Breaking Free (Siren Publishing Classic) (11 page)

“Yet, you have no proof of this or any of your other claims.” Completely undisturbed by her declaration, he continued. “Professor Dandridge, however, bears the marks of your rage. He will be the one to carry scars the rest of his life, not you. It seems to me he’s the only one with any real claim.” Turning his back on her, he concluded. “No further questions, Your Honor.”

Numbly, Danny stepped down. It hadn’t gone nearly as well as they thought it would, but it could have been worse, she supposed. Her eyes scanned the courtroom, and she spied Gloria and Smokey sitting next to each other. Their smiles were forced, and she knew they were trying to be encouraging. She returned their smiles weakly. She took a seat next to Gabe, relieved when he took her hand reassuringly and held it, not caring who saw.

Judge Wrenn looked over the courtroom and then down at her watch. “Due to the late hour, we will adjourn for the day.”

* * * *

Danny lay sprawled atop Gabe later that evening. They had come home and made sweet, tender love. He’d spent the evening spoiling her. He’d given her a long, relaxing massage and then drew her a bath. Once she was in the bath he’d sat next to it and fed her expensive chocolates and sips of wine. After drying her off, he’d carried her to the bed and proceeded to love her from the soft pink tips of her toes to the pert upturn of her nose. Now, thoroughly sated and feeling totally loved, she smiled dreamily up at him.

“I could get used to this,” she murmured.

Returning her smile, he stroked the long, silken length of her hair idly. “Glad to hear it, since that’s what I intend to spend the rest of my life doing.”

Turning pensive, Danny couldn’t help but frown.
Would they have the rest of their lives?

“What is it?” he asked, sensing her mood change.

“I’m just worried, that’s all. What if the judge didn’t believe me? It seems wrong to make plans for our future, when I might not have one.”

“Silly girl, I’m not letting you go down for this. We’ll think of something. And worst-case scenario, you get found guilty. This is your first offense. You have no record, no history of violence. We’ll argue for probation, agree to sign you up for Anger Management classes, and offer to pay the asshole’s medical bills. Trust me, baby. It’s going to be okay.”

“I know, but what about a job? The college will fire me, and who would hire me with a record?”

Shrugging, he smiled. “I would.”

“Well, that’s nice, but I don’t exactly know a lot about motorcycles. I’m still learning to ride.”

Chuckling, he sat up, pulling her onto his lap. “Actually, I’ve been considering opening a law office here. I’d given up on practicing for a long time because my heart just wasn’t in it, but then I met you and you showed me that there are still good, caring people in this world.” He paused to place an affectionate kiss on her confused brow. “I know Aurora Heights is a small town, but I’ll definitely need some help, and it seems to me that a former librarian would make an awesome research assistant. And I’ll definitely need one, so what do you say, want the job?”

Danny stared at him in surprise. She’d known he meant permanent, but this indicated long-term commitment.
Settling down, putting in roots, holy cow!
But there wasn’t really any question. “Just try and hire someone else,” she replied tartly.

Chapter Thirteen

They were just taking their seats the next morning after the judge’s call to order, when the doors at the back of the courtroom swung open, crashing against the back wall with a loud bang.

All eyes turned to the dark-haired, punk vixen storming in, trailed by the widely grinning pair, Tiffany and Mariah. Her ebony eyes quickly scanned the courtroom before landing on Wesley. Fire seemed to shoot
in his direction
, and if looks could have killed, he’d have been a smoldering pile of ash.

“You bastard, you told me it was over with her, that I was the only one for you now. Then you go and try and play kiss-and-make-up while I’m out of town?”

The bailiff jumped and grabbed her just as she was about to pounce on her former professor.

“Let me go, damn it!” she screeched, fighting the bailiff’s strong hold. “The jerk lied to me!”

“Young lady!” Judge Wrenn thundered, furiously banging her gavel, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. When everyone froze, the distinguished judge continued. “This is a court of law
,
and you will conduct yourself in a manner appropriate to such. Now would you like to explain to the court why you feel the need to interrupt proceedings?”

“He’s a liar and a lech,” she seethed. It was clear she was trying to calm herself down. “When I found out what was happening, I had to come and set the record straight.”

Judge Wrenn turned her gaze to Gabe and the prosecutor. “This is highly unusual, but it seems that this has bearing. Are either of you interested in questioning this witness?”

Mr. Brooks shook his head, his face taking on a slightly green pallor. Gabe, on the other hand, was grinning broadly. “I most certainly do, Your Honor,” he answered.

Nodding, the Judge pinned the young girl with a censoring look. “I am going to allow this, but you will remember where you are, or I will hold you in contempt of court. Is that understood?”

