Of Demons & Stones: A Tri-Stone Trilogy

by Anne L. Parks

  "Yes, yes, I'm glad you're so very proud of yourself." I feign disapproval, but I am secretly amazed at what my body can accomplish under Alex's masterful manipulations. I'm unable to exert any self-control when he turns on his ever-present, insatiable sex drive.

  "I am proud of myself, actually." He traces the outline of my protruding lower lip with his finger. "And if you continue to pout, I'll take that bottom lip and do things to it that will make you come again—very loudly."

  For a moment, I consider forcing him to prove it.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Lisa and I pack the last evidence box and stack it along the wall with the others. I check my watch, mentally prioritize my day, and decide to wait until tonight to load the boxes into the SUV for transport to the courthouse in the morning. Lisa agreed to go to Tony's with me this afternoon, so I can prep him for the trial. I'm undecided if Tony will actually testify. I'll have to ascertain how the trial is going when the time comes. It's ultimately Tony's decision. However, this is why he's paying me—well, the firm—an exorbitant fee. It's essentially my call.

  I briefly consider asking Alex if I can take the Maserati to Tony's since I no longer have a vehicle. I'm seriously itching to drive that beauty. Common sense rules out, and I'm sure Alex will insist I be driven. It's probably a better idea for me to ride with Lisa and call when I'm done.

  I smile as I enter Alex's study, the memories of our escapades on the couch flooding my mind.

  Alex looks up from his computer. "Hey, baby." He pushes his chair away from his desk and leans back in it. "What's up?"

  "Lisa and I are taking off. I'll just ride with her over to Tony's and call you when I'm ready to be picked up. I have my cell, so just text me if anything comes up."

  I'm met with a blank look.

  "I'm not following. What are you talking about?" Alex says.

  "Shit, babe, I'm sorry. I thought I told you. I'm meeting with Tony to prep him for the week ahead. I shouldn't be too long—maybe two to three hours, max. Preliminary stuff. Later this week, we'll have a more in-depth prep to go over his testimony, if I let him testify."

  My cell phone buzzes, and I open the new email in my inbox from the judge's clerk. "Holy cow, the judge is going to allow cameras in the courtroom. That pretty much guarantees that this will be a circus. As if I needed any more pressure. Fuck me." I turn back to Alex, his eyes dark and smoldering. "Problem?"

  "You didn't tell me you were going to his house, Kylie." His tone is short and clipped.

  "Sorry. I'm going to Tony's house, Alex."

  "Not funny, Kylie. I'll go with you. Let me know when you're ready to leave." He pulls himself back to his desk and refocuses his attention on his computer screen, effectively dismissing me.

  "Well, gee, thanks for the offer, Dad, but I'll just ride with Lisa. If you'd like to pick me up later in your fancy little sports car, that'd be swell."

  "I am not doing this with you, Kylie. You're not going there alone." His gaze remains on his computer, but the heat of his anger radiates off of him, and his shoulders tense under his T-shirt.

  "You're right, Alex, I'm not going there alone. Lisa will be there also. I'm taking off now. Please endeavor to pull your head out of your ass while I'm gone."

  "Kylie!" His voice rattles me.

  I pivot and level him with a glare. This shit ends now. My career is too important—this case has too many implications—to allow Alex to think he can tell me what to do. I've lived that life already. I'm not doing it again.

  "I'm not leaving you alone with that man. End of discussion."

  The impact of his words slaps me across my face. "That man? What the hell does that mean? Are you telling me you're as bad as the rest of the fucks in this town and are willing to convict him without knowing what the hell you're even talking about?"

  He finally looks up at me, his eyes warning me not to challenge him on this subject. "I'm not willing to take the chance, Kylie. That's the offer. Take it or stay home."

  Fuck that!

  "You listen to me, Alex. You will not dictate my life. You will not tell me where I can go, who I can see, or how I will get there. You will not interfere with my job. I am your girlfriend, not your child. I am a criminal defense attorney. This is part of the package. If you can't handle it, you let me know right now. Because this intrusion in my career—this is a deal-breaker." My voice is loud yet controlled, but I am all sorts of pissed off.

