by Mj Fields
CHAPTER SIX
21st Street
Harper
���Where are you taking us, Riker���s Island?��� Ava laughed as she stood in front of the police car, ���By the way if there���s piss or puke in here, we���ll be taking a cab.���
I looked up as I got in the car. I half expected to see him standing behind the police officers but he wasn���t. I knew he shouldn���t be there, if he was he���d be in trouble.
The officers took their time chatting while we sat in back of the car. Ava banged on the window, ���If you���re just gonna stand around, let us out.���
I saw one of them make a remark that the other three chuckled at, so did Ava.
���Open the fucking door!���
���Ava you���re egging them on. Apparently that���s what they���re after just let it be.���
She sat back and was fidgeting, ���Unreal. We are cooperating with this bullshit and they sit out there,��� she smacked the window again, ���DONUT BREAK���S over assholes!���
I laughed partially because it was funny but the other part was I didn���t like being locked in a car, it made me nervous.
Now one was leaning on the hood far too relaxed as he chatted it up while we sat in the back of the cold car.
I started to shake and Ava looked over at me and noticed, ���Get pissed it���ll keep you warm.���
She grabbed my hand and pulled my head down to her shoulder. She looked at her watch, ���It���s been seven minutes. Two more minutes and I���m seriously going to be filing a report against these assholes! Four more minutes and I���m gonna kick the damn window out.���
I closed my eyes and all I could think about, all I could picture, was when I was locked in the back of that van. I shook more and Ava started beating on the window harder. She didn���t just stop at a couple raps; she beat the hell out of it.
I looked towards the door and saw Brody, Lucas, Mom, and Maddox walking out of the hotel lobby.
Maddox saw me and started storming towards the car. Brody tried to grab him and he moved away from him.
He reached down to open the door and all four cops started yelling. Brody grabbed him and held him back. He looked angry; his eyes were wild, the same look I saw in him the night he had snapped the man���s neck back in London. I felt tears falling and I wiped them away trying to show him I was fine.
My Mom was screaming at the police and Lucas was holding her back.
Two officers stood to block the window and the other two finally, twelve minutes later, got into the car.
���Fucking pigs, expect a lawsuit!��� Ava screamed.
���Ava, say no more!��� I heard Lucas.
���We were passing information, perfectly legal Miss Links.���
���You had two people locked in the back of a filthy squad car that have done nothing! Sam have something to do with this? Are you two lowlifes being paid off to fuck with us?���
���I have no idea what you���re talking about,��� one said and they both laughed.
���I���m sure, fucking dirty ass pigs,��� Ava snapped.
���Watch it little girl,��� he warned.
It took twenty minutes to arrive at the thirteenth precinct. Ava was fuming and had not stopped running her mouth. She recited several laws they had violated and told them exactly what she would do to make sure they got in trouble for their inability to perform their jobs.
When they opened the door one of them grabbed Ava and she wrenched her arm away, ���Watch it!���
���Ava don���t, obviously they���re intentionally pushing buttons here. So think about why. They have nothing to hold us on but if you push any harder they may give you a reason to want to act out. So just don���t,��� I whispered and took her hand.
We walked up the steps to the precinct and were immediately walked through the glass doors beside the desk. Ava looked at me and me at her—she was so angry and I was scared. None of this felt right. I saw a female officer and she looked at me curiously. She looked at the two uniformed officers.
���What���s going on?���
���Just interviewing a couple possible suspects.���
���This is bullshit! We���re suspects in what? We did nothing wrong!��� Ava yelled at them.
���Ava, answer nothing, they���re nothing but two beat cops. We wait for our families and lawyers.���
���Are they being charged?��� Ava snapped.
���Not yet, but ���.���
���But nothing! Harper was hit by some little bitch who���.���
���Ava stop, just stop we���ll be fine.���
���These two need to be separated or we���ll never get the true story.���
I looked at the female officer���s name badge, ���Officer Buchanan, please.���
I looked out the glass door and saw Maddox, Mom, Brody, and Lucas storm to the desk.
Maddox saw me and walked towards the door. I shook my head no, hoping to stop him. He looked at me, anger and concern flooding his eyes. I saw Mom start to cry and Brody was still screaming at the officer at the desk.
���They with you?��� Buchanan asked me.
���Yes, my Mom, her Dad, my fianc��e������
���Maddox Hines is your fianc��e?���
���Yes ma���am.���
The way she looked at me I could tell she knew of me, probably knew everything we had been through.
���Let���s go, you in this room, you in that one.���
���Smith, what are you charging them with?���
���Assault.��� He answered.
