Breaking Free (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Grae McTavish

  “Objection, Your Honor, assumes facts not in evidence.” The prosecutor jumped to his feet.

  “Sustained. Ms. Eldridge, you will stick to the facts as well,” Judge Wrenn instructed.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Danny answered politely before turning her attention back to Gabe.

  He smiled reassuringly at her before he continued. “Can you tell us about the day you went to surprise Professor Dandridge with a new bottle of wine?”

  “It’s kind of embarrassing.” She flushed.

  “I know, just take your time,” Gabe urged. He hated putting her on the spot like this, but the judge needed to know what kind of man Dandridge was.

  Nodding, Danny spoke. “I had a key to his house because he used to get me to take care of his cats when he went to teaching conventions. He wasn’t usually home that time of day, so I had planned to leave the bottle for him on the table. But then his car was in the driveway. When he didn’t answer, I figured he was in the shower, so I used my key to let myself in. He was never much for surprises, but I knew it was his favorite, a dark, rich merlot, well aged, almost impossible to find. Then I heard these funny sounds coming from the bedroom, all this moaning and groaning, and I thought he might be sick, so I went to check it out. I…”

  Mr. Brooks jumped up again. “Objection, Your Honor, what relevance does this have to today’s case?”

  Judge Wrenn shot Gabe a questioning look.

  “This attests to the character of the plaintiff, Your Honor. Professor Dandridge had made himself out to be an innocent party, Your Honor, when facts will show he is anything but.”

  The judge seemed to consider this for several seconds before nodding. “I’ll allow, but you need to keep it short, Ms. Eldridge.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Danny nodded before she continued. “I was so shocked when I opened the door, and there he was in bed with one of his freshman students. I knew she was a freshman you see, because all freshmen are required to complete a library skills test as part of orientation. She was pretty hard to forget. Anyway, I finally saw Wesley for what he was, controlling and manipulative.”

  “Objection,” Mr. Brooks called yet again. “Opinions.”

  “Sustained.” Judge Wrenn shot her a censoring look.

  “Sorry.” Danny flushed, her frustration was obvious, but Gabe came to her rescue.

  “That’s all right, Danny. Let’s move on.” Gabe tried to give her an encouraging smile. “After your relationship with Professor Dandridge ended, did you move on with your life?”

  “Yes, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I started dating, met a wonderful man. For the first time in my life I was really happy.” She added the last with a twinkle in her eye, which he returned.

  “And the night that he claimed you came to his house beating on his door, where were you?”

  “With you, we went out.” They’d discussed it and decided not hide their relationship. It was bound to come out eventually anyway.

  Gabe approached the judge, placing a piece of paper in front of her. “Your Honor, I would like to enter into evidence a sworn affidavit from an undercover agent with the DEA who was in the bar on the night in question. He can verify the defendant’s whereabouts. For obvious reasons, he is reluctant to testify in court, since doing so would jeopardize his cover.” He’d known Jake since they were kids, and he’d never put his old friend at risk. Jake, however, had been adamant about giving his testimony.

  “Object!” the prosecutor said, jumping to his feet. “How can we trust that this isn’t some type of scam by the defense if there is no witness here to corroborate it?”

  The judge pursed her lips. “I am familiar with the work of this particular agent, and his reputation is impeccable. The evidence is accepted.” Gabe knew Jake had earned several commendations for his work in the DEA. He kept a low profile, but the judges knew him.

  “Thank you, Your Honor.” Gabe sighed in relief. After the emergency room doctor’s testimony, he was relieved to have something go in their favor. Moving to stand back in front of Danny he continued. “After we left the bar, what happened next?” Gabe forced himself to ask, hating putting their private lives in the public, hating that he was embarrassing her, but she smiled broadly through her blush. She might be embarrassed, but she wasn’t ashamed.

  “We went back to my apartment, spent the rest of the night there, so there’s no way I could have gone to his house. I don’t think we slept more than a few minutes at a time.” Gabe turned to observe the courtroom audience as this brought several chuckles from the audience, and the look on Wesley’s face reminded him of someone who’d just swallowed a bug.

