Legally Bound 2: Against The Law (9 page)

Chapter 13

“
H
ello,” Marcus grumbled into the phone.

“Is there something you would like to tell me, Son,” James said sternly into the phone.

“Dad,” Marcus sighed. “It’s a long story, and I can’t really explain it right now.”

“Just tell me this Son. Is this what you want? Are you sure you want to leave things this way,” James asked as gently as he could.

“I didn’t leave anything, anyway dad,” Marcus said bitterly. “This isn’t what I want, but we both know that what I want walked right out of my life and I didn’t have the balls to stop it from happening. So I guess this is my punishment for hurting her and me at the same time.”

“Son,” James sighed. “Things are not always black and white, and you know this better than anyone. But your mother and I promised each other we wouldn’t pry any more than we have. If you need my help, I am here to help you any way I can.”

“Thanks, dad but my bed is made,” Marcus said gruffly.

“There are people that make beds every day, but they don’t sleep in them.”

“Dad, I love you, but I’m tired,” Marcus sighed.

“Okay Marcus, I love you too, Son.”

“Is everything okay,” Julia asked sleepily.

“Yeah, go back to sleep,” Marcus yawned.

~B
~

“Rita?” Marie asked anxiously as she walked into the living room. “Oh honey, what is it?”

“Y-your br-brother is en-engaged,” Rita replied as she gasped for air. She was having a full blown anxiety attack.

“What?” Marie said and frowned. “Take deep breaths Baby love, deep breaths. Yes, that’s it.”

Marie pulled her phone from her pocket to see what in the world was going on. Rita broke into sobs beside her as she tried to breathe. Marie just knew this couldn’t be real.

“Rita can you calm down enough to tell me what makes you think this,” Marie asked gently.

“Pictures …online…her parents’ house…announced it,” Rita sobbed.

“Oh no,” Marie said in a whisper. She was confused. Marcus didn’t look like he was going to propose to that woman. “But you were going to him, once we figured things out for Anton. This is all wrong. Rita, you have to let me call him. Something isn’t right. If he knew you were coming home, things would change.”

“What’s going on,” Whitney whined as she poked her head out of her room.

“Nothing,” Rita bit out through her tears.

“What’s the matter, your boyfriend finally came out of the closet,” Whitney threw back.

“Whitney,” Marie chided sharply.

“Whatever,” Whitney waved her hand and went back into her room.

“When is that bitch moving out,” Rita growled.

“I don’t know but soon. She has been getting so weird lately. I swear she didn’t use to be like this,” Marie sighed.

“Yeah, well I happen to remember things differently. She has always been a bitch, and you need to watch her.”

“Forget her, what are we going to do?”

“Nothing Marie, if this is what he wants there is nothing else I can do,” Rita shrugged.

“So we’re just giving up?” Marie said sadly. “Marcus deserves better Rita. He deserves the truth. He deserves to know what he really witnessed on that beach. He deserves to know that you got engaged partly to help a friend not just to trick him into coming for you.

“You’re my best friend, Rita. We have been through so much together, but when you really needed someone Marcus was always the one that was there. I don’t think that will ever change.”

“He’s engaged Marie. He won’t be running to my side anymore,” Rita said brokenly. “I’m going to see Anton. Promise you won’t interfere.”

“But Rita…”

“Promise.”

“Fine,” I promise,” Marie pouted.

~B
~

The night before the engagement party

“Baby, I don’t think your sister likes me,” Julia whined.

Marcus sighed. “What makes you think that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? She isn’t even coming to our engagement party,” Julia pouted.

“Jewels, my sister has just finished her classes, she is a working model, and she is in Europe. She can’t just drop everything to come to a party across the country at the last minute. She’ll be at the island for the family vacation. You guys can bond then,” Marcus reassured her.

“What about Rita? She is like a sister to you but I haven’t met her yet,” Julia asked.

“Jewels, you know she does everything with my sister if one is busy so is the other,” Marcus sighed.

“Why are you annoyed with me,” Julia blinked at Marcus as he sat on the couch pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I’m not annoyed with you,” Marcus replied.

“Yes, you are. You only call me Jewels when you are annoyed, and you are pinching your nose. You are totally annoyed with me,” Julia accused.

“I have a lot on my mind with this case coming up and mom and dad insisting that we take this vacation now. I’ll be busy most the time trying to keep up with my files. I’m just under a lot of stress,” Marcus murmured.

“I’m sorry, Baby. I just want tomorrow night to be perfect. I’m so excited about the party and the wedding. Everything is going to be amazing,” Julia cooed.

“Listen hon, are you sure you want to do all of this so fast. I mean we’ve barely been dating for a year. We still have so much to learn about each other why rush things,” Marcus said as gently as he could. “If things aren’t going the way you want maybe it’s because we need to wait.”

“Okay, maybe I am overreacting. It’s just been a stressful week. With them finally getting me back the engagement ring, I mean what took so long to resize it. I was so stressed I wouldn’t have it back in time for the party or that they messed it up with all the time they were taking.”

“Well, resetting the stones took some time,” Marcus said through tight lips. It had pained him so much to have Rita’s ring altered. He took a breath. He had to get over his reluctance to go through with this wedding. Rita would be married in two weeks. His hopes of having the ideal dream was over.

Marcus reached for Julia and pulled her against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be fine. My mother and father are going to throw us a beautiful engagement party tomorrow, and then you, me and the family are going to go to the island and you and I can spend as much time as possible getting to really know each other,” Marcus sighed.

