by Sienna Evans
His palm lingered on my shoulder, and then he closed the door before encouraging me to have a seat. The room was spacious, with polished wooden tables and luxurious leather chairs. Shelves lined a full-wall, housing books in various sizes. I had to take a moment to breathe in.
“Celeste, we’re all expecting big things from you.” He was a large man with lightly tanned skin. I couldn’t be certain, but I felt he’d had Botox injections for his lips and eyebrows. Once upon a time, he might’ve been good looking. Now, he was just painful looking, but none of that had to do with his position.
“DA―”
“We’re unofficial right now, call me Rath.”
I swallowed hard, unsure of this. For our first meeting together, alone, I suddenly felt suspicious. His hands reached across the large desk. He sat at one end, wearing a navy-blue suit and red and blue tie. I sat on the opposite end, imagining how uncomfortable I must’ve looked to him. “Is there a problem?” I tried to get out of his grip, but he seemed determined to keep me under his control.
“I’m not too certain if there’s a problem yet.”
Thoughts of Mr. Jacobs raced through my mind. What if Rathburn had found out about me getting in with the Russians? Drops of sweat formed across my forehead. My breathing sped up. “I-I...” There was no way of defending myself against this I’d fallen into!
“You need to learn how to control your emotions better.” He rose to hand to his lips. “You smell delicious, by the way.” This time rather than just kiss the back of my hand again, he sunk his lips into my palm.
I was in disbelief. For close to ten seconds, I watched this man make love to my hand. When he finally peeled himself away, our eyes connected. The lights were bright enough that I saw beyond his dark blue eyes into a black, discombobulated soul. His lips curled at the ends and the well-groomed lawmaker made my stomach churn. I wanted to reach up and grab his silky black hair. There was enough that I could’ve grabbed hold of it and slammed his face onto the desk.
“Before this goes further,” he noted, finally letting me go, “I wanted to congratulate you on making the right choice.”
“The right choice?” I immediately replied.
“Yes, the right choice for your career, your future and your life. You’ll soon learn how well we protect our own.”
“Mr. Jacobs―”
Rathburn cut me off. “Be very careful with your words. This isn’t a game,” he bit out through clenched teeth. “There’s the door, use it!”
I spun just enough to see the edge of the frame, but I wasn’t ready to exit. Hoping to choose my words carefully, I let it all go. “Who are you talking to? I hope it’s not me. You touched me and then tried to shut me down for what? No disrespect, DA Rathburn, but this is unacceptable.”
My boss leaned into his seat and gave a wicked, toothy smirk. “Unacceptable?” He chuckled. Not laughed or snickered. The man chuckled at me before adding, “Your agreement with...” He lowered his voice and scanned the room before whispering, “Jacobs is unacceptable. Now, there’s the door. Use it!”
This time, I didn’t pause. I left so quickly that the breezes swishing by cooled me instantly. The rest of my day in the office was spent on studying. Rathburn’s assistant pointed out that they were invested in my future and were determined to make me pass the bar.
Greyson
“Celeste, open up!” I slammed a fist to Celeste’s door. My veins were pulsating. I’d told her to wait for me. That I’d pick her up from the office, but who was I kidding. When did she ever listen?
“What’s wrong?” she answered, wearing only a tiny towel.
“What are you doing here?”
“This is my place, Greyson.”
“Yeah, and anyone can harass you.”
“Like who, my parents or my brother?” She had a point, but I wasn’t willing to agree so quickly. “Or do you want me all to yourself?” She slipped off the towel. While poking out her lips, she spread her arms wide. I slammed the door shut behind me.
“I’m going to spank that ass...” I picked her up from the ground, flipped her upside down and mumbled against her thighs, “Right after you cum over and over again.”
—
We woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. When I glanced at the time, it flashed ten-thirty. She staggered across the bed to search through the dark room. With the exception of a single sheet and our bodies, the bed was clear. This could be every day, for the rest of my life, and I’d never get tired.
“It’s Adam.” Celeste didn’t answer. The ringer kept going off, along with vibrations and steady lights flashing. “I’ve been ignoring my parents and his calls ever since Quinn’s funeral.”
I figured as much, since she hadn’t said anything else about any of them. “See what he wants.”
“Me to stay away from you,” she replied with a shaky tone.
“Is that what you want?”
“How could you ask me something like that?”
“Then answer the phone. If they ask, tell them exactly what you told me... Same type of attitude too.” I scooted over beside her. We were both still naked. She braced herself onto me and redialed Adam’s number while on speaker. With the phone laid on the bed, we focused on the voice streaming through the line.
“Celeste, what is up with you?” Adam blasted. In the background we could hear voices pleading and making demands.
Her body tightened against mine. I wrapped her in my arms and whispered, “I love you more than life.” She had to know their opposition would never tear us apart. We’d loved each other for too long to just give up because people didn’t approve. And this love carried something so pure and real, I doubt I’d ever find it again. If I wanted to be honest, I never planned on searching for something I already had in her.
“You guys are coming at me for nothing,” she cried out.
“Nothing?” Mrs. Morgan jumped on the line. “Do you know how much money we’ve put into you?”
From the background we heard, “And you’re screwing around with that Michaels boy... the criminal one at that!”
“You don’t know him.” Celeste tried to defend me. Truthfully, she didn’t know all there was to know about me either.
“No Celeste, you don’t,” Adam interjected. “At least, you could’ve considered Brendan.”
At the mention of my brother, I saw red. Because of him, everyone wanted to write me off. I wanted to let them know every twisted word or action “the good Michaels son” had done. Tons of surveillance could’ve shut this down in an instance, but I held onto it all. The day would come and there might never be a good one of us ever again.
Celeste
I opened up, all the way, and came clean.
Hidden away in a pullman, buried under bags and layers of clothes, I searched out the one connection I still had to Quinn. When I’d first gotten her iPad, I’d devoured every bit of information I could find.
“You ever thought about turning it over to someone?”
“Who, my uncle? No, no wait... Brendan?” I spun out of the closet and handed Greyson the device. “My uncle would’ve killed me, and there’s no telling what Brendan would’ve done with it.”
“So, you withheld evidence?”
“It’s not like that.” Even as I tossed out that lie, I wanted to call bull on myself. I lowered my head and stepped around him. The room felt overcrowded and stifling. Swaying off to the right as I headed to the window, my eyes started to burn.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but this not a smart move on your end, CeCe.” Although he was scolding me, the tone happened to be just as soft as ever. But something told me it might’ve been difficult to maintain his composure. “You messed with the investigation.”
By this point I’d gotten to the window. My insides were melting away and rolling out of my eyes. I bit my lips shut, but that couldn’t mask the cries.
And then he touched me.
Greyson’s fingers crawled across my neck. He
collected my hair at the back of my head with one hand and turned my face around with the other hand.
“Love you so much, but I’m not going to shy away from the truth. You made some terrible choices from the beginning. But I’m here now, baby. We’re going to get through this together. We’re going to make sure justice gets served.”
His promises took me back through the year to when we were younger and innocent.
The only difference was that we were on a different level of innocence, if we wanted to believe we could be. I had to believe it, even if it was a lie.
I leaned in and pretended nothing else mattered. And he provided just the right amount of everything to make me believe I would be okay, even when our paths were filled with uncertainty.
—
Later on in the day, as we walked the long pathway up to the front door of my auth and uncle’s house, Greyson kept his fingers intertwined with mine. My uncle expected us. I told him we needed to talk, and that Greyson would be with me. He never said no. Only grunted.
“I’m here. No one can hurt you, baby.” He squeezed my fingers.
“CeCe. Greyson.” Uncle Enzo barked as we reached the top step.
“Sir,” Greyson replied, moving forward.
But my uncle didn’t budge. He kept his space in the center of the doorway, on the opposite end of the threshold like we were a pair of vampires he had no intention of letting in.
“What’s going on?” Uncle Enzo stated without emotion.
“Can we come in?” I asked. The weather had been changing, so it felt chilly already. This level of distance, of coldness made me feel empty.
“We’re good here. Right. Here.”
“Celeste needs—”
“Look,” he began addressing Greyson while stepping over the threshold toward us. “Greyson, I’m not too fond of you. I better never find out you’ve pulled her into any of your crap.”
Greyson did shy away though. His fingers loosened from around mine as he pulled away. “I’m not the bad guy in this story.”
“Celeste called me, talking about wanting to meet up and talk about Quinn.” He held up both palms towards us. They were huge. Huge. Thick. Intimidating.
I grabbed for Greyson’s elbow. He flexed under my grip.
“Uncle Enzo, Quinn was more than a cousin to me.” I pushed my body between the two of them. My back to Greyson as I faced my Uncle, and every inch of me scared like hell. “She was a sister.”
“Look CeCe, I don’t need you to tell me something I already know.” His voice cracked at the very end.
But then, tires screeching behind us threw everything off. All three of us turned at once.
My heart dropped. I clutched Greyson’s hand again.
He forced me behind him. I peered around in time to see Brendan and Adam running out of the car.
“No! No!” I screamed. My first instinct was to run towards them. So, I did. Couldn’t let them get at Greyson.
“It’s like this?” Greyson shouted.
Four men and just me. We stood at the center of a manicured lawn, emotions raging from all ends, and pale sunlight blasting us.
“What are you doing here?" my uncle pleaded.
“I should kick your ass.” Adam lunged for Greyson and swung.
Brendan held onto Adam, but my brother had learned a lot about defending himself in the Armed Forces.
Everyone had an agenda that focused on Greyson. But none of this had anything to do with him. He was the good guy in this. He was fighting for the justice and putting his life on the line.
“Stop, please,” I cried, but no on listened. They only kept trying to take turns, swinging punches that wouldn’t land until it happened.
Greyson backed himself against Uncle Enzo without realizing it. He squared off with his brother, yet in the process, Adam swiped at his neck and followed up with a hook.
“Stop!” I shouted, swinging and kicking. I didn’t care who got hurt because they were hurting the only man I loved. But right then, the only way I could protect him was in throwing my body over his.