  Clearing his throat, Gabe fought back his own blush before he turned back to her and continued. “Now I know it’s hard, but I want you to tell us about the events of the day in question.”

  “I was in my office getting ready to leave for the day. We had plans to meet some friends after work. I was just shutting down my computer when he came barging in. We argued, like he said, but not about what he said. He fussed at me about how I was dressed and the new company I was keeping. Apparently word had gotten around campus about our relationship. I didn’t see where it was any of his business, and I told him so, but then he was the one who went crazy, not me. He was the one who begged for another chance. He grabbed me, tried to kiss me.” She let out a shuddering sob at the awful memory.

  Gabe ground his teeth. God, how he wanted to go to her, to take her in his arms and soothe her fears. His arms ached with the need, and it was only through sheer willpower and determination that he was able to keep his professional demeanor. “What happened after I startled the two of you and left?” He felt lower than low, repugnant, but for her sake he was willing to embarrass himself in front of the world.

  “I kept telling him no, because I wanted to go after you and explain, but he wouldn’t let me go. It was scary. He kept saying I had to give him another chance, and I didn’t know what he was going to do. I just lost it. It was like I was fighting for my life.” Sitting up straight, not at all ashamed of her actions, she continued. “Yes, I hit him. Yes, I kicked him, but only after he assaulted me.”

  “So you claim it was self-defense?” Gabe concluded, and Danny nodded. “No further questions.” He stepped back, ready to jump if the prosecutor went too far.

  Mr. Brooks stood, a sneer on his face. “You claim that within a week of breaking up with your long-time fiancé you slept with another man. Are we supposed to believe that? And if so, what does that say about your character?”

  “Objection, Your Honor. Argumentative,” Gabe shouted, the man in him wanting to defend his woman’s honor, but the attorney side forced him to try and stay calm.

  “It’s okay, Gabe,” Danny interrupted. “I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve done.” Turning back to the prosecutor, she looked him square in the eye and lifted her chin proudly. “You might not believe in love at first sight, but I do, Mr. Brooks. Yes, Gabe and I became lovers quickly, but I’m not ashamed of it. I knew the moment I met him that he was the one. Think what you will, we’re happy.”

  Gabe drew in his breath, in awe of her dignity.

  Undaunted, the persecutor forged ahead. “The day you ruthlessly attacked Professor Dandridge, you were trying to relive old times, weren’t you?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “You expect us to believe that after years of being in a relationship with Professor Dandridge, you simply turned off the feelings?”

  “No, I was young and inexperienced when we met. I didn’t know what real love was. There was nothing to turn off.”

  “If you fell so quickly into bed with one man, how is this court to believe that you wouldn’t fall back into bed with an old love?”

  “No, it wasn’t possible.”

  “What do you mean wasn’t possible?”

  Blushing to the roots of her hair, Danny took a deep breath before answering. “Gabe is a very…uhm…energetic lover. I honestly didn’t have th
e energy for anyone else.”

  “Yet, you have no proof of this or any of your other claims.” Completely undisturbed by her declaration, he continued. “Professor Dandridge, however, bears the marks of your rage. He will be the one to carry scars the rest of his life, not you. It seems to me he’s the only one with any real claim.” Turning his back on her, he concluded. “No further questions, Your Honor.”

  Numbly, Danny stepped down. It hadn’t gone nearly as well as they thought it would, but it could have been worse, she supposed. Her eyes scanned the courtroom, and she spied Gloria and Smokey sitting next to each other. Their smiles were forced, and she knew they were trying to be encouraging. She returned their smiles weakly. She took a seat next to Gabe, relieved when he took her hand reassuringly and held it, not caring who saw.

  Judge Wrenn looked over the courtroom and then down at her watch. “Due to the late hour, we will adjourn for the day.”

  * * * *

  Danny lay sprawled atop Gabe later that evening. They had come home and made sweet, tender love. He’d spent the evening spoiling her. He’d given her a long, relaxing massage and then drew her a bath. Once she was in the bath he’d sat next to it and fed her expensive chocolates and sips of wine. After drying her off, he’d carried her to the bed and proceeded to love her from the soft pink tips of her toes to the pert upturn of her nose. Now, thoroughly sated and feeling totally loved, she smiled dreamily up at him.

