Justice For Juniper (Tatienne Richard) novel Chapter 177

18:34

Nobody is Sad Part I

Juniper was surprised by how much the women were ready to plot to go confront Lois in the hospital.

Phineas approached, “what is going on here?”

“My mother is staging a revolt.” Adil shook his head with a laugh coating his words. “She wants to go to the hospital and taunt Lois Kennedy.”

“I’m in. I want a few more minutes with Carl,” Fermín

commented where he showed up behind Phineas. He pushed past him to stand behind where Maeve was sitting

on a stool and he leaned over and kissed the side of her

neck, “we got all dressed up and our fun barely started. Maeve had so many ideas of things she was going to tell the entire Kennedy clan, and she really didn’t get to express herself well. I’d like to give my wife her chance to make sure her voice is heard.” He gave Juniper a grin which somehow reminded Juniper of her own smile, “and if it means my daughter gets to kick a man in the balls while he’s literally bleeding on floor, then I’ll for it.”

Beni approached, “how about we reign in this conversation until the police leave, please? I just heard

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35

Nobody is Sad Part I

Juniper was surprised by how much the women were ready to plot to go confront Lois in the hospital.

Phineas approached, “what is going on here?”

“My mother is staging a revolt.” Adil shook his head with a laugh coating his words. “She wants to go to the hospital and taunt Lois Kennedy.”

“I’m in. I want a few more minutes with Carl,” Fermín commented where he showed up behind Phineas. He pushed past him to stand behind where Maeve was sitting on a stool and he leaned over and kissed the side of her neck, “we got all dressed up and our fun barely started. Maeve had so many ideas of things she was going to tell the entire Kennedy clan, and she really didn’t get to express herself well. I’d like to give my wife her chance to make sure her voice is heard.” He gave Juniper a grin which somehow reminded Juniper of her own smile, “and if it means my daughter gets to kick a man in the balls while he’s literally bleeding on floor, then I’ll for it.”

Beni approached, “how about we reign in this 1/6 conversation until the police leave, please? I just heard

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one of the officers commenting how it was that you set this

up, Phineas at Juniper’s behest.”

“We did,” Juniper said seriously. “We purposefully invited all of the people Kyst harmed here. It doesn’t mean I wanted him to get shot. What I wanted was for him to see the depth of his deception. It never dawned on me that someone would shoot him, Beni. I wanted him to face the consequences of his actions and to put faces to the names of the people he hurt. The last thing I ever wanted was for him to be seriously injured.”

“I think he thought you would go with him to the hospital,” Sandra commented quietly. “He was still asking for you as they loaded him onto the ambulance. He seemed quite surprised you didn’t fly to his side.”

“I have no love for the man he is. The man I believed him to be, I’m still working through those feelings but the actual version of who he is, well that man I do not like. I’m sorry he was shot but not enough to make me forget the past and stand at his bedside like a fool. My mama didn’t raise me to be spineless.”

“That’s right, I didn’t.”

2/6

18:35

“Mr. Rojas?” a man approached, “you told me to let you know when we were ready to take the statement of Ms. Kennedy.”

“God, I can’t wait to get my name changed,” Juniper grunted angrily. “The divorce went through. I should have petitioned to change it back.”

“Why?” Phineas looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “You’ll only have that name for a couple more weeks. We’re getting married before the month is out Juniper and your name will be Perez.”

“What if I want to take Aguado?”

“Aguado–Perez has a good ring to it.” Phineas countered.

“I don’t know. Juniper Aguado on its own sounds damn good.” Fermín made his opinion known. “I have a friend who can make it happen by dawn, Juniper.”

She shot a mischievous grin at Phineas, “by dawn, Phineas. I could be rid of Kennedy by dawn.”

“How about being a Perez by dawn,” he was holding her gaze steadily. “If he can make it so you’re able to get a 8:35

name change by dawn, Fermín should be able to get us

married by dawn.”

Juniper looked at Phineas in surprise, “not funny Phineas.”

“Who’s laughing? I’m dead serious. Let’s get married if you hate the name Kennedy so much.”

“I agree,” Adil piped up, “Beni?”

“Hell yeah.”

“The ink on my divorce papers is barely dry.”

“Um, excuse me,” the officer spoke up, “I appreciate I’m interrupting here but we would really like to get everyone’s statements.”

“Sure.” Juniper quickly ducked under Adil’s arm and moved to the officer. She could feel the heat of the gazes from her three partners as they stared at her hard from across the room. She could see all the discussions going on in her peripheral vision as she tried to give her attention to the officer who was asking her questions. 4/6

18:35

the time she finished her statement her head was swimming. The cocky smirk on Phineas‘ face, the hopeful expressions on Beni’s face and the excited one on Adil’s told her a crazy idea had rooted deep in their brains, and it was going to take nothing short of a disaster to remove it.

She signed the statement, her brain feeling like it was melting as she wrote Juniper Kennedy on the line.

Beni approached, “do you need me to notarize it?”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” the officer commented quietly. “This might be the weirdest situation I’ve ever been involved in. My chief told us to get everything done here. He said since we’re in a ballroom and it’s contained and

everyone is here to just take advantage. It’s very odd.”

“It is unusual, but we appreciate the quick handling of everything so that my friend’s grandfather isn’t too inconvenienced on his birthday party.”

“I can’t believe someone got shot and he wanted to keep partying.” The cop muttered more to himself than anything.

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He’s a vet who saw action in the war. He remained in the armed forces in the reserves and even went overseas when he was in his sixties to advise on some conflict issues. A little blood isn’t going to faze him.”

“A little blood?” Juniper asked. “Kyst was bleeding a lot.”

Beni shrugged, “am I supposed to be sad? You’re my fiancée and that son of a bitch has been harassing you for a long time. He crashed this party hoping that when Denise was done trying to humiliate you that you’d go crying back to him. He knew what she was going to do. His actions caught up with him and while I don’t condone violence and I do not support that someone shot him, I’m not sad about it. If he’s in the hospital, he’s not going to be hanging out around our home.”

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