���Fuck that! It was self-defense!���
���Ava.���
The female police officer looked at me and held my eyes. ���I will see what I can do.���
���You stay out of it!��� Officer Smith snapped at her.
She gave him a look and then looked back at me, ���I���ll see what I can do.���
She looked at Ava. ���Calm down.���
She quickly walked out the door and Maddox stormed up to her. I saw him start to yell and she held up her hand and stopped him. I don���t know what she was saying but he looked to calm down a little.
I sat in an interrogation room alone for at least twenty minutes before the Officer Buchanan walked in.
���I contacted a friend who works in the district attorney���s office. I advised your mother to call a lawyer. I���m technically off work now but I���m not going anywhere.���
���Thank you. I���m sorry about������
���Don���t be sorry. You���ve been through a lot Harper. I am going to leave you so I can go try to calm your friend down a bit.���
���She was protecting me. Sticking up for me. She isn���t a criminal.���
���I understand but she is pretty mouthy.���
���She���s a law student.���
���Then she should know to keep her mouth shut.���
She stood. ���I���ll be back.���
���Thank you.���
One of the officers came in with a detective and they took my statement. I asked if I could leave and they told me not yet. I looked up at the clock and it was midnight; I was sitting in a police station, in pajamas, and worried that Maddox wouldn���t be alright.
Half an hour passed and a man walked in. ���Hello, I���m Eli an attorney of the Hines family.���
���Hi, I���m Harper.���
���Alright, you okay?���
Eli was a tall lean man with brown hair, green eyes and smartly dressed. I felt completely at ease with him.
���I���ve been worse.���
���I know and let me tell you how truly sorry I am about that.���
���Thank you.���
I explained to him what happened at the Today show and he genuinely looked concerned as he wrote down a few things on his yellow tablet. When he was finished, he looked up at me.
���Harper has anyone offered you a drink?���
���No sir and I probably would have declined based on the fact that this all seems very disconcerting to me.���
He smiled. ���You���re a smart young lady. I���m going to go let your mother and the highly agitated young man in the waiting area know you���re alright. I will grab you a drink and be back. You���ll be released soon. Brody didn���t just call me.���
He laughed as he left the room.
It was one o���clock when I finally laid my head on the table. I must have fallen sleep because when I heard Maddox���s voice, I nearly fell out of the chair. I immediately looked around the room and saw Ava standing next to Eli.
���Let���s get you back to the hotel.��� Maddox took my hand and pulled me up to him and hugged me tightly.
���There is a bit of press out front.��� Maddox warned in a whisper. ���Normally we would avoid it but Dad and Lucas think it best we put on a bit of a show.���
���I���m in pajamas.��� I started to panic.
���Which is perfect. Let���s go ladies.���
Maddox tucked me in under his arm and Lucas did the same to Ava. Snow was coming down in buckets. Mom and Brody walked out ahead of us. Maddox wasn���t kidding, there was a bit of press. At least thirty reporters with news crews shouted questions.
I heard an unfamiliar voice behind me and turned to look, ���Lila.��� Maddox whispered as he shuffled me into the car. ���Dad���s publicist.���
���The one who was a surrogate for Emma and him?���
Brody entered the car and laughed. ���Yes, she was the oven that cooked Lexington. Emma���s best friend from college.���
I looked out the window and she was answering questions as we sped down the road.
Ava looked up at Lucas and huffed. ���Sorry Daddy.���
���Not a big deal.��� Lucas hugged her. ���You would���ve been the first Links to be arrested but that���s������
Mom giggled and he looked at her.
���Did Dad get arrested?��� Ava gasped.
���Not arrested, held for questioning.��� Lucas looked at Mom in amusement.
���What did you������
���It was a long time ago. Let���s not worry about it.��� Lucas kissed Ava���s head. ���So, it appears that we may have those seats tomorrow. If you all feel up to it you should come.���
He was looking at Brody.
���Sounds intriguing.���
���Good. Ava, you���re going to have to entertain your brother in the morning. I have an early meeting.���
���You do? With who? I thought������
���Looks like we���re almost at the hotel. Text Logan and have him wait in the lobby. I���ll warm the car and������
���You should just stay here. It would be silly to leave and come back.��� Mom yawned. ���There���s plenty of room.���
���Yeah Dad.��� Ava smacked him. ���Logan���s not a morning person.���
���What teenagers are?��� Brody laughed.
We walked off the elevator and Ava hugged me. ���You okay?���
���Are you?���
���Of course.���
���Good. See you in the morning.���
Ava and Lucas waked into Mom���s suite and I peeked in. Logan was asleep on the sofa and Matthew and CJ jumped up.