  "And furthermore, you will not be coming with me. This is a confidential client meeting. You can't be present. Now, I'm going. You let me know if I need to come back here or send for my things."

  I stand there, unflinching, as Alex stares at me. It's clear that not many, if any, challenge him in this way, but I'll be damned if Alex Stone treats me like a child or one of his employees, and I won't let him direct my life.

  Alex sighs heavily and rubs the bridge of his nose. "Kylie, I don't know this man. He could be dangerous."

  "You're right, Alex. You don't know him. But I do. He didn't do this. How about, instead of listening to the fucking sound bites on the news, you listen to the woman who has actually gone through all the evidence? The one whose job it is to be a fence-sitter and look at everything from all sides before making any determinations. The one who analyzes the hell out of everything. Why can't you just take my word for it? This is my job, Alex. This is what I do, and I'm pretty damn good at it. Trust me, Tony Trevalis is not dangerous. Period. I'm going now. End of story. You deal with it." I walk out of the study without waiting for a response.

  Lisa and Jake are standing in the kitchen, trying to look nonchalant, but they've clearly overheard my argument with Alex. Lisa averts her eyes and shifts on her feet. Jake looks past me, probably to see if Alex is coming to give him directions on how to handle the situation.

  "Lisa, are you ready?"

  She nods, jiggling her keys.

  "Jake, I'll text you when I'm ready to be picked up."

  I hear Alex's footsteps cross the hall, and I consider making a run for it before he reaches the kitchen.

  "Kylie, a word, please?" His voice is professional and cold.

  I breathe deeply and prepare myself for a continuation of the fight.

  Well, Lisa doesn't need to see me drawn and quartered.

  "Jake, please help Lisa out with her things. I'll be there in a moment." I smile at Lisa as she takes Jake's hand and is led away.

  "Why must you continually rebuke my efforts to keep you safe?" Alex asks. "It's ridiculous that I have to constantly remind you of the danger you're in. If you don't want me treating you like a child, stop acting like one."

  "Alex, you're killing me here..."

  "Do not ever say that." Alex's voice booms, and he is instantly enraged.

  I cringe and step back, expecting the slap across the face I'd receive whenever John was this infuriated. "Okay, sorry."

  Alex's face contorts. "No, I'm sorry." His voice softens, and his shoulders slump, but he doesn't move toward me. "Kylie, someone needs to be with you. If you don't want me there, fine. Take Jake. Please."

  "Alex, it has nothing to do with me not wanting you there." I exhale and move to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I can't have anyone there who's not covered by attorney-client confidentiality rules. Lisa is my legal assistant, so she falls under my umbrella. You and Jake do not. I'm sorry, but that's how it works in my world. I can't risk it. This man's life is my responsibility right now. I'll check in with you. I'll leave my phone on and keep it handy, and I'll even answer it if you call. Okay?"

  He places his arms around my shoulders and rests his forehead against mine. "Okay, but you check in with me, Kylie, and often. If I don't hear from you, I'll knock down his door, confidentiality be damned. Got it?"

  I nod.

  "And baby, stop threatening to leave me."

  I can't fight with him any longer. It's too physically and emotionally draining. And I need to go. "Fine, but we'll revisit this conversation later, Alex.
It's apparent we need to establish some guidelines. Deal?"

  He draws me in for a deep, cleansing kiss that releases all the negativity between us. "Deal."

  He walks me out to the driveway, gives me another kiss, and closes the passenger door on Lisa's car.

  The week has barely started, and Alex is already a challenge. This does not bode well for the remainder of the week.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  My cell phone rings. I quickly grab it, completely unaware of the time or when I last checked in with Alex. I walk out of the dining room where we've been working and into the kitchen in search of some privacy. I'm a little apprehensive that I've missed a pre-designated text check-in, and Alex's voice will be loud.

  "Hi, babe," I answer almost too sweetly, hoping to deflect a potential conflict. "Just getting wrapped up here."

