*Author's Note*

Thanks for reading, faving, following, and reviewing.

Back to back updates, woot woot! I know I said that Novella meeting Cotton would be in this chapter, but it's not. Sorry, but all the court drama goodies wanted to be written and I couldn't fit it in. Novella meeting Cotton at the Mate Creek tavern will happen next chapter, I promise.

All Hell Broke Loose!

Novella POV:

I had just parked my car and was getting ready to get out of it whenever Cap pulled his sporty Audi right next to me. Looks like he's on time for this court hearing, unlike the bond one. We both got out of our cars at the same time, but before I could walk too far he snagged me. "Nova, we're still on for tonight?" Cap asked me, his face a hard mask giving away nothing on how he was feeling.

"Yea, we're still on." I confirmed with a smile and a simple nod.

"Good." Cap told me as he dug something out of his pocket. "Here's a spare key to my house." He told me, holding the key out to me. I took it with a raised brow as Cap explained, "I'm not sure when I'll be home. You might get there before me so I figured you'd need the key."

"Thanks Cap." I smiled before grabbing my keyring out of my purse.

I popped the key onto my keyring before placing it back into my purse as Cap told me in hi deep rolling wave of a voice, "You can change into something more casual for tonight. I won't be wearing a suit tonight, that's for sure."

"Okay, I'll bring some things over to your house and change there."

"We better get inside, babe." Cap gestured to the courthouse with a slight nod of his head.

"I know." I simply told him before walking off, leaving his standing by the trunk of his car.

It only took a few seconds for me to hear his loafers echoing on the pavement behind me as I walked across the lot to the courthouse steps. As I walked up the steps Cap was silently by my side. I caught our reflection in the pane-glass door. His rugged face was ice cold and void of all emotions, his eye a hard iceberg with a milky twin that seemed just a cold or colder. Cap was in hot-shot ADA mode now and wouldn't get out of it until court was over. My own reflection revealed that I was going through the motions but had hollow eyes and an uneasy looking demeanor. A slight look of dread could be seen on my face. I was defending guilty men and I knew it, but I had no choice in the matter considering I felt obligated to do it, and that echoed on my outward appearance.

Upon reaching the courthouse door Cap held it open and let me walk in before entering the building. Silently we walked side by side to the designated courtroom. It was so silent you could've heard a pin drop.

When we entered the room, I noticed that it was packed. Both the ground floor and the balcony had people crowded in the seats, some even leaning against the balcony bannister, to see the beginning of fate get started on the McCoy boys. I spotted Selkirk McCoy, cousin to my defendants, sitting on the Hatfields' side of the room. He wasn't alone though, he had a honey-blonde haired woman with him and she was holding a swaddled baby in her arms. I didn't know that Selkirk was married and had a baby. Oh no, since he's on the Hatfield side of the aisle his wife must be a Hatfield in some way, shape, or form.

"I see you arrived with ADA Hatfield." Uncle Perry told me as I walked behind him, making my way to the open seat between my brother and Tolbert at the long table.

Moses turned his head, his large messy man-bun bouncing a bit, and looked at my uncle while coming to my quick rescue with, "Uncle Perry, he prolly pulled up same time as her. Don't mean nothin'."

My uncle nodded before a tight look crossed his face and he let out a slick toned, "Of course, I was just pointing out what I saw. It just didn't look good that you walked in with him, dear."

"Ya done wit' him, ain't ya?" Tolbert growled into my ear, his head bent down so that nobody could hear him, but me.

I looked at Tolbert with a tight smile while telling him, "You're jealous, Tolbert. Don't be, green with envy's not a good color on you."

While sitting and waiting on Judge Wall to arrive I felt eyes boring the side of my head. I subtly turned in my seat to see who had their eyes trained on me like a laser beam only to lock eyes with none other than Devil Anse Hatfield himself. His face was cold and chiseled, his eyes filled with a chilling menacing look that would freeze hell over with one glance. I straightened my back and stared the devil down, tilting my chin up and showing no fear even though the man's look was frightening. This man was not one to be trifled with and that's an attribute he passed on to his son.

