“Don’t you dare think what my brother said is true,” Brent said, holding her there. “I didn’t sleep with you because of this case. It was this case that kept me away from you! I slept with you because I find you one of the most desirable and intriguing women I’ve ever met. It had everything to do with how I view you, and nothing to do with this case. Understand me?”
Makayla stared into his big, green eyes. She saw nothing but sincerity there. She nodded. “Yes,” she said. “And thank-you,” she added. But then she tore away from him and hurried back into the courtroom.
Brent glanced over and saw that one of his men, a young uniformed officer, was standing within earshot, smiling and looking at his boss as if his boss would approve of his eavesdropping. Brent frowned. “What the fuck are you looking at?” he asked him.
Terror suddenly appeared on the young man’s face, and he stood erect. “Nothing, sir,” he said. “I was just . . . I wasn’t . . .” The young cop, knowing that he had been caught red-handed, took off down the corridor rather than face the wrath of his boss right now.
Brent exhaled. He knew he was too hard on the kid. But all of this court shit, his unhealthy infatuation with Makayla Ross, his concern for his father, was beginning to stress him out!
He went back into the courtroom. By the time he sat down, by the time he gave Tony another angry look, the judge arrived, everybody stood up and sat back down, and the hearing was now in session.
“Bring in the prisoner,” the judge ordered from the bench. In Jericho County, no prisoner was allowed in the courtroom before the judge had been seated and actually ordered his arrival. But as soon as the judge gave the order, Charles gripped Jenay’s hand and stared at the side door that was now slowly opening.
Salvatore Luciano “Luke” Sinatra entered the courtroom in wrist and ankle chains. Every Sinatra was staring at him as if they were staring at a phenomenon. Sprig blew him a kiss as he walked in, but he didn’t so much as glance her way. He was searching the courtroom, not for Sprig, or even his absent son Mick. It was Charles he wanted. His oldest boy. The only child he ever produced that was, in Luke’s mind, worth a damn. The one child that turned on him with a bitter turn. But he didn’t have to look long. The man near the front of the courtroom, the man with the most intense green eyes ever created, was staring daggers right back at him.
Luke actually smiled and nodded at Charles, as if, as he’d told Tony he did nothing wrong. But Charles had a completely opposite reaction. He was not angry, he wasn’t even repulsed by the sight of his father again. To Charles’s amazement, he did not feel anything. No love, no hate. Nothing. He looked at his father, who was now rail thin and beat-up looking in his once handsome face, with his once beautiful black hair now short and matted against his small head, and he did not feel a damn thing. It felt like a triumph to Charles. It felt as if he had faced down the devil, and the devil was a lie.
And the proceeding went on without a hitch. The prosecution went first, explaining to the judge in what Charles thought was excellent detail why Luke Sinatra should not be granted an immediate release. Makayla acknowledged that the Jericho County’s D.A. office thirty-six years ago were guilty of misconduct, but she also acknowledged the state’s belief that the misconduct did not rise to the level it needed to rise for immediate release. A new trial, where all of the evidence could be exposed, would be the fair and equitable outcome. The defense argued just the opposite, claiming not just misconduct, but gross misconduct. The judge agreed to grant both parties the right to amend their arguments prior to his decision, and that he would make his decision sometime within the next two weeks. Court was adjourned.
Jenay, Brent, and all of the Sinatra clan looked at Charles when court was adjourned as his father was led back out of the courtroom. Charles stood up, and with Jenay he went over and shook Makayla’s hand, and then he and Jenay headed out of the courtroom too. Although he believed he was fine, even better than fine, Jenay knew better. He was clutching her hand so tightly that her hand had gone to sleep.
