She paces back and forth between the judge’s bench and the jury, discussing the dealings of the Martino brothers.
“Do you really want this man, Mr. Martino, to be back on the streets where he has access to his drug market and connections? People have died because of this man, and he needs to be brought to justice. Now’s your chance to do right by this world. See the man for what he really is—a monster.” She glances at the judge and concludes, “Nothing else your honor.”
The judge orders the jury to head back to deliberate on the verdict as Harley takes her seat. The bailiff motions toward the defendant, reaching out to him to escort him back to the cell.
All of a sudden, screaming from the defendant echoes in the courtroom. “You can’t stop me bitch! Just you wait and see!”
The spectators in the courtroom gasp while some scream with fear. My eyes shoot to Harley as she stays firmly seated in her chair. My feet hit the floor and I rush toward her as a desire to protect her courses through me. “Harley!”
She turns to face me as the defendant rushes toward her, but the bailiff blocks his movement. Racing toward the front, I push past the security, reaching Harley. Grabbing hold of her, I pull her into my chest, blocking anyone that might want to harm her.
The judge slams the anvil. “Order! Order! Bailiff, get that defendant out of here.” A few bailiffs enter the courtroom and drag the defendant away from the crowd.
Looking at Harley, I study her face. “Are you all right?”
She nods, a little shaken. “Yes.”
I reach down to grab her briefcase as she reaches for her phone and keys. She slides out of my reach and walks over to the bench, talking quietly with the judge. I watch him listen attentively to her as he nods his head in agreement.
She thanks him and meets me where I wait. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Wait, are you sure you’re all right?”
She assures me she’s fine. “Yes. This isn’t the first time a defendant has threatened me.”
Her words stun me as we walk out of the courthouse and toward the garage. She hoists her keys into the air, beeping for her Lexus, and we climb inside. I study her movements as she breathes slowly, clearly shaken from the earlier events.
My hand reaches out for hers, but she pulls it away. “Don’t.”
Her resistance to my help pisses me off and frustrates me. “Fine.”
I grab hold of my earbuds and force them into my ears, blasting my current playlist as Harley guides us for the two-hour drive back to Jersey.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Taylor
“Hi, I have a reservation. Two rooms for one night.”
Harley greets the concierge as they confirm the hotel reservations for the night. A few minutes later, she hands me my hotel key. “Room 102.”
I nod and head off to my room, leaving her in the lobby to fend for herself. We didn’t speak one word during the drive here and frankly I’m tired of her games. The least she could have done was thank me for watching out for her at the courthouse. Instead, I get a frigid response, cold to the touch.
I walk down the hall and find my room. The key slides easily into the lock and the door clicks open. I flick on the light switch, shutting the door behind me. Dropping my bags, I head straight for the bathroom to take a quick shower. Within fifteen minutes, I’m dressed and ready for a night out. With tomorrow’s hearing, I have no reason to stay in all night like an old man. If this goes south, now’s my chance to enjoy a night of pleasure and freedom.
Grabbing my phone and room key and sliding them in my jeans pocket, I exit the room just as Harley returns with a bucket of ice.
She pauses before entering her room and gives me a puzzled look. “Where are you headed? You’re supposed to stay in tonight, remember? You can’t be drunk at the hearing tomorrow.”
Walking past her, I say calmly, “Relax. I’m a grown man. No need to worry.”
She scoffs as I zip by and make my way downstairs, ready for the fun night ahead.
The busty blonde giggles in my arms as we sway toward my hotel room. She’s definitely drunker than I am; I am at least coherent. I swipe my hotel key and push the door open with my foot.
Within seconds, she pushes my chest against the side wall and locks her lips with mine. The taste of cranberry vodka fills my mouth as our lips entwine. The door shuts behind us as we hurriedly remove each other’s clothing. My arms aim for her skirt, sliding it down with one hand as she steps out of it.
She pulls on my polo, motioning for me to lift my arms as she maneuvers it over my head and off my body, letting it drop to the floor. Her hands go straight for my belt, unclasping it within seconds.
Her eyes fill with desire as my pants drop, exposing my stiff cock poking up underneath my boxer briefs. She chuckles, excited to play.
I pull her toward the bed and face her away from me. My hands trail down her body, working their way back up to unclasp her bra. I unbutton her blouse from behind as her neck rests on my chest.
Her sweet ass grinds against me, causing a slight throb as the blouse and her bra fall to the floor. I push her gently and she gasps as she falls on the bed. My body bends, aiming to kiss her backside.
Her skin sizzles against my lips as they touch her smooth skin. Beads of sweat drip from my forehead as her breathing catches.
As I lay kisses all over her, she giggles underneath me and I tease her with nibbles along her inner thighs.
She whispers, “Stop teasing me.”
My lips curve into a sly smile as I spin her body upright to face me. She bites her bottom lip, causing a frenzy in my briefs.
A low growl bellows from within as I crouch over her. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
I turn the faucet off after a quick cleanup in the bathroom. Grabbing a towel, I pat my hands and face dry and toss it aside. I shut the bathroom light off and walk over to the bed. The hotel alarm clock reads 12:15 AM. Moonlight begs to shine through the drawn curtains as I make my way toward the sleeping blonde where she’s still lying naked in my bed.