  "So if I leave now, you'll be ready to go when I get there?"

  I'm unable to tell if Alex is on the hairy edge of pissed or trying to gauge my mood and playing it cool. We still have so much to learn about each other.

  "Yeah, I can be ready. Are we doing anything special or just going home?" Hopefully, he won't see through my lame attempt to play on his emotions by calling his house home.

  "It's Sunday, baby."

  It takes a minute for the relevance of this statement to sink in. "Family dinner night. Geez, I can barely remember my name these days, let alone what day it is. How sad is that?"

  I quickly make an assessment of what I'm wearing. The white crop pants and navy top should be fine for the Chart House.

  "Still want to go?" Alex's voice is tentative.

  I assume he's worried that our earlier bout has soured me against meeting his family.

  "Of course, babe. Looking forward to it. It'll be nice to get this trial out of my head for a bit."

  Fifteen minutes later, Alex is shaking hands with Tony. Tony apologizes profusely for taking up my time on the weekend.

  Alex is magnanimous. "Not at all. It's part of the package when you're dating a defense attorney." He glances over at me and winks.

  Alex and Tony talk for a couple of minutes while I say talk to Lisa before she leaves.

  We say our good-byes to Tony, and I notice for the first time that the Maserati is sitting in the driveway.

  "Finally," I squeal with a huge grin across my face.

  Alex gives me a sideways glance.

  "I have wanted to ride in this beautiful car from the first moment I passed you on the street."

  He opens the passenger door, and I slide onto the soft leather bucket seat that feels as if it were made just for my ass. "You told me to pick you up in the—how did you phrase it?—my fancy little sports car?"

  I smile at him as he gets in behind the wheel. "You were listening."

  "I listened, baby. Honestly, I was a little afraid not to." He takes my hand and kisses it before starting the engine.

  I lean over, pull his face to mine, and kiss him hard. He grabs my cheeks and holds me in place for a moment longer, allowing us to kiss more deeply.

  Yep, everything is back to normal between us.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  We are the last to arrive at the restaurant, which draws a remark from Alex's mother.

  "It's my fault. I had some work I needed to finish up," I offer as I'm introduced to Francine Stone.

  She has dark hair, almost black, and it's cut very short. Her green eyes look kind. However, her expression is stern despite the smile on her face.

  Harold Stone, Alex's father, is a large man with white hair and a round face. His dark eyes gleam, and he pulls me in for a warm embrace as soon as Alex introduces me. I like him immediately, and I'm struck with how much I've missed a fatherly hug.

  I'm quickly introduced to Ellie, the youngest sister, and her current boyfriend, Connor. Will, Alex's only brother, shakes my hand while kissing my cheek.

  His girlfriend, Leigha, leans over and offers a supportive, "Don't let Fran get to you. She's overprotective of her boys, but she'll come around."

  I smile at her in appreciation and infer she's been in my shoes.

  Patty comes around the table and gives Alex a hug before she pulls me into one, as well. "I'm so glad you guys came tonight."

  She has tears in her eyes, and I wonder how long it's been since Alex has attended one of these.

  Dinner is fairly relaxed. Bottles of wine are emptied and quickly replaced. I catch Fran watching Alex and me, and I can't help but feel a little self-conscious. It is a tight rope to walk—too much affection and I'll appear to be trying too hard, too little and I'm a gold digger who doesn't care about her son.

  Alex is totally oblivious to his mother's scrutiny. He's enjoying himself and relays the events of the weekend, specifically, how I took over the family room and displayed large photos of dead bodies. Of course, he's completely exaggerating the scene, but he's having so much fun that I go along with him.

  "Which trial are you working on?" Patty asks.

  Alex responds before I can answer. "Anthony Trevalis."

  "How can you possibly defend that man?" Fran's voice assaults me.

  Everyone turns to look at her. For the second time today, I'm defending my actions and my client to a member of the Stone family without actually being in a courtroom. It's really pissing me off.

