by Lund, S. E.
"Luke, I can explain," he said but I wasn't going to let him bullshit me.
"You have two choices. You can go home now and confess to Dana that you have been cheating on her, promise that you'll never see another woman again and that you've learned your lesson, or you can just leave now and never try to get back together with her. You still have to be a father to James, but you'll get a divorce."
He frowned, and I could see he didn't appreciate me giving him an ultimatum.
"What Dana and I do in our marriage is none of your business," he said and put his hand on the door handle.
"She's my only blood relative left alive. Her happiness is my business and if she knew you were a fucking cheat, it would break her heart." I placed my hand on his door, preventing him from easily opening it. "We're going to talk first and you're going to answer my question. What are you going to do? It's either you tell her, or I do. Which will it be?"
Then he shoved me with his shoulder, trying to get my hand off his door. "Fuck off."
I resisted and he dropped his suitcase and grabbed hold of my shoulders, shoving me aside. "I said, fuck the hell off. It's none of your fucking business!"
"Answer me!" I put my hands on his door once more, trying to prevent him from getting inside. A couple of people stopped on the sidewalk and were watching us struggle.
Then, Eric punched me. His aim wasn't all that good, but his fist did connect to the side of my jaw with enough force to knock me back and my hand came off the door.
"Hey, hey, hey!" one of the male bystanders called out. "Stop it."
I shoved Eric, pushing him against the car. "Answer my question! Will you tell her or is it going to be me?"
He reared back, intending to punch me again, but luckily, he wasn't all that great a fighter, and I dodged his fist. We grappled like two wrestlers, and struggled with each other, each trying to gain the upper hand, until we fell to the ground, with me on top of Eric. He managed to land a punch in the fray, and I tasted blood, and in my anger, I landed a good one on him, knocking his head sideways.
A passing patrol car stopped, its siren sounding, lights flashing. A police officer and his partner tried to separate us, but neither of us were cooperating, and several times Eric tried to hit me, but managed only to shove me with his shoulder. I tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let go. After a brief struggle, the police officers managed to pry us apart.
The officer who had a grip on me, pulled me away from the curb where the other officer held Eric back.
Officer Delgado, the police officer who had a hand gripped tightly on my arm, called in for backup, and then the other officer took Eric into their police car, pushing him down into the back seat, the rear passenger door still open. Officer Delgado, a youngish man in his thirties, read me my rights and handcuffed me while he did. I stopped resisting at that moment and sighed heavily.
Delgado had me sit on the curb and wait for another patrol car to arrive.
"He started it," Eric yelled from the back of the patrol car.
"He threw the first punch, Officer," I said to Delgado, my pulse still racing. "I was merely trying to talk to the cheating sonofabitch."
"You two lovers?" Delgado asked, shaking his head.
"What? No, no," I said and shook my head. "He's my brother-in-law. I caught him cheating on my sister. He had a woman up in a room in the Lowell," I said and gestured to the hotel entry with my chin. "I confronted him and demanded that he come clean to my sister. She just had a baby for fuck's sake," I said and when I saw his frown of disapproval, I cleared my throat. "Excuse my language."
"He's your brother-in-law?" Delgado asked, glancing over at Eric.
"Yes, unfortunately. I called him earlier to ask him to meet me and I was waiting outside the hotel. I saw him come out of the hotel with a young woman and send her off with a suitcase. He had his own suitcase, so I knew they'd been staying together. I approached him to merely talk with him."
"He accosted me!" Eric shouted from the police vehicle. "I want to lay assault charges. I was only defending myself from his aggression."
"He punched me first. I was merely trying to talk to him, officer. I never laid a hand on him until after he punched me."
"But you waited for him outside the hotel."
"Yes. I did, but only to talk."
"Looks like you broke his nose," the other officer said. I glanced over at Eric, who had smear of blood below his nose.
"I had to defend myself," I said, although I realized I really didn't have to punch Eric. I could have stopped it then and there and walked away.
Delgado gave me the side eyes. "Have you been drinking, Sir?"
I shook my head but of course, I had two beers at Dana's. "I had two beers with my supper, but I'm not intoxicated, if that's what you mean."
The other police officer asked Eric if he had anything to drink that night. He admitted to drinking a glass or two of wine.
Another patrol car pulled up, its lights flashing, and I shook my head, disgusted that it had come to this.
"We're taking you both in," Delgado said. "It appears that you were both equal combatants, and so you'll both likely be charged but we'll leave that up to the prosecutors. Either way, you'll both be spending the night in jail until your arraignment."
"I shouldn't be charged," Eric called out. "He had his hand on my vehicle's door, preventing me from getting inside."
"Is that true?" Delgado asked, writing notes in his little police notebook.
I nodded. "I just wanted to talk."
"You were preventing him from leaving the scene?"
"I never touched him," I said and shrugged. "He threw the first punch."
"And instead of leaving at that point, you reciprocated. You punched your brother-in-law."
"I did," I said. "It was stupid of me. I was angry when I saw him leaving with the woman. My sister just had a baby and was home alone, thinking her husband was in Chicago on a business trip."
