Cressida groaned as she threw her head back. "Yes, and I don't know why. I should be the last person he would want to represent him. I know I'm not the right person to handle this case."
"Why did you take it?" Ryan asked.
"I work for my father and he knows how to get to me," Cressida confessed. "Look, there is more to this story, but I don't have all the pieces. We need to get to the bottom of this. Nobody here wants to send an innocent man to prison and nobody wants to let a guilty man go free. I know I have to go before the judge on Monday and request to have all charges against my client be dropped. I don't want this man out in public."
"Well, this is where you may be able to help us," Ryan said. "We need to let him feel like he is off the hook, but we don't want him out of our sight. Blake seems comfortable with you for some reason. I really hate to ask you to do this, but I need you to get close to him."
"Close to him? Like how close?" Cressida asked.
"Close enough to get information about his brother and where we can find him," Ryan said.
"How am I supposed to do that?" Cressida asked nervously. Her mind filled with thoughts of her faking a romantic relationship just to get close enough for Blake to spill the beans.
"Nothing too crazy. Just develop a friendship with him. Maybe approach him in a way that’ll convince him you now believe he is innocent and that you are happy to clear his name. Let him know that if he will give up the location of his brother, then you’ll be able to clear his name," Ryan said, praying she would agree to help capture Blake Carter.
"So you want me to befriend him?"
"Yes, but we would like you to consider working with one of our undercover agents." Ryan pulled out a card from his breast pocket. "His name is Ronald Morgan. He is one of our best. Maybe together you can work out a plan." He handed her the card.
"I don't know if I can do this," Cressida mumbled.
"Please go home and think about it. Call me tomorrow and let me know what your decision is." Ryan rose to his feet.
Cressida slowly stood and reached out to shake his hand. She turned to Jason Reyes. "I will see you… speak with you tomorrow concerning my decision. I don't feel comfortable about this, but I don't want the real murderer to get away, either."
Ryan held the door for Cressida as she left. She walked slowly out of the office, her mind tormented by various thoughts about the case. "How can I get close to this man? Will he figure me out? What will Maxwell say about me befriending this man?" she muttered to herself as she walked out of the building.
Cressida slowly made her way to the correction center where Blake Carter was being held. She struggled to find the strength in herself to hide her true feelings. She loathed Blake and everything about him made her want to claw his eyes out. She unwillingly stepped into the visitation room to meet with her client and waited patiently as the officers brought him in and placed him to sit across from her.
He glared across the table and grinned at her, already knowing that he was going to be let go.
Cressida shoved down her animosity and forced up a smile as she looked at Blake Carter.
"Congratulations, I was very wrong about you. Thank God for DNA testing." She smiled as pleasantly as she could.
"I told you. I could never do anything so monstrous," Blake said with a wink.
She fought back the urge to throw up as she shifted her focus. "Well, I will have you out of here quickly." She looked at him. "Blake, please accept my deepest and most sincere apology."
"I will be seeing you when I get out," Blake replied, smirking as he undressed her with his eyes.
Cressida bit her tongue, holding in her repulsion. "That would be lovely. I will look forward to it," she lied.
"I will pick you up. Be ready." Blake smiled.
Cressida got up feeling violated by Blake's demeanor. She left not really knowing how to handle what he’d just said. She couldn't bear the thought of going on a date with Blake Carter. She got into her car and picked up her cell phone. "Maxwell," Cressida blurted out the moment he answered.
"Hey, sweetie. You sound down."
"I just came from visiting Blake."
"Why?"
"I met with the prosecutor and the detective working the case and they want me to get close to him."
"Close to him? Why?" Maxwell asked.
"Because of the DNA stuff."
"Where are you now?"
"Heading home."
"You’re really not coming?" Maxwell said, sounding disappointed.
"I just need to be alone right now." Cressida sighed.
"Okay, I understand. I’m hurt, but I’ll see you tomorrow?"
"Ah. Yeah, I have some meetings, but I’ll try," Cressida lied. Her fears were beginning to eat at her and she was starting to push Maxwell away.
"Cressida."
"Yes?"
Maxwell was silent for a while. He knew she was pushing him away, but didn't know what to say to her. Emotionally she was going through a lot right now. "Have a good night," he said before hanging up.
Cressida felt bad for pushing him away. She had too many thoughts going through her mind with Blake, Maxwell and her father. Who Cressida needed right now was her mother, but it was hard to see her. It was emotionally taxing to sit next to her mother who just stared blankly into space.
Her cell phone rang. She quickly picked it up hoping it was Maxwell. Instead, it was her father on the line. "What!" she answered.
"Cressida! I want to see you tomorrow, in my office."
"Go to hell," Cressida hung up.
