Rookie Mistake: A Sports Romance Novel (The Beasts of Baseball Book 1) (50 page)

She nodded. “Always about you, isn’t it?”

“No. It’s about you right now. Forgive me for today.”

“I only have one thing to forgive you for.” She smiled tightly and got out of the car, walking around it and waiting for me to get out. Her voice was so low, that I was sure no one but me heard it. “For making me want so goddamn bad that it hurts.”

I stood speechless as she drove off. The cameras flashed around me, but nothing could reach me in the place I’d crawled into. No one understood, not even Alisa.

*

Getting through the crowd of reporters was far easier than I thought it would be, but I should have turned the car around when I found a dark blue BMW waiting for me in the drive of the house. Something told me that whoever had come to visit wouldn’t be welcomed. I didn’t know anyone who drove a beamer.

I got out of the car and walked to the house, not turning as the door to the car slammed behind me. I figured whoever it was would get the clue that I wasn’t interested in entertaining anyone that night.

“Zek.”

The sound of Melissa’s voice should have surprised me, but after hearing that she’d gone to Alisa’s the other night, I figured it was only a matter of time until she came to me.

Turning, I crossed my arms over my chest and pressed the record button on the phone in my hand.

“Melissa. What a pleasant surprise.” I gave her a tight smile.

“Right.” She walked toward me with malice on her pretty face. Seeing her again reminded me why I’d let her have access to my body in the first place. She didn’t have a thing on Alisa Manning, but the girl was still a bombshell nevertheless.

“What do you need? I’m tired, and spending time with you is honestly the last thing that would be positive to getting my life back.” I tilted my head and studied her. “Why would you lie to everyone about us?”

“Oh you know… the usual.” She shrugged and stopped in front of me. Something deep inside of me whispered for me to be on-guard, but I wasn’t too worried. The girl was a hundred and twenty pounds sopping wet. She wasn’t going to best me, but her acting psychotic was a high possibility.

“Nope, can’t say that I know the usual. I’ve never worked to ruin someone’s life. You’ll have to tell me what drives someone to such unacceptable levels of insanity.” I shrugged. “Unless you’ve always been sick.”

“Sick? I’m not sick. You wanted me that day in your office, and if I recall, it was you that invited me to the cabin.”

“I sure did.” I slipped my hands in my pockets, depositing the phone. “I wanted to see if after you offered yourself up in the office that maybe you wanted to try dating. I was looking for a girlfriend. You seem like a nice girl, and we were more than compatible, though you’re a little more aggressive than most of the girls I’ve dated.”

She blushed and had the nerve to look a little shy. It was almost comical.

“Really? I didn’t know you wanted a relationship. Why didn’t you say so?” She moved toward me, stopping only as I held up a hand.

“I don’t know. That time is long gone. I’m not a man-whore, love. I’m a guy who loves to treat a girl right, lift her high up like a princess and shower her in gifts and affection. I thought you wanted to be that girl, but you lied to everyone and dragged me through the mud, and for what? Money? Your father is one of the richest guys I know.”

Her features tightened, showing me a good glimpse of the crazy underneath the mask. “This is all his fault! This was his idea after I told him how easy you were. I thought you were a man-whore, a user of women. You deserved what came at you. Or I thought you did.”

“I’m not that guy at all. You caught me off guard that day in my office, and I’ve never regretted a decision more.” I gave her a tight smile. “I’ll see you in court soon. Have a good night, Miss Mills.”

“No. Wait. I want a relationship. I didn’t realize a guy like you could want a girl like me.” She reached for me, and I backed up, hitting my back on the door just behind me.

“I’m not interested in that anymore. You need to go.”

I started to turn and she moved toward me. Moonlight gleamed off a sliver of silver in her hand. Instinctively, I turned and raised my arm, but felt the metal slice into my face. It was better than being stabbed in the back.

“You bastard,” she screamed and sliced at me again. I was ready this time and dodged the blade, knocking it from her hand.

“What are you doing? You crazy bitch.”