  “I could get used to this,” she murmured.

  Returning her smile, he stroked the long, silken length of her hair idly. “Glad to hear it, since that’s what I intend to spend the rest of my life doing.”

  Turning pensive, Danny couldn’t help but frown. Would they have the rest of their lives?

  “What is it?” he asked, sensing her mood change.

  “I’m just worried, that’s all. What if the judge didn’t believe me? It seems wrong to make plans for our future, when I might not have one.”

  “Silly girl, I’m not letting you go down for this. We’ll think of something. And worst-case scenario, you get found guilty. This is your first offense. You have no record, no history of violence. We’ll argue for probation, agree to sign you up for Anger Management classes, and offer to pay the asshole’s medical bills. Trust me, baby. It’s going to be okay.”

  “I know, but what about a job? The college will fire me, and who would hire me with a record?”

  Shrugging, he smiled. “I would.”

  “Well, that’s nice, but I don’t exactly know a lot about motorcycles. I’m still learning to ride.”

  Chuckling, he sat up, pulling her onto his lap. “Actually, I’ve been considering opening a law office here. I’d given up on practicing for a long time because my heart just wasn’t in it, but then I met you and you showed me that there are still good, caring people in this world.” He paused to place an affectionate kiss on her confused brow. “I know Aurora Heights is a small town, but I’ll definitely need some help, and it seems to me that a former librarian would make an awesome research assistant. And I’ll definitely need one, so what do you say, want the job?”

  Danny stared at him in surprise. She’d known he meant permanent, but this indicated long-term commitment. Settling down, putting in roots, holy cow! But there wasn’t really any question. “Just try and hire someone else,” she replied tartly.

  Chapter Thirteen

  They were just taking their seats the next morning after the judge’s call to order, when the doors at the back of the courtroom swung open, crashing against the back wall with a loud bang.

  All eyes turned to the dark-haired, punk vixen storming in, trailed by the widely grinning pair, Tiffany and Mariah. Her ebony eyes quickly scanned the courtroom before landing on Wesley. Fire seemed to shoot in his direction, and if looks could have killed, he’d have been a smoldering pile of ash.

  “You bastard, you told me it was over with her, that I was the only one for you now. Then you go and try and play kiss-and-make-up while I’m out of town?”

  The bailiff jumped and grabbed her just as she was about to pounce on her former professor.

  “Let me go, damn it!” she screeched, fighting the bailiff’s strong hold. “The jerk lied to me!”

  “Young lady!” Judge Wrenn thundered, furiously banging her gavel, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. When everyone froze, the distinguished judge continued. “This is a court of law, and you will conduct yourself in a manner appropriate to such. Now would you like to explain to the court why you feel the need to interrupt proceedings?”

  “He’s a liar and a lech,” she seethed. It was clear she was trying to calm herself down. “When I found out what was happening, I had to come and set the record straight.”

  Judge Wrenn turned her gaze to Gabe and the prosecutor. “This is highly unusual, but it seems that this has bearing. Are either of you interested in questioning this witness?”

  Mr. Brooks shook his head, his face taking on a slightly green pallor. Gabe, on the other hand, was grinning broadly. “I most certainly do, Your Honor,” he answered.

  Nodding, the Judge pinned the young girl with a censoring look. “I am going to allow this, but you will remember where you are, or I will hold you in contempt of court. Is that understood?”

  Noir took a deep breath before nodding. She moved to the front of the courtroom and was quickly sworn in.

  Standing, Gabe slowly walked to stand in front of her. “Ms. LeChat,” he began, trying to ignore the odd last name. “May I call you Noir?” He doubted either was her God-given name.

  “Yeah.”

  The judge frowned at her disrespect but let Gabe continue. “You claim to have information pertaining to this case. Please explain.”

  “Well, first there’s the wine.”

  “What about the wine?” He urged.