Cap was in every sense of the word his father in rugged looks and cold attitude. Only difference was that Devil Anse had short dark bronze hair with silver streaking his temples and a full burly facial beard while Cap had shaggy blonde hair and facial scruff that accompanied his mustache and soul patch. I bet he gets his height and lean-muscled from his daddy too.

I could see out of the corner of my eye Cap notice me and Devil Anse having a stare down. Cap shot his father a look, one that was mixed with defiance and discomfort, before facing the empty judge's bench. Devil Anse shook his head and broke the stare down once Jim Vance, who was sitting behind him, said something and clapped him on the shoulder. Before I turned back in my seat Jim Vance smirked at me. Clearly, he found the staring contest amusing.

"You looked the devil in the eye and didn't flinch. How'd ya do that?" My brother asked me in a mumbled breath.

"Honestly, I don't know. I just did." I answered him under my breath.

"Fuckin' Hatfields hate us. Lookin' at us like they wanna kill us." Tolbert grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Uh, they do wanna kill you. And your brothers too, that's why we're here." Moses told Tolbert in one of those overly smartass sounding tones.

"No one's going to die. We'll get the boys off on self-defense like I did with Parris and Sam years ago. They'll never see an indictment." Uncle Perry confidently told everyone at our table. I'm glad he thought that we had a chance, cause I knew we didn't.

"All rise for the Honorable Judge Wall Hatfield." The bailiff announced as Wall walked out of the door behind his desk.

Judge Wall sat down and banged his gavel, in turn causing the rest of us to sit. "Everyone, we're here today to see if there's solid ground for an indictment on Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud McCoy for the murder of Ellison Hatfield. This is not a jury trial, so do try and make your remarks quick for the case to be best received."

And then all hell broke loose, the preliminary trial had begun.

After Cap's opening remark and brief paraphrasing of the medical examiners report of Ellison Hatfield I knew the chance of getting the McCoy boys off now with even going to trial was quickly flying out the window. By the grim look on my brother's face Moses knew it too. My Uncle Perry's confident was wavering, but distress did not cross his sly foxlike face yet.

"I call one of the suspects, Tolbert McCoy, to the stand to strengthen my case." Cap announced in a hard-rolling callous tone as he stood up from his seat and walked over to the witness seat.

"Allowed. Tolbert McCoy, get up on the stand." Wall Hatfield said, causing Tolbert to silently do as he was told.

After being sworn in Tolbert was face to face with Cap, a man he hated. Cap looked Tolbert up and down with his mismatched eyes that were so tough and emotionless before saying, "For the record state your name."

"Tolbert McCoy." The ginger gruffly spat, his face pursed like he had just eaten a sour lemon warheads candy.

"On the day of Ellison Hatfield's murder-"Cap began to ask until he was abruptly cut off by Tolbert's velvety gruff timbre of, "Death, he weren't murdered."

Cap smacked his hands on the railing of the witness stand while looking at Tolbert with deadly mismatched eyes. His voice was heavy and menacing as he seethed, "Listen here, McCoy, I'm the one asking the damn questions here so you're gonna shut up and listen til I'm done talking. Can you do that or do you need your head bashed into the stand to knock some sense into you, ya stupid little shit?" I had never seen Cap like this before, so menacing, detached, and cold. It was frightening, but at the same time it turned me on in a way. Why or how I'm not sure.

Tolbert just gulped uncomfortably and nodded, his face as white as a sheet. He also looked like a scolded puppy. His eyes met mine and he looked afraid. Cap had noticed and chuckled. "Nova can't help you, killer." Oh my god, Cap was trying to rile up Tolbert. Make Tolbert flip and turn violent, to show that he's violent. Cap's voice sounded deep and cold as he said, "Now, back to what I was saying, on the day of Ellison Hatfield's murder you sucker punched him in the back of the head when he was turned around and leading another man you sucker punched a few moments beforehand away. Isn't that right?"