Dormitory
Max laid on his bed, restless again. He could hear his son calling to him and it was heart-wrenching. He looked at his watched. It was almost eleven thirty. Max heard his roommate coming in and sat up in bed. He smiled at Samuel as he greeted Max with a head nod.
"Still up?" Samuel stated.
"I can't sleep," Max confessed. He leaned back against the wall.
"Man, if I were you, I would be sneaking into the girls’ dorm." Samuel laughed.
"How?" Max replied sarcastically.
"Oh, don't let old Helga scare you. She can't stay up past eleven. That old fart falls asleep on her watch every time," Samuel confided.
"Really?" Max said coming to life as his mind began to put a plan together.
"Yeah, I just came from this chick’s room. Devina Matthews, have you seen her?"
"No," Max replied, not really interested.
"Man, she is one hot, slamming body. Pretty eyes and between her..."
"Ah, that’s nice," Max said, cutting him off.
"If I were you, I would be enjoying my freedom. No wife. No kid crying in your ear. You could have whatever chick you want. All the girls at this school are sweating you big time. I see them watching you." Samuel snickered.
"I didn't notice. I got too much on my mind." Max reached for his shirt and pulled it on.
"How could you miss it? You’re lucky."
"Yeah, but not for the reasons you’re thinking." Max smirked, thinking about Mei.
"I still haven't met your wife. She must have something good to keep you on lock down."
Max turned and glared at Samuel. "It takes more than being good in bed to maintain a relationship."
"So, she is good in bed."
Max stepped towards Samuel. "That's my wife you’re talking about, not some chick."
"I don't mean any disrespect. Sorry if I disrespected your wife. I'm just not used to seeing a guy your age married and actually enjoying it."
Max understood his point and backed off. "Well, Mei and I have been through a lot. I’ve had a crush on her since I was young." Max tried to explain why he behaved the way he did over his wife.
"It's just that all the other guys at this dorm are doing their own thing on the side. Then you come along and you make us look bad. They see how you are with your wife. My friends say you two walk around in your own realm."
"And?" Max said raising a brow.
&nb
sp; "You’re making us look like jerks."
Max just looked at him as if to say, aren't you?
"Okay, I got that." Samuel laughed and walked away.
Shaking his head Max grabbed a few things for Uriel and left his dorm room. He knew Uriel was still up and crying, and Mei needed a break. He made it to the girls’ dorm area and, just as Samuel had said, the female guard nicknamed Helga was fast asleep in the security box.
In her dorm room, Mei tried desperately to calm Uriel’s crying. It was eleven fifty-three at night and Uriel was still crying. He refused to sleep despite his exhaustion from crying for the past three hours.
"Is there anything I can do?" Sandra questioned, feeling helpless as she watched Mei pace back and forth, rocking Uriel in her arms.
"He just wants his dad. Why couldn't I have had a girl?" Mei joked.
"I'm sure it’s just a phase. Give him a couple more days," Sandra said with an encouraging smile.
Mei looked at her as if she were insane. "It's been three days already. I'm so tired. If Max wasn't working so hard on our hut, I would make him take the baby." Mei looked down at Uriel who took a break from crying to yawn. "I'm going to try to lay down with him again and maybe he will fall asleep this time."
"Okay, good luck."
Not more than five minutes after Mei had gone to bed there was a knock at the door. Sandra looked through the peephole to see an exhausted Max looking around suspiciously. She quickly opened the door to let him in. He was carrying a black backpack and a stuffed animal, no doubt for his son.
"What are you doing here? You could get in big trouble," Sandra said with hushed alarm.
"Please, can you look the other way just this once? Mei needs some sleep. She is falling asleep in class and I know you would like a good night’s rest yourself. You don't look so hot."
"Oh, well when you put it that way, why don't you just move in so I can be beautiful again?" Sandra joked.
"I didn't mean it like that." Max smiled.
"I know. Look, come every night if you have to. I really do need some sleep. I can't focus in class and I can't imagine how Mei is handling it."
"Thank you so much. I am forever in your debt."
"Oh, no I'm in yours. I've never been more excited to sleep." Sandra laughed. "Okay, but some ground rules. There is one room and I don't want to hear no creaking late at night and don't get caught, please. I know your grandfather may have started this college, but that won't stop them from kicking your butt out if you get caught."
"I know, and don't worry about the creaking." Max laughed walking towards the room.
"Hell, I would be too jealous to function the next day," Sandra mumbled as she locked the front door.
Max opened the bedroom door. Mei lay on a college twin sized bed, curled up next to a very fussy Uriel. She was knocked out while Uriel lay in bed whining and whimpering. Max put his bag down and slipped out of his sneakers. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and threw it next to his backpack.
Uriel caught sight of him and, in an exhausted whimper, he cried out, "Daddy."
Max smiled and picked him up, cradling him in his arms as he rocked him from side to side.