When Makayla looked back around, to get Brent’s reaction to the proceedings, she was surprised to see that Brent had already gone too. And had not bothered to speak to her. Then she shook her head. “That’s what you get,” she said to herself, “for going there with him anyway.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
She was lying on top of him, both of them were naked and in bed, and he massaged her ass by rubbing both hands across both of her cheeks. Bonita was spending the night with Carly and Ashley in Boston, the boys all had dates or were otherwise out of their hair, and Jenay and Charles both felt at peace with the world. Especially after that hearing.
“That’s the remarkable thing,” Charles said. “I saw my father for the first time after all these years, after all that pain, and it was as if a brick could have been sitting there. I felt nothing for him.”
Jenay leaned her head up and looked at him. “You weren’t even angry at him?”
“Not even angry,” Charles said.
“So what does it mean? You’re over it?”
“I’ll never be over it,” he said. “But I’m over him. My father. For me, that’s big.”
“That’s huge,” Jenay said. “You were dealt a terrible hand at such a young age, and you made it through. That’s saying something right there. Sprig turned to alcohol and bad relationships. Your brother Mick, from what you’ve told me, turned to crime. But you turned inward. You turned to yourself and refused to let your past be your future. You put your faith and trust in the Lord God Almighty and made it through.”
“Yes, I did,” Charles said. “Thank God.”
“I’m very proud of you Charles Sinatra.”
Emotion swelled inside of Charles. “Thank-you,” he said. “That means a lot.”
They kissed a very chaste kiss and she laid her head back on his chest.
For a few minutes, that serenity returned and no words were spoken. Then Charles smiled. “Allison showed up for work while you were away,” he said.
Jenay frowned and looked at him. “She showed up? I told her she didn’t have to come this week. Why would she show up here?”
“And you should have seen that outfit she decided to wear,” Charles said. “That skirt she wore.”
“Was it up her ass?”
“It couldn’t be any shorter,” Charles responded. “I saw the outline of her little panties.”
Jenay shook her head and laid it back down on his chest. “That heifer knew I told her not to come to work this week. I told you she has a crush on you, and I figured if she came to work while I was clean across the country, she’d make her little move. And I see she made it.”
“But Tony and Donald came over and put a stop to that. When I got out of the shower, she was gone.
“Yeah because I told Tony to come over and take Nita to school. Tony’s reliable like that.”
“I was surprised Donald showed up too.”
“I wasn’t,” Jenay said. “Donald has really changed, Charlie. I think you need to work harder at recognizing that.”
Charles nodded. “He’s still immature as hell though,” he said. “But I get your meaning.”
“So who took Nita to school? Tony or Donnie?” Jenay asked.
“Neither. I took her. But back to the nanny.”
Jenay smiled. “Oh you enjoy talking about her, do you?”
“Don’t even try that,” Charles said. “You’re the one who hired her. I can’t understand, if you knew she would make a play for me, why do you keep somebody like that on our payroll?”
“Because nobody else impressed me the way she did with our daughter. Because she’s excellent with our daughter and our daughter adores her. Because if you don’t try any shit there won’t be any shit and I’ll have nothing to worry about. Because I know you too well. That little girl isn’t going to get you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Charles smiled, teasing her. “But it’s not wise to tempt a man either, Jenay.”
Jenay looked at him, not getting the tease. “What do you mean?”
“I mean what if we have one of our arguments?”
“And?”
“And Little Miss Nanny comes prancing around in her I want you get-up.”
“So? Are you telling me you’ll do something with her?”
Charles inwardly enjoyed the concerned look on Jenay’s face. “I’m telling you it might cross my mind. What do you think? I’m a man.”
“Try it, Mister Man,” Jenay warned, “and you’re going to be a girl when I finish with you.”
Charles laughed and pulled her into his arms. “Now you know good and well I don’t want that skinny child. I’ve got all this woman here,” he said as he slapped her ass, causing it to jiggle, “and you’re too much to handle as it is.”
Jenay smiled. “That’s better,” she said. “But I keep Allie because I’ve tried many others after Nita’s first nanny died, and none of them compare. I’m pleased with her.”
“But she’s in love with your husband.”