"Yea, so don't mean I killed him." Tolbert dumbly answered, making himself sound guilty. Even though I'm pretty sure he was, but…

"Means you started a fight with a man you and your brothers stabbed 26 times before shooting in the gut. A man that was trying to prevent his older brother from getting into a fight with you, since ya sought them out with the intention to fight." Cap angrily spat in a cold-laced wave of a voice. His tone sent a shiver up my spine, that's how void of warmth his words were as he spoke.

"I didn't seek 'em out. I wanted my greenback that was owed t'me from last year. Thievin' prick Hatfield." Tolbert told Cap in a velvety gruff timbre, just digging his guilty hole deeper and deeper.

Cap nodded and quirked up a brow before saying, "So, you admit that you went after Ellison and swung first, therefor he had to retaliate to protect himself since it was you and your two brothers against him."

"Yea but-" Tolbert tried to answer before Cap cut him off with, "But when you McCoy boys were losing the fight you decided to pull out knives and steal a gun, making sure you'd win the fight. Didn't matter if he died, right? He was just a Hatfield."

Oh shit, he jut got Tolbert and snapped him like a chicken neck with that. The murder indictment's solid now. Moses did a face palm while muttering, "Stupid fuckin' jackass. All he had to do was plead the fifth, but no…"

"Do something, Novella, he's burying Tolbert." Uncle Perry commanded in a slithering hiss, his eyes dark slits much like a snake's.

"There's nothing to do, Uncle Perry. I can't untie the knot that Tolbert just got himself into. Cap's too cunning and calculated for me to discredit." I hissed at my uncle, as I shot him a dirty look.

"I object!" Uncle Perry shouted before standing up and continuing with, "Prosecution is harassing my client."

"Sit down right now, Uncle Perry!" I ordered, surprising not just myself, but everyone in the courtroom. Judge Wall leaned back in his chair, an amused smirk on his face. Tolbert's face fell while Cap's face stayed stone-like, but his lone icy-blue eye portrayed his gratitude to me. Looking at my uncle, who was still standing and giving me a shell-shocked look, I reasoned, "He's not harassing him, he's treating him as hostile. It's allowed in a preliminary as well as hearsay to prove a pointed reason for arraignment evidence."

Leaning forward Judge Wall nodded and pointed to my uncle while saying, "You heard Miss Landon, Mr. Cline, so sit your ass down in my courtroom and let the ADA finish his review of the suspect."

"Tolbert, one more question before I dismiss you." Cap said, his voice like the deadly calm before the storm. Tolbert just nodded his head, prompting Cap to walked up to the railbar on the witness stand. Leaning on it he asked in a deep waving tone, "You're a father so you know how it is to have a child dependent on you. Did you even think about Ellison Hatfield's son, Ellison Mounts, who was solely dependent on him for everything or did that never cross your mind when you were stabbing him over and over again with the parrying knife ya swiped from your boot?"

"I was thinkin' bout my survival, not that mush-head, when I stuck that filthy Hatfield that tossed me 'round like I was nothin'." Tolbert confessed in an anger-laced spat, causing the courtroom to fill up with 'Ohs', 'Ooos', and, 'Oh my gods'.

Me and Moses looked at each other, both of us thinking 'Oh shit we're fucked!'.

"I'm done with you Tolbert." Cap smirked coolly. "Go and take a seat next to Miss Nova, but don't be too surprised when she scoots her chair away from your murderous ass. You're just the poor sum-bitch she got bamboozled into representin', she thinks you're guilty too." Cap taunted Tolbert, his voice deep and low with intent deadlier then a cobra strike.

Tolbert's jaw trembled and the veins in his neck popped while his face turned beat red with hot raging anger. Before anyone could blink he lunged towards Cap while screaming, "Y'fuckin' filthy fog-eye Hatfield! Ya stay 'way from her or I'll kill ya! I'm fuckin' kill ya if ya touch a hair on her head!"

Cap, who was quick on his feet, stepped back which caused Tolbert to fall flat on his face on the floor. The entire courtroom was silent as Judge Wall pointed to Tolbert with his gavel while ordering, "Bailiff, remove this McCoy and stick him in comptempt."

"No, don't arrest me! I didn't do nothin'!" Tolbert shouted in protest at the bailiff cuffed him and carted him off.