“That sounds wonderful, but I think I know everything I need to know. You are a kind, loving and sexy man. You’re wonderful with your family, and you take care of the people you love. What more could a girl ask for,” Julia purred.

“Oh I could think of a few things,” Marcus snorted.

“Well, there is one thing I wouldn’t mind,” Julia breathed as she wiggled against him in his arms. It had been weeks since Marcus had touched Julia intimately. Knowing that Rita’s wedding was coming up and knowing that he had lied about the engagement ring had him feeling more guilty than he could bare.

He’d found excuse after excuse to keep from having sex. He’d even taken a few cases that meant he’d have to travel. Julia was spending more and more time in his apartment lately so he would keep later hours in the office or spend time with his brothers.

“Jewels, it’s late, and I have a lot to get done tomorrow before the party. We’ll have plenty of time on the island,” Marcus said as he feigned stifling a yawn.

Julia frowned then pouted. “Okay, but I want plenty of alone time on the island,” She gave him sad doe eyes.

“Get some sleep, tomorrow will be a long day,” Marcus stood giving Julia his back as he headed for the bedroom.

~B
~

Marcus stood with a glass of whiskey in his hand and a smile plastered on his face. Julia was wrapped around his arm beaming at the two faces Marcus couldn’t name if he tried, in addition to the Pennywells. Marcus gritted his teeth.

Jeremy Pennywell was happy as a pig in slop. Not only had his daughter landed a catch, but there was more money in this room than the likes of Jeremy would ever have access to. Thanks to James Mairettie, there was not just the elite in this room but the elite of the elite. Those you only rubbed shoulders with by exclusive invitation.

Marcus had watched Jeremy work the room all night. Julia had been a social bug as well, but Marcus chalked that up as her being a good guest of honor. Jeremy not so much with his arrogance and smug tone, Marcus felt like he should cover Mr. Pennywells tracks to apologize to some of the guests.

Marcus just wanted to find the closest exit. He’d had enough an hour ago. At this point, he would have been happy just to find a room to breathe in. He felt like the walls were closing in on his lies. Everything Julia did was annoying him now.

She arrived at his apartment just before he left for the party. She was armed with a ton of bridal magazines, asking his opinion on a ton of things he wasn’t even paying attention to. He was sure he was going to tear his hair out before the end of the night.

“Excuse me,” Marcus said and kissed Julia on the cheek. “I’ll be back.”

“Should I come with you,” Julia asked and furrowed her brows.

He leaned into her ear and whispered. “I’m just going to the restroom. Enjoy your party.” He winked at her and gave her yet another forced smile.

Marcus quickly slipped away before Julia did decide to follow him. He was almost through the crowd that was trying to get his attention to give their best wishes when a familiar face stepped in front of him. Karen Lawson, he’d dated her in college. She was always pretty, but the years have been really good to her. Her hair looked glossy as it fell in long black silky sheets down her back. Her slanted eyes pierced him with their hazel depths.

Karen had always been small and adorable, but now she was tiny and sexy in a tight little black dress that showed off her subtle curves. Her cinnamon colored skin had a new glow to it. He remembered thinking that she was exotic and cute when they dated. When he met her parents he was surprised to find that her mother was from Jamaica and her dad was Korean, but she looked like a perfect mix of both of them. Marcus was surprised to see her here.

“Marcus, it is so good to see you,” Karen greeted him.

“It’s great to see you as well Karen it has been such a long time,” Marcus smiled.

“Too long, although I have to say that I am surprised to find you engaged to Julia,” Karen said with a small smirk.

“What makes you say that,” Marcus asked with a playful grin on his lips.

“Well, Julia and I happen to be good friends. I have known her since high school, and I know you pretty well as well. Don’t get me wrong Julia is a great girl but so not your type. Besides I always thought you would end up with that girl,” Karen put a finger to her lips in thought. “What was her name? Oh, I forget. She was a friend of your sister’s. I remember being so jealous of her. It drove me crazy because she was so young, but she would call or need something, and you would be out the door.”

Marcus thought back to when he dated Karen. He hadn’t realized that she felt this way. They had started dating a while before the family lost Raquel. When he thought about it, she was right. He was always running off to do something for Rita or his sister, even when he tried to avoid his awkward feelings for Rita. He just didn’t think it was that obvious to others.

“I was sure you would end up married to her someday. Especially after you just broke things off with me suddenly with that ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech,” Karen tilted her head and smiled. “You were always a great guy. I mean you had been helping her through a tough time back then if I remember right. Speaking of which, I don’t see her or your sister tonight.”

“They are both in Europe, fashion, modeling, makeup and all that. They couldn’t get away,” Marcus murmured.

“I see, well I still didn’t see the Julia thing. I love her and all, but one friend to another her motives are not always pure. Daddy says jump and she says how high. But you have always been a smart man Marcus, congratulations,” Karen said with a wink and walked off without another word.

Marcus clenched his teeth and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t want to process that conversation right now. He ducked into his father’s study and was amused to find his brother already hiding out in there. Marcus walked over to the private bar and filled his glass before taking a seat across from his brother.

“Paige is looking fantastic tonight,” Marcus said with a mischievous grin.

Bobby snorted and took a sip from his glass. “What happened? Is your slimeball father in law to be getting under your skin,” Bobby grunted.

“So it’s not just me then. That guy just grates on my nerves for some reason. I can’t put my finger on it,” Marcus sighed.

“What I don’t get is what made you propose. I know you, and she doesn’t seem like you. I mean sure she is the type you would have a little fun with. She’s beautiful and all, don’t get me wrong I think she is pretty okay, but something is off little brother,” Bobby said with an assessing eye.