“She doesn’t know what love is. She’s attracted to you, that’s different. And I said it before, I’ll say it again: if I fired every female that was attracted to your pretty behind, I’d fire every female that works for me.”
Charles loved how highly she thought of him physically. “Although I appreciate the vote of confidence,” he said, “I think you’re giving me far more credit than I deserve.”
Jenay smiled. One of the wonderful things about him was how little he thought of his beauty. She didn’t push it.
And they returned to their serene place again. Charles continued to massage her, but it was calming rather than sensual. And then Jenay spoke up.
“What have you decided?” she asked.
“About what?”
“Matt Dellum and his sabotage scheme. What did Zim and Vic find out?”
“They found out what I already knew. He’s slick with his shit. He doesn’t leave footprints. But we know it’s him. We aren’t fools. We eliminated everybody else.”
“So what’s the plan of action?” Jenay asked.
“We strike back. He stole our bids, we steal his bids. He defamed the Inn’s good name, we defame the good name of his Bed and Breakfast. We make certain his dream of turning Jericho into a resort town is never realized. We strike back.”
“The empire strikes back, is that it?” Jenay asked with a smile.
“That’s it. Matt Dellum started this fight with guns and knives. We’re going to fight back with tanks and rockets. He won’t know what hit him.”
“Good,” Jenay said. “Hit him hard.”
Charles smiled. “I’m rubbing off on you, you know that?”
“You’re rubbing me,” Jenay said, suddenly feeling a charge. She looked at him. “I know that.”
Charles felt a jolt too when she looked those lovely eyes at him. And just like that, rubbing her ass took on a different meaning. It was no longer about soothing and calming. It was now, just that fast, all about fucking.
“Turn over,” he said to her and she obeyed, turning until she was lying on him with her back against his stomach.
“That’s the way,” he said as he reached his fingers between her legs and began to rub her clit. “That’s the way.” He moved his fingers between her folds and began to push one in, and then another one, as they rolled around in her wetness. And then he began poking her. With his other hand, he covered one of her breasts and squeezed it, and rubbed his thumb across her nipple.
It felt so good to Jenay that she wanted him to experience it too. She wrapped one of her hands around his penis, and placed her other hand on his balls, and she began to massage him too. And for the longest time they lay there, naked and alone, and gave each other the kind of sensations that were at first so relaxing, and at last so intense.
“That’s the way,” Charles kept saying as the feelings continued to intensify. And as he squeezed her breast and massaged her pussy, and as she continued to massage his dick, a wave of sensations washed over them both until neither one of them could contain the feelings.
Charles guided his dick to her vagina, and entered her with one long, deep push. “You like it, baby?” he asked her.
“I love it,” she responded as he continued to push in and almost out of her until he found his rhythm. And he did her for ten minutes, for twenty minutes, all the while making her feel as if she was on an edge, on the precipice of cum where just one more thrust, one more push and she would topple over. But he had that masterful control, and he sustained the intensity without ending it too soon.
And they made love for a long time. He was doing her with the rhythm of a well-timed tune, and they were working up a sweat and enjoying every second of it. And sweat poured. And their hearts hammered. And Jenay’s small body was sliding with his every push, with his every in and almost out thrust, until her red-hot vagina began to climax into one of those supercharged orgasms that only Charles’s dick could ever do for her. She came with a hard cum. It was so hard that she didn’t think she would be able to endure it.
“Charlie!” she cried out as she came. But his dick kept pounding her. “Charlie, stop. It’s too much!” She lifted her body, she arched her back, she squeezed her ass as the sensations roiled her, but Charles would not let up.
“You want me to stop?” he asked without stopping, because he knew his wife.
“No,” she responded, as he knew she would.
“I’ll stop,” he said. “You want me to stop?”
“No.”
“Keep fucking you?”
“Keep fucking me.”