Oh shit, this hearing has just turned into an episode of Jerry Springer. "So, reckon you doin' the nasty with you know who was actually a bad idea. Seems that pussy don't cloud his mind or make him soft, it actually makes him mean and cleaver."

"Shut up, Mo." I mumbled under my breath, shooting dangers at my little brother.

"Now I think I saw and heard all I needed form the prosecution. Defense, do you have anything to say or are you forgoing and want my verdict straight away?" Judge Wall Hatfield addressed us, looking quite amused and ticked off at the same time.

Before my uncle could say or do anything to make himself a laughing stock I stood up and told the judge, "I forego any and all rebuttals. After the incident that just occurred I think all of us agree that your mind's made up on the indictment. We'd like to hear whether or not this case is going forward instead of dawdling and wasting time with speeches that clearly won't move the outcome since this is being decided by you, your honor, and not a jury."

"You're a smart little lady, Miss Landon." The judge complimented, even giving me a slight gin, before going on to say, "Very well, my decision is that Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud McCoy are being officially charged with the murder of Ellison Hatfield due to the State having successfully shown reason and cause for the heinous crime. The next court session will be for jury selection at a later date that I will announce at another time." Before banging his gavel, he said, "Court dismissed, now everyone get the hell outta my courtroom."

Oh God what have I done? I just got Tolbert along with Pharmer and Bud indicted, I also helped Cap in a way too. Uh-oh spaghetti-o's.

I was walking down the hall, my bone colored heels clicking away against the floor, whenever all of the sudden my upper arm was grabbed from behind and I was turned around so fast that I nearly lost my balance and almost twisted my ankle. When I lifted my head up, I saw that a fuming mad Randall was right up in my personal space, his hand gripping my upper arm with a bruising force. He looked at me with revulsion in his cobalt eyes as he snarled in a mix between a seethe and a shout, "Ya let my boys get charged wit' murder! Didn't even try t'stop it, ya lil bitch!"

"There was nothing I could do after the way Tolbert reacted on the stand." I honestly told him before going on to say, "Now let my arm go, Randall."

Instead of letting my go he held on tighter and yelled, "There was too somethin' ya could'a done, but ya just didn't wanna do it! Why won't ya do yer job an' free my sons?!"

"I am doing my job, but the prosecution just had more ammo." I tried to reason with him, to no avail. "Now, please let my arm go." I requested, looking at him with a blank face even though my heart was hammering in my chest with fear. Fear that Randall would strike me since he was that mad.

"Yer s'pose t'love my son an' 'ere ya are lettin' him get locked up an' trialed like a murder! He ain't a murder, none of 'em are!" Randall rambled on, shouting like a lunatic, as he held my arm so tight I felt like it was losing circulation.

"Randall, let me go. Now, you're hurting me." I ordered, trying to pull my arm out of his iron-clad hold.

Before Randall could continue on with his madman tirade the heavy sound of boots stopped right behind me followed by a deep drawling, "I do believe Miss Nova told ya to get your damn hands off her, McCoy." Oh shit, now Jim Vance is coming to my rescue. Oh hell… "Now, I don't believe in accostin' women, so leave her be 'fore I make sure ya end up like your little brother Harmon."

"Jim Vance." Randall spat in disgust as he looked the big man up and down, uneasiness shining in his cobalt blues. "I'll go, but only cause I don't wanna be 'round the man that murdered my brother an' got 'way wit' it." Randall sneered bitterly, letting my arm go, before storming off.

"Miss Nova, are ya a'ight?" Jim asked me, placing one of his large hands on my shoulder.

"Yes, Jim, I'll be fine." I assured him, patting his hand in a grateful gesture. "Um, why'd you step in just now?" I asked curiously as he removed his hand from my shoulder, placing it down by his side.

"Caue if our boy Cap would've seen him layin' hands on ya old man McCoy would be beaten to death. Cap don't play that way, he'll protect what's his." The burly mountain man bluntly told me with a brutally honest look on his tobacco stain-bearded face. "Also, ya did a fine job in there today standin' up to yer striped ass snake of an uncle 'bout Cap's way of lawyerin'."

