The Sandstone Affair (An Erotic Romance Novel)

by Priscilla West

  “Mr. Mark Stone, please approach the proponents table,” the judge say, flipping back and forth through the pages on his desk. Mark rises and comes about the table, placing his hand on my shoulder because he can tell I’m concerned.

  “Mr. Stone, did you supply these numbers, charts and records for this rejoinder?”

  “Yes, your honor,” Mark says without waiting for Paul to give him a nod. Mark’s clearly used to making his own way in the world.

  “Considering the fact I’ve heard all about stolen photographs, illegal internet connections and unlawfully obtained information in this case, would you please verify for me that you obtained this evidence in a clearly legal and above-board fashion?”

  My mind flashes to Mark, placing the fake folder in the bookshelf and taking the real one while I am offering sexual favors to his brother. There was nothing clear, legal or above board about any of it. If he lies, it’s perjury. That may not send him to jail but it would certainly ruin his reputation as an investor and venture capitalist. I bite my lip and look at Paul, who doesn’t seem afraid in the slightest.

  “I am the co-president of Sandstone Ventures. I have just as much right to the records of my company as my brother Blake Stone. They were my documents to take, and mine to turn over to the court, your honor.”

  “Mr. Stone, don’t you find it a conflict of interest that a co-president of Sandstone Ventures is standing on the proponent’s side of this rejoinder?”

  “Not at all, Sir.” The judge may have legal authority, but Mark clearly owns this room. “I am standing on the side of what is legal, what is fair, and what is morally right. Nothing about Sandstone’s position in regard to the transfer of Lynx Magazine or the firing of Miss Sharp can say that.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Stone.” The judge nods, satisfied with the answer. I let out a long-held breath, and smile when I hear Mark call me by my business name. I’ve gotten used to being just “Julia.” Mark takes the seat next to me at the table, places his assuring hand on my leg and winks at me when no one else seems to be looking. God, I love this man!

  “I have reviewed this packet completely and I am ready for a ruling,” the judge says as a court stenographer takes down every word. The bailiff stands up very straight, allowing me to see that Janice was right, his crease is crooked. The judge clears his throat.

  “Here we go,” Mark whispers into my ear, his voice driving me wild.

  “In the matter of Sharp versus Sandstone Ventures, I find there is sufficient cause to stop the transfer of the asset known as Lynx Magazine. It shall remain in stasis as a Sandstone property facilitated by Miss Julia Sharp until such time as the court decrees it is satisfied with the legality and mutuality of said transfer.”

  “I don’t know what that means,” I confide to Mark.

  “It means you’re not going anywhere,” he replies with a big smile and side-arm hug. We turn back to the judge who looks at us impatiently.

  “Further, the cause of justice must come before the cause of business, thus I am issuing a cease and desist order for Mr. Blake Stone and Mr. Kenneth Allen to stop all business proceedings regarding Lynx Magazine until the allegations of embezzlement, fraud, invasion of privacy, and witness intimidation can be investigated and adjudicated fully.”

  “Watch this,” Mark whispers as Paul stands up. It’s clear that they left saving me up to Robert Clank and spent most of their day in a planning session of their own.

  “If it pleases the court, your honor,” Paul says. “Once Mr. Stone and Mr. Allen learn the transfer of the property known as Lynx Magazine has been stopped, they are likely to destroy any evidence that exists. Mr. Mark Stone will also testify that Blake Stone has a tremendous amount of money and connections and would likely flee prosecution if not held under bond immediately. We believe the evidence and testimony of four witnesses present is enough to mandate the arrest on reasonable suspicion of both subjects. We request Mr. Stone and Mr. Allen be arrested and detained to be held under bond, an immediate restrictive order on Mr. Stone regarding Sandstone property, computers, and systems, and a personal protective order for Miss Sharp.”

  “Mr. Stone.” The judge looks over as Mark rises. I can’t believe what I am hearing. It’s too good to be true.

  “Yes, Sir?”

  “Do you honestly believe your brother would flee the country or destroy company records once he learns the rejoinder has been granted?”

  “Yes, your honor, I do.” Mark replies solemnly. “I am also fearful that he would further attempt to hurt Miss Sharp as well.”

  “Mr. Clank.” The judge looks away as Mark tentatively sits down. It’s everything I can do to keep from jumping into his lap right here. “You’re an expert on the bail bondsman business. If Mr. Blake Stone were not in custody, do you believe he would flee and deny justice in this matter?”

  “Your honor.” Mr. Clank stands to address the judge as well. “I can’t tell you for sure if he would run or not. But I can tell you this. Blake Stone possesses such a high risk of flight that Clank and Clack Bail Bonds will not take him as a client because he represents a potential loss of capital. In short, Sir, I find Mr. Stone to be a bad investment.”