I turned her and wrapped my arms around her, holding her against me with one hand as she kicked and screamed. I pulled out my phone and called the cops as I locked her body against mine. With her back to my chest, she couldn’t scratch or bite me, though it didn’t stop her from trying.

By the time the cops came, I was weary and scratched up anyway, dripping sweat from every pore. She’d gotten the better of me because I was trying not to hurt her. I didn’t need anything else against me where the girl was concerned. I had her on tape and unfortunately had a scar on my face to prove just how sick she was.

The paramedic wiped an antiseptic over the cut. I was lucky not to need stitches, just butterfly strips to close the wound. He patted my shoulder. “I’m going to put some additional gauze on it. We took a few pictures, so hopefully that helps you some, Mr. Kellington.”

I nodded. “Thanks. I need all the help I can get.”

They left me standing there in my driveway, shaken and exhausted. I wanted Alisa so bad, and yet to call her would just drag her back into a part of my situation that I honestly didn’t want her in. She needed to figure things out with Ben and had enough on her back.

She’d find out soon enough all the shit that just happened. I’d tell Lizzy tomorrow after a good night sleep. She could talk to Alisa about it when she was ready, but I was in no hurry. We had enough ammo against the Mills to shut the case down.

I could file a civil suit specifically against Melissa for assault and slander later. It would be down the line a little, but I had all the evidence we needed.

Now, I needed a few days to sleep and pull myself back together. Between wanting Alisa and trying to get rid of Melissa, I was over dealing with women for a small stint.

CHAPTER 9

e

Alisa

One week later…

W
e hadn’t spoken much in the last week other than comparing notes on the trial. He’d started to treat me almost like he didn’t know me, but I’d asked for it. There were only so many times I could push at him before he stepped back and took the proper place in my life.

Zek was my client, and though I wanted him to be so much more, it wasn’t possible for the time being. Where it was more than maddening and frustrating as hell, it was right. By the time the morning of the hearing arrived, I was back in my element and ready to defend him with all of the evidence we had stacked against the Mills.

He was standing with his back to me as I walked up to the court room. Lizzy had mentioned something about him having a run in with Melissa a week back, but I figured if it was something he felt that I should know, then I would have.

“Mr. Kellington?” I stopped behind him, and he turned from talking to a pretty, young court reporter. The angry scar across his beautiful face caused my breath to catch and shock to roll over me. “Holy shit. What happened?”

I didn’t hesitate to reach for his face, my fingers grazing just beneath the scar.

“Alisa.” He spoke my name in a way that made me want to swoon, but I was too overpowered by the anger that tore up my insides. He captured my hand and kissed it softly before pulling it from his face.

Some part of me wanted to glance around to make sure no one saw him being so tender with me, but I wasn’t taking my eyes off of him. “What happened?”

“I told Lizzy to let you know that I had a run in with Melissa.” He released my hand and slid his into the pockets of his slacks. He looked incredible outside of the scar, and I stumbled internally trying to figure out why I hadn’t let him into my heart.

No need. He’s already there.

“She did, but she never mentioned that Melissa cut your face. What the hell? Why didn’t we file a restraining order or something? Press charges for assault?” I turned to find Lizzy. The older woman was, of course, to be respected, but her lack of judgment in filling me in had my blood boiling.

“Alisa. I’m fine. Honestly. Everything is good.” He gripped my upper arm and pulled a little.

I whipped around as my vision blurred with tears. “I should have been there to take care of you. Who helped get you to the hospital?”

His smile warmed me, and I reached up, pressing my fingers to my eyes. I needed to pull back. I was getting far too emotional for what we were about to walk into.

“I got it patched up at the house when the police came. I wanted to give you some space. You seemed to need it.” His eyes moved across me. “Let’s get in there and get this over with.”

He was holding something back from me, but I wasn’t willing to press it just yet. Once we won the case, I would pull him aside and talk to him about what exactly happened. I could only hope that Lizzy was prepared to add the details of Melissa’s attack if the case started to fall apart in any way whatsoever.

“It’s time.” Lizzy moved up beside me and touched my back. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” My tone was clipped due to my agitation at being left out of the loop. Zek had most likely told her to keep it to herself, but either way, I was less than happy.