Her body arches as I tap her shoulder. “Pssst. Hey, you gotta wake up.”
She nuzzles her head into the pillow and groans, barely awake. “Wha…what’s wrong?”
“Yeah, it’s time for you start heading out.”
Her face fills with confusion as she whispers, “Seriously? It’s like one o’clock in the morning.”
A yawn hits me unexpectedly. “I know, and I really need to get some sleep.” I bend toward the floor to grab her clothes and hand them to her. “You should start getting dressed.”
She scoffs, spewing cuss words at me as she grabs her clothes, stomps into the bathroom, and slams the door shut. I climb into bed as she changes and almost doze off until her noise returning into the room startles me awake.
“So, that’s it? You don’t even want my number?”
Without even looking at her, I keep my eyes closed. “I’m not looking for anything other than a hookup. That’s all this was. Be sure to shut the door when you leave.”
The jingling sound of car keys floats across the room and out into the hallway as the door clicks shut. Finally, time for sleep.
The faint sound of knocking repeats in my mind. The rhythm plays in the background as I lay half awake in my bed. My body tosses as the knocking continues until the noise annoys the hell out of me. Tap tap tap.
Knocks clang on the door until I can’t take any more. My eyes shoot open, immediately scouring the room for the time. Squinting as my eyes focus, I read 12:30 AM on the clock. Only fifteen minutes have passed?
The knocking continues so I drag my feet across the bed and sloth toward the door. I pull it ajar to see Harley standing on the other side of it. Her eyes, reddened and puffy as though she’s been crying, meet my stare.
Her trembling voice apologizes, “Sorry to bother you, but I can’t sleep.”
My stern voice responds with, “Take a sleeping pill.”
Her eyes glance away tow
ard the floor as her face fills with sadness and a hint of fear. “It’s not that. I’m—scared. After what happened earlier today, I don’t want to be alone right now.”
I can’t help but feel for her. Yes, her nasty attitude pissed me off earlier, but she’s genuinely scared right now. I glance over to my bed, recalling the previous moments before she arrived, and decide it’s best I go to her room.
“Fine. We’ll go to your room.”
She thanks me and waits for me at the door as I put on a t-shirt and grab my room key. I shut my door and follow behind as we walk over. She lets me in and turns on the light, taking a seat on the bed.
I pause, not sure what to do, trying to think of the proper course of action. After a brief moment of thinking, I grab a pillow and the flat sheet and toss them on the floor.
She stares as I make my bed. “What are you doing?”
I glance up from the floor. “Going to sleep. Isn’t that why I’m here?”
“You can sleep in the bed you know.”
Her words resonate with a deep fantasy of mine, but I immediately throw that out the window. Glancing up at her, the bed, and the floor, I concede to her offer and stand up. Grabbing my pillow and blanket, I move toward the other side of the bed as she shuts off the light.
She removes her robe, exposing a plain tank top. I study her movements as she crawls into bed, covering every inch of her body with the comforter. The only thing visible is her head.
“You good?”
She whispers, “Yes.”
I pull back the comforter and slide in next to her. My body is already on edge as I can sense her skin close to mine. My heart beats a million miles a minute as I lay there stiff as ever, careful not to touch her in a wrong way.
Breathing through my nose, I forcefully twist my body away from hers, facing the window, and I slip the covers over me. Heat radiates between us as we lie side by side, inches apart with nothing but space between us.
My mind immediately travels to imagining the feel of her smooth skin underneath the blankets. I swear I can hear her breathing, gasping for air as the heat rises between us. It can’t just be me that’s affected, right? We have a connection; I’ll admit that. 100 percent. The urge to feel her skin under my fingertips swells inside me, forcing me to ball my hands into fists.
At that moment, she shuffles her body closer to mine and her ass brushes against my lower back, our bodies mere centimeters apart. Tension builds as I breathe, trying to calm myself down. It’s all in your head, man. Relax and go to sleep.
The sound of Victor’s voice echoes in my mind, releasing me from my anguish over my bedmate.
Just as my body relaxes, her soft voice chimes. “Taylor?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for protecting me today. I really appreciate it.”
My lips immediately curve into a smile as I respond. “You’re welcome.”
With that, my eyes close as I allow my body to get the much-needed rest it deserves.
CHAPTER NINE
Taylor
THE WARM RAYS OF THE bright sun shine through the window as the morning draws near. The light hits my eyes, causing them to open slowly as my body wakes steadily. Blurred vision greets me as my grogginess from lack of sleep settles in. Rubbing my eyes awake, I open them, taking in my surroundings.
Remembering the events of the night before, I recall that I’m in Harley’s room. Her briefcase is nestled on the desk, her jewelry is displayed on the nightstand, and her robe is neatly folded next to the bed.
My head turns to face her and I see she’s still asleep, in the same position she was in last night. Twisting my body to face her back, I inch closer to her as she sleeps, desperately trying to not wake her up. My eyes roam, watching the gorgeous brunette sleep next to me. Her long dark hair lays across her shoulder and along the pillow. As I inch forward, a hint of coconut shampoo fills my nostrils.
