by N. Alleman
On my to the courthouse, I can’t help but wonder if I need to go and see the verdict being read out after all. I mean, I already know that he’s going to be found guilty, and I’m sure to be bombarded with questions afterwards—the press will want to know how I feel about it all, and I’m pretty sure that ‘numb’ won’t be an acceptable answer, even if it is the truth. In my mind, I’m done with it all now. I’m ready to move on to a better future, and I cannot wait until the day comes that I can just have that.
Once I get there, and I see the huge crowd surrounding the place, I slip into a nearby alleyway, just needing a moment to catch my breath before I go inside. The media coverage is always so crazy and intense, I just don't feel like I need it today. Maybe I should run away...
I lean my back against the nearest wall and close my eyes. For a split second I imagine Alexi’s face and I imagine what he would tell me to do. That’s how I’ve gotten through most of this, channeling him and telling myself what he would advise me to do.
This time, I visualize him so clearly that I can almost feel his breath against my cheeks. When I open my eyes and my vision becomes clear, I can see him, standing right in front of me.
Have I lost my mind? It’s like I conjured him up...
“Alexi,” I whisper lightly, running my fingers across the light stubble of his jaw. If this is what madness feels like, then let me give in to it. “You’re here.”
“Of course I am,” he grins, before kissing me lightly on the lips. “I told you I’d be back, didn’t I?”
Wait! This is real? He’s really here!
“Oh my God,” I gasp, throwing my arms around his neck. “I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”
He nuzzles my neck, which makes my heart sing. “Everything is okay now, we can finally be together.” I don't ask him what he means by that, because I have the feeling I don't want to know. “We can go anywhere. I know you want to get away from here.”
But as I pull back to stare at him. I know it’s time to reveal my own news. “I think I want to stay,” I say, completely stunning him. “I mean, I’m losing my house in the next few weeks, but I do have my own money now. Plus, Karen is here, and my parents... should I ever want to reconnect with them. I mean, I know it won’t be easy, but I think this will be best for all of us...”
“Wait,” he stops me suddenly, picking up on my subtle hint. “All of us?”
I take his hand, and rest it on my belly. It seems like our last night together left us with more than just fond memories. “I’m having your baby,” I whisper to him. “Our family is finally going to be complete.”
“Oh my God!” His eyes shine with love.. “This is the best news ever! I love you so damn much.”
“I love you too.”
As we lose ourselves in one another, I finally feel whole. I don't need to go to court for the reading of the verdict.
That is my past.
This is my future and it’s all I care about. Alexi, me, and our baby... a real family, together forever.
Want another sexy hero who happens to be an ex-con? Try WANTED, a super hot romance from USA Today Bestselling authors Normandie Alleman and Jani Kay. Keep reading for a free sample.
WANTED: A Monster Billionaire Romance
WANTED
Jani Kay
&
Normandie Alleman
Wanted A Monster Billionaire Romance
FOSTER
I spent the last five years locked in a cage for a crime I didn’t commit.
Crucified by the press and social media. Hated by all.
But now that I’m a free man, I’m determined to prove I’m not the evil mastermind everyone thinks I am.
I just need someone to believe in me.
Someone like Addison James…
ADDISON
Foster Cruise is sexy as hell and worth billions. But he destroyed my family.
He may have gone to prison, but he hasn’t paid nearly enough for what I’ve lost.
He has no idea who I am, but I’m determined to prove what the law failed to—and put him back behind bars where e belongs.
I’ll offer him my body and sell my soul to that handsome-as-hell devil to make things right.
Trouble is, I’m afraid he’s already stolen my heart.
Foster
The sunlight hit my face and I squinted as I stepped outside and drew in a deep breath.
Ah, fresh air.
During the last five years, my cage hadn’t been completely indoors, though it might as well have for all the freedom the exercise yard gave me.
The world smells different when a man is free. Cleaner to be sure, and full of possibilities.
Inside, the air was stale. Stagnant. It smelled of piss, punctured lives, and withered dreams.
The far north wing of the prison was dedicated exclusively to white-collar criminals and there, anything could be bought for a price. I wouldn’t say I lived in luxury, but the conditions on that end of the grounds were far more comfortable and the rules more lenient than where the rapists and murderers were housed. Yet, my freedom of choice had been taken from me and that was the one thing I’d learned to value.
A few moments earlier when those metal bars clanked closed behind me for the last time, I vowed I’d never let anyone lock me up again.
Most inmates accepted the small stipend given to them by the prison and took a bus to their next destination, but I wasn’t most prisoners. I had money, and I intended to use it. I’d arranged for a cab to pick me up because a limo would’ve been ostentatious and might have sent the wrong message, like I wasn’t remorseful for my sins.
I was sensitive to that, even though I’d never committed a fucking crime.
I, Foster Cruise, am innocent.
It was as true five years ago as it was now, yet nobody believed me. Story of my life.
Nobody knew better than me that looks were more important than the truth. Hell, appearance is everything.