���Come on in, let him sleep.���
They followed us across the hall and Maddox looked at me. ���You all need rest.���
���I need a bath.���
���Good, I will draw you one. You can chat but not for too long.���
Mom, CJ, Matthew, and Lucas sat in the living area talking. My brothers asked a million questions and Mom and Lucas answered most of them. They started talking football and I was almost asleep when I heard Maddox talking to my mother.
���You should stay in the other room here with us. Give them your room?���
���Sounds perfect.��� Mom stood and gave the boys and me a kiss. ���Lucas thanks and maybe you should think about taking someone with you tomorrow.���
I looked at Lucas whose jaw twitched. ���I���ll be fine.���
���Don���t be a stubborn ass Links. One of you go with him?���
���Tessa, I���m not a child.��� Lucas raised his eyebrow.
���Lucas, when you���re angry sometimes you act like one. Please take someone with you.���
She shut the door to her room and Lucas looked around and then rolled his eyes.
���We can both go.��� Matthew offered. ���If this is about what happened today I want to be there.���
Lucas looked apprehensively at him. ���You two really don���t need to. The man���s a weasel and I���m just gonna make some noise.���
Maddox looked at me and then back at my brothers. ���I���d like to go as well.���
Matthew laughed out loud. ���Hell no!���
Maddox���s face turned red in anger. ���I have a few things I���d like to say.���
���Hold up a minute, maybe I do too. If you go so am I.��� I truly had no desire but I knew if I made a stink about it he may understand why it was I didn���t want him to go.
Lucas chuckled as he stood. ���Goodnight Harper. Goodnight boys.���
Maddox looked at me with a blank expression for a moment without saying a word.
When everyone had left he walked over to the room���s refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water. ���Your bath is ready.���
I stood and walked to the bathroom. I turned off the water and started taking off my shirt when the door opened.
I watched Maddox���s reflection in the mirror trying to gauge his mood. He didn���t make eye contact. He set the water bottles down on the counter and leaned against the counter.
���I should be the one handling this������
���Maddox������
���No Harper let me finish. I should be the one confronting the man who is trying to cause yet more problems for you.��� He stepped forward and lifted my shirt. ���It is not only my job, but also my pleasure, to take care of you. Turn around please.���
He unhooked my bra. ���It���s mine to take care of you as well. I won���t have you getting in trouble, getting arrested, fleeing the country���again.���
He turned and looked down at me and he pulled my bottoms down along with my underwear. I grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head and looked at his tattoo. I bent and kissed it.
���I love you no less.���
���I know that.���
���I wouldn���t be alright if I was to be without you again Maddox.���
���It���ll never happen. Not ever again.���<
br />
���Then don���t go.���
He bent and kissed my cheek. ���Let���s take a bath.���
���Maddox, I���m serious. Don���t go.���
���Harper, let���s just have a nice bath. You and me. I���m not going anywhere.���
We both sat in the tub opposite each other. He washed my feet and moved up my body pulling me closer to him with each inch he cleaned. He pulled me on his lap. ���Lean back.���
He held my back as I did as he commanded leaning backwards until my head was submerged in the water. He pulled me up and soaped my hair as I wrapped my arms around him and cleaned his back. He leaned me back again cupping water in his hands as he rinsed the suds from my hair.
I could feel his rock hard erection growing between my legs. I reached down and took him in my hands and rubbed him against me. His eyes hooded and a groan escaped his chest as I slowly lifted myself above him and lowered; taking him inside of me, inch by glorious inch. I moved slowly up and down him holding the sides of the tub.
Taking control of this beautiful moment was an indulgence I rarely took. Maddox was amazing in every way, and giving him control always ensured I was more than satisfied, several times, before he finally let go. One could say he was controlling in bed and one could say he enjoyed rendering me powerless and senseless. Both would be true and I would be a liar if I said that it was a burden. It wasn���t, it was a blessing. But right now, at this moment, the way he watched me move up and down on him was almost as wonderful as when he was on top and I would hear him cry out my name when he came inside of me. The reverence in his voice when this happened was something of beauty.
He was looking at me now in awe and it made me feel the same way. He watched me working myself up and down him, his hands holding the tub in front of mine. He wasn���t touching me with his hands but he was with his soul. He was burning for me and me for him. When I was on edge I grabbed around his neck; riding him fast as I took my pleasure. When I finally came, he did too and held nothing back.
We sat in the cool water both trying to catch our breath as we looked deeply into one another���s eyes.
���I love you Harper Ann Abraham.���
���I love you Maddox Henry Hines.���
