Legally Bound 2: Against The Law (2 page)

Chapter 2

M
arcus felt guilty. Everything had spun out of control in a matter of less than two weeks. Julia didn’t take it well that she was going to miss the wedding, but she had a complete meltdown when he told her he thought it would be best if they took some time apart.

She looked suspicious when he had told her they needed to pack and rush back to New York for business. She’d offered to stay behind and wait for him so that she could be a part of the wedding excitement on the island. He’d told her that he needed her with him right now, during this time of stress.

Julia relented easily. He hadn’t been coming to her for much of anything, and this was her chance to fix whatever had broken between them. She wasn’t a fool she knew something had changed since they’d been on the island, she just wasn’t sure what.

She’d come so far. Her father was proud of her for landing a Mairettie as a fiancé. All she had to do now was get him to the altar. It’s just something was off. It was like he turned himself off. He wasn’t the man she’d known for almost a year.

When he said he needed time, the night before his brother’s wedding back in the Bahamas, Julia felt the rug being pulled out from under her. They’d just had the biggest engagement party. She was scheduled for an appointment with the wedding planner next week.

Her father was going to lose it when he found out this all could be slipping away. She had to find a way to fix this. It meant too much to let it all just fall apart.

Marcus shook his head as he fixed his tie in the mirror. His guilt should have been for Julia, but it wasn’t. He felt guilty because this was one of the happiest days in his brother’s and his family’s life, but all he could think about was the one woman he hadn’t laid eyes on in over four years. He snorted to himself as he realized he hadn’t spoken to her in over five years. What would he say to her now?

He felt guilty because one of his best friends was in this very room, not knowing he had a relationship with his sister behind his back. Nathan was loyal to the family and his friendship with all of the brothers. Marcus felt sick to his stomach about the conversation he was going to have to have with this man. But he knew he had to have it, it was five years overdue, longer than that if he was honest with himself.

“Did everything work out,” Bobby murmured in his ear as he walked up beside him and clapped a hand on his baby brother’s shoulder.

“As best as it could I guess, but today is your day,” Marcus turned to face his brother with a smirk. “We are going to get you married to the princess, and you are going to ride off into the sunset.”

“Ha, ha, more like ride off into reality. Dad already has a press conference set up as soon as we get back to New York,” Bobby shook his head.

“Yeah, dad has a way of working things out. It will blow over soon,” Marcus said reassuringly, as he noticed the tension in his brother’s eyes and jaw.

“I’d love to get my hands around that dumb brats neck again. I still want to kick that cheating weasel’s ass for what he did to Marie,” Bobby grunted.

“That makes two of us. Look at it this way. All the drama is bringing my girl home, and it pushed your woman right into your arms,” Marcus said with the biggest smile he could fake.

Bobby raised a brow at him but didn’t get to further the conversation as Nate walked over with a smile, clapping them both on the back. “I think it is time to get this guy married don’t you?” Nathan crooned.

“Are you sure you don’t want to make this a double wedding. I see the way you look at Pam,” Bobby teased.

Nathan snorted. “I plan to stay far away from that pint-sized villain,” Nate chuckled.

“Sexy pint-sized villain,” Marcus wiggled his brows.

Nathan narrowed his eyes at him as a ping of jealousy shot through him. “What happened to Julia, as much as she talked about you guy’s wedding I was sure she would be here, front and center,” Nathan said as he tilted his head.

“We decided to take a break and sort some things out,” Marcus replied not looking Nathan in the eyes.

Marcus hoped no one in this room could read him the way his brother’s soon to be wife could. If they could, things could get pretty ugly way before they had to. He had to take a deep breath to calm down.

Nathan’s face softened as he shook off the sudden ridiculous feelings. He’d known the woman for barely two days, and she was under his skin. Pamela Kemble was driving him insane for sure. She is nothing like her sister, but just like her at the same time. It was almost scary.

“Sorry to hear that. I hope things work out for you,” Nathan said sincerely.

“What happened to getting me to the Altar?” Bobby teased.

~B
~

Paige and her father were the first faces Marcus saw coming toward them on the deck. Paige looked devastatingly beautiful. Marcus felt his chest swell with pride for his brother. She was going to take his breath away.