Noir took a deep breath before nodding. She moved to the front of the courtroom and was quickly sworn in.

Standing, Gabe slowly walked to stand in front of her. “Ms. LeChat,” he began, trying to ignore the odd last name. “May I call you Noir?” He doubted either was her God-given name.

“Yeah.”

The judge frowned at her disrespect but let Gabe continue. “You claim to have information pertaining to this case. Please explain.”

“Well, first there’s the wine.
”

“What about the wine?” He urged.

“He knows what I think about alcohol, so when I got to his house this morning and found the table set for a romantic dinner for two, and several bottles of wine in the fridge chilling, I knew he’d lied. He knows how I feel about drinking. Heck, I’ve been visiting a friend who’s organizing a concert to benefit families who’ve lost someone to drunk driving. That’s why I didn’t know what was going on until those two came and found me.” She pointed to where Tiffany and Mariah sat in the audience, looking completely pleased with themselves.

“So the wine wasn’t for you?” Gabe continued.

“Nah, but I remembered him saying how much she liked wine.”

“Objection, Your Honor.” Prosecutor Brooks was quickly on his feet. “Hearsay.”

“Sustained.”

Gabe merely smiled. “Go on, Noir, you said you had other proof.”

“Well, I heard he was saying she was obsessed him, that she attacked him, but it ain’t true. He was the one that was obsessed. He even had me dress up in this boring little suit like the one she has on now and wear stupid little glasses. I mean, I don’t mind playing games, but then he called me Danika while we were doing it a few weeks ago. He tried to tell me I hadn’t heard right, but I know what I heard.”

The Prosecutor jumped up again. “Objection, Your Honor. Hearsay.”

“Sustained. Just stick with what you saw.”

“But…” she protested. “I have proof.”

Intrigued, everyone leaned forward. “Please explain,” Judge Wrenn instructed.

Noir reached into her pocket and pulled out two DVDs. “He got off on watching, so he used to tape us together. He didn’t think I knew where his little stash was, but I found it. There are dozens of DVDs there that he’s made with his students. And then there’s the
special
section. Those are DVDs of him and her.” She nodded toward the defense table.

Everyone’s eyes swung to Danny, who had become a pale shade of green. Gabe forced himself to take a deep breath as he turned back to the witness. “Continue,” he instructed, his voice husky with restrained emotion. It took every bit of restraint on his part to not throttle the simpering man behind him. He wanted to pound his fist into his ferret-like face over and over again and y
ank out his eyes so he could never so much as look at Danny again.

“Don’t worry.” Noir smiled wickedly. “I destroyed them all. Well, all but these two. The first is the one where he called me by her name. The second is of her and another man, looks kind of like you but with longer shaggy hair and a bushy goatee.” She handed them both to Gabe before continuing. “I’m not sure where some of them were taped. I didn’t recognize the place. It was kind of dark, and you couldn’t see anything but this big, low-to-the-floor bed.”

Gabe’s eyes widened at the implication, and he turned to Danny. Her rich-amber eyes were glazed with shock, and she’d gone deathly pale.

“Your Honor, may I have a brief recess to confer with my client?” he managed.

“Objection, Your Honor, this entire circus has gone far enough. I move to strike the entire line of questioning,” Mr. Brooks cried, clearly realizing his case was going down the tubes.

The disapproving look the judge bestowed upon the prosecutor was sharp and unmistakable. Turning to Gabe, she said, “I’m going to adjourn court for the day. Mr. Cavanaugh, you and Ms. Eldridge may have an hour to review your case, and then I want to see the plaintiff, the defendant, Ms. LeChat, and their respective counsel within my chambers to
review
this new evidence.” Her gavel thundered, then she was gone, apparently disgusted with the entire thing.

* * * *

Gabe handed Danny a glass of water, but her hands were shaking too badly to hold it. It landed on the table with a thunk, sloshing water all over its polished surface. He’d led her into an empty office, so she could recover in private, and he could get his own temper under control.

Looking up at him with wide frightened eyes, she finally stammered, “Gabe, you know there hasn’t been any body but you. I don’t know what she’s talking about. You have to believe me!”

Gabe let out a sigh of relief. So that was what was worrying her. Sitting down next to her, he caught her hands in his and brought them to his lips. “Baby, don’t you think I know that? Stop and think about it for a second. Looks kind of like me but with long shaggy hair and a bushy goatee?” He raised an eyebrow as he repeated the description. “Baby, she was talking about me. She just didn’t recognize me looking like this.”

Her mouth dropped into an O of understanding. “How did he tape us?”

“I don’t know. Let’s think about this for a second. Was there ever a time when he was alone at your loft?”

