from Pain to Pleasure (Gainesville Book 1)

by Jeanisse, Bella

  They were supposed to just be friends with benefits. When it changed, at first she didn't realize where it was going. From what Logan had said in their room that night, she knew it had gone too far. She couldn't get that close to anyone again. He wanted them to date exclusively. That was not on her agenda. She couldn’t commit again.

  She had been fine with Logan as her only lover until the day at the bridal store. Talk of being partnered with Logan the day of the wedding brought back memories. She squashed them the same way as always; with a new man. Afterward, she felt horribly guilty, but she didn't say anything to him. He didn't mention it either.

  Finally back at the hotel, she slowly went up to their room and opened the door. Logan had his phone in his hand. “Something wrong?”

  “Huh?” Logan's head snapped up. He didn't hear her come in. “Uh, nah. Just Alex. Everything's fine.”

  She sighed. “I'm sorry.” Instead of an explanation, she moved toward him. Distraction was better than the truth. “I just needed some air.” He wouldn't understand anyway. What's the point of telling him what I've been through? “Let me make it up to you.” She reached for his belt buckle.

  Logan stared at her fingers as they opened his pants. “Wait. What happened?” He didn't push her away, though. “Just tell me—” His voice trailed off when she took him into her mouth. “Later,” he whispered.

  Chapter 41

  The trial had gone on for almost a week. Thursday, the defense started to call witnesses. Jeff, Sebastian and Diego testified. Danielle cried when they accused her of cheating and lying. They all claimed she willingly had sex with them and liked it rough. Each of them backed up Brian's story. It seemed to have become Brian's word against Danielle’s.

  It was Friday, and she was prepared for more of the same. Alex was behind her as usual. She could feel his presence, which assured her. The end of the trial was in sight, finally. The judge had kept to his word and prolonged each day until Danielle needed to rest.

  Across the aisle, Brian worried the jury was still not on his side. “Put me on the stand.”

  “No. You’ll blow it.” His lawyer rolled his eyes. Every conversation that week had shown him just how crazy Brian was.

  “I won’t,” Brian growled softly. “Ask me about the day she met him. He was putting the moves on her from the first second. I can handle it.”

  “You can’t yell at her or say anything stupid,” another man on the defense team reminded him.

  Brian sighed. “I won’t. Just stick to what I told you.”

  Danielle froze when she heard Brian called to the stand. She couldn’t imagine what lies he would tell the jury. “What do we do?” They hadn’t expected him to testify.

  Carly took her hand in his. “I have an idea. Try and relax.”

  “Easy for you to say,” she muttered. When she turned, she caught the worry Alex’s eyes. She reached out, and he grasped her hand.

  Also nervous about what Brian would say, he faked a smile. “He’s only gonna dig himself into a hole.” He sincerely hoped that was what happened. Then his eyes widened. “Carly,” he called quietly. When she turned around, he leaned forward. “He has OCD, and he gets really agitated when other men touch her. Use that.”

  “Good idea.” Carly smiled. “Plays right into my plan.”

  Danielle didn’t pay attention to the initial questions. She had heard all the excuses before. They had already shown pictures of her injuries from several altercations. She didn’t know Marie had taken photos of her neck from the first time Brian strangled her. It was a good thing she did.

  The first chair defense lawyer stood near the witness stand. “Can you tell us why you attacked Miss Brooks in her hotel room that night?”

  “Yes. I flipped out,” Brian answered. He kept his tone even and his body language calm. “When she told me she was having someone else’s baby, I had an emotional break.” He took a few breaths to control his heart rate.

  His lawyer glanced at the jury. “So then would you say you this was an act of passion?”

  “Of course it was. I would never hurt my Dani.” Brian smiled at her. “I barely remember that part of the night. It’s like I was someone else.” His confidence built. “I’m not dangerous.”

  Although, he didn’t believe that for a second, his lawyer continued anyway. “Are you the one who has been abusing Miss Brooks?”

  “No.”

  “Your semen was found inside her the night of the hotel attack. Can you explain that?”