I learned that important piece of information after I’d been convicted for helping one of the most notorious thieves in the world, my boss, bilk hundreds of people out of their life savings. I hadn’t known a thing about it, but the authorities claimed that my boss, Arnie Hirsh, had taken their money, claimed to invest it, and had basically stolen it for himself.
A red, white, and blue cab pulled up next to the dark gray prison building just a few feet outside the electric fence topped with loops of razor wire.
I slid into the back seat and slammed the door shut. I never wanted to see that damn place again.
“Where to?” the cabbie asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror but not making eye contact.
“The airport.” No sense going back to where I used to live. Everything I owned was in storage, except for the one suitcase I had with me. Plus, the last time I was in New York, everywhere I went, people were ready to tar and feather me. My face had been plastered across every television news station and all over the internet. It was one of the reasons I’d grown a beard while inside. People were less likely to recognize me, especially on the other side of the country.
A few hours later, as I settled into the comfortable first class seat on the airplane, I took pity—for a moment—on those poor bastards sitting in coach. Was it my imagination, or had the airlines made the seats smaller back there? It looked like first class was getting even more luxurious. I placed the noise cancelling headphones over my ears, reclined my chair to a practically laying down position, and flicked through the new release movie menu for something to distract me from the constant chatter in my brain about both my past and my future. For a few hours, I didn’t want to think. I just wanted to sip on some decent Scotch and relax after I quenched my thirst with an ice-cold beer. Later, when I felt more relaxed, I’d access the internet to check the latest news.
Glancing around the cabin, there weren’t any women who caught my eye. Not that I was looking for a mile-high encounter, but it had been a long five yea
rs with nothing but my hand to keep me company. I may have been hard up, but at least I didn’t look it. My clothes were probably a bit dated, but most people weren’t as knowledgeable about fashion as I was. Keyword: was.
Thank God, I’d picked up some magazines at the airport. That would help catch me up, and when I got to California, I’d go on a shopping spree. Build a new wardrobe from scratch.
To be a new man, I needed new clothes. Hell, I was going to have to recreate my entire life. I might as well look good doing it.
No one from my past life was left, except one old friend who’d been too busy with his soccer career to do much other than send me an encouraging note once in a while. The rest of my so-called friends all took off as soon as the indictment came down, and while I was behind bars, my supporters dwindled. Even my family abandoned me.
My mother’s one and only visit was so “traumatic” that she burst into tears and left after only fifteen minutes. What did she imagine life was like for me in there? Regardless, ever since then, the contact with my parents progressed from infrequent to non-existent. During my stint, I’d been lucky to get an e-card at Christmas or on my birthday, and when I e-mailed to tell them I was being released, they didn’t bother to respond.
I tried not to let it bother me. Hell, I was a grown man. I didn’t need Mommy and Daddy anymore. Fuck, I didn’t need anyone. Thanks to a trust fund bequeathed to me from my maternal grandmother, I could buy a small island and never work another day if I wanted to. And fortunately, I’d been smart enough not to let Hirsh get his filthy paws on it.
Okay, that wasn’t completely true. I gave Hirsh a small investment when he first hired me as a show of loyalty. The fucker didn’t need to know I’d be worth billions when I turned thirty. When the money I gave him disappeared, I barely missed it.
A pretty blonde flight attendant approached. She leaned over and gave me a glimpse of her ample cleavage. “Can I get you anything?” she asked in a singsong voice that was more annoying than cheerful.
You, bending over this tray table and me taking that ass. An image of her naked flashed through my mind. I was dying to sink my cock into that bubble butt of hers. Shove her panties in her mouth to shut her up. My cock stirred, pressing against my pants.
“A beer, please. Imported.” Damn, five years was too long to go without a woman.
The beer tasted better than I remembered. It went down smooth, and I ordered another one.
After the second one, I had to piss. I got up from my seat to make a trip to the lavatory.
While I was taking care of business, I couldn’t believe how incredibly small the airline’s restrooms had become. There wasn’t room for a big guy like me to stand up straight in there, much less partake in any mile-high action. Two people even fitting in there would be a tight squeeze. Not that I minded getting up close and personal, but I’d crossed mile-high fucking off my bucket list years ago. Been there, done that.
I closed the door behind me and as I headed toward my seat, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
The nerdy man seated across the aisle was stuffing something into the seat back in front of my chair.
I took a few long strides and I was on him, towering over the seated man who was now nervously shifting his eyes from side to side.
“What are you doing?” My voice was sharp. If there was one thing I learned in prison, it was not to back down from a confrontation. Pussy out and the jackals would pick their teeth with the bones from your carcass. The penitentiary where I served my time had been mostly populated by white-collar criminals, but there were still some badass motherfuckers in there who taught me a thing or two.
“Oh, nothing. Sorry. You seem to have dropped your boarding pass.”
I shrugged. Who the fuck cared about a piece of paper on the floor?
“Are you really Foster Cruise?”
My guts fell through to the floor and it wasn’t the turbulence. Not. This. Shit. Again.
