out who I ultimately want her with.

Shattered Hearts

Novella POV:

I had just walked out of the heavy double doors of the courtroom and stepped maybe 3 feet into the lobby whenever I felt a hand grasp my arm, right near the crook of my elbow. "Novella, we need to talk." Cap told me in a rumbling wave as he turned me around to face him.

How dare hw want to talk. He had about 3 or so months to talk about his background. I'm not hearing his bullshit today. "No, we don't." I narrowed my cornflower blues at him. "Now let go." I sneered as I wiggled my arm, trying to free it from his grasp.

Cap shook his head, making his shaggy blonde hair rustle every which way, while roughly snapping, "You can't be defending those monsters."

I was taken aback by his ugly description of the McCoy boys. He didn't know them, other than their names, and he was prejudging them. Bastard. I gave him a hard stare as I quickly voiced, "They're not monsters, they're actually nice people."

MY arm finally broke free as he looked at me with semi-wide eyes. "Yea, I bet the crazy one that was sitting next to you's nice." Will scoffed sarcastically, his head tilting to the side. "I could feel his hate rolling off him from across the room."

"Cap-" I began, but was instantly cut off by his tremblin' wave of a voice, "Will or William. Please don't call me that. Not you."

"I'm calling you Cap cause that's who you are." My flowing voice bit out as I looked at him unsympathetically. I didn't care that he never wanted me to call him Cap, it wasn't my problem. He lied to me, tried to keep his identity under wraps. Jesus, I wanted to exchange surnames but he didn't. I shook my head and walked by him. "Now leave me alone. I got to get to my uncle's firm."

His shiny black loafers clanked on the hardwood floors as he kept up with me. "You know Perry Cline's a slime ball, right?" His thin mustache and sole patch slightly moving with the motions his mouth made to ask his insulting question.

He had some nerve. "No, he's not." I quickly defended my uncle. That man was the least slimy one I knew. He took in me and Moses when no one else would and he did it so easily, not batting an eye. The man put his life on hold to raise us, considering he was in his prime when we arrived. I quickly stopped my stride and turned to look at Cap. Crossing my arms over my chest I narrowed my eyes at the rugged blonde ass in front of me while saying in an informing bite, "Now Judge Wall and most of your family seem slimy to me."

"I'm not slimy." He protested, cutting his mixed matched eyes at me. He stood right in front of me, too close for my comfort right now since I could smell his sandalwood Yves Saint Laurent cologne overcoming my senses.

If he says so but lying about who you are and where you're from is slimy in my books. "Shut up and let me be. I don't want to be around you." I tried to push pass him, only to have him grab my wrist.

"But you'll be around your sweetheart, trying to get him cleared of murder." Cap jeered venomously as his eyes shined with jealousy. A vicious grin crossed his face while he coarsely mocked, "You plan on running off into the sunset with him. Think you can jump back where you two left off, have happy ever after once you get his damn murderin' ass off."

"You don't know what you're talking bout." I hissed, roughly pulling my wrist out of his hold. Before he could utter another word, I shook my head and stalked off. The quicker I got out of the building and to my car the better. This morning's too drama filled for me.

Whatever was between me and Tolbert died almost a decade ago. I wasn't trying to free him so that I could win him back, I was doing it cause it was the right thing to do. It wasn't just about him, but his brothers too.

Cap POV:

I watched that hard-headed woman with the strawberry hair stalk off with her heels angrily clickin'. I was shocked when I saw her on the defense side, sittin' next to Tolbert McCoy too. I sort of missed her the last couple of weeks, even tho I found a new girl upon arrivin' back in the hills. Seeing Nova was an unexpected surprise, but it was damned by the fact that she had ties to the murderous sum bitches that killed my Uncle Ellison in cold blood.

Finding out that she was Perry Cline's niece was a shock, but the doozy was finding out that she was Tolbert McCoy's sweetheart. Her of all girls, who was sweet, funny, and carin', had spent her younger years with that little shit. Nova still held somethin' for him too, or she wouldn't be here tryin' to free his murderin' ass.

I shook my head and walked off. I didn't get very far before Uncle Jim appeared out of thim air, walkin' towards me. "What's takin' ya so long, boy? Talkin' to the McCoy girl?" He asked loudly causin' the few people in the court lobby to turn and look at us.

"She's not a McCoy, Uncle Jim. Her name's Landon." I corrected as I walked by him.

Uncle Jim feel into step next to me while scoffing, "She's Cline's niece and she's takin' up wit' that little shit turd Tolbert McCoy."