  Brian smirked. Images of fucking her while she screamed flashed by. He came faster than he ever had because she was so terrified. “The sex was consensual. I’m just pretty well endowed. I didn’t mean to tear her. That was before she told me about the baby.” He mixed the two incidences up but didn’t realize it.

  “What about the evidence she has been sexually abused over the years?”

  “Her father raped her for years. That’s why I took her away from them. She needed a safe place to stay. I’d never hurt her on purpose.” He seemed calm, cool and collected, but within him, the rage built.

  Alex was beyond furious. He held his tongue, though. The last thing he wanted was to be thrown out and have their plan blow up. Deep breaths, man. Deep breaths. He slowly relaxed.

  Danielle was scared the jury believed Brian. He sounded so sure of himself, as always. “He’s lying.”

  “Shh,” Carly admonished her. “I’ll deal with it.”

  When it was the DA’s turn, she walked over to Brian and winked. He instinctively licked his lips. She knew he would take the bait. “Do you like women to submit to you in bed?”

  “Uh…” Brian had not expected that question. “I guess so.”

  She gave him a seductive look. “You like it rough?”

  “Yeah.” He stared at her cleavage while his cock grew. “Got a big dick, too.”

  “And if you had me in your bed, would you restrain me and give it to me rough?”

  Brian faltered. “Hell, yes.”

  “Objection!”

  The judge glared at Brian’s lawyer. “You’re objecting to your client’s answer?”

  “Um… well…” the lawyer stammered. “To the line of questioning. She’s egging him on.” He knew Brian was about to crack. “What does this have to do with anything?”

  Carly turned to the judge. “I’m showing the jury what type of man Mr. Foster really is.”

  “Go on to something else,” the judge told her.

  Satisfied the jury had heard enough, Carly replied, “Sorry.” She went back to their table and pushed a stack of folders, so they lay askew. Then she moved a few things into an odd order. When she returned to Brian, she could see he stared at the table. “Do you like things arranged in a certain order?”

  “I’m not picky.” Brian pretended the folders did not bother him.

  She smiled and walked to the defense table. “What would you do if Danielle did not stack the dishes just so?” She laid an empty drinking glass on its side. “Or make your food exactly the same each time?”

  “Nothing.” He watched her move things to odd angles. It killed him not to tell her to fix it. “She—she can do what she… wants.”

  Carly glanced at Danielle and nodded.

  Instantly, Danielle put her hand to her head. Then she gasped and started to fall out of her chair. Alex jumped over the barrier and caught her just before she hit the ground… as planned. He sat on the floor and cradled her in his arms. She hid her smile, sure Brian seethed already.

  Brian glared at the couple, dying to scream. His face grew red, and he grabbed the ledge in front of him to keep from doing something stupid. However, he was close to his breaking point.

  “You OK?” Alex asked loud enough that everyone could hear. “Do you need some water?”

  Danielle nodded. She took a few sips from the glass Alex offered. “I think I’m OK.”

  A few seconds later, Alex helped her to her feet. He kissed her forehead, and then held her belly a
nd pressed his lips to it. “Mommy’s had a long day.”

  It took every ounce of strength Brian had to stay in his seat. When Alex smirked at him, he almost lost it but stopped himself at the last second. Then Carly blocked his view and brought him back to reality.

  “Mr. Foster, Can you tell us why you installed spy programs onto the laptop you gave to Miss Brooks?”

  Brian’s head snapped up. “I’m sorry. Install what?” He had forgotten that Alex’s friend revealed that.

  “The programs on Miss Brooks’ laptop that could control her camera and microphone.” Carly turned to the jury. “Did you watch her and her roommate when they weren’t aware?”

  “Uh…” Brian’s eyes flitted around the room. “They must have been installed before I bought it.”

  Carly walked over to their table and pulled out the information from the trace Logan had done. “It says here the camera was initialized from Moscow. Isn’t that where you were for the months before the hotel attack?”