Delgado pursed his lips but didn't otherwise comment. He helped me up and led me to the other patrol car, opening the door and helping me inside.
I exhaled, angry with myself that I didn't just let Eric leave. I shouldn't have put my hand on his window. I should have stood off to the side and told him I was going to tell Dana if he didn't.
Still, he did attack me first, and I was only defending myself.
I knew enough about the law to know it didn't matter, if the police and prosecutors determined that I was, as Delgado said, an equal combatant. We could both end up being charged.
Stupid.
Chapter Seventeen
Alexa
I barely slept that night.
I woke up at three in the morning and my mind went immediately to Luke in a cell at the courthouse, awaiting his hearing and what he must be feeling. He would be so angry with himself for getting into a fight with Eric. He'd be so mad at Eric for cheating on Dana once again.
Luke was the least violent and aggressive person I knew so if it came to blows, it had to be Eric who threw the first punch.
I wasn't mad with him — he'd done everything possible to avoid a family feud, but it had backfired on him. His intentions were noble, but the results were still bad. I hoped and prayed that he didn't get charged with anything.
The last thing he needed was a police record for assault…
I sat up in bed and pulled my laptop onto my lap, searching for information on what happened when two people got into a fight so I had an idea of what he could be charged with. According to a legal advisor page, if both men were equal combatants, they could both be charged with disorderly conduct and or disturbing the peace. Depending on the severity of the fight and the injuries, they could be fined and put in jail for up to fifteen days, but that was unlikely.
Given the circumstances, I hoped the judge would give them both a reprimand and agree to drop the charges. They were brothers-in-law, even if there would soon be a divorce to end the relationship.
I
laid back down in bed, my eyes open wide in the darkness, and tried to fall asleep but sleep was a long time in coming.
The next morning, I received a call from Luke's attorney, Peter Moran.
"I've spoken with the prosecutor and he's going to recommend that charges are dropped against both men, considering that neither has a criminal record," he said matter-of-fact. "So, what will likely happen is that after their court appearance, they will both be released. The arraignment will be at four-thirty this afternoon, so if you want to come to court and watch proceedings, that's the time."
"I'm teaching my seminar this afternoon from two until five, so I can't be there."
"No problem. I'll let Luke know. He should be home by supper, if all goes well."
"Why wouldn't it go well?" I asked. "What could go wrong?"
"I don't anticipate anything at the moment, as long as both men admit what they did was stupid and agree to not bother each other again, the judge will likely dismiss the charges and let them go."
"Luke's really cool-headed usually," I said. "I don't see Eric wanting to argue or anything."
"Hopefully, you'll see Luke tonight and that will be the end of it."
"Thanks for calling," I said. "Give my love to Luke."
"I will," Peter said and we ended the call.
I checked my messages and saw one from Dana.
DANA: What have you heard? Eric's attorney just called me. Looks like the charges will be dismissed.
ALEXA: Let's hope. Luke's attorney said the arraignment is this afternoon so they should both be back by supper.
DANA: Eric won't be. I've hired a mover to come and pick up all his stuff and take it to a storage facility. He can stay at the Lowell Hotel until he finds his own place.
ALEXA: I'm so sorry, Dana.
DANA: It was going to happen sooner or later. I'll get my best friend to come and stay with me for a while. I've got a nanny who comes in a couple of times a week to take James so I can sleep or go out, but maybe I'll hire a housekeeper, too. I'll need all the help I can get.
ALEXA: Yes, you will. If you need anything from either Luke or me, don't hesitate to ask. I know Luke will be glad to help out.
DANA: I know he will. He's the best.
ALEXA: He is.
DANA: I just wish he would have told me before confronting Eric.
ALEXA: He wanted to be sure he was really cheating and there wasn't some innocent explanation.
DANA: There's an innocent explanation for being in town when he was supposed to be in Chicago? For being at a hotel with some young woman?
ALEXA: Accusing someone of cheating is a serious issue. He didn't want to accuse Eric wrongly.
DANA: I know. I'm just sorry all this happened.
ALEXA: Let me know how things go. Luke and I will come by on the weekend and spend some time with you and the baby.
DANA: I'll look forward to it. Maybe we could order in some food and just spend time on the patio.
ALEXA: Sounds good. I'll be thinking of you and little James.
DANA: Thanks, Sis. I'm lucky to have you.
I smiled as I put my cell away, thinking of poor Dana with her baby in her arms, overseeing the movers boxing up Eric's possessions. She was a lot more in control than I would have been, but I guess she was prepared for Eric to have cheated on her again, even if only in the back of her mind. When she learned he had cheated, she was angry rather than heartbroken, as I would have been if it had been me and Luke.
Just the thought of Luke cheating made me feel sick to my stomach and I realized I was seriously in love with him.
I spent the day on campus, attending my morning class and then teaching my afternoon seminar, but I let my students go early so I could take the limo to the courthouse where Luke and Eric would have their preliminary hearings. When I arrived, I went through the security check and found my way to the courtroom where Peter had indicated Luke would be appearing and sat in the back.