Mei jumped, alarmed to see Max standing beside the bed. "What are you doing here?" she whispered loudly.
"It's okay. Sandra is not going to rat us out," Max said, stepping back as Mei got out of bed.
Sandra entered the room and Mei glanced up at her. "Sandra, are you sure about this?"
"Yes, all three of us can get some sleep now. Don't worry. I feel good that I can finally help." Sandra smiled at Mei as she took off her robe and pulled her sheets back.
"How are we going to fit on a twin bed, Max?"
Max kissed the top of his son’s head. Uriel was already asleep. "We’ll figure something out."
Mei looked around the room remembering there were extra blankets in the closet. She grabbed a blanket and extra pillow. Stopping in front of her dresser drawer, she was struck with inspiration. She threw the blankets on the bed, pulled out one of her drawers and emptied the contents in another drawer. Max simply sat on the bed watching her as she turned the drawer into a crib for Uriel.
"There," Mei said when she finished.
"I knew I’d married a genius." Max smiled as he laid Uriel in the makeshift crib. He stood and looked down at Uriel in amazement. "He is getting so big. Can you believe he was growing in your belly? Look at him. He almost doesn't fit."
"Thank you, Max" Mei said smiling at him.
"For what?"
"This, I felt so bad for Sandra. I'm sure she’ll never have kids." Mei smiled.
"Yeah, I’m in no rush," Sandra called out from under her covers.
Max reached out to Mei as he sat on the bed. He settled back, pulling her onto his bare chest. It felt like ages since he’d held his wife. As she relaxed
on top of him, he turned both of them onto their side, gently rubbing her back and smoothing her hair until they fell asleep.
Morning arrived and the sun shone brightly through the bedroom window. Max and Mei had overslept. Sandra had already taken her shower and was enjoying taking care of Uriel while his parents slept.
Renee was there knowing Max would be there to help Mei with the baby. This morning she was in for a surprise when she learned that Max had spent the night. While Sandra was feeding Uriel breakfast, Renee excused herself to use the bathroom. She opened and closed the bathroom door to throw Sandra off, and quietly tiptoed to the bedroom door. She gently pushed the door open to take a peek at Max sleeping on his back. She was captivated by his muscular arms and chest. She watched his chest moved up and down to the rhythm of his breathing. Seeing Mei's arm resting on his chest made her jealous. Renee had convinced herself she was the better woman for Max. She gently pulled the door in then returned to open and closed the bathroom door again to fool Sandra into thinking she had gone to the restroom.
Mei propped her head up. She had the unmistakable sense of being watched. The name Renee entered her mind and she rolled her eyes. Renee had been coming around every morning. I wouldn't be surprised if it was her, she thought.
She turned her attention to Max. He looked so peaceful as he slept. "Who wouldn't want this?" she whispered, slowly crawling over him to get to the bathroom.
Max grabbed her by the waist before she could climb over him.
Mei moaned with pleasure as she felt his stiffness. He held her on top of him, looking up at her and smiling. She giggled and was surprised by the blush that heated her cheeks. "No, Max. We have to get Uriel to daycare. Sandra will be leaving soon."
"I miss you," Max complained.
"You miss me or something else?" Mei raked her fingers through his hair.
"I hate this," Max said, suddenly serious.
"Max, we can get through this. We have the rest of our lives together. Don't you want stories to tell our grandchildren?"
"Grandchildren? What will we be, like thirty-five with grandchildren?" Max laughed.
"Oh, I know right." Mei laughed.
"Come on. Let me go. I need to get Uriel so Sandra can leave," Mei said, swinging her legs out and setting her feet on the floor.
"Okay, but I can't get up right now," Max replied turning onto his side.
"Hey, the faster that house is built, the faster I can help you with..." She glanced down at his boxers. “Well, with that.” She offered him a sensual lick of her lips before walking out.
"You are killing me woman," Max mumbled to himself.
Mei walked out into the living room to see her son happily eating a bowl of dry cereal. He lit up when she entered the room. "Hey, baby," Mei said, smiling at her son.
Uriel held up a Cheerio for her to taste. Mei nibbled the Cheerio out of his chubby little hands and purred, “Mmmm, aren’t you a lucky little man to be eating such a great breakfast.”
"Sandra had to leave a little earlier so, I told her I could watch over little Max while your
sleeping?"
Mei spun to the sound of Renee’s voice, the words ‘little Max’ reverberating in her head. How dare she? The thought of her little Uriel in the presence of this woman made her want to scream. Instead, she calmly said, "Oh, I’m so sorry. We overslept." Mei kept a close check on her true feelings.
"Well, if you need to take a shower, I can watch him," Renee offered walking up to Mei.
"His father should be up soon," Mei looked up at the clock. Time was running out. Although she hated the thought of Renee watching her son, she needed to get going.
Broken (Endurance) Page 10