She started to shake her head, and then stopped. “Yes, last fall I went with Gloria skiing. She’d bought the tickets with her ex-boyfriend and then they broke up. Since they were nonrefundable, I went.” Smiling ruefully as she remembered. “I had to practically beg Wesley to come water my plants for me.”

Gabe nodded. “The large, low, flat bed has to be yours.”

A dark shadow crossed Danny’s pretty face, and Gabe hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “What is it?”

Shivering, she seemed reluctant to answer, but finally did. “I hate that he ever touched me. Then to know he taped it, well I just feel so dirty, so used. How can you stand to ever touch me again?”

“Hey, sweetie, don’t do this to yourself. It’s in the past, and none of it matters. You belong to me now, and no one will ever take you away. Do you understand?” In truth, he hated it too, but it wasn’t like he’d been a saint before they’d met either, and that was the bottom line.
He would have to deal with it.

Danny nodded, dashing away tears. “God, I love you!” She sobbed, throwing herself against him. Gabe held her tight, wanting to protect her from the ugliness of the world.

* * * *

Presenting a composed front, Gabe ushered a much-improved Danny into Judge Wrenn’s private chambers. He saw her gulp as she spotted the television that had been brought in to review the new evidence.

Wesley was already seated next to the prosecutor, nervously shuffling his hands in his lap. He refused to meet anyone’s eyes, and the prosecutor had a sick look on his face, as if he already knew he’d lost. Noir sat on the far side of the room, shooting her former professor dirty looks. Judge Wrenn nodded for Danny and Gabe to take the two empty seats in the middle.

“Now, in light of the personal nature of this new evidence, I felt it was best to be viewed in private,” the judge began. She lifted a remote control, and the television clicked to life. “The first DVD we will see is the one in which Ms. LeChat claims Professor Dandridge called her by the wrong name. Ms. LeChat, how far into the video is the scene you are referring to?”

“It’s at the end. It was right as he…” She paused, actually blushing, much to everyone’s surprise. “Well, you kn
ow...
” she finished lamely
, and Gabe had to admire the courage it had taken for her to come forward.

The judge hit the play button, and they seemed to jump into the middle of the scene. There was Wesley in all his pale glory, his pasty, narrow behind humping up and down between Noir’s sprawled, tattooed legs.
The camera’s angle left little to the imagination. You could clearly see his slim penis disappearing
between the lips of
her shaved sex.
She had her eyes closed and her head thrown back,
but
the look on her face was decidedly bored. Thankfully, Judge Wrenn hit the fast forward button
before they were forced to view anymore in detail
. It was almost comical, to watch them bounce up and down at super-fast speed, like a little jackhammer or
fast-forwarding a
bad porn movie.

“Wait, slow down,” Noir cried, and as the judge hit the play button, they could distinctly hear heavy breathing, and then Wesley’s whining voice echoed out to them.

“Oh Danika, oh Danika, my beautiful Danika,” he squealed, his head thrown back, his face beet red, the veins in the neck protruding. Then all hell broke loose on the television screen. Noir screeched, actually tossing Wesley’s slender body off of her as she bounded from the bed, cursing and smacking him.
His thin erection quickly
wither
ed as he scrambled to get away.

Clearing her throat, Judge Wrenn hit the stop button. “I think we’ve seen enough of that.”

Wesley had gone from sickly pale to bright red. All eyes turned to him, and he opened his mouth, sputtering, trying to weasel his way out of it, but the prosecutor elbowed him into silence.

Raising an eyebrow at this, the judge extracted the DVD and inserted the second one. Nodding to everyone, she hit play. Unlike the other DVD, the scene started out dark, but Gabe could make out what was indeed Danny’s bed.

“You bastard!” Danny screeched. “How dare you invade my privacy like that?”

The judge paused the video and turned to Danny. “Do you recognize this place?”

Nodding, Danny
seeth
ed as she replied. “Yes, it’s my home.”

The judge turned to Wesley for an explanation, but he wisely held his tongue.

Rolling her eyes, the judge continued the video.

* * * *

Danny squinted at the image.
It seemed to be from an angle above and to the left
of her bed
. Frowning, she realized that there was a carnival mask Wesley had given her there. Then, off camera, she could hear voices. Distinctly, she made out Gabe’s deep sensual voice and her own throaty reply.

Watching in morbid fascination, Danny realized it was the first night they’d ma
d
e love.
She could hear the urgency in their
heated words.

She and Gabe appeared on the screen, but his back was to the camera, leaving him faceless. She was bare from the waist up as he laid her down on her bed. His shaggy, dark head hovered over her, blocking the view as he undressed her, but then he stepped back, and there she was, sprawled wantonly across her bed, naked, panting, and eager.
Her full breasts quivered, and the lips of her pussy
parted and
glistened with her desire.