He frowned at his own ping of jealousy as he wondered would this day ever happen for him. He could see in both Bobby and Paige’s face how in love with one and other they were. He’d give anything to be that happy again.

He scanned the women in the group for the one face he wanted to see more than he wanted his next breath. Marie was talking to the one face he wasn’t able to place his eyes on as she had her back turned to him. He knew right away it was her. She may have been a little taller even with bare feet, and her hair was so different, but he knew.

“I guess we’re up,” Nate crooned pulling Marcus’s attention away.

Marcus dropped his eyes hoping Nate hadn’t seen him staring. He wanted this day to go well for his brother and new sister in law. He would talk to Nate tomorrow.

Nate stepped up, and Pamela came forward. Nathan frowned down at her shoes. “Everyone else is barefoot, and we will be walking in sand. Why do you have on six-inch heels,” Nate grumbled.

Pam looked up at him and frowned back. “Because I am the shortest one out here and you Sir, are a giant. I look like an ant walking next to you,” Pam hissed back. Nate just shook his head and pressed his lips.

Still frowning Nathan murmured next to her ear. “Pamela, take the damn heels off before I throw you over my shoulder and pull them off. Don’t make this about you.”

Pamela was shaking with rage. “You wouldn’t dare,” she hissed at Nathan. Nathan pressed his lips and raised his brow at Pam. Pam’s eyes went wide in her pretty face when she saw how serious Nate was. The corner of Nathan’s lips curled up as she relented.

Pam placed a hand on Nathan’s chest causing his groin to tighten and his eyes to shoot to her lips. He chided himself when she smiled back knowing the effect she was having on him. Pam stepped out of the six-inch heels kicking them aside.

“If you are done copping a feel, I think we should go. We are holding up the wedding,” Nathan murmured.

Pam stiffened and clenched her fist. Nathan let out a deep rich laugh and placed his hand on Pam’s waist. Pam placed her hand over his slowly letting her fingertips caress his skin.

“Don’t you go getting comfortable,” Pam purred. “This will be the last time you put your hands on me.”

“As you wish little lady,” Nathan chuckled. “But you and I know you wish that were a lie.”

“Oh that reminds me,” Jasper said to Marcus as they watched Nathan and Pam disappear. “I was supposed to be responsible for telling you that you are to place your hand around Rita’s waist just like that,” Jasper pointed to Sam and Camille. “She then puts her hand over yours, and you walk down the stairs, and you can follow the roses from there.”

“Great, thanks,” Marcus sighed.

“No problem,” Jasper beamed. “Good luck.”

Marcus’s eyes shot to Jasper’s face to find the knowing look in his eyes. He knew Jasper and Rita were pretty close; he wondered had she told him everything. Marcus didn’t have time to ask him what he meant as he clapped him on the shoulder and sauntered off next to Marie.

Marcus shook his head to clear it. It had to be his nerves driving him crazy. Marcus’s eyes immediately snapped to the one face he’d been dying to see. There she was staring back at him, looking more beautiful than he could ever imagine.

She was still the same, but so different. She seemed to be taller. She was still not as tall as him or her brother but tall enough that he wouldn’t have to look too far down to look into her eyes. His eyes drank in her long legs that were more toned and womanly than the last time he had this close a view.

Even in the soft layers of silk, her body was draped in he could see she had way more curves now then the last time he held her. Her breasts looked so much larger and fuller. He almost groaned in remorse when he saw she cut off her long locks of hair, but he wouldn’t deny that the crimson colored cut she had now was sexy. It was blown straight in a long bob on one side and was cut really short on the other.

It was when his eyes met with her big bright green eyes that his knees went weak, and his heart tightened in his chest. He could barely contain himself from running to her and sweeping her up into his arms to kiss her until her lips were swollen and raw.

Marcus tramped down those thoughts and stepped forward to do what was important here first. He had to get down to the altar to support his brother and Paige. He would make her his again after he took care of his family first.

When he slipped his long fingers around her small waist, he almost forgot the promise he’d just made. His fingers bit into her side as he tried to anchor his own restraint. He groaned at how right she felt beneath his touch. This was his girl, his Rita.