  "I believe he's innocent, and I intend to defend him to the best of my ability, which is my job. I think it's unlikely the DA can meet his burden of proving he killed his wife." I take a long drink of my wine, and hope it calms my nerves.

  One of my biggest pet peeves is people who don't take the time to research and learn about a case but will jump on the bandwagon for conviction based upon the scant information released to the press.

  "Well," she continues, "from what I've heard, he's guilty." She is so matter-of-fact in her statement, waving her hand at me like I'm just ridiculous for believing anything else. "I just can't see why anyone would want to defend someone that is so clearly guilty."

  I take another long drink, keep my breathing even and controlled, and try to remember that this woman—ill-advised as she is—is still Alex's mother. "I believe that everyone deserves fair and equal representation under the law, no matter what their guilt or who they are. I take my job and responsibility to zealously represent my clients very seriously. However, I have actual knowledge of the specifics of this case, and I'm confident that my client is innocent. That's how I can defend him." I smile at her as the air fills with tension.

  Alex, apparently enjoying the tete a tete with his mother, leans forward as his mother opens her mouth to reprimand me again.

  "You're out of line. We didn't come here to be attacked. If you want to continue, Kylie and I will go home."

  Fran looks from Alex to me before setting her gaze back on Alex. "Home? You two are living together?"

  Oh, shit. This just went from bad to worse.

  Harold places his hand on his wife's arm and whispers, "That's enough, Fran. This is none of our business. Alex and Kylie are adults and can make their own decisions, and we will support them." He glances across the table at me. "Now then, dessert. Kylie, they have the best chocolate lava cake here. Are you game?"

  I smile at Harold, hoping it conveys the deep gratitude I have for his intervention. "Chocolate cake? I could be talked into chocolate cake."

  He winks at me, and I decide that I like Harold Stone very much.

  Just as I'm feeling a little more relaxed, thanks in no small part to the rich, velvety chocolate decadence on the plate in front of me, Ellie starts talking.

  "Well, Alex, thank God you kicked that other woman you were seeing for so long to the curb. What was her name? Rebekah? Ugh, she was horrid. I will never understand why you stayed with her."

  And there goes my appetite.

  The table falls silent. Patty and Will give Ellie death glares. My stomach churns, and I fight to keep my dinner down. I sit completely still, wondering if I heard her correctly. I'm completely confus
ed.

  Alex had a long-term relationship with another woman? When? He made such a big deal about me being his first—well—everything. Was it all a lie? Why would he do that?

  Alex tosses his linen napkin from his lap onto the table in front of him. "Okay, we're done." He rises and takes my hand. "Thanks for a truly memorable evening. I think we'll abstain from now on."

  Patty rises and puts her arm around my waist. "I'm so sorry, Kylie."

  Alex pulls me away, and we make our way to the front of the restaurant. I allow him to drag me along. My head is swimming. I'm trying to grasp any piece of reality I can find.

  Alex tosses the claim ticket at the valet, and we wait for the Maserati so we can escape. My mind is in a fog, and I have the overwhelming urge to drop Alex's hand and run as far away from him and his family as I can.

  Rebekah? Who the hell is she? Is she still in the picture?

  Alex turns to me. "Kylie—"

  "Alex," Harold calls to us. "Wait." He reaches us and looks from one to the other with a pained look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry. That was just despicable. Kylie, we're not usually this badly behaved. I have no explanation or excuse. I hope you won't hold this against us. I cannot tell you how happy I am for both of you, and so are the rest of the idiots at the table. Fran will come around, and then she'll kick herself for how she treated you." He pulls me into a hug, which I awkwardly return with only one arm since Alex refuses to let go of my hand. "I, for one, think Alex has found a gem. You're very precious."

  As we separate, the Maserati pulls up, and Alex has the passenger door open before the valet has come to a complete stop.

  "Let's go, Kylie."

  I get in and the door closes. Alex wheels around to face his father. He's talking low, and I assume he doesn't want me to hear what he's saying. My head is swirling, and I'm trying to figure out what just happened.

  Alex had a long-term girlfriend that he never told me about.