  “Um, yes.” Brian hoped he didn’t have to elaborate.

  “So then it’s possible you were the one controlling the software. How many times did you spy on Miss Brooks? Did you hear she was pregnant before she told you?”

  Brian’s eyes widened. “Wait. I didn’t. Uh, no. Maybe someone else…” He couldn’t come up with a believable lie.

  Carly turned to Danielle and waved a hand. That was her cue her to stand. “What did you plan to do about her child? Were you going to raise him as your own?”

  “No fucking way!” Brian jumped to his feet. “That goddamned bitch. I was gonna force her to get an abortion and lock her up for good.” Then he realized what he had said. He sat and placed a hand over his mouth.

  With a wide smile, Carly looked at the judge. “No further questions.”

  * * *

  By dinnertime, the jury was still deliberating. Carly had told them it could take days or even weeks for them to decide on a verdict. Alex held Danielle's hand as they sat at a table in a nearby deli. Mary and Sara were there as well. Danielle wanted to stay close to the courthouse.

  “I doubt we’ll hear anything today.” Mary took a sip of her iced tea. “We can go back to the hotel. Carly will call me if there’s news.” She patted Danielle’s hand. “I’ll wake you if something happens.”

  Danielle nodded and slowly finished the first half of her sandwich. Her appetite was poor because she agonized over Brian’s fate. If he were set free, she would be terrified her whole life. She didn’t want to live that way anymore.

  Alex sensed her angst and put an arm around her shoulders. “They won’t set him free. Worst-case scenario, he goes to a nuthouse and rots.”

  Mary rolled her eyes. Her youngest was rarely politically correct. “The judge gave the jury several options for conviction. I’m sure they’ll find him guilty.” Just after she paid the check, Mary’s phone rang. She pulled it out, and her eyes widened when she saw who it was. “Hi, Carly.”

  “You won’t believe this.” Carly had rushed back to the courthouse. “The jury’s back.”

  Alex knew that look. “Mom, good news or bad news?”

  “I don’t know yet.” Mary took a deep breath. “We’ll be there in a few minutes,” she told Carly.

  In less than 20 minutes, Danielle again sat next to Carly. They awaited the jury’s arrival. Alex had his usual post behind her, but she wanted him closer. Brian was fully restrained, dressed in prison garb. That didn’t assure her as it should. He constantly glared at her, which made her hands shake.

  By the time the judge and jury entered, Alex wanted to jump the barrier and bash Brian’s face in. Brian continually stared at his fiancé, once in a while with a smirk. Alex thought, If you ever get outta jail, I’ll kill you, motherfucker. When he looked up, he was shocked to see the jury foreman had stood.

  “Guilty,” the foreman said with a look of disdain.

  The judge asked, “On the 156 counts of rape in the first degree?”

  “Guilty.”

  “On the charge of attempted murder?”

  “Guilty.”

  Danielle couldn’t believe it. He was convicted of everything? She gripped the table. Her mind reeled.

  “I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Brian screamed and lunged for Danielle as deputies tried to lead him away. “This is all your fucking fault, bitch!” He rushed to her. “Ahhh!”

  Alex cheered when Brian was tased by three deputies. He instantly went down and stayed down. Worried, Alex hurried to Danielle and took her in his arms.

  “It’s over.” He pulled her head to his chest. “It’s really over.”

  Chapter 42

  The Friday before their wedding, Danielle had her 33-week prenatal appointment. The trunk of the car was packed with several days worth of clothing and such, since they planned to stay in South Florida for the week. The next day was Alex’s father’s birthday party. From what Danielle knew, the party was to be casual but catered.

  Danielle held onto Alex’s waist as they walked into the exam room. Since the trial ended six weeks earlier, she had had false labor pains and greater pressure in her pelvis. Because of that, she was on strict bed rest.

  Alex tried not to express his concern. He helped her into the gown and lifted her onto the exam table. She looked ill. He paced, worried that they should cancel the wedding. His family would understand. How is she gonna walk down the aisle? One glance at her told him she needed the break from their room, though.