Rita felt her legs become unsteady the moment he placed his hand on her waist. She had tried all night to talk Minnie into letting her walk with Jasper instead, but Minnie was not having it. Rita knew this would be her undoing.

Later tonight when the wedding was over she knew she was going to cry herself to sleep. All because she had been so close to the man she loved and he didn’t love her back. When his fingers bit into her side, she knew he was still angry with her.

She had been a foolish girl, impatient and spoiled. She’d run from him when all he wanted was for her to understand. She could blame it on her youth or she could be honest and blame it on being insecure, selfish and afraid.

Anton may have been right that they should not have married, but he was wrong that she could fix things with Marcus. He had moved on, and he was angry with her still. Her own anger rose because she waited for him to come for her. Her heart had pleaded for him to stop her from leaving, but he never did. He walked away over and over again.

With all the strength she could muster, she clenched his fingertips and returned his biting grip. They made it to the bottom of the stairs before his grip loosened and he turned his lips to whisper in her ear. “You look beautiful. Are you happy, did running away bring you happiness?”

Rita felt the shiver that ran up her spine as his voice washed over her. His voice was hoarse and husky but not as harsh as she thought it would be when he spoke to her. She felt a little of her anger fade until his actual words sank in.

“I was never running,” she bit out in a whisper, knowing she was lying to them both.

“You left me and got engaged to some punk like I meant nothing to you. You wouldn’t return my calls or see me,” Marcus hissed back knowing they were walking much slower than they should have been.

“You didn’t bother to come after me until I was engaged so who meant nothing to who?” Rita snapped.

“You meant everything to me,” Marcus sighed.

“That’s why you’re engaged, right?” Rita picked up the pace forcing him to increase his strides.

At the end of the aisle, Marcus released her, and they separated. When he stepped beside Sam and Jasper, his eyes went right across to Rita. She was trying not to look at him and to relax the scowl from her face.

They needed to talk. He needed her to understand, and he wanted to understand her. She seemed so angry with him. Surely she was not still holding onto the reason she left in the first place.

He watched as the sunlight hit her hair. In the sun, he could see the strawberry, honey blonde roots he knew so well. He smiled to himself. He loved her. He had always loved her and always would.

Chapter 3

F
or as long as he could remember he was everything and anything Rita needed. Marcus could remember breaking more than a few noses because of Rita when they were younger. It broke his heart every time she came home crying that she didn’t fit in.

The black kids told her she didn’t belong because she had green eyes and blonde hair. Then white kids called her names and pushed her away because of her full lips and cocoa brown skin. She’d always been lighter than Nathan with her beautiful flawless skin but still not light enough for the approval of their families’ social circle.

Even as a young boy Marcus hated that. He hated to see her face when they made her feel like she didn’t belong. He had become her protector early in life. He was always there for her and Marie.

Somehow though along the way something changed, his feelings started to confuse him when it came to Rita. It freaked him out the first time he noticed how full her lips were and how beautiful her eyes really were, especially when she smiled. He was disgusted with himself for noticing the changes to her young body.

She was fifteen at the time in a bikini, lounging in his parents’ backyard with Marie. He felt sick with himself. He was twenty-two and had no business looking at a fifteen-year-old he chided himself.

He tried to rationalize that he was just noticing the changes in a beautiful young girl just because he needed to note that he had to look out for her more now. Just like he knew he did for Marie. She was developing into a beautiful young woman as well, and the boys at school were surely taking notice. When telling himself all of that didn’t work, he left.

Seeing her dressed like that was not helping the confusion going on inside him. He spent so much time with Marie back then, and Rita was around most of the time. When he started to feel uncomfortable around her, he stopped coming home as much from his dorm and cut down the time he spent with them.

It was a year later when things really changed forever, and a part of him knew he would never be the same. He was in his apartment when the call came. He had been out of it the last few days himself. Raquel Briggs was like a second mother to him. He was devastated when his dad told him to come home for a family emergency only to find out she was gone.

“Hello,” Marcus grumbled into the phone.

“Um…Marcus,” he heard a small voice say and his chest tightened. He knew right away who it was. “Hi, it...it’s me, Rita. I’m sorry. I …I just needed someone to talk to.”