There weren't many people in court at that time and I was glad. There was a delay in the proceedings and finally, the door in the side of the courtroom opened and Luke was led in by a uniformed court worker. He faced the judge with Peter beside him as well as someone else who I assumed was the prosecutor. The prosecutor spoke about the case, describing the events and then came the words Peter said we would likely hear — the prosecutor recommended to the judge that the charges should be dropped. Case adjourned. Luke would be released without charges and was free to go.
They led him back out through the side door, and I was glad that was it.
I went around to the front of the courthouse where the limo was waiting and when I got inside, I texted Luke.
ALEXA: I'm outside in the limo waiting for you.
In a few moments, I got a text back.
LUKE: Just picking up my things and speaking with Peter. I'll be out in a few minutes. Thanks for coming to meet me.
ALEXA: I'm so glad they dropped the charges.
LUKE: Me, too. See you asap.
I sighed and leaned back, closing my eyes for a moment, trying to relax. I expected that Eric's charges would be dropped as well and that he'd be released only to find that he'd been kicked out of his home, his belongings in storage.
I guess he could go and cry on his girlfriend's shoulder. It just made me so mad that he would cheat on Dana. She was beautiful and smart and such a sweet woman. Why would he do it? Was he just a scummy guy?
I just didn't get it.
In about fifteen minutes, Luke came down the steps of the courthouse, looking tired but the smile on his face said he was happy I was there to meet him.
The driver was waiting and opened the door for him, and the first thing Luke did was lean over and kiss me.
"Thank you," he said and looked in my eyes. "Thus ends my first and, hopefully, only experience of the New York Criminal Justice System."
"Yes," I said. "Let's hope."
Then, I told him about Dana and how she'd moved all Eric's possessions to a storage unit.
"Jesus," Luke said and shook his head. "I guess I'll end up being Eric's public enemy number one because of this. He's not going to like that she kicked him out like that. He'll blame me. I know it. He's not the type of man to accept personal responsibility for his actions."
"I feel so bad for Dana," I said and leaned my head against Luke's shoulder. "She's all alone now. Her friend is coming to stay with her for a few days, and she's going to hire a housekeeper to come in several times a week to help out. It must be scary to be raising a child all on her own."
"I know," Luke said with a heavy sigh. "What did she say? How did she take it?"
"She caught him cheating once before and gave him a second chance, so this was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back."
"I wonder if she knows about Lexxi911…"
"If she does, she didn't say."
He put his arm around me. "I'll tell her when I see her. Maybe we can spend some time with her on the weekend."
"She already invited us over for a meal."
"Good," Luke said. "I'll tell her then. I just hated to see them split up when she was still pregnant. Maybe it would have been better if I had told her back then."
I shrugged. "Who can say? Nothing we can do about it now."
Luke filled me in on the rest of his experience in the courthouse cell and the notable characters in the jail with him.
"I got a few side eyes, but no one bothered me, so I was lucky. But I do not want to go back again. That's for sure. Once was enough."
We arrived back at the hotel and thanked the limo driver before walking into the cool dimness of the lobby.
I was so happy to have him back with me where he belonged.
Chapter Eighteen
Luke
When we got back to the hotel room, I stripped off my clothes and went right into the shower.
Alexa followed me into the bathroom and sat on the toilet while I showered, rinsing off all the sweat and dirt from the pr
evious day spent in jail.
"I can't believe how good it feels to be free," I said while I scrubbed myself almost raw with a loofah. "I need a shower to cleanse myself. When I'm done, we should go down for dinner in the restaurant. I need some luxury and pampering to make me forget my ordeal."
"Sounds perfect," Alexa said.
After my shower, I got dressed in a clean shirt and a suit and even put on a tie.
"You're wearing a tie?"
I laughed. "I want to remind myself that I do not belong in those cells."
We went down to the restaurant and had a nice dinner, and when I sat glancing around at the venue, how high-end it was, how well-dressed were the clientele, I realized what a fool I'd been confronting Eric that way. I let my emotions get the best of me and hadn't thought through the right way to approach him.
I sighed and sipped my glass of draft, glad that I was a free man with no charges pending and no trial.
"What an idiot," I said, still disgusted with myself.
She shook her head and took my hand across the table.
"No, you were just being a loving brother, angry at your cheating lying creep of a brother-in-law. The police just arrested you to make sure the two of you cooled off and didn't get into another fight when they left. That's all."
"You're too good," I said and kissed her knuckles. "I'm glad I have bad typing skills."
She smiled at my reference to how we met.
"Me, too," she said, leaning back, her glass of beer in hand. "So, tell me about your night in prison. Was it all you hoped it would be?" She had a twinkle in her eyes.
"You find my tale of woe amusing?" I asked in mock affront, grinning despite my best efforts not to.
"Seriously," she said, her smile dropping. "I don't mean to joke. Just happy you're back with me."
"I know," I said and squeezed her hand again. "It was, well, uncomfortable, and a bit scary with all these big dudes who were there because they got into fights with their in-laws.”
She laughed. "I'm glad you still have your sense of humor."
"I'd never survive without it. It was very tiring, and it was cramped, and the seats were hard. I didn't sleep, so I expect I'll crash when we get back to the room. I hope you don't feel like any romance tonight, because there isn't an ounce of it in me."