  Ever the venture capitalist, a slight smile appears on Mark’s face as he hears his brother placed on the slush pile of financial ventures where Blake had put Lynx. Nodding and flipping through the papers one more time, the judge issues his final order, taken by the bailiff.

  “As an officer of the court, I hereby issue an arrest warrant for Mr. Blake Stone and Mr. Kenneth Allen to be executed immediately. Suspects will be remanded for arraignment pending investigation. I also issue a writ of proprietor protection toward Sandstone Ventures and all personal and electronic systems therein. Finally, I grant a personal order of restraint toward Miss Julia Sharp. Neither suspect is to be closer than five-hundred feet to Miss Sharp, her home, or her business.”

  With a bang of his gavel, we were done. I hug Mark as hard as I can, tears of joy falling down my face.

  “I’m so proud of you,” he says to me and he holds me. “We won, Julia. We won.”

  I pull myself away enough to thank Paul Fries for his fantastic work, and walk Kevin and Janice to the door of the courtroom, reminding Kevin to come to work Monday morning, sharp. Janice asks if I want to come to stay at her house, or at least stop by for a while. I decline the invitation but give her a hug and thank her for all her love while teasing her again about the wig and makeup combo.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to stop by?” she asks, giving me the once over. My hair is flat, my morning dress is now a dingy limp sweat-stained disaster, and my shoe is missing a strap, somehow. “Seems to me we both have some cleaning up to do.”

  “I’m so happy,” I bubble. “I don’t even care!’

  I go back over to Mark and stand holding his hand when the bailiff comes toward me. He is carrying a stack of orders to be called in to the police.

  “Miss Sharp, once I call these in, the cops will go pick him up. But there’s no guarantee they can find him quickly. You should stay here or somewhere safe until you can verify we have him in custody and he’s been advised of the orders.”

  “I know where he is,” Valerie offers with a smile. The bailiff is all ears, as are Mark and I. “He’s at Lynx. I told them I was coming here to keep an eye on the court. They think I’m going to call them any minute and say no rejoinder was filed, or a rejoinder was denied. Then I’m supposed to join them at the Lynx office for a champagne toast.”

  “Guess you’ll have to do without the bubbly.” Mark smirks as the bailiff takes the address for Lynx from the paperwork and walks to his desk to make the call.

  “One of these nights, when this is all over, we’ll all have to get together for some real celebratory fun,” Valerie answers with a broad smile and a touch of her hand on my shoulder. “Until then, how’d you like to see a perp walk?”

  “I’d love it.” I smile and pull Mark by the hand. “Come on. There are only
two things that can make this day any better than it already is. One of them is watching your brother get the zip tie for a change.”

  “What’s the other?” Mark asks.

  I don’t answer; I just smile and wink.

  Chapter 28

  Mr. Clank offers to drive Valerie, and I pile in the front seat of Mark’s car. We stall on the main highway just long enough to see the police cars pass us, and then hurry to the Sandstone Ventures parking lot. As soon as the car stops, we all jump out and rush to the front of the office building. I’d give anything to have a photographer here right now. I thought we might have to wait while the men put up a fuss, but they come out pretty quick. Kenneth is walking slowly and not saying a word. Blake on the other hand is a fountain spewing hate in all directions.

  “I want your badge number,” Blake is telling one of the officers who is holding him by the arms propelling him forward. “I also want to know what judge signed these orders because I’m going to take him so far down he won’t even be able to see the bench, let alone sit on it!”

  I allow my eyes to take in every moment of this scene. In all my fantasies, never did it look as beautiful as it does right now. Blake scuffing his shoes on the parking lot, red-faced with spit flying out of his mouth. He’s doing a really good job of making an ass of himself until he sees us standing by watching. He convinces the cops to walk him closer to us.

  “You backstabbing cunt,” he spits toward Valerie. I suck in my breath and attempt to hide how shocked I am that anyone would speak to her this way. “Did you fuck the judge too? I’ve got pictures, you two-bit media whore. I’ll tell everyone in town to watch out for your pussy, because we all know it’s not an exclusive.”

  “Oh, dear,” Valerie says, walking just close enough to Blake so she doesn’t have to scream her business for the world to hear. “Those pictures were removed from your custody before my deposition this morning. So I’m afraid you’ll be standing around with your dick in your hands. Or, more aptly put–holding on to nothing.”

  “Cunt!” He rages and lunges toward her only to have the officers yank him back as he nearly falls on the sidewalk.

  “Careful, Mr. Stone,” I say with a tone made of equal parts sarcasm and innocence. “When they zip tie your hands behind your back, it really messes up your balance. Believe me, I know.”

  “You!” Blake roars, taking his eyes off Valerie and now charging at me as much as he can with a burly officer on each arm. “You did this. You think you won this game? I’ll be out in time for dinner and I’m going to cook your ass and feast on your soul while you sob your apology.”

  “I’m not sure, Gentlemen,” Mark says to the officers. “But I think my brother just threatened Miss Sharp.”