Marcus could hear her sniffles as she stammered to talk. Marie had called him earlier crying to him that Rita locked herself in her room and wouldn’t talk to anyone. He was taken aback that she was calling him now, but he was glad to talk to her.

“Hey Sweetheart, it’s fine. Have you come out of your room to eat something yet,” Marcus asked, he was concerned. According to Marie, it had already been two days.

“No,” she whispered. “I can’t think about eating. She isn’t ever going to eat again or make me my favorite cookies or tell me she loves me.”

Her sobs twisted Marcus’s heart in his chest. He was already on the move. He had to do something. Whenever Marie or Rita called him, he had to take action. That was the way it had always been.

“Remember that time I let Jas get drunk with my friends and me, and we had to sneak in through your room,” Marcus asked.

Rita gave a small giggle. “Yeah, my dad would have killed you both,” she replied.

“Well, we didn’t get caught and till this day, it is our secret. What do you say we try that again? I’ll get you your favorite, and I’ll be there in about forty-five minutes.”

“You’d do that for me? I know you’re busy with school and all,” Rita breathed sounding awed that he would make the trip to see her.

“You know I would do anything for you, kiddo. Just find something to drop down for the food, so I don’t waste it on the way up,” Marcus said reassuringly.

“Marcus,” Rita whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“No problem, I’m already on the way.”

That was the first of many trips. She would drop the waste basket from her room down for the food, and he would climb up after. He even risked a few climbs during the day. Sometimes he would arrive just before sunrise and spend the day locked up with her.

They would sit on the floor and talk or sit in silence. Whatever Rita needed he was there for her. Sometimes he just held her while she cried for hours. Some days he could make her laugh, other days he couldn’t.

It had taken about two weeks before Marcus knew Thomas had figured out what was going on. He was standing by a ladder one morning looking so broken. Marcus was sure he was there to kick his ass and nail his daughter’s window shut.

“Hey Marcus, I figured since you are the only one she’ll talk to we can’t have you breaking your neck,” Thomas said with a weak smile then turned to leave.

Marcus’s heart hurt for them all. He climbed up to Rita’s room with a heavy heart. Yesterday had been a really bad day for her. He had almost stayed all night because she wouldn’t stop sobbing.

When he made it through the window, Rita was sitting on her bed cross-legged staring back at him. She was such a beautiful girl. Her big green eyes looked so sad, though. They brightened a little when he moved forward and sat on the bed beside her. She was in a pretty yellow dress that day that made her look older than sixteen.

“How did your test go? Am I keeping you from studying,” Rita murmured as she peeked up at him through her lashes.

“I’m a Mairettie how do you think it went?” Marcus teased. He couldn’t help himself as he reached for one of her golden locks with their brown and red strands that were testaments to how unique she truly is. “Did you go out for breakfast like you promised?”

“Yeah, I just did it before anyone was up,” she said and bit her lip.

Marcus’s eyes dropped to her full lips, and he immediately cursed himself. He needed to get her out of this room soon. Things were starting to become more confusing for him because she was so mature at times and it felt like he was talking to a girl his age.

Raquel had made sure that Rita was a lady. She could fit into any social setting and blend. Marcus knew that was also a part of her training to work for the family business someday.

It made him nervous at times how he could just sit and talk to her and forget he was talking to a sixteen-year-old. When he started to fall behind in his studies because he was spending all his time with her, she told him she would be fine on her own. He didn’t believe that so he started bringing his books with him, and she would help him through his notes.

“I thought we had a deal; you go down when your family is around, and I bring you your favorite snack. I guess I’ll have to eat all this licorice all by myself,” Marcus teased as he pulled the king sized bag from his backpack.

“Wait, I went before you got here for water. I saw Nate in the kitchen,” Rita giggled and lunged for the candy.

Marcus pulled his hand back, and she collided with his chest. Her sweet breath puffed in his face as the wind was knocked out of her. Marcus looked down into her eyes and saw something there he’d never seen before.

Before Marcus could register what was happening, she pressed her soft lips to his. He groaned at the feel of her full lips and instead of pulling away like he should have he cupped her face and kissed her back. It felt so right but so wrong at the same time.