  “Do you want to lay back?” He moved to the side and adjusted the cushions.

  Danielle smiled. “Yeah.” She felt better as soon as she was off her feet. “I’m just not used to walking so much.”

  He made sure she was comfortable. Then he laid a hand on her large belly. It was tight. “Contraction?”

  “Yeah.” She gritted her teeth. It passed quickly.

  Alex hated that things were so complicated. He checked her eyes and frowned. “You didn’t drink your water, did you?”

  “No.” It took her too long to get dressed to think of water.

  He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a bottle. “Take some.” He no longer allowed her to carry a purse. Instead, he had both of their things in the backpack. He held the bottle to her lips, and she took several sips. “She said dehydration would make the pains worse.”

  “I know.” Danielle sighed and stared at his belt. Exhaustion was also commonplace at that point. “I’m sorry.”

  He caressed her cheek. “That’s what I’m here for.” He looked up when the door opened. “Hey, Dr. Greene.”

  “Well, well.” Dr. Greene smiled. “Glad to see we’re still pregnant.”

  Danielle huffed. “Easy for you to say.” She was tired of it all, although she wanted a healthy baby.

  “It won’t be long now.” Dr. Greene brushed Danielle’s hair back. She was her favorite patient. Maybe because she saved their son. “Let’s see how things look.” When the physical exam was done, as always, they did a sonogram to be sure there wasn’t anything amiss. “Looking good. He’s getting big. I’d say he’s about four pounds already. Daddy, were you a big baby?”

  Alex grinned. “Yeah. Ten pounds or so.”

  Dr. Greene glanced at Danielle. “We may need to induce you early if he gets too big.” She cleaned up Danielle’s belly and turned to the young couple. “So... the next few weeks will be more of the same. Weekly visits and no activity.” She glared at Alex. “No sex of any kind.”

  “I know.” He frowned. The ban on sex was painful. It had been in place for two weeks already. “Is it safe to travel to my parent’s house? We’re supposed to go there from here.”

  With a wide grin, Dr. Greene replied, “Your wedding. Right. Sorry. I forgot. If she stays off her feet as much as possible, it should be fine. In the car, support her body with pillows in the backseat, just in case.”

  “I figured you say that.” Alex smiled. “I brought several.”

  Dr. Greene walked over to Danielle’s c
hart. “At 37 weeks, we’ll remove the cerclage. Then things will change. Walking and sex will be back on the table. Take it easy, though. The baby could come at any time after that.”

  “What about the pains?” Alex held Danielle’s hand. “Sometimes they get bad.”

  “There isn’t anything we can do.” Dr. Greene wrote a few notes in the chart. “But if they become regular or continue when she is lying down, call me.”

  Glad things would go as scheduled, Alex held Danielle’s hand as she climbed into the back seat. Then he arranged the pillows around her. He moved the soft cooler to her side, so she could reach the water and snacks they had brought for the trip.

  Danielle closed her eyes. She intended to sleep most of the way. Thoughts of life in Dave’s house floated through her mind. In the dorms, they had little privacy and not much room. Alex had taken her to look at the rooms they would rent. They seemed perfect. Just as she drifted off, the car moved.

  * * *

  When they pulled into his parents’ driveway, Nathan, Carol and the girls got out of a cab. All of Alex’s siblings would be at the party and planned to stay for the wedding. He glanced back and found Danielle still asleep. Quietly, he exited the car so as not to disturb her.

  Nathan patted his brother on the back. “You look nervous. Relax.”

  “She saw the doctor today.” Alex checked the backseat again. “They still want her on bed rest. So, we have to tone it down this weekend.”

  Carol approached. Each of the twins held a hand. “We got you covered. You just play the devoted boyfriend, and we’ll take care of the rest.”

  “Thanks.” Alex carefully opened the back door. “Let me get her out.”

  Alex followed Nathan inside, Danielle in his arms. She had woken but then seemed to fall back to sleep. Once he set her on the recliner, she clutched his shirt.