"Thanks, but it didn't really do anything. I just reminded my uncle on what I learned in law school on the topic of preliminary trials." I remarked, not thinking much about what I did.

"You're a humble one, that's good." Jim chuckled, a twist of a smirk curling up to reveal his yellow-stained teeth. "Anyways ya know you're gonna have a'tell Cap bout Randall cause that there arm of yours is startin' t'bruise up already." He dipped his head towards my arm.

Of course, I would wear a cap-sleeved coral blouse today without a blazer. "I know, I'll tell him."

"Good. I'll see ya later with Cap at the tavern. I'll bring Cotton so ya can meet him." Jim told me in his crochety voice as he hitched his thumb in his belt loop.

"Okay." I told Jim right before we walked off, going our separate ways.

Nancy POV:

I was waitin' on my Frank, who was in the men's room, when I heard a commotion from down the hall. I tiptoed down the way I heard the yellin' comin' from to see what was goin' on. I can't say that I was shocked to see Uncle Randall screamin' at Novella, since he screwed up her job defendin' my cousins today. He had a firm grip on her arm so that she couldn't run off, so she had to stay and listen to his angry ramblin's. A lot of what he was screamin' made sense, or at least to me it did. I too felt that Novella should've done more to help out my cousins, especially Tolbert since she's in love with the man.

Out of nowhere Jim Vance, the demon Hatfield that murdered my pap when I was little, showed up. I couldn't believe my black eyes, that demon was comin' to Novella's aid. He made my uncle go away an' leave her alone. What shocked me more was when he placed a hand on her shoulder in a gesture that looked like he was makin' sure she was okay. Novella even talked t'Jim Vance for a couple minutes before they walked off. I made sure to hide in the alcove whenever she was passin' by, I didn't want her to know I was spyin' on her.

Once she passed I sprinted to the restrooms. I had made it just in time cause my Frank had just walked out of the men's door. "Ya won't believe what I just saw." I told my husband as he walked up to me.

"What'd ya see, ma'am?" Frank asked me, loopin' his arm through mine, as we started to walk away from the restrooms.

"Uncle Randall yellin' at Novella only for that demon murder Jim Vance to come to her aid. She even talked to him for a bit too, seemed friendly."

"No, that can't be. She's Tolbert's girl, she loves him and's workin' to get him and his brother's freed."

"Is she, Frank? Is she?" I asked rhetorically before going on to say, "You saw how she was in court today. She let Tolbert drown, even backed up that scrawny one-eyed gorilla."

My husband looked at me with wide eyes, his eyebrows risin' up his forehead near his hairline. "D'you think she's settin' your cousins up? That she's secretly workin' with Hatfields?"

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out. We're gonna find out." I told my husband before pursin' my lips and spattin', "I want her watched an' good, Frank. Ya hear me."

"Yes, ma'am, I hear ya." Frank nodded his head in unison wit' his walkin' stick hittin' the ground as we made our way out of the courthouse. "I'll talk to Ransom an' some o'the guys I know from both my days as a Pinkerton an' in the James Gang t'see what can be done on havin' her tailed, Nancy."

"Good." I smiled wickedly, knowin' that whatever Novella Landon was hidin' would be found out. Nobody messes with the McCoys or betrays us, at least not without consequences.

AN:

I hope I did the court scene justice. The next time they're in court for the jury selection Novella will take the reigns of lawyer from Perry. So, what do you guys think about Cap taunting Tolbert (especially about Novella) to get him to lose control and snap proving he's got killer instincts and rage and needs charged with Ellison's murder? Also, what do you all think about Novella not even trying to undo the damage Tolbert did, deciding to just roll over and let Wall give his verdict without trying to plead the McCoy boys' case? Devil Anse Hatfield has seen Novella, even had a stare down with her, but will he accept Cap's choice of being with her or continue to be against it? And Randall McCoy has just gone cray-cray huh? Nancy and Bad Frank are suspicious of Novella cause Nancy saw her talking with Jim Vance, oh shit! Drama drama drama!