“You’re not fine,” she whispered to me, leaning closer to my ear. “You’re pissed, I get it. But I promise I took care of everything — restraining order, assault charges, the works. And I should have told you sooner, but Zek begged me not to. I didn’t realize things between you two had gone this far. That you cared so much.”

Pulling back, I looked at her closely, but she didn’t appear displeased or judgmental in the least. I nodded and she smiled before turning to walk into the courtroom. After a few beats, I followed.

Walking into the court room, I turned my head to see some of the partners of Jon’s firm sitting in the audience. Their expressions soured as we made our way to the front, but nothing could touch my resolve. I was going to drive him, his firm and his horrid daughter deep into the ground. How many lives had they ruined with their schemes? How many marriages? Reputations?

I took my seat on the far side of Zek, letting Lizzy have the chair closest to the action. I would play lead attorney for the case, but she had the right to trump anything and everything I did.

The judge called everyone to order, and I couldn’t help but turn and let my eyes lock onto Melissa’s. The anger in her gaze was almost enough to make me uncomfortable, but I held her in checkmate. I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze tightly. Not only had she brought all of this shit down on Zek without cause, but she’d threatened me too. Above all of that, she’d physically assaulted him. Scarred him for life.

He glanced over at me and winked. “I’m proud of you.”

I turned my attention to him, studying his handsome face and forcing myself not to reach up to brush his chestnut hair from his face. It was getting a little unruly. He needed a haircut, but the length made him look impossibly cute.

“Thank you for the chance to do this.” I smiled. “I missed you this week. A lot.”

“Me too. Bad call on my part?” His lip lifted in a smirk.

“Horrible. I should let them take you away for missing the mark so bad.” I turned and pulled out the files I had on the case as he chuckled.

As the trial began, we sat through the normal minutia of the judge offering instructions to the jury we’d already selected several days before. I glanced over at them. Six men and six women who held Zek’s future in their hands.

Finally, it was time for opening statements and I listened intently to the bullshit Melissa’s attorney spewed out of his mouth. He was good. But I knew we’d be better. And I knew we’d be sharing the truth.

We’d agreed that Lizzy would take the opening statement, and she did, her voice commanding and words damning to both Melissa and Jon. I studied Zek’s profile out of the corner of my eye and whispered prayer after prayer that he would come out on top for not only the case we were on trial for, but the other one as well. I had no question about my feelings, only the validity of having them.

I was lost to him, completely in love all over again, or maybe I’d never fallen out. It took all I had inside of me not to reach for his hand and lean against him to show him that he wasn’t alone, nor did he have to be.

One of the attorney’s from Mills’ firm called Melissa to the stand first, as was expected. The calm she exuded was almost unnerving, but the girl was a mastermind that had yet to be discovered. Something told me that her father was well aware of her antics and tricks, and perhaps had even exploited them from time to time in similar scenarios to the one we were facing.

“State your name for the record, please. Slowly so that everyone can hear it.” The attorney moved aside, and Melissa cleared her throat and gave a tight smile and curt nod.

“Sure, Mr. Claybow. I’m Melissa Lynn Mills.”

“Miss Mills, please start by recounting the events that occurred on the Friday you had your first welcome interview with Mr. Kellington. Don’t leave out any details, and be sure to speak loud and clear.” The attorney moved back to stand beside Melissa’s father and their attending attorney.

Melissa did a beautiful job of not only recounting her version of the rape in Zek’s office, but the subsequent time in his cabin a few days later. The scowl on the judge’s face let me know quickly that she wasn’t buying the shit that was being sold in her court room. Anyone with half a brain would never have gone anywhere with Zek after he raped her the first time.

I had to hand it to Melissa’s attorney though, he brought out very specific details of the rape, and helped her to not only create a highly emotional narrative, but forced the audience to really consider Zek as a vicious monster.

My leg tapped under the table, and I let a few soft breaths out between my teeth. I had to bide my time, but my patience was running thin. Finally, Mills’ attorney gave a tight smile and sat down with no further questions.