Excerpt: Dark Justice

“Susannah!”

I whirled around at the sound of my name and came face to face with a ghost from my past. Suddenly I felt like I was sixteen again, staring into the eyes of the bad boy next door.

It had been almost twelve years since I'd seen Matthew Kane, but he remained a vivid figure in my memory. Maybe because that whole time was sort of magical and mystical for me, the last summer of innocence, if you'd like.

“Matt.” I said in surprise, tucking a strand of long blonde hair behind my ear as he crossed the distance between us.

“Anna, I can’t believe it’s you.” He said in awe. “When I saw you standing there, I thought I was imagining it.”

“I know the feeling.” I said wryly.

“Are you living in Mega City now?” He asked, flashing me a smile and slipping into conversation as if we'd never been anything but casual acquaintances and as if we'd parted on good terms--neither of which was true.

“For the last year or so.” I told him, very aware that we were standing out on the open on the steps of the courthouse for all the world to see. If anyone cared about the reunion of teenage lovers, which I doubt they did.

“I work for the Globe.” I said with a smile “I also went to University here, but I worked at a couple smaller papers out side the city first, until I got the job at the Globe. What about you?”

“I've been here since I left Highland. I went to university and then law school here and now I work for the district attorney's office.” He told me, giving me a smile that probably dazzled every woman in Mega City the way it once dazzled me.

I raised an eyebrow. “Matthew Kane, Highland's original bad boy now a public servant, who would have guessed?”

Looking at him, really looking at him, I could see all the changes that twelve years had brought. He'd replaced the worn denim and black leather that had been his uniform of rebellion with an expensively cut Italian suit, more expensive than a district attorney’s salary could afford, but then money had never been an issue for any of the Kane’s, and he no longer seemed like a cage animal, desperate to escape.

Time had changed Matthew Kane, that fact was undeniable, and yet... He still possessed the sense of danger and excitement that had terrified every parent in the neighbourhood and had been so irresistible to every teenage girl, myself included.

I looked at him and for a moment, the years stripped away and instead of the sensible business woman in my Anne Klein business suit, I was still that wayward teenager in short shorts and a halter top falling in love for the first time. I guess it's true that you never forget your first love and for better or worse that's what Matthew had been for me, but that was a long time ago and many things had changed.

“I need to run.” I said after a moment, starting to feel awkward.

Matthew put his hand on my arm to restrain me. “Do you really?” He asked me. “I'd love to grab lunch and catch up. Come on, Susannah, surely you have time to spare for lunch with an old friend?”

Friend. That was too tame a word to describe what Matthew had been to me. I’d loved him and hated him with equal fevor and seeing him again after all this time, it brought all those feelings back to the surface... I wanted to say no, to run away and shut the door on those memories, but...

“Sure.” I found myself saying, almost against my will. After all it was only one little lunch, what harm would there be?