So, I did.
My bag flipped opened. The iPad flew out, onto the grass. I saw it, but they didn’t. Not until the loud crunch.
“The iPad! Quinn’s iPad!” It drew focus away from Greyson.
“What are you doing with it?” Uncle Enzo asked.
“That’s why I’m here, Uncle.” I stood up and over to pick it up from the ground.
But Brendan beat me to it. He snatched the cracked-up pieces, three to be exact. “Thank you,” he stated. He then leaned in and whispered again, this time just for my benefit, “Thank you...”
To everyone else he stated, “Let them go.”
And just as easily, they did. There was some unexplainable thing going on between our families, something that allowed Brendan Michaels to control every situation that he had no business doing.
Celeste
I was living a double life. On the one hand, I was the perfect person and doing everything right. On the other, I was making irrational decisions without considering the consequences. But I needed to survive and pretend that in the larger scope of things, it’ll eventually work out.
I arrived home from my final session of studies at Rathburn’s office around four o’clock. Greyson had given me his car to use. It took two hours with all of the traffic heading north. Funny how my mind remained level over the course of the day. I’d taken to my schedule as if life was running out. After we’d left Uncle Enzo’s, I’d gotten another call from my family. They’d pretty much told me my free ride would be over within two weeks, just after the bar exam, I wasn’t able to fall back asleep last night.
But I had a conversation with Greyson right after, and it was enough to energize my world. We’d reminisced about growing up together and the times either of us were interested in the other but seemingly clueless. I’d needed that reminder because I couldn’t ever deny the fact of the matter: we were destined to be together.
For the added pleasure of doing whatever I desired to; the next half hour was mine to soak up in a brown sugar scrub and milk bath. I thought about Greyson and allowed my emotions to run wild.
He knocked on my door at precisely six. I was ready for the last fifteen minutes, which was outside of the norm. Other than with professional duties and functions, I prided myself on being fashionably late. For this man, however, I aimed to please.
“Right on time, Greyson,” I sang while swinging open the door. But instead of Greyson, Brendan faced me with a devilish snarl. My fingers tightened on the handle as his last unwanted visit came to mind. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Happy to see me?” He shoved his right leg over onto my side of the door, like he’d read my mind.
“Greyson will be here any second now.”
“I doubt it,” he shot back at me. “My little brother has an unexpected meeting.” He shoved his way past my hold. I refused to let him get the best of me though. So, while he’d already entered and closed the door within seconds, I scanned the room for anything I might’ve been able to use in defense.
“Do you taste as good as you look?” He ran his tongue across his lips and reached out for me.
Without a second thought, I swung at him and shouted, “Get out of here!” But it didn’t connect.
“That’s why he’s drawn to you...” Brendan wrapped his arm around my waist. When I tried to pull away, my teal wrap dress pulled apart. “And you smell like heaven.”
This time when he reached for me, his hands landed at the dip of my collar. He swiped over, claiming my left breast in the process. Tears flooded into my eyes, but my reaction was quick. I grabbed his shoulders with both hands and shoved my knee into his groin. The rest of my dress fell apart, but I didn’t care. I was determined to fight this asshole. I might’ve looked delicate, but that didn’t mean I had to be a pushover. So, when his hands flew over his jewels, I slammed my right fist into his face, right at the side of his nose underneath
his eye. My knuckles hurt like hell, but I’d protected my thumb the way Adam had showed me when we were younger. And after all the years, I was forced to defend myself against one of his best friends.
“Leave me alone!” I screamed out, and then took off running for the door. I threw it open instantly, looking back for a quick second to make sure he wasn’t after me yet. Instead of escaping, I ran face first into some guy’s wide chest. Brendan’s deep laughter surrounded me from inside of my place, my safe haven.
“Did you think it would be that easy, CeCe?”
Darkness loomed in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t care how this situation looked. There was no way in he was taking anything from me... No! Way! In! Hell!
Greyson
Instead of following through with my plans for the evening, I was being forced to handle business. Emma Bjork had a way of manipulating situations to suit her moods.
“Now, right now?” I blasted loud enough that anyone going past us could hear. I’d just left out from meeting with one of Jacob’s men in SoHo when Emma had called me to meet her outside of the Lung Moon Bakery on Mulberry Street. I shot up several side streets and up the infamous Canal Street, where I’d gotten caught up in a slew of pedestrian traffic and police activity. So, can’t say I wasn’t pissed about the detour.
“Did you forget about your job, or did you start to believe you actually had a life here, in New York?” She had this smug grin spread across her face. Then like always, she tried to play the role. Or what she tried to convince me was a role on her part. “Play nice...”
I grabbed her hands at the same time with my right. God knows, I’ve never laid hands on a woman for anything more than sex, but this one knew how to push the boundaries. “Don’t put your hands on me,” I warned through gritted teeth.
And what did she do? She smiled, giving all lips with an incredibly bright red lipstick. She’d chosen to wear a cream colored, loose fitting dress. Anyone going by might’ve thought we were a couple, out in Manhattan, drunk and messing around. In her mind, I know Emma saw things this way.