Fighting the urge to touch her, my eyes study her face. A few beauty marks on her cheek coincidently form a triangle, causing a smile to form on my lips. Inching slowly, desperate to feel her skin on my fingertips, my hand moves closer to her bare shoulder. The tips of my fingers graze her soft skin as tingles electrify me from just the tiniest touch. With caution, my hand trails down her shoulder toward her arm in a sensual fashion. Memorizing every inch, every ounce of her skin, I relish in this brief moment.
Just as I bend my head to press a soft kiss on her shoulder, the alarm buzzes, startling me as my hand retreats away from her body and under the covers. She groans awake while reaching over toward the nightstand to shut it off and rubbing her eyes.
I yawn, pretending I’m just waking up as well, and do a pretend stretch just to be on the safe side.
Our eyes meet for a moment until she hops out of bed, racing toward the bathroom. The sound of pee trickling into the toilet echoes as I shake my head. That’s my cue.
Climbing out of bed, I grab my cellphone and key and head back to my room. Glancing at the time, I see there’s about an hour before I have to get ready for court, so I slip on a pair of sweats and running shoes. Within minutes, I’m out the door and headed toward the hotel gym.
As I enter the space, there’s no one in sight. Nice and empty. I step onto a treadmill, plug in my earbuds, and start the workout playlist as the machine turns on.
Jogging in place, my mind goes to Harley and pictures her lying in bed next to me. At first, it was weird having to sleep next to her, but in the end, it felt right.
I tap her door with a swift knock and stand in the hallway before Harley swings her door open, inviting me in as she finishes getting ready.
I take a step inside and grab a seat on the sofa. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”
She scoffs as she puts on her earrings. “The plan is for you not to go to jail. Anything after that is all up to you.”
I nod. “Got it. So…what am I supposed to say, on the stand you know?”
A slight chuckle escapes her lips as she combs her fingers through her hair. “It’s not that kind of trial you know. Basically, we’ll be at the courthouse all day until the judge calls us up. I’ll make a motion to dismiss the case as you’re a first-time offender and if that doesn’t go through, I’ll make a deal with the prosecutor. Either way, you won’t be on the stand.”
“So…no testifying?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. Just sit there and be quiet. Let me do the talking.”
I shrug in agreement. “Sounds good to me.”
Taking one last look at her reflection, she spins in a circle, glancing at her outfit: an all-black dress and matching black heels. She catches me staring and smiles. Turning to face me, she motions for me to stand up. “Come here.”
Puzzled by her request, I follow her command and walk toward her. Her hands smooth over my jacket, wiping away dust and lint as she straightens it up for me. “Don’t you have a tie?”
“Nope, sorry.”
Rolling her eyes, she stalks to the closet and digs inside a bag. “Figures.”
She comes back with a navy blue tie in hand and hands it to me. “Here.”
I pause, looking at the tie and then her with a confused look. “Uh, I don’t do ties.”
She commands, “You do today. It adds a bit of class. Put it on, we gotta go.”
Muttering under my breath, I inspect the tie, wondering how many other defendants have worn this. “All right fine, but I need help.”
She gives me an astonished look. “Seriously!?”
My shoulders shrug. “What? I don’t wear ties so I need help. Do you want me to wear it or not?”
Huffing with attitude, she grabs the tie out of my hands and motions me closer to her. She wraps it around my neck and starts tying the knot.
Within seconds she tightens it, smooths it out along my button-down, and pats my shoulders. “There, good as new.”
Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I have to admit, it’s not that bad, and I accept her sense of fashion. “Not bad. Yo
u were right.”
She glances at me with confidence. “I’m always right.
Well okay.
Ten minutes later we’re in the car and headed toward the courthouse. By the time we get there, a line has formed at the entrance as people wait to be checked through security. Once we get the all clear, Harley leads me to courtroom #7 and opens the door. It’s already filled with defendants waiting for their chance to be heard.
She spins back to me. “Take a seat. I’ll be back.”
A little over an hour passes before she returns. She smiles as she slides onto the bench, taking a seat next to me.
She whispers, “We’re up next, and I got it all under control.”
I reply with confusion, “Okay, what does that mean?”
“No jail time, but you’ll need to pay a fine and do some community service. I also got the resisting arrest charge dropped.”
My eyes grow wide. “Dropped? Wow! How much is the fine?”
“Three grand.”
I shout unexpectedly, causing people to stare. “Three grand!”
“Shhh…can you not do that?”
I pause, thinking about my finances. “When is it due?”
“Thirty days.”
I blow a sigh of relief. “Yeah, I can do that. The money will be tight, but I can.”
She pats my leg with excitement. “Okay, awesome. Get ready, and remember, don’t say a word.”
The judge calls my name and I follow Harley to the front. I sit at the table as she stands, listening to the prosecutor recite the charges filed against me.
It all happens so fast and before I know it, the judge orders my sentencing: one hundred hours of community service and the set fine I need to pay. I want to speak up about the incident at the bar but hesitate after Harley’s advice; I don’t want to make things worse.
Love, Lies, & Crime: Anthology Page 38
