Ronan’s POV
The courthouse steps were a circus.
Media vans lined the street, reporters jockeying for position, cameras pointed at every entrance like weapons. Protesters had gathered too—some supporting Hart, claiming he was being unfairly targeted, while others demanded justice for his victims. It felt like a situation that could explode at any moment.
“This is insane,” Alina said from beside me in the SUV, watching the chaos through tinted windows. “How are we supposed to get through that?”
“Carefully,” I replied. “And with a lot of backup.”
True to my word, we had security. Blade and six other Serpents formed a protective perimeter around the vehicle. Charleston’s plainclothes officers had positioned themselves at strategic points around the courthouse. And our legal team—led by a