  “I’m a witness,” one cop said while the other nodded.

  “You think this bitch is worth protecting? You should see her on her knees. I’ve seen her in her slutty clothes on her knees with her whore mouth open ready to suck my dick because it’s the only way any of these media sluts get ahead. Journalism isn’t made with pen and ink anymore boy, it’s written in cum, and that slut right there is the master of jizz soaked bullshit called news.”

  “Blake,” Mark warns.

  “Why don’t you come over here now, bitch? Come beg me like you begged the other night. Tell me how you’ll do anything I want to get back into your office. Open up that dress and wrap your whorish tits around my cock like you wanted to do the first time you came to see me.”

  I am so angry and ashamed my face flushes and I fear people will think I really did want to exchange sex with him for a hand out. Then I realize, even if the officers did believe it, all they would think is the only way Blake gets any action with women is to threaten or blackmail them. I’m pretty comfortable with that thought.

  “You know what, Blake?” I start. “There are a thousand things I would like to tell you right now. I could tear you apart starting with your dick, or lack thereof, and end with your lack of common sense in putting your little schemes together. I could laugh in your face, dance at your hearing, and spit on your grave, but I won’t.” I have so much I want to say. I feel my emotions cresting, but I’m following Mark’s lead and I’m staying in control.

  “Won’t or can’t, silly cow?” Blake retorts.

  “Won’t,” I respond victoriously. “I have learned discipline, grace, and strength from your brother. I don’t need to waste any more time on you.”

  I walk away on cloud nine. I did it. I managed my passion and channeled it into something appropriate, and powerful. I see by the look in Mark’s eyes he knows what a test that was for me and that I passed it with flying colors.

  “Learned a lot did you?” Blake says, seething. “Seems to me all you did was spend the last month learning to be my brother’s fucktoy while your father was on his deathbed. His demise was divine intervention wasn’t it? I’m sure every time you spread your filthy legs for Mark, your father prayed to die.”

  CRACK!

  The punch hits Blake so hard it causes the cops to let go of his arms, dropping him on the ground before staggering to stand him back up. I am as shocked as Blake seems to be. I never even saw Mark coming until he cracks Blake with a roundhouse punch right across the jaw.

  “That’s no way to talk to my lady,” Mark says roughly, still holding his fist up ready to punch him again the minute the cops stand him up.

  “What are you standing around for?” Blake kicks at the shins of the younger of the two cops. “Arrest him!”

  “I don’t think so, Sir,” the cop says, much to Blake’s’ dismay.

  “But he hit me! You saw it. That’s a clear case of assault! I demand you arrest him!” Blake shouts at the two cops.

  “Didn’t see any assault. Did you, Steve?”

  “Nope,” the officer shook his head. “Must have gotten that bruise falling here in the parking lot because you were fighting being taken into custody.”

  “But you saw it,” Blake whines. “You saw him assault me at this very moment.”

  “That wasn’t assault, Sir,” the officer advises as they pull Blake away. “Just looked like a conversation between brothers to me.”

  “Well, that was sure worth the price of admission,” Valerie says to Mr. Clank who nods readily.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Mark says. “I shouldn’t have risked more chaos.”

  “Really? You’re sorry you hit him?” Valerie asks incredulously. They speak to each other like old lovers do—eyebrow lifts and subtle vocal tones to display meaning no one else will get. A small jealousy begins to rise in me. Will we ever speak like that?

  “Well, no.” Mark concedes as he reaches out to hold my hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t do it long ago.”

  Jealousy abated.

  Valerie turns to leave then comes back to where Mark and I are standing. I’m afraid she’s going to make some snide remark about him dating another reporter as if I’m some kind of sloppy second to her. But, it’s me she addresses.

  “People talk all the time about the media and the things we do to get the story. But you and I both know there’s a hell of a lot of work that goes into making the cover and none if it gets any press because it’s not the interesting part. You did anything you’ve had to do. Put it away and move on. There are more stories ahead that need to be told.”

  With that, she turns and steps into Mr. Clank’s car as he invites her out to dinner.

  “Now, there’s an odd couple,” I say to Mark shaking my head.

  “Everyone is an odd couple, when you think about it,” he muses philosophically. “Look at us, a handsome, well-off, highly respected businessman dating some ragamuffin jailhouse wreck who actually ran through a courthouse barefoot.”

  He crosses in front of me and opens the passenger door to his car in a grandiose fashion.

  “Care for a ride, M’lady?”

  “With thanks, kind sir,” I respond. “But what I really need is a shower, and some food.”

  “I
know just the place!” He smiles and gently closes the door behind me.

  ~~~

  An hour later I’m nestled in the lap of luxury on Mark’s couch. I’ve showered, and we had some of the best salmon I’ve ever tasted. He pours me a perfect glass of Riesling and takes me into his arms. We sit in silence a long time, just enjoying the peace of each other’s company.