It wasn’t until he felt her tentatively stick her tongue out against his lips that he knew this was really wrong. She was sixteen he was twenty-three. What the hell had he been thinking?

He quickly released her and jumped up from the bed. Rita dropped her head and pulled her knees to her chest. The way she curled up in a ball looking all innocent made him feel worse. He was worse than the guys he chased away from Marie.

Rita was a vulnerable young girl. He had no right to touch her. Her father had just shown tremendous trust in him, and this was the first thing he did. He felt sick.

“I-I’m sorry,” Rita whispered.

“Oh Sweetheart, please don’t apologize to me,” Marcus groaned. “I shouldn’t have let that happen.”

“I’m so stupid,” Rita sobbed.

“No Sweetheart,” Marcus moved closer to the bed and kneeled beside it. “I’m the stupid one.”

Rita shook her head fiercely. “You didn’t know I had a stupid crush on you,” Rita murmured. “You would never want a girl like me.”

Marcus had to fight not to growl. She had no idea how smart and beautiful she was. His emotions had his thoughts all over the place. Before he could think about what he was promising his words flew out of his mouth.

“Rita, Sweetheart, it’s just too soon,” he said brushing her hair from her face. “If I were younger or you were older I would kiss you until you had to beg me to stop. But I’m not saying I don’t want you. I’m saying it’s too soon.”

Rita turned to him with wide eyes searching his face. She was stunned by what she thought she was hearing. “You mean…”

“Yeah, Sweetheart, I mean when the time is right I want to hold you in my arms,” Marcus closed his eyes tight trying to figure out what he was doing.

When he opened his eyes, Rita was beaming at him. He groaned internally. Why in the world did he just promise a sixteen-year-old he would wait for her?
What is wrong with me?
He thought to himself as Rita lunged at him and threw her arms around his neck.

In that moment, he knew why he said it. Somehow his love for her went beyond big brother love. He wanted to be the one to protect her, care for her and love her always. He couldn’t see any other man ever taking that role from him, even if it meant waiting another five years before they did anything about it.

Marcus thought his heart was heavy going up the ladder. It was a lead weight on his way back down. He may have known why he made her that promise, but it didn’t mean that he agreed with his choice. He felt like he was betraying everyone and taking advantage of all their trust.

He sat in bed all night thinking about what happened between them. He wondered had he done something to make her decide to kiss him. Had she seen the way he sometimes looked at her full lips wondering the impossible? Did she notice how his face lit up when she laughed? He chided himself for showing emotions he should have had under control. He knew somehow this was on him.

He could still feel her soft lips against his. He couldn’t get her green eyes out of his head. He will be twenty-eight when she turns twenty-one. He could go to her father and brother then without feeling like a slime ball and tell them he wanted to date her.

Five years was not that long. He just hoped she would be able to understand until then. He would never do anything to hurt her like bring someone home to his parents’. Rita was in his family’s home as much as her own. He would never dream of throwing another woman in her face. The weight of his promise to her consumed him to the point he wasn’t sure if he should go see her the next day.

~B
~

Marcus pulled up to his family’s home and started to pull onto the back road. There he could hide his car between the Briggs and Mairettie estates. Thomas may have known he was going to see Rita, but he still didn’t want anyone else to find out. He just felt awkward about it now after yesterday.

He didn’t get far before he saw Marie and to his surprise, Rita. Rita was in a t-shirt and jeans looking like a happy teenager again. It made Marcus smile to see her looking like herself. The protector and provider in him wanted that for her.

“Marcus!” Marie chimed. “We were just going to call you. You want to take us to the movies?”

“If my girls want to go to the movies we’ll go to the movies,” Marcus crooned stepping out of the car to walk around and open the door for them.

“Yay!” Marie squealed. She was happy to have her best friend back, and it had been so long since Marcus had hung out with them.

Rita looked up at Marcus shyly as he opened the door and folded the front seat in his Audi coupe. Marcus gave her a small smile and wink; her face lit up as she climbed in.

“Scoot over, I want to sit in back with you,” Marie chirped and climbed in the car.

Marcus rolled his eyes at the two squealing teenagers. He shook his head as he closed the door. This was what he needed, a reminder of the girl, not the woman she would someday be. He had no doubt he would wait, but right now things could go back to normal.