  “He knows what I think about alcohol, so when I got to his house this morning and found the table set for a romantic dinner for two, and several bottles of wine in the fridge chilling, I knew he’d lied. He knows how I feel about drinking. Heck, I’ve been visiting a friend who’s organizing a concert to benefit families who’ve lost someone to drunk driving. That’s why I didn’t know what was going on until those two came and found me.” She pointed to where Tiffany and Mariah sat in the audience, looking completely pleased with themselves.

  “So the wine wasn’t for you?” Gabe continued.

  “Nah, but I remembered him saying how much she liked wine.”

  “Objection, Your Honor.” Prosecutor Brooks was quickly on his feet. “Hearsay.”

  “Sustained.”

  Gabe merely smiled. “Go on, Noir, you said you had other proof.”

  “Well, I heard he was saying she was obsessed him, that she attacked him, but it ain’t true. He was the one that was obsessed. He even had me dress up in this boring little suit like the one she has on now and wear stupid little glasses. I mean, I don’t mind playing games, but then he called me Danika while we were doing it a few weeks ago. He tried to tell me I hadn’t heard right, but I know what I heard.”

  The Prosecutor jumped up again. “Objection, Your Honor. Hearsay.”

  “Sustained. Just stick with what you saw.”

  “But…” she protested. “I have proof.”

  Intrigued, everyone leaned forward. “Please explain,” Judge Wrenn instructed.

  Noir reached into her pocket and pulled out two DVDs. “He got off on watching, so he used to tape us together. He didn’t think I knew where his little stash was, but I found it. There are dozens of DVDs there that he’s made with his students. And then there’s the special section. Those are DVDs of him and her.” She nodded toward the defense table.

  Everyone’s eyes swung to Danny, who had become a pale shade of green. Gabe forced himself to take a deep breath as he turned back to the witness. “Continue,” he instructed, his voice husky with restrained emotion. It took every bit of restraint on his part to not throttle the simpering man behind him. He w
anted to pound his fist into his ferret-like face over and over again and yank out his eyes so he could never so much as look at Danny again.

  “Don’t worry.” Noir smiled wickedly. “I destroyed them all. Well, all but these two. The first is the one where he called me by her name. The second is of her and another man, looks kind of like you but with longer shaggy hair and a bushy goatee.” She handed them both to Gabe before continuing. “I’m not sure where some of them were taped. I didn’t recognize the place. It was kind of dark, and you couldn’t see anything but this big, low-to-the-floor bed.”

  Gabe’s eyes widened at the implication, and he turned to Danny. Her rich-amber eyes were glazed with shock, and she’d gone deathly pale.

  “Your Honor, may I have a brief recess to confer with my client?” he managed.

  “Objection, Your Honor, this entire circus has gone far enough. I move to strike the entire line of questioning,” Mr. Brooks cried, clearly realizing his case was going down the tubes.

  The disapproving look the judge bestowed upon the prosecutor was sharp and unmistakable. Turning to Gabe, she said, “I’m going to adjourn court for the day. Mr. Cavanaugh, you and Ms. Eldridge may have an hour to review your case, and then I want to see the plaintiff, the defendant, Ms. LeChat, and their respective counsel within my chambers to review this new evidence.” Her gavel thundered, then she was gone, apparently disgusted with the entire thing.

  * * * *

  Gabe handed Danny a glass of water, but her hands were shaking too badly to hold it. It landed on the table with a thunk, sloshing water all over its polished surface. He’d led her into an empty office, so she could recover in private, and he could get his own temper under control.

  Looking up at him with wide frightened eyes, she finally stammered, “Gabe, you know there hasn’t been any body but you. I don’t know what she’s talking about. You have to believe me!”

  Gabe let out a sigh of relief. So that was what was worrying her. Sitting down next to her, he caught her hands in his and brought them to his lips. “Baby, don’t you think I know that? Stop and think about it for a second. Looks kind of like me but with long shaggy hair and a bushy goatee?” He raised an eyebrow as he repeated the description. “Baby, she was talking about me. She just didn’t recognize me looking like this.”