And he did. He did not have to be asked twice. He fucked her harder, and harder, his dick was so red and swollen from his pounding that he began to wonder if he could take it too. And he was thrashing into her until not only she was cumming again, but he was cumming too.
He lifted his hips and poured into her with a release that shook him to his core. The veins of his arms and neck were so pronounced that they strained his very skin. “Jenay,” was all he could say as he came. And he couldn’t shout it out either. He didn’t have the energy to shout. He barely whispered.
When he finally poured his final pour, and completed his final push, and they were done, both of them still could feel the electricity of their coupling. And that heavy drain it also produced.
But even with such an energy drain, Charles managed to turn his wife over, until she was facing him again. And he smiled, and ran his hand across her hair. “Thank-you for coming back early,” he said.
Jenay smiled too, and touched his handsome face. “You don’t have to thank me.”
Then Charles’s look turned so serious Jenay wondered if she had said something wrong. “What’s the matter, honey?” she asked him.
He was fighting back tears, he could tell. “I’d be lost without you, Jenay,” he felt a need to tell her.
Jenay stared at him. “Oh, Charlie,” she responded, “I’d be lost without you too.” And they embraced with an embrace that spoke more to their needs, than their wants.
They sat on one side of the table and Luke Sinatra sat on the opposite side. Charles was leaned back, with his arms folded, as he stared at his father. His father, leaned forward, smiling, stared back. Jenay sat beside Charles, and her heart was hammering.
“You turned out real good, Charles,” Luke said to his son. “I talk about you all the time. Ask anybody.”
They were in Warren, Maine, in the visitation room inside the state prison. Neither Charles nor Jenay wanted to be there, but his father had requested it, just in case he was in fact released. They needed to settle the score.
It was Charles’s idea to accept his father’s invitation. And when he asked if she would accompany him, she wasn’t about to turn him down. She wanted some kind of closure for Charles. She knew he would never forget that night, and he should never forget it. But his emotional attachment to that night had changed. His decision to face his father man-to-man was a
step, she felt, in the right direction.
For Charles, it wasn’t about closure at all. He felt he closed that chapter in his life thirty-six years ago, the day justice was served and his father was led out of that courtroom in chains. And seeing him at that hearing only made him more certain that his father had no grip on him. But he still needed to hear from him. Not for himself, but for his children. If this man was indeed released on the streets of Jericho again, he needed to know what his children would be up against. Charles was a skeptic when it came to people changing their nature. They would have to show him an awful lot before he would believe it. He wanted to see for himself just how far along, after all these years, his father had come.
It didn’t take long for his verdict.
“So who’s the lady?” Luke asked him.
“My wife,” Charles said.
Luke looked at Jenay. Then he looked at his son. “Married outside the race, I see. And I know what you wanna ask,” he added.
“What’s that?” Charles asked.
“You wanna know how I feel about the fact that my oldest son married a black woman.”
Charles shook his head. “I don’t want to know how you feel about that,” Charles responded. “I don’t give a fuck how you feel about it. You can love it, hate it, be indifferent about it. Who the fuck cares?”
Luke gave his son a long look. “You’re the one with an attitude?” he asked. “After what you did to me, you’re the one with an attitude?”
“You wanted to meet with me,” Charles said. “I’m here. Now what did you want?”
Luke shook his head. “When I get out---”
“If you get out,” Charles corrected him.
“When I get out I was wondering if you could set me up. You know, a nice house, a nice car, nice clothes. I want it all. What do you say?”
Charles and Jenay couldn’t believe the nerve of this man. “Hell will freeze over before you get anything from me.”
Luke stared at his firstborn. “You’ve always been so hard,” he said. “Even as a kid, you were always so exact. Right or wrong, no in between. Anybody else would have let me leave that night. And I would have gotten away too! Now I’ve been stuck in this hellhole for thirty some odd years, and you’ve been living it up with your black wench and your half-breed children.”
Big Daddy Sinatra 3: The Best of My Love (The Sinatras of Jericho County) Page 17