"She was in Baltimore til recently." I told Jim while we walked, nearing the large exit doors. "She ain't takin' up with anybody. Well, not anymore." Or was she? Damnit, I can't think like that. Imagining her striping out of her pink blouse and grey skirt for some man at the end of the day would only drive me crazy. 'Specially if I let my mind wander and imagine that it's fuckin' Tolbert McCoy she's gettin' her rocks off with.

"Oh hell no, son. You poked that back in the city, didn't ya?" My cantankerous mountain man great-uncle asked shrewdly in a loud thunderous laugh as I pulled the doors to the courthouse open.

"Uncle Jim…" I sighed, having no intention on answering him. I really did like Novella, I meant it when I told her if it wasn't for my family needing me and my new job I wouldn't have broken up with her. Hell, I was on the brink of taking us to the next level whenever my daddy called and told me that an opening in the Pike County DA's office for a new ADA was open along with the reasons why I needed to apply for it and move back home.

Dagnammit, it would be my time to do my part in this fucking feud. It wouldn't be so hard if Nova wasn't on the opposing side. Shit, we haven't been over that long so of course I still had feelings for her. She was special, a diamond in the rough, even tho she never considered herself to be.

"Oh, ain't that rich. Nothin' better than findin' out a girl you poked been rollin' with a McCoy. The crazy one too." Uncle Jim hooted piercingly as we walked down the courthouse stairs. I'm glad that he was finding this situation funny, cause I wasn't. Not one fucking bit.

I narrowed by eyes at him and shook my head. "I gotta get to my office. See ya at ma and pa's for dinner." I jaggedly remarked before stalking off down the walkway and to the parking lot, to where my black Audi R8 was parked next to my Uncle Wall's black Cadillac Escalade.

Novella POV:

I pulled into the parking lot behind the building on Main Street that held my uncle's law office. I parked between my brother's jacked up Chevy Avalanche and Randall McCoy's rusty old Dodge Ram. I cut my engine with a heavy heart and a pit in my stomach. I sighed as I got out of my car, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Quickly I slammed the door and made my way across the lot at to the small alleyway that led to the front of the building.

Perry Cline Attorney at Law printed in bold black letters on a gold plaque was bolted right next to the pained window double doors of the office. I grasped the door's bar handle and pulled it open only to quickly make my way inside. Instead of being grouped in my uncle's office everyone was out in the lobby. Randall and Sally were sitting on the leather sofa while Moses was in the chair catty-cornered them. Uncle Perry was standing in the room, in front of the sofa actually. Upon hearing the door chime all chatter ceased, everyone turned their attention to me.

"So what's going on?" I asked, walking up to my uncle.

"Moses's tuition fund that he doesn't need since he's taking this year off will be enough to cover a bails bondsman to arrange freedom for Bud and Pharmer." Uncle Perry explained, his usually slick tone sounding a bit droned out, as he looked at me with an unreadable look in his brown eyes.

"But what about Tolbert?" I blurted out, my eyes flittering around everyone in the room.

"We're bout 4 or 5 thousand short for Tolbert." Was Randall's reply to my question as he sat with a comforting arm around his wife's shoulders.

My uncle rolled his eyes and let out a small frustrated sigh. He looked at the McCoys while telling them, "I told you I can front the money."

Sally quickly shook her head, her sweet tone protesting with, "No, that money's for both Roseanna and Sarah Elizabeth's health care cost. We won't accept it, Perry."

"What 'bout me, my money?" The McCoys looked at me silently, but with curious eyes. "I got a small retirement start up account from when I worked in Baltimore. I can withdraw it, after getting taxed it should be enough."

Randall looked a bit skeptical and taken aback as he asked, "You'd do that for Tolbert?"

"Yes." I nodded my head before quickly going on with, "Not just for him, but his little girl too."

"How long will it take to get the money?" Sally wondered, looking at me with a newfound hope in her eyes.

"After calling up the company that handles the account it should take a few days for the money to drop in my bank account." I explained to Sally, causing her to let out a shaky breath I wasn't aware she was holding.

"Tell us right 'way when that money comes in." Randall instructed me, his eyes full of seriousness. "The sooner I get my boys out the better." He remarked, his wife just nodding her head in agreement with him, as he looked me straight in the eye.

Moses asked the one question I wanted to avoid, the one I feared. "So, how does Cap know you?"

I turned my attention to my brother while honestly answering with, "He went by William in Baltimore and I ran into him once at a courthouse. I was dropping something off and he was trying to see a judge."

"Why didn't you tell us you knew him?" My brother raised an eyebrow at me, giving me a look filled with curiosity as he leaned back in his chair.

"Cause I didn't know him. Son'bitch lied about being Cap Hatfield. He only went by William or Will, no surname, the few times I saw him." I ranted before I could think better of it. I was still pissed that I found out Will was Cap in the courtroom. There was no call for that, I should've known months ago when I first met him.