All right. I tried to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, but this little prick was wearing on my nerves now. “You’d better keep your hands to yourself, and stay outta my backyard,” I said, pleased with how it came out. Much more menacing than I ever could have managed before prison. Huh—unforeseen upsides.
The nerdy guy flinched, curling into himself.
“You got that?” I wanted to growl at him, but I refrained.
“O-o-okay.” He gulped, just as the flight attendant rushed over, probably excited to show off some new “conflict resolution” techniques she learned at the latest training seminar.
“Everything all right here, gentlemen?” she asked.
I sat down and buckled my seatbelt. “Just a little misunderstanding.”
“Uh, Miss, can I please talk to you?” The nerd pointed toward the front of the plane. She nodded, and glasses-boy got up gingerly, eyeing me the whole way as he followed the blonde to the front of the airplane.
I watched them for a second, him whispering to the flight attendant. She said something back I couldn’t overhear, so I put on my headphones and turned my attention back to the television series about zombies that I had just discovered but everyone else in America seemed to be talking about.
Within a few minutes, he came back to his seat, packed up his things, and the flight attendant got him settled in a seat three rows ahead.
What the hell? So the guy recognized me even with the beard. What did he think I was going to do, steal his life savings from across the row?
What a dick.
This was exactly what it had been like in New York.
Everywhere I went, people talked about me, whispered behind my back, or even publicly chastised me. My favorite was the time I got out of the limo outside the Guggenheim on my way to view an important art opening, only to have a bucket of fish guts tossed on me. The fuckers found ways to track my movements, and going anywhere became a challenge.
After the fish incident, I mostly stayed home and had my assistants do all my shopping and errands. I got so tired of being a prisoner in my own home that I started to look forward to going to prison. In fact, I asked my attorney to negotiate for me to go in a week earlier. If my movements had to be that restricted, I at least wanted the time to count.
Now, on this fucking airplane, I noticed out of the corner of my eye more and more people walking past my seat, glancing down at me, their eyes widening in some combination of recognition and horror. The way one might look at a pedophile.
Suddenly, I was in the cage again. Spectators standing outside talking, whispering, pointing.
I took a deep breath, hiked up the volume, and focused on the zombies in front of me falling apart as they trudged slowly down the street. I could relate.
Fuck. This was going to be a long-ass trip.
When I arrived in Los Angeles, it was still late afternoon. As the hired car traveled up the coast to Malibu, I wound down the windows to suck in lungs full of the sea breeze to help me relax. The west coast was even more beautiful than I remembered. The sapphire blue ocean with its cresting waves and occasional dolphin popping out of the water calmed me. The jagged coastline and sandy beaches called to me. Maybe this was the right choice. This felt like it could be home.
The peace and quiet were just what I needed. A chance to be alone so I could create a brand new life for myself, and preferably one where everyone who ran across me didn’t treat me like a pariah.
My realtor had sent me a packet with detailed information and photos on several different properties. I chose the one that stood out above the rest, and had my attorney take care of the purchase while still incarcerated. Then I hired an interior decorator to furnish the whole place. As the car pulled up to my new address, my stomach did a flip.
The house had a modern vibe with lots of straight lines and windows. The views were incredible, and excitement built inside me that I hadn’t felt in ages. For countless nights, I’d dreamed of the ocean, my new place, and a fresh start. I’d stared at the picture of
my Malibu mansion so much that I’d worn a hole in the paper it had been printed on.
I tipped the driver and got out. With no luggage to weigh me down, I ran up the driveway, key in hand. I hadn’t seen the interior furnishings yet; I’d told the designer I wanted it to be a surprise. In reality, I knew if I had pictures of the interior of a beautiful house that belonged to me, but that I couldn’t live in, couldn’t touch, couldn’t enjoy while I was trapped in a concrete box, it would be torture. And if I didn’t like something, it could be replaced. After spending over ten million on the property, I’d get what I wanted.
I inserted the key in the lock, turned it, and stepped into my new life.
Addison
I reread the headline for the umpteenth time: Billionaire Purchases Mansion in Malibu.
My hands trembled as I stared at the picture in the newspaper clipping. He’d grown a beard and his hair was shorter on the sides, but I’d recognize Foster Cruise anywhere. Eyes hidden behind dark glasses, hands in his pockets, he still looked like the self-assured cocky bastard I’d witnessed in the courtroom five years ago.
Reading the short article again, a small smile twisted my lips. California. I’d always wanted to go there, and now I would.
My gaze went back to the picture as if drawn by some invisible magnetic force. I could deny it all I wanted; it wouldn’t matter—I was obsessed with Foster Cruise.
The beard suited him. Although it hid the dimple in his left cheek, it accentuated his strong, elegant Romanesque nose and dark thick eyebrows. Pity I couldn’t see his steel blue eyes in the picture, but I knew they were bright and intelligent, almost laser sharp in their focus.
I hated admitting that he was hot, and although I wasn’t normally a fan of facial hair, this man could melt the panties off a nun. He had a mysterious air about him, and he looked mighty fine in the tailored navy suit and crisp white shirt that appeared to be his signature trademark.