"Jesus, did you date the man that's tryin' to kill my 3 sons?" Randall McCoy asked in a snap, his eyes dark accusatory slits. His spine stiffened, making him sit straighter in the sofa. Sally just looked between me and her husband, her warm motherly eyes searching for an answer.

"No, I didn't." I quickly lied through my teeth. My uncle nodded his head, but the look in his eyes told me he knew I was being dishonest.

Suddenly the door chime dinged, causing everyone to look in the direction of the door. In walked Nancy's husband Bad Frank, using a walking stick and limping badly. "Demon Hatfields are gathered 'round the front porch of the general store, laughin' and braggin' bout how they're gonna make the boys pay."

Shit.

Perry just shook his head as a disgusted look crossed his face while I let out a shaky, dreadful, breath. "They're riggin' this shit, cheatin' bastards." My brother snarled, earning him a nod in agreement from Randall.

Needing to be alone to process everything I excused myself by saying, "I better go and call that fund company, get that money for Tolbert's bail."

"You may make the call in my office." Uncle Perry told me before I could walk out the door. He wanted me to stay in the office to help him with something later, no doubt. I just nodded and took off down the hall to his office.

Hopefully my 401K company doesn't make me jump thru fiery hoops to get my money out.

Perry Cline POV:

A few minutes after Novella went into my office I had Moses take Sally home. Bad Frank left since he was supposed to be meeting Nancy and Jefferson at the pub down the street. That left only Ole Rand'l and I in the office lobby. He was silently stewing, his face firm and his eyes creased in thought.

I walked over to the chair catty-cornered to the sofa and sat down on it. Leaning back in the chair, resting my hands on the arm rests, I reassuringly told my friend, "Your boys will be out in no time. Sally will be at ease soon, so will you my old friend."

"Do you believe your niece when she says she weren't datin' that heartless Hatfield back east?" My best friend probed, needing reassurance that my niece's word was true.

No, I could sense that she was lying, but I wasn't telling him that. Novella had to be on this case, only she could work hard enough to free Tolbert and his brothers. "Yes, I believe her."

"Do you think she still loves my son 'nough to prove him innocent?" Was the next question he laid at my feet as he looked inquisitorially at me. At least this one wouldn't involve me lying to answer it.

"Yes. Even if she denies it she still harbors some sort of love and affection for Tolbert. Why ever the cause, I do not know." I explained the way I was sure Novella felt while also adding in for good measure the remark of, "She also considers Pharmer and Bud to be good friends, practically family. She'll fight for them."

Randall's eyes got a bit glassy and distant as he sighed, "Tolbert should've never let her go 'way he did. Maybe he wouldn't be in this mess if things turned out 'nother way 'tween them."

That boy was doomed from the start with his wild temper and penchant for fighting. But I couldn't tell Ole Rand'l that, it would make him rant and listening to my friend rant is something I always avoid if I can. I gave Ole Rand'l a thinly lined look while lengthy telling him in a smooth and considerate tone, "He did what he thought was best at the time. I don't think them being together or not would've made much difference, the mess still would've happened. Tolbert was always a hot-head, Novella couldn't have tamed him enough to stop a bad fight." Before Ole Rand'l could even think about opening his mouth to retort I added, "A fight that his brothers joined to try and protect him from getting hurt in."

Ole Rand'l just nodded his head as he let my words sink in. After a few silent moments he sighed, "My son and your niece's got a lotta work out. Lot unsaid and undone 'tween them."

Before I could make a remark, I heard my office door open and shut accompanied by the high heeled footsteps of my niece. She appeared in the lobby with a reassuring look on her face as she announced, "I arranged for the withdraw and deposit in my account. They said the money should be in within 4 days."

"Very good." I nodded before turning my attention to my friend and assuring him positively, "Your boys will be out soon."

Ole Rand'l looked at my niece with gratefulness in his eyes. "Thank you, Novella. For my boys."

"You're welcome." Novella half-smiled, taking a seat next to Ole Rand'l. She patted his hand while empathetically telling him, "Everything's going to be okay, Randall. I'm going to help the boys the best I can."

"Novella, you're a good girl. Smart one too." Ole Rand'l tilted his head at my niece, giving her a genuine look. My niece just responded with a smile of her own, accompanied by a hand pat. "Go to Tolbert, talk to him when he's out." Ole Rand'l suggested to Novella, causing her to freeze up and numbly nod her head.

Tolbert and Novella had much to talk over. I'm afraid neither one wants to bring up the white elephant that's in the room when they're together, the reason for their shattered hearts.